60 Second Soapbox – Graham Page

Graham Page, Millward Brown's global director of innovation, likes his PR campaigns shaken, not stirred, and his viral ads smart, not smutty


My favourite new product is...
The eBeam digital whiteboard we just installed in the office. The fact that a piece of IT technology worked straight out of the box, and is completely intuitive to use, was both a surprise and a joy. Plus it makes us feel like we're in CSI.


One client I'd like to get my hands on is…
Nokia. It's had enormous success, based on design and utility, but is now facing bigger challenges from revitalised competitors, and a changing market. There's still great brand potential to be unleashed there, with the right marketing and investment – it would be really interesting to be part of that.


A campaign that needed more research is…
So many viral ads pander to the lowest common denominator, with little thought for what that might say about the brand among a broader audience. I know the thinking is that you have to be smutty or rude to get people to pass links on, but clever humour and fun works too.


The best campaign I've seen recently is…
The launch campaign for Casino Royale. I can't remember a PR campaign that generated so much coverage – it was everywhere. The Bond brand clearly has a lot of power, and the 'product' itself is a great example of reinventing the expression of a brand, while still tapping into its core equity and cues.


One idea I wished I'd had is…
YouTube. How much fun is that? Not to mention its value going from nought to $1.65bn in a few short years.


One thing I wish everyone would shut up about is…
Second Life. The (virtual) reality it delivers is a big let down after all the hype. If mooching around in a badly-animated world, talking to people pretending to be someone else is preferable to your real life, you need to get out more. What's most annoying, though, is the rush of marketing and media companies to open up in this unreal world – which is much more about showing the rest of the industry how hip they are than exploiting a real business opportunity or learning something meaningful for the future.


…And the single most important thing to remember is…
Turn the Blackberry off when you get home, and don't work on your vacation.


January | 2007