Fitting in? Head for the hills! Sounds terrible doesn’t it? If you’re a frequent (or infrequent – we don’t pretend to command your attention) visitor of our website, or Facebook, or you happen to know any of us personally at the tribe, you probably know that we at Tribu relentlessly pursue the misfit, the extraordinary, the “I like it but I don’t know what I would wear it to” attitude.
It’s this attitude that has seen us through our short but often challenging (you have no %#$!* idea) existence as a San Antonio marketing and advertising agency. It’s a rewarding way to operate, but there is no denying that it can be tiring, nay downright draining to try and top whatever it is you did last time. There is always the temptation of succumbing to that familiar whisper of the ordinary, the average cookie-cutter approach that promises short-term financial gain for yourself and, at best, a functional if not rather lackluster experience for the client.
Sometimes there are multiple paths that lead to the same end. The ultimate end is to have a satisfied partner. But what does that mean exactly? Someone can be satisfied with what they have, with what they got, but only because they don’t know any better; they don’t know that they missed out on a far more immersive, stimulating, exciting path. They don’t know, because they don’t know. And so, they stand there, perhaps a little wanting for some spice, some dazzle, some sparkle, but unable to pinpoint what exactly that would look like. They are satisfied, and if this is the case, then we at Tribu potentially missed out on the opportunity to mesmerize and exceed expectations.
What keeps our tribe passionate and focused is reaping the benefits of real inspiration and change. When you can step back and reflect on your work and reach out and touch your ideas brought to life through trial and tribulation (sleepless nights, sleepier days), when you can see with your own eyes that people understand your vision, that people are inspired and that you’ve helped create a door of powerful possibility that they line up to enter though, that is when real success and worth can be measured. At the end of the day it’s about people, and if you can connect with people everything else will take care of itself.
We love our city. In fact, that is partly what inspired this post. We were privileged and humbled to be a part of the unveiling of the new logo for the Mayor’s Fitness Council initiative “Fit City SA” last Friday. We didn’t know what to expect really. Sometimes in the bureaucratic business of a city, some things get lost in the shuffle and we by no means expected anything more than an opportunity to add another lovely logo to our growing portfolio. What we were met with though was something that made us all light up inside. There were crowds of people standing, sitting, dancing, talking, shaking hands, exchanging smiles, and wherever we looked….we saw our logo, but the most amazing thing was it wasn’t ours anymore. It was everyone’s. The people of San Antonio had embraced it as their own. No one knew who we were. No one seemed to care about the origins of the minimalistic yellow, red, and green insignia they proudly wore emblazoned across their shirts. It was simply a symbol of a brighter future, a better life collectively for all San Antonians. It had become bigger than Tribu. When you realize your work has come to a point where it can stand apart from you, it is a surreal and enlightening experience.
Many thanks to our friends, family, partners (AD2SA), confidants, and our leaders (here’s to you Julian Castro!) for inspiring, molding, and shaping us to reach new heights in our creativity. You’ve added fuel for our desire to inspire people not only of this unique city, but those across the country and around the globe. We’ve realized yet again that we are all a part of the same tribe.
