In the second of a series of interviews with World Media Awards 2017 judges, Blake Cuthbert, chief digital officer at OMD EMEA, offers advice about planning and implementing international campaigns.
Responsible for leveraging and developing the digital capabilities for OMD EMEA, Blake is passionate about helping clients understand how technology and data can unlock business growth.
Before joining OMD, Blake worked at Dentsu Aegis Network agency, Isobar, where he led activity across flagship accounts including Google, adidas and Toyota. Prior to that Blake worked at Tribal DDB where he was involved in the global platform roll out for Guinness, and developing an end to end Social Media roll out for Virgin Media.
1 – Why should agencies/advertisers enter the World Media Awards?
“To celebrate the excellent and wonderfully diverse work that this industry creates that affects such positive business change.”
2 – What will you be looking for from the entries?
“Entries that showcase how creativity has genuinely unlocked a business challenge to deliver an idea that has demonstrable results.”
3 – Why should advertisers use branded content – what is it best suited to achieve?
“Advertisers need solutions that allow their brands to truly resonate and play a meaningful role in people’s lives. Content allows a brand to be more relevant and entertain, providing utilities or simply informing someone based on their needs at the most pertinent time.”
4 – Do content-driven communications work better for brands in some industry sectors than others?
“If a brand truly understands every aspect of their audience and their consumer journey there will be a content solution that resonates with the intended audience whilst allowing the brand to play a credible role. Any industry sector has the ability and power to deliver pertinent content-driven communications if they understand their target audience.”
5 – What are the biggest challenges in planning and implementing an international campaign across four or more international borders?
“Catering for the subtlety of different cultural nuances. The more data we’ve analysed, the more we can see what specific messages resonate within cultures. However, we shouldn’t just isolate that via geographical borders as the real challenge is how we can create multiple assets to match more specific mind-sets whether they are in London, Paris or Huddersfield.”
6 – How do you balance what needs to be carried out from head office and what needs to be carried out locally in international content campaigns?
“Through constant conversation with all accountable stakeholders. Like their consumers, all businesses are different, from the product or service they sell and the way they operate, to the way they communicate.
“Therefore, there isn’t a one size fits all to multi-market activation. Instead we make sure all key decision makers across all parties are in regular discussion to make each and every campaign successful through transparency, collaboration and mutual understanding.”
7 – Which industry buzzword would you ban?
“Content.”
8 – Who would play you in a movie of your life?
“Tom Hardy (it’s uncanny).”
Blake is a Judge for the World Media Awards 2017 which are now open for entry. For more information and advice on how to enter, please visit www.wm-awards.com.
