Pietro Leone, chief executive officer at Geometry Global EMEA, on how Central and Eastern Europe went from annus horibilis to annus mirabilis.

I remember a network meeting some years ago where one of the world’s most-awarded creative directors told my boss not to waste time in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), a region that would not thrive creatively until it imported a chief creative officer from Latin America. I knew there and then that wasn’’t true and that only time would tell.

Like a good Maslow pyramid, first things come first. But now that the markets are maturing and people understand the difference between commercial creativity and art, results and rewards are coming to fruition.

Romania, for instance, won its first Cannes Lion Grand Prix in 2011, while Russia only won its first last year. Czech Republic’s Golden Hammer Grand Prix, LGBT Avatars (out of Geometry Global), supports international gay rights and is set to roll out at NY Pride. It was publicly supported by Sir Ian McKellan on Twitter just yesterday. Last year, Russia made history by winning the Cannes Innovation Lion.

So why do I believe that CEE is poised to storm Cannes? Because of the unbridled energy that remains unexpressed in the agencies. The people are hungry for great work but it has not been their time, yet. The people in these agencies are fully aware that, with a few exceptions, there is a whole generation of creative waiting to be acknowledged.

What’’s changed?

There is one crucially important factor: from 1990 (when the Wall came down and the whole region opened up) communications in the region had been based on promotional rather than brand marketing.

The reason for this was that brands employed ex-pats in the region, which all too often encouraged short-term thinking. So CEE agencies (and the accompanying creative) had no chance to drive marketing that promoted long-term brand equity. Or, indeed, the chance to focus on ‘The Big Questions’ around the brand.

Long-term investment

Twenty-five years later and the CEE region now an established part of the European market. The new generation of brand marketers – now predominantly locals – has an invested interest in long-term brand development. They see their local markets through different eyes and therefore have a different perspective on their brand goals. This has brought about a fundamental change in the relationship with the agency and, subsequently, the work briefed into it.

In the last five to seven years alone, we’’ve seen a new generation of creatives grow alongside a new generation of brands. This local-to-local approach breeds a desire to create shared value for the brand owner, the business partners and the wider community. And this fundamental change is creating a new annus mirabilis for the marketing and communications industry with bold creative solutions, which we call ‘Pivotal Ideas’, that have the potential to succeed in international awards as well as local shows.

It’s no coincidence that the most internationally-awarded campaign in Russian history – Sanofi-Aventis’ ‘Get Well Kit’, an iPhone case that ensures you take the right medication at the right time – was conceived, designed and developed by a fully local Russian team. The campaign’s strong insight anchored a creative and effective idea and is resonating at local, regional and global awards shows including Cannes Lions, London International Awards and the CLIOs.

I’’ve spent 15 years working and living in Central and Eastern Europe, and I’’ve come to appreciate the different nuances between the individual CEE cultures and countries. So I’m hugely proud of this creative naissance which is true testament to one of the key values that differentiate the CEE region from many other markets: a sense of urgency to act swiftly. Along with a hunger to succeed, this is a winning combination.

Watch out, Cannes. While all eyes are focused on the creative emergence of Latin America, it could well be that CEE creeps up to surprise us all.