KeepThatFaith was happy to interview Sean Doughtie of . Enjoy!
Where did you get the name ?
In botany, a taproot is the main root of a plant growing straight down from the stem. It serves as an anchor for the plant and is an important central source for growth and development. This was the concept upon which I wanted to build my agency. As marketers and creative communicators our job is to help our clients build a solid brand and equip them with communication tools that will cause their businesses to grow and thrive.
Where are you based out of?
Taproot Creative’s main office is based in Tallahassee, Florida with a small satellite office in Jacksonville Florida. Yes, THAT Tallahassee... Operating from a small town posed some challenges early one but we’ve done a pretty decent job of overcoming that.
Our business model is based on the marriage of traditional marketing with new media/technology. We can serve anyone, anywhere, anytime. Our physical location becomes insignificant, except that we can offer the same creative services as an agency based in a major metro area, at a lower price, because we don’t carry the insane overhead.
I noticed the had a night theme and now that I visited again it has a day theme, I take it your site is synced with natural time of day?
Yeah, the whole concept of that site was ‘less is more.’ We wanted to create a simple, organic site that provided a bare-bones overview of who we are and what we do. The night/day toggle was sort of an ‘Easter Egg’ for folks who actually revisited the site. We thought it would be fun to throw something in there to show our creative side and our development capabilities. It’s just a little Javascript and CSS, nothing too fancy.
The was meant to be a temporary site, not a long-term solution. But, as the cliche goes, “The cobbler’s children have no shoes.” We’ve been so busy working for clients that we simply don’t have a lot of time to play around with our corporate site. It’s a good problem to have though. I’m not complaining. (Side Note: Keep an eye out in early 2009. Things may be changing up...)
In my opinion, some agencies go overboard on their corporate sites — too much text, too elaborate, too much flash whiz-bang junk. I don’t think clients really care about that. They want to know what you can do for THEM. Your corporate site should be more like a window, less like a wall. When you do take the time to say something, make it count. It’s a wasted effort to go on and on about how great your agency is. Teach them, show them. In our current web-centric age, it’s important to demystify new media and teach clients not only to use it but why to use it, how to use and how others have used it. An educated client is a good client.
I see you have done work for Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush, what's it like doing websites for campaigns?
It’s exciting, without a doubt. The pace is fast and there’s no room for error. The ‘war room’ collaboration is a lot of fun though. I enjoy the strategy of campaigns and you get to work with a lot of smart and tremendously talented people.
I’m looking forward to 2009 and 2010. Governor Bush and Governor Crist were both pretty open to the use of new media but they were the exception to the rule for Republicans. For whatever reason, Republican consultants and strategists continued to downplay the importance and viability of new media in campaigns in 2008, with devastating results.
The recent presidential campaign left and indelible mark on the way new media can (and will) be used in political strategy, communications and netroot activities.
Looking forward, our goal is to remain at the tip of the spear and be ready when called upon.
What was it like working for 100ideas.org ?
The campaign was great. Speaker Rubio is a tremendously sharp and energetic leader. The concept behind 100 Ideas was so simple, yet completely groundbreaking. It provided a platform where Floridians could share their ideas for improving our state and crafting legislation. The initial campaign culminated in a statewide summit where the final 100 selected ideas were unveiled. The event featured conservative heavyweights such as Jeb Bush, Newt Gingrich and Jack Kemp. The second phase of the campaign actually tracked those 100 ideas as they made their way through Florida’s legislative process.
All in all, 100ideas.org was a huge success. The concept was replicated in multiple states. It even impressed Speaker Gingrich to the point that he used it as the foundation for his own American Solutions (www.americansolutions.com) project. We were honored to have had the opportunity to help Speaker Rubio realize his vision.
What do you do to inspire and expand your creativity when you are in a mental corner?
It changes all the time. We try to keep the atmosphere light around the office. Constriction and strife are sure-fire ways to kill creativity. We take our work very seriously but, within that fence line, we try to have fun doing what we do. We brainstorm. We joke. Sometimes after work we grab a beer in the parking lot. Whatever the situation calls for...
On the ‘maintenance’ side, you have to take care of yourself. It’s important to read and feed your brain. It’s important to unplug, get out of the office and have a life. I enjoy rough housing and playing with my kids, going for walks, playing guitar — doing stuff that has nothing to do with my job. Being centered is an important part of staying creatively sharp.
What are your thoughts on the Obama O logo?
It’s solid. Overall, I like it. There are certain aspects of it that grate on me a bit. I’m sort of ‘old school’ in that I think a logo should be just a strong as a one-color mark as it is when you add your gradients, gel-caps and all that other trendy crap on top of it...
What impressed me more than his logo was his overall approach to branding. He got it. Unlike other candidates, Obama didn’t just hire up all the usual political hacks. He went to the private sector an found talented marketing, pr and new media professionals and said to them, “Okay, I have a product to sell and you’re going to help me sell it. That product is ME.”
Obama sold himself the way Apple sells iPods and Harley sells bikes. And he utterly crushed everyone who challenged him.
What GOP campaign/organization has impressed you the most with their creativity and originality?
Wow. Hmmmm... To be perfectly honest, no one has really impressed me, and I don’t mean that in an arrogant or snobbish way. That’s really painful for me to say. I’ve been a conservative all my life, and catch hell from my industry associates because of it. I’d love to say that there was someone who just blew me away but, overall, the GOP has been pretty lack-luster in their marketing, in their message and in their ability to wield new media as an effective tool.
Republican needs to remember/learn who they are. For the past few months, all I’ve heard is, “Well, Barack had it easy... Young people use all that web stuff. That’s not our target audience.” My response is, “Why the hell not?! Why AREN’T you targeting young people?!”
There's a huge cross-section of young people who, in my opinion, are a lot more open to conservative ideas than they're given credit for. They just need someone to show them what a republican is, what they believe and how those beliefs benefit our country.
America's younger generation knows only the old Republican brand, the stereotype — fat white guys poured into expensive suits, spending money. It's up to us to change that brand and tap that resource. From a leadership level, the question is, who’s going to step up to the plate? Who’s going to stop acting like they’re ashamed to be called a conservative and lead the charge? There are a number of really promising prospects out there — Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal. We’ll just have to see... I have hope. I see change coming. It’s just not the ‘hope and change’ you see on the news...
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