The Concept Stadium Co-Founder & Managing Director Jonathan Dalli recently presented a talk at the University of Malta to a group of budding creatives within the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences, about what it means to be a Commercial Creative in the branding and marketing industry.
For those who work closely with Jonathan know that if there is one thing that he is most passionate about in his work, it is finding commercially viability in disruptively creative ideas. He challenges us to go beyond delivering a visually-appealing project, but also one that makes business sense.
Jonathan kicked off the talk by sharing a quote from one his favourite books, Winners:
“The most important quality that makes a winner is strategy. Understanding what strategy is and especially what your strategy is, and having an ability to deliver it is critical. But strategy is one of those words people use without thinking it through”.
Being Commercial Creatives in the branding and marketing industry definitely starts with devising a strategy, a plan of action, and in this day and age, having a digital element in a marketing strategy is not only important, it has become critical.
In any campaign, we don’t just tell the client what we are doing and how, but also why. This allows the client to picture the end result and this usually comes in the form of Key Performance Indicators. KPIs keep us accountable to deliver the commercial priorities of a client’s brand. After all, if you can’t measure success, then it does not exist.
Jonathan also spoke about the importance of company culture. As creatives who are about to embark on their careers after graduation, he recommends that finding the right company to join should not only depend on their brand portfolio, but also on the company culture.
The company culture is the working environment, the creative space and the values that a team holds close to heart. At the Concept Stadium, we believe in rewarding our team and giving credit when credit is due, as it is key to keeping ourselves motivated. We also believe in giving back to the community, which is why we place Corporate Social Responsibility at the centre of our operations.
Talking about our successes as a company, from winning pitches to losing others and landing international brands, Jonathan also reminded students about the secret to keeping the in-house think-tank fresh.
“6 years down the line and a double-digit team, I think it is crucial for us to think of ourselves as a Start-Up in our way of thinking. We operate in a mission-driven culture, bringing ideas to life and constantly pushing the envelope through innovation”.
