Creativity & career candour

Straight talker and Recruitment Director at The Pond Leighton Howl shares his views on Adland and recruiting in the current market.

ADLAND IS CONSTANTLY SHIFTING – WHAT DOES ITS FUTURE LOOK LIKE?

I’m not sure it has shifted much in the past three years, but prior to this it had, and quickly. The past three years has been a settling-down period for media, creative and how clients now connect with the various groups of online and offline consumers. A lot has happened since the first iphone landed in 2007 and social media kicked off; since then, it’s slowed slightly and the past three years has been a ‘take a breath’ period as everyone’s got their head around it all.

The future looks good for agencies who know what they do and what they do well, and lead clients with their expert knowledge.

The days of ‘agencies’ doing everything and anything is over. The factory agency is dead. I think clients will continue to use agencies for impact campaigns, the big stuff, but in-house the through-the-line work and below-the-line work, the stuff that Adobe and Apple has helped commoditise for us over the past 10 years by putting the tools in everyone’s hands. Anyone can now design, create or write; the typical areas of retail, design and basically low-shelf-life marketing fodder that’s effective on Friday and a dead dog by Monday will not demand the high agency rates of this time.

Big brand campaigns with multi-level media interaction, smart planning and strategy will continue to be paid top dollar, as clients can’t hire these people directly. Agencies still attract and manage a certain level of candidate who loves to be in and work within an agency creative structure.

Agencies need to refocus on creative more and less on tech as the heart of the client’s solution or brief – basically stop making rubbish to make a buck. There needs to be more big thinking that carries a stronger customer relationship and brand values with time attached. DDB and Special lead this space with other highly creative shops. Some of the big global agencies are getting lazy and making way for small fighter

‘Agencies need to refocus on creative more and less on tech.’

agencies to start popping up.

Where will we be in five years? Less focus on social media (people have less time, so that will flip itself around ), more focus on creative, more focus on impactful work and campaigns consumers love and talk about. Industry has lost some of that heart and desire with the work. Tui’s ‘Catch a Million’ from five years ago is an example of what we need more of – work with reality, humour and attract-ability at its heart; less clichéd marketing talk that looks like marketing.

HOW IS THE CREATIVE AGENCY ITSELF EVOLVING?

The typical creative agency is evolving the wrong way, away from creative and too much towards tech as the solution. Is tech creative enough? I’m not sure.

HOW DOES THIS ALL IMPACT THE RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY?

Not at all, really. Recruitment isn’t about creative or tech, it’s about people and bringing the two parties together for a retained future together. Agencies who use recruiters hire people who stick longer, helping them grow. Ones who don’t usually just hire their mates or people who’re like them, who already do what they do and create what they like.

For many years, Saatchi & Saatchi was built on hiring unique people – that’s why client briefs became possible when, really, for the average Joe they were 100 percent impossible. Hiring creative people who didn’t think how they wanted them to think was a good place to start.

HOW DO JOB SEEKERS STAND OUT IN THE EYES OF A WOULD-BE EMPLOYER IN THE CURRENT MARKET?

Don’t apply for a role unless you actually know what the employer does and want to work for them. Once you’re excited about that part, turn up to the interview more excited, with your homework complete. Have an open mind and a list of laser questions. Be yourself – a little bit crazy if you’re crazy, prim and proper if that’s the way you roll. Talk with passion and go into it guns blazing. If you hit a brick wall and the people hiring aren’t you, kill it and move to the next opportunity. Remember fit is key, but you have to believe in what the agency or company does and how they do it.

Dress to impress. There’s nothing wrong with that, even though fashion in 2021 is all about looking like you just stepped out of dumpster.

Have a good three-page CV, no longer. The one-page CV theory is dead – it’s great for people who’ve achieved little. Add in your achievements and what you did in each role and be proud as punch about the detail. Another tip is to have an idea of where you’re going in the next one, three, five years and what your dreams are. If you want to manage people or see yourself as a leader, tell them – don’t be afraid to sell it, sell you and interview like a winner. Be an individual in the crowd.

For further information on The Pond’s offering, visit thepond.co.nz