The power of an idea has inspired me to be part of the marketing and advertising field for more than 30 years.

The magic with which an idea>>> becomes a concept>>> that becomes a story>>> to be shared with an audience whose perception or behavior is forever changed by it>>> is powerful currency.

What excites me about companies large and small in our industry today is how so many of us are using the currency of imagination for creating positive change.  A recent issue of Adweek magazine highlighted some of those more high profile individuals.

Among those were Tim Armstrong, the CEO of AOL, who in the redesign of the AOL homepage mandated that a permanent space be dedicated to a different nonprofit daily, driving over 19 billion impressions to 380 different groups.  While David Droga, whose idea for the UNICEF Tap Project was to ask restaurant patrons to donate $1 or more for a glass of tap water that they usually enjoy free.  This single idea, embraced by many, has raised more than $3 million in the U.S. and helped provide clean water for millions of children globally.

For those of us who may not have the wealth of Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, the opportunity to invest our imaginations as social currency is appealing and satisfying.  Whether we use our intellectual capital to help create, communicate, or motivate positive social change—we are the ones who are richer for it.