Interviewee
205 Creative Director
Team Advantages
Project Outcome
Successful
Industry
Mobile/internet/Communication
Location
Moscow
Team Risk Tolerance
Low
Team Dynamics
TeamDynamics_FunandProductive
Company
But on the other side, it was really interesting, and what we've got finally was really interesting. Because when you are given ... When you are approached by a client that doesn't want to do any ads and moreover in the way they state themselves is that they've got a charter, I think, that says that they don't advertise, which is already an interesting idea to approach an ad agency with such and such a client, you know, being such a client. [9805]
Anyway, sometime ago, we won Google locally, and I do have some Google accounts in some other countries, but anyway, they don't advertise, but on the other side they wanted to do it. Finally ... I'm speaking for the end of the process. We finally did a campaign for Google. It was the first organic Google campaign in the world because the previous experience they had, and we knew about that. It was in China when they tried to do something and they never got the approval of the central lodge, I'd say because it looked like a sect actually. [9806]
Then we started spending a lot of time with them, really a lot of time. Spending a lot of time with the product, spending a lot of time with the people, and finally somehow in these conversations actually, we found out what we want because we were bringing them a lot of things. We invented. We put a lot of mind into it. At the other side, what we really had to do instead of that, we have to talk, like talk a lot. [9807]
This is the moment where we all took part in it. We all became Moscow experts. We started finding out really interesting stuff on history, on like encyclopedic information. At this moment, we were stopped by the client that said, "Look, this is good. We can have about 60 to 70% of this type of stuff but we would like also to be useful." Being useful is being minute in these type of things. [9808],[9809]
It didn't look the same as these encyclopedic information so we had to struggle for each and every message so that it would be interesting and at the same time useful and not mundane and wouldn't be just road signs. This took us into writing about 500 ads, which is tedious, and we spent ... I practically spent my lifetime there. I mean I went there in the morning and I left in the evening because this is where it was not to work not in the office but with the client because they won't be able to react very fast, and we have to do it fast. [9811],[9810]
This took us into writing about 500 ads, which is tedious, and we spent ... I practically spent my lifetime there. I mean I went there in the morning and I left in the evening because this is where it was not to work not in the office but with the client because they won't be able to react very fast, and we have to do it fast. [9812]
Finally, we've got everything in the streets and a lot of people saw these things. To my feeling, it should have stayed there longer but I know that it finally got the third place on the Moscow Festival for this campaign, and I'm not sure if they haven't taken it somewhere else right now. I mean like [inaudible 00:14:03]. But I'm not sure. I don't know if Ivan has taken it. [9813]
Anyway, the main thing here was to stop dictating to the client what they need. It was this moment when we have to stop being this big agency from network that knows better and just start listening to the people. At some moment, we were not doing it and we were losing it all the time. Then finally, we just started being very intelligent and clever and just talking. [9814],[9815]
nyway, the main thing here was to stop dictating to the client what they need. It was this moment when we have to stop being this big agency from network that knows better and just start listening to the people. At some moment, we were not doing it and we were losing it all the time. Then finally, we just started being very intelligent and clever and just talking. [9846]
We found out that it's a lot of fun, and we made very good friends with them so now they're bringing us absolutely impossible things to do and then they're saying, "Well, we know you're like great. You can do it." Oops. This is somehow ... Now, it's funny because it's like a kid that has broken the vase and he knows that's you can actually mend stuff and he's bringing you something very, very broken. He says, "Well, you can do it. You're the big guy so you can do it." Sometimes it's tedious and but at the same time, it's fun. [9851],[9850],[9847],[9849],[9848]
We found out that it's a lot of fun, and we made very good friends with them so now they're bringing us absolutely impossible things to do and then they're saying, "Well, we know you're like great. You can do it." Oops. This is somehow ... Now, it's funny because it's like a kid that has broken the vase and he knows that's you can actually mend stuff and he's bringing you something very, very broken. He says, "Well, you can do it. You're the big guy so you can do it." Sometimes it's tedious and but at the same time, it's fun. Well, I would say that this is how ... Maybe I didn't describe it properly but this is one of my favorite experiences here. [9816],[9817],[9818]
"Well, we have problems because we don't have any strategic feeling about ... You don't have it. We haven't written you anything on that because you didn't think about it." [9852],[9853]
There were three of us. It was me and the group. Actually, everybody was digging up information and stuff. Basically, there was a copywriter and there was a now director girl but we all took part in collecting information and getting interesting stuff out of thin air and then finalizing it. [9819],[9854]
No, no, no, no. Actually, lots of people were involved and then one person approved everything. [9820]
Just because I even invented ... I said, why don't we take two groups and one works on odd days and the other works on even days because they always change their opinion and so that they could work properly like [9855]
It's funny but it couldn't stand any offline communication. Every time we went offline, we were in trouble. Every time we were there, and we were with them or they were here, but basically usually it was the other way around, it was ... It went fluent. [9821]
At the same time, they are very bad on maintaining it for themselves. They invented for other people but they're very hard for themself. [9856]
At the same time, once again, we decided that we would decide that everything else would be on email. It all stopped because ... I don't know why. These people are representing the second ... next era of electronic communication. At the same time, they are very bad on maintaining it for themselves. They invented for other people but they're very hard for themself. [9822]
Yeah. Because they were not totally clear what they need and we try to dictate. We tried to invent something for them and we ended up nowhere. All of a sudden, we came up with this not very ad-like thing and everybody ... All of a sudden we went off work and we did a good job. [9823]
The local client was really, really for it but they have to battle with the center that never has done such a thing, and so we were like a test, too. [9857]
Yeah, yeah. The one who decided and his mates. There were a couple of people there but of course, he's the main guy. He also wanted to do something because first of all, I thought he's also against it but then I found out that they have a lot of restrictions. I mean they still have to sit in front of these people and the- [9824]
I would say for me, I would say even some of my colleagues would say that this guy doesn't want to but I know him ... I think I know him better now. He's just very cooperative style person, like corporation guy. But he wants to. Yes, it's unusual because usually the big problem with this country would be ... I don't know how ... I wouldn't say these days it's not worse but it used to be this way. You would meet the client on the project and the client would be local and would be a girl that would say, " You know this is risky and the people would not understand us." Then I would say, "Look, we should sort of do the educational thing. We should do it and make them move a little bit." [9825]
She wouldn't say that back to me but she would mean something like "I do not want to take the risks and I don't want to because I actually don't care very much because in a year or two, I'm going to marry some [9858]
She wouldn't say that back to me but she would mean something like "I do not want to take the risks and I don't want to because I actually don't care very much because in a year or two, I'm going to marry some ... I know a guy from [Lasana 00:30:37], and ..." Like for example, if that's Nestle or somebody else, and just leave. They were not really concerned about the market here. Now, it's a little bit better because there are a lot of enthusiasts on the market. [9826]
Because I know there were times when they took a lot of risks just because nobody knew what's going on. It was very new. I mean the industry was very new and they were risky. They were doing interesting stuff and then actually it was the only time when we got ... when this country ever got aligned, and actually Ivan took part in it. There was times when nobody knew how to do it. Now, everybody knows and somehow at the same time, they're not taking that many risks. Well, it happens when kids start walking. They don't know how to walk sometimes. [9827]
They were doing interesting stuff and then actually it was the only time when we got ... when this country ever got aligned, and actually Ivan took part in it. There was times when nobody knew how to do it. Now, everybody knows and somehow at the same time, they're not taking that many risks. Well, it happens when kids start walking. They don't know how to walk sometimes. [9859]
Yeah. Then they start falling some moment because they become confident. It's called I think the syndrome of a fake professional because you think that you're professional enough then you start falling. Anyway, then sometimes in time, people lose momentum and it's easier for them to do things they know how to do and they stop making risks. [9829],[9828]
Oh, that was a funny moment because in the middle of the process, I found myself running up to our client service director, Katz, and saying, "Guys, I'm sure it's a good thing we're doing but maybe it's not worth it because we're spending so much time." They went back to the client and said, "Look, we are spending a lot of time on you." They said, "Maybe we should streamline the process," and they just said, "Just tell us how much it cost. We want this to be done, and if it has to be done with a lot of resources, just let us know. We'll pay." [9831],[9830]
Very warm because at some moment ... I'd say the coefficient of tolerance now is crazy because I can joke about stuff. It's like you can joke about the process and you can actually say very serious things to them and they listen because at some moment I said, "Look guys, it looks like we're trying to have sex on a jumping board because we're not ... We all want it very much but we're always flying by each other and we can't finally get to it because ..." They understand such things now. So I would say there's a lot of personal ... Well, it's a very personal business. I mean all our business is very tied into relations. [9832]
In the way of once you get into it, I mean like first meetings with the client, any client especially client that have previously spoiled relations with ... For example, when they change the team and stuff and you get on it. You have to do a series of very good jobs for them so that they start being more ... give you more credits and stop walking each and every step with you and being more ... It's like taming some animal. I don't know. [9833]
Then finally, all of a sudden, you have very good relations where you got ... and at the same you got huge amount of freedom. This is the thing we all like very much. Sometimes maybe too much because sometimes too much freedom doesn't yield a good decision. [9834]
Yes. This is the thing. Before you spoil anything, you have more credits and more freedom because they know that you've done good some times ago. Sometimes people change. You've used to work with this person and then the agency, and all of sudden, he's a client. Whoops. Something happens to this person. [9835]
Well, sometimes it does. Sometimes it depends. It just all depends whether the person is reasonable. I mean if this was not the fault of mine and the other person, maybe it won't. But [crosstalk 00:41:28] if it was somebody's fault like mine for example, yes, of course, it will. [9836]
Usually, there are two aspects to it. Sometimes you wouldn't take such a project because for me, I'm very ... I remember bad things very well. That's the way my mind is working. I'd say I've got a very good memory for bad things. No. I'm joking of course. Usually, I would try to improve relations of course. I've tried to improve the way people take me or the company for that matter because I'm usually very much oriented toward making a good relation with the client so that the company has a very good image. [9838],[9837]
Yes. Very good. We have to because we spend a lot of time together. I'm an affiliative creative director. I usually value relations more than some other stuff. Well, of course, the work has to be done but on the other side, I'm affiliative. I think that in our department, it's impossible to do anything to people if they don't want to because otherwise ... Well, of course, there has to be discipline but on the other side, you can't make people create. [9860],[9840],[9839]
Well, of course, I mean like this cat won't respect you. It won't respect you anyway but it's just because cats are like that. If you give a cat a ... What do you call it? When you punch it with a foot or if you ... the cat would fly away but it will fly its own direction. This is how it usually happens with the creative guys. See, if you try to punish them or something, they just take it. They just move their own way. Now, I'm joking of course but on the other side, I think it's possible to make people create. [9842],[9841]
his was something which spoiled a lot of effort because for example they would forget ... They would buy us a address program that wasn't very convenient for this project, and we have to beg them for variants and each variant would be rewriting the respective text. So that will be a lot of hassle on this end. Of course, everybody was ... It added up some nerves to it. [9861]
So the client service, since they were on this process also, they were much on our side. Well, I don't know. I don't have much problems. Personally, me, I don't have much problems with client service usually. I'm very client, account-oriented because I know that you can't live without them and I don't despise them as the other creatives do. I think it's a dogma and I don't like dogmas. [9843],[9844]
We could have arrived on it earlier. We could have gotten best, better media and we could have just maybe streamlined the process because the client could have, I don't know, been faster on taking decisions. On the other side, it's a good project. I would say the nature of it is ... You can analyze stuff only if you have previous knowledge, right? [9845]
Reference Tags
[9805] Appeal to novelty,[9806] Appeal to novelty,[9807] Great example - Productive innovation norms,[9808] Believes one has a hopeful path,[9809] Organizing effectively,[9811] Believes one has a hopeful path,[9810] Organizing effectively,[9812] Unbalanced workload pressure,[9813] Peak-end rule,[9814] Great example - Productive innovation norms,[9815] Listening disposition,[9846] Win-win conflict about relationships,[9851] Believes one has a hopeful path,[9850] Believes one has high agency,[9847] Organizational encouragement,[9849] Subjective validation,[9848] Win-win conflict about relationships,[9816] Great example - Productive innovation norms,[9817] Great example - Team Dynamics,[9818] Organizational encouragement,[9852] Alignment,[9853] Internal changes/challenges,[9819] Balanced workload pressure,[9854] Collaborative-Creative Disposition,[9820] Decisive leadership,[9855] Indecisive leadership,[9821] Communication issues,[9856] Internal changes/challenges,[9822] Communication issues,[9823] Vague goals,[9857] Internal changes/challenges,[9824] Empathetic disposition,[9825] Empathetic disposition,[9858] Selfish motivation for the project,[9826] Selfish motivation for the project,[9827] Appeal to novelty,[9859] Irrational escalation,[9829] Risk compensation,[9828] Status quo bias,[9831] Appropriate resources,[9830] Organizational encouragement,[9832] Great example - Team Dynamics,[9833] Trust,[9834] Trust,[9835] Trust,[9836] Trust,[9838] Believes one has high agency,[9837] Trust,[9860] Organizational encouragement,[9840] Promote autonomy & sense of ownership,[9839] Trust,[9842] Promote autonomy & sense of ownership,[9841] Trust,[9861] Reactance,[9843] Empathetic disposition,[9844] Organizing effectively,[9845] Indecisive leadership
related tags
Alignment| Appeal to novelty| Appropriate resources| Balanced workload pressure| Believes one has a hopeful path| Believes one has high agency| Collaborative-Creative Disposition| Communication issues| Decisive leadership| Empathetic disposition| Great example - Productive innovation norms| Great example - Team Dynamics| Indecisive leadership| Internal changes/challenges| Irrational escalation| Listening disposition| Organizational encouragement| Organizing effectively| Peak-end rule| Promote autonomy & sense of ownership| Reactance| Risk compensation| Selfish motivation for the project| Status quo bias| Subjective validation| Trust| Unbalanced workload pressure| Vague goals| Win-win conflict about relationships