In a large group focused on production and sales, is there a place for creativity? Benoît De Saedeleer, Creative Director at Altavia ACT*, outlines his vision of creativity.
An environment in which you have to have fun
As a player in production and communication at the point of sale, can we indulge in creativity when we are involved at the critical moment of purchase? According to the Creative Director of the Belgian BU, creativity provides real added value at any moment of communication. However, it is essential to respect the specific constraints of our activities: formats, techniques, time, budget, recurrence of the communication, etc. All these elements define the framework in which we can free our creativity.
“For many years, we have learned to control this framework and make it work in our favour to offer consumers a communication that is surprising, entertaining, and above all relevant. Creativity must be used to aid communication, never the other way around” he stresses.
Creativity must be developed
No-one is born creative, they become it. Tinker Hatfield, the brilliant Nike designer, said this: “Sitting in front of a computer all day will not make you more creative. We need to go out and get inspiration from the world around us.” This is exactly what us creatives must do to constantly come up with fresh ideas in an ever more complex field. Amazed by everything, always searching for new ideas, never getting complacent. Today we have access to amazing tools within the group, such as Altavia Watch or ShopperMind, to share this knowledge and inspire each other. “It is also for the purposes of this sharing of knowledge and inspiration, that we have decided to set up a Lab at Altavia ACT*”, Benoît explains to us.
Our own creative identity
The tools and talents that we can draw on, allow us to provide a totally unique profile to our clients. The research we carry out provides context. The concept can therefore be adapted to the real situation in the field and to the consumer to create relevant and effective communication. In addition to the many insights and statistics revealed by our research, we must put ourselves in the shoes of the consumer and learn from our observations.
We never forget that we are consumers above all!
Benoît De Saedeleer
A perfect mix
According to the Creative Director of the Brussels Bum creativity is both a matter of introspection and sharing. You must switch between these two phases to find the balance between conscientiousness and letting go. Two ideas that speak to the consumer, shared between their emotions and their rational mind. So just because we work in a purely promotional environment, it does not mean that we should abandon the emotions. The important thing is to arouse something in the consumer, capture their attention in order to win them over.
Boldness as a driving force
“By getting rid of their inhibitions, the creative can be unchained” insists Benoît. Daring to share ideas, submitting them to the judgement of others to help develop them and create strong ideas. That is the difficulty and the great secret of the creative. A secret that we have decided to share with you today. Don’t hesitate to pass it on!
By Benoît de Saedeleer, Creative Director, Altavia ACT*