In episode 12 of Season One, Calvert and Farone spoke with David Lubars, Chief Creative Officer of BBDO Worldwide and Chairman of BBDO North America, often called the most creative advertising agency on the planet. Lubars has won 5 Emmys and BBDO was recently named the Network of the Decade at Cannes Lions — the most prestigious global industry awards event.
BBDO’s mantra is “The Work. The Work. The Work.” However, the agency also greatly values innovation and believes that advertising is a professional services business where creative talent comes together to dream up one-of-a-kind ideas. As new forms of communication and technology continue to emerge — from TikTok to augmented reality — the opportunities to create imaginative advertising campaigns are endless.
Even during times of great change, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, BBDO helps its clients “keep on keeping on.” The agency continually produces new and standout advertising that is creative and memorable for a range of clients, including Dunkin’, BMW, and Mars.
“There is dignity in service,” Lubars said. “Like a fine tailor or hotelier, you quickly adjust to obstacles to help your clients in any new environment. The pandemic is a new thing; adapting to great change is not.”
As Lubars explained, creative work does more than make people notice a product; it’s also an accelerator of profit. In fact, a creative, memorable campaign with the right strategy behind it can generate a tenfold revenue increase for a company. For Lubars, helping companies stand out through their marketing and “mixing the cement” is the best part of his job.
Looking for ways to improve your marketing strategy? Here are three suggestions from Lubars:
- Before creating any advertising, you need to know what makes your company or product a “category of one.”
- Impactful advertising and marketing should reveal the truth of what makes your company different and special.
- When managing people, there’s no perfect way to manage. Individuals respond differently to various management styles. Find the best way to work with the individual as well as the team.