Yiannis Vafeas, managing director, Golin MENA, on the relevance of creativity

Creativity is the most discussed phenomenon in today’s communication world. It is the genesis of everything, the lens with which to perceive things uniquely, an exploration of new approaches and a “formula” to generate solutions. Creativity is the cornerstone of all big and small innovations. As much as certain industries feel their proximity toward creativity, it is inherent in everyone who sees, feels or relates to it.

In the communication world, we are a bit selfish with creativity, considering it ‘our’ track to follow; in fact, all communication consultants tread this pathway with current client demands. We’re in a hyper-changing world, where media engagement rules are altered every single day, leaving us to think about what’s next.

Missed connections

Creativity is all about being innovative and bold, using insight-backed concepts to make a brand shine. When pursued irrelevantly, it loses meaning and becomes a neurotic anxiety. It misses a vital defining factor: relevance.

Who can absorb the magnitude of a Picasso if they’re not into art? Who can feel the awesomeness of the Parthenon without an interest in history?

Creativity needs to alleviate close-minded marketing constraints so it can best relate to consumers. In PR, bridging creativity and innovation connects to audiences purposefully and augments “engagement levels”.

The creative secret is a shift in brand perception; from thinking ‘product’ to the larger ‘network’ with strong underlining associations; a shift from ‘consumers’ to ‘co-creators of value’ and a shift from cooperation or competition to ‘co-opetition’.

Some case studies have closely engaged with consumers emotionally, resulting in favorable business. Mondelēz International’s Philadelphia, targeting discerning Arab women, was experiencing declining sales. Striking a connection emotionally, it launched “Spread Some Inspiration” to celebrate these women through philanthropy. A long-standing platform to reward unsung women heroes, the campaign was revamped as “Creativity for a Cause”, targeting Arab women with everyday creative community development ideas for a chance to win. Advocated by influential women and universities, the movement is playing an integral role in the shift in women’s outlooks for the past seven years.

Fun City’s “Children’s Play Index” is another such example. Perceived as a play venue only, it re-introduced itself in 2010 through a “play index” to drive the message of play for wellness. Expanding on the campaign, it launched the first-ever global play index in 2015, bridging the gap between the Middle East and the rest of world. Altering perceptions through scientific results enabled Fun City to become a strong guide and referral for parents, experts and professionals in the realm of play, thereby forging strong connections with communities.

The business of bold

The above brands were bold and innovative while not losing sight of business objectives. Innovative, relevance-driven strategies maximize brand value, drive awareness and subsequently increase brand relevance.

Creative and innovative PR can have several directions calculated in “relevance” metrics, with an increased emphasis on content quality. Worthy content elevates brand perceptions, increases awareness and drives positive consumer engagements.

To achieve creative and innovative results, understanding the brand’s dream and business objectives is vital. Characterizing various target audiences and knowing their tastes and preferences will unearth insights and human truths. The most striking and compelling of these will lead to strategic opportunity for the brand; the germination process of the ‘creative idea’ commences here.

Furthermore, while connecting with editors, influencers and bloggers use mass mailing tactics i.e. ‘spray and pray’, but these are passé. Instead, use content tools with ‘news agents’ to create conversations that matter by engaging them in brand experiences that organically create conversations about your brand – a game-changing domain.

To sum up, creativity without direction, structure or objectives will not yield results. To succeed, it is imperative to entwine it within the organization’s DNA.

Organizational structures designed to support incubation and nurturing of creativity have managed to succeed because they have broken archetypes. Also, result-oriented tools driving these unconventional and bold ideas, tapping into real-time trends and opportunities, provide the much-required fillip to this process. Creativity is not creativity if we adhere to age-old norms; pushing new ideas to feel excited about charting untapped territories is simply the way forward for brands.