Hollie Shaw, Financial Post
Tom Murphy, creative director at Target Marketing & Communications in St. John's, Nfld., is a busy guy these days. Just weeks after a stint as a radio judge at the prestigious Cannes Lions advertising festival, he is headed to London in two weeks as a radio judge at 23rd London International Awards. With a client roster including Air Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Unilever and Molson, Target is one of the few agencies in Canada to have won a gold lion at Cannes (two in 2003 for Irving Oil radio ads). Financial Post Marketing reporter Hollie Shaw spoke with him about working in different languages and going toe-to-toe with big multinational agencies.
Q What is your favourite current campaign and why?
A I'm a little spoiled after reviewing so many great campaigns at Cannes, but it's actually not difficult to choose my best current campaign. "Never let their toys die" for Energizer Batteries -- where they show the kinds of nasty mischief kids would be getting up to if their toys were left to run out of juice -- is hands down the best print campaign I've seen in a long time. It has wonderful insight, great attitude, photography, and visual storytelling -- and it really effectively targets its demographic.
Q What is the favourite campaign you have presided over?
A The campaign I'm most proud to say I was part of is the Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism campaign. It's multi-media and truly groundbreaking for the category. Its strength is being able to capture genuine feeling: the place, the people, the personality here. We've currently got a stunning 3-D board up in Ottawa, and we had an artist actually paint by hand--just these past few weeks --a superboard in Toronto over the Gardiner Expressway. We get so much great feedback from people about the campaign, and it's growing success really strengthens our bond with the client.
Q How do you define good advertising?
A I'd say only about 5% of work created today can be called good advertising. Good advertising is work that entertains. It's an ad you want to see again and again. It's an ad you see on TV and talk about the next day at work. It's the concept that breaks through the clutter, differentiates itself from the its competitors and connects with the audience in an honest, relevant and respectful way.
Q What did you find the most challenging about being a radio judge at Cannes?
A Besides the day-in, day-out listening to radio spots, the toughest part of judging radio at Cannes was trying to deal with so many different languages. For example, one agency from Japan translated their radio ads into English, using a professional voice-over, which really helped communicate the idea, but then another agency from India presented a series of ads with basic recorded translation, that had no performance or feeling, which confused the meaning. In most cases, translations weren't given as voice-overs at all, so we just had to try to interpret the meaning, nuances, and subtleties by reading the scripts. That was pretty tough sometimes.
Q Did you notice many cultural differences in how good advertising is interpreted? How did this affect judging or results?
A Generally, the best work is simple and inspiring and cuts through the clutter and cultures. When it came to judging great work, everyone immediately recognized it, appreciated it and applauded it. I can think of only one case where culture interfered in the judging process and that was in the case of a campaign from Canada. The campaign used metaphors to discuss product benefits and differences, and while the work was liked and short-listed, the metaphors weren't really taken seriously by the European, Asian, and Australian judges -- so the work didn't get awarded.
Q How does a Newfoundland agency compete with larger Canadian players in bigger media hubs?
A We get up earlier than our competition! (Thanks to being on the eastern edge of the continent...) Like all strong brands, we offer our clients something different, something you can only get here. Living here on the edge, we see things differently. We're a bit off-kilter and proud of it. By avoiding road rage, concrete, and skyscrapers, we breathe easier - it's not only an air quality thing - which gives us the opportunity and time to think, dream and weave more creatively and strategically. We attract clients that are brave and want something different from an agency. They recognize the value of living and working in a place with a fresh perspective. Most of our business comes from clients outside the island.
Q Given the ongoing fragmentation of media and audiences, how can you make sure that marketing messages are reaching the right people?
A We like the saying "fish where the fish are." You can't successfully advertise a product to someone unless you know where the audience is. You need to keep your focus and resist the temptation to try and appeal to everyone. Go after your demographic group with a vengeance--no stones unturned--and if groups you didn't originally bargain for end up being drawn to the work you're doing, that's great. But keep your original target in crystal-clear view.