Words To Live By

When Yoram Samets' employees show him a new press release, ad script or business presentation, he always asks them, "Where's the `wow'? What's the wow idea here?"

The query is a reminder of Kelliher/Samets/Volk's slogan, "Creating wow ideas for clients who want to soar," which is what the company uses to market itself to prospects. But the question and slogan are also tools for keeping the 25 employees of the Burlington, Vermont, advertising agency focused on the key elements Samets believes they have to offer. That's why he constantly keeps the slogan in the forefront of employees' minds through an internal newsletter, posters and even the giant red
W-O-W letters salvaged from a defunct Woolworth's sign.

"It's really a vision statement for the company," Samets says. "It's for all our customers, which includes employees and clients."

Mark Henricks is an Austin, Texas, writer specializing in business topics.

This article was originally published in the September 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Words To Live By.