4 things advertising creatives can learn from Donald Trump's surprising presidential victory

There are three popular topics for which I cannot even fake expertise: Grey's Anatomy, The Teapot Dome Scandal of 1921, and politics. Read assured that you won't receive penetrating political analysis from this guy.

But Donald Trump's election, which came as a surprise to many in the know (including, reportedly, to Mr. Trump himself) bears unexpected lessons for advertising creatives. While you may (or may not) embrace the result of the election, you can at least benefit from the outcome's wisdom.

1. Never underestimate the competition. No matter how much marketshare your client possesses, it is a grave mistake to sleep on upstarts. Do not get comfortable.
2. Behold the power of a simple message. "Make America Great Again" isn't exactly Shakespeare, but it struck a chord with Mr. Trump's consumers. Despite the criticism often hurled at the slogan, the Trump Campaign stubbornly remained loyal to it until it became ingrained into Trump's brand.
3. Market research is not always to be trusted. Mr. Trump is the President elect despite nearly every poll indicating that such an outcome was an impossibility. The election proved that the polling process is fatally flawed. Market research is useful, but it's not infallible. Question everything.
4. You are never, ever the target audience. The Democrats failed in part because they spent too much time talking to themselves and not enough time gauging the pulse of the market. Just because you fail to see value in a product or service doesn't mean that the product or service isn't valued by a great many people. Stop being an elitist snob and listen.

That's it. That's pretty much all creatives can learn from this long, messy, dispiriting presidential race. Except maybe this: never talk politics at work. That's a miserable hour you'll never get to bill.

Jeremy Harper is a professional writer for Stone Ward Advertising and a casual provocateur for The Forgotten 5. He continues to avoid political discussions if only to maintain peace at Thanksgiving dinner.