← More
David Alberts
Co-Founder of Been There Done That • London
David has been described as a ‘Creative Tour de Force’. An ex-Grey veteran, his career has also spanned stints at Mojo, BBDO and Bates. Spurred on by the belief that agency models no longer met client creative needs, David set up Been There Done That in 2014.
In this interview, he highlights the new complexities of today’s advertising industry and the return to the “Big brand idea”. The idea that connects a company's purpose with their business objectives and creates an emotional connection with the consumer.
More episodes
Janet Smith
Vice President of Brand Communications - Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena • Atlanta
With stints at Jive Records, Red Bull, Habitat for Humanity International and now the Atlanta Hawks, Janet Smith has had an impressive career in entertainment and experiential marketing.
Brent Smart
CMO at IAG • Sydney
As CMO at IAG Insurance and ex-CEO at Saatchi & Saatchi New York, Brent Smart knows how to change the fortunes of businesses from the inside out.
Aseem Puri
CMO Unilever International & CEO Unilever Korea • Singapore
Aseem leads marketing, innovation and digital communications for Unilever International, responsible for managing brand building for a billion dollar portfolio.
Luanne Calvert
Start-up advisor and ex-CMO Virgin America • San Francisco
Luanne Calvert has decades of experience shaping some of the world’s leading brands. She was Google’s first Creative Director, and served as CMO at Virgin America for 6 years.
Paulo Silva
Board Member, Advisor & Internet pioneer • São Paulo
An internet pioneer in the 80s and ex-CEO of Walmart.com in Brazil, Paulo Silva has over 25 years experience leading high performance teams across Latin America. He’s currently the founder and managing partner of RockOn Advisors.
Andrew Waddel
General Manager - Australia, Tourism New Zealand • Sydney
Andrew heads up Tourism New Zealand's marketing and business operations in Australia. His 20 year career has seen him work on iconic brands such as Red Bull, Stella Artois and Beck’s.
Lamar Dawson
Senior Marketer in Multicultural Beauty • New York
Lamar has helped some of the world's most iconic brands tell their stories through digital channels, including L’Oréal, Pepsi, Oreo and Nike, and is currently focussing on multicultural beauty.
Jeff Burroughs
Senior VP, Def Jam Recordings • New York
A music industry veteran, Jeff’s illustrious career has seen him hold senior positions at Columbia Records, Bad Boy Recordings and Syco Entertainment.
Sarah Wyse
General Manager - Digital, Media & Marketing, AFL • Melbourne
With almost 20 years global experience specialising in the digital media and advertising technology sector, Sarah is currently overseeing the core news, content, creative and production teams of the AFL.
Annabel Venner
Marketing Consultant & ex-Global Brand Director, Hiscox • London
Annabel currently runs a marketing consultancy after an impressive marketing career, including 11 years at Hiscox Insurance and 9 years at Coca-Cola.
Transcript
My name’s David Alberts, co-founder of “Been There Done That”
I got my first job as a creative director at the young age of 26, and over the years have run creative agencies around the world, content companies and now a strategy company. Very much focussing on creative strategic ideas.
I think the biggest change that I've seen over the years, that has had the biggest impact, is the diversification of media and the diversification of the channels in which we can reach the audiences that we want. What was once a very simple business, get a brief, write a television ad or print ad, has become a very complex business, with very complex systems of outreach to consumers. And I think this is the biggest challenge the marketeers have as they go forward, because the multi-channel and the diversification of that, has very much led to a tactical mindset as they are able to target audiences with different messages.
However I think this is a real challenge, because I think what's happened is, marketeers have forgotten the role of their brand in the conversation. When I started, the anthem was “Content is King” but over the years, distribution has become Queen, and she owns the key to the castle. I think where we’re going to go, is that strategy’s going to want to again become the high priest, the thing that directs marketiers as they go through their jobs.
What we’ve seen recently is the return of what we call the “Big Brand Idea”. The idea that connects a company's purpose with their business objectives and creates an emotional connection with the consumer. It’s the long term idea that sits above any campaign, and any execution.
There’s no question with the rise of in-house agencies, what clients have identified is a very efficient way to create content at speed and at a cost that is affordable.
The progressive clients that I see are very much dividing the responsibility between their agency partners. They have their in-house agency very much focusing on what happens in the industry, they have their traditional agencies who they see as craft agencies, very much executing a craft. They’re also looking for strategic partners that can help them figure out their overall strategy that will weave all this together. Going forward, I see a model whereby there will be a collaboration of partners, each with their specific roles, coming together to replace what was, the one-stop-shop.
As I mentioned, diversification has been the biggest change that I've seen in the last 20 years. And that has been driven by technology. Technology has allowed us to create content quicker, distribute and reach target audiences, where and when they are. However I believe that technology is just an enabler.
Technology has a huge role to play in its ability to help us access talent, wherever it is in the world. And I think the ability now to work with different people in different places and access specialists, is something that the gig economy has demonstrated technology has a huge role to play.