17 Feature
MONEY ON MY MIND
Cameron Roberts uncovers how agencies are approaching the creative process in an age of increasing budget constraints
alk about agencies and the conversation inevitably will turn to the creative brilliance of many events that they organise . Whether it is a showpiece event like Identity delivering the New Year ’ s Eve fireworks in London , or a bespoke delivery , agencies are often at the cutting edge of what it means to deliver a truly unique event .
Something else that crops up in hushed whispers when discussing the events sector , is budget . The costs of delivering an event on any scale are increasing , with staffing issues , energy prices and the cost of materials , all playing a part in tightening profit margins in our sector . So the question is , how do agencies continue to deliver creative events under these conditions ?
To find out , I spoke to : Peter Trapnell , creative director , TRO ; David Crease , creative director , Wonder ; Andrew Perrott , managing director , Chorus ; Roberts Andersen , creative services director , Identity ; and Dan Colborne , creative director , Identity .
“ Our briefs used to be about a big production , whereas now it ’ s about an integrated campaign . I think if you ’ re staying true to an idea , it shouldn ’ t necessarily need a massive investment .”
– Andrew Perrott , managing director ,
Chorus
Andrew Perrott
Creative constraints Surmounting the hurdle of the budget is not always an easy task for the creative minds at agencies , with the pressures on commerciality often being caused by global-level economic trends , not least including the recovery from the pandemic and the global supply chain .
It ’ s not just the economics of events that present a challenge
Robert Andersen
now either , now an event has to be mindful of sustainability , inclusivity and community , to name just a few . While these factors are critical for event success , they require investment to get right .
Dan Colborne , creative director , Identity , said : “ I think there ’ s a lot of changes in this world , that everyone ’ s mindful of . Even a simple question like how many people should we be inviting to a conference ? That has massive implications and raises questions like what is the green footprint ? What does that mean for carbon offsets ? Because of these top-line issues , it means that we ’ ve got to be smarter and more flexible in our delivery of creativity .”
Clients are also becoming more aware of these external pressures . David Crease , creative director , Wonder , said : “ I think at the moment , a brief or an initial client conversation almost starts tentatively and a little bit apologetically – about budgets , about global perception , about not trying to look too brash , about not trying
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