by Faheem Chaudhry (@FaheemChaudhry) ‘Never waste a good recession’ were Warren Buffet’s witty words of advice during the financial downfall of recent years. While this sort of philosophy has become synonymous with his unrivalled investment and business success, many business leaders will argue it’s easier said than done as they still fight the battle to full financial recovery.
As the next generation entering the advertising game, we are entering the industry at a time when marketing budgets are under the spotlight and need to prove their full worth in the boardroom.
This has certain knock on effects on an industry where ad-employment isn’t exactly available in abundance to young people. And for those beginning their first gig, it’s pretty tough out there.
But fear not, my friends. Being in an industry at such a time simply means a greater responsibility on the shoulders of those who will carry it forward. It’s an opportunity to take ownership of the current dynamic, and help steer it to calmer waters. But what are clients and advertising bosses looking for from their next generation? And what will we need to be well versed in to reach advertising stardom?
Here are my thoughts as a member of the next crop.
From creative supplier to business partner
As the next generation we should look at taking a fresh view on how we are shaping ourselves around marketing problems. Are we too focused on solving surface level briefs rather than being driven to mine out the niggling issues that our clients actually face?
My view is for us to re-look what exactly the core problems sitting behind our clients’ communication issues are. They no doubt stem from top-line business problems. Let’s start asking the right questions, to build the hardest working creative solutions.
In brainstorming, cracking and creating big, beautiful ideas around these issues, we’ll be solving the communication needs of our clients in ways that will really impact their businesses. At a time of financial recovery, the young creative thinkers who can consistently deliver this will be the standout ad-grads of the next decade.
T-shaped thinkers
Perhaps the most significant shift in the ad-industry over the recent years is the move from advertising in silos to weaving communication with total integration. Many of us as the next generation were born in the middle of this progression.
The role brands play in our day-to-day lives is now far beyond the hour of TV we watch every evening or the radio channel we listen to in the mornings. Brands appear everywhere, at every time and in many different forms from the moment we wake up to the moment we hit the sack. Communication is now consumer centric.
With this, comes the need for us to become general specialists. T-shaped thinkers. Having the ability to be brilliantly proficient in our chosen craft while able to understand the total touch point landscape of our clients. Being a PR specialist for example, won’t cut it anymore. We need to have the ability to understand what the role of PR is to social media, customer service, advertising and so it continues.
It goes a little deeper too. Not only do we need to understand the total role of brands in people’s lives; but also an integrated approach will be a sought after characteristic of the next generation. At a time where marketing budgets need to deliver to their full value, clients want to know that their ad-advisors understand the complete role of their businesses at their core. T shaped thinking across all moments of connection with consumers is a core competency we’ll need to bring to the table to give them this confidence.
Think quick
These days consumers are saying more about brands than brands are saying about themselves. Advertising campaigns alone no longer make up the sole communication that influences consumer perception. Being continuously connected to brands allows consumers to expect the highest levels of product, service and relevance. They’ll tweet you and let you know about it too.
As the next generation of ad grads, we’ll need to become more agile than ever before. Agile in our thinking, agile in our ability to execute communication and agile in our understanding of what consumers truly want on a day-to-day basis. This is how we’ll be able to foster meaningful relationships between people and brands. As technology continues to provide us with new and innovative ways of talking to people, we’ll need to be quick in realising how to maximise relevance with consumers.
Where previously ad-campaigns were built over months of churning through what consumers might want, taking prolonged periods to figure out consumer relevance will just not be good enough going forward.
The ad-grads of our generation who can think fastest and deliver real time utility to consumers will be of most value to brands fighting for their moment of attention.
A generation of enablers
We’ve all heard the opinions that the data- nerds will be taking over the industry soon. Our exotic mad-men predecessors must be turning in their graves. Aint nobody got time for that.
While we may not be wearing tuxes to work anymore (a moment of silence here, please) I’d like to argue that creativity will always be the lead over technology when it comes to marketing success. And that is because technology is an enabler of creativity, not a leader in true connection.
In marketing, technology is a tactic. It allows us to reach and speak to consumers in ways that bring them the most utility. As technological capability continues to develop and sprint ahead, the choices that consumers have to engage with brands are multiplying at a rate like never before. Only real relevance will breed marketing success. Relevance is grounded in the right ideas with technology delivering these ideas in just the right places.
As ad millenials, we will absolutely have to have a complete grasp of the technology at our disposal; but creative ideas will always be the lead. Storytelling will always lead data.
Marketers will be investing their precious budgets more and more in the latest technologies, in the hope of better connecting and deepening the relationships they have with consumers. Young creative thinkers need to understand which technologies will best enable creative solutions to be delivered with the most impact. It’s a delicate skill, but safe to say, a competent generation of enablers, is what we’ll need to be.
Guys, as millennial ad-grads, we’re entering the industry at a complex, critical time. Budgets are going through a period of recovery, but marketing seats in the boardroom are under the spotlight. While this may add to the challenges we face in starting and propelling our careers forward, the opportunity is ours for the taking.
I believe those who begin focusing on consistently delivering the above for clients, will be the ad-grads leading this charge. It’s not all we’ll need to do, but it’s nice to have some core organising principles for success. It might just be what gets the likes of Uncle Buffett to swing some more money our way.
– Faheem is a passionate marketer at M&C Saatchi Abel. With a focus on the future, his aim is to better entrench the importance of creative thinking to solving critical business problems.
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