F
ocusing on mainstream
brand campaigns that
celebrate humanity,
inspire purpose, and
deliver results, thought-provoking
discussions on the nature of
creativity applied to social good
were definitely on the menu at
the adobo Tambuli Asia Pacific
Conference last May 31, 2016.
Featuring a continuing
partnership between UA&P and
adobo magazine, the conference
celebrates the magazine’s advocacy
and the school’s vision in fostering
leaders who will contribute to
bettering the lives of individuals,
communities, and the greater good.
As evidenced by the summary of
the talks of the stellar speakers,
featuring respected regional
agency or creative heads, its good
results, combined with effective
planning and execution, or
engagement that reaps rewards.
CHARLES CADELL:
THE SALVATION OF THE
HIDDEN PERSUADERS.
So what do you do when you work in
an industry considered only a shade
more respectable than the oldest
profession and banking? Taking off
from his tough talk on establishing
trust from the first adobo Tambuli
APAC conference, Charles Cadell
defended his industry, saying “We
tell stories and sell products that
make lives better,” he stated, then
affirmed that advertising should
do the world and client a favor
by positioning on a platform for
social good, pointing out that
companies with clear positioning
for social good outperform or
outsell companies that don’t. It
means starting conversations that
change behavior—or to inspire
innovations that create change, like
Hana’s Water Billboard, the Optus
Clever Buoy, and Flynet by Nike.
There’s now a seismic shift in
how people engage with products,
and now the question is what
advertising must do to address
this—now that marketing has been
turned on its head—from products
to product services. The start point
is no longer the benefits for the
consumer, but“does this product
or brand align with your values?”
While warning the audience
against greenwashing, because it
will falter in the face of authenticity,
McCann’s APAC CEO ended
his talk with a smiley and this
statement: “Treat this with the
respect that it deserves and be
cognizant of the power of making
the world a better place.”
THE INNOVATION DILEMMA
Dick Van Motman, CEO of Dentsu
Aegis Southeast Asia and a veteran
jury member of various events
and award shows, began with the
observation that whenever most
people think about innovation, the
first thing that comes to our mind is
either digital or technology. “Instead
of trying to solve everything through
meaningful content and effective
engagement, people from advertising
immediately resort to technology.”
“The focus on innovation should
not be about technology. It should
be about using anything available
at the moment, to connect…To get
engagement, to change skill sets, and
how to operate in a world where you
can be anywhere instantaneously
24/7,” he explained. Citing Oreo’s
Superbowl tweet as an example,
Van Motman sees it as more
successful than any other 30-second
commercial played, while using
very little technology. “It’s Twitter
that they got exposed to, it was
the platform but the way the team
behind Oreo worked together made
the difference…We need to realize
what we sell. You should always
stay relevant; reinvent yourselves
as speakers, and as a company.
Being open-minded and adaptable
is very important,” he concluded.
FEARLESS MARKETING
Pamela Takai, Marketing
Director Asia Pacific, Mondeléz
July - August 2016 | adobo magazine
THE WORK
TAMBULI AWARDS
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