DEFINE INNOVATION.
Andy: You start with the internet.
If you see all the latest company
that are making big waves in the
world…it’s the likes of Uber and
AirBnB. That’s where innovation
is gonna come from but it’s gonna
be in a massive scale, it’s gonna
be time saving, it’s gonna add
quality to our lives and it’s gonna
cut cost because it’s gonna cut
manpower. That’s the start.
Norman: It’s really between
technology and emotion. Someone
say something (to me) ― “I’m only
convinced technology can help my
life when I can download a pot of
coffee.” I am not against technology
but we often see a lot of complication
by using it not in the very best way.
Aste: We used to talk a lot about
the humanity of the idea and then
it was—what’s the human insight?
I think now, as the world gets
more connected and the world gets
bigger. It’s all about also the scale of
humanity. Is your idea, something
that an impact all of humanity ?
HOW DO THE AGENCIES FIT
INTO ALL OF THESE?
Andy: I think it’s still going back
to the brand. I think we’re losing
the sense of the power of what
brand was, what brands stands for
and the power of what that entity
can be. So everyone is getting
very tactical in using media but
brands aren’t all about that. You
still need to understand the brand
and the emotion of what makes
people want to buy that brand.
Sompat: One of my clients talked to
me, they’re an insurance company.
He’s really scared one day there’ll
be an app for insurance (and he
won’t have an business), “Can you
think of any innovative thing to help
me in the next five years that I can
still have insurance company?”
do stuff in-house, still have agencies
who are doing very specific things.
We should still be confident that
we have a purpose to serve.
SO HOW DO YOU COMPETE
IN THIS FAST –PACED
ENVIRONMENT?
Andy: I think it’s that the network
have been ruled by money men for
a long time now. They pulled down
the cost, they commoditized…
(now) there’s nowhere else to grow
so what we’re trying to do is get
in to the technology specs. I think
if we said - What’s my purpose as
an agency? I don’t think agencies
should try to be everything.
IS IT MORE OF COLLABORATION
THESE DAYS?
Norman: If you look at a company
… you have [post 60s generation]
CEO, you have post 70 managers
or directors, you hire a lot of
post 80 or post 90. Now the new
staff that we’re hiring are post
90 or post 95 generations. It’s all
about people working together.
Because we’re all human.
Andy: Identity and brand purpose,
brand vision, will always be
there. Once you establish your
brand, we know from psychology
that if you change your brand,
you’re gonna be in deep sh*t.
DO BRANDS IN CHINA
RESPECT BRAND IDENTITY?
Norman: Yes and no. It’s
very difficult to answer
because when a local client,
when they get bigger, when they
get rich, they want brands.
(TALK VEERS ON THE
REVIVAL OF AN ICONIC
BEER CAMPAIGN.)
Andy: It still comes back to: get a
big idea, stick with it, refresh it. Now
it’s all tactics.
Sompat: In my country, the
digital companies are the ones
who made the brand disappear.
(ALL LAUGH)
So now, the clients start to
understand and come back to us
because we are brand builders.
Norman: Maybe in the future
you just need a few brand experts
to take care of a brand. (Now,
clients) just spend more money
than what they need to in the
new technology market.
Sompat: Another thing that ruin
brand are the award shows. I think
they don’t care about branding.
(MORE LAUGHTER)
Andy: We mentioned it earlier,
“That’s a good idea but why will we
sustain them over years when it can’t
win an award for next year?” Award
shows have a lot to answer for that.
BUT AWARD SHOWS
EXIST AND THAT’S WHAT
WE ALL CRAVE FOR.
Andy: I think you need strong clients
as well. Brands are about trust…
something that stays the same…not
literally but the spirit stays the same.
A lot people trust Nike because
there’s a core in Nike which hasn’t
changed for the last 35 years.
Aste: I think it’s very telling that
companies who have the resource
(and) have already taken steps to
July - August 2016 | adobo magazine
ROUND TABLE
ROUNDTABLE
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