Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) chief executive officer Stanley Clement
PETALING JAYA: Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), the media-fuelled creative content agency within the IPG Mediabrands network, recently announced key updates to its leadership team in Malaysia, in the form of a Creative Leadership Council.
In responding to queries from StarBiz, Stanley Clement, chief executive officer of MBCS Malaysia and newly minted executive creative director of MBCS Andrew Shee elucidated some of the developments trending in the advertising industry and how the agency viewed them.
Below are the excerpts of the interview.
StarBiz: Innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) of late have been hogging the headlines. What has the agency done in this space? And how is this shaping creativity today and how can creatives work together with the technology?
Clement: AI is shaping the face of creativity today, providing us with advanced tools, content generation capabilities, personalised recommendations, data-driven insights and collaborative platforms, all of which can enhance the way we do our work as creatives.
Within the agency, we are embracing AI as a tool, ensuring we have a good repository of AI tools that help very much in the thinking and groundwork.
However, we are extremely careful and measured of its usage, especially with the end output.
While working with this technology, it is important to strike a balance between human creativity and AI assistance, as we look to continuously learn, adapt and consider the ethical implications of its usage.
Ultimately, human input in creativity and innovation leads the way.
Most importantly, MBCS and the Creative Leadership Council see an opportunity to leverage AI’s capabilities while infusing a unique artistic vision for creatives to unlock new possibilities and navigate the evolving creative landscape, which will be very exciting for brands today.
Shee: Technology allows creativity to flourish and continues to amaze us every day. Because technology is everywhere around us, and so much more accessible, creatives need to understand better how tech can enhance people’s lives and build creative ideas around it.
Within MBCS, we are making a concerted effort to enrich our creatives in the space of AI through specialised and practical workshops which will help them strategise better alongside AI to do a variety of things across consumer analysis, eCommerce and even sustainability efforts.
In terms of creativity, where does Malaysia stand compared with its regional peers? How can we boost the creativity level in the ad industry locally, and any measures to spur creative talents?
Clement: The ad industry locally definitely needs reinvigoration.
Executions and plans in the last few years have been largely tactical, focused on finding the cheapest solution to market.
This has not been a good thing as the core idea of building brands long-term has taken a backseat, and we are looking at pricing in the first instance, rather than the real opportunity to grow brand value.
This needs to be balanced better, otherwise brands will lose out in the long run.
Shee: Ways of the past do not apply in today’s climate.
Shee: Malaysia has amazing creative talents both locally and abroad who are showcasing their creativity in many other fields beyond advertising.
However more effort needs to go into marketing ourselves better to gain global recognition and acknowledgement.
While there are rules and regulations that sometimes stifle creatives, the truth is this is prevalent everywhere in the world.
Instead, creatives need to challenge themselves to work around the rules to create something that moves people and changes behaviours or mindsets.
This is why tech and data science is so exciting, as there lies opportunities for us to manoeuvre around obstacles to achieve the creativity we aspire for.
We are now in the age where AI is threatening to take over our jobs – especially so in the creative marketing industry.
Instead of fearing this, we need to embrace AI and use it purposefully, knowing that at the end of the day, humans are the heart of AI.
This business is still very much a people business and should always be driven by human truths in everything we do.
Could you delve on the challenges faced by the creative leadership?Clement: Primarily, our main challenges lie in managing the expectation of the clients.
There is a high expectation for us to constantly bring great ideas to the table, yet there is a natural limit on solutions which are highly social or that can trend-jack positively.
Thus, delivery with frequency of this nature is challenging, and makes it challenging for us to constantly inspire the young creatives.
Shee: I firmly believe in creative leadership taking a proactive role to inspire and guide the next generation of creative talents, but the biggest challenge is how we do it.
Ways of the past do not apply in today’s climate.
Leaders need to drop fixed expectations to better understand the ways of the next generation before guiding them.
Being empathetic towards one another and working together towards a common goal is an important part of the inspiration process.
Importantly, we need to keep nurturing our local talent to ensure they do not move away from creative industries.
Any other relevant trends or insights driving the advertising landscape?
Clement: We are seeing greater opportunities within performance creative as it is an essential way for brands to quickly and effectively reach their audience, as they seek to drive higher conversions by targeting specific audiences, optimise based on data, and focus on measurable results.
To this end, MBCS has a full performance creative team that works closely alongside the media teams to ensure that brands stand out, engage their audience, and achieve their marketing goals effectively and efficiently.
