There is a lot to learn from the international powerhouse that is Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B). They were the first agency to rise to fame during the digital age and have a list of clients that any agency in the world would be honoured to work with. The likes of Nike, Burger King, Guitar Hero, Volkswagen, Coke Zero, Sprite and Microsoft to name but a few. It is not easy to be an innovator and Bogusky confirms this sentiment by commenting that, “It’s been pretty wild because we haven’t had anybody to model ourselves after when things get bumpy.“ As a result they have set the bar and given the chance for the rest of the field to learn, adapt and innovate.
RELEVANCE & CONTENT
The common thread with successful individuals is the passion that lies within, and CP+B as an agency is no different. A genuine sense of fun and excitement seems to exude from the self named “CP+B factory that makes advertising and branded creative content.” This creative content mentioned is the core element of their success in building brands. In a video interview with Businessweek, Bogusky says this so called content needs to be relevant.
Relevancy is the conversation that pop culture is having about itself.
You need to provide content which injects the brands into this pop culture. Once its there, it will always have two sides to it, positivity or negativity, which will spark interest and conversation. It’s more than advertising, its something that everyone can talk about and share. This is where the viral element of digital stems. Social media platforms facilitate this need to converse and share content.
CREATE RATHER THAN INTERRUPT
CB+P have been successful in the digital realm because they encourage consumers to participate and Hicks from CB+P says that marketers should get comfortable with consumers messing with their brand by creating entertaining usable content, rather than interrupting. (See http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/15993.imc)
MOST EFFECTIVE BEFORE MOST EXPENSIVE
Another thing to learn from CP+B is not to follow the money “Attention generally follows the money.” For example, the Burger King TV advertisements cost millions of dollars to produce and this is where everyone’s attention was focused. But this was followed by the Subservient Chicken website which cost $50 000 but ended up being a phenomenon. The message from CP+B is to train yourself not to follow the money, but rather what could potentially be most important. South African agencies can learn a great deal from this.
CB+P is currently auctioning off interns on eBay to the highest bidders. One intern was sold for $17,655 (which goes straight into the interns pocket). This is another example of CB+P’s influence, innovation and constantly pushing the digital realm. Staying fresh, relevant and honest.
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