Spikes impressions: Creative use of old media is just as inspiring

Having judged Cannes Media Lions last year, I felt very honoured to be invited to be on the Spikes’ Media jury this year.

Despite the fact that we have entered the technology-enabled era, it strikes me that our industry is still very much about ideas – ideas that inspire consumers; ideas that shape technological development and most importantly, ideas that transform businesses! 
                                                           
Day 1 of judging: We went through 176 shortlisted entries in one day! This meant that we were literally watching one entry video and scoring it , one after another. We were ruthlessly hunting for great ideas because we simply didn’t have the time to drill deep into the campaign details. It was depressing to see so much hard work behind the entries removed from the awarding phase.

Day 2 of judging: Some tough decisions were made when scrutinising every entry's materials. After much deliberation, we upgraded some entries but some just simply didn’t make it.

If you are in to win, here are some of my personal observations that may help:

What makes a great idea:

• It connects consumers to the brand meaningfully and effectively. If you are creating an engagement campaign, then be very clear on what KPIs should be evaluated.
• It doesn’t have to be new to be innovative. New ideas or truly original thinking are hard to come by. Think about how you can evolve a great idea even though some genius did it first!
• A great idea doesn’t matter if it has no proof of results/effectiveness.

How to structure a campaign:

• An emotional campaign touches the heart, but it must be born from a clear strategy of why it was the best solution to benefit the brand.
• Creative-driven or content-based campaigns that are broadcast through media channels do not necessary mean a great entry for Media Spikes. Judges are looking for the best and smartest use of media to bring the campaign idea to life.
• Innovative campaigns often employ technology, but what makes a really powerful and effective campaign is when the technology has a real purpose.
• Award-winning campaigns aren’t always about new media. Creative use of old media is just as inspiring. 

Overall, it was inspiring to review the innovative ideas and smart thinking from Asia that is shaping our industry. I would encourage everyone to take some time out to go through the winning case studies.

Deric Wong is managing partner of strategy at Omnicom Media Group Hong Kong