WPP’s presence and creative assertion in Cannes Lions has grown in the last five years considerably. While we are only on the third day of the festival, how has this year been for the company?
I would say we have done well overall, so far. There is a lot of excellent work coming from various companies within our network. At the holding company level, WPP is leading in the top three but within the network, Ogilvy, specifically, has had an outstanding year, especially in New York. Compared to last year, the office has performed incredibly well. Strengthening our New York offices across all our agencies has been a significant achievement for us.
We have a wealth of talent, particularly in Ogilvy New York, which has undergone a substantial transformation. This transformation has helped the brand evolve and thrive. Additionally, despite the complexities of mergers and the various distractions that come with them, VML has performed admirably as well. We are building a strong foundation for the next year, which I believe will be even more successful.
What about WPP India’s agency networks' performance this year?
Ogilvy and VML have both done well and added Lions. It is encouraging to see the work being recognised and making an impact.
Aside from the awards themselves, what else has stood out for you?
I had the opportunity to engage with the next generation of talent at the Cannes Lions Academy. Engaging with students and sharing knowledge is incredibly rewarding and essential for the industry's future. Also, Jayson Atienza, an artist and a friend of mine, did some remarkable work for WPP, designing the entire visual identity for the WPP Beach, and the t-shirt I am wearing right now. Additionally, I also recorded more episodes of my podcast ‘Screaming Creativity’, which we make to talk about creativity in all its forms for our employees, but it’s also publicly available on Spotify, that’s been a lot of fun.
Did you see any big trends stand out this year like gen AI was the big conversation last year?
I think Coca-Cola stands out as a trend by itself. They are back and they are having fun with the brand. Their work is exceptional, and they are expected to finish as one of the top five brands this year. Their commitment to creativity and innovation across all channels has been remarkable. They have excelled in AI, outdoor and experiential marketing, showcasing a model of success that other brands can replicate.
Also, I am happy to see that humour is back in the work. I think we had become too serious. Our focus on purpose-led work is very important but we should not forget that this business was always about having the most fun with your clothes on.
In the winning work, it was good to see the balance between great tech-driven work and the simple ideas doing very well too.
Moving beyond Cannes Lions, as the CCO of a Holding Company, what does your typical day at work involve?
My daily responsibilities involve a mix of top-line matters, recruitment, retention, and steering the direction of the future of creativity at WPP. I work closely with our network’s CCOs because we speak the same language, but it is really the CEOs with whom I engage more. At times I can be a sounding board to Jon (Cook, VML), Laura (Maness, Grey) or Devika (Bulchandani, Ogilvy). Supporting CEOs, building a symbiotic relationship with them, and ensuring we have the right talent in place are crucial. I also spend a lot of time ensuring our teams are aligned and motivated.
In an earlier answer, you mentioned how VML has done well despite the merger. I was keen to know what was the conversation like in the leadership team, especially in the context of creating a single creative culture while bringing together very different brands when WPP created VML.
The process of merging and streamlining agencies to create a larger VML was complex and challenging. When Mark (Read) and I, along with the leadership team, embarked on this journey, we aimed to create a more integrated and efficient organisation. We had extensive discussions on how to merge the unique strengths and creative capabilities of the different agencies. The goal was to ensure that the merger would not only be about combining resources but also about enhancing our creative output and service offerings.
From the beginning, we understood the importance of maintaining the distinct creative cultures of each agency while fostering a unified vision. This meant carefully balancing the complementary skills of the agencies involved and ensuring that the creative identities that made each agency special were not lost in the process but instead created something greater.
Since we wanted to ensure that the merged entity retained its creative edge, we established cross-agency creative councils and task forces that focused on maintaining high creative standards and fostering innovation. These groups were instrumental in blending different creative philosophies and practices into a cohesive whole.
Also WPP Campus - how do you manage the challenge of keeping individual thinking while leveraging collective strength in a concept like campus?
I have to say I was not a Campus fan initially. Covid changed that. A WPP Campus just takes the energy up. But no matter where you are as a team, the key is to find the balance between collective and individual thinking. The creative culture at WPP is diverse but we aim to integrate capabilities across agencies to provide comprehensive services to our clients. This involves making meaningful decisions on talent and constantly evolving our approach. Take our AI marketing operating system, WPP Open for example. WPP Open helps streamline processes without compromising creative thinking and over 50,000 WPP employees are using it regularly already.
How far along has WPP come in its creative journey with all this?
I would say we have made significant strides, especially in North America. While we still have areas to improve, we are on the right track. The key is having CEOs who believe in creativity as a growth driver. Mark Read, our CEO, is committed to making WPP the most creative company in the world. This belief, supported by data from Cannes and McKinsey, shows the importance of high-quality creativity for delivering proven business success.
Elon Musk commented in his conversation with Mark Read today that AI will make all creative professionals jobless. Any thoughts?
I doubt I can say something on this topic that is not already said. But for creative professionals, AI is a great tool that has given back the one thing that was taken away from us, which is time. We now have the time to work faster, fail quicker and experiment more rapidly.
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