The elusive media neutral idea: What is it and how do brands achieve it?

The thing we are always looking for when we start a big new project, is that illusive, award winning, and profit generating entity: The media neutral idea (MNI).
That’s what sells products, builds brands, fills awards cabinets, and enters pop culture. That’s what clients want from their agencies.
So what is a media neutral idea?
If we go by the name itself then it’s an idea that sits independently from any medium, and can theoretically be communicated via any medium due to its