As far as screenplay/play writers go, I rank David Mamet near the top. When he fires off a critical memo about a project in which he is involved, I pay attention, because there is probably something useful in there somewhere.
Case in point: http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/23/a-letter-from-david-mamet-to-the-writers-of-the-unit/
Colorful yes, but some great insight – he wants to create drama and keep it, getting the audience from point A to point B as efficiently as possible. Sometimes however, even good writers try to do too much, then the plot starts to drag or linger, and the drama “flows out of it” of a given scene.
There is a good analogy in there somewhere about marketing. Sure, I know writers want to create drama, and as a marketer, the last thing you want is drama in a promotion, but there are some more relevant comps there.
As a marketer, we want to create reasons for consumers to act, and do that quickly and efficiently. Sometimes, even good marketers try to do a bit too much within a promotion or campaign, and the execution suffers.
Next time you are putting a promotion concept together, look at the pieces and ask yourself “does this really advance the plot?
Then imagine how David Mamet would handle it.