Goafest 2023: Nick Law's seven principles for the future of creativity

The last day of Goafest 2023 commenced with Nick Law, global creative chairperson, Accenture Song, laying out seven principles for the future of creativity. 

 

Law took a deep dive into the necessity of establishing and embodying principles as a brand. 

 

He stated, “Every company needs to have consistent principles and dynamic practices. Sometimes, our industry forgets that it needs to be dynamic.” 

 

Law shared a set of principles that can help brands cultivate a fresh perspective when it comes to generating creative busuiness ideas. 

 

The seven principles for the future of creativity, guided by Law, emphasise the importance of embracing creativity, technology, and collaboration.

 

The principles are as follows:

 

Consistent principles, dynamic practices

 

Law's first principle highlighted the need for organisations to establish robust principles as a framework while adapting to the changing practices of the industry. 

 

“Without such principles in businesses, scaling becomes a challenge. We need to maintain a strong marketing philosophy while fostering innovation within a company," he said. 

 

Singular vision, collaborative culture

 

The second principle emphasises the importance of collaboration in the creative process. 

 

Law shared, “The need for mixing and matching different talents and fostering a collaborative environment within teams is key."

 

First, design yourself

 

Law's third principle shared the prominence of being sharp at the top level and connecting at the bottom level of the marketing funnel. 

 

He said, “Organisations should have effective communication and connection between top-level management and employees at all levels. Clear communication and understanding of the company's goals are essential for a brand’s success." 

 

Loose with ideas, tight with execution 

 

Law's fourth principle pointed out the need for creatives to be dynamic and adaptable in the face of rapid change. 

 

He shared, “When it comes to ideation, it is key to connecting the diverse abilities, organisation, and consumers to foster creativity within an organisation. There should be both generalists and specialists within a business to ensure ideas are executed effectively.” 

 

Technology is creative 

 

“Creativity cannot exist without technology. Creatives should work closely with evolving technologies to achieve impactful storytelling,” expressed Law.

 

Deep simplicity

 

Law shared an example from his experience working with Nike, where a complex product was simplified to ensure consumers were not overwhelmed with unnecessary complexity. 

 

"While creating Nike Pods we had complicated the process with too much data. The key is to marry both creative ideation and technology to effectively target a consumer," he said.

 

Start in the middle

 

Law also touched on the evolving marketing funnel, stating that the consideration phase is now key in the consumer journey. 

 

He concluded, “Businesses should look at human connections and emotions in the bottom level of the funnel. We should aim to create an impactful storytelling approach to engage consumers effectively.”