Conventional wisdom says the secret to great advertising[advertising?:advertising material cutting machine] is developing a big idea for a campaign. In reality, the trick is developing a campaign for a big idea.
As a young company takes root and expands, it begins to establish its brand. With each passing day, the things it does enhance (or detract from) the value of that brand. Over time, that equation begins to work in the opposite direction as well, and branding can be used to enhance the meaning and value of the company. But for this process to be effective, the business and the brand must remain intertwined.
Happiness. Motivation. Innovation. Performance. Imagination. Savings. These aren't advertising ideas; they're business ideas that have advertising implications. If you want your advertising to be more effective, ensure that it's rooted in the idea that animates your company. If you're not sure what that idea is, it's probably related to why you got into business in the first place. Rediscover your animating idea, make sure it's still sound (see "How Solid Is Your Brand?"), and orient everything you do around it—including (but not limited to) your advertising.
If you can prune away everything else and sharpen the point on your animating idea, your advertising will do its job better than you ever imagined.
