Are KPIs Killing Creativity?
It’s easy to look at creativity as laced with mystery and intrigue – a gift from a muse. But is a mind free of limitations the key to creative genius? How truly creative are creative agencies when the working process is ruled by key performance indicators?
Architect Frank Gehry, best known for building the Guggenheim Museum in Spain, and the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles freaked when he was issued a brief to design a house with zero constraints. Gehry is said to have questioned himself and his life’s purpose when faced with the challenge. About constraints, he told Forbes magazine, “I think we turn those constraints into action.”
Constraints, like KPIs mightn’t seem conducive to the execution of a creative project, but perhaps it’s those limitations that fuel the most innovative output in the industry.
“When we are kids we are taught that there is no right or wrong when it comes to imagination but as we grow up and become ‘professionals’ we find out that isn’t entirely true; we have to answer to stakeholders, clients, targets and legal… inevitably this put parameters around our creative output,” says Droga5’s head of content, Holly Alexander.
“Without KPIs, advertising is art. Art is awesome, but it’s not the same thing. And if you want to be doing art and create without a series of goals around what success looks like, you’re probably in the wrong industry,” says Matt Delprado, creative director at Lowe Profero Sydney.
Alexander says: “The creative process benefits from having some boundaries to keep things moving in a clear direction.”
Contrary to how some see the creative process – as one with no rules and regulations – these days, the greatest work is often born from rigidity and enabled by technology.
“Technology gives us much more feedback on creativity than ever before, it allows us to deliver innovative ideas more dynamically and reach our audience more effectively than before,” says Michael Scruby, founder at outdoor media buying platform start-up Site Tour.
Scruby’s favourite example of creative work constrained by KPIs but enabled by technology is a recent British Airways campaign ‘Look Up’.
Earlier this year, British Airways issued creative agency OlgilvyOne a brief to create a campaign that highlighted the breadth of the airline’s destinations. “One of the KPIs was to drive people to their site, a special ‘Look Up’ website. They also had to implement the hashtag #LookUp to generate buzz on social media,” says Scruby.
The ads were executed on prominent London digital billboards featuring a little tyke pointing only at British Airways planes when they flew overhead.
The campaign won a Grand Prix in the direct category at the Cannes Lions.
“The confirmation of the campaign’s creative success was the award it won at Cannes; it was a brilliant concept and hit all the KPIs,” says Scruby.
“The whole idea behind advertising is using constraints to drive creative thinking to hit the right person at the right time with the right message in the right place,” he adds.
Lowe Profero’s Delprado believes good KPIs can action creative thinking but warns those that are written badly can hinder innovation. He says: “Sometimes KPIs are written because it will be easy to measure and not because it’s the most appropriate measurement of success. This is particularly problematic in digital where there’s so much data out there that we base our things to measure on the metrics Google Analytics gives us, instead of really thinking through the things that are important to creative success.”
With data aplenty, it’s easy to make assumptions about the audience you’re targeting which can sometimes give the creative project a bum steer. Delprado says: “Increasingly as brand plays are done on digital channels, measuring the number of seconds that someone is looking at the page is not a very useful metric.”
From an ROI point of view, Delprado can see how the amount of time someone spends on a page might mean engagement, and that using those analytics is more cost effective than spending big on research, but still, it concerns him. “I worry that we make up the results we like to hear, rather than really knowing what’s happened. I think there should be more brand tracking on that level, I think we should be asking how people feel about the brand before engagement with the campaign and how they feel months later after the campaign.”
Scruby firmly believes KPIs enable creativity, but admits at times they can be too narrow. “It would take a bold CMO or marketing manager to come in say ‘actually we’re going to change our measures’ and push some boundaries.” Scruby explains that CMOs play within the current guidelines or just do what’s worked before. “That doesn’t allow anyone to get expressive and think outside the square,” he says.
As the ways in which we measure creativity in advertising shifts, Delprado argues there is always room to challenge how that creative work is achieved. He says: “We should start looking at new channels we’re not familiar with. Our target audience of millenials happen to be living onTumblr and Snapchat and nobody is really taking advantage of those platforms very well. This is mostly because we don’t use these channels and because we’re too busy playing within the guidelines we’ve set up ourselves.”
Please login with linkedin to comment
Advertising Standards Bureau Furi Knives Jack Matthews Journalists Kim Jong-Un New Site The Australian The Iconic the project YouTubeLatest News
Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs
School-leaver service Year13 has launched a new Artificial Intelligence course to upskill young people in AI, made in collaboration with Microsoft and KPMG, at an event to rally industry support behind youth AI fluency. The free online course AI Amplified which is part of Year13’s Academy aims to provide all young people with the opportunity […]
General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania
General Motors has announced the appointment of Heath Walker (lead image) as the new marketing director for GM Australia and New Zealand, effective April 23, 2024. Walker brings a wealth of marketing and communications experience gained from working across various industries, including IT, sporting, and auto – notably Tesla, Nissan and most recently, Scania in […]
VML Launches New “Envoyage” Brand For Flight Centre
VML unveils new brand for travel operator Flight Centre. Alas, no sign of those paid actors pretending to be pilots.
Subaru Places Media Account Up For Review
Subaru puts media up for review, as adland journos get set for mandatory "agency drives off with..." headline.
TV Ratings (17/04/2024): Contestants Faced With Harsh Realities As Alone Australia Heats Up (Or Cools Down)
Alone still doing the business for SBS. Overly long train journeys not doing the business, but they persist anyway.
Ben Fordham Loses Number One Spot As Ray Hadley Celebrates 156th Ratings Win
The radio numbers are in! Discover who's off for a boozy lunch today & who's waiting for the dreaded HR death knock.
Gourmet Ice Cream Brand Connoisseur Launches New “Thrill Your Senses” Iteration, Via SICKDOGWOLFMAN
Rattling the old "truth in advertising" adage comes this ice-cream spot full of noticeably thin people.
Paramount’s Global Sales Boss: ‘Australia’s Converged Model Is A Blueprint For How I’d Like All Of Our Markets To Be’
Paramount's global sales boss gives local sales ops the thumbs up. Didn't weigh-in on the Lisa Wilkinson debacle.
TikTok Starts Testing Its Instagram Rival In Australia
In exciting news for piano playing cats & brattish pranks in shopping centres, TikTok unveils its Insta rival plans.
Man Wrongly Named By Seven As Bondi Killer Hires Lawyers
Struggling to save for a house deposit? Why not get wrongly identified by Sunrise!
Smartsheet Appoints Indie Agency Sandbox Media To Its Media Account
Can't stand your colleagues? Like to dob them in when they miss a deadline? These work management platforms are ideal.
Boss Not Letting You Come To Cannes In Cairns? Use This Business Case To Convince Them!
Stingy boss won't spring for a ticket to Cairns? Add this to your persuasive argument repertoire. Or grovel.
Alt/shift/ Brisbane Builds Portfolio With Ausbuild Creative, PR, Content & Social Account Win
The Brisbane comms/PR agency lands constructor Ausbuild. Also hoping for a discount on its new glass conservatory.
Young Guns Versus The Old Guard: Who Adds More Value to Our Industry?
Cannes In Cairns poking this hornet's nest in a lively debate. Just so long as the oldies can get up the stairs.
70% Of Aussies Don’t Have Green Power Plans ENGIE Says In Major Brand Campaign Via HERO
Are you the notorious "light leaver on-er" in your flatshare? Quell any infighting with this green energy news.
PrettyGood Launches Offering Brand & Media Solutions For Australasian SMEs
B&T applauds the charitable nature of this new agency. Although we'd hate to see it impact any Chrissie present sends.
A Blunt End: Dolphins Medicinal Cannabis Sponsorship At Risk
Yes, it's another NRL drug story. Yet, thankfully it doesn't involve coke in Kuta during the off-season.
Slew Of New Creative Hires At Leo Burnett Australia
Ahhh, all black! The outfit of choice for agency creatives, David Jones staff and everyone in Melbourne.
Under Armour Unveils Local “Live in UA” Campaign
American apparel brand set for yet another tilt at the Aussie market, as Nike declares "we'll see about that".
Pepsi Launches New Look, Refreshing Classic Fashion Staples Via Special PR
Are you always the bridesmaid, never the bride, as the old saying goes? How do you think Pepsi feels?
Pure Blonde Returns To A Place Purer Than Yours In New Campaign Via The Monkeys
B&T's always been a huge fan of the 'drink yourself thinner' diet plan. So big thanks to Pure blonde, vodka & tequila.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Carsales Strikes With Another Storm-Based Team
Think our hacks are living their sports journalist dreams vicariously through B&T? Confirm it with this reporting.
Commission Factory & AGL Energy Ignite Strategic Partnership To Empower Australian Energy Consumers
Concerned by global warming yet ran the fans non-stop over summer? Add to the guilt with this read.
Allied Nabs Nicola Gold From Pico International Dubai
Seasoned marketer relocates from Dubai to Sydney. Says the shopping's not as good but at least you can get a drink.
Nine’s Push For Gold, Silver & Bronze Ad Opportunities Could Break New Ground In Broadcasting
Nine insists that AI won't dominate its Olympics coverage. And not merely because Bruce McAvaney doesn't understand it.
TV Ratings (16/04/2024): Toxic City Girls Too Much For Farmer Bert
Fans calling out toxic behaviour on Farmer Wants A Wife, seemingly unaware that's the very premise of any dating show.
Kaimera Wins Afterpay ANZ Media Account
Have couriers even started to mention you're overdoing the online shopping? Probably best to avoid this Afterpay news.
Industry Reacts: Stuff Group Swoops In To Save 6pm News After Newshub Closure
As you'll read here, New Zealand's media's in a right state of flux. And nor have they forgotten 1981's underarm.
a2 Milk Launches “Only a2 Will Do’ Brand Platform In First Work From BMF
A2 milk drinkers tend not to bother everyone with their gut health issues & it's a lesson for vegans & the gluten-free.
Can You Recite It In Under 4 Seconds? Maccas Relaunches Iconic Competition With Modern Twist
Do you know what would make a fantastic ad? Drunk people at 3am trying to recite the ”two all-beef patties"
‘Liar, Liar’: Lehrmann Exposed As High Profile Defamation Case Comes To A Close
Having exhausted all avenues in his defamation case, is there only one option left for Bruce - reality television?
MECCA & Fendi Among Premium Advertisers For oOh!media Woollahra OOH Network Launch
If you've not been to the snooty suburb of Woollahra, the locals would like to thank you again for staying well away.
Yahoo Academy Announces Class Of 2024
This academy is strictly for "emerging leaders". Courses don't include 'sleeping at your desk' or 'bunking off early'.
Top 35 Media Leaders Announced For 2024 TikTok Agency Accelerator Program
Despite the ban threats, TikTok keeps marching on. Cementing its reputation as the Julian Assange of the tech.
AiMCO Announces First-Ever Diversity Webinar To Explore Inclusion In Influencer Marketing
Think influencer marketing's a little on the white side? This free webinar's for you. Sadly, it's not given TV ideas.
Anthony Ellis Promoted To CEO Of Publicis Media Exchange
Anthony Ellis takes the opportunity to thank the office fern in his press photo following recent work promotion.