12 Questions : 20 People – #5 Andy Greenaway, Regional ECD, SapientNitro Singapore

12:20 is a Sydney based creative consultancy that works with agencies across Asia. Recently, while working in Singapore and Hong Kong, Christian Finucane and Jon Skinner met with 20 creative leaders from the top agencies to discuss the opportunities and challenges for the industry. The interviews, ’12 Questions: 20 People’ are being published in a series of blog posts on Campaign Brief Asia. The fifth interview is with Andy Greenaway, (pictured) Regional ECD, SapientNitro Singapore.

What’s the most exciting thing about working in Asia?

The diversity of cultures. The fast pace of change. And the speed to market.

What inspires you?

Change. Stagnation in traditional agencies is rife. I want to learn something new every day. The bridge between technology and brand thinking is an inspiring space.

How has social media impacted creativity in the region?

Social has huge potential to unleash creativity in Asia. But so far it hasn’t happened. That’s partly because clients don’t invest enough in it. And partly because most fan pages are managed by community managers who love to post pictures of cats. There’s an obsession with ‘Likes’. But that doesn’t mean anything unless there’s meaningful engagement. Social has had a lot of hype but it’s not the only way to connect with consumers. Ecommerce platforms, for instance, are having a huge impact on how brands go to market and create engagement with real and tangible commercial value.

What recent work do you think is great?

There is nothing around in Asia at the moment with real scale – work that will have a genuine impact on people’s lives. Most of it is fake. We have to break the obsession with scam or otherwise our industry will continue to slide down the value chain.

Which clients are pushing the boundaries and how?

Unilever. They get the importance of digital and invest in it. They’re building platforms and creating fully-fledged digital ecosystems. Contrast this with P&G who are really struggling with the online space. Their idea of digital is a pre-roll on YouTube (which is basically broadcast in the online space).

Are there any cultural ‘creative watch-outs’ working here?

Every market is different. Humour varies greatly. What’s funny in Japan is just plain weird in India. There’s also cultural nuances you need to be aware of, too. It’s taboo to show armpits in Malaysia and Indonesia, for example. The point here is that we need to do more to unearth and tap into local insights. Genuine insights are needed to make genuine connections with people.

Which Asian country is punching above its weight creatively?

Australia and New Zealand still hold the crown for progressive work. They are simply more mature marketing environments.

Why does creativity matter?

Because creativity forces change. Creativity allows upstarts to challenge the behemoths of the world. Creativity breaks the status quo.

What makes the local industry different?

The food.

Cannes Titanium, Spikes Asia Grand Prix or AWARD Gold Pencil? Which and why?

Cannes. It’s the Oscars of thinking.

What is the creative issue that frustrates you the most?

Our industry’s obsession with awards. This often-superficial benchmark gets in the way of creating real campaigns that have real impact on the world. Awards are a habit that makes agency bean counters happy. That’s because they focus creative people on chasing trinkets and distract them away from a salary that their skills truly deserve.

What’s the biggest opportunity for creative people?

To get out of the trap of traditional networks. When you see a mega merger, like the one we’ve just witnessed between Omnicom and Publicis (Omni-Poo), you’ve got to think it presents an opportunity. That merger is not good for clients, and you can bet your bottom dollar that large chunks of business will flow out. Smart creative people can lap that stuff up. I just met a colleague of mine recently who is pulling the rug from under the agencies on a global multi-national consumer goods company. And the agencies don’t even realise it.

The networks have become banks. And they act like it. They are risk averse and focused on cost cutting. Clients like start-ups because they are the exactly opposite.

Photo caption: John Skinner (left) and Christian Finucane (right).

12 questions to Ted Lim, Dentsu Network Asia.