SUBIC – On the second day of Ad Summit Pilipinas 2016 on March 11, the APAC Digital Director for Havas made his case for the importance of the customer. Todd Martin spoke on the need to satisfy the customer, urging agencies to go beyond meeting the demands of clients.
As he proceeded to give a decade-by-decade history of design, Martin emphasized that the user experience in advertising should reflect the experience the customer has with a brand. He argued that over the years, there has been a shift in focus from showing features to actually experiencing benefits. Indeed, even the famous “I have a dream” speech by civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. reflects this because King underscored the benefits of his dream to the American people.
In a statement that should seem obvious but might not necessarily be followed on a regular basis, Martin noted that, “the most important thing is to focus on the customer’s experience,” and advised advertising and creative agencies not to design just for their clients.
“The most important person is not in the room,” Martin stated when discussing the usual meetings between clients and agencies. “The most important person is out on the streets.”
To further highlight his points on the need for intelligent design while introducing creative ideas that think outside the proverbial box, Martin noted a few examples such as the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 in New Zealand by Proximity Worldwide.
The Nike Shout instant gratification campaign in Indonesia by PGK Media and Ogilvy was a means for Indonesian football fans to throw their support behind the national team during the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup.
The biggest reaction, however, happened when Martin showed an ad for Cafe Amazon’s Drive Awake application in Malaysia. The app, created from advanced eye tracking technology, actually wakes drivers who might nod off while driving. It then navigates drivers to the nearest Cafe Amazon for a much needed cup of coffee.
In closing his presentation, Martin reminded the audience that it is important to always have ideas. If you can’t implement or execute those ideas by yourself, Martin said that, “there are people who can make it happen. They never say it can’t be done, they say, ‘I want to make that happen.’ It’s not important how it will happen, they push forward to make it happen.”
