Jack Blog
June 18th, 2012 By Jack Morton
As guilty as I feel reporting on what I’m learning “on business” at the festival of creativity in Cannes, which is in the south of France last time I checked, I have to say the lessons are coming fast and furious. Here are my favorites as of day 2 (day 1, I was still jet lagged, so nothing there):
#1 — Creative talent is the most precious resource, and everyone feels its scarcity
Excellent presentations by IPG sister agencies Huge and Deutsch LA on the strides they’re taking to cultivate and keep creative talent. Huge talked about its UX school—founded after the agency determined that they’d be better suited training their “UX unicorn” stars versus trying to recruit them from elsewhere. Deutsch LA talked about the simple but smart steps they’re taking to ensure that creative talent feel recognized and rewarded: smaller “SWAT” teams; opportunities to participate in R&D-style projects; access to training; and an overriding belief that a strong agency culture will cure many ills (love that). Hats off to both.
#2 — Experience — yes, it really is the vital frontier for growth
Amazing overview of key trends by Contagious magazine staff at the end of the day. The founder and two consultants made an excellent case for why, in an era when consumers are increasingly hesitant to just “buy more stuff,” brands should be studying consumer journeys and seeking out white spaces where there are opportunities to create valuable, useful experiences that make people’s lives better. Data cited included the one pictured above, proving that consumers are more likely to seek out “experiential” purchases versus just buying more products.