ideas from Saatchi & Saatchi’s Kevin Roberts

Saatchi & Saatchi‘s Kevin Roberts on Ideas as the Currency of the Future (speech delivered to Wharton students)

Saatchi & Saatchi CEO – Kevin Roberts – Manage Innovation

Kevin Roberts speech (CEO Worldwide Saatchi and Saatchi) – International University in Geneva

Kevin has sometimes used variations of the UBC neurologist Donald Calne quote (emphasis added),

“The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions.“

Paul Chard – The most interesting person at #banff2012 to me

My good friend Gingi Baki asked me: who is the most interesting person you met at Banff 2012? Tough question! You see, I have met television creatives & luminaries like Chuck Lorre, Glen Mazzara,  Jeanne Beker, Mike Fleiss, Terence Winter and I can easily put any one of them on my “most interesting person” list. But if I do that, I will be doing a diservice to you. What would you gain if I name any one of them? Nothing! Because you know them already. Instead I will share with you a name that, unless you are in the “business“, you may not heard of.

To me, the most interesting person I met in #banff2012 is Paul Chard, Global Head of Content of MediaCom.

Paul is the brain behind bringing the international format Got Talent into the almost impossible land of China (rebranded to be China’s Got Talent 中国达人秀) which was a 15 months effort and lots of negotiation (as Paul wrote, ”co-operation and partnership with IPCN, Shanghai Media Group and format owners Freemantle and SYCO“). China’s Got Talent is one of the first TV formats that got into China. I actually saw widespread popularity first hand at the time as many of the amazing China’s Got Talent videos were shared by my friends on their social networks. (for more details, see Paul’s 2010 blog and ICPN page with video clip)

Paul Chard talked about brokering “Got Talent” format into China #Banff2012

My one-on-one interview with Paul at #banff2012

Paul’s on stage talk & interview at #banff2012

The idea of learning from interesting & insightful people

Kevin Roberts

I half-jokingly asked Paul to not hold it against me that I’ve been a big fan of Kevin Roberts (blog) (CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi). You see, I’ve been reading Kevin‘s ideas/writings since the late 80s. You may not realize but the parent companies of Paul and Kevin are the globally competing WPP Group and Publicis Group respectively. (update: Paul showcased the #awesome T-Mobile Royal Wedding video in his presentation, and I just discovered via MBA (mediaCom beyond advertising) that the campaign is a team effort including mediaCom, Saatchi & Saatchi, and others).

Gary Carter

I stumbled upon a talk by Gary Carter at the 2007 nextMedia/Banff World TV Festival (yes, 5 years ago!) and his insights were amazingly deep. Since then, I’ve attended all of Gary’s talk I can and try to pay close attention to what Gary does and related news, including his recent resignation as FremantleMedia’s Chief Operating Officer. I am sure whatever Gary does next will be worth my attention to know and learn from. (note: Gary came back to Banff in 2009, here is a great list of Gary’s 2009 clips, see The Susan Boyle Phenomenon, and FremantleMedia Experimental)

Paul Chard

Which brings back to Paul. And I am going to share with you a secret trick I use. I use Google Alerts to track and try to learn from interesting & insightful people. I am adding Paul to my Google Alerts list along the likes of Kevin and Gary. In life, I believe an important way to better ourselves is to learn from the best.

Kevin wrote years ago, “Ideas are the currency of the future.” And the likes of Kevin, Gary, and Paul are “rich people” going by the quote. And William Gibson’s quote “The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed.” enlightens me to realize that the best way to look into the future is to look and see what “rich people” like Kevin, Gary, and Paul think and do!

P.S. Who is your “most interesting #banff2012 person“? Please share with your reasons in the comment section.

*******

Here is the official Banff session description.

“Paul Chard, Global Head of Content, MediaCom: How Content is Changing the Business
Paul Chard is a true industry veteran, getting his start over three decades ago, in 1980. Today, as the Global Head of Content at MediaCom, Chard is responsible for media sponsorship, sport, branded entertainment and advertiser funding, social media and emerging platforms. In 2010, Chard brokered the successful “Got Talent” format into China and saw it become the biggest foreign reality show ever screened in the country. Having seen this industry from every angle, Chard carries with him a wealth of knowledge and insight. Join Chard as he reflects on his career and looks forward to the future of the entertainment industry in this exclusive opening keynote.”

Kevin Roberts, CEO worldwide Saatchi & Saatchi keynotes nextMEDIA Toronto 2011

I’ve been reading Kevin Roberts‘s ideas for years and even created Kevin’s Wikipedia page. So it is wonderful to see Kevin is coming to Canada to share his insights. The following is from the nextMEDIA Toronto 2011 (Dec 5 – 6) press release. If you are in Toronto during that time, register to attend.

“CEO worldwide for creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi, Kevin Roberts is a marketing pioneer with a heart for nostalgia and has been bringing popular brands to market and straight into consumers’hearts since the early 1970s. Roberts has worked with large-scale international clients such as Carlsberg, TMobile, General Mills, Procter & Gamble, Sony Ericsson, JCPenney, Toyota and VISA Europe among others.

Roberts is the author of a number of best-selling books, including Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands, in which he describes the emotional connections we create with the brands we’ve grown tolove.

So, here’s the real question: How does your brand achieve Lovemark status? Well, fear not, Roberts is heading to nextMEDIA Toronto this year to help you solve that very problem.

Named one of the top ten ideas of the decade in 2010 by advertising and marketing news website AdAge, Lovemarks transcend brands, leaving their iconic symbols emblazoned in the hearts and memories of consumers worldwide.

Join Kevin Roberts at nextMEDIA Toronto 2011 for an informative keynote session about hisLovemarks theory, offering crucial insight into the future of marketing and an analysis of the way we identify with our favourite brands.”

Inspired by …

Here is a list of people & song that is currently inspiring me.

(Borrowing and expanding an idea from Wired magazine.)

[Note: I've added this list to the About Kempton page.]

Thinker: Marshall McLuhan

Artist: Oscar Claude Monet

Investor: Warren Buffett

Inventor: James Dyson

Entrepreneurial creativeness: Richard Branson

Advertiser: Kevin Roberts

Hotel: Four Seasons, Issy Sharp

Fashion: Fashion TV

Song: Firework by Katy Perry

TV as a business – 2020 Vision

I’ve attended the last six consecutive annual Banff World TV/Media Festival as a project pitcher, reporter and also to keep track of the lastest advance in ideas and technologies. So I don’t watch TV passively. I try to watch TV as a money making business.

My insightful blog friend Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, who is featured in the 2020 Vision documentary series, was kind to share the doc series in his article “2020Vision“. And it is always wonderful to watch the most insightful Gary Carter, COO, FrementleMedia (who I had the pleasure to hear and met in person twice at Banff).

I’ve gathered here the six-part doc with info for you to watch. Check out the Think TV 2020 Vision site for more info.

Episode 1: ”In the first episode of our six-part documentary series on the “Future of TV” our visionaries discuss how television viewing is migrating across multiple screens.“

Episode 2: ”In the second episode of our six-part documentary series on the “Future of TV” we investigate the power of audiences and the impact they are having on broadcasters and advertisers.“

Is England Truly Pathetic? – Decide for yourself

Have a read of Kevin Roberts‘ “Truly Pathetic” and then decide for yourself. Please don’t comment if you haven’t read “Truly Pathetic“.

I think Kevin totally has a point. Pathetic indeed.

Would you still kill someone who’s got your people’s blood inside them? – The Impossible Brief re Israel-Palestine conflict

Have a read of Kevin Roberts‘ “Impossibly Close“.

Quote I Love: ideas are the currency of the future

“ideas are the currency of the future” - Kevin Roberts

I’ve loved this quote for such a long time that I don’t remember exactly how many years (since the 90s?). I even printed it on an earlier version of my business cards (with credit to Kevin, of course)! So I can’t believe I am just adding it to my list of Quotes I Love now!

Also check out ‘s blog KRConnect for his latest ideas & thinking, including his “Lovemarks“.

Stay Curious, Be Random, and Learn

May be it is the blogger/freelance reporter in me, I am often very curious about people and things. So this morning, while I researched and wrote an article about often being mixed up with Kempton Park (the UK race track) on Twitter and checking my tweets, I ended up following three people I don’t know at all. My “philosophy” is that I believe I can often learn something new and interesting from people I don’t know and often in unexpected settings.

Looking forward to reading some tweets from Vera @w3rkaholic (Vera and I love good interviews),  Simon @SimonPMoriarty, (I am cheering for his firm‘s horse Dawn Story to win at Kempton Park), and Sphhia @SophiaWetherell (M&C Saatchi looks really cool plus I am a long time fan of Kevin Roberts & KR Connect. Thanks @SimonPMoriarty for the serendipitous & unintentional intro.)

Give it a try yourself, follow a few random people on Twitter and try to learn from them.

Note: This idea isn’t by me, I forgot who I learned it from. Also, who you “follow” on Twitter or blogs you read may also change over time, so don’t worry too much of picking the wrong person to follow or read, there isn’t really a right/wrong.

Interesting Articles: Bay & Cameron talk 3D, TEPCO president resigns, LinkedIn Facebook IPO

* THR, “Michael Bay, James Cameron Talk 3D, Preview Impressive ‘Transformers’ Footage – Paramount unveiled 20 minutes of footage from its upcoming summer tentpole at a special event co-hosted by THR.“

* AP, “President of utility in Japan nuclear crisis steps down in disgrace, announces massive losses“

* CNN Money, “What LinkedIn means for Facebook IPO“

* Kevin Roberts, “What a Hotel Sounds Like“

Saatchi & Saatchi’s Kevin Roberts on Ideas as the Currency of the Future

Ideas are the Currency of the Future.

Here is Saatchi & Saatchi’s Worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts speaking at Wharton about Ideas as the Currency of the Future (see ideas Revolution).

Kevin Roberts on Fox Business

In Fox Business this morning (video), Kevin Roberts, CEO worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, talked about “the ongoing impact of the recession on advertisers and society, the importance of priceless value and the creation of loyalty beyond reason, the opportunities for creating intimacy and conversations through screens, and even played a word association game“.

The Future of Shopper Marketing

Watched “The Future of Shopper Marketing“, an insightful speech from Andy Murray, Global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi X. Here is an excerpt form Kevin Robert’s blog about the speech (emphasis added),

The presentation featured five key points (and a whole bunch of
arresting stories, insights, and examples):

1. Put yourself at the heart of the customer (most companies try it the other way around)
2. Navigate the experience of your customer from the “shelf back”
3. Create ways for customers to participate and be involved in your brands and store experiences
4. Explore the fringe/edge/margin for new ideas (Wal-Mart was a fringe idea, it came from Bentonville, not Chicago)
5. Find new ways for manufacturers and retailers to collaborate authentically based on trust, transparency and shared goals

Enjoy the presentation.

Kevin Roberts on Fox Business

Kevin’s Five Minutes with Fox Business (video).

From Kevin,

I recently caught up with Alexis Glick from Fox Business at Radio City Hall who asked me a few questions on the state of the ad market, consumer confidence, and how our clients, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, General Mills and JC Penney are approaching consumers in today’s environment, see video here (5:28 mins).

Winning Ugly

Winning Ugly (Elena Dementieva beat Maria Sharapova)

It wasn’t pretty, but Elena Dementieva got the job done at the final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Sunday.

Dementieva beat Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-3 in a match that began with a surplus of broken serves, double faults and unforced errors on both sides.

“Dementieva captures Rogers Cup title“, CBC News

It was a hard fought battle as neither side dominated but Elena Dementieva was the better player today. It is a perfect time to re-read my blog friend Kevin Roberts’ inspiring post on Winning Ugly Together.

P.S. What is winning pretty? And in an awesome & spectacular manner? Usain Bolt 9.58! and Usain Bolt 19.19!

That was PRETTY and indeed BEAUTIFUL!

Winning Ugly

Some insights from Kevin Roberts (with 4 minutes video).

And an entry about Wimbledon champ Roger Federer Winning Ugly (also from Kevin).