Right brain versus left brain epitomises modern marketing
Being crap at maths was once almost a prerequisite for those seeking a career in the creative industries. The business was dominated by those with a love of language, culture and art but a deep fear of numbers.
And being creative was almost seen as a weakness by their more numerate cousins in the world of finance, IT and science. Never the twain shall meet, was the mantra.
But a convergence of these two groups has become one of the defining element of this new age of what – according to The Drum’s masthead at least – can be described as modern marketing.
SapientNitro, for example, started with a strong technical pedigree, is proving it is as creative as any agency, with famous projects like its smile activated Wall’s ice cream dispenser.
Meanwhile, more traditional agencies now see coders, programmers and software engineers as having as much a role to play as designers, writers and creative directors.
The industry is not only stronger, but destined to play a far larger future economic role as a result.
The Drum aims to reflect this trend. In our 13 April issue our readers were treated to a special report into the fascinating – but somewhat technical – world of analytics.
However, in sharp contrast, the latest issue, published today, delves into the creatively esoteric world of shop window postcards, as part of our Chip Shop Awards coverage.
That, coupled with a review of creative trends in the Out of Home scene, gives the latest issue of The Drum a ‘right-brained’ feel.
But even ‘left-brained’ thinkers appreciate that although technology has done so much to transform the way this business works, many of the fundamentals remain the same. And one prime example is the fact it is still about ideas.
Technology, to take one example, may have ushered in an era of social media. But in a world where word of mouth prevails, people still need something to talk about through tweeting, liking or sharing. And events such as the Chip Shop Awards remain a celebration of the power of the simple, insightful idea. However, in the next issue of the magazine we will take you to another destination in our increasingly diverse modern marketing landscape – the world of search. And a word to the wise for any self-confessed right-brain thinkers out there; search can be every bit as creative as a shop window postcard.