With research showing more than a third of advertising and marketing professionals view their own industry as providing the least value to society, The Works, part of Capgemini, is tackling meaninglessness with a new brand platform – “Be Significant”.
As socially driven graduates increasingly opt for careers outside marketing and advertising, often with organisations that more closely align with their beliefs; and growing consumer antipathy towards brands and their longevity, there is a critical need for agencies to be more purposeful, providing greater value to their employees, clients and consumers.
“There’s a sense of meaninglessness in marketing and advertising,” said Damian Pincus, founder and creative partner at The Works. “There is a talent crisis, with graduates turning to more progressive employers making a tangible difference. There is also a growing desire for companies and brands to leave a legacy and stand for something.”
Kristie Thistlethwaite, managing partner added: “Every brand is a player in the attention economy and relevance is the hard-earned currency. Be Significant is the enemy of meaninglessness, creating work worthy of consumers’ attention that delivers results for our client partners, whilst helping our people be more significant in their work and personal lives. It’s a platform that gives us the opportunity to change someone’s day, change a mind, or change the world.”
Together with a refreshed brand identity, The Works have also launched The Significant Initiative following an agency wide survey to understand the key issues of concern and interest for employees. The Works will invest resources and money to drive meaningful changes for the most popular topics of interest.
The Works became part of the global Capgemini business earlier this year and has recently bolstered its senior leadership and creative teams.
Pincus added: “The reaction from clients and the team has been very positive and we’ve already started to implement Be Significant across the agency’s operations. We are at the beginning and we’ll be judged by our actions not words.”
