Sometimes finding your personal “Power Zone” - the space that feels authentic, and where you feel you bring the most value to the table - takes time. Well, for me it did.
Source: © 123rf
123rf The power of Creative Problem Solving is what Eve Pennington has come to believe in, and what she will spend the rest of her career persuing
Did I always feel like a media person? No, I actually never truly felt like a media person!
I have worked in this fascinating and fast-paced world of media for 30 years, but creativity is deeply rooted in my DNA.
Both my parents were artists, my mother a painter, and my father a sculptor. My father, Reginald Pennington, created the Loeries bird that is still handed out today to the top creative thinkers in Africa.
Square peg in a round hole
I have always felt like a “square peg in a round hole”. I went into the media side of advertising believing at the time that the data-driven discipline was miles apart from the “fluffy creative side” and therefore far more likely to make me money (ha ha).
But I always felt like I was wired a little differently from many of the media people I worked with.
When I joined Ogilvy, I felt like I had stepped into to a whole new world of possibility where media was part of something greater, and when I joined TBWA, I found my tribe! Through the rest of my career, I have found myself.
My creativity is hard-wired in my DNA, and I have come to know that I am a Creative Problem Solver who happens to also be pretty good at media.
Creativity to move commercial success
I believe deeply in the power of creativity, but what’s important is that Creativity without commercial impact is simply art.
In business, it needs to move people, but it also needs to drive commercial success.
It’s not just me who is a believer - the power of Creativity and creative problem solving has been proven time and again. Brands like Apple, Nike, Google, and Heinz (to name a few) have adopted this as their core identity and growth driver.
A critical part of the media discipline
What does this have to do with me? I have found my “Power Zone”, and it finally feels like it fits comfortably. I am a Creative Problem Solver.
I employ the power of creativity as a critical part of the media discipline (or at least how I practice it).
Media has got so stuck on the numbers and been seduced by the power of progress and technology, that they have forgotten the truth.
There is a very big difference between “served versus seen”. (A term coined by the very brilliant Dr Karen Nelson Field.)
Creativity requires direction
How do I try to encourage Creative Problem Solving instead of “crosses on schedules” or just “doing media”? Through deliberate process.
Creativity thrives in chaos, but creativity with commercial gain requires direction, inspiration, active interrogation and care.
What makes it work
Here are some things that make it work, even with multiple stakeholders.
- Start together, not in silos
- Joint briefings: Ensure both media and creative are present from the first briefing.
- Align on objectives, KPIs, audience insights, and budget realities.
- Shared Audience Insights
- Media should be in service of the creative teams by sharing the data and insight that unlock opportunities to fuel creative thinking.
- Creatives should challenge media to think about how the channels could play their part in more resonant placements.
- Unified strategic planning
By the time you revert, there should be one integrated response document—one story, one plan that all believe in.
- Create with media in mind
- Develop adaptable creative that is context-aware (e.g., tailored for social, DOOH, audio, search).
- Make media part of the creative idea, not just a post-production formats.
- Regular cross-team reviews
- One team that evolves ideas together, not in parallel.
- Use collaboration technology (e.g., Teams, Google Docs, Miro) or get off your asses and meet face to face to foster ongoing collaboration.
- Test & learn culture
- Use media pilots or A/B testing to give creatives data on what executions perform best.
- Always look to learn and improve
- Celebrate wins together
Share credit. Submit to awards as joint entries. Build a culture of mutual respect, not hierarchy. If everyone believes in the work, there is no “us and them”
- Work with the right people
- Work with people who are in service of the work and not their ego.
- Work with diverse partners to bring you inspiration and expertise that broadens your thinking.
- Work with clients that will support the process, not hamstring it.
- Work with media owners that build on your ideas and help you execute them.
The power of Creative Problem Solving is what I have come to believe in, and what I will spend the rest of my career pursuing.
What keeps you inspired and excited about getting out of bed in the morning? What is your Power Zone?
