Last week’s exclusive content on CMO.com focused on creativity. Embracing creativity is one of the primary ways businesses remain relevant in an ever-changing world. One of those changes recently has been the increasing use of technology to block advertising altogether. Brands who want to get consumer attention and earn their loyalty need to get creative in their marketing approaches. Many businesses don’t realize the key drivers of creativity, however, and just as many fail to realize the barriers they often put up to unleashing creativity in their people.
Rod Banner, Agent of Change at 3LA, began the week by painting a sobering picture of the state of advertising in a world where more and more people are utilizing ad-blocking technology. The simple fact, according to Banner, is that people don’t view advertising if they can avoid it. After being inundated with advertising everywhere they go, most people ignore the advertising in front of them. The advertising they do see often generates a feeling of distrust. Instead of viewing advertising, people invest their time in things that interest them. The obvious takeaway is that marketers need to be more creative in how their advertising is packaged. This often means creating engaging content that captures consumers’ interests and generating word-of-mouth advertising.
The CMO.com interview with Aston Martin’s Chief Marketing Officer, Simon Sproule highlighted the way Aston Martin utilizes its rich history and its product’s reputation as key elements of its marketing strategy. Sproule shared the focus the brand takes at telling the best stories and utilizing channels like digital to get those stories out to consumers. Another highlight of the interview was the role data plays in driving marketing decisions. Sproule believes it’s vital for marketers to pay close attention to data analytics.
A recap of the Inspiration Conference in London last month highlighted some key elements to drive creativity in marketing. One of the primary drivers of creativity, according to Paul Bay of citizenbay, is curiosity. Bay mentioned that curiosity puts the brain “in a state that’s more conducive to learning.” Bay warned that many companies, though they claim to value curiosity, operate in a way that shuts down curiosity and prevents new discoveries. Other key elements mentioned during the conference were collaboration and the importance of listening to outside voices.
UK’s Heathrow Airport utilizes data to shape the journey customers take through the airport to give them a better experience and guide them to where they need to be. The airport uses data provided by the airlines to create a mobile app that provides a seamless integration of the airport’s mapping, customer flight data, its loyalty scheme, and targeted promotions for its customers. Simon Chatfield, Heathrow’s head of ebusiness and CRM, shares the challenge Heathrow faces in anticipating customer needs and the factors they pay attention to for hints about what those needs might be on a given trip through the airport.
Ben Pask, Co-Founder of Rare Consultancy, ended the week by discussing the inherent creativity embraced by children that is often lost when people enter adulthood. If businesses want to be innovative, Pask echoed what Paul Bay mentioned as the key to creativity at the Inspiration Conference: curiosity. Children are naturally curious, but that curiosity tends to slow down when people get older. Pask encourages people to embrace the habit of child’s play to generate innovation, which involves seeing everyone as creative and all ideas as valuable, as well as learning from mistakes.
Please take some time this week to check out our exclusive content on CMO.com. Learn from some of the industry’s top marketers and let us know what you think.
The post CMO.com Highlights — The Leading Drivers of Creativity in Marketing appeared first on Digital Marketing Blog.