One of the challenges working in an integrated marketing communications agency is to come up with “kick-ass” campaigns that are sure to make or break a client’s pitch. That is why in as much as possible, I feed myself with new ideas that usually come from various platforms such as social media, newspapers, and books.
I commit myself to be educated in the latest trends that is why during my free time, I visit the bookstore and see relevant business books that can be helpful to what I do as a marketing person.
My latest read is Josiah Go’s “The Mavericks” where it features various marketing personalities that are considered the cream of the crop in their league. “The Mavericks” Book Launched last May 2019 discussed the Philippines’ legendary marketing mavericks and rockstars coming from P&G and Unilever, McDonald’s and Jollibee, Max’s and Bizu, Mansmith and Francorp, L’oreal and Nestle, Cignal TV and Turner Broadcasting, Bibingkinitan and Dentsu. The book is very relevant as I get to implement some of their learnings as I do my daily task as the head of TEAM PRC’s digital and creative department, Full Blast Digicomms, Inc.
FORMULATING YOUR BIG IDEA
As a marketing person, it is best that you always provide your clients with unique and relevant ideas that will meet their objectives. In the said book, Christina Lao, McDonald’s Philippines marketing director, Young Market Masters Award (YMMA) awardee in 2010 was featured in Go’s The Mavericks. Under Lao’s leadership where she handles and supervises young employees under the “millennial” group, overseeing menu innovation, brand communications, digital marketing, family marketing, local store marketing, and customer care, Mc Donald’s Philippines received the Hall of Fame Award from the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) for winning the Grand PANAta Award, the highest accolade, for three consecutive years. She also led Mc Donald’s Philippines in receiving the Brand Builder of the Year of the McDelivery Pin campaign during the 2018 PANAta Awards, Ad of the Year during the inaugural 2018 YouTube Ad Awards for “Wait Lang Po”, and the highly coveted Advertiser of the Year Award during the 2018 Philippine Boomerang Awards.
Kring has happily imparted her marketing knowledge and the secrets to her team’s success to other Mc Donald’s markets around the world, as one of the professors in the Worldwide Marketing Hamburger University in Munich, Germany in 2018, and Bangkok, Thailand in 2017. In the book “The Mavericks” written by Josiah Go, she shares some tips on how to convert consumer insights into a big idea.
What is a marketing big idea for you?
For Lao, the definition of a “Marketing Big Idea” is a “creative seed” that comes from inspiring and thought-provoking consumer insight and is able to link the creative idea with the brand and business objectives. Just like any seed, if watered and nurtured well, it will grow into something beautiful and fruitful and can have the power to move the brand forward – connective well with its target market, in the heart, mind, and stomach.
A marketing big idea can come from anywhere – from the Marketing Team, from other departments within the organization, from our agency partners, and even from our customers themselves.
It is very important for a marketing campaign to have that one big idea that will keep all components and elements and stages of the campaign aligned, from anticipation, to amplification and participation. s much as possible, it should be a customer-centric, media-neutral idea that supports the strategy/ies identified in order to deliver the business objectives.
How does one prepare to think of big ideas?
According to Lao, her team is a big believer of mining big marketing ideas from relevant and compelling consumer insights – these make the foundation of all the company’s plans. They look at their category, customers, and even the very culture of the Filipino people, to really drill down on what will resonate well with our customers. “We think of our customer’s journey” said Lao
“We acknowledge that this is not easy, so at Mc Donald’s we encourage collaboration. The brief is not the sole deliverable of the Marketing Team or the agency partner but is co-authored by the two to ensure strong alignment. The team takes great time and effort in creating our brief. It is important that we articulate our objectives and insights in a clear, succinct, and inspiring manner. Once we have agreed on the insights the team then works on the big idea” shared Lao.
What’s the process of shortlisting to choose the final big idea?
What Lao and her team usually do is to ensure that when they enter a meeting where big ideas are being presented, they keep an open mind and unbiased attitude set on listening to all ideas – no matter how simple or complex it may sound.
One should not shoot down an idea just because it is not what he or she expected to hear. It is important to listen first to why and how this idea came about, especially knowing the proponent must have spent a lot of time and energy thinking about it.
For Lao, keeping the communication open between you and the one presenting the big idea. Be honest and transparent with questions as well as the intent will be key. Lao’s team also asks every member of the team to give their view and feedback on the ideas presented.
When choosing a big idea, aside from evaluating it from a marketer’s pint of view, we ensure we look at it from a consumer standpoint. Is it engaging and relevant to them? Will it connect with them? How should our customers understand what we are trying to say?
But most of all, Lao’s message as a marketer is to have a strong intuition. Your gut feels and personal judgment based on your own observations and understanding of your brand and customer. There may be scary ideas, but in the long run, your intuition may tell you that the risk is worth the wait.
What are common mistakes in formulating big ideas?
Lao shared that there are “lessons learned and experiences gained” from trying new things and from her personal observations:
- Not putting the customer at the center of the creation of the brief and of the big idea
- Thinking that the big idea of one brand will also apply to yours just because you have a similar target market.
- Compromising on which idea to go with just because it is the popular one.
- Falling in love with a certain idea so much and getting stuck with it for a long time that it becomes formulaic.
- Not willing to openly communicate and to collaborate with other team members.
- Not giving the concerned parties with enough time to think and to craft the big ideas
In ending, Lao shares that “While one of the most exciting parts in the work of a marketer is coming up with the Marketing Big Idea, it should not stop there. It is important that we see it through with the proper execution, monitoring, and evaluation. It is only when one’s great idea reaches and engages the customers and eventually delivers the results that it becomes even more fulfilling” said Lao.
No one has a monopoly over Big Ideas. As a Marketer, one should not solely take all credits for the success of a campaign. A big idea is a result of all the creative thinking and hard work of all team members – the marketing team, the agency partners, and in our case, our operations team who delivers not only the delicious food but the memorable experience or journey of your customers.
From the book “The Mavericks” by Josiah Go
Image Source: National Bookstore, Marketing Land, Shutterstock, nameperfection, Firebrand talent, c2Ti
