On the Wings of a Dream: Kevin Roberts, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi

Kevin Roberts, the flamboyant CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, returned to Ad:tech this year after his last appearance at Ad:tech five years ago.  His message then was that emotion is at the heart of all successful innovation, and that coincided with the publication of his book “Lovemarks: the Future beyond Brands”.  This year at Ad:tech Roberts previewed his new book “sisomo: the future on screen”, which is officially scheduled to be published in February 2006 (attendees at his keynote were given a copy).

Roberts maintains that we’ve now moved into the age of the idea.  It’s also the screen age, where screens are omnipresent in our lives.  It’s the age of “sisomo”: sight, sound and motion.  His presentation built on the Lovemarks concept, and it was punctuated with entertaining videos of ads by Saatchi, starting with the All Blacks, New Zealand’s rugby team (Roberts is a total fan) doing a Maori dance threatening to disembowel the opposing team.  Pretty intimidating for the other guys…

Roberts believes that we’re now in the attraction economy, and people are 80% emotional, 20% rational.  The attraction economy is a paradox, and we now live in the land of “and/and” instead of “either/or”.  Human emotion is the principal currency of the attraction economy.  Reason leads to conclusions.  Emotion, on the other hand, leads to action.

Next year, communications spending will total $1+ trillion.  According to Roberts, the winners in the attraction economy will be those who break away and connect with consumers.  We’ll need to focus on consumers without the straitjacket of traditional metrics, and our new metrics will have to be based on attraction.  The future is about hybrids, not absolutes.  The storytellers among us will benefit.  Content flows with the consumer, and there are no rules, no best practices.  Whether you tell your story on a mobile phone or on a screen in Times Square, it’s all about emotion.  Roberts illustrated this with the Lexus IS campaign, the car launch in Times Square which was accompanied by photos submitted by consumers featured on the Reuters megascreen to give consumers Andy Warhol’s proverbial 15 seconds of fame (we were told you can see it at http://www.thenewis.com). 

Roberts maintains that broadcast media has lost its monopoly on sisomo.  Now, consumers create sisomo.  Music creates sisomo.  Pop culture creates sisomo.  Sisomo needs stories well told.  Brands are dead, consumers know that all products do the same thing.  We moved from product to trademark to brand, but now we have Lovemarks, brands which have consumers’ love and respect.  We’ve got to build an emotional connection with the consumer through the three elements of Lovemarks: mystery, sensuality and intimacy.  Lovemarks inspire loyalty behind reason.  The only question you need to ask about any piece of communication is, do you want to see it again?  sisomo is the answer.

According to Roberts, brands are owned by people.  Steve Jobs doesn’t own Apple-- we do.  There are lots of MP3 players, but you’ve GOT to have an iPod.  Love is an emotion that consumers use all the time.  You have to make your product irresistible: look at the difference between Harleys and Suzukis.

Roberts concluded with three things to get serious about:
1.  Set up a sisomo division in your company (we saw a slide of a “VP of sisomo” sign).
2.  Move from permission to attraction-- “again, again, again!!!” We need to get humor and music into our psyche.
3.  We need to enjoy the real world and love what matters most.

Roberts’ final piece of advice: “When you leave here, make sure the first phone call is to your Mom or Dad, not the goddamn office!”