BMF executive creative director
Dylan Taylor discusses technology
adoption, judging creative and
marketing items internationally
Q: Are international markets getting more
similar to one another as digital media
makes global reach easier?
A: It depends. Some major advertis-
ers are running global work in a lot
of similar-viewpoint markets. The
most intelligent of them are personal-
izing and localizing those campaigns.
There may be a global line, but it
has local effects, and those are usu-
ally more successful. If you’re just
transposing ads from one area to
another, they’re not really talking to
the audience. Digital does afford us
the ability to personalize and localize,
so everyone should embrace it.
Q: Do daily deals complicate or enhance
local efforts?
A: Daily deals and group buying
are both good ideas, but I wonder if
there will be a backlash. I went to a
restaurant the other day and there
was a separate queue for group deal
“Everyone is
looking for
the best deals
for the more
functional
items.”
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buyers because the restaurant got
slammed with them. There’s a race
to the bottom of prices, and everyone
is looking for the best deals for the
more functional items so they can
spend more money on discretionary
items. The middle is being hollowed
out and worlds are becoming more
extreme. Utility items are cheaper
and discretionary items are getting
more expensive, so it’s an interesting
time to be a marketer.
Q: Is it tougher to market between every
day and luxury items?
A: It depends how you portray the
value message. The smarter market-
ers are talking about how useful or
valuable a product or service is to
negate the need for price discounts.
If retailers can’t discount, they have
to up their level of customer service,
which we’re seeing in Australia.
Q: Where does Australia see itself compared
to other regions in technology adoption?
A: A lot of direct work at the Cannes
Lions International Festival of
Creativity had a mobile solution
attached, and while Australia is a
big adopter of new technologies like
mobile, the networks aren’t great.
The actual use of mobile for market-
ing in Australia is limited by a band-
width issue. We’re slow in uptake of
mobile compared to online ads and
email, which were all rapidly adopted.
Q: Are markets like Korea and Japan the
future of direct?
A: I think with mobile and tablets,
we’ll all always be on, and market-
ers need to be delivering value and
service wherever we are.
Q: In your experience judging creative
awards, does work from particular regions
have a consistent, almost predictable look
and feel from year to year?
A: Sometimes there’s a mimicry that
goes on in advertising and we push
to fight that. Each country has its
own tone, look and feel. In terms of
judging, many campaigns around the
world benefit from good PR under-
taken by the agencies, and judges
often feel obliged to give a piece of
work gold in one show if it won gold
in another. On the other hand, it’s
always exciting to see fresh work and
discover that new wave of work from
any area. ■ — Kevin McKeefery
DELIVERED | What’s in our inbox this month: End-of-summer offers
Trashbin
Passing Grade
Right Track
Bright Idea
Northern Tool & Equipment’s
dull email features a summer
clearance sale on hot items like
water pumps and auto repair
tools, but product shots are few
and far between.
Pottery Barn Kids’ stripped-down email boasts 75% off
items including bedding and
toys, but with no other detail
or product shots to entice us
to actually click to shop.
Bass Pro Shops’ email really
reels us in with this highly effective promotion. Smashing
color? Check. Special offer?
Check. (“Get a $75 Gift Card!”)
Social consciousness? Check.
Zappos.com’s “Itty-Bitty End-of-Summer Clearance” email
is simple yet compelling. Its
featured product shots open
the door to half-off deals on
summertime staples.
