In a candid conversation with exchange4media, Kartik Smetacek and Rohit Malkani, Chief Creative Officer, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi spoke about heading the agency jointly, the creative strategies during IPL and elections, and more.

While Smetacek joined the agency in 2014, Malkani came on board in 2016.

Edited excerpts:

You and Rohit have been heading the agency together. What difference does it make if an agency has two CCOs?

Rohit Malkani: The journey from NCDs to Chief Creative Officers is quite funny. Kartik and I keep joking about it because honestly nothing’s changed. We still check every email that goes out of this office, so we are still very much hands-on. What has changed though is working towards further building and strengthening a legacy brand.

Kartik Smetacek: We are working towards championing the creative product, and our collective goal, as Rohit said, is building an agency that has a legacy and leaves a legacy behind. This is something we are increasingly focusing on in this new capacity.

Between the two who calls the shots?

KS: Nobody calls the shots and everybody calls the shots. Having more than one CCO allows so much more senior creative leadership to hold the reins on day-to-day jobs. There's very little actual overlap between what we do. We try and divide ourselves in such a way that we are investing our time individually with each of our clients. Of course, there are certain prestige projects where we both jump in and you know what calls the shot? The better ideas call the shots as they should.

What changes have you seen in the agency? How do you see the agency growing?

KS: I have been in the agency since 2015 and it has seen three evolutions since. Earlier, the agency's main focus was business growth. Post the merger, it was about consolidation, where the aim was to strengthen client relationships.

And then when Paritosh Srivastava, CEO, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and Publicis India, took over, we reset ourselves. We put more focus on our products and our creative excellence. 

With IPL and election campaigns running side by side right now, how does it affect the creatives? Are clients asking something different than the regular?

KS: When IPL and elections overlap, brands seize a massive media chance. This results in a surge of brand activity across platforms, creating a cluttered environment. Consequently, the work you put out in a time like this needs to be cognizant of that.

RM: We are working on campaigns for Delhivery and Greenpanel, who are sponsors of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals, respectively. We're also doing something with Vicks cough drops for the elections.

What's in store for IPL? What creative trends have you seen so far?

KS: During IPL, brands produce multiple films to stay fresh. With brief breaks every six balls, there's a prime two-minute ad slot. Yet, time constraints pose a challenge amidst the clutter. Some brands trying to inject humour, but most of them are quite simple product demo-oriented, and transactional in a sense.

What is your take on the talent pool in the advertising industry and what is your take on retaining talent?

RM: Let me talk about it at 2-3 levels. In the advertising industry, attrition is a problem and even getting great talent is a problem for a very simple reason – it's far more fragmented today. There are a lot of options available so you are not up against other advertising agencies, but against content houses, production houses, etc. Does that mean it's a challenge for us? Yes, it is.

At Publicis Groupe and L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, we emphasize continuous learning. Workshops cover storytelling, media basics, and more at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi. Plus, our learning platform, Marcel, offers over 400 online courses.

In 2024, what does creativity actually mean? With changing technology and clients asking for clutter-breaking work, is the pressure on creatives extreme?

KS: This in my opinion is the most serious problem facing the industry, perhaps even more than the talent issue. The growth in remuneration has not kept pace with the expansion of the job list, as far as the industry goes. So, you will see a lot of agencies are under pressure to deliver more work with fewer people. And as a result, in the end, quality suffers. We need to monetize quality over quantity because quality is what gives you disproportionate returns.

What do you think is the solution?

KS: There is a solution because there is evidence of agencies, some in India, and some abroad who have monetized quality. They charge a premium for their services and clients who value quality and know the difference pay for that.

RM: One thing that irks me is the pitch process. Agencies spend money, time and manpower on any pitch. We make AVs, do research, and spend weeks preparing for a pitch, with zero guarantee of ROI and that's still OK. Then you go for pitches where seven to eight agencies are called, that makes it worse.

If a company is forced to call not more than 3 or 4 agencies and there is a pitch fee involved, it creates discipline. The process itself becomes serious. Marketing organizations will look at it seriously and call only those that count and those that they want in the room. We've just pitched for a client where we were given a pitch fee. It wasn't a very big amount, but through the pitch fee what the client is saying is - I respect you, I respect the time you bring to the table. This made the process a lot more serious.

There is the buzz about AI going to be a helping hand. How are you able to inculcate AI in your work?

KS: We do use AI, especially for spec work or for work like layouts, etc. A lot of time goes into checking stock sites and then compositing backgrounds. Midjourney is putting out this much faster. But the higher-end work, incorporating AI and its potential as a solution, requires investment and a bit of a leap from the client’s side.

There is an interesting conversation on who is the real owner of an award. What is your take on this?

RM: Credit for successful campaigns should primarily go to the agency as a whole, rather than individual team members. Each team member plays a crucial role, from generating the brief to selling the idea to the client to working on the campaign. While an individual may have a significant contribution in crafting the creative idea, it is ultimately the agency's collective effort that brings the project to fruition. Therefore, credit should be attributed to the agency as a whole, considering that the project was developed using agency resources, time and budget.

For a young creative, what is your advice?

RM: The greatest quality that a creative person can have is resilience.

KS: I would also say that this is the time to be bold. Today's generation will be working with technology, a canvas of bold ideas. So, if ever there was a moment to be brave and roll up your sleeves and surprise your clients and surprise your bosses and surprise your agency, it's now.

What’s your plan for say the next two years?

KS: Our approach as an agency is to take ownership of our clients’ business and that comes with a lot of pressure on the work we put out. We want to produce work that is well-received but also effective. This is what we've delivered with our work for Zepto, Vicks and Reliance Digital among others. This is something that defines us, not just as creatives, but as a leadership team. We want to be very honest with the effort and the work we put out there.

RM: Two key elements stand out: culture and legacy. These are areas we're deeply focused on. This agency can't revolve solely around Kartik and me — it has to outlast us. It needs to evolve and leave a lasting impact. And for that to happen, we need to cultivate a strong culture. We've seen this in many great agencies; they don't fade out with one person. They persist, with each generation carrying forward the legacy of pushing boundaries and delivering exceptional work. That's what both Kartik and I are committed to — nurturing that culture day by day, bringing in the right talent, and ensuring our work speaks for itself. It's just the beginning; we're leaving behind a legacy, a culture that will thrive long after we've moved on.