History Lessons

Take a look out the window. If your offices are in a major American city, chances are a group of Occupy Wall Street protesters are converging near the financial district.

When the revolt began in September, most major media outlets ignored it. Since then, the movement—although still without a leader or a message beyond protesting economic imbalance—has spread to more than two dozen cities and grown to include more than a dozen trade unions, celebrities and everyday people who aren't disenfranchised college kids.

And although the protesters' demographic skew toward Millennials, recent polls indicate the movement is supported by all sorts of fed-up Americans: A recent Time magazine national poll indicates that OWS has a 54 percent favorable rating compared with 27 percent for the tea party movement.

Aside from the fact that your friends, family or customers may be protesters, there also are implications for your business involved in the movement:

1. The affluent demographic is shrinking. High-net-worth customers can be a profitable niche, but there are 5 percent fewer affluent Americans than before the recession—and less mobility by lower income groups into the affluent category.
2. If the protestors aren't your customers, their sympathizers are. Middle-income jobs have fallen from 52 percent in 1980 to 42 percent in 2010, a reality that has affected at least some of your customers or prospects.
3. You want to know about Millennials? Our graying industry's lust for young blood has spawned dozens of initiatives attempting to discover how to attract and retain Millennials. Maybe a trip to an OWS protest site would provide some answers.
4. Doing good can do you good. Smart agencies know that being involved in charitable works can build a positive reputation and bring in business. At a time when consumers of all stripes are lashing out against perceived corporate abuses, it's nice to point to the positives your business provides to the community.
5. Those who fail to learn from history… The OWS protests may not have the same impact as the civil rights or anti-war movements of the 1960s, but then again, they might. Dismissing this grassroots movement, with its unprecedented use of social media to engage supporters, means ignoring history.

On another note, this month's issue of AA&B is proud to salute the winners of this year's Commercial Agency Awards for Excellence (see coverage on pages 28 to 39). Parker, Smith & Feek, KMRD Partners and Bartlett & Co. Inc. have merged innovation, creative thinking and dedication to forge businesses that are succeeding in spite of historically poor economic and market conditions. Their stories are great examples of how creative professionals respond to unprecedented challenges and turn them to advantages. Check out more CAAFE coverage.