A Convenient Lie [Why the future for brands is about creating fate, not just creating ads]

[Because of time constraints, there will be sweeping generalisations]

Disclaimer :// 1// I love ads. 2// I work in adland. 3// I’ve always worked in adland. 4// I want to stay working in adland. 5// I think adland has - and can - do amazing things.

Next Steps / Questions … I’m Not Asian. If you hadn’t noticed ...

Our job is to attract customers to our brand [rather than a competitors] and fulfill on-going business needs and goals.

Trouble is, there are few ways to make people do anything ...

The age of the idea.

Commercial break

Here comes my Jerry Maguire moment ...

Many agencies create ad ideas, not ideas ... [Talk about ‘big ideas’ but often they’re nothing more than small ideas with a fancy name or done mainly for the agencies benefit. Emphasis on ‘awareness and likeability’ or input that has little impact on output]

Many clients want ads, not ideas ... [Companies are petrified of slipping up – both internally & externally. It’s more about following the system than leaving your mark and being able to justify everything to their senior, especially fees! For the lazy marketer, ads are becoming the tool of choice]

Many research firms can’t talk facts, let alone ideas ... [Don’t interpret underlying issues including the influence of the Asian value system, just repeat back what was said]

Shit or get off the potty. [They believe they’re at the commercial end of creativity whereas we are at the creative end of commerciality]

Restriction Versus Liberation

Part 2

Ideas are the only legal means to change the World regardless of money, distribution or heritage. [Harry Potter / LG Mecca Phone / Bank Of America ‘Change’ Program / French Insurance Company]

Technology has changed almost every aspect of the way we live. [Social, cultural, economic and geographical impact]

Brand experience beats brand position. [Or said another way, brands that prove they mean what they say beat brands who just say it. Companies who never stop fighting for customer loyalty, win]

Products, not brands. [The greatest brand growth in the last 10 years has come from products, not brand communication, however brand importance [ to people and business ] is coming back]

How to create fate … [without mentioning any traditional ads] [But just for the record, here’s some of Sunshine’s rules for infectious and motivating communication]

1:// Vision. [Achieving sales and building brand are not mutually exclusive]

Welcome to one of the greatest examples of creativity in the galaxy ... Singapore

2:// Look at culture and life, not just category habits. [If all you do is play within the realms of your category, you’ll only be as good as your category]

The moped designed around a country, not a rider.

3:// Insight. [No observations. Please, no observations]

The World’s most creative company is a supermarket ... [Trim Trolley / DVD Trolley / Environment / Computers For Schools / Peeled Oranges] [ Henry T Ford was a liar … people DO know what they want. Sort of ]

4:// Idea neutrality. [Because media neutrality is still media]

The hotel that’s stopping capitalism destroying families ...

5:// Collaboration. [Thinking you can do it all often means you end up with less]

6:// Responsibility. [You can’t expect to be paid big money for little involvement and you can’t expect clients to wait indefinitely for the answer to their needs]

Apple are better than TBWA ... There is some merit in a dictatorship. [Sometimes it’s the little things that count the most]

7:// Infectiousness. [If it doesn’t motivate, intrigue and/or excite, it doesn’t count]

The airline that got people to love its brand by encouraging them not to use it. [This isn’t about ‘brand experience’, this is ‘brand belief’]

Commercial creativity needs to make things happen. We need to think more like the manufacturing industry than the advertising industry. [Agencies were more inventive in the 50’s than many are today]

Create Fate, Don’t Just Create Ads ... Ideas are the only legal means to counter distribution, heritage and money. [It’s about finding ‘unexpected’ relevance between life, culture and brand] Commercial creativity starts with input, though it must be judged on output. Developing an idea and expressing an idea are not always the same. [An ad is not always the solution - an ad is what ‘communicates’ the solution to the masses in a manner that is fresh, bold, enthusiastic and interesting] Media neutral is nothing compared to idea neutral. Contrary to popular opinion, clients try more new stuff than agencies. [Though often for their purposes rather than societies] If you want to do things differently, you have to accept different ways to evaluate/pay for them. If it doesn’t make business sense [time/money/result] it’s self indulgence rather than creative business. The companies who understand people and can turn their insights into ideas will be the companies who win.

All pictures from Getty Images except ‘Super Martin’ which comes from www.makemesuper.com. All done in good humour so don’t set the lawyers on me. Again. Ta.