Ruth Warder, London

One of the most talked about opportunities that the changing economic climate will telegraph for Communications is a greater emphasis on innovation. Agencies will be expected to make more from less. It is anticipated that this will encourage stronger and clearer focus on creativity, and higher creative expectations from Brands.

This is a good thing. Higher creative expectations are what our industry needs. Great ideas should always be the heartbeat of PR campaigns no matter what the channels or who the editors are.
But is this new emphasis on creative primacy really going to mean and drastically different working or business environment? Don’t we always need to be creatively outstanding and doesn’t every pound of marketing budget spent need to deliver maximum return anyway, and should this not always be the case?
Marketers are used to working with limited resources and should always work on the principle that the best ideas, campaigns and stories are not always the most expensive. Take the seminal 1994 and 2008 JCPR Wonderbra campaigns as examples of huge and powerful campaigns delivered on small budgets. We do not need to invent new ways of working for these changing times. The best agencies should always relish the challenge to produce exceptional work – whatever the financial resource and whatever the financial context.

We have read much about the Economics of Less, the Rise of Consumer Politics, and that selling and shouting no longer works. In the new rules of Consumer Engagement, less means more. The perceived new creative dawn should look to define itself in parallel with these principles and seize the opportunity for less to mean creatively more, not just from a spend perspective but from a thought perspective. As Brands bravely embrace the world after the 30 second spot, they should seek to consolidate with courageous, simple, uncluttered thought.

But belief in the simple and the new has always required robust single minded conviction and pioneering spirit which, in turn, represents accelerated risk.

It is the willingness of Brands to take risks that has always had the most significant impact in getting creative ideas off the page. The real elephant in the room is not the need for greater or consolidated creativity or the confidence in, and understanding of, new authors and new channels – but the climate and tolerance for risk, as guaranteeing KPIs and ROIs becomes increasingly pivotal in getting campaigns that vital rubber stamp. The real challenge is not Budgets, its Brand Bravery.

Creativity could easily be forced to play second fiddle to ROI as Brands seek water tight solutions. As the tussle for spend morphs into a battleground between the strength and vision of an idea and the commitment and comfort of guaranteed delivery – the safe way to do things versus the risky, Brand Marketers should lead the march by showing and making Brands feel that they can have both their cake and eat it.
We all know that PR is unique in its ability to stretch and engage audiences across a multitude of channels, to influence and shape culture and deliver 360Brand-owned campaigns. We truly now have the power to Think Big.

But do we have the ability to responsibly and impressively convince Brands of this? Do we need to better interrogate and articulate how we demonstrate and communicate ideas to help Brands show value and ultimately give them what they need to make a great idea fly?

The war on mediocre but safe solutions can only be won if Marketers can establish and develop a dynamic framework to demonstrate the Business value and stretch of an idea – beyond traditional expectations, traditional routes, traditional results and, most importantly traditional, channels.

Four Ways to Better Communicate Ideas and Influence Decisions:

Build Cultural Relevance - root ideas in the cultural Zeitgeist. Stay current and grow the potential of the idea by harnessing and realizing the power of a strong brand story to contribute to culture. Collaborate with cultural institutions to build brand experiences and engage new audiences.

Demonstrate Power and Critical Mass – with ideas that work across a multitude of channels, avoid thinking simply of Consumer PR solutions, everyone is a consumer now, show and understand integrated platforms.

Show Robust Business Nous – that you know how to track and demonstrate measurable results, crucially, illustrate how the idea can effect sales.

Integrate and Collaborate - Consumer, Corporate, Digital, PA, the best solutions will offer every service that the Brand needs.

These are all obvious considerations, and that is ultimately the point. In the age of decision by committee and fear of waste; money, time or otherwise the onus is on us to work more effectively with Brands to deliver visionary creative campaigns that telegraph a robust success narrative from inception to completion.