Yo, Occam, S’up?
Somehow, you knew it would come to this. I mean, how could someone who prides his own damn self on a reasonable grasp of decomplexification (hey, spellcheck says it’s a real word) not cast a green-eyed glance at William of Ockham—the 12th century Franciscan friar credited with the observation that the simplest solution to any problem is usually the right one.
Generally called Occam’s Razor, it was and is an impressive intellectual achievement. It’s maybe even more impressive than getting the English name re-spelled with Latin elan; the High Middle Ages equivalent of getting your own hip-hop handle.
Clearly, dude got skillz. He’s also, almost 9 centuries later, got an utterly practical point.
After all, in philosophy, the Razor is a.k.a. the “principle of parsimony.” And that’s a word commonly used in our non-Chaucerian version of the language to mean “frugal” or “tight with a buck” or even “cheap.”
So, okay, that tickles The Reductionist’s funny bone—not exactly an OSHA-recommended action when handling edged implements. But the point endures that simplicity is cheaper than its opposite. The reason: it’s comparatively streamlined, cogent, coherent, and much more likely, as friend Occam, I mean Ockham, wisely postulated, to get us to the right result.
Sound a bit abstract for the chronically chaotic marketing world? Not so fast amicus meus:
Problem #1: hydra-headed new products, with so many features you’re heading toward a blender that brushes your teeth while it does your floors. Occam’s Answer: revel in the “value proposition” truth that “it’s not what you think you’re selling—it’s what people buy.” Thusly did Black & Decker famously discover that people didn’t want drills with super torque and 1000 attachments. They want holes drilled, really fast.
Problem #2: strategic convolutions and complexity. Occam’s Answer: the user-friendly, common sense, approach to making the right choices developed by former P&G CEO A.G. Lafley & Roger L. Martin. Ask and answer 5 mutually-dependent questions—purpose, playing field, how to win there, tools, and measurement—and you, like Archimedes, will have that “eureka” moment.
Problem #3: the 20-page creative brief. Come to think of it, the 5-page creative brief. Occam’s Answer: given that defenestration is strongly discouraged in the workplace, no matter how richly deserved, insist on briefs that include at least one unique and actionable insight. Of particular importance: making sure the called-for main message (or audience take-away, if you prefer) is as sharp as, well, a razor.
Problem #4: you’re presented with uninteresting, unoriginal, or otherwise unremarkable creative. Occam’s Answer: revisit Problems 2 and 3. And then, further simplify life by hiring experienced talent with the track record that proves they can deliver IRL.
Problem #5: insane media fragmentation. Occam’s Answer: there’s only one way to fish where the fish are when the freaking fish are scattered all over the damned pond. Drop in a shinier lure. For more on that see Problem #4.
And, yes, I know what you’re thinking. You’re about to throw Sherlock Holmes’s somewhat parallel insight back in my teeth— “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth”—and ask how Bill Ockham would respond. To which I can only say one of these legendary quotables is factual, the other is fictional, Deal with it.