Controlling Creative (Part 1 of 3)

I’m frequently asked, “How do you keep people from stealing your ideas?”

Answer: I can’t. In fact, I don’t even try, figuring that creativity and originality are muscles—what doesn’t get regularly used (by the habitual plagiarist) will become flaccid over time, but you can’t let those negatives keep you from striving to be creative and original, or from producing your ideas.

Three client examples come to mind when talking about controlling creative.

Example 1: Troy wanted me to rip off—there’s no other way to put it—the Nike line, changing it to “Just do I. T.” The local VP of an international software firm, he figured any ensuing U. S. controversy would be excellent free advertising.

I said, “Troy, I’d like to continue working in my profession long after your time’s up at the minimum-security white-collar prison where they’ll be sending you for copyright violation.”

“So you’re not going to do this?” he asked.

“Not a chance in hell,” I said tactfully.