Clive Prosser: The year of ‘truth’ – observations from Advertising Week Europe

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0.jpegBy Clive Prosser (left), director of Advertising Week APAC

 

Last week, The Guardian and The Observer broke what could be the story of the year. This most recent revelation in the Cambridge Analytica story and subsequent outrage, points to a growing need for ‘truth’ – a theme reflected in debates held throughout Advertising Week Europe, hosted in Piccadilly Circus, London.

 

According to the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, this year named The Battle for Truth, Australians are nearly the least trusting worldwide in media, and almost 7 in 10 worry about false information or fake news being used as a weapon.

Layer on top of that the upcoming GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) coming into effect from 25th May and, speaking purely as an observer and no expert to judge, it could be one helluva year for the industry.

 

I may be biased, but it seems to me that Advertising Week Europe has a habit of staging some of the most pressing issues facing the industry, literally as they are unfolding, and no doubt we’ll see the same thing happen in Sydney for the inaugural APAC edition in July this year.

 

Almost exactly a year ago, we were reading instead about the YouTube brand safety scandal over ads appearing alongside extremist content and watching major brand after major brand pull their advertising from Google. What’s next for March 2019?

 

While the drama is being played out in London and across the Atlantic, the underlying issues of personal data, trust, brand safety and transparency are just as relevant to Aussie advertisers and marketers as they are overseas. Something I am keenly aware of, as we start to craft the agenda for Advertising Week APAC.

 

A major highlight from last week was Matt Brittin, president of Google EMEA tackling the future of digital media with CEO of the Guardian Media Group David Pemsel. From identifying violent extremism on YouTube, to the need for equality in search, to protecting the future of the Guardian without introducing a paywall, the early morning discussion at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club set the tone for the week.

 

Playing to the agency crowd, Grey London’s top creatives enjoyed a packed audience eager to hear about how to f**k up from the best in business. Meanwhile, Sir John Hegarty, of BBH, roused a round of applause by reflecting on the reason why he entered into advertising in the first place: “to create work that people wanted to watch, to inspire people” rather than “conning people into watching something.” Rather than nodding along with the rise of mobile, Sir John insisted on the value of an ‘ideas first’ approach, which focuses on sheer brilliant creative over hitting the right platform or context.

 

From the rise of mobile and video, to understanding the power of AI and machine learning, to access to talent, similar challenges are affecting both the UK and Australian marketing, media and advertising sectors.

 

So where do the differences lie? For one, Aussie creatives are arguably taking more risks. We see more ads causing a stir for their bold, brash, and often outright offensive ideas. Take the latest Meat and Livestock Australia ad, Lamb Side Story, which seems to be turning people vegan, or the notorious banter from Sportsbet in which sprinter Ben Johnson alludes to his use of steroids with the message “putting the roid in Android”. Either it’s down to less regulation, or Aussie consumers are used to more tongue in cheek, or a combination of both.

 

Another important difference is there’s no Brexit Down Under. Almost three years later, the Brexit deal is still being worked out, and uncertainty continues. This may be pure speculation, but it’s surely not so farfetched as to reason that the Australian creative industry could find a boost of creative talent migrating from the UK to our warmer climes over the coming years.

 

Finally, the UK’s creative industries remain concentrated in London, whereas Aussies keep each other on their toes through a healthy rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. With both cities laying claim to a fair share of our top creative, media and marketing agencies, the saying that you’re only as good as your competition applies.

 

Certainly, Australia’s advertising, marketing and media industry punches way above its weight and is recognised as home to some of the best creative minds worldwide. These points of differentiation must therefore be celebrated and embraced. And my hope is that come July, we can offer up Advertising Week APAC as a platform for Aussie advertisers and marketers to speak to the world.