The Works: Why Creatives Shouldn’t Fear Data & Why It’s The End For Lazy Marketers
Douglas Nicol is partner at the independent creative agency The Works, plus he’s speaking at Daze of Disruption on the 19th and 20th of September. Here he tells B&T about the rise of AI in agencies, why it’s still as much about the ‘art’ as it is the ‘science’, and why it’s the end for lazy marketers…
The Works are a creative agency with data at its heart. Do you think too many agencies have been late to the data phenomenon and to their detriment?
Yes, there can be a fear of data amongst the creative community and that’s because they see it as potentially forming a ‘formula’ for creativity; they feel that anytime you try and get a creative person to work to a tight formula is the day you actually weaken the creative process. At The Works we think of data purely as a description of a human being. Data is no more than a description of our behaviours, our needs, frailties and our habits, and once you think of it like that the more enlightening it is and the more inspiring it can be.
Won’t data make all the ads look the same? The Works, as an example, have Jim Beam, wouldn’t the data be the same for every person who drank bourbon no matter which brand?
It’s not just about that. If you look at the data you can also see how and where they follow trends, and they will make up trends, it’s ever-changing. It’s not like consumers are a consistent and predictable group of people. Today’s consumer is far more surprising than they’ve ever been and, because of that, it’s why all advertising doesn’t look the same. People are always at different stages and phases in their lives and data allows you to live in their world. Data is as much about psychology as it is about marketing.
Data’s not creativity’s silver bullet, however? You still see plenty of crap ads?
You have to remember that the creative process will always be part art and part science. And, yes, advertising sometimes fails. If you just make it all about the art then the likelihood of it failing is greater. Where if it’s a nice combination of art and science then you increase your chances of success. There’s no algorithm in the world that’ll predict if a campaign will be a success because it (creativity’s) not a perfect science.
There’s been rumours some of the mar-tech firms are inventing some sort of “super computer” to replace human creatives. Do you ever see that happening? Ads made by algorithms?
The question is: will artificial intelligence have a role in agencies? For sure. But that role will be for outsourcing all the boring, repetitive jobs. I don’t believe AI will replace the idea of conceptualising an idea because AI has no conscious; well, not yet anyway. There’s a lot of talk about it but the application in the next 10 years will be about removing boring repetitive work, not replacing the creative process. Bots will continue to automate our lives and do more in less time but the fundamental conceptualising of an idea, AI still has a long way to go.
Brands have a heap of data on loyal customers but none on the new customers that they want. Would you agree with that?
Data teaches you about the customer’s emotional journey. For example, if they’re buying a house or car or whatever it is, they go on an emotional journey, sometimes 12 months before even purchasing it. And one of the interesting things we’re finding very successful is emotional data. You understand the highs and the lows of the pre-purchase cycle. You can map those. Then we find if a brand can play a role in reducing those emotional lows in buying a product and give them more emotional highs; they’re the brands that are more likely to be bought and that requires a lot of data to do that. And when you do that you start talking creative people’s language. Data that can map people’s emotions is right in the sweet-spot of what drives creatives’ thought processes.
Taking a punt, what do you think the agency of the future will look like?
The agency of the future will have a role to play in channel health. Channel health doesn’t get talked about enough. What marketers do is build their own channels, be it messaging or apps or whatever. But few put someone in charge of the health of those channels. That’s also about respecting your customers, understanding the privacy issues and understanding what will take an increase of reach and frequency on those channels. Take email, as an example, you see a declining response to it and that’s because it’s an unhealthy channel with decreasing response rates and, at the moment, no one is looking after the health of them. With the increasing number of paid channels, where brands have to pay to talk to their customers, the issue will be channel health and agencies will play a role in that. Agencies will start to employ psychologists, data analytics people; plus, we’ll always have great ideas people. But I think channel health will become a really important thing.
When you have change, you have disruption, someone typically gets left behind. Who don’t you see surviving?
Lazy marketers who see their job as being very narrow will disappear. The marketer who isn’t asking questions about ad blocking, who isn’t exploring new channels like messaging platforms, who isn’t understanding the issues around data that the industry faces, the marketer that isn’t willing to learn new stuff, to re-educate themselves, skill themselves for a changing world, they will become dinosaurs. And that’s true in agency land, too.
Daze of Disruption is on at the Art Gallery of NSW from September 19-20. Buy tickets here.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Advertising Standards Bureau Chocolate Chip Cookie Joshua Spanier New SiteLatest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.