A few days ago, I walked past two of my colleagues laughing and giggling, I asked what was up, “We just walked out of the most uncomfortable weekly work review ever. The work was terrible. The creative is not paying off on the strategy. Also there was no strategy and some folks have their noses put out of joint!” More glee. I was lost.
“It’s the inherent tension of the creative process” they said. Creatives obsessed by craft, strategists wanting their thinking stress tested and account people who just want to deliver for their clients; separate agendas. But magic happens when all three align perfectly. “But clearly there was no magic.” I said, still puzzled. “But you can see who is ready to be challenged. Who got why it didn’t work. Who was not afraid of the rework. The ones who are going to come back and knock our socks off.”
No fear of failure. Those were the people they were talking about.
Stock price pressures, the cycle of quarterly results, the beat of the monthly sales cycle, the ask for guaranteed delivery and proven ROI can add an unbearable burden to the day. As pressure mounts the risks of failure and the fear of experimentation can stifle marketers and how they unleash creativity and innovation.
These are the very times when you can find the strategies and talent that will be game changers. So how?
- Creativity is a Cultural Choice. The best creative thinking happens at the intersection of ideas, of disciplines and often very different world views colliding. Value and elevate an organizational culture that brings disparate departments, people and thoughts together. Not to solve the most urgent problem or project but perhaps perform the most mundane. When it’s an organizational norm … you won’t really be able to stop it taking a life if its own, even in tough times.
- Creativity Needs a Sandbox. Your biggest brand, the biggest launch, the make-or-break moment is where we target our maximal effort. But often those moments are highly regulated, monitored and where the quirkiest ideas don’t often see the light of day. What’s the product / range / innovation or renovation that no one is looking at because its small and “will grow anyway”. Take that 50% growth target and get creative thinking about how to make it 500% or 5000%. Let this be the sandbox where you play without fear.
- Creativity Demands Champions. There is talk ad nauseum about the AI agent who will be part of your team in the future. But who is your champion of creativity? The person who argues for the less expedient and convenient path. Who holds up the standard and is the lone holder of the minority opinion “why is this, like that?”. Celebrate them and give this teammate a bigger seat at the table and no matter what the temptation don’t roll your eyes. They push when everyone wants to settle and that’s where great work and thinking is born.
The passion of the creative fire burns fierce and strong … small nudges can sometimes be all it needs.
Authored by Amrita Randhawa, CEO, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Publicis Groupe and Board Member for The Marketing Society Singapore.
