Updated 2012 Presentation, more detail, new examples... still a WIP...

1. 2
WHAT IS A CREATIVE
TECHNOLOGIST
A SHORT PRESENTATION BY
ANDY NEWMAN @CANOFPOPCOM
Friday, 11 January 13 1

2. AGENCY STRUCTURE
MAPPING THE SILOS WITHIN INTEGRATED AGENCIES
*SIMPLIFIED
Friday, 11 January 13 2

3. THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT
AGENCY
Creative
Heads
Art Copy
Design Content
Direction Writer
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4. CREATIVE DEPARTMENT
DIGITAL
Creative
Heads
UX/AI
Other
Art Copy
Design Content
Direction Writer
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5. PRODUCTION
CREATIVE AGENCY
Heads
Specialist
Radio
Television
Designers Art-workers
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6. PRODUCTION
DIGITAL
Leads
Interactive
dev
Front End Back End
Team Team
Testing
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7. THE FLOW
THE AGE OF SILO
Client
Services
Brief Brief
Focused on the big campaign Limited Interaction Often receive campaign ideas
ideas across, traditional from Traditional and are then
channels, desire to do digital tasked with coming up with
but often fed to digital (via Traditional Digital executions based on
client services) with mixed diminished (leftover) budgets
results. & timings.
Print TV Radio Sites Banners Emails
Development Team consisting of digital
specialists little project interaction with
traditional counterparts.
Studio exclusively concerned with Studio Development
pre-digital disciplines. Linear “waterfall” process - Complaints of
lack of early stage or client involvement
during planing / creative stages of project.
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8. THE FLOW
THE LINES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL & DIGITAL BEGIN TO BLUR
Interaction increases but silo’s (process & mindsets) remain
Client
Services
Continuing to push for
Increasingly thinking across new early project integration.
touch-points, online video is
now a staple as is Social Increased interaction with
traditional counterparts
Lack of digital production Traditional Brief Digital especially in the areas of
social & video.
knowledge continues to hinder
progression, often results in
frustration & missed Interestingly can also be
opportunities. prone to limited digital
Print Radio TV Outdoor Sites Mobile production knowledge.
Banners Emails E-Com Search Social Apps
Primary focus switches to higher end digital products
Increasingly tasked with digital asset production as well which require higher levels of collaboration across the
as remaining traditional disciplines. silo’s.
Willingness to improve digital skill sets results in higher
Studio Development Developers also increasingly strive for early project
integration. Knowledge Share integration, waterfall processes becoming less effective.
(often leading to wastage)
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9. THE FLOW
THE SILOS WILL FALL (MAYBE)
Digital will no longer be seen as a
Agencies are increasingly moving towards
separate function in terms of creativity,
a model which looks something like
least of all by clients & media Print Sites
what’s demonstrated on the left, although
distributors.
many are still trying to figure out a
Ideas process which adapts to the new realities
“Digital Expertise will sit at the heart of Radio of the integrated landscape.
Specialists Mobile
our brand teams and enable us to offer
greater creative ideas and solutions” http://www.marketingmag.com.au/blogs/
Brief Client Brief
Services the-full-service-agency-is-dead-long-live-
Andrea Kilbourne, Digital Director Bauer Media TV Outdoor the-full-service-agency-14668/
Execution “We haven’t got big, old-fashioned ad
Budget should also be reorganised out of channel
Banners
Specialists
silos and into new cross-platform teams organised Apps agencies who just do TV ads and have a
around consumer segments, with experts on the separate digital silo”
relevant media, channels and devices for that
particular vertical. David Jones, Havas CEO, talking about
Emails Social restructuring Euro RSCG
Corinne Munchbach,
E-Com Search
“Target right audience, tell a relevant story,
immersion across screens and measure impact”
Product
Design
Peter Crofut, Google
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10. THE FLOW
IN SHORT
Every company needs 3 people types:
Hustlers Hipsters Hackers
Strategy
Compensation
Planning Storytelling Production
Client Relationship Ideas Builders
Business Solutions Makers
Design Producers
Culturally aware
Rei Inamoto: Chief Creative Officer AKQA - Speaking at SXSW / CREATIVE WEEK NYC 2012
Friday, 11 January 13 10

11. THE FLOW
IN SHORT
And they need to mingle & interact as often as possible
Hustler
Hacker
Hipster
Completely vertical organisations do not allow
creativity to flourish.
Rei Inamoto: Chief Creative Officer AKQA - Speaking at SXSW / CREATIVE WEEK NYC 2012
Friday, 11 January 13 11

12. CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
SO WHERE DOES THE ROLE SIT IN 2013 & IS IT STILL NEEDED?
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13. THE INDUSTRY SEEMS TO THINK SO
Text
Text Image Source - BBH Labs
“Technology is a creative discipline, the agency is now armed with
50 technologists who are an integral part of the creative process,”
Scott Prindle , Executive creative technology director, Crispin Porter + Bogusky
SO IS THE TECHNOLOGIST SIMPLY A HIGHLY TECH
SAVVY ART-DIRECTOR?
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14. MAYBE...
IN THE FUTURE THIS MIGHT BE THE CASE.
As technology becomes more ingrained into our everyday lives, it’s only right to expect
the next generation of advertising practitioners to have more awareness of exciting
opportunities that exist within creative applications of technology.
BUT WHILST THAT TRANSITION TAKES PLACE...
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15. Agencies are placing
technologists within their
creative teams to order to help
bridge the knowledge gap
between, traditional &
technical disciplines.
SO WHAT DOES A CREATIVE
TECHNOLOGIST DO?
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16. A CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
THINKS
The technologist within the team is someone who
Digital
understands both the business of advertising,
marketing and branding & has a deeper knowledge of
Traditional the current technologies available.
Art Copy
Is briefed to originate ideas to solve communication
Idea problems for clients.
Client
Services Looks at ideas from angles which an AD, CW, might
not, making their ideas better / flagging possible
challenges.
Technologist
Speaking in plain english, turning computer language
into a language that the clients (& client services)
understand.
Source : whatisacreativetechnologist.com / what is a creative technologist - www.slideshare.net/sermad1/creative-technologist
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17. A CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
MAKES
Write Code and make functional software.
Digital
Involved in strategic thinking for utilities &
Traditional
platforms.
Art Copy
Build prototypes, working demos.
Prototype
Client
Services Enable Agile workflow (if applicable)
Manage relationships with client IT if
Technologist needed. (events etc).
Bring new technologies into the
creative process.
Source : whatisacreativetechnologist.com / what is a creative technologist - www.slideshare.net/sermad1/creative-technologist
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18. A CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
MAKES THE PHYSICAL DIGITAL
http://www.adzag.co/2013/01/08/subaru-minicar-music- http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/sound-bottle-remixing-
player-music-to-drive-safely-by/ everything-it-hears/
http://sametomorrow.com/blog/2012/11/15/projecteo- http://www.youtube.com/watch?
instagram-projector/ feature=player_embedded&v=Kp9N2MiJK_g
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19. A CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
HELPS MAKE EXPERIENCES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mof-Dq3hvWs http://vimeo.com/52025659#
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2228326/nokia- https://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2012/september/burberry-
and-deadmau5-take-over-london-for-lumia-launch mixes-heritage-with-digital-high-tech-in-new-london-store
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20. CONNECTING THE DOTS - WHERE DOES THE ROLE FIT
Advising on new routes, possible
Art Copy technologies, different new idea routes,
Digital pitching demos, prototypes etc.
Traditional Idea
Technologist
Client Working with creatives developers & client services to
Flash UX
Services maintain collaboration between parties throughout the
lifespan of the idea, from a vision perspective.
Leads
Front End Back End Not afraid to get hands dirty, build code
Team Team (to a production level) and test projects
Testing
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21. A CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
ENHANCES TRADITIONAL MEDIA
http://mashable.com/2012/11/28/ipad-mini-print-ads/ http://www.adzag.co/2011/10/24/the-new-vw-beetle-jumps-
off-a-billboard-in-this-cool-augmented-reality-campaign/
http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/koreas-tesco-reinvents- http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2011/
grocery-shopping-with-qr-code-stores-20110628/ jun/22/shazam-funding-tv-tagging
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22. A CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
TINKERS
Milibanned Extension for Google Chrome.
Centralizer Extension for Google Chrome
Puts the YouTube homepage back into the centre of your
browser window.
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23. A CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
EDUCATES & SHARES KNOWLEDGE
The role also requires he / she to be a filter on new trends in technology, sharing these with the
right people in order to inspire and innovate.
Exploring news ways of working and building relationships with stake holders & possible
external partners
Bringing in talkers, speakers, running workshops, putting new things into plain sellable english.
Source : whatisacreativetechnologist.com / what is a creative technologist - www.slideshare.net/sermad1/creative-technologist
Friday, 11 January 13 24

24. CONNECTING THE DOTS - THE WIDER PICTURE
Art Copy
Digital
Client Traditional
Services
PR
Experimental Technologist
Partners
A creative technologists core purpose is to generate new ideas
& executions with technology in un-expected ways,
this often involves partnering with other areas of business both
internally & externally to enhance any creative ideas.
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