It is the time of the year when the UAE ad agency fraternity come together to recognize - and reward - creativity in the world of advertising. An exercise that has been an integral part of the industry.
It goes without saying that great creative communication should be identified and the people behind the process rewarded. It is also true that awards serve as a major motivational tool, especially for those in the creative industry. At many ad agencies, awards are a testimony of their ranking in the industry.
It reinforces the perception that the agency is one of the best out there and that clients can safely entrust their brands to them. It also provides a boost to the team that has won the award for the top-ranked creatives of the year, enhances their profile and opens new growth avenues.
Considering all these, the need to create award-winning campaigns become all the more important. At times developing such campaigns take precedence over creating effective ones. I have seen multiple instances where the creative team takes extra efforts to create campaigns with the sole objective of winning awards. True, these instances are in the few.
In this context, the question before me is quite simple – ‘Does creativity play a role in enhancing RoI?’ Though the question is obvious, the answer may not be simple or direct. It is an undisputed fact that the objective of an ad campaign is to attract attention.
All those who are involved in the process have the responsibility of creating content that will stand out and it is here that creativity holds the edge. Creativity surely does provide multiple benefits. They not only attract attention but generate a feel-good factor for the brand.
In today’s highly cluttered content space, creative content helps the brand to be seen and heard. All these act as catalyst to create a favorable disposition towards the brand and influences behavior when a customer is out there in the market. Great creative campaigns thus provide a distinct advantage.
As an industry person, I strongly believe that when a client briefs the agency, there is a specific need that has to be met. As a custodian it is the responsibility of the agency to create something that will meet that need in the best possible manner.
The need is for agencies to provide comprehensive solutions and if in the process the content is creative, well and good. Creativity should reflect in the strategic solutions being proposed. Ideas matter and big ideas matter more since they open up solutions that work for the brand.
It is also worthwhile to remember that content creators should be well aware of the product category as well as the media landscape where the message is going to be served so that the creative thought process can be fine-tuned accordingly.
Still, the question remains whether ad agencies are in the business of creativity or in the business of building brands, modifying consumer behavior, influencing brand selection and enabling advertisers to get value for their money. Creative advertising is creating something that works across multiple levels – and if possible, win awards too.
While the award will shine on the agency wall, it is the music of the RoI that will help the award to glean brighter.
