Monday - June 18, 2012

The first masterclass I attended was with the Berghs School of Communication about creating brand and talent collaborations. I learned about the importance of collaboration. What is it that can involve people in a discussion or product development is that you need to give them value to have them be interested in you. I also learned that when putting a creative team together you need to find people that do not think alike so you different perspectives. I thought it was really cool that brands started working with artists in the late eighties starting with Absolut Vodka and Andy Warhol. Art, fashion, and music started to become a huge part of the industry and started to appeal to a bigger audience. Because it was a masterclass Ted Pearson was giving the young professionals and creatives advice about the industry and how things might not always go your way. The first thing he said was that you need to find someone who really wants to do something real and has a passion for it. Collaborations can be a bumpy road and you need someone who has their heart in it. Timing is also a huge thing and really counts when it comes to talent. External talent can be helpful but you need to do your homework beforehand. When looking for talent you first need to create short list of people you want to work with because a lot of them will say no and get client approval and get help.I also learned that 70% of television is paid for by advertising. When going to talent the best way is to directly speak with them but if that is not possible then find where they are in their career. Thirdly, you need to get people excited. Your idea needs to be simple and unexpected. Make your mission mean something, be concrete, and credible. There should be an emotional connection and tell it in a form of a story. When is comes to doing the deal the first piece of advice they gave was to not have lawyers do the negotiating because they can kill a deal. Negotiate the deal with partners first

about what are the deliverables, what is the budget, what is the fee, what is the schedule, what are the rights for, who owns copyright (droit moral), and for how long (term), who announces it and who gets the credit, and agree on it at the beginning. Also, keep a credit sheet when working on a project so at the end you can see who did what. When launching the project the first thing is to get the stakeholders to be on board early because it will make things easier for you in the end and speeds on the decision making.

The most important thing I learned from this masterclass was that things will always go wrong but you can't let it bring you down. You need to be honest because in this industry relationships are everything.

I also attended the SapientNitro seminar about global brands vs global celebrities. I truly was not all that impressed with the content. They had an amazing powerpoint that caught my eye but other than that it just made me laugh a few times. Omar Epps was the celebrity speaking and he did a good job of out marketing the marketers. I learned that connected thinking is creating ideas and platforms to engage consumers in the experience.Also, data will become one of the worlds biggest and most important commodities and smart marketing involves technology because it serves and a forest connector or consumers and marketers.The third seminar I attended was with a panel about VISA and the Olympics. I learned that the Olympic games 2012 will be the most social games thus far. Brands help to advertise the Olympics and half the money from the games comes from sponsors and partners. The Olympics could not be organized without the help or marketers these days. Also, a good partner is trustworthy and have a deep real relationship. I loved the commercials they played because they were simple, emotional, and real. They told us that they wanted to celebrate being human and human achievements and this is where there inspiration for the gold touched videos and pictures were from.The last masterclass I went to was with Droga5. They are six years old and have four offices worldwide. The class  was titled everything you wanted to ask about advertising but were afraid to. They mostly gave advice but I found it all very helpful and interesting. The first thing he mentioned was to work in another country if you have the possibility because it opens up your eyes to different cultures and perspectives. Secondly, he said there is no formula to go by but instead to go with what feels right. Mostly importantly is to be simple. The best work is simple and sticks with you and you should be able to sum up your work in one sentence. Look for the truth in things because sometimes its right in front of you. Don't try and force something new but rather bring life to something that is there already. What was really funny was that he said to assume that your audience is lazy and to make your idea or advertisement super easy for people to understand and remember. 

My favorite part and most helpful advice that stuck with me was to be generous with yourself and to not think other peoples success hurts you. Treat people nicely and help as much as you can because reputation matter. Lastly, don't get cynical because it is a waste of time. You need to just shake it off if things don't go your way because if you let your failures bring you down you will never survive in the industry.