Page 100 - AdNews magazine Mar-Apr-May 2023

Investigation
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We do creativity
Is creativity the territory of the lone genius, getting mind-slapping ideas in the middle of the night, or is it something which sparks between members of teams?
We asked creatives about the state of creativity in Australia, the big issues, including a reported shortage of talent, the battle between social responsi- bility and business and the march of the robots, AI and the chatbot.
According to Deloitte Insights: “Individual talent is important to creativity, but there’s much more to it than that.
“Research shows that creativity is the result of multiple factors that must con- verge for it to spark. It’s an ‘ecological’ or “systems’ phenomenon that arises out of the interactions of individuals and teams, both with each other and with the environment around them.
“Creativity is not just something we have; it’s also something we do—both noun and verb.”
The marketing budget can be cut so many ways that every client has unique needs, and every project demands a tailored approach, according to Alex Derwin,
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chief creative officer at BMF, the AdNews Agency of the Year. “For the most part clients want less transactional relation- ships,” he says. “They want to get more access to the people on the floor who generate the work, rather than only seeing the agency leaders, or managers. This means an increasingly spe-
CHRIS PASH
cialised group of people who are more immersed in the client’s business.
“A common complaint from clients who are pitching their business is that their agency doesn’t listen to them. It’s strange that as experts in communication some agencies still only get half the exchange right. It’s important to project confidence,
and back your ideas, but a little humility goes a long way.
“There seems to be more of a universal understanding of the need to invest in
long-term brand health, but not at the expense of beating short-term sales targets. Finding this sweet spot where brand love and retail joy complement each other, rather than rubbing each other the wrong way, is where we can add real value to our client’s budgets.”
Derwin has never seen advertising as a battle between art and commerce.
“To me advertising is the art of persuasion, so it’s primarily a psychological game,” he says.
“It can be commerce, but it can also be used to create social awareness or to change a belief system. Creativity is our way of improving the chances of a positive outcome for a brand, product, service, or initiative by making a message impact emotionally - so artfulness, emotional truth, and leaps and bounds of imagination, are as important as they ever were in a brand’s armoury.”
Talent
Derwin: “For a long time, we were spoiled as an industry because we had a virtual monopoly on creative talent. Now, there’s a bit of a supply issue.
“It’s not that there aren’t plenty of talented people out there – there’s a strong case that there are more than ever - the issue is getting them to pick our industry over the many, many other ways they now have of monetising their creativity.
“I think we can, but we’ve got to do a rebranding job on ourselves.
“When advertising is at its best – when it’s at the bleeding edge of innovation, culture and creativity – it’s still one of the best ways to get paid. If we want to win the talent war, we need to double down in these areas. The bottom line is, agencies attract- ing the best talent not only future proofs our industry, but client’s business too.”
The industry is currently being drawn into something of an ethical dance, balancing commercial concerns with social responsibility