Ideas are the key for ad-man Robert Senior

Nov 17 2009 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

HE’S wowed us with a drumming gorilla, tempted our passion for motors with a car made of cake, and got thousands to take part in a mass karaoke session in the capital all in the name of mobile phones. Now Middlesbrough-born ad-man Robert Senior has been back on home turf to encourage the region’s firms to get creative when it comes to shouting about what they do best. Karen McLauchlan spoke to him.

IT’S time to be bold, not boring.

So says Robert Senior, the Middlesbrough-born creative guru who has been back in the North-east to help the region’s firms gain a competitive edge.

The UK chief executive of the newly formed Saatchi, Saatchi and Fallon (SSF Group) is the driving force behind hugely memorable ad campaigns such as Cadbury’s drumming gorilla, Skoda’s car constructed from cake and T-Mobile’s sing-a-long featuring the voices of thousands of members of the public.

The 44-year-old returned to his old stamping ground as a guest speaker at Business Link’s Marketing: The Art Of event which aimed to provide firms with practical support to maintain their profile, differentiate from the competition, and prepare for the upturn in the economy, through workshops, sessions and debate.

“These are exciting times for marketing,” said Robert.

“We have more creative platforms than any other generation so it’s important we make the most of them.”

Born in Middlesbrough General Hospital, he grew up in Middleton St George and studied at Durham University. Robert is now based in London and is married with three children.

He said the recession had led some companies to play it safe and wait for the upturn to arrive - but in his opinion it was important to be more proactive.

“We need to encourage people to have more confidence, to put themselves out there - not be safe and boring. People are tending to batten down the hatches. If an idea works it can have an amazing effect. One thing’s for certain if you don’t have a go, nothing will happen.”

Back by popular demand for a second year, the day-long marketing event was held at The Sage Gateshead last week. It gave the region’s businesses an insight into a broad range of marketing techniques and trends.

But getting noticed isn’t always about spending mega-bucks. London’s Liverpool Street Station was brought to a standstill when 350 people broke into a choreographed dance routine for the shooting of an advertising campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi for T-Mobile. And while the campaign started out on TV, it quickly became an internet smash.

“The advert had one big airing followed by a few cut downs,” explained Robert, “but it was on YouTube within three minutes of going out on air. T-Mobile had cut their spend by half, but the impact of the advert trebled.”

He added: “Creativity is not dependant on budget, it’s good ideas that attract interest. The key to creativity is to outsmart the competition, not outspend them.”

SSF Group is currently involved with campaigns for the World Cup and the Olympics. It is also working on Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Fairtrade project.

Tees Valley and the North-east is working to raise its profile regionally, nationally and internationally, so how would one of the world’s top ad-men market it?

“The region is best told by its people,” said Robert.

“We need to use ambassadors for the region better. It’s people with a story to tell that makes others interested in an area.”

For more information On Business Link’s marketing event go to www.marketingtheartof.com.