Brands ‘throwing baby out with the bath water’ in search for quick results as consistency continues to decline

Changing creative direction does not mean an entire strategy should be ripped up, one of Australia’s most experienced creative minds has insisted, as brands were accused of putting short-term thinking ahead of a desire to build a consistent message.

From left: Anna Pearce, P&N Bank; Jonathan Kerr, Budget Direct; Derry Simpson, 303 MullenLowe; and Jon McKie, MullenLowe

Discussing the decline of brand consistency at the Mumbrella360 conference, panellists blamed pressure to hit targets, a desire to win awards, the proliferation of marketing channels and endless pitching as reasons for a sometimes haphazard approach to branding.

BMF co-founder Warren Brown said marketers looking for new creative work mistakenly believe they should discard everything and start from scratch, even when an underlying strategy is sound.