The first session on Goafest 2023 saw industry experts discussing the ‘Future of Creativity’. The session was moderated by Rohit Ohri Chairman & CEO - FCB Ulka. The panellists were Anusha Shetty - Chairperson & Group CEO - Grey Group India; Josy Paul - Chairman & Group CCO - BBDO; T Gangadhar Co Founder and Group CEO Quotient Ventures; and Dheeraj Sinha - CEO & Chairman - Leo Burnett & BBH. The leaders discussed how the advertising industry is shaping up with technology coming in the picture and AI being the buzz word.
The discussion was centered around how technology will be seamlessly integrated into creativity in the future, enabling people to push the boundaries of what is possible, ultimately revolutionising the way we express, communicate, and interact.
Making an interesting point about technology in creativity, Gangadhar said, “It’s not man vs machine, it is man with machine. You need technology to run your data but you need a human mind to add value to it.”
Sinha on the other hand stated, “We believe that this is the best time to be in the business. Today, you have such a huge palette to play around with v/s images and copy that could be played around with back in the day. Creativity is the power to solve problems, which we have done. But now imagine adding data and technology to it! The possibility is limitless!”
The panel also talked about the significance of bringing on talented individuals who will set the bar for innovation.
Sinha noted, “There is no future for business if there is no future for this talent.” Added Shetty, “With every change we witness, finding talent to embrace new changes is getting more complex.”
Paul made a statement regarding talents and searching for the right fit for an agency, saying, “A talent should be a combination of a visionary, missionary, and an artist!”
When asked about his take on technology being adopted by creativity, Paul said, "I have been through four generations of technology - the era of print, television, the internet and social media and I have embraced all four of them. I think it's because I didn't fall in love with the medium. I fell in love with the people I have worked with. Talking about technology today, we find ourselves influenced by technology but there is one thing that hasn’t changed: emotional intelligence (EI). While there is so much noise about AI, EI is how agencies and brands will stand out. So when we talk about AI, I want to put EI on the table."
In conclusion, Rohit highlighted the issue of the organisational framework required to foster innovation. The panels provided insightful information on the organisational structure needs and the need to rethink the concept of hierarchy.
