Unsung Heroes

There’s a whole ‘nother hidden layer of information that never hits the blogosphere or twittersphere: gag orders, quiet deals, or the sucking sound of credit stealing brand managers.

One of the benefits of being an analyst is get opportunity to talk to folks behind closed doors –I hear that ‘nother hidden layer of information. I get to hear the secrets, learn about who’s shaking who’s hand and who’s in competition with who.

There’s always a story behind the story. What does that mean? When you see successful projects touted by large brands, there are almost always unseen vendors that are helping behind the scenes. In many cases, the brands want to take the credit for the successes, and when things don’t work out, sometimes the vendors get the shaft.

Who are some of the unsung heroes you may never hear about? technology vendors, PR firms, agencies, and even VCs.

Recently some PR pros told me the ideas they gave clients were rejected for months or even years, and eventually when they were implemented, it was somehow forgotten the ideas came from them. Or take technology vendors, I know who’s running some very high profile communities, but the vendor has a gag order not to tout their connection. Agencies: digital, brand, interactive, often do the heavy lifting for marketing campaigns, yet brand managers who sign the checks often get the credit. Or lastly, VCs connect, influence, and encourage deals to happen that you will never hear about –perhaps by design.

While maybe this is the cost of doing business (putting your client first and foremost) next time you see success or a failure from a large well known brand, always realize there’s an untold back story that doesn’t hit the press, and rarely hits the blogs.

Here’s a quiet 21 un-gun salute to those unsung heroes, shhhhh.