Original thought
Annabel Palmer talks to Adam & Eve’s Jon Forsyth about the importance of agility
COMMUNICATIONS agency Adam & Eve shook assumptions about the demise of traditional media when it created the 2011 John Lewis Christmas advert (one of five it has now done for the store). The agency was launched in 2008 and merged with DDB 18 months ago. Founder and chief communications strategy officer Jon Forsyth tells Morning Wire about life as a new face in a brutally competitive marketplace.
How have you and your co-founders penetrated the advertising market?
We never set out to create a new model or challenge convention just for the sake of it. We just aimed to give clients what they want. Bizarrely, setting up mid-recession probably helped us, as advertisers were reviewing their marketing arrangements.
How has the industry changed over the course of your career?
In some ways, it is brutally consistent. A continual demand for original thinking and ideas are what make brands famous. However, there has undoubtedly been a move towards greater efficiencies, which in turn has driven the demand for more online content and ideas that travel far beyond advertising.
Also, technology has driven entrepreneurialism. We live in an exciting time, when anyone can test their ideas quickly and with a world of free online reviewers willing to give their opinion. People have higher expectations. With the ability to publish ideas online easily, it’s becoming harder to be original, so agencies have to really delve into what makes a brand loved and unique.
What impact is social media having on advertising? What effect do you think wearable tech will have on the industry?
The biggest impact of social media is the life span of a piece of creative – it can live or die in a matter of seconds once released. Advertisers therefore need to be far more reactive and agile about everything they broadcast, so they can surf the momentum of how an idea is received, or manage the backlash. Transparency and honesty as a rule is best.
Wearable technology gives us a new type of exchange with customers. This will have a minute-by-minute effect on consumers’ behaviour. People will have a tricky decision to make – either embrace this exchange, or miss out on what others are learning. An interesting question will also be the aesthetic – will wearables become loud and proud or fashionably hidden?
What big challenges does the industry face in 2014?
Agility. Marketing has become a real land of opportunity again. As the economy grows, so does the confidence of marketers. This is resulting in a lot of experimentation, which might be with technology, a completely new media strategy, or creating new products. Agencies that are set up to move quickly and mirror client needs without compromising great creativity will come out top.
What will be the big trends of the next 12 months?
First, the increasing popularity of “communication products”. In a bid to have more direct relationships with consumers, brands will create ways to communicate continually with them. Fitness brands are the perfect example.
Secondly, the rise of branded entertainment – the creativity of the world of advertising is increasingly valued by the production companies that make the big populist TV shows.
Finally, in the digital world, the way we advertise is changing. There will always be a love and desire for ads that have a deeply emotional appeal. But how they’re shown and shared may change. Our last John Lewis ad received over 12m YouTube views and was integrated all the way into products, digital and in-store experience.
What’s the one campaign you wish could work on?
I would love to work on an American election campaign. I’m sure it would be soul destroying and relentless, but the strategy and tactics involved are incredible, and you would learn a huge amount.
@AnnabelPalmer1