The other day I was jumping up and down on the sofa after
checking out the brilliant Radar Security advertising campaign (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pk5wXTq7VY). Fresh, new,
captivating, exciting and most of all from Kenya. It’s the kind of campaign
that any serious creative would love to have been part of – I am so jealous. The
product of a great creative team probably working on a pro active idea. So what
drives great creative teams? Well I think the biggest part of this must be a
great working environment that enables great creativity.
I have been around Kenyan ad agencies and media houses and
been exposed to all sorts of modus operandi. I once had an experience that was interesting. The sort of interesting that makes you wake up at 5am and think twice
about going to work. Intimidating, unprofessional and absolutely no
consideration of what makes a creative tick.
Contrary to popular belief, creatives care. We care about
producing stunning campaigns that will get consumers talking, we care about
creating work that will create improvements in sales graphs, we care about
doing what’s right for brands. Hence silly juvenile company politics has
absolutely no space in a creative department.
Let me tell you what I mean by politics. Politics is when
the head of a creative department is sidelined from making hiring decisions by
the rest of his management team. Politics is when the creative head is told
that his team is never at work, while in essence some stay seriously late hours
when decision makers are at their favorite bar lighting up their egos. Politics is when you are told that your department is not pro-active, while you dont even consider those who go to oversee roadshows while on leave. Politics is
when a member of staff from another region is seconded to your department and
when you ask your division head about it, they deny any involvement in it and
site it as an HR matter. Politics is when a group of managers tell you not to
involve the company marketing department in any marketing related work.
Politics creates mistrust in a company and when creatives
get caught up in the political game, great ideas are seldom conceived. You are
busy trying to watch your back so much that you can barely think ahead. You are
in constant fear of suggesting amazing campaigns lest you look too good and
others who have hidden agendas feel outshone. You feel no need to be proactive
and all you are interested in is getting your daily quota of work done and run creative run.
Even worse is when a creative does not receive any support
from the top. How do you expect a sales team to deliver briefs to the creative
department when the departmental heads find writing briefs a headache? How do
you expect the sales team to gain knowledge of the creative process when there is
absolutely no support for your in-house creative process training efforts? The
sad thing is that some people never see that with a little support, effort,
simple collaboration and communication; you can easily turn 250K into
2.5M.
Ladies and gentlemen. creatives are sometimes like toddlers.
Create an environment of fear and I promise you they will never have the
confidence to let their minds get into the zone and create awesome pieces of
work. Create an environment of freedom and trust; you will be amazed at the
constant churning of brilliant ideas.
So, got a creative department? Then maybe its time you
learn how to keep the politics out and let the fun and freedom in. At the risk of sounding
controversial to those who are religiously inclined “no weapon held against creatives
shall prosper”, but nonetheless “creatives forgive them, for they know not what
they do.”
Have you ever had an “I want to bury my head in the sand” moment? Okay, let me tell you what I mean. It’s that moment when
you think you have written the greatest ad concept in the world, then you walk
into the clients office and when you take one look at the client – you know
that things are thick. The cool concept that represents the brand through let’s
say something like hip hop is not going to go down well with the guy sitting in
front of you; who was the target of constant mockery from cool guys throughout his campus life and whose
girlfriend ran away with a rich kid who picked her up with his dads car.
My Kenyan advertising journey has made me believe that
the client has to buy you first, before he buys your concept. You have to do
your research on who you are going to present to. Is he a young urban dude who revs
at Galileo, is she devoted to weekend service at her local church or is he the kind
of dude who is off to shags to check on his rabbit farm every weekend.
Of course you my say that it should never be about personal
feelings and the sell should be all about what is best for the brand. Let’s
just say that this is easier said than done. One of the things I picked up from
presentations from the best of the best in advertising at Cannes was - before
you sell your work, get to know your clients personality. You could have an
award winner in your Power point presentation, but if it rubs the client’s
personality the wrong way, you are in for a shocker.
So what’s the best way of getting to know your client?
Simple. Wine, dine, coffee, lunch. Have informal conversations about their
business and the ad industry in general. Or even better try and meet the client before you get down to doing their work so you can understand their thinking.
Throw in mature off the cuff conversations or some humor so you can get to know how
they think. With this in mind you will be more equipped to think like the
client.
Have I had my fair share of embarrassing and ill prepared
moments? Where do I start? The day I went to present to an insurance company board
of directors with an Asian Creative Director not knowing that the team I was
presenting to was comprised of high profile GEMA members. Or the time I made
political wise cracks at a meeting not knowing that the new head of Marketing
was appointed due to political affiliation. The list goes on and on.
So my friend before you attend your next pitch, think way
ahead and don't just do your brand research but also do your client research. It may just make the difference between
winning the business and have a glorious advertising career or changing plans and venturing into full time greenhouse tomato farming.
I am loving the new
debate on the streets. The debate about what kind of qualifications someone
should have to be a cabinet secretary. Should a doctor head health? Should an
accountant head finance? Heck, should a tourist head tourism. Brilliant stuff I
tell you, this country is alive and kicking. This sparked a thought – what kind
of person should head an ad agency?
Well, frankly
speaking it’s any bloody person who can understand the business, inspire people
and deliver results. PERIOD! Kenyans take stuff too seriously and hardly give people chances to prove themselves. Lets flip this to the world of ads.
Sir Martin Sorrell –
Chief Executive Officer of WPP the largest advertising group in the world was
actually a bean counter. Not a creative director or an account director. The man
understood the financial aspect of advertising from his experience as group
finance director. He then privately invested in Wire and Plastic Products, a
British wire shopping basket manufacturer, and joined it full-time as Chief
Executive. He began to acquire "below-the-line" advertising-related
companies, purchasing 18 in three years. Lets be clear the man clearly understands
advertising, he rules it. But was his background in the prominent advertising
studios? Nope.
I actually believe that great CEOs have a unique
ability to quickly adopt to new situations, inspire change and influence whatever target has been set. So I do not see what doctors are complaining about when given a man with a
finance background and not a medical background. Wasn’t their main beef
salaries? Or do they just want someone to be giving them sick offs?
Sometimes people who have had experience in the same sector
may be great at technical skills but leadership is a whole different ball game.
For instance I have worked in an organization where my division was headed by
someone who had worked in ad agencies as a suit and even moved up the ladder at several blue
chip companies and become senior brand manager – but his methods and practices left a lot to
be desired when he was given a division to head which included a creative arm.
Creatives felt misunderstood, briefs were a rumor, deadlines
were absolutely horrendous, no time was given to thinking through ideas, no
research was done on the companies that we were pitching for, no time was taken
to understand the rules that make things go round, management silos were the order of the day. In the end disgruntled staff
started finding greener pastures and the creative department started crumbling.
Oh and have you ever heard how guys from agencies always complain that agency alumni make the worst clients?
If we take a look at some creative industry leaders right
here in Kenya, you may catch the drift. You do not have to be trained in a
particular sector to become a great leader in that same sector. For example;
Scanad Creative guru Andrew White is a Lawyer by training, Simon Ball who headed Ogilvy
in its 90s glory days was a Zoologist, the ever outspoken former McCann MD
Sameer Ambegaonkar was a Geologist but he still rocked (excuse the pun…ha ha
ha), heck I studied International Relations. The list goes on and on.
So you see I don’t really see what the fuss is all about.
Or should we also start saying that only models who have
been cast in adverts should be allowed to run ad agencies.
We’ve seen them laugh together on you tube during outtakes of
their campaign shoot, we’ve heard them speak sheng, we’ve even seen them
address press conferences with blazers off. Welcome to the Kenyan Presidency
re-branded.
From an ad man’s perspective I am totally elated to see
Kenya’s top office leading the way in showing Kenyans how branding is done. And
yes, a President is a brand. I may have stated this before but the best brand definition
I have ever heard is “a brand is how a consumer feels about a product.” So what do
Kenyans feel about this product called UK.
Simply go to twitter, facebook or even talk to the man in
the mathree and therein lies your answer. Everyone is ranting and raving about
how cool the new prezzo is, how swagalicious UK is, how down to earth this dude is. (To anyone from the NSIS reading this, si it’s sawa if I call my prezzo a
dude?)
Truth be told, when any new Kenyan President comes into
power they are immediately under the scrutiny of very judgmental folk. It’s the
same exact thing with a new product being launched. The first contact that you
make with it will probably determine if you are going to like it or not. That’s
why millions of shillings are spent on packaging, the right logo, the tone and
manner, the kind of brand personality. That my dear folk is exactly what UK has
done.
Rather than being complacent and just settling down to
business after being sworn in, our president has actually gone into phase 2 of
his presidential campaign – brand personality.
Addressing an important press conference with shirt and tie
to me sends the message that, whoa I have been working like a dog. But at the
same time it also says I am speaking to you like an ordinary person and not
with a shield of armor in the name of a suit; which to many Kenyans signifies
those guys from the other side of town who do not know us and constantly oppress
us.
Answering questions on the spot without any TV delays says,
I am in control, heck I run this country. It reassures us that the President is
indeed a decision maker. He is well informed about his policies and he is not a
puppet being worked by some dark forces behind the scenes.
Inviting members of the press for a cup of tea after the
press conference says, hey you can trust us and we have got nothing to hide.
This gives the average Kenyan a sense of trust that nothing is being censored
as we have been accustomed to with past regimes.
Hi-fiving his deputy simply sends the message that we are
working as a team and you can be rest assured that our communities have united
from past resentment. It also sends a big message to those of us who think on
tribal lines to forget out fickle hatred and start working together.
Anyone in the ad industry knows that times have changed and
the consumer is King. Gone are the days when brands dictated to consumers. To
succeed brands nowadays have to co-create with consumers and adapt to their
thinking rather than the other way around.
To quote Jebet Amdany a brand steward who I have a hell of a lot of
respect for -“Kenya Cabinet teaser campaign delivered in a new style of
confidence, openness, broromance, great credentials. Waiting for the full
launch.”
Ladies and gentlemen we have a great new brand in Kenya, and it goes by
the name UK.
A friend of mine - Ben Therrien, who also happens to be a Cannes Creative Leaders Program Alumni shared this fantastic article with me. Its a brilliant read on how the big brand leaders regard winning creative awards.Enjoy.
By: Jonathan Mildenhall
Coca-Cola
had its best year ever at this year’s Cannes Lions, winning 30 awards
including two Grand Prix. In the wake of the event, Coke’s Jonathan
Mildenhall summed up the company’s creative performance for Coke
staffers and drew a line between awards glory and business success.
Here, a version of that article.
The global significance of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
gathers momentum each and every year. This year both official
attendance figures and advertiser entries increased in excess of 20%.
This is quite remarkable when you consider the broader economic
challenges that nearly every business and geography is facing.
So why does the Cannes Lions’ momentum keep growing? From my vantage point I see two main drivers of interest.
Firstly, no other award festival covers so many critical categories
for advertisers. Cannes Lions now boast 18 award categories, including:
Design, Film Craft, Outdoor, Branded Content, the Grand Prix for Good,
Media, Mobile, and arguably the most important, Creative Effectiveness.
The breadth is staggering and it will only continue to grow as more and
more genres of creativity are embraced to drive business growth.
Coke’s "Hands" won the Grand Prix in the Outdoor category
Not only are the categories increasingly broad but so are the
nationalities that Cannes Lions represents. The festival attracts award
entries and delegates from as many markets as The Coca-Cola Company does
business in. While this increasingly global presence at Cannes is
impressive, it is even more beautiful to watch the distribution of
recognition grow to these new regions. This year countries as diverse as
Finland, Peru, Guatemala, Denmark, China, Costa Rica, South Africa, India, Dubai and Turkey all picked up major awards. Long may this
distribution of recognition continue. It certainly makes the global
soup of creativity more interesting for the palette.
But an awards festival that focuses solely on breadth could be
destined for a dull and uninspired future. Cannes is not about volume.
It is absolutely, steadfastly and utterly, committed to quality. And to
me, few things are more important. Cannes Lions simply curates the
world’s finest strategies, ideas, executions and craft. To be recognized
at Cannes is to be recognized by the world’s finest creative minds.
Minds that are not only brilliant, but brutal in their critique of the
work. Winning a Cannes Lion builds careers. Permanently.
I have long been an absolute believer in the correlation between
outstanding creative success and outstanding commercial success. In this
year’s marketing (campaign) for Cannes Lions I am quoted as saying "If
Cannes has taught me one thing, it is that creativity drives
effectiveness. You can not have one without the other. That knowledge
has been instrumental to my career." I have been going to Cannes for
nearly 20 years and can’t help but notice that the the client
organizations recognized as Advertiser of the Year often enjoy periods
of historic financial success at the same time. Let’s take a brief look
at a few of them.
Volkswagen: Recognized as Advertiser of the Year in 2008, the same
year that its share price grew 89% to 283 Euros. This most prolific
period of stock market growth coincides precisely with its most prolific
period of creativity.
P&G: Recognized as Advertiser of the Year in 2007 when its share
price hit an all time high of $74.67, beating the S&P 500 by a
country mile.
Honda: In 2006 Honda was awarded Advertiser of the Year for brilliant
work like "Cog" and "Grrr." During this time, its share price was as
high as $38.50 and its U.K. sales were up 28%. Wow.
Playstation: Was awarded Advertiser of the Year in 2005. Now,
Playstation is a sub-division of Sony so we cannot isolate its share
price. However, what we can do is isolate its sales. During that year it
became the worlds biggest selling gaming console selling a record 100
million units.
BMW: Took the mantle of Advertiser of the Year in 2004. So rightly
deserved when you consider the lasting legacy of BMW films (still held
up by most as the breakthrough work taking advertising into long form
content). As a result of this work, which ultimately landed them the
award, BMW saw a sales increase of 12% and a stock price rise of 16%.
This is huge, especially when you consider the turbulent, post 9/11
period.
Nike: In 2003, the same year that Nike was awarded Advertiser of the
Year, Phil Knight, CEO and Founder, wrote ‘’We decided to cross the
threshold of 9/11. Eight months later we delivered a 14% increase in
earnings and beat the S&P 500 by 45 points. Advertiser of the year
was a defining moment. A Nike moment.”
Swatch: From 1999 – 2001 the S&P 500 did not grow a cent but Swatch reported its steepest growth period on record.
Clearly, the correlation between winning at Cannes and winning in the
marketplace is compelling. That’s one of many reasons why The Coca-Cola
Company places a premium on creative excellence. It is simply makes
sound business sense. The creative industries and client organizations
are in a co-dependent relationship--we need each other. As Phil Thomas,
CEO of the Cannes Lions, puts it: ‘‘The Advertiser of the Year award is
presented to advertisers who have distinguished themselves for the
inspiring, innovative marketing of their brands and who embrace and
encourage the creative bravery of the creative work produced by their
agencies.’’
If you still doubt the correlation between creative and business success, please check out the wonderful book The Case for Creativity,
by author James Hurman. We met in Cannes this year. Credit to James,
he actually spent years analyzing the data. His book is a compelling
read but I have also included a link to his presentation summary. Coke’s "Polar Bowl" won four Lions
I firmly believe that winning at Cannes Lions is important for The
Coca-Cola Company. Good, vibrant, creatively dynamic brands make for
good, vibrant, creatively dynamic companies. And in his beautiful words
of wisdom and insight James concludes his book:
In every case, the companies that have been the most tenacious in
their pursuit of great creativity in their advertising have been the
ones outperforming the stock market and enjoying historic periods of
financial prosperity. And in every case the leaders of those companies
had created a culture of innovation that advertising was just
symptomatic of, but which extended well beyond advertising and into
culture, the products, and the day to day activities of those companies.
A creative day to day that produced the most extraordinary results in
the history of the world’s most illustrious companies.
As I look forward with the above beliefs held firmly in place I am
incredibly excited about the future of The Coca-Cola Company. This year
we took home an all-time high of 30 Cannes Lions. This number is nearly
twice our previous record and included 2 Grand Prix and awards from 3
Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America and the Global team. We won
for Coke, Coke Zero and Sprite. We won across 9 categories and most of
our awards demonstrated a fusion of storytelling, technology, social and
executional excellence.
As for Advertiser of the Year, well that recognition still eludes us.
That said, Cannes Lions makes the call for next year’s advertiser early
in January and this year’s performance leaves me confident that we will
give the industry’s best a run for their money.
Jonathan Mildenhall is vp of global advertising strategy and creative excellence at Coca-Cola.
