What I learned in New York and Sydney DARREN MARTIN – DIRECT Magazine

Last November Darren Martin, creative director RAPP, was invited to judge the Caples Awards In New York, and most recently he was on the panel for the Australasian AWARD awards in Sydney. With that track record it’s worth paying attention to his five observations on the state of direct marketing gleaned from his experiences at the awards.

For years I’ve been debating that mainstream is now direct. Gone are the days of placing a logo down on a pretty picture and waiting for the money to roll in after consumers decide they want what you’ve got. Clients these days are demanding a return on interest, and everything is accountable. And why shouldn’t it be, money doesn’t grow on trees.

Mainstream has had its day in the sun. Who wants to be mainstream anyway? This day and age I want to be seen as alternative, edgy and relevant, even if it is harder considering I’m not the young cocky creative anymore. However, that’s where I think DM can be. It’s not the dodgy, ugly cousin anymore, it’s the hot sexy new girl or boy in town and it’s waiting to show you a good time. If you treat it with respect that is. DM, as a form of thinking, is here to stay and will continue to evolve, especially as technology does. So, what did I see and learn this year at the award awards?

Promo category – Or the lack thereof

I love the promo category; I think it’s where the most exciting and engaging work is being showcased these days. But when it comes to direct in Australia, promo gets lugged into the integrated solutions category more often than not. Plus, you will always find this is where our main question continually raises its head. ”But is it direct?” I guess a lot of ideas don’t follow through with the data captured to really make it “direct” but maybe that data will work its way into the next big idea that I’ll hopefully be awarding next year. Personally, I think we need a “direct promotion category” as too many good ideas are losing out to others that truly define “integrated solutions”, and that’s a shame.

Social Media

“We had a facebook page” doesn’t define social media to me. I saw a cool Twitter idea for Levi’s jeans a couple of years back now at the ADMA Awards, but nothing really stood out at AWARD this year. I guess the closest was the Canon Photochains idea in Australia, the Lola Techie idea from Bayan Telecommunications in the Philippines and, from out of China, the Red Flag concept for The North Face.

What is the next big thing in DM?

Hmmm. Again, nothing to write home about really. You could wheel out that talk about user generated content again though you also could argue that you’ve kind of seen this style of marketing before. Getting back to The North Face Red Flag idea, their use of geotagging did play a pivotal role in their overall campaign, which was refreshing. Oh, and I did see some technology in New York where your brochure can play footage via a small screen insert that’s activated when you open it. Kind of like those musical cards we’ve all seen, on steroids. Kind of cool but just another gimmick I think. I’m not really one for technology for the sake of technology though. The razzle-dazzle can never outweigh the power of a simple basic idea.

Presentation boards & case study movies

If you don’t have one or the other, or haven’t done them properly then you’re already behind the eight ball, let alone stand a good chance of taking home anything worth polishing. Though in saying that my joint-CD and I did have a piece that made it to finalist stage without a board (it was an old-school Telegram for Telstra so we kept everything old-school in presentation) that I actually think helped get it to finalist stage. But I don’t think we’ll be polishing anything. Maybe we should have organised a board?

Flat Direct Mail, is a category that is waning

Is it boring? An envelope sitting alongside its integrated, ambient and dimensional mail brothers sure does make it look that way. But in saying that I truly think that flat direct mail is one of the truest forms of traditional DM and it’s up to the creative’s of the world to keep it’s flag flying high. A brief for an envelope pack can and should be a creative challenge any team should be up for cracking.

So, to sum up. Australian direct marketing more often than not sits on the top of international competitions. An art-based creative director who clearly doesn’t know what DM is anymore has written this. But then again, that’s the beauty of direct marketing. Even though the principles stay the same, our game continues to change and that’s exciting. Who wants’ to go around the block with the same old girl when there’s a new one in town itching to show you a good time? Being direct, I’ll put up my hand and say, “I want some bloody action, please!” Bring it on.

Darren Martin is creative director, RAPP <Darren.Martin@rappsydney.com.au>