Australia is lacking in commercial creativity because ‘most marketers are crap’: MLA’s Andrew Howie
Australia is behind the rest of the world with its commercial creativity because “most marketers are crap” and scared, Andrew Howie, group marketing manager at Meat & Livestock Australia, said.
Speaking at a debate to launch the Outdoor Media Association’s Open3 book, on whether Australia is slipping behind the rest of the world, Howie said most marketers “just want get paid and go home and pay off their mortgage and spend time with their family and then go to work the next day”.
“Strategically marketers aren’t great here, we don’t spend enough time with world-class planners.
I’m most offended by the fact that Howie thinks most marketers are crap and lack passion and drive!! As someone who has worked as a Marketing Manager for 15 years and strives daily, it makes me sad to think that someone [edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy] working in a meat market, can make such a broad sweeping statement and get away with it! How about acknowledging the great work that many do instead of putting us all in cattle class!!
If his provocation inspires at least one marketer to “have a go” and prove him wrong, then I’m all for it.
Hey Jennifer – care to share any of the brands/campaigns that you’ve worked on over the past 15 years?
I’ll bet you can’t prove Howie wrong.
CEO of Outdoor Media, Charmaine Moldrich, dives into the trendy diversity world and pumps it as the answer to crappy marketing. To stress the point she notes that most marketing CEOs and creative directors are ‘usually white blokes.’ It could be argued that Ms Moldrich’s solution to the white bloke problem is take ‘em on by [edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy].
“Moldrich said once adland delves into the diversity topic and begins to accurately reflect the people in the industry and wider Australia, the work will start to flourish and correctly target audiences.”
The predictable comment of all predictable comments, and about as effective as throwing a pork pie at a runaway train in the hope of derailing it.
Don’t worry, I am only giving my opinion here, and yes, I am after all, only a white bloke. The answer to a huge chunk of the problem with creative marketing, and with a number of other creative areas, is the combined corporate myth, which includes [quote] “Howie said most marketers “just want (to) get paid and go home and pay off their mortgage and spend time with their family and then go to work the next day”[unquote] and the notion that there is an innovative corporate answer to this, a power-point like training course or a paid up summit that can fix all ills.
Sorry, but you have to get off your chuffs and start working from the ground up, Men and Women together, must begin to embrace the origins of creativity, begin to welcome words and language, harness emotions deeper than Mother’s day, and get beyond footy as a force that unites us all. Dare to be proud, dare to be sentimental, dare to be romantic and whimsical, even dare to be a nerd occasionally.
Ridiculous.
Adland people commenting on marketing. Basic stuff – adland people deal with one element of the marketing mix. Marketers deals with all of it. How about we get that right first before we comment about ‘marketers.’
It might help if there are actual trained marketers in leadership position not Accountants, Salespeople, Engineers, Mathematicians, “Communicators”, Historians and popular with the Board, CEO types or someone operating at the peak of the Peter or Penny Principle.
Industry 4.0 and customers have changed. Let’s change the discussion to benefit marketing and marketers not the ad agencies, media mavens and creatives.
Shock! – someone is ‘offended’. Are you offended because Howie said it, or because you know it’s true? Ritson says it, Howie says it, Newton says it – any marketer worth their salt knows there is a culture of mediocrity in Australian marketing.
Time to stop being offended and start being better.
I’ve worked with only a couple that can make brave decisions, ditch research and go with their gut instinct. And we went on to make famous and effective work for their brand.
Too many marketing departments at the moment are filled with humourless, box tickers.
Effective and charming communications just can’t survive the gauntlet that has been created.
“…as someone who’s worked as a Marketing manager for 15 years.”… Ha ha ha. You just summed up the Howie’s argument so well. Career progression much?
Can only be grateful I didn’t pay good money to hear this. Andrew Howie that’s like saying All ducks have feathers – A cockatoo has feathers therefore he must be a duck. And as for the rest FFS…. as if people haven’t been aware that you have to know your audience – I think Jesus worked that when he gave out the loaves and fishes. If that’s the best debate that could have been cobbled together – the other ideas put forward must have been really thin on the ground.
It was a free event.
Australia use to be up there with the best. In fact much of our talent would be pinched by the UK.
People are so caught up with policies and procedure, worrying what the competition is doing and it is sucking the creative juices right out of our backsides!!! Dare to be creative! Those who dare win.
In my experience of the last 11 years working in Australian Ad Agencies and 10 years before that in the UK. Most Australian marketers are completely terrified when faced with brave thinking. Every year, their comfort zone becomes smaller and smaller.
NZ clients however a delight.
Yes! the thin end of the wedge of truth.
Truth.
I believe that innovation is missing from Australia business. It’s not the marketing department in isolation. We have bred company cultures of playing it safe. We hit our number, collect our bonus and expect to do the same thing next year. And when we don’t hit our number, department heads play the blame game and we promise to do better next year.
We need to encourage innovation by creating safe environments for people to try and fail. Within all departments. Innovation requires risk, and if you’re working within an organisation that doesn’t tolerate failure, innovation simply won’t occur. It all starts from the top of an organisation, the board and executive team. After all the fish rots from the head!
Yes! More of the wedge of truth.
The future is AI, Dynamic Creative and API’s.
Australia needs seniors leaders to take their businesses down this technology path and less complaining about how “crap” marketers are.