Recently I was assigned to interview JP Sobrevilla, head of Waldengraph.
Over coffee and coffee cake, no kidding, at a too well known coffee shop in the Gables (you do the guessing), I picked his brain about the business and his place in it. Here is an excerpt from that interview:

Q: You must feel empowered by the knowledge and experience you’ve accumulated through 15 years in the business. Any comment on that?
JP: In a sense there is this feeling of maturity and calm wisdom that you earn only with time. My hunger for knowledge and my willingness to embrace "new concepts" have never stopped, and that in itself is a very empowering thing. I find myself waking with fresh ideas every day. That’s what 15 years of experience has done for me.

Q: Ok, JP, What is it that a client really wants from a consultant such as yourself?
JP: Companies rely on the expertise of a consultant, someone outside the company, who can see the big picture in their marketing plan and contribute objectively. I get paid for my ideas and vision. Period.

Q: What do you think makes a good creative person?
JP: We are all creative in one way or another. But since you’ve asked, I’d say you need a real sensitivity toward what motivates people.

Q: Lets talk a moment about the creative process. When it comes to positioning a brand in the marketplace, what is the biggest challenge?
JP: Hmm, I think beginning it. It comes down to the answer to one single question… What sets the brand apart? Once you’ve got that one nailed down, the rest suggests itself in the process …and that applies to every single project. Whatever you’re selling, from yourself as your own brand, as a journalist say, to selling a product, or a service, you name it; that rule always applies! Recently I read a great quote, "if you have nothing to sell, you better check your pulse ‘cause you might be dead".

Q: Are you really independent? How can you do it all?
JP: No I’m not. Even though clients buy my expertise and consulting services, I have a small group of very bright minds behind me. It’s the concept of the "mastermind group". All very powerful stuff, really.

Q: What do you think young professionals should focus on the most after school?
JP: Good question. I think new creatives must learn to focus on communication solutions and innovate. Do your homework kids! …do the research, define the demographic target and learn the strengths of the product or service you’re going to sell.

Q: Any words for potential clients shopping for more “bang for their buck?”
JP: It’s not a rule, but usually you get what you pay for. Throughout the years I have seen countless campaigns and strategies that have totally missed the target. Which is basically flushing marketing money down the toilet. A true mix of creativity, sense of purpose, and market knowledge make a very powerful asset to have on your organization's side in today’s fast paced marketplace.

Q: Anything to share on what to look for in the near future?
JP: I don’t like the idea of playing marketing Nostradamus with you. All I can tell you is this… we live in a world that constantly demands and welcomes new ideas, new products and new ways to communicate.

Q: Any good story you’d like to share?
JP: Hmm, many to be honest, but here is one. I was hired to develop the branding of a Chilean wine label, and part of the "research" was to taste the product. Yeah, I know, don’t laugh… Well to make a long story short, in the end the client was really pleased with their new image even though I couldn’t give them a straight answer as to what happened to the four wine bottle samples they gave me. In the end they were written off in their research expense account … I guess.

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JP Sobrevilla provides marketing and creative consulting for companies worldwide. His work has been published in numerous magazines and newspapers throughout the USA, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean.

Alyn Darnay is an award-winning writer; he lives in South Florida.