On the latest episode of Campaign Middle East’s On The Record podcast, Tarek Daouk, CEO, dentsu MENAT and President, Merkle SEMENAT, discusses the importance of embracing the ‘friction’ of technological advances and calls for its ‘fusion’ with cultural insights within the brand and marketing industry.
Daouk talks about critical changes that the industry is currently witnessing; how we need to differentiate within a highly competitive industry; and shares advice for the new generation of leaders taking up senior roles.
He also opens up about lessons that he’s learnt, which have stood the test of time, and key foundational principles and pillars to keep in mind while attempting to stay ahead of the curve. Beginning the conversation optimistically, Daouk discussed “one of the most exciting times of transformations in the industry ever”.
He said, “I don’t think there has ever been a better time to be in advertising than right now. We moved from an era of precision, when the focus was on platforms and how to reach people, to an era of algorithms, which has created a fantastic friction between creativity and tech. This friction has brought us back to the drawing board in terms of what value we’re actually creating for our clients. Also, it has moved the way marketers think.”
To highlight this point, Daouk referenced a recent Dentsu Creative CMO Survey of more than 950 Chief Marketing Officers from 14 markets, which showcased how 89 per cent of CMOs still believe that creativity is the ultimate driver of business growth. The survey also showed a steep decline in CMO scepticism around artificial intelligence.
“The second biggest transformation that happened was the magnitude and scale of tech adoption. Within two years after the Covid-19 pandemic, the world changed completely – from commerce and consumer behaviour to purchase intent and delivery. Similarly, large language models (LLMs) are changing the game. Within just a few years, we’re seeing that the Top 5 LLMs already have five billion visits,” he said.
However, this means that the time has come for leaders to break down the siloes and bring value beyond mere ‘products’ or ‘services’. What happens when creative leaders and tech leaders lean into all that AI offers to the marketing landscape?
Daouk says, “As of now, most LLMs are trained on public data. What if we bring craft and intuition into what technology can learn? What if technology becomes a co-partner, a team member and a colleague with whom we can exchange ideas? We’re at the early stages of this change of this friction within the industry, but when we start fusing our cultural nuances, creative capabilities and collaborating with tech is when we see the real magic.”
He adds, “The reality is that the data can get you to the door, but only strong creativity that is culturally sensitive, authentic, real and relevant can get you inside the house. This is reflected in how people in the region are still fascinated by stories.”
For more details from the highly insightful conversation, watch the full video above.
CREDITS:
Guest: Tarek Daouk, CEO, dentsu MENAT and President, Merkle SEMENAT,
Host: Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East
Production: Surajit Dutta, Content Production Manager, Motivate Media Group
Videography: Mark Mathew, Creative Content Producer, Motivate Media Group
Studio: Ahmed Abdelwahab, Studio Manager, Motivate Media Group
Editing: John Melencion, Content Producer, Motivate Media Group
