A creative idea is only truly brilliant if it is also effective.
But creativity, although vital to our industry, is still a means to an end. The fundamental question is: how can we be indispensable to our clients?
Simple. Measurable commercial impact. Help clients sell more at a higher value. But to do that there must be real substance behind the creative idea. We have to understand what it is that prompts a consumer to make a certain decision and how to deliver that message in the right way. Ultimately, we’re in the business of changing behaviour.
To achieve that, we’ve changed the way in which we evaluate ourselves with our clients and been honest about our strengths and weaknesses in this area, discovering more ways to improve.
Part of that is training – key for everyone involved in the creative process to be the most effective. Planners, strategists, account managers and creatives – all can identify and use the performance data they need.
So, after a three-year period of embedding an effectiveness culture within McCann Worldgroup, we were delighted to be named Effectiveness Network of the Year at the recent IPA Effectiveness Awards.
Case Study: How L'Oréal Paris UK True Match climbed to No.1 by making everyone feel 'Worth it'
• The campaign aimed to attract 256,000 new customers and for True Match to become market leader within a year
• True Match saw an opportunity to appeal to minority consumers who often feel excluded by mass cosmetic marketing because of their skin tone. The campaign used the new "Because we’re all worth it" L'Oréal strapline
• Estimated short-term revenue ROI was £2.90 for every £1 invested
•The strategy was later rolled out to 15 countries
Between their London and Manchester offices, McCann entered three outstanding and unique campaigns that showcased the adaptability and breadth of ability across the network. Particularly impressive was their work with L'Oreal True Match, which was a brilliant example of how marketing communications can help change the cosmetic industry for the betterNeil Godber, Covenor of judges and head of planning, J.Walter Thompson London, following McCann's IPA win
We believe that effectiveness is the strongest – if not the most valuable – way to steadily build trust with clients.
At McCann Worldgroup we have been relentless in our invesment and commitment to creating a culture energised and unified by the will to prove and command creative effectiveness. Regardless of discipline, everyone is an advocate and a champion of effectiveness.
At it's core we have achieved this by evangelising seemingly simple and obvious behaviours that are characteristic of a mindset based on the principles of solving rather than selling. In addition to this IPA accolade for our UK group, winning the European Effectiveness Network of the Year awards three years consecutively goes to show that our teams continue to work hard at making these principles standard practise.Harjot Singh, chief strategy officer, Europe, McCann Worldgroup