In the advertising business, a good idea can inspire a great commercial. But a good insight can fuel a thousand ideas, a thousand commercials.

The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. It's the only true measure of an agency. In the absence of great work, nothing else matters.

That's the power of great insights. Insights, not ideas. There's a difference. Ideas, valuable though they may be, are a dime a dozen in business. Insight is much rarer -- and therefore more precious. In the advertising business, a good idea can inspire a great commercial. But a good insight can fuel a thousand ideas, a thousand commercials.

I have always believed that writing advertisements is the second most profitable form of writing. The first, of course, is ransom notes.