What We Owe Our Clients

What We Owe Our Clients

To be our clients’ best partner begins with our mission to Resist the Usual.

We believe one of our commitments to our clients is to think provocatively. To challenge conventional wisdom. To resist Give Me One Those (GMOOT) thinking.

Provocative thinking is not about being contrarian. It’s not about seeking controversy. It’s about being imaginative and innovative.  Not just following the pack.

It’s easy to keep doing what’s been done for many years.  It’s as easy to jump on the bandwagon of the trend du jour.

What we owe our clients is a restless, relentless drive to think differently, exhaustively and innovatively. 

 

Think, Say, Do

Today, consumers live on parallel planes. They have multiple interests, sometimes even multiple personas. They straddle segments, borders and categories. What consumers think, say and do now is often as disjointed as who they seemingly are.

So, how do we know what to believe and when? Do their actions in social media align with their behavior? What patterns are we discerning? How do we tell a compelling narrative? Build an immersive experience? Measure effectiveness?

Here’s what Y&R and our partners had to say…

Think, Say, Do

Today, consumers live on parallel planes. They have multiple interests, sometimes even multiple personas. They straddle segments, borders and categories. What consumers think, say and do now is often as disjointed as who they seemingly are.

So, how do we know what to believe and when? Do their actions in social media align with their behavior? What patterns are we discerning? How do we tell a compelling narrative? Build an immersive experience? Measure effectiveness?

Here’s what Y&R and our partners had to say…

Ideas, Y&R, think say do, innovation, creativity, Social Media, thought leadership

Beyond the Babble

Digibabble \ ˈdi-jə-ba-bəl \ n: The use or connotation of the word digital or any of its conceptually associated derivatives, such as mobile (mobilebabble) or social (socialbabble), as a modifier to anything giving the illusion of new; never before seen; radically different or worse, implying Luddite status as in…you are too traditional or you don’t understand.

Examples of digibabble abound every day in the news we read or see, the conversations we have, the conferences we attend, the analyst reports we receive, the company news that is released, and in general, the hyping and promotion of myriad digital business.

Truth is that the phenomenon of what-was-is-dead and what’s-new-never-existed-before is part of our human need to tout the uniqueness and first-time status of what we do. That impulse, I imagine, goes back to our earliest ancestors…yet in a world where most accept the basic notion of evolution as a given it seems odd to ascribe ex-nihilo presence to things like retail shopping, gossip and, yes, to our business of Advertising (there, I’ve used the word without feeling any obligation to say traditional…)

Having said that, there were some real firsts, no doubt – speech, writing, killing, sex…but from those points on everything was evolutionary with an occasional revolution thrown in that changed trajectory but not the basics.

For example – I’d argue that the internet is only the latest evolution of our DNA-based desire to have access to and share information. Think about all the stories we still pass on that began as word of mouth sharing around campfires, spread by caravan and single travelers…stories that entertained, educated and contained critical information…stories that spread further through the technology of the times – cave paintings, etched monoliths and tablets, parchment and papyrus scrolls, well-paved roads, printed paper, telegraph, steam locomotives, radio, airplanes, movies, TV…stories that we now read, listen to, watch on or through myriad devices that surely enhance our experience but don’t change the essential underlying message in the least – and, therein, is the issue of our time.

You see I believe that we have and are inhibiting the true potential of our digital world by ascribing powers to it that are not real…powers that lift stock prices to absurd levels; that confuse and befuddle the average person who doesn’t have two and more devices (we all do…and that is part of the problem); that limit true creativity by worshipping Digibabble (there I got the word in).

Let me give you an example – Retail.

People shop – shopping is one of the ways we acquire food, clothing and possessions of all kinds. And, to hear it from some sources today, shopping has evolved so much that we have changed its very nature. WRONG!

What has evolved is efficiency as in supply chain, inventory, purchase and payment. What hasn’t changed is the need to provide the right products to the right people at the right time. Again, I’d argue that the merchants of old were savvier to their customers’ needs than any software loop will ever be and that we have more to learn from them in the digital age than from the latest greatest “convergence of smartphone technology, social media data and futuristic technology…changing the face of retail in a way that experts say will upend the bricks and mortar model in a matter of a few years…”

For example, Tesco just announced a new video platform that they will offer loyal customers. This new Clubcard TV boasts the ability to give targeted advertising opportunities based on their tangible retail data.  Nothing new about using data to understand your customers better, just lots more and interesting channels to leverage. Being smart about that takes more than a new digital platform, to convert this to sales will require better insights and better shopper marketing, not just technology.

Or Listen to Will Young the head of Zappos Labs – one of the benchmark digital businesses of our era – “Impressive as future technology might look, it will take good old fashioned customer service to boost those figures.”

Or how about this from TechCrunch:  “What Google needs for these products is what Apple needed a decade ago: their own stores that they’re in complete control of to showcase their products” – Now wait a minute! Aren’t they in complete control in digital channels – don’t they create experiential experiences (now that is true Babble) that do just that?

Or even this from Forbes: “Brands may be drawing millions upon millions of people to their Facebook page, but just because people are 'liking' or 'retweeting' doesn't mean they're buying. And that is surely the end goal of brands developing and maintaining a social media presence. A social strategy needs to lead to increased desire for products and then drive sales.”

More and more, when the digibabble clears like early morning fog, marketers are seeing more clearly through the distractions of new technology to the power it can bring a brand — if and when it’s meaningful. However, they often see the ruins they left behind them becaue of their almost druglike need to rely on technology and not their own thinking and insight.

Remember when marketers sounded the death knoll to radio? They were wrong. It’s larger and bigger than ever through Pandora, Clearchannel and Spotify.

The bell tolled for journalism, too, but in fact the smartest newspapers are still doing great reporting and even deeper reporting across all kinds of media, using all kinds of tools. In fact, I’d argue that with the growing need for credibility ascribed to sources, some newspapers, like The New York Times, are potentially stronger than ever.

And some of the loudest bells rang for the death of advertising, poisoned by so many with the prefix of traditional (a word that is always a moving target). Yet look at some of the most innovative companies today — the Googles and Facebooks and countless other digital companies who are all trying to monetize what they do. And just how are they trying to monetize?  Advertising, plain and simple.

They all have advertising departments and are eagerly trying to learn what they can by getting close to advertising agencies, the so-called creative agencies, who have been at the center of every media birth and resurrection since the beginning of time.

Skip the digibabble and mine for what endures — advertising’s ability to engage, to motivate, to make loyal consumers and, thus, create powerful brands.

I challenge you all to look past this generation’s version of digital newspeak. It serves to undermine the true value of innovation, which is to tell our story through the most compelling channel.  Don’t swap powerful for new.

There are pockets of resistance.  The New York Times just quoted an engineer at Google, a company that has clearly helped deify algorithms, as saying: There has been a shift in our thinking…A part of our resources are now more human curated.” That’s right, people, who bring ideas and insights and even instincts.

And the next time you see some digibabble, don’t get anxious that you’re behind the times, don’t get intimidated by its brand-newness. In fact, copy/paste what you’ve read onto this new blog I promise you the uniformity and inanity will be apparent.  And that will keep us clear and focused on the real issues.

Advertising…Madison Avenue…is alive and well and will be long after the latest digibabble recedes into the murky past.

 

Beyond the Babble

Digibabble \ ˈdi-jə-ba-bəl \ n: The use or connotation of the word digital or any of its conceptually associated derivatives, such as mobile (mobilebabble) or social (socialbabble), as a modifier to anything giving the illusion of new; never before seen; radically different or worse, implying Luddite status as in…you are too traditional or you don’t understand.

Examples of digibabble abound every day in the news we read or see, the conversations we have, the conferences we attend, the analyst reports we receive, the company news that is released, and in general, the hyping and promotion of myriad digital business.

Truth is that the phenomenon of what-was-is-dead and what’s-new-never-existed-before is part of our human need to tout the uniqueness and first-time status of what we do. That impulse, I imagine, goes back to our earliest ancestors…yet in a world where most accept the basic notion of evolution as a given it seems odd to ascribe ex-nihilo presence to things like retail shopping, gossip and, yes, to our business of Advertising (there, I’ve used the word without feeling any obligation to say traditional…)

Having said that, there were some real firsts, no doubt – speech, writing, killing, sex…but from those points on everything was evolutionary with an occasional revolution thrown in that changed trajectory but not the basics.

For example – I’d argue that the internet is only the latest evolution of our DNA-based desire to have access to and share information. Think about all the stories we still pass on that began as word of mouth sharing around campfires, spread by caravan and single travelers…stories that entertained, educated and contained critical information…stories that spread further through the technology of the times – cave paintings, etched monoliths and tablets, parchment and papyrus scrolls, well-paved roads, printed paper, telegraph, steam locomotives, radio, airplanes, movies, TV…stories that we now read, listen to, watch on or through myriad devices that surely enhance our experience but don’t change the essential underlying message in the least – and, therein, is the issue of our time.

You see I believe that we have and are inhibiting the true potential of our digital world by ascribing powers to it that are not real…powers that lift stock prices to absurd levels; that confuse and befuddle the average person who doesn’t have two and more devices (we all do…and that is part of the problem); that limit true creativity by worshipping Digibabble (there I got the word in).

Let me give you an example – Retail.

People shop – shopping is one of the ways we acquire food, clothing and possessions of all kinds. And, to hear it from some sources today, shopping has evolved so much that we have changed its very nature. WRONG!

What has evolved is efficiency as in supply chain, inventory, purchase and payment. What hasn’t changed is the need to provide the right products to the right people at the right time. Again, I’d argue that the merchants of old were savvier to their customers’ needs than any software loop will ever be and that we have more to learn from them in the digital age than from the latest greatest “convergence of smartphone technology, social media data and futuristic technology…changing the face of retail in a way that experts say will upend the bricks and mortar model in a matter of a few years…”

For example, Tesco just announced a new video platform that they will offer loyal customers. This new Clubcard TV boasts the ability to give targeted advertising opportunities based on their tangible retail data.  Nothing new about using data to understand your customers better, just lots more and interesting channels to leverage. Being smart about that takes more than a new digital platform, to convert this to sales will require better insights and better shopper marketing, not just technology.

Or Listen to Will Young the head of Zappos Labs – one of the benchmark digital businesses of our era – “Impressive as future technology might look, it will take good old fashioned customer service to boost those figures.”

Or how about this from TechCrunch:  “What Google needs for these products is what Apple needed a decade ago: their own stores that they’re in complete control of to showcase their products” – Now wait a minute! Aren’t they in complete control in digital channels – don’t they create experiential experiences (now that is true Babble) that do just that?

Or even this from Forbes: “Brands may be drawing millions upon millions of people to their Facebook page, but just because people are 'liking' or 'retweeting' doesn't mean they're buying. And that is surely the end goal of brands developing and maintaining a social media presence. A social strategy needs to lead to increased desire for products and then drive sales.”

More and more, when the digibabble clears like early morning fog, marketers are seeing more clearly through the distractions of new technology to the power it can bring a brand — if and when it’s meaningful. However, they often see the ruins they left behind them becaue of their almost druglike need to rely on technology and not their own thinking and insight.

Remember when marketers sounded the death knoll to radio? They were wrong. It’s larger and bigger than ever through Pandora, Clearchannel and Spotify.

The bell tolled for journalism, too, but in fact the smartest newspapers are still doing great reporting and even deeper reporting across all kinds of media, using all kinds of tools. In fact, I’d argue that with the growing need for credibility ascribed to sources, some newspapers, like The New York Times, are potentially stronger than ever.

And some of the loudest bells rang for the death of advertising, poisoned by so many with the prefix of traditional (a word that is always a moving target). Yet look at some of the most innovative companies today — the Googles and Facebooks and countless other digital companies who are all trying to monetize what they do. And just how are they trying to monetize?  Advertising, plain and simple.

They all have advertising departments and are eagerly trying to learn what they can by getting close to advertising agencies, the so-called creative agencies, who have been at the center of every media birth and resurrection since the beginning of time.

Skip the digibabble and mine for what endures — advertising’s ability to engage, to motivate, to make loyal consumers and, thus, create powerful brands.

I challenge you all to look past this generation’s version of digital newspeak. It serves to undermine the true value of innovation, which is to tell our story through the most compelling channel.  Don’t swap powerful for new.

There are pockets of resistance.  The New York Times just quoted an engineer at Google, a company that has clearly helped deify algorithms, as saying: There has been a shift in our thinking…A part of our resources are now more human curated.” That’s right, people, who bring ideas and insights and even instincts.

And the next time you see some digibabble, don’t get anxious that you’re behind the times, don’t get intimidated by its brand-newness. In fact, copy/paste what you’ve read onto this new blog I promise you the uniformity and inanity will be apparent.  And that will keep us clear and focused on the real issues.

Advertising…Madison Avenue…is alive and well and will be long after the latest digibabble recedes into the murky past.

 

David Sable, digibabble, Ideas, thought leadership, Digital, social, mobile

SXSWi 2013 Recap: Key Takeaways

Last week saw the start of the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) interactive, film and music festival here in the United States. Since 1987, thousands of thinkers, doers, investors, fans, startup hopefuls, and lovers of all things tech have been descending on Austin, Texas to share their new ideas, technology and products.

In just the past few years, some of the emerging tech that is now completely part of our culture made huge splashes at SXSWi – names like Twitter, Instagram, Gowalla, Foursquare, and GroupMe.

Consistent with our vision to be our clients’ most important partner, we were at SXSW, adding to the conversation, listening to others, learning from everything. Below, people from around our network share key insights and learnings.

Cherie Cox, CEO/Partner, SicolaMartin/Tech.YR

As a local resident of Austin, Texas for 20 years, I have experienced the evolution and growth of SXSW first-hand. What began simply as a music festival in 1987 for “up and coming” artists has transformed over the years into a global convergence of the latest innovations in music, film and most notably, technology.

I’m proud to say that our agency team, together with VML and Y&R (as part of the global Tech.YR practice), created an impressive showcase at our own “#Imaginarium” event which was designed to exchange forward-thinking ideas as they relate to the future of technology innovations. Throughout the day, we had an excellent line-up of tech-focused leaders who shared their insights on everything from advancements in social media to science to the future of collaboration.

When comparing my years of attending both SXSWi and CES (the massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas) the distinct advantage of attending SXSWi is that it focuses on the increasingly personalized ways that actual content can be created, shared and consumed — as opposed to simply promoting the specific device that it’s consumed on. While devices are becoming increasingly commoditized, the interactive experiences have become increasingly personal, portable, and device agnostic.

Our overall SXSWi takeaway was that a combination of rich, consumable content and enhanced interactivity are the critical success factors moving forward. Brands must develop deep, quality content that can be shared on demand with increasingly savvy consumers in both the B2B and B2C space at every stage of their buying journey. From a technology standpoint, making the actual platforms better and easier to use seemed to be the focus of this year’s event versus the actual applications that were highlighted in previous years. Another key focus was on driving online interactions into offline experiences. This included everything from making designs physically tangible and dimensional (with 3D printing) to the new ways that people are using technologies and services such as Airbnb and Uber to make the move from online to offline connections.

All in all, 2013 was another impressive evolution for SXSWi and will continue to be a top priority for my team. We left inspired and certainly gained many new insights that will empower our thinking and client interactions moving forward.

Amy Griffin, Senior Account Executive, Y&R Midwest

Over and over, I heard about the burden and the complication of all of the information now at our fingertips - the same information that is meant to be enriching our lives and making them more convenient. In one session, Author Clay Johnson urged the audience to go on an information diet: to actively seek out the information you need and to limit the rest so it doesn't become white noise. For example, only check your email at set times during the day, and weed out people on Facebook that aren't important to you. A point that Johnson touched on and was reiterated by Evan Smith, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune, in a later session was that too much information actually creates a confirmation bias (in that we don't have to hear opinions that we don't agree with because we only listen to, say, MSNBC or Fox) and, ironically, makes us more ignorant. By sifting through all of the messages coming our way, and making sure they are from quality sources, we can be more productive and not only reactive. 

Because of this issue of constant connectivity, it's looking like curation is the order of the day. Brian Kralyevich, VP of Design at Amazon, mentioned the soulfulness of curation – by limiting ourselves we are forced to be more thoughtful and in some cases, personal (like a man forced to pit a limited number of songs for a mixtape for his girlfriend). In the way that one Instagram photo is more salient than an entire Facebook album, we should be focusing on how to bring a less frenetic experience to consumers. I hope to help my clients look through this lens as they build out new ways to reach their users. Knowing which information is the important information is the new battle in this day of messaging bombardment (both personal and commercial).

Sulaiman Beg, Global Content Manager, Y&R

It’s hard to come back from SXSWi and not think of the relationship between connection vs. connectivity. On the one-hand you have thousands of people, with their necks craned down, peering into their tablets, computers or mobile phone screens seemingly disconnected from their surroundings, and then on the other hand, there’s the experience of watching some guy with a 3D mobile printer strapped to his chest showing you the watchband he just finished printing out. Connection vs. Connectivity.

My inaugural experience at Southby (I can say that now, I guess) was, as it was for many, witnessing firsthand (via Google Glasses or Makerbot tech) this shift from the digital to the physical world. I saw it in the way Leap Motion will make aspects of Minority Report a reality, and I saw it in the way our Spark Plug company Hyperactivate used their hashtag art to create a great visual mosaic experience for American Airlines.

Sure, walking through the trade floor and “Startup Village” the luddite in me (the kind that eschews Facebook for Instagram) saw a lot of dud apps (do we need an app where we can post pictures of things we hate? “You hate lines too? Grrrreat.”), but the overall experience of knowing that there were people like Ping Fu, the head of Geomagic ‑ a global company providing 3D technology for digital reality ‑ who planned to use her mobile 3D printer, in part, as an educational and medical tool, were really thinking about the benefits of this tech for mankind. For marketers and consumers, the possibilities are endless: imagine creating anything from anywhere? Making a website is easy. But to take any idea and make it into an object in the physical world – now, that's great. Maybe not just tomorrow, but someday. And that’s the Southby experience in a nutshell: thinking about tomorrow.

Krisha Newham, Group Account Director, VML

Key Themes

Big Data. Big Data was the headline in several sessions, including a Stephen Wolfram-led session about what’s next for data analysis and presentation. What’s big data? High volume, high velocity and high variety data. The key is how to tell to leverage it to gain insights and tell stories, and more importantly, how to do that in a timely fashion.

Storytelling. “Storytelling” has replaced “content” as a buzzword. Sessions at SXSWi focused on how brands need to do a better job drawing in consumers with interesting narratives, versus a strict content creation model. For example, telling the backstory on a video shoot because it emerged organically versus just creating the video itself because it’s slated on the editorial calendar. In fact, some brands (like Coca-Cola) are hiring journalists instead of copywriters. This journalistic and more editorial approach means that the narrative becomes key instead of what the brand is pushing – a more engaging and authentic experience for the consumer.

Broadcast. One of the most interesting threads at SXSWi was actually TV - digital has made TV relevant again. Social has driven consumers back to live TV for fear of spoilers, the use of various platforms has enhanced the TV viewing experience (dual screens) and sites/brands are looking at “programming” digital experiences versus using a content calendar. Digital isn’t killing TV – it’s evolving it.

Emerging Trends

Predictive Discovery. The use of algorithms and data will give us more predictive experiences – instead of searching, our devices will tell us what they think we should know.

Physical/Digital Convergence. Using digital to be more in tune with the physical. Brainwave training, evolution of devices, wearables...all of these are leading down a path where your consumption of digital data becomes even more integrated and personal.

Nancy Maloney, Senior Strategist, Y&R Midwest

One thing that really struck me about SXSW 2013 was that the focus seemed to be more on ideas than tech or gadgets this year. There didn't seem to be one MAJOR tech trend or gadget that everyone was talking about. (There were a few, but no one specific item that was dominating the conversation, as has been the case in years past.) But big ideas were everywhere — and conversations seemed to be centered around those.

I think this trend is indicative of a directional change for the festival. Perhaps it's a response to ‑ or a reflection of ‑ a burgeoning cultural trend: people stepping away from "technology for technology's sake." Today, people are asking for something more than that. Some may say that, as a result of this new direction, SXSWi has lost its way or jumped the shark. I think it means that we've turned a corner. I believe it illustrates that we have learned that the most successful "digital" developments, tech and trends are entrenched in something larger. Perhaps we have learned to put the focus on the ideas that will enable us to develop and use technology and gadgets better to serve our purposes, meet our needs and improve our lives.

Predictably, popular statistician Nate Silver spoke about predictability and big data. But rather than focusing on big data itself, he stressed that big data alone will not bring big progress. He emphasized the importance of creating a balance between big data and intuition. He outlined the ways in which our educational system must be reformed in order to support the growing demand for qualified data scientists to ensure that big data does lead to big progress. (The answer, by the way, is a greater focus on mathematics, specifically probability and statistics over calculus.)

If we truly want to move our online interactions from simply transactional to collaborative, we can't do it through technology alone. We need a big idea to drive and guide our efforts and establish relationships with our consumers in ways that benefit them. The better the ideas, the better the technology. And ultimately, ideas transcend and elevate products.

Henry Monsell, Senior Planner, Y&R New York

So they say SXSW offers the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. And after my first visit I have to say I would agree. Accidentally bump into a tech developer with two phones, an iPad mini, three sets of glasses and baggy pants, turn to say sorry, and find yourself staring at a teenage rocker with two instruments, a skateboard, three sets of jewelry and pants far too tight.

I arrived in Austin to be, and these are my words pre-SXSW-adventure: inspired, introduced, reminded, taught and more importantly changed. So have I?

I've certainly been inspired. You can't but help think there's more to life than the marketing bubble we cocoon ourselves in, when you hear tales of fortune and discovery from the four corners of the world. And I've been introduced. Introduced to a range of people and products both within our industry and beyond (some to be remembered and some less so). I’ve also found myself reminded of those forgotten apps that make our lives richer and more connected (so iTunes says). And yes I've been taught too. From Google's talking shoe to speaking to a number of “geeks” in the trade-show on “the magic behind the coding.” Although I still think it'll be a while yet to when I'm cracking jokes in 1's and and 0’s.

But what about “changed”? Tricky one this. Would I even know if I have changed? Well, I'll answer this as honestly as possible, and in doing so, strengthen my views that our clients need to block out this week every year. No I haven't seen the light, nor discovered a part of me that I never knew existed, nor see the world through a different Instagram filter. However, I do, for now at least, feel a little more excited for the future. SXSW 2013 may not have introduced “the next big something,” but that's not the point. The point of SXSW is to highlight that there will be a next big something. And only those looking, will find it.

As soon as our clients begin to mirror this frame of mind, the conversation will be less about making the most of everything today, and instead be about making the most of that something tomorrow.

Sosia Bert, Executive Producer of Digital Content, Y&R New York

There were no big launches at SXSW this year. No Twitter. No Foursquare. No Nike FuelBand. Which seems strange considering the boom happening in Silicon Valley right now. There were lots of little apps trying to be heard and have a presence, but nothing groundbreaking.

There was no official presence felt from the hot new apps like Snapchat, Vine, or even Instagram, but maybe the fact that everyone was already using them to document the experience and communicate with each other was enough. The big mama, Google, had a major presence on panels and sessions, their playground, and debuting new information on Glass and experiments like the talking shoe.

So what does it mean? Is the market saturated and the big players are just getting bigger? Are people's attention spans tapped with the social media and tech entertainment they're already using? Is SXSW too inundated with messages and it's become harder for startups to get the amount of attention they need?

Or was this just an off year?

We know in advertising that the market has become broad and fragmented. To be heard you need to target your audience in a precise and strategic way rather than inundating media channels to hit everyone, because that's not possible anymore. So maybe the new and next big things are doing that as well. And maybe the next big things aren't the next big thing for a mass audience. Maybe they're more targeted and individual.

Another thing I noticed this year was an emphasis on the emotional connection that people have with their tech devices and the interface designs and tools. Not just about how tech can serve you, but making sure to pay attention to how your tech can change you, change how you live your life, change your outward perception to others. There is much emphasis on what something does for you, but how does it affect your life when you stop a dinner with a friend to take a picture of your food? And how can even things like the wording of error messaging make you feel and change your demeanor and mood? One speaker on moral design pointed out that we interact with our phones more than any other object or person. How can that object, and the way it is designed, not change you?

Nothing new, but the trends at SXSW this year were about 3D printing, Google (especially Glass), Leap Motion gestural interface (which works incredibly well and at an $80 price point is sure to spread), hashtags everywhere, and Grumpy Cat, a meme who made a real life appearance in Austin and who people lined up around the block to see. The ad world seemed to have descended on SXSW more than last year, with more of a presence from the people who are not specifically digital. I heard from multiple companies that they don't send people to Cannes anymore - they send more people to SXSW instead. Agencies and production companies fought to outdo each other with their parties, to have a PR presence and have the cool innovation cache. Many, though, only came to network, peripherally soak in the experience, and didn't attend any of the panels or sessions.

I love the tech side of it though, the freedom to have truly geeky intelligent conversations on the street with old friends and colleagues about the interesting things you've seen and heard, the new ideas sparked, and the inspiration and mental pathways opened up especially when you go to sessions and workshops that you think have nothing relevant for you. You can't not learn and not be inspired by being there. I highly recommend for our clients to go and have the experience if they can. There is an inherent truth about the digital world, which is that it is always changing, and you must constantly self-educate to stay on top of it.

We should be taking risks right now. With everything changing there are no long-established best practices. At one panel I heard one person mention that you have to go on your good gut feeling of - is this appropriate for my target market, and is it interesting?

For work to be noticed, you have to be innovative, take some risks, and be prepared to do new things that haven't been done before.

Ingrid Ducmanis, Digital Group Creative Director, Red Fuse/VML New York

To me it seems the big takeaway from SXSW 2013 is that there is no big takeaway this year. But not in a bad way. Rather SXSWi has grown to cover such a vast array of subjects and disciplines, electing one or two splashy launches or celebrity sponsorships to represent the whole would be a disservice to the truly remarkable scope of knowledge and experience the conference offered. It’s this sheer diversity that I think I found most inspiring. I veered happily and somewhat randomly from visions of the future delivered by Elon Musk and Al Gore to museum directors Katie Hill and Scott Stulen discussing how they organized and curated the first-ever Internet Cat Video Festival. (With almost no advertising at all, 10,000 people showed up at the festival, demonstrating the power of offering an online community the chance to have an offline experience.)

And everywhere I went, everything I tuned into, everyone I talked to, I found something of value to the work we do for our clients. In Red Fuse's case, since we are dedicated to Colgate Palmolive brands, I found two themes particularly relevant. One was the "quantified self" — keeping track of our footsteps, calories, breaths, sleep cycles, etc., with the ultimate goal of all this data-gathering being to take better care of ourselves. As personal and oral-care brands are, essentially, about taking care of ourselves, and I feel there is definitely a movement here we should be tapping into.

The other theme that jumped out as particularly relevant to Colgate was best encapsulated by Stanford professor BJ Fogg's session titled "Why Tiny Habits Give Big Results." His research into human habit formation (something I believe all marketers are trying to achieve at the end of the day) shows that asking people to take big leaps or make big changes almost always results in failure, whereas suggesting the tiniest of changes can actually be wildly effective. Tiny changes (floss one tooth a day, do two pushups a day, etc.) are easy to accomplish and quickly build confidence and momentum. Taking small, doable steps towards health is actually the underpinning strategy of Colgate's current Colgate Total campaign and I'm excited to see if we can't use some of Dr. Fogg's findings to stake out a real, ownable movement for the brand.

Matt Farrugia, Digital Director, GPY&R Melbourne

SXSW 2013 – was the year of the hardware to enable further creative exploration.

It wasn’t just a pilgrimage for the modern techno-geek. This year was more about the opportunities ahead for creativity converged with technology in the physical world. Opportunities through leveraging products such as MakerBot’s 3D printers and digitizers, which can duplicate physical objects; and Leap Motion’s sensor devises that will redefine the way we interact with interfaces.

But above all the noise of new technologies, thousands of new apps, and opinions and predictions, what really cut through were the individuals with big ideas and ambition - set out to achieve their goals with simple visions.

There was Alexis Ohanian who co-founded Reddit in 2005 at the age of 22. He spoke about tales of entrepreneurship beyond Silicon Valley and the power of crowd funding. Today he’s considered the mayor of the ‘open’ internet, driving awareness of his views on SOPA, he even made a call to congress live on stage.

Kim Dotcom was strangely inspiring. Through a rare Skype interview by Wired Mag’s Charles Graeber, he shared his experience of being charged with the largest copyright infringement in U.S history. During its peak, Kim’s company contributed to 4 percent of the Internet, with many organisations including the Brazilian Government having 8,000 accounts. This man is gaining cult status.

Dennis Crowley, CEO and co-founder of Foursquare, spoke about the future of check-ins. Today Foursquare’s 30 million users have created 3 billion check points around the world – hello Big Data.

Matthew Inman, of Oatmeal, raised one million dollars in nine days to save the former laboratory of Tesla – then turned it into a museum. This would have to be my favorite example of using creative skills and crowd-funding for the greater good of society.

And finally, there were workshops of all types, although one that resonated with me was ‘Geek Nirvana: achieving data driven happiness’ with Google’s lead Psychologist Brian Welle. Brian is responsible for the happiness of 35,000 people at Google – an incredibly important and valuable staff metric at Google. Brian gave insight into the models Google implement to achieve staff happiness through data collected from surveys and showed methods for how to implement these insights gathered. Through all this they discovered culture being one of the most important. And not just being about free Red Bull and foosball tables; but rather an organic journey that takes time.

So my key take outs:

  1. Creative is king: don’t use technology for technologies sake – have an idea.
  2. Crowd funding is the way forward for start-ups.
  3. Digital is now part of our second skin, part of our lives; technology is us.
  4. Those who define core values to help how teams / people come together, will succeed.
SXSWi 2013 Recap: Key Takeaways

Last week saw the start of the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) interactive, film and music festival here in the United States. Since 1987, thousands of thinkers, doers, investors, fans, startup hopefuls, and lovers of all things tech have been descending on Austin, Texas to share their new ideas, technology and products.

In just the past few years, some of the emerging tech that is now completely part of our culture made huge splashes at SXSWi – names like Twitter, Instagram, Gowalla, Foursquare, and GroupMe.

Consistent with our vision to be our clients’ most important partner, we were at SXSW, adding to the conversation, listening to others, learning from everything. Below, people from around our network share key insights and learnings.

Cherie Cox, CEO/Partner, SicolaMartin/Tech.YR

As a local resident of Austin, Texas for 20 years, I have experienced the evolution and growth of SXSW first-hand. What began simply as a music festival in 1987 for “up and coming” artists has transformed over the years into a global convergence of the latest innovations in music, film and most notably, technology.

I’m proud to say that our agency team, together with VML and Y&R (as part of the global Tech.YR practice), created an impressive showcase at our own “#Imaginarium” event which was designed to exchange forward-thinking ideas as they relate to the future of technology innovations. Throughout the day, we had an excellent line-up of tech-focused leaders who shared their insights on everything from advancements in social media to science to the future of collaboration.

When comparing my years of attending both SXSWi and CES (the massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas) the distinct advantage of attending SXSWi is that it focuses on the increasingly personalized ways that actual content can be created, shared and consumed — as opposed to simply promoting the specific device that it’s consumed on. While devices are becoming increasingly commoditized, the interactive experiences have become increasingly personal, portable, and device agnostic.

Our overall SXSWi takeaway was that a combination of rich, consumable content and enhanced interactivity are the critical success factors moving forward. Brands must develop deep, quality content that can be shared on demand with increasingly savvy consumers in both the B2B and B2C space at every stage of their buying journey. From a technology standpoint, making the actual platforms better and easier to use seemed to be the focus of this year’s event versus the actual applications that were highlighted in previous years. Another key focus was on driving online interactions into offline experiences. This included everything from making designs physically tangible and dimensional (with 3D printing) to the new ways that people are using technologies and services such as Airbnb and Uber to make the move from online to offline connections.

All in all, 2013 was another impressive evolution for SXSWi and will continue to be a top priority for my team. We left inspired and certainly gained many new insights that will empower our thinking and client interactions moving forward.

Amy Griffin, Senior Account Executive, Y&R Midwest

Over and over, I heard about the burden and the complication of all of the information now at our fingertips - the same information that is meant to be enriching our lives and making them more convenient. In one session, Author Clay Johnson urged the audience to go on an information diet: to actively seek out the information you need and to limit the rest so it doesn't become white noise. For example, only check your email at set times during the day, and weed out people on Facebook that aren't important to you. A point that Johnson touched on and was reiterated by Evan Smith, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune, in a later session was that too much information actually creates a confirmation bias (in that we don't have to hear opinions that we don't agree with because we only listen to, say, MSNBC or Fox) and, ironically, makes us more ignorant. By sifting through all of the messages coming our way, and making sure they are from quality sources, we can be more productive and not only reactive. 

Because of this issue of constant connectivity, it's looking like curation is the order of the day. Brian Kralyevich, VP of Design at Amazon, mentioned the soulfulness of curation – by limiting ourselves we are forced to be more thoughtful and in some cases, personal (like a man forced to pit a limited number of songs for a mixtape for his girlfriend). In the way that one Instagram photo is more salient than an entire Facebook album, we should be focusing on how to bring a less frenetic experience to consumers. I hope to help my clients look through this lens as they build out new ways to reach their users. Knowing which information is the important information is the new battle in this day of messaging bombardment (both personal and commercial).

Sulaiman Beg, Global Content Manager, Y&R

It’s hard to come back from SXSWi and not think of the relationship between connection vs. connectivity. On the one-hand you have thousands of people, with their necks craned down, peering into their tablets, computers or mobile phone screens seemingly disconnected from their surroundings, and then on the other hand, there’s the experience of watching some guy with a 3D mobile printer strapped to his chest showing you the watchband he just finished printing out. Connection vs. Connectivity.

My inaugural experience at Southby (I can say that now, I guess) was, as it was for many, witnessing firsthand (via Google Glasses or Makerbot tech) this shift from the digital to the physical world. I saw it in the way Leap Motion will make aspects of Minority Report a reality, and I saw it in the way our Spark Plug company Hyperactivate used their hashtag art to create a great visual mosaic experience for American Airlines.

Sure, walking through the trade floor and “Startup Village” the luddite in me (the kind that eschews Facebook for Instagram) saw a lot of dud apps (do we need an app where we can post pictures of things we hate? “You hate lines too? Grrrreat.”), but the overall experience of knowing that there were people like Ping Fu, the head of Geomagic ‑ a global company providing 3D technology for digital reality ‑ who planned to use her mobile 3D printer, in part, as an educational and medical tool, were really thinking about the benefits of this tech for mankind. For marketers and consumers, the possibilities are endless: imagine creating anything from anywhere? Making a website is easy. But to take any idea and make it into an object in the physical world – now, that's great. Maybe not just tomorrow, but someday. And that’s the Southby experience in a nutshell: thinking about tomorrow.

Krisha Newham, Group Account Director, VML

Key Themes

Big Data. Big Data was the headline in several sessions, including a Stephen Wolfram-led session about what’s next for data analysis and presentation. What’s big data? High volume, high velocity and high variety data. The key is how to tell to leverage it to gain insights and tell stories, and more importantly, how to do that in a timely fashion.

Storytelling. “Storytelling” has replaced “content” as a buzzword. Sessions at SXSWi focused on how brands need to do a better job drawing in consumers with interesting narratives, versus a strict content creation model. For example, telling the backstory on a video shoot because it emerged organically versus just creating the video itself because it’s slated on the editorial calendar. In fact, some brands (like Coca-Cola) are hiring journalists instead of copywriters. This journalistic and more editorial approach means that the narrative becomes key instead of what the brand is pushing – a more engaging and authentic experience for the consumer.

Broadcast. One of the most interesting threads at SXSWi was actually TV - digital has made TV relevant again. Social has driven consumers back to live TV for fear of spoilers, the use of various platforms has enhanced the TV viewing experience (dual screens) and sites/brands are looking at “programming” digital experiences versus using a content calendar. Digital isn’t killing TV – it’s evolving it.

Emerging Trends

Predictive Discovery. The use of algorithms and data will give us more predictive experiences – instead of searching, our devices will tell us what they think we should know.

Physical/Digital Convergence. Using digital to be more in tune with the physical. Brainwave training, evolution of devices, wearables...all of these are leading down a path where your consumption of digital data becomes even more integrated and personal.

Nancy Maloney, Senior Strategist, Y&R Midwest

One thing that really struck me about SXSW 2013 was that the focus seemed to be more on ideas than tech or gadgets this year. There didn't seem to be one MAJOR tech trend or gadget that everyone was talking about. (There were a few, but no one specific item that was dominating the conversation, as has been the case in years past.) But big ideas were everywhere — and conversations seemed to be centered around those.

I think this trend is indicative of a directional change for the festival. Perhaps it's a response to ‑ or a reflection of ‑ a burgeoning cultural trend: people stepping away from "technology for technology's sake." Today, people are asking for something more than that. Some may say that, as a result of this new direction, SXSWi has lost its way or jumped the shark. I think it means that we've turned a corner. I believe it illustrates that we have learned that the most successful "digital" developments, tech and trends are entrenched in something larger. Perhaps we have learned to put the focus on the ideas that will enable us to develop and use technology and gadgets better to serve our purposes, meet our needs and improve our lives.

Predictably, popular statistician Nate Silver spoke about predictability and big data. But rather than focusing on big data itself, he stressed that big data alone will not bring big progress. He emphasized the importance of creating a balance between big data and intuition. He outlined the ways in which our educational system must be reformed in order to support the growing demand for qualified data scientists to ensure that big data does lead to big progress. (The answer, by the way, is a greater focus on mathematics, specifically probability and statistics over calculus.)

If we truly want to move our online interactions from simply transactional to collaborative, we can't do it through technology alone. We need a big idea to drive and guide our efforts and establish relationships with our consumers in ways that benefit them. The better the ideas, the better the technology. And ultimately, ideas transcend and elevate products.

Henry Monsell, Senior Planner, Y&R New York

So they say SXSW offers the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. And after my first visit I have to say I would agree. Accidentally bump into a tech developer with two phones, an iPad mini, three sets of glasses and baggy pants, turn to say sorry, and find yourself staring at a teenage rocker with two instruments, a skateboard, three sets of jewelry and pants far too tight.

I arrived in Austin to be, and these are my words pre-SXSW-adventure: inspired, introduced, reminded, taught and more importantly changed. So have I?

I've certainly been inspired. You can't but help think there's more to life than the marketing bubble we cocoon ourselves in, when you hear tales of fortune and discovery from the four corners of the world. And I've been introduced. Introduced to a range of people and products both within our industry and beyond (some to be remembered and some less so). I’ve also found myself reminded of those forgotten apps that make our lives richer and more connected (so iTunes says). And yes I've been taught too. From Google's talking shoe to speaking to a number of “geeks” in the trade-show on “the magic behind the coding.” Although I still think it'll be a while yet to when I'm cracking jokes in 1's and and 0’s.

But what about “changed”? Tricky one this. Would I even know if I have changed? Well, I'll answer this as honestly as possible, and in doing so, strengthen my views that our clients need to block out this week every year. No I haven't seen the light, nor discovered a part of me that I never knew existed, nor see the world through a different Instagram filter. However, I do, for now at least, feel a little more excited for the future. SXSW 2013 may not have introduced “the next big something,” but that's not the point. The point of SXSW is to highlight that there will be a next big something. And only those looking, will find it.

As soon as our clients begin to mirror this frame of mind, the conversation will be less about making the most of everything today, and instead be about making the most of that something tomorrow.

Sosia Bert, Executive Producer of Digital Content, Y&R New York

There were no big launches at SXSW this year. No Twitter. No Foursquare. No Nike FuelBand. Which seems strange considering the boom happening in Silicon Valley right now. There were lots of little apps trying to be heard and have a presence, but nothing groundbreaking.

There was no official presence felt from the hot new apps like Snapchat, Vine, or even Instagram, but maybe the fact that everyone was already using them to document the experience and communicate with each other was enough. The big mama, Google, had a major presence on panels and sessions, their playground, and debuting new information on Glass and experiments like the talking shoe.

So what does it mean? Is the market saturated and the big players are just getting bigger? Are people's attention spans tapped with the social media and tech entertainment they're already using? Is SXSW too inundated with messages and it's become harder for startups to get the amount of attention they need?

Or was this just an off year?

We know in advertising that the market has become broad and fragmented. To be heard you need to target your audience in a precise and strategic way rather than inundating media channels to hit everyone, because that's not possible anymore. So maybe the new and next big things are doing that as well. And maybe the next big things aren't the next big thing for a mass audience. Maybe they're more targeted and individual.

Another thing I noticed this year was an emphasis on the emotional connection that people have with their tech devices and the interface designs and tools. Not just about how tech can serve you, but making sure to pay attention to how your tech can change you, change how you live your life, change your outward perception to others. There is much emphasis on what something does for you, but how does it affect your life when you stop a dinner with a friend to take a picture of your food? And how can even things like the wording of error messaging make you feel and change your demeanor and mood? One speaker on moral design pointed out that we interact with our phones more than any other object or person. How can that object, and the way it is designed, not change you?

Nothing new, but the trends at SXSW this year were about 3D printing, Google (especially Glass), Leap Motion gestural interface (which works incredibly well and at an $80 price point is sure to spread), hashtags everywhere, and Grumpy Cat, a meme who made a real life appearance in Austin and who people lined up around the block to see. The ad world seemed to have descended on SXSW more than last year, with more of a presence from the people who are not specifically digital. I heard from multiple companies that they don't send people to Cannes anymore - they send more people to SXSW instead. Agencies and production companies fought to outdo each other with their parties, to have a PR presence and have the cool innovation cache. Many, though, only came to network, peripherally soak in the experience, and didn't attend any of the panels or sessions.

I love the tech side of it though, the freedom to have truly geeky intelligent conversations on the street with old friends and colleagues about the interesting things you've seen and heard, the new ideas sparked, and the inspiration and mental pathways opened up especially when you go to sessions and workshops that you think have nothing relevant for you. You can't not learn and not be inspired by being there. I highly recommend for our clients to go and have the experience if they can. There is an inherent truth about the digital world, which is that it is always changing, and you must constantly self-educate to stay on top of it.

We should be taking risks right now. With everything changing there are no long-established best practices. At one panel I heard one person mention that you have to go on your good gut feeling of - is this appropriate for my target market, and is it interesting?

For work to be noticed, you have to be innovative, take some risks, and be prepared to do new things that haven't been done before.

Ingrid Ducmanis, Digital Group Creative Director, Red Fuse/VML New York

To me it seems the big takeaway from SXSW 2013 is that there is no big takeaway this year. But not in a bad way. Rather SXSWi has grown to cover such a vast array of subjects and disciplines, electing one or two splashy launches or celebrity sponsorships to represent the whole would be a disservice to the truly remarkable scope of knowledge and experience the conference offered. It’s this sheer diversity that I think I found most inspiring. I veered happily and somewhat randomly from visions of the future delivered by Elon Musk and Al Gore to museum directors Katie Hill and Scott Stulen discussing how they organized and curated the first-ever Internet Cat Video Festival. (With almost no advertising at all, 10,000 people showed up at the festival, demonstrating the power of offering an online community the chance to have an offline experience.)

And everywhere I went, everything I tuned into, everyone I talked to, I found something of value to the work we do for our clients. In Red Fuse's case, since we are dedicated to Colgate Palmolive brands, I found two themes particularly relevant. One was the "quantified self" — keeping track of our footsteps, calories, breaths, sleep cycles, etc., with the ultimate goal of all this data-gathering being to take better care of ourselves. As personal and oral-care brands are, essentially, about taking care of ourselves, and I feel there is definitely a movement here we should be tapping into.

The other theme that jumped out as particularly relevant to Colgate was best encapsulated by Stanford professor BJ Fogg's session titled "Why Tiny Habits Give Big Results." His research into human habit formation (something I believe all marketers are trying to achieve at the end of the day) shows that asking people to take big leaps or make big changes almost always results in failure, whereas suggesting the tiniest of changes can actually be wildly effective. Tiny changes (floss one tooth a day, do two pushups a day, etc.) are easy to accomplish and quickly build confidence and momentum. Taking small, doable steps towards health is actually the underpinning strategy of Colgate's current Colgate Total campaign and I'm excited to see if we can't use some of Dr. Fogg's findings to stake out a real, ownable movement for the brand.

Matt Farrugia, Digital Director, GPY&R Melbourne

SXSW 2013 – was the year of the hardware to enable further creative exploration.

It wasn’t just a pilgrimage for the modern techno-geek. This year was more about the opportunities ahead for creativity converged with technology in the physical world. Opportunities through leveraging products such as MakerBot’s 3D printers and digitizers, which can duplicate physical objects; and Leap Motion’s sensor devises that will redefine the way we interact with interfaces.

But above all the noise of new technologies, thousands of new apps, and opinions and predictions, what really cut through were the individuals with big ideas and ambition - set out to achieve their goals with simple visions.

There was Alexis Ohanian who co-founded Reddit in 2005 at the age of 22. He spoke about tales of entrepreneurship beyond Silicon Valley and the power of crowd funding. Today he’s considered the mayor of the ‘open’ internet, driving awareness of his views on SOPA, he even made a call to congress live on stage.

Kim Dotcom was strangely inspiring. Through a rare Skype interview by Wired Mag’s Charles Graeber, he shared his experience of being charged with the largest copyright infringement in U.S history. During its peak, Kim’s company contributed to 4 percent of the Internet, with many organisations including the Brazilian Government having 8,000 accounts. This man is gaining cult status.

Dennis Crowley, CEO and co-founder of Foursquare, spoke about the future of check-ins. Today Foursquare’s 30 million users have created 3 billion check points around the world – hello Big Data.

Matthew Inman, of Oatmeal, raised one million dollars in nine days to save the former laboratory of Tesla – then turned it into a museum. This would have to be my favorite example of using creative skills and crowd-funding for the greater good of society.

And finally, there were workshops of all types, although one that resonated with me was ‘Geek Nirvana: achieving data driven happiness’ with Google’s lead Psychologist Brian Welle. Brian is responsible for the happiness of 35,000 people at Google – an incredibly important and valuable staff metric at Google. Brian gave insight into the models Google implement to achieve staff happiness through data collected from surveys and showed methods for how to implement these insights gathered. Through all this they discovered culture being one of the most important. And not just being about free Red Bull and foosball tables; but rather an organic journey that takes time.

So my key take outs:

  1. Creative is king: don’t use technology for technologies sake – have an idea.
  2. Crowd funding is the way forward for start-ups.
  3. Digital is now part of our second skin, part of our lives; technology is us.
  4. Those who define core values to help how teams / people come together, will succeed.
Ideas, sxsw, interactive, Digital, y&r new, GPY&R, VML, red fuse, tech.yr

Sable: No Real Substitute for the Magic of Face-to-Face Dialogue

Y&R Global CEO David Sable gives his take on Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer's decision to bar employees from working from home, in his latest LinkedIn post.

"Connectivity vs. connection," he writes. "They are often used interchangeably. But they are not. Connectivity is about the devices that link us together. Nothing more. Connection is about people, emotions and meaning."

Sable: No Real Substitute for the Magic of Face-to-Face Dialogue

Y&R Global CEO David Sable gives his take on Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer's decision to bar employees from working from home, in his latest LinkedIn post.

"Connectivity vs. connection," he writes. "They are often used interchangeably. But they are not. Connectivity is about the devices that link us together. Nothing more. Connection is about people, emotions and meaning."

David Sable, yahoo, marissa meyer, thought leadership, Global, LinkedIn

Can You Make Up in Volume What You Give Away in Margin?

Amazon's sales are down, profits are down, but its stock goes up?

"Has Alice gone through the Looking-Glass again?" asks Y&R Global CEO David Sable in his latest post on LinkedIn. 

Can You Make Up in Volume What You Give Away in Margin?

Amazon's sales are down, profits are down, but its stock goes up?

"Has Alice gone through the Looking-Glass again?" asks Y&R Global CEO David Sable in his latest post on LinkedIn. 

David Sable, thought leadership, Ideas, amazon

Let's Get Real - The Power of Brand Authenticity

“Authenticity is the benchmark against which all brands are now judged.”  John Grant - The New Marketing Manifesto

With an abundance of brands to choose from, and a wealth of information available from both the companies that manufacture them and the people who buy them, honesty and authenticity are emerging as the values that matter most, in a new era of branding.

Why authenticity matters

Y&R’s Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) research tells us that consumer trust has declined across all industries. In fact the number of brands that people say they trust halved between 2001 and 2010. Given the economic instability and banking bailouts that marked this decade, this comes as no surprise, and in response people are being drawn to brands that feel authentic, honest and true.

Fig.1 Percentage decline in trust across all industries

Source: BrandAsset® Consulting: Trustworthy brands defined as those with greater than 20% attribution. All data and content © 2011 by Young & Rubicam Group. Please ask permission before usage or onward dissemination.

From the rise in farmers markets (“tomatoes that actually smell like tomatoes”) to Ben & Jerry’s (“home-made”) ice cream, the love of genuine is all around us. In human terms, people are simply more attracted to brands with an interesting and original story to tell. They would rather spend time with brands that hold engaging conversations, act with integrity, and follow through on what they promise.

It also seems authentic brands are more attractive in the long-term, as according to BAV, Brand Trust is the key indicator of future brand growth potential.

Fig 2. Trust in brands is declining, yet trust is key to building brand growth

Source: BrandAsset® Consulting: Trustworthy brands defined as those with greater than 20% attribution.Brand Strength is the single strongest predictor of growth potential (BAV).All data and content © 2011 by Young & Rubicam Group. Please ask permission before usage or onward dissemination.

Okay, so how do I get some?

Unfortunately Brand Authenticity is not as straightforward as simply adding “authentic” to your list of brand values. What’s more, masquerading as something you’re not will only breed cynicism in today’s brand savvy consumer, and rejection will be swift and (thanks to social media) all too un-sweet.

Authenticity can be drawn from a number of sources, an original recipe or one-of-a-kind craftsmanship. But there is one single defining attribute of authentic brands regardless of process or place – a strong sense of purpose. Steve Jobs and Bill Bowerman didn’t start their companies with a view to building an authentic brand. Their vision and passion to change the world in some small way (for the better) is what created Apple and Nike as two of the most successful, authentic brands in the world today.

In fact most start-ups are authentic. But as they grow, more people get involved, marketing takes over and the founder’s vision is easily lost. This is because marketers “think”, whilst founders “do”. What’s the point of having a brand purpose if it stays written as a mantra on a boardroom wall or hidden in the confines of a corporate identity document? A strong sense of purpose is only real if it translates as brand behaviour, something customers can feel through direct personal experience.

Maker Marketing

Nike has successfully stayed true to its core brand purpose (and retained its authenticity) by keeping the spirit of legendary track coach and cofounder Bill Bowerman alive and well. According to CEO Mark Parker: "If you talk to designers around here, they'll say they've got Bill sitting on their shoulder, speaking up for the athlete” . From product design to communications, Nike’s success is evidenced by doing rather than thinking. When the brand decided to move into skateboarding, Parker ensured the team “lived and breathed skate” – they developed a customized shoe, brought in maverick graphic artists to tell their stories and used the shoe as a canvas. I call this Maker Marketing.

Maker Marketing is doing marketing. It means knowing your brands reason for being and making sure you deliver this truth at every point in the customer journey. Vida e caffé is a local Maker Marketing success story. Founder Brad Armitage says: “we wanted to build a place that we would like to visit to have a coffee… good quality coffee in a special environment.”  And they have certainly delivered. Not only on the delicious Portuguese Estrela blend, but most notably the uplifting service. Furthermore a customer loyalty programme that sees a 5 percent return on spend  and a great in–house magazine reinforces this unwavering sense of purpose, ensuring the authentic ‘life and coffee’ brand experience is consistently delivered from Sea Point to Soho.

- Colwyn Elder, Y&R South Africa's Strategy Director

Let's Get Real - The Power of Brand Authenticity

“Authenticity is the benchmark against which all brands are now judged.”  John Grant - The New Marketing Manifesto

With an abundance of brands to choose from, and a wealth of information available from both the companies that manufacture them and the people who buy them, honesty and authenticity are emerging as the values that matter most, in a new era of branding.

Why authenticity matters

Y&R’s Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) research tells us that consumer trust has declined across all industries. In fact the number of brands that people say they trust halved between 2001 and 2010. Given the economic instability and banking bailouts that marked this decade, this comes as no surprise, and in response people are being drawn to brands that feel authentic, honest and true.

Fig.1 Percentage decline in trust across all industries

Source: BrandAsset® Consulting: Trustworthy brands defined as those with greater than 20% attribution. All data and content © 2011 by Young & Rubicam Group. Please ask permission before usage or onward dissemination.

From the rise in farmers markets (“tomatoes that actually smell like tomatoes”) to Ben & Jerry’s (“home-made”) ice cream, the love of genuine is all around us. In human terms, people are simply more attracted to brands with an interesting and original story to tell. They would rather spend time with brands that hold engaging conversations, act with integrity, and follow through on what they promise.

It also seems authentic brands are more attractive in the long-term, as according to BAV, Brand Trust is the key indicator of future brand growth potential.

Fig 2. Trust in brands is declining, yet trust is key to building brand growth

Source: BrandAsset® Consulting: Trustworthy brands defined as those with greater than 20% attribution.Brand Strength is the single strongest predictor of growth potential (BAV).All data and content © 2011 by Young & Rubicam Group. Please ask permission before usage or onward dissemination.

Okay, so how do I get some?

Unfortunately Brand Authenticity is not as straightforward as simply adding “authentic” to your list of brand values. What’s more, masquerading as something you’re not will only breed cynicism in today’s brand savvy consumer, and rejection will be swift and (thanks to social media) all too un-sweet.

Authenticity can be drawn from a number of sources, an original recipe or one-of-a-kind craftsmanship. But there is one single defining attribute of authentic brands regardless of process or place – a strong sense of purpose. Steve Jobs and Bill Bowerman didn’t start their companies with a view to building an authentic brand. Their vision and passion to change the world in some small way (for the better) is what created Apple and Nike as two of the most successful, authentic brands in the world today.

In fact most start-ups are authentic. But as they grow, more people get involved, marketing takes over and the founder’s vision is easily lost. This is because marketers “think”, whilst founders “do”. What’s the point of having a brand purpose if it stays written as a mantra on a boardroom wall or hidden in the confines of a corporate identity document? A strong sense of purpose is only real if it translates as brand behaviour, something customers can feel through direct personal experience.

Maker Marketing

Nike has successfully stayed true to its core brand purpose (and retained its authenticity) by keeping the spirit of legendary track coach and cofounder Bill Bowerman alive and well. According to CEO Mark Parker: "If you talk to designers around here, they'll say they've got Bill sitting on their shoulder, speaking up for the athlete” . From product design to communications, Nike’s success is evidenced by doing rather than thinking. When the brand decided to move into skateboarding, Parker ensured the team “lived and breathed skate” – they developed a customized shoe, brought in maverick graphic artists to tell their stories and used the shoe as a canvas. I call this Maker Marketing.

Maker Marketing is doing marketing. It means knowing your brands reason for being and making sure you deliver this truth at every point in the customer journey. Vida e caffé is a local Maker Marketing success story. Founder Brad Armitage says: “we wanted to build a place that we would like to visit to have a coffee… good quality coffee in a special environment.”  And they have certainly delivered. Not only on the delicious Portuguese Estrela blend, but most notably the uplifting service. Furthermore a customer loyalty programme that sees a 5 percent return on spend  and a great in–house magazine reinforces this unwavering sense of purpose, ensuring the authentic ‘life and coffee’ brand experience is consistently delivered from Sea Point to Soho.

- Colwyn Elder, Y&R South Africa's Strategy Director

colwyn elder, Y&R South Africa, Ideas, authenticity, brands

Fast Forward: Predictions 2013

Sandy Thompson, Y&R’s Worldwide Planning Director, today released “Fast Forward: Predictions 2013” – a compilation of the top nine trends that Y&R NYC’s planning department envisions catching on this year and beyond.

From robots as emotional partners to consumer-responsive pricing, most of the trends have one common thread: technology, which is becoming so intertwined into our daily lives that soon we won’t be able to imagine how life went on without it.

Through Y&R’s eXploring research and observation program, Fast Forward is able to provide a real-world look into the existence and viability of these trends that goes beyond stats and figures; although you can certainly find that the numbers have been crunched for any non-believers.

Fast Forward provokes the notion that the power of prediction lies not in the ability to correctly spell out every detail of the future, but in the ability to recognize trends, anticipate, prepare and thus shape the future ourselves.

So, take a look into the future and imagine how you can bring what’s next into now.

Fast Forward: Predictions 2013

Sandy Thompson, Y&R’s Worldwide Planning Director, today released “Fast Forward: Predictions 2013” – a compilation of the top nine trends that Y&R NYC’s planning department envisions catching on this year and beyond.

From robots as emotional partners to consumer-responsive pricing, most of the trends have one common thread: technology, which is becoming so intertwined into our daily lives that soon we won’t be able to imagine how life went on without it.

Through Y&R’s eXploring research and observation program, Fast Forward is able to provide a real-world look into the existence and viability of these trends that goes beyond stats and figures; although you can certainly find that the numbers have been crunched for any non-believers.

Fast Forward provokes the notion that the power of prediction lies not in the ability to correctly spell out every detail of the future, but in the ability to recognize trends, anticipate, prepare and thus shape the future ourselves.

So, take a look into the future and imagine how you can bring what’s next into now.

Sandy Thompson, Y&R New York, planning, predictions, 2013, exploring

Instagram, Take Note

On the heels of Instagram announcing and taking back it's much criticized privacy policy,Y&R Global CEO David Sable warns about the truth that in "our very social world, a misstep gains velocity and momentum in no time."

"If you agitate, disappoint, enrage your consumers, believe me there is someone, somewhere already developing the Instagram alternative," he writes in his latest LinkedIn post. "And all the energy you’re expending trying to woo back customers would be better spent advancing your own product and building your brand."

Instagram, Take Note

On the heels of Instagram announcing and taking back it's much criticized privacy policy,Y&R Global CEO David Sable warns about the truth that in "our very social world, a misstep gains velocity and momentum in no time."

"If you agitate, disappoint, enrage your consumers, believe me there is someone, somewhere already developing the Instagram alternative," he writes in his latest LinkedIn post. "And all the energy you’re expending trying to woo back customers would be better spent advancing your own product and building your brand."

David Sable, LinkedIn, instagram, Ideas, thought leadership

Sable: “Social” Wasn’t the Ticket to Staying in the White House

Y&R Global CEO David Sable writes in his latest blog post for LinkedIn how President Obama's campaign's grasp of "digital exponential" -  where you take what you learn in the digital world and apply and bridge it to the physical world - helped in his re-election.

"Values gave the campaign consistency online and offline," Sable writes. "The campaign’s brilliant ability to build a community online was given that exponential lift when campaign workers took what they learned online and crafted a strategy that came to life by knocking on real doors."

Sable: “Social” Wasn’t the Ticket to Staying in the White House

Y&R Global CEO David Sable writes in his latest blog post for LinkedIn how President Obama's campaign's grasp of "digital exponential" -  where you take what you learn in the digital world and apply and bridge it to the physical world - helped in his re-election.

"Values gave the campaign consistency online and offline," Sable writes. "The campaign’s brilliant ability to build a community online was given that exponential lift when campaign workers took what they learned online and crafted a strategy that came to life by knocking on real doors."

David Sable, thought leadership, Ideas, obama, LinkedIn, digital exponential, generation world

Gerzema: "Tablet learning is a perfect way to maximize the on the go, anywhere, anytime tech behaviors kids already have."

John Gerzema, Executive Chairman of BrandAsset Consulting, discusses how "Tablet U" could be the future of education.

"At a time when technology and mobility is remaking industries, higher education is ripe for disruption," Gerzema writes in The Economist Group.

Gerzema: "Tablet learning is a perfect way to maximize the on the go, anywhere, anytime tech behaviors kids already have."

John Gerzema, Executive Chairman of BrandAsset Consulting, discusses how "Tablet U" could be the future of education.

"At a time when technology and mobility is remaking industries, higher education is ripe for disruption," Gerzema writes in The Economist Group.

Gerzema, tablets, Ideas, brandasset consulting

Y&R's Take on the 2012 U.S. Elections - Values Not Demographics

In the weeks leading up to and following the 2012 U.S. Presidential election, much was said about the best strategies and tactics employed by both parties.

Y&R takes a look at the three key insights that really made the difference: Values and Demographics, All Relationships are Local, and Brands as Tiebreaker.

Y&R's Take on the 2012 U.S. Elections - Values Not Demographics

In the weeks leading up to and following the 2012 U.S. Presidential election, much was said about the best strategies and tactics employed by both parties.

Y&R takes a look at the three key insights that really made the difference: Values and Demographics, All Relationships are Local, and Brands as Tiebreaker.

Ideas, presidential election, U.S., united states, election

Y&R research finds happiness more important than money to Singapore’s Generation Asia

Happiness, family values, financial security and helping others emerged as the leading values amongst 18-35 year olds in Singapore, in the most comprehensive attitudinal study ever conducted into that demographic. The findings are part of Y&R’s proprietary research tool Generation Asia, revealed today in Singapore.

Seventy-five percent of Generation Asia in Singapore believe that happiness is more important than money, but they also see the importance of long-term financial security, with 73.3 percent seeing regular saving as a must.

Happily 73 percent of Singapore’s 18-35 year olds think that family values have not changed, and 72 percent want to achieve great things that improve the lives of others.

“Singapore is at the crossroads as a society, and Generation Asia is at the centre of it, straddling two visions of the world. Born into a system that was very successfully focussed on preparing them for material success, Singapore’s 18-35 year olds have witnessed rapid change in the socio-economic scenario leading them to reflect on the price paid for that progress,” explained Melvin Kuek, Managing Director, Y&R Singapore.

Continued Kuek, “The single most important life value for them is happiness, it’s more important than making money. There’s a strong emphasis on the preservation of family values, but underlined by strong belief in being financially prepared.”

Singapore is the fourth market to unveil its Generation Asia research findings, following its roll-out in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

Conducted for Y&R by partner agency VML, an extensive online survey of over 1,400 respondents was carried out in June 2012. Singapore’s biggest single study into the 18-35 segment, Generation Asia is an in-depth attitudinal study into that demographic across the whole region. It is Asia’s most comprehensive psychographic study in terms of number of respondents, geographical coverage and in-depth insights into 16 key topics.

Generation Asia’s optimism and ambition is reflected in its attitudes to the 16 key topics, namely: Vehicles, Beauty (Men & Women), Communication, Education, Entertainment, Fashion, Food, Money, Health, Kids, Love, Luxury, Media, Sports, Technology, Travel.Key fascinating insights from Generation Asia Singapore 2012:

  • 63 percent of men are ‘beauty’ conscious
  • 70 percent believe children should learn through play rather than books
  • 85 percent of women think confidence is attractive, skincare is more important than cosmetics
  • 63 percent prefer talking face to face
  • 72 percent think education should be more practical and less theory-based
  • 75 percent believe entertainment is more about who you’re with rather than where you go
  • 67 percent think serious journalism is an important factor in being a developed nation

 

“The new Generation Asia study has given us intriguing insight into how 18-35 year olds in Singapore feel, think, dream and desire. After four decades of development, the nation is in a more reflective mode,” said Hari Ramanathan, Y&R’s regional strategy director and one of the leads behind the entire study. “Having grown up in a prosperous and rapidly progressing Singapore, this is a Generation that’s often accused of being soft and spoilt by the previous one. But are they really spoilt? Do they want it easy? We set out to understand their attitudes and beliefs, and this is an invaluable resource for talking and connecting with them.”

Added Ramanathan, “For a few years now there’s been talk of how Asia is starting to dominate world affairs, economically, socially and even culturally, and yet this powerful zeitgeist was not seen as the lens through which an entire Generation is going to view their own lives. And most importantly they are going to take decisions that define the future landscape of global society, as well as the fate of brands. This is what prompted Y&R Asia to identify and examine Generation Asia.”

Y&R research finds happiness more important than money to Singapore’s Generation Asia

Happiness, family values, financial security and helping others emerged as the leading values amongst 18-35 year olds in Singapore, in the most comprehensive attitudinal study ever conducted into that demographic. The findings are part of Y&R’s proprietary research tool Generation Asia, revealed today in Singapore.

Seventy-five percent of Generation Asia in Singapore believe that happiness is more important than money, but they also see the importance of long-term financial security, with 73.3 percent seeing regular saving as a must.

Happily 73 percent of Singapore’s 18-35 year olds think that family values have not changed, and 72 percent want to achieve great things that improve the lives of others.

“Singapore is at the crossroads as a society, and Generation Asia is at the centre of it, straddling two visions of the world. Born into a system that was very successfully focussed on preparing them for material success, Singapore’s 18-35 year olds have witnessed rapid change in the socio-economic scenario leading them to reflect on the price paid for that progress,” explained Melvin Kuek, Managing Director, Y&R Singapore.

Continued Kuek, “The single most important life value for them is happiness, it’s more important than making money. There’s a strong emphasis on the preservation of family values, but underlined by strong belief in being financially prepared.”

Singapore is the fourth market to unveil its Generation Asia research findings, following its roll-out in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

Conducted for Y&R by partner agency VML, an extensive online survey of over 1,400 respondents was carried out in June 2012. Singapore’s biggest single study into the 18-35 segment, Generation Asia is an in-depth attitudinal study into that demographic across the whole region. It is Asia’s most comprehensive psychographic study in terms of number of respondents, geographical coverage and in-depth insights into 16 key topics.

Generation Asia’s optimism and ambition is reflected in its attitudes to the 16 key topics, namely: Vehicles, Beauty (Men & Women), Communication, Education, Entertainment, Fashion, Food, Money, Health, Kids, Love, Luxury, Media, Sports, Technology, Travel.Key fascinating insights from Generation Asia Singapore 2012:

  • 63 percent of men are ‘beauty’ conscious
  • 70 percent believe children should learn through play rather than books
  • 85 percent of women think confidence is attractive, skincare is more important than cosmetics
  • 63 percent prefer talking face to face
  • 72 percent think education should be more practical and less theory-based
  • 75 percent believe entertainment is more about who you’re with rather than where you go
  • 67 percent think serious journalism is an important factor in being a developed nation

 

“The new Generation Asia study has given us intriguing insight into how 18-35 year olds in Singapore feel, think, dream and desire. After four decades of development, the nation is in a more reflective mode,” said Hari Ramanathan, Y&R’s regional strategy director and one of the leads behind the entire study. “Having grown up in a prosperous and rapidly progressing Singapore, this is a Generation that’s often accused of being soft and spoilt by the previous one. But are they really spoilt? Do they want it easy? We set out to understand their attitudes and beliefs, and this is an invaluable resource for talking and connecting with them.”

Added Ramanathan, “For a few years now there’s been talk of how Asia is starting to dominate world affairs, economically, socially and even culturally, and yet this powerful zeitgeist was not seen as the lens through which an entire Generation is going to view their own lives. And most importantly they are going to take decisions that define the future landscape of global society, as well as the fate of brands. This is what prompted Y&R Asia to identify and examine Generation Asia.”

y&r singapore, generation asia, hari ramanathan, Melvin Kuek, Singapore, VML

5 Steps Agencies Need to Take so “Makeable Ideas” Lead to “Makeable Things"

Y&R New York's Creative Culturalist Rick Liebling lays out five key key insights that agencies should adopt to create compelling platforms for clients.

"Forget actually making something; most agencies probably aren’t fully equipped to think of things that can get made," he writes on FastCo.CREATE. "...'Makeable ideas”' don’t spring solely from a creative team. They come from a multi-disciplinary collaborative effort."

Read the full article.

5 Steps Agencies Need to Take so “Makeable Ideas” Lead to “Makeable Things"

Y&R New York's Creative Culturalist Rick Liebling lays out five key key insights that agencies should adopt to create compelling platforms for clients.

"Forget actually making something; most agencies probably aren’t fully equipped to think of things that can get made," he writes on FastCo.CREATE. "...'Makeable ideas”' don’t spring solely from a creative team. They come from a multi-disciplinary collaborative effort."

Read the full article.

Y&R New York, Rick Liebling, Ideas, insights

Y&R Thailand shares insights with Generation Asia

Earlier this week Y&R Thailand released its latest study, conducted in partnership with VML Qais, with the launch of “Generation Asia Thailand 2012.”

Hosted by Y&R Thailand and Energy – its brand consulting division, the event, billed as “The Rise of Young Connected Asian Consumers” welcomed over 400 guests and was held in partnership with S+M (Strategy & Marketing) Magazine - Thailand’s leading advertising trade publication.

The study, which polled 1,500 Thai respondents, offers a better understanding of how this unprecedented time in history is shaping Asia’s newest generation of consumers.

The study was part of a wider GenerationAsia survey conducted by Y&R, which engaged nearly 14,000 respondents from Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – making it one of the largest in Asia on consumer psychographic trends.

The Thai offering revealed that young Thai consumers are eager to adopt new trends and technology, but can be careful spenders and want all their purchases to be successful.

Headlining the event was Oliver Kittipong Veerataecha, Director of Idea Strategy & Brand Consultant and an APPIE Presenter of the Year, who shared “Innovative Ideas to Empower Brand Relationships.”

“Keeping brands contemporary is essential as Thai GenerationAsia tends to be very responsive, image conscious and inquisitive,” said Veerataecha. “If brands relevance is lost with a generation, regaining it is expensive and sometimes impossible. Deep insights & analytics must underpin the on-going evolution of a brand platform and campaign development.”

The study, he said, also found that 82 per cent of Thais believed that having a financial plan was very important for their future.

Other findings included:

  • Half of the Thai male population are ready to try new skincare products, while 43 per cent of Thais believe that cosmetic surgery for the sake of good looks is acceptable.
  • Additionally, 82 per cent of the Thai population believes that technology has helped make their lives more organised, but only 36 per cent think that social media is more trustworthy than mass media.
  • More than half of Thai men believe they must look rugged to be considered attractive.
  • 82 percent of Thais believe that a marriage is about compromise and wanting total happiness in relationships is unrealistic.

 

Jay Narissara, Digital Associate Director, explored “Framework of Innovation & Digital Engagement” – discussing theories of using innovative technology that match with marketing strategies and human truths in a creative way, and Trong Tantivejakul, Chief Creative Officer, shared “10 Essentials for Creative to heighten Thai Campaigns.”

You can read the full report here.

Y&R Thailand shares insights with Generation Asia

Earlier this week Y&R Thailand released its latest study, conducted in partnership with VML Qais, with the launch of “Generation Asia Thailand 2012.”

Hosted by Y&R Thailand and Energy – its brand consulting division, the event, billed as “The Rise of Young Connected Asian Consumers” welcomed over 400 guests and was held in partnership with S+M (Strategy & Marketing) Magazine - Thailand’s leading advertising trade publication.

The study, which polled 1,500 Thai respondents, offers a better understanding of how this unprecedented time in history is shaping Asia’s newest generation of consumers.

The study was part of a wider GenerationAsia survey conducted by Y&R, which engaged nearly 14,000 respondents from Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – making it one of the largest in Asia on consumer psychographic trends.

The Thai offering revealed that young Thai consumers are eager to adopt new trends and technology, but can be careful spenders and want all their purchases to be successful.

Headlining the event was Oliver Kittipong Veerataecha, Director of Idea Strategy & Brand Consultant and an APPIE Presenter of the Year, who shared “Innovative Ideas to Empower Brand Relationships.”

“Keeping brands contemporary is essential as Thai GenerationAsia tends to be very responsive, image conscious and inquisitive,” said Veerataecha. “If brands relevance is lost with a generation, regaining it is expensive and sometimes impossible. Deep insights & analytics must underpin the on-going evolution of a brand platform and campaign development.”

The study, he said, also found that 82 per cent of Thais believed that having a financial plan was very important for their future.

Other findings included:

  • Half of the Thai male population are ready to try new skincare products, while 43 per cent of Thais believe that cosmetic surgery for the sake of good looks is acceptable.
  • Additionally, 82 per cent of the Thai population believes that technology has helped make their lives more organised, but only 36 per cent think that social media is more trustworthy than mass media.
  • More than half of Thai men believe they must look rugged to be considered attractive.
  • 82 percent of Thais believe that a marriage is about compromise and wanting total happiness in relationships is unrealistic.

 

Jay Narissara, Digital Associate Director, explored “Framework of Innovation & Digital Engagement” – discussing theories of using innovative technology that match with marketing strategies and human truths in a creative way, and Trong Tantivejakul, Chief Creative Officer, shared “10 Essentials for Creative to heighten Thai Campaigns.”

You can read the full report here.

Thailand, generation asia, strategy

Y&R's Rick Liebling has 99 Products and He'll Pitch Each One

Who's the best marketer in the game these days?

For Y&R New York's Creative Culturalist Rick Liebling there's no question: Jay-Z.

Liebling writes in The Huffington Post about how hip-hop culture is now driving pop culture, which for many years was dominated by rock icons.

"Today's youth don't dream of being the next Slash, they dream of being the next Kanye West or Diplo," Liebling writes. "Even Advertising Week has finally seen the light, adding a DJ division to the annual Battle of the Bands competition."

Y&R's Rick Liebling has 99 Products and He'll Pitch Each One

Who's the best marketer in the game these days?

For Y&R New York's Creative Culturalist Rick Liebling there's no question: Jay-Z.

Liebling writes in The Huffington Post about how hip-hop culture is now driving pop culture, which for many years was dominated by rock icons.

"Today's youth don't dream of being the next Slash, they dream of being the next Kanye West or Diplo," Liebling writes. "Even Advertising Week has finally seen the light, adding a DJ division to the annual Battle of the Bands competition."

Rick Liebling, huffington post, Culture, hip hop, jay-z

Y&R's Rick Liebling on the Tipping Point for Mobile Advertising at 2012 dmexco

For consumers, the mobile tipping point has already occurred. Smart phone purchases, mobile video streaming and the exploding app market all show consumers are ready for more. How will brands and agencies meet this voracious consumer appetite with communications that add value? Dan Rosen of Joule, and Dave Gwozdz of Mojiva joined Rick Liebling, Y&R's Creative Culturalist on stage at dmexco in Cologne, Germany to discuss the tipping point for advertising in mobile.

Y&R's Rick Liebling on the Tipping Point for Mobile Advertising at 2012 dmexco

For consumers, the mobile tipping point has already occurred. Smart phone purchases, mobile video streaming and the exploding app market all show consumers are ready for more. How will brands and agencies meet this voracious consumer appetite with communications that add value? Dan Rosen of Joule, and Dave Gwozdz of Mojiva joined Rick Liebling, Y&R's Creative Culturalist on stage at dmexco in Cologne, Germany to discuss the tipping point for advertising in mobile.

Y&R New York, Rick Liebling, dmexco, mobile, smart phone, video, app

Y&R Global CEO David Sable Presents Generation World at dmexco 2012

"No other time in the history of the world have we seen a 3-year-old and an 80-year-old use the same tool in the same way," said Y&R Global CEO David Sable during his keynote presentation at the 2012 Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference.

Sable's presentation goes beyond the now-ubiquitous iPad swipe, and explores how Generation World is not defined by demographics but by what people share in common. Is technology what unites them or what empowers them?

Y&R Global CEO David Sable Presents Generation World at dmexco 2012

"No other time in the history of the world have we seen a 3-year-old and an 80-year-old use the same tool in the same way," said Y&R Global CEO David Sable during his keynote presentation at the 2012 Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference.

Sable's presentation goes beyond the now-ubiquitous iPad swipe, and explores how Generation World is not defined by demographics but by what people share in common. Is technology what unites them or what empowers them?

David Sable, Y&R, generation world, presentation

The Secrets of Speed Selling

Jon Bird, Ideaworks CEO, goes inside the "Mind of the Shopper" and writes about the time theory as taught by shopper marketing guru Herb Sorensen, in the first part of his two part column for Inside Retail.

The Secrets of Speed Selling

Jon Bird, Ideaworks CEO, goes inside the "Mind of the Shopper" and writes about the time theory as taught by shopper marketing guru Herb Sorensen, in the first part of his two part column for Inside Retail.

The Weekly Ramble: Are You Into Retro?

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, considers what we can learn from looking back. 

"Retro anything...

Fashion, food tastes, furnishings - you name it.

Retro seems always to be in style - in fact, it's often haute couture - the highest.

Yet some retro is viewed as merely old, tired and worn out, and we slavishly pursue the new in denial of what was."

Continue reading.

The Weekly Ramble: Are You Into Retro?

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, considers what we can learn from looking back. 

"Retro anything...

Fashion, food tastes, furnishings - you name it.

Retro seems always to be in style - in fact, it's often haute couture - the highest.

Yet some retro is viewed as merely old, tired and worn out, and we slavishly pursue the new in denial of what was."

Continue reading.

David Sable, weekly ramble, y&r global, CEO

Y&R Group Switzerland Clears Up Ten Social Media Myths

Social media is an important and widely discussed marketing subject, but it is still quite new and many companies feel uncertain about how to use it effectively. When used correctly, it satisfies basic human needs including social exchange and belonging, esteem, and personal fulfillment.

Here, Y&R Group Switzerland debunks ten social media myths for marketers and provides insight into what the future may bring.

View PDF

Y&R Group Switzerland Clears Up Ten Social Media Myths

Social media is an important and widely discussed marketing subject, but it is still quite new and many companies feel uncertain about how to use it effectively. When used correctly, it satisfies basic human needs including social exchange and belonging, esteem, and personal fulfillment.

Here, Y&R Group Switzerland debunks ten social media myths for marketers and provides insight into what the future may bring.

View PDF

Y&R Switzerland, Switzerland, Europe, Social Media, Ideas

Generation Asia: Vietnam

“The new Generation Asia study has given us irrefutable evidence on how 18-35 year olds in Vietnam feel, think, dream and desire. It’s a study which delivers true insight allowing us to connect consumers and brands on an emotional level. It’s great to be sharing such feelings of optimism and positivity at a time when Y&R Vietnam is embodying those sentiments with rapid growth and the opening of our new offices,” says Matthew Collier, CEO, Y&R Vietnam.

Hari Ramanathan, Y&R Asia’s Regional Strategy Director behind the entire study, adds: “For a few years now there’s been talk of how Asia is starting to dominate world affairs, economically, socially and even culturally, and yet this powerful zeitgeist was not seen as the lens through which an entire Generation is going to view their own lives. And most importantly they are going to take decisions that define the future landscape of global society, as well as the fate of brands. This is what prompted Y&R Asia to identify and examine Generation Asia.”

View PDF

Generation Asia: Vietnam

“The new Generation Asia study has given us irrefutable evidence on how 18-35 year olds in Vietnam feel, think, dream and desire. It’s a study which delivers true insight allowing us to connect consumers and brands on an emotional level. It’s great to be sharing such feelings of optimism and positivity at a time when Y&R Vietnam is embodying those sentiments with rapid growth and the opening of our new offices,” says Matthew Collier, CEO, Y&R Vietnam.

Hari Ramanathan, Y&R Asia’s Regional Strategy Director behind the entire study, adds: “For a few years now there’s been talk of how Asia is starting to dominate world affairs, economically, socially and even culturally, and yet this powerful zeitgeist was not seen as the lens through which an entire Generation is going to view their own lives. And most importantly they are going to take decisions that define the future landscape of global society, as well as the fate of brands. This is what prompted Y&R Asia to identify and examine Generation Asia.”

View PDF

y&r vietnam, Vietnam, generation asia, matthew collier, hari ramanathan, Asia, 18-35

What Do You Think? A Collection of Thoughts on Creativity and Innovation

In June, to coincide with the Cannes Festival,  A Collection of Thoughts On Creativity and Innovation, What Do You Think? was written by Y&R thought leaders around the world, as well as a few industry influentials. Creativity + Innovation.  As David Sable wrote in the introduction: “Two lofty words, two ideas, two thoughts that are increasingly intertwined, interchanged and, in our opinion, confused. In fact, so much so that at Y&R we have created our own specific definitions to help us and our clients understand the difference between them, as well as the power and leveragability they have in tandem.”

View PDF

What Do You Think? A Collection of Thoughts on Creativity and Innovation

In June, to coincide with the Cannes Festival,  A Collection of Thoughts On Creativity and Innovation, What Do You Think? was written by Y&R thought leaders around the world, as well as a few industry influentials. Creativity + Innovation.  As David Sable wrote in the introduction: “Two lofty words, two ideas, two thoughts that are increasingly intertwined, interchanged and, in our opinion, confused. In fact, so much so that at Y&R we have created our own specific definitions to help us and our clients understand the difference between them, as well as the power and leveragability they have in tandem.”

View PDF

Generation Asia

Matt Godfrey, President Y&R Asia, investigates the rise of Asia in the last decade and what that has meant for a whole new population that has come into being. Generation Asia is defining itself and, in the process, defining the world as we know it.

View PDF

Generation Asia

Matt Godfrey, President Y&R Asia, investigates the rise of Asia in the last decade and what that has meant for a whole new population that has come into being. Generation Asia is defining itself and, in the process, defining the world as we know it.

View PDF

What Makes Millenials Fall in Love with Your Brand?

Sandy Thompson, Y&R's Global Planning Director, offers 5 crucial tips for what will make millennials fall in love with your brand.

Wondering how to get Millennials to bond with your brand? There's been much discussion over this elusive generation, and it's clear they are unlike any previous generation when it comes to their relationship with brands. Indeed, it's time to toss out that dusty marketing rule book and explore their world. It's definitely one worth exploring as Millennials’ purchasing power is estimated to be, according to comScore, $170 billion.

Being a good explorer means getting to the third date — fast. First dates are all about quantitative analysis: you diligently go through a list of questions, and it's all very proper. Second dates might go a little bit deeper; now you know the person across the table isn't an axe murderer, so you can ask an unplanned question or two. But the best are third dates, when you can jump into bed with them and take it all off.

It's clear most marketers don't do third dates very well. They prefer to keep a barrier between themselves and real people. But that won't fly with Millennials. If you want them to care about your brand, you'll have to get to know them intimately (at least, metaphorically). Here's how:

Get Out of the Zoo and into the Jungle

Want to learn how a lion hunts? There's only one thing to do: get out of the zoo and into the jungle. The same is true with Millennials. Focus groups just won't cut it with this group. They are far too smart and far too cynical of marketers to be bothered with sitting in a room, going through the motions of answering boring and often irrelevant questions about their generation. Frankly, for many of this generation, it just pisses them off that brands want to study them...not get to know them.

Personally, I'd rather interact with real people — not respondents — on their turf, not mine. It's important if you want to get to the truth. We call it "eXploring" and have been doing it for some time now: We hang out, babysit, flip burgers, wash hair — whatever is important to them. We reach out through our personal networks, never using recruiting facilities, nor will we ever pay for their time. We build a rapport so that the conversations evolve naturally, encouraging our new friends to take us where they want to go instead of us guiding the discussion. Ultimately what we get is the truth — the truth of what is important to them. Not answers to the questions we wanted to ask.

Make It Experiential

In the past, it was always about brands talking at people and sending out simple, repetitive messaging. But because of the way Millennials constantly interact with tech and social networking, they are literally inundated with messaging. Some say they are immune to it. It's like they all have mental spam-blockers to help them filter (and ignore) the avalanche.

But what is able to get through to them is firsthand experience. They want to feel your brand — not hear it. They want to interact with it, play with it, pass it on and discuss it with their friends. They want to understand what it stands for and how it can make their lives better. And it's your job to help them do it.

Think Short Term

Millennials love to experience everything without committing to anything. Can you really blame them? Historically, marketers have been obsessed with getting customers early and generating enough brand loyalty to keep them forever.

But with Millennials, we've had to rethink our relationship. Put your brand in their hands short term, and they will keep you in their repertoire. Give them an opportunity to interact with it right now, without asking for a long-term commitment.

Let them rent your product for a weekend. Visit your store without pressure. Speak to your experts without commitment. Ignore the contract; let them play, touch and feel.

To connect with this generation, stop trying to trap them. Instead, be confident enough to let them touch your brand short term, knowing that if they love it, they will come back.

Stop Talking and Start Listening

If your goal is to create a good relationship with Millennials, it might be a good idea to shut up once in a while and really listen to their point of view. Your close friends do that; they let you talk. They listen to what you need.

Traditional marketing is about talking at. In today's world, you need to take the time to sit back and listen. This generation is eager to share — eager to tell us what's important to them. All we have to do is sit back and listen, taking the time to figure out how to fit into their lives and give them something they need rather than persuade them about something we want to sell. If you can address a need or desire that Millennials have, they'll do the heavy lifting for you. They will become your advocates. Bottom line: Stop selling to them, and they will start selling on your behalf.

Let Your Brands Loose

The best brands have it. Apple has it, Nike has it and Trader Joe's definitely has it. We need to do a better job of letting our brands loose. Let them have some character. Some tension. Some fun. Brands with depth of character are irresistible.

With so many more channels than traditional media, there is an opportunity for brands to create layers or depth of character — in other words, to be much more interesting. Most marketers want to control their brand's personality, sticking to a very limited range of core values. But in the real world, a great person has core values, plus stretch points in their persona that create tension and — frankly — make you want to hang out with them more often. So don't be afraid to expose a bit of yourself. When it comes to Millennials, give a little, and you might just get a lot.

What Makes Millenials Fall in Love with Your Brand?

Sandy Thompson, Y&R's Global Planning Director, offers 5 crucial tips for what will make millennials fall in love with your brand.

Wondering how to get Millennials to bond with your brand? There's been much discussion over this elusive generation, and it's clear they are unlike any previous generation when it comes to their relationship with brands. Indeed, it's time to toss out that dusty marketing rule book and explore their world. It's definitely one worth exploring as Millennials’ purchasing power is estimated to be, according to comScore, $170 billion.

Being a good explorer means getting to the third date — fast. First dates are all about quantitative analysis: you diligently go through a list of questions, and it's all very proper. Second dates might go a little bit deeper; now you know the person across the table isn't an axe murderer, so you can ask an unplanned question or two. But the best are third dates, when you can jump into bed with them and take it all off.

It's clear most marketers don't do third dates very well. They prefer to keep a barrier between themselves and real people. But that won't fly with Millennials. If you want them to care about your brand, you'll have to get to know them intimately (at least, metaphorically). Here's how:

Get Out of the Zoo and into the Jungle

Want to learn how a lion hunts? There's only one thing to do: get out of the zoo and into the jungle. The same is true with Millennials. Focus groups just won't cut it with this group. They are far too smart and far too cynical of marketers to be bothered with sitting in a room, going through the motions of answering boring and often irrelevant questions about their generation. Frankly, for many of this generation, it just pisses them off that brands want to study them...not get to know them.

Personally, I'd rather interact with real people — not respondents — on their turf, not mine. It's important if you want to get to the truth. We call it "eXploring" and have been doing it for some time now: We hang out, babysit, flip burgers, wash hair — whatever is important to them. We reach out through our personal networks, never using recruiting facilities, nor will we ever pay for their time. We build a rapport so that the conversations evolve naturally, encouraging our new friends to take us where they want to go instead of us guiding the discussion. Ultimately what we get is the truth — the truth of what is important to them. Not answers to the questions we wanted to ask.

Make It Experiential

In the past, it was always about brands talking at people and sending out simple, repetitive messaging. But because of the way Millennials constantly interact with tech and social networking, they are literally inundated with messaging. Some say they are immune to it. It's like they all have mental spam-blockers to help them filter (and ignore) the avalanche.

But what is able to get through to them is firsthand experience. They want to feel your brand — not hear it. They want to interact with it, play with it, pass it on and discuss it with their friends. They want to understand what it stands for and how it can make their lives better. And it's your job to help them do it.

Think Short Term

Millennials love to experience everything without committing to anything. Can you really blame them? Historically, marketers have been obsessed with getting customers early and generating enough brand loyalty to keep them forever.

But with Millennials, we've had to rethink our relationship. Put your brand in their hands short term, and they will keep you in their repertoire. Give them an opportunity to interact with it right now, without asking for a long-term commitment.

Let them rent your product for a weekend. Visit your store without pressure. Speak to your experts without commitment. Ignore the contract; let them play, touch and feel.

To connect with this generation, stop trying to trap them. Instead, be confident enough to let them touch your brand short term, knowing that if they love it, they will come back.

Stop Talking and Start Listening

If your goal is to create a good relationship with Millennials, it might be a good idea to shut up once in a while and really listen to their point of view. Your close friends do that; they let you talk. They listen to what you need.

Traditional marketing is about talking at. In today's world, you need to take the time to sit back and listen. This generation is eager to share — eager to tell us what's important to them. All we have to do is sit back and listen, taking the time to figure out how to fit into their lives and give them something they need rather than persuade them about something we want to sell. If you can address a need or desire that Millennials have, they'll do the heavy lifting for you. They will become your advocates. Bottom line: Stop selling to them, and they will start selling on your behalf.

Let Your Brands Loose

The best brands have it. Apple has it, Nike has it and Trader Joe's definitely has it. We need to do a better job of letting our brands loose. Let them have some character. Some tension. Some fun. Brands with depth of character are irresistible.

With so many more channels than traditional media, there is an opportunity for brands to create layers or depth of character — in other words, to be much more interesting. Most marketers want to control their brand's personality, sticking to a very limited range of core values. But in the real world, a great person has core values, plus stretch points in their persona that create tension and — frankly — make you want to hang out with them more often. So don't be afraid to expose a bit of yourself. When it comes to Millennials, give a little, and you might just get a lot.

The 7 Errors in the Game of Sustainability

Walter Longo, VP, Y&R Sao Paulo discusses the environment and the issue of sustainability, suggesting that innovation is the only solution.

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The 7 Errors in the Game of Sustainability

Walter Longo, VP, Y&R Sao Paulo discusses the environment and the issue of sustainability, suggesting that innovation is the only solution.

View PDF

Perception: An Interactive Billboard Experience

Aden Hepburn, Managing Director of VML Sydney, features the latest digital ad campaigns, hot new websites, interactive marketing ideas, virals, industry news, social media, insights, and other great digital trends from all over the world. Check out this one on a recent interactive billboard experience in NYC. 

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Perception: An Interactive Billboard Experience

Aden Hepburn, Managing Director of VML Sydney, features the latest digital ad campaigns, hot new websites, interactive marketing ideas, virals, industry news, social media, insights, and other great digital trends from all over the world. Check out this one on a recent interactive billboard experience in NYC. 

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aden hepburn, Digital, blog, billboard, vml sydney, ad campaigns, Social Media

Cinderellanomics

John Gerzema, Executive Chairman, BrandAsset Consulting, suggests that once upon a time, affordable luxury bridged the gap between the affluent and the aspirational. 

Mid-income earners couldn’t afford Chanel and Dom Perignon, but they could manage Tommy Hilfiger and a $5 latte every morning. Such people knew how the rich lived, and many hoped or expected to someday live that way themselves. Indulging-within-reason seemed appropriate for their lifestyles.

But the great middle is eroding. Pundits and marketers, such as P&G and Tiffany, talk about an “hourglass economy” in which consumers are segmented into Swarvoski or Spam. (Of course “hourglass” is a misnomer, suggesting equal distribution at the top and bottom.) As fewer people dream of owning beach houses and more fear they’ll end up sleeping on the beach, routine gratification is a habit many have been forced to break. But they need not give up the good life entirely thanks to some startups that make real luxury available at low cost. The catch: customers only enjoy their opulence for brief periods, after which they revert to rags and pumpkins. Call it Cinderellanomics.

One purveyor of temporary fabulousness is Rent the Runway, a New York City company founded by two Harvard Business School graduates, Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Carter Fleiss. On this site, women can rent dresses from famous fashion designers like Diane Von Furstenberg, Hervé Léger and Proenza Schouler for about one-tenth the cost of buying them Pret a Porter. Dry cleaning is included in the price, and damage insurance is only $5. (If a dress comes back irreparably covered in cabernet, the customer pays full retail.) And since customers can pick a different frock for every occasion, the desire to shop is satisfied even if the desire to own is not.

For someone anxious to impress a date, visiting relative, or potential client, nothing says success like a chauffeured car. Uber, founded by serial entrepreneur Travis Kalnick, promises to be “everyone’s personal driver.” The company’s sleek black cars roam high-end cities like New York, San Francisco and Seattle: customers send their locations via text or an app, and their rides pull up within minutes. Using GPS data, Uber charges by distance or time depending on traffic conditions. In New York for instance a typcial “Uber fare” is $7.00 plus $3.90 a mile and $0.95 per minute. And with their information on file, customers don’t need to pay or tip their drivers, reinforcing the illusion that this is how they normally roll.

Even those who despair of ever bidding at Sotheby’s can still surround themselves with original art. Artsicle, co-founded by Alexis Tryon (formerly of Philadelphia’s Institute of Contemporary Art) and Scott Carleton, charges $50 a month to rent paintings, sculptures, and photographs. Similar to the Internet radio station Pandora, Artsicle is helping to showcase a wide array of terrific local artists, whose work might otherwise not get the exposure it deserves. The company’s mission is to put original art on every wall in the world, and to get those dogs playing poker off yours.

Birchbox members keep the products for which they pay $10 a month. After all, high-end make-up, shampoo and lotions don’t lend themselves to rental. But customers receive only very tiny quantities: boxes of trial-sized samples customized for their beauty profiles. Former beauty editors Katie Beauchamp and Hayley Barna also offer discounted full-sized versions of the products on their site. Members can save more money through frequent purchases or new-member referrals.

According to our customer survey data in BrandAsset Valuator, 63% of people today want products and services that are both “good value” and “worth more.”  Ultimately this desire cannot be satiated by fast fashion or cheap chic. Instead, having the best means borrowing it instead. After all, a Broadway play, dinner at a fine restaurant, a spontaneous weekend in Paris — such indulgences are situational and finite. Practitioners of Cinderellanomics transform what would once have been possessions into experiences. They understand that while the trappings of affluence remain visible, even struggling strivers won’t wholly relinquish the dream. When a life of affordable luxury is beyond one’s means, occasional luxury seems like a reasonable alternative.

Read more at JohnGerzema.com

 

Cinderellanomics

John Gerzema, Executive Chairman, BrandAsset Consulting, suggests that once upon a time, affordable luxury bridged the gap between the affluent and the aspirational. 

Mid-income earners couldn’t afford Chanel and Dom Perignon, but they could manage Tommy Hilfiger and a $5 latte every morning. Such people knew how the rich lived, and many hoped or expected to someday live that way themselves. Indulging-within-reason seemed appropriate for their lifestyles.

But the great middle is eroding. Pundits and marketers, such as P&G and Tiffany, talk about an “hourglass economy” in which consumers are segmented into Swarvoski or Spam. (Of course “hourglass” is a misnomer, suggesting equal distribution at the top and bottom.) As fewer people dream of owning beach houses and more fear they’ll end up sleeping on the beach, routine gratification is a habit many have been forced to break. But they need not give up the good life entirely thanks to some startups that make real luxury available at low cost. The catch: customers only enjoy their opulence for brief periods, after which they revert to rags and pumpkins. Call it Cinderellanomics.

One purveyor of temporary fabulousness is Rent the Runway, a New York City company founded by two Harvard Business School graduates, Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Carter Fleiss. On this site, women can rent dresses from famous fashion designers like Diane Von Furstenberg, Hervé Léger and Proenza Schouler for about one-tenth the cost of buying them Pret a Porter. Dry cleaning is included in the price, and damage insurance is only $5. (If a dress comes back irreparably covered in cabernet, the customer pays full retail.) And since customers can pick a different frock for every occasion, the desire to shop is satisfied even if the desire to own is not.

For someone anxious to impress a date, visiting relative, or potential client, nothing says success like a chauffeured car. Uber, founded by serial entrepreneur Travis Kalnick, promises to be “everyone’s personal driver.” The company’s sleek black cars roam high-end cities like New York, San Francisco and Seattle: customers send their locations via text or an app, and their rides pull up within minutes. Using GPS data, Uber charges by distance or time depending on traffic conditions. In New York for instance a typcial “Uber fare” is $7.00 plus $3.90 a mile and $0.95 per minute. And with their information on file, customers don’t need to pay or tip their drivers, reinforcing the illusion that this is how they normally roll.

Even those who despair of ever bidding at Sotheby’s can still surround themselves with original art. Artsicle, co-founded by Alexis Tryon (formerly of Philadelphia’s Institute of Contemporary Art) and Scott Carleton, charges $50 a month to rent paintings, sculptures, and photographs. Similar to the Internet radio station Pandora, Artsicle is helping to showcase a wide array of terrific local artists, whose work might otherwise not get the exposure it deserves. The company’s mission is to put original art on every wall in the world, and to get those dogs playing poker off yours.

Birchbox members keep the products for which they pay $10 a month. After all, high-end make-up, shampoo and lotions don’t lend themselves to rental. But customers receive only very tiny quantities: boxes of trial-sized samples customized for their beauty profiles. Former beauty editors Katie Beauchamp and Hayley Barna also offer discounted full-sized versions of the products on their site. Members can save more money through frequent purchases or new-member referrals.

According to our customer survey data in BrandAsset Valuator, 63% of people today want products and services that are both “good value” and “worth more.”  Ultimately this desire cannot be satiated by fast fashion or cheap chic. Instead, having the best means borrowing it instead. After all, a Broadway play, dinner at a fine restaurant, a spontaneous weekend in Paris — such indulgences are situational and finite. Practitioners of Cinderellanomics transform what would once have been possessions into experiences. They understand that while the trappings of affluence remain visible, even struggling strivers won’t wholly relinquish the dream. When a life of affordable luxury is beyond one’s means, occasional luxury seems like a reasonable alternative.

Read more at JohnGerzema.com

 

Cinderellanomics, Gerzema, Economics, Middle

Discovering the Value of Value

Michael Sussman, PH.D, Global Director of Analytic Insights, and Joe Rivas, EVP, Global Business Director on Dell and Director of Brand Strategy, offer seven strategies to win with value messaging in the post-recession economy.

VIew PDF

Discovering the Value of Value

Michael Sussman, PH.D, Global Director of Analytic Insights, and Joe Rivas, EVP, Global Business Director on Dell and Director of Brand Strategy, offer seven strategies to win with value messaging in the post-recession economy.

VIew PDF

Why I'm Proud to Be the CEO of an Advertising Agency

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, shares why he feels proud to be the CEO of a global advertising agency. 

I am proud to be the CEO of a global advertising agency. With Advertising Week in full bloom, that might not seem to be a particularly provocative or even enlightening statement.

But in the past few years, lots of bright folk running equally brilliant agencies have displayed a certain allergic reaction to calling themselves ad agencies. Too 20th century, too analog, too anachronistic?

But agencies that dance away from the core of the advertising business are spending too much time looking in the mirror instead of listening to their clients, and too much energy focusing on their revenue streams rather than on driving results for clients. Our business is always its least successful when we make it about ourselves.

So, let me say it loud and clear. I love being the CEO of an advertising agency. I am unabashedly proud. I think "traditional vs. digital" is another one of those circular and meaningless discussions. Agencies have always been part of the media revolution, both creatively and by helping carve out profitable business models.

Our industry helped create the phenomenon of radio in the 1920s. We made print viable through advertising. (Y&R Advertising, in fact, helped make possible a national magazine called "Time.") Advertising agencies helped create the broadcast model of TV and were the largest creators of content long before we felt the need to elevate our status by calling ourselves content creators. And when TV began to relegate radio dramas and comedies to a thing of the past, our industry helped redefine radio with music and talk formats.

This is all part of our industry's DNA -- staying at the forefront of media and technology to help us create powerful stories that connect our clients' brands to their customers in order to motivate sales and create brand loyalty.

The purveyors of great digital understand this. Facebook. Google. Twitter. They all have departments called -- you guessed it -- advertising. And it's not because they lack inspiration. And it's certainly not because they are data deprived. They get that advertising is the underpinning that advances their model, unleashes their creativity, helps them be profitable.

The writer James Gleick, who is so supremely articulate about our data-driven world (see his new book, "The Information: A History/A Theory/A Flood") recently said: "... We are now like gods in our ability to search for and find information. But where we remain all too mortal is in our ability to process it, to make sense of it, and to filter and find the information we want. That's where the real challenges lie... As we now flood the world with information, it becomes harder and harder to find meaning."

Creating meaning out of information has always been the core of what we do. Creating and telling stories. Creating and nurturing connections. We've got to be careful not to be so in love with the tools today (and they are eminently attractive - I get that) that we forget they are really the means not the end. There's lots of that going around, which I call GMOOT - it's the Give Me One of Those syndrome. The shiny new thing-du-jour that agencies -- and their eager clients -- mistake for meaning. There is, of course, amazing technology that is being invented even as I write this. But let's use the technology to help us drive the brand story -- it isn't the story itself. In fact, here's what ClickZ has to say about what we do: "Good creative is about storytelling, evoking emotion, creating need, desire, appreciation and loyalty."

Don't get me wrong. This isn't an anti-digital diatribe. On the contrary, it has long been my mantra that everything is digital... even print is digital. And we are swimming in data that consumers share with us. But what are we giving back? What's the value exchange? What better thing are we offering in return? I would argue that brand is still a powerful, emotional connect. And that no matter the bells or whistles, no matter the community we provide, our customers still expect their brands to have meaning. Why, they're even willing to help us create it.

Which we do by creating and telling stories. Creating and nurturing connections. The very business of advertising. Which is why we are, always have been, and always will be an advertising agency. And proud to say it. 

Originally published on The Huffington Post, October 6, 2011

 

Why I'm Proud to Be the CEO of an Advertising Agency

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, shares why he feels proud to be the CEO of a global advertising agency. 

I am proud to be the CEO of a global advertising agency. With Advertising Week in full bloom, that might not seem to be a particularly provocative or even enlightening statement.

But in the past few years, lots of bright folk running equally brilliant agencies have displayed a certain allergic reaction to calling themselves ad agencies. Too 20th century, too analog, too anachronistic?

But agencies that dance away from the core of the advertising business are spending too much time looking in the mirror instead of listening to their clients, and too much energy focusing on their revenue streams rather than on driving results for clients. Our business is always its least successful when we make it about ourselves.

So, let me say it loud and clear. I love being the CEO of an advertising agency. I am unabashedly proud. I think "traditional vs. digital" is another one of those circular and meaningless discussions. Agencies have always been part of the media revolution, both creatively and by helping carve out profitable business models.

Our industry helped create the phenomenon of radio in the 1920s. We made print viable through advertising. (Y&R Advertising, in fact, helped make possible a national magazine called "Time.") Advertising agencies helped create the broadcast model of TV and were the largest creators of content long before we felt the need to elevate our status by calling ourselves content creators. And when TV began to relegate radio dramas and comedies to a thing of the past, our industry helped redefine radio with music and talk formats.

This is all part of our industry's DNA -- staying at the forefront of media and technology to help us create powerful stories that connect our clients' brands to their customers in order to motivate sales and create brand loyalty.

The purveyors of great digital understand this. Facebook. Google. Twitter. They all have departments called -- you guessed it -- advertising. And it's not because they lack inspiration. And it's certainly not because they are data deprived. They get that advertising is the underpinning that advances their model, unleashes their creativity, helps them be profitable.

The writer James Gleick, who is so supremely articulate about our data-driven world (see his new book, "The Information: A History/A Theory/A Flood") recently said: "... We are now like gods in our ability to search for and find information. But where we remain all too mortal is in our ability to process it, to make sense of it, and to filter and find the information we want. That's where the real challenges lie... As we now flood the world with information, it becomes harder and harder to find meaning."

Creating meaning out of information has always been the core of what we do. Creating and telling stories. Creating and nurturing connections. We've got to be careful not to be so in love with the tools today (and they are eminently attractive - I get that) that we forget they are really the means not the end. There's lots of that going around, which I call GMOOT - it's the Give Me One of Those syndrome. The shiny new thing-du-jour that agencies -- and their eager clients -- mistake for meaning. There is, of course, amazing technology that is being invented even as I write this. But let's use the technology to help us drive the brand story -- it isn't the story itself. In fact, here's what ClickZ has to say about what we do: "Good creative is about storytelling, evoking emotion, creating need, desire, appreciation and loyalty."

Don't get me wrong. This isn't an anti-digital diatribe. On the contrary, it has long been my mantra that everything is digital... even print is digital. And we are swimming in data that consumers share with us. But what are we giving back? What's the value exchange? What better thing are we offering in return? I would argue that brand is still a powerful, emotional connect. And that no matter the bells or whistles, no matter the community we provide, our customers still expect their brands to have meaning. Why, they're even willing to help us create it.

Which we do by creating and telling stories. Creating and nurturing connections. The very business of advertising. Which is why we are, always have been, and always will be an advertising agency. And proud to say it. 

Originally published on The Huffington Post, October 6, 2011

 

Everyone is Illuminated

Rick Liebling, Creative Culturalist, Y&R NY, considers future forms of crowdsourcing as more people experiment with the concept.

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Everyone is Illuminated

Rick Liebling, Creative Culturalist, Y&R NY, considers future forms of crowdsourcing as more people experiment with the concept.

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Pinterest is Winning

Karen Renner, Associate Director, Channel Activation, VML, talks about the hot new social sharing site, Pinterest, and ways brands can use it best.  

What’s the super-hot social sharing network that everyone is talking about lately? It is clearly Pinterest. Creative minds, bloggers, moms and hipsters alike are spending countless hours on the platform, causing its traffic and popularity to skyrocket. So what is Pinterest exactly? Pinterest is a virtual “pinboard,” or repository, used to curate, organize and share photo content. Users create these pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, inspire home projects and keep their favorite recipes handy. Love a picture of a tangerine coffee table you found on a DIY website? Want to save that Elmo cupcake recipe for your son’s birthday party? In the past, users had to bookmark the Web page or send the link to themselves via email. This was hardly efficient. Pinterest is the cure to this madness because it serves as a virtual filing system via the Web, bookmarklet and mobile application. Pinterest also connects people with similar interests and tastes. If you like a photo someone else pins on the network, you can officially “like” it or “repin” it on your own board.

Pinterest’s appeal can also be attributed to good, old-fashioned vanity. Let’s face it, when someone repins a photo you found first, it is very validating. Bloggers are all over Pinterest, too. One of a blogger’s hardest tasks is coming up with new, interesting content for his or her readers. Pinterest is the mother lode of content, making it incredibly easy for influencers to grab innovative designs, projects and recipes and present them as their own unique vision.

One question still remains. Is Pinterest right for brand advertisers? The answer is a definite maybe. In January 2012, Pinterest was reported as the fastest-growing site for referral traffic. The site drove more referral traffic than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined. In addition, traffic is definitely on the rise (40 million unique visitors in December 2011), and average time spent on the site is notably high (15 minutes per user login). However, Pinterest’s reach is still limited. Only about 5 percent of audiences age 21–34 are active on the network. This could be because Pinterest is still by invitation only. Therefore, if a brand does nothave a strong presence on other high-reaching social networks (e.g., Facebook), it may be best to start there and evolve into a Pinterest page. Pinterest is, however, a great platform for brands that are social pioneers, have a creative flair and have a lot of valuable content to share. Whole Foods Market is just such a brand. With more than 11,500 followers and 19 pinboards, Whole Foods shares relevant content and pinboards including “Eat Your Veggies,” “Who Wants Dinner?!” and “Edible Celebrations.” Other noticeable brands on Pinterest include Real Simple, Martha Stewart, HGTV and The Gap. If a brand wants to expand its social footprint onto Pinterest, it is key to start with an activation strategy. Just as with having a presence on any social network, there is no point to having a page if no one goes there. A brand must be open to engaging with the end consumer and influencers alike, liking their content and repining good ideas. There can also be rewards for followers of a brand page, such as pinning contest and parties. A brand must not forget to regularly pin new content to stay fresh and give followers a reason to come back and share further. After all, sharing is what organically grows the awareness of the page and brand itself.

The possibilities for a brand on Pinterest are plentiful. With enough dedication, resource time and creative backbone, a brand can make a true impact on a very savvy social audience. If that is not reason enough to hop on the site immediately, perhaps the recipe for “ready-made mason jar cocktails” on my Pinterest page will be? Feel free to repin it, too. (Find my page here: http://pinterest.com/karenner7/.) Cheers!

Pinterest is Winning

Karen Renner, Associate Director, Channel Activation, VML, talks about the hot new social sharing site, Pinterest, and ways brands can use it best.  

What’s the super-hot social sharing network that everyone is talking about lately? It is clearly Pinterest. Creative minds, bloggers, moms and hipsters alike are spending countless hours on the platform, causing its traffic and popularity to skyrocket. So what is Pinterest exactly? Pinterest is a virtual “pinboard,” or repository, used to curate, organize and share photo content. Users create these pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, inspire home projects and keep their favorite recipes handy. Love a picture of a tangerine coffee table you found on a DIY website? Want to save that Elmo cupcake recipe for your son’s birthday party? In the past, users had to bookmark the Web page or send the link to themselves via email. This was hardly efficient. Pinterest is the cure to this madness because it serves as a virtual filing system via the Web, bookmarklet and mobile application. Pinterest also connects people with similar interests and tastes. If you like a photo someone else pins on the network, you can officially “like” it or “repin” it on your own board.

Pinterest’s appeal can also be attributed to good, old-fashioned vanity. Let’s face it, when someone repins a photo you found first, it is very validating. Bloggers are all over Pinterest, too. One of a blogger’s hardest tasks is coming up with new, interesting content for his or her readers. Pinterest is the mother lode of content, making it incredibly easy for influencers to grab innovative designs, projects and recipes and present them as their own unique vision.

One question still remains. Is Pinterest right for brand advertisers? The answer is a definite maybe. In January 2012, Pinterest was reported as the fastest-growing site for referral traffic. The site drove more referral traffic than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined. In addition, traffic is definitely on the rise (40 million unique visitors in December 2011), and average time spent on the site is notably high (15 minutes per user login). However, Pinterest’s reach is still limited. Only about 5 percent of audiences age 21–34 are active on the network. This could be because Pinterest is still by invitation only. Therefore, if a brand does nothave a strong presence on other high-reaching social networks (e.g., Facebook), it may be best to start there and evolve into a Pinterest page. Pinterest is, however, a great platform for brands that are social pioneers, have a creative flair and have a lot of valuable content to share. Whole Foods Market is just such a brand. With more than 11,500 followers and 19 pinboards, Whole Foods shares relevant content and pinboards including “Eat Your Veggies,” “Who Wants Dinner?!” and “Edible Celebrations.” Other noticeable brands on Pinterest include Real Simple, Martha Stewart, HGTV and The Gap. If a brand wants to expand its social footprint onto Pinterest, it is key to start with an activation strategy. Just as with having a presence on any social network, there is no point to having a page if no one goes there. A brand must be open to engaging with the end consumer and influencers alike, liking their content and repining good ideas. There can also be rewards for followers of a brand page, such as pinning contest and parties. A brand must not forget to regularly pin new content to stay fresh and give followers a reason to come back and share further. After all, sharing is what organically grows the awareness of the page and brand itself.

The possibilities for a brand on Pinterest are plentiful. With enough dedication, resource time and creative backbone, a brand can make a true impact on a very savvy social audience. If that is not reason enough to hop on the site immediately, perhaps the recipe for “ready-made mason jar cocktails” on my Pinterest page will be? Feel free to repin it, too. (Find my page here: http://pinterest.com/karenner7/.) Cheers!

Why We Do Bad Research

Belle Frank, Director of Strategy and Research, understands the marketing industry’s addiction to surveys and offers her take on when judgment trumps bad research.

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Why We Do Bad Research

Belle Frank, Director of Strategy and Research, understands the marketing industry’s addiction to surveys and offers her take on when judgment trumps bad research.

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Marketing Medicine for Africa

Chris Harrison, Chairman, Y&R Africa & Indian Ocean, offers advice for anyone who has a marketing question through his blog, “Marketing Medicine for Africa.” Harrison gives his perspective on world events, marketing strategies and life in Africa through his informative weekly dose of marketing tips.

Marketing Medicine for Africa

Chris Harrison, Chairman, Y&R Africa & Indian Ocean, offers advice for anyone who has a marketing question through his blog, “Marketing Medicine for Africa.” Harrison gives his perspective on world events, marketing strategies and life in Africa through his informative weekly dose of marketing tips.

Temptation in the Big Apple

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, shares a thought provoking ramble on the Digital Exponential.

Temptation in the Big Apple

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, shares a thought provoking ramble on the Digital Exponential.

David Sable, huffington post, weekly ramble, digital exponential

Nation Branding

John Keaveney, Y&R EMEA's Brand Strategy Director, stresses the power of perception over reality and the implications for how a country manages its image to the international community.

Would a car made in Kazakhstan be as well engineered as one made in Germany? Would a financial institution from Nigeria be as reliable as one from Switzerland?

It’s our perception rather than reality that counts.

The presentation sheds some light on the fundamental ways a country can manage its external image, as well as discusses the interrelationship this identity has with its consumer brands

View PDF

Nation Branding

John Keaveney, Y&R EMEA's Brand Strategy Director, stresses the power of perception over reality and the implications for how a country manages its image to the international community.

Would a car made in Kazakhstan be as well engineered as one made in Germany? Would a financial institution from Nigeria be as reliable as one from Switzerland?

It’s our perception rather than reality that counts.

The presentation sheds some light on the fundamental ways a country can manage its external image, as well as discusses the interrelationship this identity has with its consumer brands

View PDF

Is Brick-and-Mortar Shopping the Next Big Thing in Digital?

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, discusses the notion of Digital Exponential, bridging the insights from the digital world to the physical world as the explanation for why Amazon is opening up brick and mortar stores.

Are brick-and-mortar stores the next big thing in digital?

Last week, the internet was abuzz about Amazon -- the world's greatest virtual store -- contemplating opening a real brick-and-mortar store.

Not 24 hours later, the rumors started flying around Google opening a store in Dublin.

So I thought about other great online brands and their relationship to the real world.

Ebay has a thriving business of drop-off stores that support prospective sellers in the physical world so it's easier to auction in the virtual one. Microsoft's retail empire is nascent, but clearly on a growth curve.

And, of course, everyone's learning from Apple, whose stores feel like a wild and wonderful physical manifestation of the internet -- open 24/7, loaded with information, customer-driven interactivity, and, if you actually buy something, the receipt goes straight to email. Just like you were buying online!

So what is it all about? With Facebook's IPO marking their huge coming of age, is the rest of the world regressing?

In my view, it's all very simple, and actually hugely exciting. I believe we are starting to see a productive, powerful convergence of the digital and physical worlds.

Why? Because while digital is everything -- just think of how it's transformed our personal not to mention professional lives -- not everything is digital. We eat in restaurants, we haven't abandoned real community for online community, and we still like flesh-and-blood salespeople to say that suit's just right for us.

Along those lines, just last week, I got a beautifully handwritten note on a fine piece of stationery from a prominent haberdashery in New York. They started off by noting that I hadn't been in the store in a decade and that they "thought a brief reminder would be nice." They then told me what I bought at my last visit, where they have been located since 2004, and that they were celebrating their 122nd year since their founding in Germany.

This couldn't be more analog, but really, it's not totally foreign to data aggregations you might see coming from Amazon -- what you purchased, online reminders and recommendations.

But for a time, marketers have created a great and artificial divide between what's "traditional" and new, what's online or offline, what should be data-driven or emotive. The smart digital brands are taking what they know about the digital world and bridging it back to the physical world. And, believe me, I am not, even for a nano-second, suggesting that they are walking away from digital. I repeat -- digital is everything.

But I take my hat off to Google and Amazon, who are driving digital into Digital Exponential -- where digital helps create a complete lifestyle, because customers live both online and in the real world.

It's no small wonder that this Digital Exponential is percolating in the retail space. Retail has always been about creating a special user experience that begins before you enter the store and is supported at the store by an environment that defines the brand, as well as by sales people who walk and talk it. And then it's reinforced after the visit by everything from the shopping bag to the returns policy.

That's why, even though people can order just about everything online, they sometimes choose to patiently wait on lines just to get inside the doors. Ignoring that customers sometimes opt for the tactile over the technological is a perilous path, because the brand experience should be complete, whether it's rooted in the physical or virtual world. Conversely, anyone who thinks it's enough to have a customer "like" a Facebook page is missing the real power that comes out of the culture of sharing in social networks.

Where will Digital Exponential find its perfect expression? No doubt through mobile, which allows us to combine work and play, which helps us navigate both through the virtual and physical worlds and which gives us a life experience, filled with more possibility than ever.

These are really interesting times.

 

Is Brick-and-Mortar Shopping the Next Big Thing in Digital?

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, discusses the notion of Digital Exponential, bridging the insights from the digital world to the physical world as the explanation for why Amazon is opening up brick and mortar stores.

Are brick-and-mortar stores the next big thing in digital?

Last week, the internet was abuzz about Amazon -- the world's greatest virtual store -- contemplating opening a real brick-and-mortar store.

Not 24 hours later, the rumors started flying around Google opening a store in Dublin.

So I thought about other great online brands and their relationship to the real world.

Ebay has a thriving business of drop-off stores that support prospective sellers in the physical world so it's easier to auction in the virtual one. Microsoft's retail empire is nascent, but clearly on a growth curve.

And, of course, everyone's learning from Apple, whose stores feel like a wild and wonderful physical manifestation of the internet -- open 24/7, loaded with information, customer-driven interactivity, and, if you actually buy something, the receipt goes straight to email. Just like you were buying online!

So what is it all about? With Facebook's IPO marking their huge coming of age, is the rest of the world regressing?

In my view, it's all very simple, and actually hugely exciting. I believe we are starting to see a productive, powerful convergence of the digital and physical worlds.

Why? Because while digital is everything -- just think of how it's transformed our personal not to mention professional lives -- not everything is digital. We eat in restaurants, we haven't abandoned real community for online community, and we still like flesh-and-blood salespeople to say that suit's just right for us.

Along those lines, just last week, I got a beautifully handwritten note on a fine piece of stationery from a prominent haberdashery in New York. They started off by noting that I hadn't been in the store in a decade and that they "thought a brief reminder would be nice." They then told me what I bought at my last visit, where they have been located since 2004, and that they were celebrating their 122nd year since their founding in Germany.

This couldn't be more analog, but really, it's not totally foreign to data aggregations you might see coming from Amazon -- what you purchased, online reminders and recommendations.

But for a time, marketers have created a great and artificial divide between what's "traditional" and new, what's online or offline, what should be data-driven or emotive. The smart digital brands are taking what they know about the digital world and bridging it back to the physical world. And, believe me, I am not, even for a nano-second, suggesting that they are walking away from digital. I repeat -- digital is everything.

But I take my hat off to Google and Amazon, who are driving digital into Digital Exponential -- where digital helps create a complete lifestyle, because customers live both online and in the real world.

It's no small wonder that this Digital Exponential is percolating in the retail space. Retail has always been about creating a special user experience that begins before you enter the store and is supported at the store by an environment that defines the brand, as well as by sales people who walk and talk it. And then it's reinforced after the visit by everything from the shopping bag to the returns policy.

That's why, even though people can order just about everything online, they sometimes choose to patiently wait on lines just to get inside the doors. Ignoring that customers sometimes opt for the tactile over the technological is a perilous path, because the brand experience should be complete, whether it's rooted in the physical or virtual world. Conversely, anyone who thinks it's enough to have a customer "like" a Facebook page is missing the real power that comes out of the culture of sharing in social networks.

Where will Digital Exponential find its perfect expression? No doubt through mobile, which allows us to combine work and play, which helps us navigate both through the virtual and physical worlds and which gives us a life experience, filled with more possibility than ever.

These are really interesting times.

 

David Sable, Stores, Idea, Internet

Brands in the Land of Dwarfs

Guy Weinberger, Head of Planning, Y&R Israel, addresses the egocentric focus of Facebook, Google and reality TV in their design and functionality to allow consumers to feel, “It’s all about me.”

We all collect friends on Facebook like kids collect bubblegum wrappers. Both are in fact empty of content, but still maintain a memory of something sweet. The only thing we can do with them is show them off in front of other friends: “Wow, look how many gum wrappers I have: this one's from abroad, this one's red, this one's really rare, everyone's got this one and so do I, this wrapper was my first and this wrapper's really, really famous.”        

Everyone wants to be famous – and Facebook provides an addictive sensation of 15 seconds of fame. “That's my picture headlining the page and next to every post or comment I make.” Any action by me is immediately announced with fanfare on my wall — “Mommy, look, I went potty!” — so that the nation I created can respond instantly by applauding with a supportive “Like.” I receive continuous reports on my “News Feed” as to the actions of each of my citizens. Only I approve or deport new immigrants. This virtual universe I created revolves around me. I collected these bubblegum wrappers. They're mine.

Facebook legitimizes our narcissism. Google also knows how to empower the egocentric monster that resides within us. Its minimalist homepage, stripped of all content except for an empty line that waits in obedient silence, asks in a coquettish tone: "Yes, master, how may I help?" We're talking about social revolution here. Nothing less. Reality TV also turned into a rating epidemic because it knew how to satisfy our wet dream of becoming mini-gods: to crown and slay with the strike of the mighty SMS from…our iPhones, of course.

What Hides Behind the Mask?

Anxiety caused by a chaotic, alienated and uncontrollable world or, in short, as always, escapism. The need of a two-year-old toddler, competing against a world too big for his size, to find haven in his ability to build a tower from his wooden blocks and then to disassemble it immediately all by himself. Or under a different prism, we see an Oedipus complex in all its glory. After killing God, awoke an almost existential need to create microcosmos where we, and we alone, call the shots.

Heading the battalion marches Commander Thumbelina, wearing a steel helmet and carrying a sharp needle in her hand. Facebook is the largest nation in the world, composed of a trillion thumb-size countries.

Welcome to the “it's all about me economy.” Brands that behave like Gulliver will be disgracefully exiled. In order to cross the Rubicon over to the land of the dwarfs, brands will need to learn to behave like infants or to become chewing gum. To become chewable, blowable and popable, something to toss in our mouth for that quick, sweet sensation, then chuck out in order to replace, with a new one. In other words, brands will have to learn to submit themselves to the narcissistic whims of Thumbelinas who suffer from megalomania.

Brands in the Land of Dwarfs

Guy Weinberger, Head of Planning, Y&R Israel, addresses the egocentric focus of Facebook, Google and reality TV in their design and functionality to allow consumers to feel, “It’s all about me.”

We all collect friends on Facebook like kids collect bubblegum wrappers. Both are in fact empty of content, but still maintain a memory of something sweet. The only thing we can do with them is show them off in front of other friends: “Wow, look how many gum wrappers I have: this one's from abroad, this one's red, this one's really rare, everyone's got this one and so do I, this wrapper was my first and this wrapper's really, really famous.”        

Everyone wants to be famous – and Facebook provides an addictive sensation of 15 seconds of fame. “That's my picture headlining the page and next to every post or comment I make.” Any action by me is immediately announced with fanfare on my wall — “Mommy, look, I went potty!” — so that the nation I created can respond instantly by applauding with a supportive “Like.” I receive continuous reports on my “News Feed” as to the actions of each of my citizens. Only I approve or deport new immigrants. This virtual universe I created revolves around me. I collected these bubblegum wrappers. They're mine.

Facebook legitimizes our narcissism. Google also knows how to empower the egocentric monster that resides within us. Its minimalist homepage, stripped of all content except for an empty line that waits in obedient silence, asks in a coquettish tone: "Yes, master, how may I help?" We're talking about social revolution here. Nothing less. Reality TV also turned into a rating epidemic because it knew how to satisfy our wet dream of becoming mini-gods: to crown and slay with the strike of the mighty SMS from…our iPhones, of course.

What Hides Behind the Mask?

Anxiety caused by a chaotic, alienated and uncontrollable world or, in short, as always, escapism. The need of a two-year-old toddler, competing against a world too big for his size, to find haven in his ability to build a tower from his wooden blocks and then to disassemble it immediately all by himself. Or under a different prism, we see an Oedipus complex in all its glory. After killing God, awoke an almost existential need to create microcosmos where we, and we alone, call the shots.

Heading the battalion marches Commander Thumbelina, wearing a steel helmet and carrying a sharp needle in her hand. Facebook is the largest nation in the world, composed of a trillion thumb-size countries.

Welcome to the “it's all about me economy.” Brands that behave like Gulliver will be disgracefully exiled. In order to cross the Rubicon over to the land of the dwarfs, brands will need to learn to behave like infants or to become chewing gum. To become chewable, blowable and popable, something to toss in our mouth for that quick, sweet sensation, then chuck out in order to replace, with a new one. In other words, brands will have to learn to submit themselves to the narcissistic whims of Thumbelinas who suffer from megalomania.

Marketing to Gen X and Gen Y

Moensie Rossier, GPY&R Sydney, looks into generational differences between Generation X and Generation Y by emphasizing Generation Y’s infatuation with engagement in social and local activities and what that means for brands today.

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Marketing to Gen X and Gen Y

Moensie Rossier, GPY&R Sydney, looks into generational differences between Generation X and Generation Y by emphasizing Generation Y’s infatuation with engagement in social and local activities and what that means for brands today.

View PDF

"The Dark Drop" - Microsoft Award Submission and Winner

Jonathan Lang, Head of Strategy, Y&R Singapore, is the winner of The 2012 Microsoft Story Advertising Award. Through different Microsoft tools and platforms, Lang created a way for people to connect through mobile and Web apps, helping to change Guinness’s image from a daytime to a nighttime drink.

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"The Dark Drop" - Microsoft Award Submission and Winner

Jonathan Lang, Head of Strategy, Y&R Singapore, is the winner of The 2012 Microsoft Story Advertising Award. Through different Microsoft tools and platforms, Lang created a way for people to connect through mobile and Web apps, helping to change Guinness’s image from a daytime to a nighttime drink.

View PDF

Trust in ‘How’

In media interviews it is often said that the question most feared by the unsuspecting interviewee is the simple “Why?” Beneath its benign and familiar surface, lies a probe so searching and a trap so open, that even the most rehearsed response is unable to withstand such limitless scrutiny. “Why?” very deliberately provides no safety net at all.

I often think the equivalent question for brand owners in today’s economic climate is “How?” In tough times, where so much uncertainty governs daily life, customers think twice as carefully about the choices they must make and the brands they should trust. The issue for brand owners becomes less about what their brand promises, and much more critically, about how they deliver on that promise. While the “What” remains essential, the “How” becomes determining, because it is in the “How” that preference is won (or lost) and trust is built (or destroyed).

Trust is built in the experience, never in the promise alone. Trust cannot be demanded, only earned. It is hard won and easily lost. It is the currency of long-term customer relationships. And it is invaluable. For many brand owners, sustained success is proportionally determined by their ability to earn trust. And yet, ask most brand owners to put their finger on precisely how their brand delivery is different or better or more rewarding than, say, an immediately competing brand, and they are left grasping at platitudes.

Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the banking sector. Ask the “How?” question to brand owners and they resort to product range or features or rates or incentives (back to the “What” again). And despite great pronouncements around product innovation (which could, for a limited period at least, become a source of “How?”), I challenge anyone to name a handful of true innovations in this sector. Little wonder then, that despite great posturing and promise, brands in this sector suffer from a general homogenization and commoditization.

Future preference generation and trust-earning potential will only be found in how brands deliver their (parity) products and services in a manner that is unique to them and valued by their specific customers.

Brand owners in the sector might do well to consider a few critical “Hows?”

First, that substance and authenticity are key to (re)earning trust; the days of marketing gimmicks and the grand gesture are over. Marketing in this climate is no longer about metaphors; marketing itself becomes the service. Banks need to demonstrate their usefulness and relevance to customers now more than ever before.

Second, that a bank’s service delivery will be the sole measure by which banks will be meaningfully judged by their customers. In tough economic times, “customer experience” will be valued again. Human interaction will be re-sought. Local will, once again, become important.

Third, that this creates opportunities for banks to listen harder, better — in fact, to listen more and sell less. As Dale Carnegie said: “You will be more successful by being interested in others' success than by trying to get them interested in your success.” Humility and empathy will become precursors for banks to (re)earn trust.

Fourth, that problem solving will win the day. Customized service models that add value will be key — me, my life, my well-being, my security — are all terms banks will have to embrace at their core to (re)earn trust.

Fifth, that any communication should be centered on a more responsible and reassuring approach that embraces some all of the following: simplicity, stability, responsibility, intelligence, security — what you might call “functional emotion.”

Lastly: that all of the above will need to be conceived and delivered in an integrated and consistent manner if it is to be credible or valued at all. The days of “marcom matching luggage” (i.e., all channels sidling up to each other and looking quite similar, but not at all integrated) are over. There is a new fluidity to brand relationships with customers, largely driven by the Internet and customers’ unprecedented access to information. Each point of contact in the bank’s arsenal will need to be integrated and aligned to deliver a credible and trustworthy sense of itself.

Whatever the detrimental effects of our economic crisis, one thing is clear: they propel brand owners and their brands to change; how brand owners deal with that change is what matters. But having a clear answer to the “How?” question, they must.

Trust in ‘How’

In media interviews it is often said that the question most feared by the unsuspecting interviewee is the simple “Why?” Beneath its benign and familiar surface, lies a probe so searching and a trap so open, that even the most rehearsed response is unable to withstand such limitless scrutiny. “Why?” very deliberately provides no safety net at all.

I often think the equivalent question for brand owners in today’s economic climate is “How?” In tough times, where so much uncertainty governs daily life, customers think twice as carefully about the choices they must make and the brands they should trust. The issue for brand owners becomes less about what their brand promises, and much more critically, about how they deliver on that promise. While the “What” remains essential, the “How” becomes determining, because it is in the “How” that preference is won (or lost) and trust is built (or destroyed).

Trust is built in the experience, never in the promise alone. Trust cannot be demanded, only earned. It is hard won and easily lost. It is the currency of long-term customer relationships. And it is invaluable. For many brand owners, sustained success is proportionally determined by their ability to earn trust. And yet, ask most brand owners to put their finger on precisely how their brand delivery is different or better or more rewarding than, say, an immediately competing brand, and they are left grasping at platitudes.

Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the banking sector. Ask the “How?” question to brand owners and they resort to product range or features or rates or incentives (back to the “What” again). And despite great pronouncements around product innovation (which could, for a limited period at least, become a source of “How?”), I challenge anyone to name a handful of true innovations in this sector. Little wonder then, that despite great posturing and promise, brands in this sector suffer from a general homogenization and commoditization.

Future preference generation and trust-earning potential will only be found in how brands deliver their (parity) products and services in a manner that is unique to them and valued by their specific customers.

Brand owners in the sector might do well to consider a few critical “Hows?”

First, that substance and authenticity are key to (re)earning trust; the days of marketing gimmicks and the grand gesture are over. Marketing in this climate is no longer about metaphors; marketing itself becomes the service. Banks need to demonstrate their usefulness and relevance to customers now more than ever before.

Second, that a bank’s service delivery will be the sole measure by which banks will be meaningfully judged by their customers. In tough economic times, “customer experience” will be valued again. Human interaction will be re-sought. Local will, once again, become important.

Third, that this creates opportunities for banks to listen harder, better — in fact, to listen more and sell less. As Dale Carnegie said: “You will be more successful by being interested in others' success than by trying to get them interested in your success.” Humility and empathy will become precursors for banks to (re)earn trust.

Fourth, that problem solving will win the day. Customized service models that add value will be key — me, my life, my well-being, my security — are all terms banks will have to embrace at their core to (re)earn trust.

Fifth, that any communication should be centered on a more responsible and reassuring approach that embraces some all of the following: simplicity, stability, responsibility, intelligence, security — what you might call “functional emotion.”

Lastly: that all of the above will need to be conceived and delivered in an integrated and consistent manner if it is to be credible or valued at all. The days of “marcom matching luggage” (i.e., all channels sidling up to each other and looking quite similar, but not at all integrated) are over. There is a new fluidity to brand relationships with customers, largely driven by the Internet and customers’ unprecedented access to information. Each point of contact in the bank’s arsenal will need to be integrated and aligned to deliver a credible and trustworthy sense of itself.

Whatever the detrimental effects of our economic crisis, one thing is clear: they propel brand owners and their brands to change; how brand owners deal with that change is what matters. But having a clear answer to the “How?” question, they must.

Andrew Welch, Trust, Y&R South Africa

Are We Post "Post"?

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, takes a look at the impact of the transformation in money, message and merchandise transactions on the mailing industry

Are we post "post" - How is consumer behavior driving transformation in money, message and merchandise transactions?

Understanding Generation World, ageless, borderless, diverse, conflicted — more in common that not — is key.

View PDF

Are We Post "Post"?

David Sable, Global CEO, Y&R, takes a look at the impact of the transformation in money, message and merchandise transactions on the mailing industry

Are we post "post" - How is consumer behavior driving transformation in money, message and merchandise transactions?

Understanding Generation World, ageless, borderless, diverse, conflicted — more in common that not — is key.

View PDF

David Sable, Mail, Post

20-Somethings

Sandy Thompson, Global Planning Director, Y&R, gives 6 bottom lines about 20-somethings.

Millennials. They are twenty-somethings that came of age with less money and fewer opportunities, re-inventing what having the means... really means. They are the new American Dream and they come from all across America.

For marketers, it's clear this is one of the most perplexing generations. And while there has been study after study conducted on this generation, data points gathered and analysis generated, they are still a very elusive group of Americans. To put it simply, the traditional data gathering techniques simply don't tell the full story.

At Y&R, we decided to take a different, relationship-driven approach. Indeed, we knew we had to go far beyond the data and instead take the time to understand what is important to them. We sat with them and ate at their tables, walked in their shoes and became a part of their daily lives to discover what these twenty-somethings expect from the world around them. Here are the six lessons we learned about this dynamic generation:

1) Life Is Better In Disorder

In the past, it was all about the expected progression in life -- get engaged, married and then furnish your home. Not anymore! Erica told us that she "wanted a red KitchenAid for her 26th birthday and her mother said absolutely not, that belongs on a wedding registry." So Erica bought one for herself, with no ring and no boyfriend, and didn't think twice about it.

Then there's Tanya, who didn't wait until she and her fiancé lived in the same state to get married: "We've been married 2 years now, together for 13, and still live in different cities. I'd say we did things in an unusual order."

Bottom Line: As marketers, we need to mix things up. And make it interesting.

2) Better Together

It means that, "we are a group of collaborators because sharing is in our blood," Laura explained. Because being together is sometimes worth more than rising to the top alone: Co-creators are more valuable than a single CEO. It's because we've been told to work as a group since kindergarten, which means we've taken sharing to a whole new level.

"Soon we won't own anything -- it'll be a share-it, borrow-it, rent-it world," because as Eduardo points out, we don't need money to buy all the means you need in life.

Bottom Line: We, as builders and creators of brands, have the opportunity to bring people together and create something bigger. We need to offer collaborative solutions.

3) Success Is Not Measured In Dollars

Grif assumed that "it seemed like a completely rational decision to leave a high-paying job in NY and move to build a school in Kyrgyzstan." Money is only one way to evaluate a job. Being the wheel and not the cog can be worth much more.

Bottom Line: As retailers, marketers and CEO's, we need to realize that emotional challenges and rewards will inspire just as much as the number on a paycheck. We just need to give this generation the opportunities they desire.

4) Real Deals Are Free

They're not entitled, they just expect the price to be right. "I think anyone who pays full retail for anything is dumb," Emma says. Because we pride ourselves to search and not to settle. And furthermore, Emma declares that sometimes price tags just don't belong --"tampons should be government subsidized." There are just certain things at this point that should just be free.

Bottom Line: If we can give a little, we will likely get a whole lot more from this generation.

5) The Life Of Luxury Doesn't Have To Wait

They don't scrape by on ramen and they eat like kings with no regrets. Lindsay told us: "My dad says he doesn't give us money because we'd eat it, but what he doesn't get is that expensive meals aren't just about food; expensive meals are bigger than what you eat, they're priceless." Lindsay says that we've turned simple sustenance into an opportunity for wisely spent indulgence, and yes Dad we do eat our money, but it tastes delicious.

Bottom Line: Just because this generation historically has not been consumers of high-end retail doesn't mean they are not taking the time and sacrificing other elements in their life to enjoy it today.

6) They Have No Intentions Of Waiting For The World To Come To Them

It means Eat Pray Love isn't just a book, it's their standard for how they travel. And they will travel, because Andreina says, "You don't need money to see the world, it's called couchsurfing.com."

Bottom Line: When it comes to this generation they are not going to wait. They are not going to settle. They are not going to do 'the right thing'. They are going to do what works for them.

Their journey is ongoing, and with it comes their stories. From Maui to Memphis to Manhattan, they are on the road chatting with, shopping with, cooking with, occupying Wall Street with, banking with, filing taxes with, celebrating with, crying with, eating with, drinking with, just being with 20-somethings from all over to discover how the American Dream is being reshaped, reinvented, and re-valued -- all in the name of understanding the new meaning of money.

They are today's generation of 20-year-olds. Many of us have labeled them, studied them, written about them and tried to simply figure them out. But at the end of the day, there is one thing every brand needs to recognize when it comes to this generation... money and means don't always go hand in hand.

Find out more about Millennials at Money-Somethings.com

20-Somethings

Sandy Thompson, Global Planning Director, Y&R, gives 6 bottom lines about 20-somethings.

Millennials. They are twenty-somethings that came of age with less money and fewer opportunities, re-inventing what having the means... really means. They are the new American Dream and they come from all across America.

For marketers, it's clear this is one of the most perplexing generations. And while there has been study after study conducted on this generation, data points gathered and analysis generated, they are still a very elusive group of Americans. To put it simply, the traditional data gathering techniques simply don't tell the full story.

At Y&R, we decided to take a different, relationship-driven approach. Indeed, we knew we had to go far beyond the data and instead take the time to understand what is important to them. We sat with them and ate at their tables, walked in their shoes and became a part of their daily lives to discover what these twenty-somethings expect from the world around them. Here are the six lessons we learned about this dynamic generation:

1) Life Is Better In Disorder

In the past, it was all about the expected progression in life -- get engaged, married and then furnish your home. Not anymore! Erica told us that she "wanted a red KitchenAid for her 26th birthday and her mother said absolutely not, that belongs on a wedding registry." So Erica bought one for herself, with no ring and no boyfriend, and didn't think twice about it.

Then there's Tanya, who didn't wait until she and her fiancé lived in the same state to get married: "We've been married 2 years now, together for 13, and still live in different cities. I'd say we did things in an unusual order."

Bottom Line: As marketers, we need to mix things up. And make it interesting.

2) Better Together

It means that, "we are a group of collaborators because sharing is in our blood," Laura explained. Because being together is sometimes worth more than rising to the top alone: Co-creators are more valuable than a single CEO. It's because we've been told to work as a group since kindergarten, which means we've taken sharing to a whole new level.

"Soon we won't own anything -- it'll be a share-it, borrow-it, rent-it world," because as Eduardo points out, we don't need money to buy all the means you need in life.

Bottom Line: We, as builders and creators of brands, have the opportunity to bring people together and create something bigger. We need to offer collaborative solutions.

3) Success Is Not Measured In Dollars

Grif assumed that "it seemed like a completely rational decision to leave a high-paying job in NY and move to build a school in Kyrgyzstan." Money is only one way to evaluate a job. Being the wheel and not the cog can be worth much more.

Bottom Line: As retailers, marketers and CEO's, we need to realize that emotional challenges and rewards will inspire just as much as the number on a paycheck. We just need to give this generation the opportunities they desire.

4) Real Deals Are Free

They're not entitled, they just expect the price to be right. "I think anyone who pays full retail for anything is dumb," Emma says. Because we pride ourselves to search and not to settle. And furthermore, Emma declares that sometimes price tags just don't belong --"tampons should be government subsidized." There are just certain things at this point that should just be free.

Bottom Line: If we can give a little, we will likely get a whole lot more from this generation.

5) The Life Of Luxury Doesn't Have To Wait

They don't scrape by on ramen and they eat like kings with no regrets. Lindsay told us: "My dad says he doesn't give us money because we'd eat it, but what he doesn't get is that expensive meals aren't just about food; expensive meals are bigger than what you eat, they're priceless." Lindsay says that we've turned simple sustenance into an opportunity for wisely spent indulgence, and yes Dad we do eat our money, but it tastes delicious.

Bottom Line: Just because this generation historically has not been consumers of high-end retail doesn't mean they are not taking the time and sacrificing other elements in their life to enjoy it today.

6) They Have No Intentions Of Waiting For The World To Come To Them

It means Eat Pray Love isn't just a book, it's their standard for how they travel. And they will travel, because Andreina says, "You don't need money to see the world, it's called couchsurfing.com."

Bottom Line: When it comes to this generation they are not going to wait. They are not going to settle. They are not going to do 'the right thing'. They are going to do what works for them.

Their journey is ongoing, and with it comes their stories. From Maui to Memphis to Manhattan, they are on the road chatting with, shopping with, cooking with, occupying Wall Street with, banking with, filing taxes with, celebrating with, crying with, eating with, drinking with, just being with 20-somethings from all over to discover how the American Dream is being reshaped, reinvented, and re-valued -- all in the name of understanding the new meaning of money.

They are today's generation of 20-year-olds. Many of us have labeled them, studied them, written about them and tried to simply figure them out. But at the end of the day, there is one thing every brand needs to recognize when it comes to this generation... money and means don't always go hand in hand.

Find out more about Millennials at Money-Somethings.com

Millennials, Thompson, Idea, Twentysomething

Green: It's Either Black or White

Andrew Welch, CEO, Y&R South Africa, and CCO Graham Lang sound off on why “full service” is the only credible approach to the green issue.

Back in the 60’s, there was such a demand for companies to be seen as ‘green’, that former Madison advertising executive, Jerry Mander described it as ‘eco-pornography’ - or blinding consumers with jargon. Due to competitive pressures, and in an effort to appear more attractive, many companies eagerly set to promote a squeaky green image, whether they had the substance to support it or not.

Fast-forward 40 years and words like green, eco-friendly and sustainability seem to have lost their salience and power perhaps, as some believe, the consequence of greenwashing - brands making skin deep claims about the environmental attributes of their company, product or service.

At Y&R, we believe such ‘lip service’ has done the green movement a considerable disservice. We’d go further to say that ‘full service’ is the only credible approach today to the green issue. You either embrace it wholly or you don’t; you either integrate it in your business strategy or you don’t; it’s either black or white.

With consumers and stakeholders interrogating brands - and the companies behind them – like never before, there can no longer be any room for grey areas or half measures. The slightest scent of insincerity, exaggerated claim or, worse still, chest beating, and consumers will drop you like a hot cake. What is unprecedented in today’s age of advocacy and social media, is the speed and scalability of this rejection, where even the most powerful brands have come under the most ruthless and unrelenting scrutiny (witness the ‘Green my Apple campaign’ a few years back).

As part of WPP, we at Y&R have been working hard to reduce our impact on the environment. As a group, we’ve seen a growing business opportunity in working with our clients to address sustainable communications needs. We help our clients better understand sustainability, embed green and ethical values in their brands and help them better engage their communities.

Y&R’s proud relationship with Pick n Pay is a case in point. The retailer consistently strives to uphold its ambition of being one of South Africa’s greenest and most sustainable retailers and is often rewarded with sustainability awards as a result. In fact, it recently won the ‘Green Brand’ Grand Prix at this year’s Sunday Times Top Brands awards. Pick n Pay was the first retailer to recognise that ‘doing good is good business’ and ever since has invested unprecedented time, energy and capital to ensure the highest levels of sustainability in all its dealings with stakeholders and communities alike. Last year, Y&R partnered with Pick n Pay to open its flagship store, Pick n Pay on Nicol in Hurlingham. The store represents sustainable architecture, combining a natural design with aesthetic ambience, energy efficiency and responsible use of natural resources.

LG Electronics South Africa has also embraced its responsibility to the environment by minimising its production impact and continues to develop more environmentally friendly products through a constant commitment to innovation. To further bolster the brand’s green foothold, LG appointed high-profile South African icons such as Basetsana Kumalo and Dion Chang as Green Ambassadors, which Y&R leverages to steadily advance the brand’s green message.

Today, the most valuable brands have a prevailing interest in long-term growth and seamlessly integrate their sustainability efforts with their business and their marketing strategy. To confine it solely to marketing strategy, is wrong-headed and, ultimately, self-defeating. Marketing can only dress up a brand’s claims to a certain degree before reality inevitably reveals itself. Our firm belief is that ‘green’ has to become core to the business function as well. In a world where many still risk their fortunes on over promises and exaggerated claims, substance and impact is king.

Brands can no longer sit on the fence about the issue. There is no grey with green: it’s either black or it’s white.

 

Green: It's Either Black or White

Andrew Welch, CEO, Y&R South Africa, and CCO Graham Lang sound off on why “full service” is the only credible approach to the green issue.

Back in the 60’s, there was such a demand for companies to be seen as ‘green’, that former Madison advertising executive, Jerry Mander described it as ‘eco-pornography’ - or blinding consumers with jargon. Due to competitive pressures, and in an effort to appear more attractive, many companies eagerly set to promote a squeaky green image, whether they had the substance to support it or not.

Fast-forward 40 years and words like green, eco-friendly and sustainability seem to have lost their salience and power perhaps, as some believe, the consequence of greenwashing - brands making skin deep claims about the environmental attributes of their company, product or service.

At Y&R, we believe such ‘lip service’ has done the green movement a considerable disservice. We’d go further to say that ‘full service’ is the only credible approach today to the green issue. You either embrace it wholly or you don’t; you either integrate it in your business strategy or you don’t; it’s either black or white.

With consumers and stakeholders interrogating brands - and the companies behind them – like never before, there can no longer be any room for grey areas or half measures. The slightest scent of insincerity, exaggerated claim or, worse still, chest beating, and consumers will drop you like a hot cake. What is unprecedented in today’s age of advocacy and social media, is the speed and scalability of this rejection, where even the most powerful brands have come under the most ruthless and unrelenting scrutiny (witness the ‘Green my Apple campaign’ a few years back).

As part of WPP, we at Y&R have been working hard to reduce our impact on the environment. As a group, we’ve seen a growing business opportunity in working with our clients to address sustainable communications needs. We help our clients better understand sustainability, embed green and ethical values in their brands and help them better engage their communities.

Y&R’s proud relationship with Pick n Pay is a case in point. The retailer consistently strives to uphold its ambition of being one of South Africa’s greenest and most sustainable retailers and is often rewarded with sustainability awards as a result. In fact, it recently won the ‘Green Brand’ Grand Prix at this year’s Sunday Times Top Brands awards. Pick n Pay was the first retailer to recognise that ‘doing good is good business’ and ever since has invested unprecedented time, energy and capital to ensure the highest levels of sustainability in all its dealings with stakeholders and communities alike. Last year, Y&R partnered with Pick n Pay to open its flagship store, Pick n Pay on Nicol in Hurlingham. The store represents sustainable architecture, combining a natural design with aesthetic ambience, energy efficiency and responsible use of natural resources.

LG Electronics South Africa has also embraced its responsibility to the environment by minimising its production impact and continues to develop more environmentally friendly products through a constant commitment to innovation. To further bolster the brand’s green foothold, LG appointed high-profile South African icons such as Basetsana Kumalo and Dion Chang as Green Ambassadors, which Y&R leverages to steadily advance the brand’s green message.

Today, the most valuable brands have a prevailing interest in long-term growth and seamlessly integrate their sustainability efforts with their business and their marketing strategy. To confine it solely to marketing strategy, is wrong-headed and, ultimately, self-defeating. Marketing can only dress up a brand’s claims to a certain degree before reality inevitably reveals itself. Our firm belief is that ‘green’ has to become core to the business function as well. In a world where many still risk their fortunes on over promises and exaggerated claims, substance and impact is king.

Brands can no longer sit on the fence about the issue. There is no grey with green: it’s either black or it’s white.

 

Green, Environment, Responsibility