Over the past twenty years, I’ve seen the advertising business relentlessly evolve, yet one truth has remained constant: our industry’s greatest asset is its people. As we navigate the complexities of the digital age and the looming spectre of AI, it’s crucial to reflect on what actually drives our companies forward.
At its core, our business is not just selling products or services; we’re selling our ideas and our time. I believe ideas are infinite. Time, however, is not. Every hour spent is an hour we can’t reclaim, but it’s also an investment in expanding our minds. This is vital if we want to stay ahead in a world where the lines between human creativity and artificial intelligence will be increasingly blurred.
While AI and large language models (LLMs) have made significant strides in content creation, they’re fundamentally limited to reproducing and recombining existing knowledge. In contrast, our minds possess a unique ability to think laterally and to innovate in ways that machines simply can’t replicate. This is where our competitive edge lies.
To harness this advantage, we need to embrace true diversity of thought. This goes beyond surface-level diversity; it means bringing together individuals from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, and outlooks. An AI may analyse data, but it can’t replicate the unique perspective that comes from human experience and culture, which allows us to approach problems from angles an AI may never consider.
Diversity of thought, unity of purpose
Diversity alone isn’t enough. For an agency to thrive, this diverse group of thinkers must be united by a common purpose. If team members are focused solely on short-term gains, the agency as a whole struggles to achieve lasting success. We must foster a culture where individual goals align with the company’s long-term vision. But growth isn’t just about next quarter’s results.
It’s about building a sustainable foundation that will carry your company forward for years to come. When recruiting, I look for people who understand that the good of the collective is intrinsically linked to their own success. This mindset is what drives us to make decisions that benefit our agency and the broader industry in the long run.
In this context, the classic interview question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” feels outdated. Five years is a lifetime in our industry. Instead, we should ask, “How do you plan to adapt and evolve as your objectives change?”.
The ability to pivot, to learn, and to grow is far more valuable than any fixed five-year plan. I’ve tried to create an environment in our agency that not only accepts change but embraces it, encouraging our team to continually evolve their mindsets and skills.
If ideas are our currency, then our people are our most valuable investment. They are the stocks in our portfolio, and like any good investor, we need to manage this portfolio carefully. This means truly listening to our team, believing in their potential, and helping them overcome both professional and personal challenges.
The emotional aspect of people management is often overlooked, but it’s crucial. To me, building trust, fostering loyalty, and creating a sense of belonging are as important as developing skills and knowledge.
Culture: The invisible force
All of this – the diversity, the unity, the long-term thinking, the investment in people – combines in one word: culture. It’s the secret sauce that makes an agency unique. It’s what makes people want to join us, what makes them stay, and sometimes, what makes them leave. And that’s okay.
Nobody should stay in one place forever. We all need fresh challenges and new perspectives. The trick is to create a culture where people can grow, make their mark, and then move on when the time is right, leaving both themselves and the agency better for the experience.
So, what’s the path forward? It’s about building a culture of people who bring diverse thoughts to the table, united by a common purpose, constantly evolving, and driven by genuine passion.
Sure, AI can generate ideas at the click of a button, but it’s our human touch – our ability to think differently, to connect emotionally, and to envision new futures – that will keep us ahead of the curve.
One final bit of advice. As I always tell our junior staff (and sometimes need to remind myself): live in the present. Appreciate today and make the most of it. Yes, tomorrow will bring new challenges, but if we build a culture and organisation that can adapt, grow and innovate, we won’t fear the future – we’ll be shaping it.
By Souheil Arabi, BPG Group COO of and CEO of BPG Kuwait
