MEDITATION

Doctors

I once did an experiment. I pulled a list of all the RX awards for a given year. I also pulled a list of all the Doctor’s Choice awards for the same year. They were completely different lists. How can that be?

Ask 10 different people you’ll get 10 different answers. What went through my mind was: it can’t be because they’re not impactful or original. They were. Maybe, for whatever reason, they didn’t bring enough value to the customer to be recognized. 

It’s easy to forget the wise words of David Ogilvy that “if it isn’t strategic, it isn’t creative.” It’s easy to get caught up in being witty or artsy or cool. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of firing neurons and to forget those 7 simple words. I know I’ve done it. I also know my work is better when I remember them. This section has examples of when I did. 

 
 

MEDITATION

Patients

I was relatively new to this industry. I was asked to go across the street to Pfizer. They had something called a “Health Literacy” class. I did as I was asked. I went.

The instructor taught that, when writing for patients, we should write at a 4th grade level. I thought that was really condescending.

Later, I remembered an essay I’d read. It analyzed the writing styles of different authors. It said Ernest Hemingway wrote at a 4th grade level. Ernest Hemingway. Not too shabby.

There once was a guy named “Occam.” He created a razor. It wasn't a real razor. It was a metaphorical razor he employed to trim fat from the bone of complicated hypothesizing, abstract theorizing, and tedious pontificating like this. Using it to rewrite that last sentence: "Simpler is better."

He was an insightful guy, that Occam.

I wonder if the guy in the Pfizer Health Literacy class knew about Occam? Because they’re saying the same thing. When I understood this, I understood his advice wasn’t condescending. It was very wise. I’ve thought about it a lot since then. I think about it whenever I create or help someone else to create. I thought about it when I created the concepts in this section. 

 
 

MEDITATION

Design

I often say I’m a graphic designer trapped in the body of a copywriter. Meaning: I’m intensely focused on design. No less than copy, design is an integral element of communication. Yet it's frequently given short shrift. In healthcare in general. And Pharma specifically.

Sophisticated, artful use of graphic design facilitates improved communication. And a better user experience. It results in executions that feel decidedly “un-Pharma."  Yet do not feel like design for design’s sake. Because they aren't.

Logical structure imbues beautiful design with a sense of purpose. It elevates the communication and makes for a more memorable end-product.

 
 



"Why, sometimes I've believed 6 impossible things before breakfast."

—The White Queen | Through the Looking Glass | Lewis Carroll