Brands have a lot to learn from Pokemon GO's success: Jon Cook

Interview with Global chief executive officer, VML

Advertisers need to look at innovative ways in which an available technology and creative idea can be put to use to drive deeper interactions with consumers, Jon Cook tells Sangeeta Tanwar

VML works with a large number of clients but maintains the responsiveness of a small, nimble agency. What are the must have strategies for organisations to stay nimble?

I think nimbleness is all about culture and the mindset of the people. That is, what is it that an organisation and its people want to achieve and how best can they work with each other to deliver the desired results. Organisations can become more nimble by focusing on speed and innovation. Also, one needs to have on board the right set of people who identify with your culture and can help drive agility into the organisation. To have a nimble organisation, it is important to empower people and encourage them to break away from clutter to get things moving. Most importantly, to achieve speed and innovation, it is necessary to assure people that they can break established processes and create things on their own to deliver results. For instance, at VML no process or system is sacred. Everybody in the company has the liberty to change things and make new beginnings. We encourage questioning and egg on people to keep processes relevant and alive to stay nimble and agile.
 

You have often said it is important to inspire human connections while helping brands grow their businesses. How do you translate this vision into action?

Emotional quotient or human connectedness is often mistaken for insights. I believe it is just a fact and not actually an insight. Fact alone cannot help design and deliver a great communication message. Fact backed by great insight is what helps drive great ideas. When one brings together fact and insight, creativity gets so much better. We employ this approach to all aspects of our work. For example, we do not use technology for the sake of using it; instead we use technology to understand how it is shaping human behaviour.

How important is a business' online reputation to build a sustainable brand? What is the one best practice of using social media to grow one's business?

The real power of social media lies in its ability to help us closely interact with consumers and understand their preferences. Such a close interaction goes a long way in helping advertisers and marketers understand the core of a brand and its true purpose in the consumer's life. Also, social media helps brands keep their relationship with consumers live and going.

You just said "we do not use technology for the sake of using it". So how should brands leverage technology and social media to be more productive?

Look at the success of Pokemon GO, a game powered by augmented reality (AR). Brands have a lot to learn from its success. AR technology has been there for the longest time but it is Pokemon GO that has demonstrated how technology and gamification put together can be leveraged to deliver a personalised experience to consumers. The game's popularity and brands' clamouring to be part of it proves that advertisers need to look at innovative ways in which an available technology and creative idea can be put to use to drive deeper interactions with consumers.

We keep hearing about the potential of data and big analytics. With so much data floating all around there are chances that one might simply feel lost. What are the dos and don'ts while dealing with data?

Yes, unlike in an earlier era today we have a huge amount of data floating around us. At any given time we have multiple analysis and data research in progress. It can really become paralysing. One may end up overusing data and losing sight of fact and human insight which is necessary for delivering the desired communication message. It is critical to use data to drive real value; however, in trying to do so one must not lose sight of the fundamental message which needs to be delivered to consumers. One must remember that data should help marketers deliver greater value to consumers.

What does a marketer need to keep in mind while deciding his media mix from the growing number of options available?

With the emergence of multiple media platforms, messages can be personalised and the need for a communication message to be channel-agnostic is becoming an absolute necessity. Most importantly, your communication has to be backed by strong insight. Big ideas will never go out of style. The biggest change in the industry is that the levels of engagement of consumers have changed. So ideas have to be deeper and more engaging. Marketers now have access to more tools and platforms to express their ideas. So first think of a big idea and then look for the appropriate channels to reach out to the target audience. Brands need to engage with consumers with big ideas riding on available and future technologies.