Nova Entertainment CEO Cathy O'Connor says agencies are over the "parade of sameness" when it comes to client events, as the media landscape becomes more difficult to navigate.
Speaking at the first Anatomy of Experience event, created in partnership with TEDxSydney, the industry at large is under pressure to perform and deliver creativity on a mass scale, which "is a recipe for burnout".
As part of the event, Nova curated a line-up of new voices that never once talked about media or advertising, including Nasir Sobhani, Professor Toby Walsh and Rosie Batty, with intention of getting clients out of the "minutia of media".
"This is an event we created in response to what we’re seeing, hearing, and experiencing in our work with our partners every day. It is, in many ways, a challenging time to be working in media and advertising – we’re all doing more with less, at an unrelenting pace," O'Connor told AdNews.
"Nova Entertainment’s priority as a partner has always been recognising what it is our clients need and looking to play a role in addressing that need.
"What they’re telling us right now is that the best thing we can offer is not a parade of sameness, it’s not about a glitzy product show reel. The way we can add the greatest value as a business partner is through insight and inspiration."
O'Connor says there is a growing trend of the industry look for inspiration and that it is in the habit of looking inwardly.
As part of the research in the lead up to the event, Nova found there was the seemingly unending cycle of ‘pitch, eat, sleep, repeat’, and that more than ever it was taking a significant toll on collective creativity.
"There is so much we can learn from beyond the bounds of media and advertising that will make us better at what we do. I love the saying, ‘look to the edges’, and that’s what this event is about," O'Connor says.
"It is an example of our commitment to creating experiences that offer meaning and value, experiences people love and share. That’s what NOVA Entertainment is in the business of.”
Nova created an experience with no immediate ROI or ‘sell’, but as an opportunity to come together and think more creatively, while also taking the learnings back into the media, advertising and marketing industry.
"It was excellent to see Nova engage with their customers in a different way, and a nice strategy to host the event ahead of the broadcast upfronts coming up in the next few months," Initiative Melbourne MD Sarah James told AdNews.
"Events like Ted X are becoming an increasingly important event in the calendar for inspiration and challenging the status quo. To collaborate with the Ted X brand was a clever way to differentiate themselves in a marketplace."
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.