Mark identified three threats:

1. Our brains have been googled (the internet) - If you start looking at the same thing you end up with recipe based thinking, we start to pull the same strands together to get the creative idea.

2. The kids are playing all wrong - The ubiquitous use of technology amongst the younger generation has some concerns for those in the creative industries. With ‘generation Z’ having entertainment at the click of a button,  kids are losing the ability to invent and play which could impact on the creative industry in the future.

3. The tools are cheap - Our creative industries used to be protected by the availability and complexity of the tools that we had. Computers were expensive, picture libraries charged a fortune, professional photographers were very costly. The barriers have now come down.  Computers, digital cameras and software have become more cost effective so ordinary people now have the tools and desire to produce some really great quality creative work.

And two opportunities:

1. Learn from The Swiffer - crowd sourcing. To quote internet guru Tim O’Reilly ‘Winning an innovation is no longer about who has got the best talent in-house, it’s about who has got the best architecture of participation’. Mark believes the crowd, if used correctly, can add value to our ideas in ways that we could never do because they have a different perspective.

2. Ideas with a life of their own - a no constraints narrative. The core central execution is now no more important than the minor executions around the edges and this requires a new approach to creativity.

Mark was then joined on stage for a Q&A session by Alan Bell, Managing Director at Bell Design, Jim Northover, Co-Founder of Lloyd Northover and Dave Brown, UK Chairman, The Brand Union.

Synopsis

Q&A Session

Creating an exceptional CV

When taking those first tentative steps towards a career in marketing it’s easy to become frustrated when receiving little or no response when sending out your CV.

The trick to getting your foot in the door, is to make your future employer sit up, put the other CVs to one side and re-read yours again. In other words your CV is the single most important tool to getting you noticed and securing that all important first interview.  Your CV is the perfect opportunity to talk up your skills, list your USPs (Unique Selling Proposition) and explain what you’ll be bringing to the role. If other candidates have exactly the same qualifications or level of experience, you’ll need to stand out as the best person for the job.  Ask people from within the industry what they would look for in a good CV – get their advice; pick their brains!

There are many dos and don’ts when it comes to writing an excellent CV. We’ve listed a few pointers, which should give you a head start.

• Adapt your CV to mirror the key aspects of the job description
• Include a short profile outlining your key strengths and experience
• Try to keep your CV to two pages
• Use bullet point where possible – paragraphs are harder to read
• List the most recent position you’ve held first. Always show your job title
• Bullet point responsibilities and key achievements
• Use months and years to show how long you held a position
• If a recent graduate put the education section first
• Double check spelling and grammar – attention to detail is crucial
• Cover letter/email:  State current salary and what you’re looking for; use personal email address not a work address NB check your email address is professional,  not rude e.g. goodtimegirl@hotmail may not make the best impression on a future employer

Interview tips

If your skills and experience are deemed a match for the position and you get an interview, you’ll need to prepare thoroughly. First impressions count so make sure you are on time and dressed appropriately. Ensure you know your CV inside out and be prepared to elaborate on what you’ve written.  Can you prove your passion for the industry, company and role?  Do some research into the latest trends and news affecting the industry.

When you’re in the interview, try to relax, be friendly, open and honest. The first meeting is a chance for the interviewer to ascertain if your personality would be a good fit for the company/department culture. Be yourself; remember, people recruit candidates who they feel they’d enjoy working with.

Although you will be asked several questions, you should have some of your own to ask your interviewer. Visit the company website to get a feel of who they are, what they do and the type of work they have produced in the past. Questions you could ask might relate to training opportunities, career development or the company’s plans for the future.

If you managed to impress and are invited back for a second and possibly third interview, this is when your interviewer will dig a little deeper, trying to ascertain your level of expertise, asking more probing questions about your recent experience and qualifications. You may even be asked to do a presentation, where your presentation style, confidence, understanding of subject matter and creativity will be assessed. At the end of these interviews there will probably be an opportunity for you to ask a few more questions regarding the agency and its future. You could ask about the level of interaction between departments, frequency of performance reviews, how they rate their closest competitors or even what they thought were the potential threats to the business.

The interview process might also involve tests at some point including any of the following: aptitude, psychometric, personality, numerical and written tests. Sample tests can be found on sites such as www.ase-solutions.co.uk.

Now that you have the job you wanted…it’s time to make your mark

In his timeless piece, How to get your first job in advertising, Dave Trott, Creative Director at CST, wrote ‘You are not doing everything right at present. Therefore, the quicker you learn what you are doing wrong, the sooner you can correct it.’  Whether your job function is advertising or marketing, when you first step on to your career ladder, you’re starting at the bottom and as such have much to learn from your seniors, your colleagues and your clients. Act like a sponge and ask questions. Ask what you’ve done wrong and learn by your mistakes. Keep up to date on what is happening in your industry- read trade press magazines and visit online portals.  In order to grow within your profession, you need to be good at what you do, no matter what your level of responsibility. It is the skill of observing and learning that will stand you in good stead for your next step up that ladder.

What is Account Planning?

In a nutshell Account Planning represents the customer’s voice within the agency. Whilst stand-alone Planners are often seen as a luxury, Planning is best described as a way of thinking, rather than a specific department. Most agencies have an account handler who is naturally more drawn to big idea thinking; somebody who habitually mines information about the market and consumers. In essence they are a Planner in all but name.

In truth there is a menu of services that Planners can offer:

1. Defining the target audience - Who are they? What motivates them? What barriers are there to market?
2. The brand positioning
3. The message
4. Channel planning - Planners need a media agnostic frame of mind
5. Measurement

At one, several or all of these stages Planners can connect insights with the brand to generate ideas for Creatives, clients and media strategy.

The Current Situation and What Lies Ahead

It is impossible to avoid current news about a widespread slowdown. As consumers tighten their belts, Planners are able to plot the chain reaction of agencies’ clients being squeezed and therefore expecting more from their suppliers and the eventual effect on agencies. Whilst media spend is already being cut, clients will also be looking to get more value for their money from agencies.

As a result, agencies (like everybody else) will need to start offering more. Just as Tesco has started to compete less with Sainsbury’s and more with Aldi by offering discount brands in order to provide more value for money options to customers, agencies need to stay one step ahead of the game.

The savvy agency should therefore see the opportunity to steal a march on competitors through a combination of three responses:

1. Differentiate
Although each agency has its USPs, often these are not clearly understood by clients. Without differentiation, clients have little reason to choose an agency and by developing unique ideas or processes, Planners can provide a point of difference. Clients are now also more prepared to look nationally (and even globally) for value for money and Planners can assist in helping agencies to stand out.

2. Protect current margins
As companies are asking for more for their money, the big idea thinking from Planners can help to show how agencies are doing more for their clients (and acting strategically rather than reactively) thereby helping to justify fee income and protecting margins and bottom line.

3. Create incremental growth
As pitches become rarer, agencies need to generate extra revenue from existing clients perhaps by diversifying their offering. Planners’ wider thinking will help agencies to see existing opportunities that they are not exploiting.

 
Ultimately to overcome each of these challenges requires an attitudinal shift from ‘do for me’ to becoming a ‘think for me’ agency - from being a builder to becoming an architect. To do so will package up the agency’s offering to ensure it is difficult for the client to move elsewhere.

In short, next time you are working on a project think about how sometimes planners can sell in better than an Account Manger because they understand the consumer voice and add this weight to pitches/discussions. Backing up ideas/strategies with these insights also assists with internal and client buy-in and therefore reduces friction between departments.

1. Andy Hyatt, Head of Digital, Bernard Hodes Group

The integrated agency is best placed to own the ‘big idea’

The notion of the ‘big idea’ is all about strategy. But strategy without solid execution is worthless. There’s absolutely no use in having the ‘big idea’ if it doesn’t see the light of day. On the flip side, execution without strategy is also pointless…

Defining exactly what the big idea actually is can be very tricky, with no clear definition. Camps though, are usually split into three different areas:

a. The client point of view – the concept of ownership of the big idea is meaningless – it’s a bit like men comparing penis sizes. Clients believe agencies should quit deliberating about ownership and just get on with delivering great work.

b. Digital and integrated agencies – they don’t think strategically, instead thinking tactically, purely executing campaigns. These kinds of agencies think just in terms of their channel.

c. The utopian, Pixar theory – a team effort to create big ideas working seamlessly in an environment to come up with the most fantastic finished product (possibly unachievable).

George Lewis claimed to have coined the phrase, the ‘big idea’. This arrogant, opinionated era of ad men believed advertising changed the world. They wanted to create mystic about advertising and did this through iconic campaigns such as MTV, with a killer strap line and great visuals. With this basic premise audiences actually became hooked on adverts, with many becoming mini soap operas in their own rights. People tuned in just to see the advert; the Heineken, refreshes parts other beers can’t reach, or the successful Gold Blend series of ads became more and more adventurous and ultimately engaging with the audience.

Then came the internet which challenged the status quo. Apple, for example has a symbiotic relationship between product and advertising; interaction and engagement. “Think different” isn’t just a strap line; it reflects everything about Apple as a brand. Tactical executions became interactive and engagement became king.

But how much has changed? Are these new ideas or a rehash of previous ideas using new media? Maybe there are no real new ideas and we’re all just portraying them in a different way? But the ‘big idea’ comes from those who know how to manipulate all media. You need comparable bench marks to achieve success across, digital, television, radio etc.

As the landscape becomes more fragmented the very notion and importance of the ‘big idea’ has increased. Agencies ability to come up with and sell in the big idea is where they’ve struggled. A symbiosis between coming up with the big idea and selling the big idea occurs. The big idea comes from people who understand how to manipulate all media to get the best result for the target audience. In a fragmented landscape the ‘big idea’ has increased, not decreased, in importance.

One of the strengths of digital/integrated agencies is how quickly they can see what elements of a campaign are failing. Agencies in control of strategy and execution can quickly make adjustments to a campaign, making them even more compelling. Agencies that can deliver both strategy and execution are best placed to own the big idea. In the current environment these are integrated agencies. A fully integrated idea can change perceptions and maybe even the world!

2. Craig Morgan, Managing Partner, Spike

The consumer owns the ‘big idea’

Don’t confuse creation of an idea with ownership! Take a car for example – someone makes it, someone sells it, but the consumer owns it. But the role of the consumer has changed, it’s no longer passive, it’s creative, opinionated and connected. Agencies need to be outward looking – recognising how consumers act, picking up on insights and then delivering an appropriate message.
 
“An original idea. That can’t be too hard. The library must be full of them” Stephen Fry. An amusing quote but consumers are in that library – it’s their behaviour that creates the ideas. Agencies recycle, distribute and amplify these ideas making them relevant to our products.

Nike and their recent advertising campaigns have tried to own running. But Nike can never own running, it’s too big an idea. The only people that could own running are runners. Therefore idea generators and owners are not always the same thing. Consumers are now also capable of generating and owning ideas. Agencies and brands are great at amplifying and improving these ideas.

3. Buster Dover, Head of Digital, VCCP

The client owns the ‘big idea’

Firstly and most importantly, “the client is always right!”

If a creative idea never sees the light of day is it really worth owning? Who ensures an agency’s creative sees the light of day, well that’s the client.
It’s the client’s brands, business and money that agencies create their ideas for and ultimately allow them to exist. Without clients, ownership is meaningless!

The power lies squarely with the client as to which ideas go forward and which are scrapped. The capacity to undermine, adapt and potentially ruin the original idea also lies with the client. Surely only the owner of the ‘big idea’ can make that much difference?

In the worst case, clients can have ownership without responsibility. Brands can come up with ideas that generate conversations and movements, and then relinquish control to their consumers.

If an idea doesn’t fully extend, clients have the potential to go beyond an agency. They might choose another specialist to help them with that ‘big idea’. Because they own that idea they can bring in other agencies from other channels, to work on your original idea. As an industry, agencies are particularly poor at retaining intellectual property rights in negotiations with clients, consequently in virtually all contracts the ownership of any idea is signed over to the client as soon as they’ve paid for it.

4. Aaron Martin, Executive Creative Director, Syzygy

No one owns the ‘big idea’

Pecha Kucha, originally the brain child of Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, is a presentation made up of 20 slides each one timed to change after 20 seconds. Aaron used this idea to show his presentation, but it wasn’t originally his idea, but did people care? Not really, they were more interested that he wasn’t going to PowerPoint them to death.

So who cares? Who cares who owns the ‘big idea’? To even have the discussion is so very 80s ego advertising. It means we’re losing sight of what we’re all really here to do.

From research on the web and the British museum it doesn’t really look like ownership of an idea is really possible. Can new work ever be completely original and where do ideas come from? So many ads have their origins in other peoples work. For example the Honda cogs ad looks remarkably similar to a movie made by a Swiss duo.

Sony bunnies and the New York bunny scape also look a little too similar to be considered a consequence. So can Sony really claim to own the idea? Any good campaign reflects the cultural / environment it was created in. Just as art imitates life and life imitates art, advertising should be the reflection of the culture and times in which we live.

Everyone in advertising knows there are only 7 true ideas anyway:
1 the superlative
2 the comparative
3 celebrity endorsement
4 philosophy, the product story
5 the demonstration
6 the pastiche
7 sponsored gag, art piece

As an industry we’re not in the best position to claim ownership of the ideas and the very thought of owning an idea is where we’re going wrong. Clients don’t care who owns the idea, they just want to make sure their creative is central around one. Consumers don’t care who owns the idea as they wouldn’t know what an idea is. Perhaps the notion of owning an idea is like chasing rainbows. We shouldn’t be wasting time on thinking about who should own the idea, just focusing attentions on making the executions as good possible.

The notion of who comes up with and owns the idea isn’t worth fighting about; agencies should just rally around an idea and then collectively execute it. You can’t own an idea, but you can own an execution.

Questions from the audience

q. If people don’t own the idea, agencies don’t own the idea and clients don’t own the idea. Isn’t it just one person who owns the idea?

All good ideas need one person to really drive them, persistence is often necessary,
but most big ideas are too big to attribute to one individual.  Again strategy without execution is nothing and vice versa.
q. doesn’t the big idea come from thought leadership? Something big/ATL agencies can afford to invest in.

Very few big agencies present anything other than TV scripts when purporting to do a big idea. For digital agencies often their clients are quite low down the food chain. Whatever ideas they may have had, they would struggle to get the exposure as their relationships with the people who hold the majority of the budgets (Marketing Directors) are limited. Could a digital agency get a multi national brand to spend their full 100 million pound ad budget on a digital idea – probably not!

Digital agencies, the Agency.com’s, the AKQA’s or the Glue’s of this World are starting to get the exposure to these decision makers and having the debate. 3 years down the line we will see digital agencies owning the idea. But for the moment most digital agencies still can’t sell the big idea, they’re very channel specific, but starting to broaden their exposure.

Digital agencies should try to create a product and value online, not just using the channel as a communications tool. TV now realise they need to start taking note of the digital channel whereas integrated agencies are in a very strong position to show
the process of ideation transforming across channels.

ATL agencies are desperately trying to retain ownership of the big ideas. What ATL agencies are very good at are client relationships, safe guarding those relationships and selling and driving the idea.

Many clients don’t have the specialist knowledge/skill-sets to be able to understand or appreciate some of the ‘big ideas’, but that’s when it’s down to the agency to have the confidence to sell it in. Technology is changing how businesses operate and their having to adjust. It used to be quite distinct - strategy and then channel execution. The speed of data in digital now means if something isn’t working they can get rid of it and adapt.

q. In today’s society is there still a place for the big idea with all the fragmented channels? Surely the new model is smaller ideas for lots of different channels?

An idea can move and adapt and evolve. Different tangents for different channels the need for an overriding idea is even more important now than historically. Something that can be recognised across all the fragmented channels is absolutely necessary.

q. Is it not the branding agencies that own the big idea. Because all of this conversation is about the execution, channel, style, format, but doesn’t the ‘big idea’ originate at the brand creation point?

An idea changes from agency to agency, it’s a constantly moving, evolving beast. Clients want to get the best out of a team of agencies and therefore this again comes back to the point that chasing ‘big ideas’ and ownership are where agencies are getting it wrong. Agencies should be finding an insight that taps into the way people navigate through their lives and using this to effectively sell to them!

Consumers need to engage an idea before it becomes a big idea!

q. We’ve talked about who owns ‘the big idea’ when it’s a good idea, but who owns the big idea if it’s rubbish?

The client…

 
In conclusion ownership of the idea should sit with whoever can push the idea forward. Let’s try and get rid of the territorialism although to many loss of control will continue to be a scary prospect. 

When put to the vote Aaron Martins, “No one owns the idea” theory won out!

HBO BBDO New York
(USA): 1:47
This campaign has been winning awards for Best Use of Outdoor as well as Best Integrated idea. To support their positioning as the best TV channel for entertainment, HBO screened a 5-minute film on the side of a building in New York, revealing the stories that might be unfolding on the other side of the wall. Viewers were sent to a website where they could follow each of the stories in more detail. It took the act of watching to new levels.

Speight’s Beer Saatchi & Saatchi
(NZ): 3:04
Responding to the letter from a Kiwi in London saying he missed Speight’s beer, the brewery built a fully-working pub, loaded it on board a ship and sailed it across to London so he, and other expats in the UK, could get a pint of their favourite brew. A blog attracted many thousands of visitors as the boat sailed from Dunedin to London, and PR at both ends helped Speights recapture its place as NZ’s No.1 beer.

Halo 3 Mccann Erickson
(USA): 2:27
To launch the new wargame, Mccann Erickson’s creative idea was to imagine survivors of a war in the future looking back on the struggle. In the Museum of Humanity, old soldiers meet to talk about their experiences. TV commercials were supported by an online documentary about the making of a diorama. The buzz crated helped Halo 3 become the most successful entertainment brand launch ever.

Nelka JWT San Juan
(Puerto Rico): 3:21
Nelka is a rent-a-car brand, dwarfed in Puerto Rico by the international giants, Hertz and Budget etc. Instead of competing for tourists from abroad they concentrated on people travelling at home. The message was: our roads are awful, so don’t use your own cars on them. Use ours.

AMF Pension Sweden
This won a Grand Prix for Media at Cannes. In both online and mobile apps., consumers were invited to upload a photo of themselves. And then see how they would look when they were 70. The idea was taken offline with lenticular posters of a face which appears to age as you pass by, a way of reminding people that it’s never too early to start investing in a pension. 

McDonalds Leo Burnett Chicago
To promote the freshness of McDonald’s salads in the USA, the agency enlisted the help of a top US horticulturalist to grow thousands of lettuces on a specially prepared billboard. The campaign attracted much interest and additional PR and sales increased by 30%.

 
The majority listed career progression higher than a salary increase, as their number one priority when choosing their next role. Maybe surprisingly, the majority of those who have spent a relatively short period of time in their profession (3 years or less) also said career progression was their most important consideration. This flies in the face of the assumption that people just starting out in their careers are often more concerned with salary; to ensure they’re getting paid enough to pay bills, student loans and travel costs while leaving them enough to be able to enjoy themselves.

 
This trend is supported by the statistics quoted in Design Week’s March salary survey that state for those starting out in account management; junior roles across the UK have seen a significant rise in average pay in the last year. In London, salaries rose seven per cent to £24,962, while non-London roles experienced an increase of five per cent to £22,445.  While we haven’t seen a marked rise or fall in salary levels in 2008, it seems that as a result of salary movement in recent years, juniors today can now afford to concentrate on their career prospects rather than monetary gains.

 
This trend continues with senior candidates, as reported in the 2008 Blue Skies Executive Salary Survey.   The survey reports senior candidates are being motivated to change roles to gain increased job satisfaction rather than just a salary increase. Whilst salary is important, long term opportunities are the driving factor behind changing jobs.

 
A salary increase may not have been the top consideration when looking elsewhere for a job, but it was the most popular incentive that, if offered, would make candidates think twice about moving on. The number of agencies who counter offer in a bid to retain their talented employees may increase as a direct result of today’s candidate led market.  Talented people are in high demand and can literally pick and choose where they would like to work, so retaining these people is seen as of utmost importance. 

 
Agencies are improving their soft benefits packages in order to attract and retain talented people.  Increases in demand on time and resource is becoming more evident, and consultancies are realising they need to show they value their employees.

 
Annabelle Johnson, Head of Design & Branding at Blue Skies states “Inside firms with recruitment issues, the increased workload and pressure may lead to a negative loop where employees leave in search of a more relaxed working environment, placing more stress on the remaining staff.”  She adds “To combat this, some consultancies have begun offering more flexible working practices. This includes avoiding the late working agency culture and offering five weeks’ annual holiday plus Christmas as part of a package.  Perhaps because money is tighter than many would admit, other staff incentives are becoming more widely available. Other soft perks may also include extras such as a mobile phone and laptop, the option to work from home, gym membership and free breakfast and fruit.”

 
The research reveals today’s candidates often use a change of job as a way of moving their career prospects on. Career development plans can therefore be an important tool to retain current staff for longer and to attract new talent. By setting a bespoke plan, an employee’s personal and professional development within their current role and the overall company structure is easier to measure and build.

 
As an agency expands, development mapping is essential to forward plan where employees may be tasked with increased management responsibilities. Investment in management training results in better prepared, well respected and ultimately more commercially savvy leaders who can then go on to nurture successful departments. 

 
Our research also highlighted a large number of candidates would choose to stay in their current role solely because of an inspiring manager.  A good leader, one who can effectively motivate, support and praise their team,  is obviously an important, but maybe over looked and underappreciated staff retention tool. 

 
While competitive salaries are obviously important to candidates, benefit packages varying from tangible financial bonuses based on company performance to soft benefits, are increasingly more important in the decision making process. However, as career prospects are candidates’ number one priority, creating tailored development plans can be instrumental in keeping skilled candidates working within the agency rather than losing them to competitors.

From Interruption to Engagement.

Interruption Defined
To think that consumers are paying attention to messages and that mass coverage in mass media is achievable is to assume incorrectly. In order to buy your consumers’ attention you need to figure out the correct media mix for your message and decide the optimum number of times you can repeat your message without it being ignored.

Engagement Defined
The common assumptions is that mass media is fragmenting and people are spending more time on personal devices and are tending to edit out brand messages due to the sheer numbers, this isn’t necessarily true.
People are still receptive and responsive to a message if it is sent to them at the right time. You need to focus on the people first, and then the media. If you win people’s time and inspire them to participate and share, you’re more likely to turn them into fans and supporters. To amplify your message use press coverage, networks and word of mouth. Word of mouth is always important and has never been easier through the use of mobiles and the web.

Engagement is not replacing older effective models but is another option to consider.

What do engagement ideas look like?

Supercharged Promotional Ideas
The core of this is the promotional mechanic - So big, people can’t stop talking about it. These ideas are amplified by mass participation and word of click. Examples of such are Close Up’s Lova Palooza where they orchestrated a Guinness World Record attempt on the most couples kissing simultaneously for 10 seconds. Close Up had on-pack promotions and ran several TV ads in the lead up to the event. The news coverage of the event was huge and to continue this interest, there was merchandise items available afterwards at leading retailers.

Another is when Steinlager launched into America, they engaged their target market with their ‘‘Win Nick’s life’ campaign. Television advertising showed Nick in his workplace and offered watchers the chance to switch lives with Nick and move to New Zealand for a year. With the call to action driving people to the website, Steinlager strengthened the campaign with subsequent online interviews with Nicks family, his mates and his girlfriend.

Entertainment Ideas

• Usually based on an existing or created celebrity

Virgin Mobile, when introducing their new low price tariff, launched a campaign with invented “celebrity” 5 Cent. 5 Cent was a little person, thus using the idea that the character being the same size as their new tariff. Working on the idea that celebrity garners coverage in other media including web, TV, and press, 5 Cent toured around Australia performing gigs and also had a number 1 hit single consequently getting extra coverage for Virgin Mobile’s new price promotion.

Media Innovation ideas

• Perfect marriage of media and message
• Dramatise and scene specific

Cleverly placed wording shown in the right place, at the right time can mean your message makes sense to the consumer. Unicef used tangible items to raise awareness of abduction in Copenhagen and placed teddy bears with labels stating “street children are kidnapped every single day” on the streets of Copenhagen for passers-by to pick up and take notice. A very strong message and as such the campaign was extremely well received. Later that year a government division was created solely to combat the child kidnapping issue.

Another example is Adidas using two rock climbers to play football on the side of a building at one of the busiest intersections in Japan. Using their tagline Impossible is Nothing, Adidas created news without having to advertise. People took videos and pictures and sending them to friends across the globe stirred immediate interest and Adidas received news coverage on stations around the world.

Buzz and Stunt Ideas

• Create a sense of something new or strange happening
• News spreads through word of mouth/click and the “reveal” becomes a news story which is again shared through word of click/mouth

A new low-cost, no-thrills airline launched and wanted to escape the persona of being an unreliable service that everyone dislikes. The airline called Ted started doing good deeds. Ted bought everyone in Starbucks coffee, Ted ordered flowers for a maternity ward, Ted ordered pizzas for an entire building site. Ted’s good deeds didn’t go unnoticed. People started asking “Who is Ted?” He received coverage on primetime news and then launched as the people’s favourite low-cost airline. The results were phenomenal and for weeks all the flights were overbooked.

Curated Ideas

• Commissioning and supporting creative artists
• There is an element of public good
• Often used to enhance corporate reputation

Adidas won hearts for their advert of the FIFA World Cup Tournament with a vast mural on the ceiling of the main foyer of the Cologne main train station, Hauptbahnhof. Paying homage to the Sistine Chapel, the fresco covers 800 square meters and features ten of the world’s biggest football stars including the likes of Beckham, Kaka and other World Cup 2006 footballing greats signed to Adidas.

The Swedish vodka brand, Absolut created an Igloo which while being an art installation was also a sampling opportunity. It had seating inside and a bar where consumers could taste the different flavours of vodka.

Gaming Ideas

• Immersive experiences
• Brand messages are tolerated if the game is good
• The message has to be well integrated
• Really good games also get shared

Genesis Energy, a New Zealand energy company worked with the New Zealand government to create an online game for primary school children. Electrocity is a new online computer game that lets players manage their own virtual towns and cities. It’s great fun to play and also teaches players all about energy, sustainability and environmental management in New Zealand. In order to help engagement, the children were sent starter packs and stickers and schools were sent school lesson aids. This educational game raised incredible levels of awareness and soon after there were numerous blog entries, strategy guides were created and the site was reviewed on gaming sites.

http://www.electrocity.co.nz

Cultural Trend Ideas

• Success comes from spotting emerging trends
• Looking for counter trends
• Getting on and off the wave at the right time
• Spotting a trend from abroad that may come here

One brand that has noticeably bucked the beauty trend is Dove and its ‘Real Beauty’ campaign. Showing real women who have been made up and airbrushed to look like ‘models’ in advertising proved effective and interesting enough to share -  the video was forwarded en masse through friend networks, the videos being both well produced and message truthful. The trouble they may perhaps face is knowing when to get off the ‘beauty isn’t everything’ wave.

Engagement’s winning techniques

Behaviour: Getting people to do things
Winning time: Winning 30 minutes not 30 seconds
Influence: Inspiring to people influence others word of mouth/click

How to get an engagement plan: A five point plan with tips.

1.    Ask how customers choose and buy nowadays?

• Get the customer’s view

2.    Set up a multidisciplinary communications team.

• pick individuals with complementary skills

• don’t duplicate roles, it causes tensions

• agree how it will work

• get control of all the budgets

3.    Use objectives to lead the team

• set objectives and evaluate from the start

4.    Generate and define an idea

• discuss what kind of idea you are looking for

5.    Get the best out of people through collaboration

• define a collaborative process

One last thing: Changes in behaviour are difficult to motivate and we mainly change behaviour because we are influenced by others or we imitate others, not because we make individualistic choices. Our friends, colleagues, even the route we take to get to work are all factors that can affect us as consumers. Creating a campaign that gets the consumer involved and is interesting enough to be deemed newsworthy, almost guarantees extended coverage through networks, the web and across news channels. Combating “churnalism’, where journalists have found themselves regurgitating news that has already been blogged and reported, engagement campaigns can only get more interesting.

It seems that I am regressing back to the beginnings of time asking what is B2B marketing all about, or more precisely what is a B2B marketer all about? I have my own views, but more importantly, do practitioners actually see themselves as B2B Marketers in the first place and are there any benefit to it at all?

I am in a fortunate position, as publisher of B2B Marketing www.b2bm.biz, to meet many marketing practitioners each year and invariably ask the question. Many say that B2B marketing is a collective term of all those working in marketing with either a complete, or core focus, towards marketing directly to businesses. They also see a huge benefit in learning across other verticals and overlaying successes and initiatives to their own marketing efforts (and not just exclusively creatively) – where relevant.

However, there are a number who do not see any real relevance to the term B2B [Business-to-business]. They think only by vertical i.e. “I work in manufacturing therefore I am a specialist manufacturing marketer”. They seem only interested in what their sector is doing [in marketing] and all other verticals are too far removed to them to have any relevance or bearing on their working lives. It is these people that I think are missing a huge opportunity.

Why? Well first off (and I am only using manufacturing as a working example), what has the marketing of manufacturing of high performance valves got to do with the marketing of manufactured fleet cars? Not a great deal. There are synergies between the actual process of producing the different products from HR, Health and Safety, material sourcing, design and efficiencies of production, but not a great deal when it comes to marketing, and incidentally sales.

High performance valves are a high-ticket product, sold in low quantities, to a limited audience of very specialist engineers. The marketing of fleet cars is a game of high volume sales, with a mid-ticket price, selling to procurement departments. I could go on for more time, but I’m sure you getting my point.

I would argue that there are many more synergies between marketing company wide mobile contacts and fleet car contracts – that is manufacturing learning from the telecoms space, or visa-versa. In this instance, both product life cycles are the same, buying patterns are similar and the market is equally competitive. Likewise, marketing valves is similar to that of IT servers. Both products are sold to specialist professionals, in small quantities, but at a high unit ticket value, where detailed specifications and service is key to the proposition. This is manufacturing relating to the tech space.

There are loads of other examples and permutations, but the point I make is that just taking inspiration from your vertical can be misleading and also you miss opportunities of utilising ideas from other relevant markets.

Layered on that, being a specialist B2B marketer gives you more weight in the employment market. Why would you want to pigeonhole yourself to just one vertical? Why be a one-trick-pony? Defining yourself as a marketer, by focusing on your sector, does not give you great reach. Being a successful B2B marketer means you can demonstrate an ongoing understanding of market forces and how to develop that into a successful marketing strategy, whatever the vertical. Marketing tools are the same wherever you go; it is the variance in application, which is the key differentiator.

For all those people who are already with me, I apologise for going over old ground, however, for those of you stuck in the 20^th century, I hope I have made a good argument, which might help you in the long run. Exposing yourself to ideas outside your vertical market will pay back with dividends. And for those of you who say that you do not have time to swat up on your own industry let alone others hear this… a new phrase I have heard from industry leaders is that marketers are beginning to de-skill. Marketing is changing at such a pace, that marketers need to evolve with a more rapidly than ever before. Just relying on your own potentially dated sector ideas, to furnish you with all the mental enrichment you need, is not enough anymore.

I believe that those professionals who embrace my philosophy and put it into practice are setting themselves up for a successful and prosperous future, the others will just have to ‘use the force’ to guide them!

http://www.b2bmarketingjobs.co.uk/salary-survey.cms.asp

The effects of the ongoing credit crisis are now being felt in many sectors around the world. The marketing industry appears to be no exception, with the most recent Bellwether Report from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising suggesting that advertising budgets are being revised down for the second quarter in a row. How will this affect the design and branding sector and, in particular, salaries and jobs?

A question of money

For many firms, the credit crunch means that curtailing spending and cutting costs wherever possible may soon be a necessity. However, when it comes to spending on marketing the general argument is that the more that is ploughed into advertising during times of economic uncertainty the better.

According to the Bellwether Report, main media budgets are likely to see the fastest rate of growth this year, while total marketing expenditure is still anticipated to increase over the course of 2008. However, it is specific disciplines that may bear the brunt of the credit crunch’s effects, with the report suggesting that below-the-line activities such as events, PR and market research have seen the biggest cuts in spending so far this year.

So what are the implications for design and branding? The latest Design Week salary survey suggests that while the sector may not see the same level of optimism as it did last year, it may well fare better than might be expected. According to the survey findings, employers are now simply being slightly more careful in their business operations rather than exercising overly extreme caution.

“Salaries are holding strong and it’s still a buoyant, candidate-driven market,” Fiona Sibley of Design Week writes, adding: “On the whole, salaries performed well in 2007 and there has been no obvious dip or surge.”

Number crunching

Design Week’s figures show that junior designer pay in and outside London rose by one and eight per cent respectively last year, with average salaries weighing in at £19,988 a year in the capital and £18,313 in the UK regions over the course of 2007.

Senior design roles also enjoyed an increase in average salaries, rising by four per cent to £36,952 in London and by three per cent to £32,528 elsewhere in the UK. However, it is middleweight designers who have seen mixed fortunes in recent times, with pay dropping three per cent in London and remaining flat elsewhere.

Writing on the London decrease, Ms Sibley states: “This follows a rise in 2006, so it’s perhaps not unexpected … Middleweight designers have been in demand and there has been a rise in freelance activity at this level. Consultants also report a healthy growth in demand for skilled artworkers, with pay rates not far behind those of designers.”

Indeed, while middleweight artworkers in London saw a two per cent drop in average pay in 2007, salaries rose by six per cent elsewhere in the UK.

Back to middleweight designers, the survey suggests that there is particular demand for these workers in fields such as packaging, something that is seen to be a result of a lack of investment in junior design staff. However, consultancies are increasingly waking up to this and are now ploughing more resources into making the most of their junior talent, according to the responses to the survey.

Keep hold of those accounts

Elsewhere, the Bellwether Report’s suggestion that below-the-line sectors may particularly struggle this year might not prove to be entirely true. According to Design Week’s Ms Sibley, consultancies who notice that there is a certain amount of budget-slashing taking place among their clients would do well to keep their account development staff, just in case.

“Consultancies also need to drum up new business rather than push for a bigger slice of cash from existing clients,” she notes.

For those starting out in account management, junior roles across the UK have seen a significant rise in average pay in the last year. In London, salaries rose seven per cent to £24,962, while non-London roles experienced an increase of five per cent to £22,445.

Account directors outside London, however, benefited from a bumper pay boost last year - average salaries for these roles surged by ten per cent in 2007, reaching £42,217, according to Design Week.

“It seems that, last year, working as an account manager outside London paid dividends,” Ms Sibley remarks.

Climbing the ladder

For those in senior roles, London far outperformed the UK regions last year in terms of salaries. Some higher-level creative roles saw modest pay increases last year, while creative directors benefited from an average 22 per cent wage leap in London.

London-based managing directors, meanwhile, experienced a salary surge of 45 per cent, but creative and managing directors elsewhere saw single-digit increases.

“The figures show a smoother salary progression on the management side, with rates curving gently upwards through the skill levels. On the creative side, the jump from senior designer to creative director records a vast increase in remuneration - £32 000 - which perhaps indicates a tough career leap,” says Ms Sibley.

Pay v benefits

If the worst comes to the worst and the UK falls into recession, what will be the options for those looking for a design role? Ms Sibley explains that as pay is not expected to see a substantial increase in the short-term, consultancies are offering more soft perks, providing a key way in which candidates can weigh up the benefits of joining one organisation rather than another.

“Increased holiday and maternity/paternity leave, health insurance, pensions and training are all joining the basic remuneration offer, and recruiters expect to see more of this,” she states.

Other soft perks may also include extras such as a mobile phone and laptop, performance-related bonuses, the option to work from home, flexible hours, gym membership and free breakfast and fruit.

The future?

As has been indicated in various reports, the future of design and branding recruitment is not as clear-cut as might be expected. While the credit crisis may have a negative impact on companies’ budgets, this will not necessarily translate into a direct effect on the design sector.

If anything, the threat of a recession should do more to emphasise the need for clients to maintain and improve their brand and reputation among consumers, as well as put pressure on consultancies to keep account management skills up to scratch.

“Firstly I think that those companies/consultancies capable of thinking and supporting a broader brand framework, particularly internationally, can actually take advantage of what might be ahead,” comments John Mathers, group chief operating officer at Blue Marlin Brand Design.

“Companies will be taking a closer look at above the line and increasingly looking at brands to perform as they connect with consumers. Senior people, capable of holding and building client relationships, will become increasingly in demand.”

And while salaries are generally unpredictable in the long-term, a recent Design Week report suggesting that The Brand Union is pushing for graduate designers to benefit from a minimum wage of £20,000 per annum and improve employment standards in general for this young talent may be an indicator that consultancies are increasingly realising they may have more to lose by failing to invest in rising stars than by ploughing the necessary resources into securing the future of their business.

“The winners in the sector will be those consultancies with a clearly defined and relevant offer, and an unswerving commitment to delivering brand solutions that grow the bottom line - clients will only be interested in investing in brand if we can measure the value it adds to their businesses,” says Cheryl Giovannoni, managing director of Landor.

“And it’s these consultancies that will flourish even in difficult times, when others may well have fallen by the wayside.”

1. A business about brands

In today’s world if you understand brands, you have a future! We have become more concerned with the content behind the message than what our message actually says and how it is perceived by our audience. Brands need to find fresh ways to deliver their message to consumers, always remembering placement is everything. The growth of media channels over the last few years has generated innovative ways for us to communicate with our audiences.

When Virgin Cola launched in North America, Branson was fully aware that the market was dominated by Coca-Cola. In order to generate awareness, Branson wrote a personal letter to the MD of Coca-Cola suggesting they should arm wrestle for the North American soft drinks market. The clever thing was making the media aware of the stunt. When Brandon didn’t receive a response, he turned up at the Coca-Cola head offices in a tank, with over 40 millions viewers watching and waiting for his arm wrestle with the Coca-Cola MD. This created a huge PR response, reaching its desired target audience with maximum impact for the Virgin Cola product launch.

Brands now need to excite and entertain in a completely different way, making people believe that brands have a sense of purpose; in essence consumer marketing is evolving into the entertainment business. Burger King is one brand that had to take a step back and realise that they are not only in the fast food business but are also in the entertainment business, they give their customers a ‘feel good about you’ emotion. Burger King worked with a small regional agency to devise a computer game on the X Box which was available for $3.99 with every Whopper meal, in 4 weeks they had sold 2.4 million Whopper meals; making the consumer see that their brand had a sense of purpose. Also making their agency a tidy profit in the process, as they’d managed to secure the rights to the X Box game.

Coca-Cola over the years has successfully managed to create a connection with their consumers. One of their latest campaigns, ‘Happiness Factory’ demonstrates this connection; when the consumer buys Coca-Cola they are buying a dream, not a product. The campaign moves seamlessly from TV to online offering interaction through a documentary, downloadable game for your mobile and further to this they are also actually building a ‘factory of happiness’ in front of their existing factory to create a whole experience which the audience can fully engage with. The brand has become entertainment, embarking on a relationship with their consumers and generating an emotional connection.

Ask yourself – are you an architect or a builder? Architects have long-term vision, whereas builders see a project through from start to finish and then move on to the next. Builders are directed and told what to do – a huge pitfall for creativity everywhere. The digital landscape is creating a way for all agencies to become architects of the future; we just need to make the most of it.

2. Make all communications interactive

The internet has changed everything; countless new platforms of communication and ways of interacting with your audience have been opened up. Through-the-line campaigns are more prevalent today than ever before and communication is no longer one-way, it is interactive. Expectations and behaviour changes when the consumer has the opportunity to be involved, it produces a connection to the brand and loyalty, this in turn means consumer are more likely to interact.

Interactive experiences are really happening. When Steinlager, a New Zealand lager, launched in America, they used the ‘Win Nick’s Life’ promotion to engage the target audience. The campaign, ‘Win Nick’s life in New Zealand’ showed the first advert introducing the workers at the Steinlager factory in the style of a documentary, the promotion was to swap your life for that of the Nick, including his girlfriend, his mates and his family. Moving the campaign online there were interviews with all of his friends and family creating an emotional connection to the brand. Steinlager utilised the core of their media spend online, with just 10% spent offline. More and more brands are becoming media owners, including Audi TV and Budweiser to name but a few. The money invested comes back through engagement.

With the strength and presence of the internet, reaching vast breadths of consumers who you wouldn’t normally capture, consumers have never been more in control. Companies and their agencies are no longer the power behind the brand. For example, Dove has been at the receiving end of this with a back lash against an ingredient they use that means forests are being cut down at alarming rates.

Celebrity Will.I.am decided to make his own ad ‘Yes we can’ as a political tool supporting Barack Obama in response to Hillary Clinton’s bad mouthing. People want to talk about what they believe in – the ‘Yes we can’ video was viewed 50 million times and was shown on prime time TV.

Creativity exists outside of the creative industry. Revver (www.revver.com) is the first online service that allows digital video creators to share and monetize their content across multiple distribution channels: broadband, mobile and broadcast. Consumers are now making money from producing their own digital content and sharing it across the web – so agencies be warned!

It is important to remember interactive marketing isn’t reserved for online! Victoria Bitter (VB), an Australian beer, used cricketer David ‘Boony’ Boon for its summer advertising campaign. David Boon, known for more than just cricket by achieving a world drinking record of 52 cans of lager on a flight, became the face of the Boonanza campaign. With the purchase of VB beer you would receive a free David Boon figure, which would automatically voice comments promoted by channel nine commentaries, whilst cricket matches were aired. These remarks tied into both the cricket and the VB brand with comments such as ‘where’s my beer’ encouraging the consumer to interact with the brand.

Other campaigns have used visual impact and placement which can have the most powerful effect and create real audience engagement. In a campaign against landmines, a New Zealand agency used tomato ketchup sachets to make a bloody impact and raise awareness. This kind of imagery leaves a lasting memory.

3. Integrate or else

Share people’s enthusiasm! Integration is taking part in the lives of your customers and enhancing their experience. NZ Girl magazine reached over 40,000 fans at a New Zealand ‘Big Day Out’ festival when they flew a banner across the audience stating – “Scott Kelly has got a small dick.” A banner followed saying – “Don’t mess with NZ Girls NZGIRL.CO.NZ.” The campaign got everyone talking and it received national TV coverage and for a moment Scott Kelly was the most famous person in New Zealand. The magazine followed this up with the biggest revenge, name your love rat competition, the name was revealed at the ‘Big Day Out’ festival the year after.

4. Everything is media

Use all media available to you. Never underestimate the value of wording, cleverly placed in the right way, in the right place, at the right time. You want to talk to your consumer at the point it makes the most sense. For example:

With a paper cup: A plastic surgeon printed the ideal nose on a paper cup, so when the consumer drank their coffee/tea they had the perfect shape.

On the road: HBO promoted the Sopranos using an arm hanging out of taxi boot.

In the toilet: Mini placed mini traffic cones in the men’s urinal, challenging them to test their handling skills.

In the park: Special K placed a bendy bench in a park, telling people to lose weight, you should walk more and be eating Special K.

5. There are no rules

Anything is possible, try it first and be different. Be innovative and don’t be afraid to give something new a go. There is more than one answer to a problem. Brands need to make friends with their consumers or face being alienated and forgotten.

The next time you plan a campaign, think about what problem the brand is solving and how it can engage with a wider audience - content isn’t everything, but placement is!

Technology has changed everything. Through the internet and gadgets such as web cameras, advertisers are able to place the audience within the digital ad. Or, integrating with people on a physical level – Nike placed three trampolines on the street of NYC, the participant that jumped the highest could see themselves on a big screen in the street, engaging not only them, but also all the members of public around them.