Avoid ad-blockers by creating value-added content for consumers: Jon Cook

Heart, Home, Wisdom and Courage form the core of the DNA of VML. The global agency believes that everything created adds real value to the lives of everyone it reaches. They deliver powerful messages to bring people together and develop innovative ways for them to connect.

VML follows three rules of brand storytelling, which are:

• Consumer cares less about product than you do
• Be deceived and disciplined
• What brand does matters as much as what brand says

AdGully caught up with Jon Cook, Global CEO, VML, during his visit to India recently and spoke with him regarding VML’s growth strategy for India, opportunities and challenges, and more. Excerpts:

AdGully (AG): What is VML’s growth strategy globally?
Jon Cook (JC): Globally, our strategy is to continue building on the capabilities that any marketing company has, which include developing the fusion between creativity and deep technology, in both rural and urban markets, and do that with complete geographic equipment.

AG: How would you define VML’s growth in India? What is India’s contribution to VML’s global revenues?
JC: Right now, VML India forms a small part of the overall revenues of the VML global company, but it is a significant part of the company and the fastest growing for VML. VML India is going to grow fast not just in size, but also in terms of sophistication and complexity. The contribution is perspective, especially from a country that is one of the fastest growing in the world in terms of technology.

AG: While opportunities are many, what are the key challenges that a digital agency faces, given today’s market scenario?
JC: The key challenges that a marketing company faces is to resist the temptation to chase technology and build capabilities around new technologies. What small agency should do is to stay true to the marketing fundamentals and not try to go create new division when new a platform comes up. The challenge that most agencies face is that they get distracted by new technologies.

AG: What do global headwinds imply for growth of digital as an industry?
JC: I think the headwinds are showing that the market will continue to thrive. Agencies need to take more advantage of the very sophisticated data available; they need to continue not just engaging consumers, but also acquiring new consumers and continue to show what they are capable of.

AG: How can brands effectively use chat-bots for consumer engagement? Do you see chat-bots overtaking apps anytime soon?
JC: I myself don’t use chat-bots much (laughs). But I think consumers have the threshold for more and more usage of chat-bots; and I feel the technology has to be better, faster, and more fluent. I think we have a small window of time to match up the technology to people’s needs and expectations, otherwise they will give up on it.

AG: How can brands attract their audiences in a multiple screen environment?
JC: I think the key to using more touch screen and marketing campaign is to not think in terms of the media or the different screens, but to think about the journey that the consumer is on and how they are engaging with the brand – before they use the brand, while they using the brand, and after using the brand.

AG: Will there be a winning side in the ad blockers war? Is there a way in which both consumers and brands can find an amiable solution?
JC: There is a way to find a solution that can be beneficial for both brands and consumers, and that is for brands to create content that has enough value for the consumers, which is entertaining and more compelling . It is worth waiting for and not to be blocked. I think as advertisers we have to give more entertaining content to make it a reality.