By Dan Machen
How did you become interested in the intersection between technology and branding? I was always fascinated by the technological edge of marketing, and I worked on some of the first geo-location campaigns for Budweiser, which involved placing electronic trackers in bottles. I repeated this some time later for Kit Kat, doing one of the first campaigns to triangulate a location using mobile phones. When “innovation” became a thing in agencies, it was the perfect fit for me because it is genuinely something I love doing.
Your current role at HeyHuman is “to humanize technology to empower positive human behaviors.” Describe what that looks like in practice. We differentiate our innovation approach in that we look at what people are doing, or will want to do, in relation to a product and service, and then work backwards to the technology that will meet that vision.
It’s not always about solving a current problem. We use trend mapping to create a vision for what we think will inspire people in the future, from a behavioral and innovation perspective. This is a new, valuable way to match clients to opportunities.
You plan to talk about “neuroplasticity” and tech at SXSW 2015 in Texas. Please share two takeaways that you hope to leave with the audience.
• Digital technology usage, particularly multi-screening, is accelerating faster than our brains can evolve with it. This has very alarming implications for brand messaging, as people become overloaded mentally and aren’t taking in marketing communications.
• Brands (and people) need to become conscious of our finite cognitive capacity and use differentiated techniques if they want to cut through, to be meaningfully recalled and valued.
In your work, how have you combatted audiences’ shortened attention spans in the digital age? At HeyHuman, we have genuinely redefined our practice around behavioral economics and looking at levers to change behavior. One of the central premises of this is that people often gravitate towards the easiest option.
In our work, therefore, we are looking at simplifying the customer journey to reflect the fact that people sometimes want to jump straight from initial interest to seeking more information, or to a transaction. If that’s the case, why not make it easier for them?
This is reflected on several levels in our work, from being early supporters of placing a product directly into an e-commerce basket, via Slingshot, to pioneering the use of Aurasma augmented reality on Lucozade energy drink bottles, bringing on-pack content to life. We are currently using Wirewax interactive video technology for Sony Mobile, to give people points of interest and additional information right there, further encouraging immediate purchase.
What is one challenge currently facing advertising agencies that they need to address to remain relevant? I think the critical challenge facing agencies is how they support clients to meet the opportunities of the digital age. By understanding people and how they interact with technology, agencies can help clients to understand how they need to change, and so lead valuable transformation. The key is elevating the conversation to a strategic level over and above the business-as-usual work.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in advertising? As you go on in a communications career, you become more conscious of a need for a genuine sense of purpose—that is why our vision looks to empower positive human behaviors. The marcomms world gives you skills that can be used to change behavior, and this can be applied equally to real problems in the world, over and above selling products for profit. I think looking at start-up opportunities in this area would inspire me.
If you could choose any product to create an ad for, what would it be? DrinkPure. This company has created an ingenious water-filtration device that works by simply being screwed onto the end of a discarded PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle. This, for me, is a really valuable opportunity for a soft drinks brand—helping people to get vital clean water, and reusing discarded bottles at the same time.
Where do you seek inspiration? Everywhere, but with an agenda. I tend to look for things that connect the physical and digital worlds in a genuinely human way. I think having a filter helps with “futurecasting,” otherwise you can just get lost in the noise. Netvibes is a great way to flick through the Internet. I go to as many pop-up, immersive shows as possible, and look outside of the United Kingdom for inspiration and differentiated thinking. Israel, in particular, is a real hotbed for innovation right now, as is Finland.
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Be curious.
I started out as an account man, became a creative and now work in innovation. Whether it’s getting interested in what your colleagues are up to, or going to South by Southwest, the more you take in outside your role, the more you can bring inside the agency in terms of inspiration and lateral thinking.
Be the person you would like to meet at work.
Your current role at HeyHuman is “to humanize technology to empower positive human behaviors.” Describe what that looks like in practice. We differentiate our innovation approach in that we look at what people are doing, or will want to do, in relation to a product and service, and then work backwards to the technology that will meet that vision.
It’s not always about solving a current problem. We use trend mapping to create a vision for what we think will inspire people in the future, from a behavioral and innovation perspective. This is a new, valuable way to match clients to opportunities.
You plan to talk about “neuroplasticity” and tech at SXSW 2015 in Texas. Please share two takeaways that you hope to leave with the audience.
• Digital technology usage, particularly multi-screening, is accelerating faster than our brains can evolve with it. This has very alarming implications for brand messaging, as people become overloaded mentally and aren’t taking in marketing communications.
• Brands (and people) need to become conscious of our finite cognitive capacity and use differentiated techniques if they want to cut through, to be meaningfully recalled and valued.
In your work, how have you combatted audiences’ shortened attention spans in the digital age? At HeyHuman, we have genuinely redefined our practice around behavioral economics and looking at levers to change behavior. One of the central premises of this is that people often gravitate towards the easiest option.
In our work, therefore, we are looking at simplifying the customer journey to reflect the fact that people sometimes want to jump straight from initial interest to seeking more information, or to a transaction. If that’s the case, why not make it easier for them?
This is reflected on several levels in our work, from being early supporters of placing a product directly into an e-commerce basket, via Slingshot, to pioneering the use of Aurasma augmented reality on Lucozade energy drink bottles, bringing on-pack content to life. We are currently using Wirewax interactive video technology for Sony Mobile, to give people points of interest and additional information right there, further encouraging immediate purchase.
What is one challenge currently facing advertising agencies that they need to address to remain relevant? I think the critical challenge facing agencies is how they support clients to meet the opportunities of the digital age. By understanding people and how they interact with technology, agencies can help clients to understand how they need to change, and so lead valuable transformation. The key is elevating the conversation to a strategic level over and above the business-as-usual work.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in advertising? As you go on in a communications career, you become more conscious of a need for a genuine sense of purpose—that is why our vision looks to empower positive human behaviors. The marcomms world gives you skills that can be used to change behavior, and this can be applied equally to real problems in the world, over and above selling products for profit. I think looking at start-up opportunities in this area would inspire me.
If you could choose any product to create an ad for, what would it be? DrinkPure. This company has created an ingenious water-filtration device that works by simply being screwed onto the end of a discarded PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle. This, for me, is a really valuable opportunity for a soft drinks brand—helping people to get vital clean water, and reusing discarded bottles at the same time.
Where do you seek inspiration? Everywhere, but with an agenda. I tend to look for things that connect the physical and digital worlds in a genuinely human way. I think having a filter helps with “futurecasting,” otherwise you can just get lost in the noise. Netvibes is a great way to flick through the Internet. I go to as many pop-up, immersive shows as possible, and look outside of the United Kingdom for inspiration and differentiated thinking. Israel, in particular, is a real hotbed for innovation right now, as is Finland.
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Be curious.
I started out as an account man, became a creative and now work in innovation. Whether it’s getting interested in what your colleagues are up to, or going to South by Southwest, the more you take in outside your role, the more you can bring inside the agency in terms of inspiration and lateral thinking.
Be the person you would like to meet at work.
Dan Machen joined London creative agency HeyHuman in 2007 as a senior planner, and now drives its strategic vision as director of innovation. Across his eighteen-year career, Machen has pioneered several firsts, including EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) satellite and mobile tracking campaigns for Budweiser and Kit Kat, the first furniture concept for Moet & Chandon champagne, and augmented reality on Lucozade energy bottles for GlaxoSmithKline.
