Empowering young talent to change the world through creativity
Creativity has never been more important or valuable. It’s the primary asset of brands and agencies.
Technology has allowed us to tell stories in fresh, new imaginative ways. Social media has transformed the way that brands communicate, opening up opportunities that were previously unimaginable, and connecting people beyond borders and cultures.
The millennial generation who grew up with these technologies are incredibly competent in transferring their personal social habits to the work they do. They are intuitive in this era of sharing, they are natural content creators, and they are well-versed in a highly globalized, multicultural environment.
The most impressive characteristic signaling a shift from previous generations is these millennials’ bold sense of purpose in their lives. This new generation of talent is hungry for a purpose-driven career. They want to participate and contribute to the global narrative, and be a part of something larger than themselves.
In 2014, the simple act of pouring a bucket of ice water over one’s own head and encouraging friends and family to join the movement took the world by storm, raising awareness and $220 million for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. This demonstrates society’s willingness and enthusiasm to stand for and participate en masse in a worthy cause, made possible by social media.
Visionary brands have already been steering themselves in this direction where purpose is integrated into profit. It has become one of the most crucial factors that differentiate these companies in a highly competitive marketplace. Consumers want to feel something when they engage with a brand. They want to buy from and support brands that share the same values as them.
This alignment of purpose between consumers and brands spell opportunities for our industry’s young talent to use the power of creativity in their work to change the world.
There’s no doubt that today’s talent have more options than ever in their career choices. Unsurprisingly, they tend to gravitate towards companies that foster their own beliefs and values. We – the creative community – need to ensure that our young talent has the tools, experience and opportunities to continue creating brave, bold, scalable ideas that keep our industry relevant to the changing global landscape.
To win the intensifying war for talent, agencies need to rethink empowerment at the workplace for a new era.
Encourage their passions
The idea for a separation between work and life is becoming irrelevant. We are not machines with on-off buttons. A passionate employee is a committed employee. And a committed employee is empowered to produce meaningful work.
We need to cultivate an environment where our employees’ passions are brought to life and celebrated. We want to see the brilliance and excitement from doing work they have an emotional connection to. Only then will we be able to maximize their potential.
Encourage borderless creativity
In today’s interconnected world, we no longer live and work in silos. Often, we need to create work that appeals to multiple audience groups across borders.
We need to expand our young talent’s frame of mind by exposing them to the best creative minds and work globally. That way, we keep them plugged in to a rapidly-changing world. It isn’t enough to watch from afar; we need to immerse them in real environments. This type of rich experience provides them with endless inspiration and motivation for what they can do to participate and contribute on a global scale.
Encourage creativity infused with purpose
Some of our most meaningful work are with the world’s most influential brands, such as P&G Always’ '#LikeAGirl' and Samsung’s 'Safety Truck' in Argentina. Both were ambitious campaigns planned and executed by people who were motivated to push the boundaries and redefine the role of marketing.
When you weave the power of creativity together with a determination for purpose, the end result may truly make a difference.
Today’s young talent are already more connected and empathetic as marketers who stress authenticity in the work they produce. The future of our industry lies in us actively empowering this next-generation talent.
We now have an infinite canvas to create long-term emotional relationships with people and tremendous power in creativity to affect positive change. We have to create content that is of human interest, relevant and designed to enrich people’s lives.
And the best news: we have incredible young talent with the right heart to carry that forward.
Mark Tutssel is global chief creative officer of Leo Burnett