A version of this article first appeared in The Annual 2016 as part of The PhotoEssay series.
A couple of years ago, I was fortunate to watch the great American CEO Jack Welsh give one of his always thought provoking presentations. Jack opened by saying that whenever he talks to young people, they inevitably ask whether he has any tips on how to become a successful entrepreneur. His response? He asks them, "What is the idea?"
That response has stayed with me because when all is said and done, we are in the business of ideas. Great ideas. Maybe we need to be in the business of nurturing them as well.
Sure, media planning, channel selection and cost−effectiveness are all important – they are certainly important in our business – but they must always be underpinned by the idea. The science doesn’t need to be debated – that’s why it's science… apparently that means it has been tested and proven to be true. It’s a fact.
Therefore, theories like channel, reach and frequency – the topics doing the rounds in recent times − by the likes of Professors Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp don’t need to be debated or nurtured anymore – they are proven facts. What needs more help, more focus, more nurturing is the idea and the people who come up with them.
We are headed into a future where marketers will need the head of an engineer and the heart of a poet, where we will need to make sure we are balancing the books at the same time as we nurture and encourage the great ideas that are at the heart of everything we do.
The problem we have, it seems to me, is there is little conversation about the creative process – the process that leads to those great ideas. We have few opportunities to celebrate that perfect brief; to celebrate that big lightbulb moment.
As it stands today, there are two opportunities for our industry to judge success, to judge our ideas. The first is at award shows. But, what should be a great celebration of creativity has been debased (there is no other word for it), by the fact that everyone gets an award, which immediately devalues the concept. Everyone is special. Everyone is best.
Primary school athletic carnivals are harsher than some of these award shows. And there is a never−ending parade of award shows.
The second opportunity is via the comments sections in online marketing titles where work is quickly judged and, more often than not, torn down on the spot by competitor agencies or clients. There is a difference between critique and criticism and I think we all go to the latter too quickly. How do you nurture great, creative ideas and celebrate the people coming up with the ideas in this construct? I argue that you cannot.
Now, don’t get me wrong, awards shows have their place. They celebrate great work, help attract great talent, share innovative thoughts and help clients navigate agency land. But there needs to be a better model.
Awards need to truly celebrate great work and give creatives the recognition they deserve when they put their work up for the most public of judgements. And they should be hard to win. We need to take seriously not just the concept of the great idea but the way we recognise and celebrates those big ideas.
In a world where it’s never been easier to reach an audience but never harder to connect, it’s the idea that will break through. Maybe it’s time to learn to write the perfect brief; to find the killer insight; to have the semantic argument around the perfect brand purpose. And then celebrate that.
Perhaps it’s time to understand the behaviour that we want to encourage and learn to evaluate work in that light. Judge with the intent of encouragement in mind. Nurture the creative process – not criticise it and therefore crush confidence in the creative process. Then let the experts do their thing, grow a set and let the magic happen. Maybe this is the conversation we need to have.
By Adam Ballesty, marketing and innovation director, Diageo
A version of this article first appeared in The Annual 2016 as part of The PhotoEssay series. The theme this year, was broad. Simply: 'discuss'. AdNews editor Rosie Baker asked marketers to write about 'elephant in the room' topics. The taboo subjects that are a concern, and get talked around - but never fully addressed. What in their businesses are the friction points, the bones of contention - where do they see the industry going to hell in a hand basket.
The photoshoot aimed to capture the heated conversation and boisterous discussion of topics that only emerge in the aftermath of a dinner party. The equivalents of politics, religion and sex in marketing and advertising. These will be the topics that dominate the agenda in 2017. Download the digital version of the magazine for $4.49 to see the whole series.
For more see:
A Marketer's Lens: Print is a key force in our marketing mix, by Domain's top marketer Melina Cruickshank
A Marketer's Lens: Don't grumble over challenges, by Fox Sports head of marketing, brand & social, Chris Gross