What Irish Pub Bartenders Can Teach Account Planners
Backstory: Strategic thinking is a critical element of any successful plan. And in advertising, Account Planning fulfills this role, supporting and guiding organically-grown creative communication solutions for business and marketing.
Crosscuts: Role Model x Food & Beverage
Culture Cut: The Irish pub is the sanctuary where the soul is comforted and nourished. The first pub-like structures were designed by wine merchants who supplied the cellars of the Norman barons in the 13th century. The Irish pub is an atmosphere of different occasions among disparate people, independent of, but somehow dependent upon each other - a cultural and social meta ecosystem of food, conversation, beer and drink, and communion.
Commerce Cut: The bartender of an Irish pub is distinctive and always delightful to discover. His/her tone is welcoming and sincere; the granting of respect and honor to a new friend is the most authentic expression of salutation in humanity. It's pure goodwill. Keith and Tommy at The Perfect Pint in Midtown Manhattan personify this, indeed. I'm sure you have your favorites as well.
Crosscutting: The bar of the Irish pub is a Culture Cambio - where the exchange of payment, ideas, product, philosophies, gestures, fellowship, gratuity, brands, attitudes, beliefs, culture, perception, etc are realized. Irish pub bartenders make service look easy; creating brand communication and advertising has become more complex, and servicing clients is an ever-expanding continuum.
Brand Opportunity: Five Things Irish Pub Bartenders Can Teach Account Planners
- Tell Interesting Stories in Interesting Ways. Relating to new and familiar people is part art and part science. Start with a salutation, e.g., story, joke, tale, experience, good news, buy a round).
- Make Introductions. To make introductions you have to know people. If you listen to the background noise in an Irish pub in just about any busy city, say during lunch time, you will hear the bartender say patron name after name. It's like a roll call. S/he will typically then introduce close and adjacent patrons at the bar. It's like a small version of a country club.
- Listen. The art of being a good Irish pub bartender, if I may, is knowing what to say 'next.' If you listen you will never miss a beat. Irish pub bartenders tend to be witty, and often way ahead of the story.
- Love What You Do. Pride in what you do shows every time. If an Irish pub bartender isn't pleased with the pint of Guinness s/he has poured, s/he doesn't serve it. S/he pours another.
- Humility. Fostering genuine fellowship and friendship requires some sacrifice.
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