As V.P., Group Creative Director for Brand Response at MacLaren McCann in Toronto, I lead a group of truly talented creatives charged with doing two difficult and sometimes contradictory things: driving response and consumer engagement, and increasing consumer awareness of brands. In other words, making the phones ring and keeping the servers busy without resorting to stuff like, "Sham... wow!"
Somewhat sadly, there's a reason the airwaves are filled people yelling about buying your spare gold, and your inbox is filled with calls to enhance all sorts of your body parts. That stuff gets results. If it didn't, it wouldn't exist. In spite of its general awfulness, those kinds of ads are effectively exploiting some pretty basic human realities and needs.
So, our job is to use those realities and techniques in a way that doesn't turn people off – in a way that actually allows people to want a relationship with our clients, as opposed to simply drunkenly buying that AM Gold of the 1970s CD set at 3 in the morning. (Not that I'd know what that's like.)
Achieving this – what we call Brand Response – takes all the skills and experiences I've accumulated and thought about for the better part of two decades. Smart strategy driven by real consumer insights. Practical production knowledge of digital, print, DM and TV. The people skills to help my teams accomplish impossible jobs. The creative skills to help art directors and writers make their work the best it can be, while being able to whip up a Johnson box or subject line or script myself, when the situation requires.
And of course, the ability to come up with ideas that resonate, engage and motivate.
I've done it for loads of clients in pretty much every category – fundraising, automotive, financial, tourism, telco, tech, health care, CPG, retail, government...
