Congratulations on your appointment as the Chief Creative Officer at FCB Kinnect! Can you share some of the key milestones in your professional journey that have significantly shaped your career?
I feel incredibly fortunate in my career. I’ve had the opportunity to work on some fantastic brands in three different cities. One of the highlights of my journey has been the people I’ve met along the way. After spending 10 years at Ogilvy, many of my colleagues have become like family to me.
I’ve been lucky to have had a lot of support throughout my career. Many people struggle with unsupportive bosses, but I’ve been blessed with great immediate bosses and supportive higher-level executives. This early support was crucial in shaping my path, and I am very grateful for that.
How would you describe the role of creativity in driving economic growth, and can you share any instances where innovative creative strategies have led to substantial business success?
Creativity as an economic multiplier is something we emphasize at the FCB Kinnect network. It’s fascinating because you don’t expect creativity to be confined to just one area. It’s not just in the idea or the TVC; it can be applied anywhere to save costs, save time, and generate more revenue by streamlining processes.
Creativity presents a great opportunity to increase profits no matter where you look. I’ll give you an example from a Harvard case study. In the case study, a toothpaste company wanted to boost consumption. They recommended brushing twice a day, but they also wanted to increase usage. So what did they do? They enlarged the toothpaste release opening. This simple and creative solution led to increased sales by enlarging the toothpaste opening. That was a brilliant product solution!
How can companies better invest in creativity to drive economic growth and competitive advantage?
Firstly, companies need to believe in the power of creativity to unlock for things. Belief needs to come at the most simple and fundamental level, that it is possible to do so. If that is not clear, then you’re always going to add more and more questions to it like “If one event is possible, does that imply the possibility of another event?” You start thinking about the efficiencies which might not necessarily be what you are aiming for.
Creative solutions sometimes require investment and commitment, whether it’s a time commitment, so do you have the patience to do so? “Do boond zindagi ke” – It’s taken so many years to eradicate polio. So if you see, there is a cost that comes with whatever you intend to do. If you say in today’s day, that we’ll structure a machine that can produce high quality art and copies, you will still need a certain investment to make improvements to it right?
If you believe creativity will solve your problem, then you should not be shy away from it at each point. Essentially, you ask: how can I optimize it at the bare minimum level? So start there, see, understand, think, analyze, and then come up with a solution. It’s important to believe that creativity unlocks things first. You can always debate that we put a lot of thought into it before and after, but ultimately, what you’re talking about is creativity.
How can creative campaigns with a noble cause such as FCB Kinnect’s Lulumelon EOSS reach wider audiences?
If it’s a good idea, it will spread; I can’t think of one that hasn’t. People enjoy being surprised, feeling joyful, being astonished – any emotion, even cathartic tears draws them in. People love to feel, and they are drawn to a compelling idea. That’s the essence of any great concept.
What future trends do you foresee shaping the creative industry?
There’s a lot of talk about tech and AI, but AI is already 4-5 years old, and we’ve been working with it since then. I believe there needs to be a new narrative emerging, something that becomes the next buzzword—Adaptation.
I don’t think anyone should feel intimidated by AI, tech, or anything similar because it’s merely a tool. With strong fundamentals, you’ll always hit the mark; it’s all about execution and craftsmanship. It’s about how you utilize these tools to create and convey messages. Ultimately, it’s the same old truth: a great idea will always triumph and resonate. AI is just a tool; creativity originates from humans who conceive the ideas while AI merely supports them.
