Dayvid Iannaci, Owner, Ghost Agency

Your idea about the perfect working day: It has to include new business. It’s all about the hunt and the kill. It could be a new concept, throwing Ideas against the wall and getting the big idea. This can apply to old business as well.

Your muse best comes when:  Hm, it’s really hard to say.  It could be a leaf falling off the tree, sour milk in the coffee or anything really.  Music can really get me in the right mindset but it has to be something without lyrics. I don’t know, but something about music with lyrics throws me off when I’m working.  I like ambient, although it could be some techno, but nothing too heavy, some classical or even some of the longer Floyd instrumental cuts can work.

What needs to be changed/improved in order to achieve ultimate engagement with users:  We’re heading towards a place where users are providing the content they want. They are the ones generating content. Look at Wikipedia. I think that’s the perfect example. It’s all about the interactive product and the user. We’ve reached a place where it is the user who creates products. Some aren’t professional and some are. It’s a wide open arena.  

The user generated content creates a great opportunity for dialogue. The technology is there, the limit is not the technology. It’s just a matter of seizing opportunities.

Favorite Brand Experience:  My favorite was for the campaign we ran for the Hulk movie. The things we were able to do with this campaign were impressive. We were able to schedule opt-in sound for the media buy and have the campaign be very disruptive, all in a good way. It was something they haven’t seen before. The screen shake was unexpected. It was a good one.

Kau Sern Hieu, Strategy Director at Starcom IP Malaysia (digital arm of Starcom MediaVest Group)

Your muse best comes when:  I’m in the shower. In fact, my best ideas come whenever I can clearly hear my thoughts – no distractions, no phones. I could be swimming and a eureka moment happens!

Your idea about the perfect working day:
- Start off my day with a set of breakfast for champions (eggs, sausage, toast and tea)
- Everything on my daily to-do list gets checked off.
- No emails or calls from my finance department.
- My team, especially the juniors, takes ownership and rise up to the challenge.
- I come across a kick @$$ strategy to solve an immediate problem. Bonus if it comes from my team!
- Being an inspiration to others and vice versa.

What needs to be changed/improved in order to achieve ultimate engagement with users?  Clearly defined engagement metrics even before the campaign begins. For this to happen, agency and client needs to work closer. If not, we will fall back to the unreliable click-through rates.
Also, the creative agency needs to start thinking from a user’s perspective rather than constantly coming up with intrusive ad placements ideas in the name of impact.  In summary, my perfect engagement campaign should be able to influence purchase or lead to purchase.Â
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Favourite brand experience:  HP TouchSmart PC

In terms of creative, it’s very fresh. Good use of 3D animation without over indulging in it. Plus, it makes full use of the space given especially when a user launches the tab functions.  Speaking of tabs, the tabs are very clearly labeled. More importantly, it’s functional and straight to the point. Best of all, it has a tab which leads users to a purchase opportunity.

Ideas for what could have been improved:
- To have a data capture form to capture leads eg. “I am interested. Please call me.”
- Users able to download a pdf file of the specs, right off the banner itself.

Nicola Rovetta (nickname: Woccia), Creative Director at Agency.Com

Your idea about the perfect working day: It’s when good ideas pop up from informal conversation, or innocent activities become business ideas.

Your muse best comes when: Driving, or in the shower.

What needs to be changed/improved in order to achieve ultimate engagement with users:  For me, ultimate engagement runs through digitalisation and “medialisation” of all the devices (outdoor, in-house, in-car, who knows?). So first, countries like Italy must overcome the digital divide. Too many people are not accessing or using computers or broadband the right way, and sure they prefer watching television! The second issue is that the infrastructure problem is not only physical, but also a cultural problem: publishers often prefer doing the same old things over and over again rather than experiment or support new media or new solutions. And last but not least, agencies and clients must have the courage to dive into the conversation, because each minute that you wait thinking about how to cope in the digital world is a year you lose in evolution. You know, as I often say to customers, in the digital world years are like dog’s years: one is worth seven!

Favorite Brand Experience:  Despite all rich videos about these days, what comes to mind first is Hancock’s “whale-throwing” game – part game, part widget.  For me, it is the right-sized addictive experience.