Berna, Switzerland. Stefan Kern / Die Schweizerische Post.
What has the creative agency process been like at an in-house?
Generally speaking, there is a huge difference between creative processes at corporates and agencies. At bigger corporates, you often have to deal with steering committees and different boards. The more important it is that, at corporates, guidelines lead the way and prevent unnecessary discussions without too much narrowing the field for creative ideas. In contrast, the agencies’ job is to think outside the box.
Are there many differences between the work of a creative agency and an advertiser’s ‘in- house’?
The difference depends on the company’s culture and set-up. The more freedom creatives have at corporates the less the difference we see.
If you could create an ideal mix, what would you add from an agency’s internal processes to an ‘in-house’ and vice versa?
What can corporates learn from agencies? I think they should think more outside the box and should not being afraid of trying new forms of marketing. Especially in online marketing (E-Commerce), we see new features popping up almost on a daily basis. Those who can leverage this potential have a huge head start, not only in terms of market share but also in knowledge.
How can you build a public company’s reputation on social media?
There are many best practice cases like Daniel Wellington but there is no blue print. Many copied the watch brand not only in term of products but also in term of their social media communication. What was the result? They positioned themselves as copycats. I guess that wasn’t the goal. Every company, every industry is different. Building a reputation in social media means to take this into account.
It is easier to position a company than to build a reputation?
Positioning means always building a reputation and vice versa. Do you position your company by low prices? That has automatically an impact on the reputation, whether you do advertising or not. More important is that corporate behavior and corporate communications (and advertisement) are in tune. Or in other words: walk the talk.
In the face of the growing phenomenon of influencers on social media, do you think that influencers should be further regulated?
In many countries, the law limits the freedom of advertisement. As long as the law applies on influencer marketing too, there is no need for additional regulation. In case of any loopholes, the law has to be adjusted accordingly. There should just be the same rules for everyone.
Do you find influencer campaigns to be risky?
What kind of risk do you mean? From people sponsoring we learned to live with the risk of scandals. And in terms of performance? Is it riskier than traditional advertisement? Henry Ford said that half the money he spent on advertising was waste. The problem was he didn’t know which half. In this sense: nothing changed with influencer marketing.