Our Mission & Purpose

We’ll forgive you if you’ve never heard that before or if you've become so accustomed to agency doublespeak that you're not sure what it means. Simply put, we call ourselves that because we believe that captivating audiences comes before converting them.

 

We're not just another agency (okay, you've heard that before). Not because we don’t use data, research, or consider and weigh business goals with human benefits—rather, because we do all of those things while understanding that the audience must be interested in what happens next. Their participation is what creates the experience, and you can't have that participation without purpose.

 

When we say “we believe advertisers have lost the plot,” we mean there is too much content being produced without intent. Too often, brands and advertisers are concerned with short-term results, which can look like “disruption” but is really just distraction. They want something funny, so they attempt cheap laughs, which frequently ends up being a piece of content that provides no value and no experience for the viewer.

 

At LSS, we believe in the power of storytelling and the impact of advertising. Advertising has the ability to inspire and create movements—it’s a literal call to action. A well-crafted story doesn’t always need words; when done well, it can communicate a compelling message and evoke a wide range of emotions.

 

The term "Attention Economy" was first coined in the 1960s by political scientist Herbert Simon to describe the issue of "information overload." If Simon revisited his concept today, we’d guess he might call it an "Attention Crisis." With the rise of the internet and smartphones, this problem has intensified, presenting a significant challenge for advertisers and companies, and certainly for audiences.

 

As the battle for human attention grows ever more competitive, we see many companies resorting to strange or desperate tactics to visually disrupt and "stop the scroll." And once they have the viewer's attention, they betray it—either by telling a story that doesn’t resonate or by telling a bad story altogether. The result? The audience is left unrewarded and overexposed. Impressions and views alone are shallow goals. There must be a purpose.

 

We started Long Story, Short because we respect audiences. Our content invites them to be curious, and our goal is to always use their time in a way they will not feel was wasted. We want to subvert their expectations in ways that make them feel like they’ve discovered something. That something is you, your unique story, and your brand. We are bold, but not blusterous. You can be funny, or heartwarming, or defiant, or a combination—but none of that matters if you are not telling a good story with fundamental and purposeful appeals. We are ambitious, but not arrogant. We love solving big problems with creativity. We know you’re ambitious too, and we’d like to talk to you.

 

Marketing and advertising in a corporate setting comes with its challenges. We know that when an agency partners with you, they can’t work in a vacuum, nor do they have carte blanche with your brand. Our work is laser-focused on achieving your business goals, with your brand objectives front and center. We aim to distill your brand story to a point where it’s so clear, so straightforward, that it seems almost simplistic—so that the audience can easily participate and discover who you are and what you offer. That's the content experience.