Ravi Deshpande put an end to all speculation surrounding his next move post his much talked-about exit from Contract Advertising as its Chairman and Chief Creative Officer. In an exclusive, candid chat with Priyanka Mehra, he introspects his reason for starting a new agency Whyness (and the story behind that name), how it’ll change the way brands connect with consumers, the secret to effectively marrying
creativity with technology, and much more
Q] Why the name ‘Whyness’?
Defining a problem sharply leads you half-way to finding the right answer. Great work usually happens when we take a problem by its horns, and ask the question, “Why?”. From the reply, emerge more questions, which when answered give rise to more questions until finally, we have narrowed down the problem, cornered it, pinned it to the wall and left it with no room to escape. On such a clean slate, the problem lies clear, waiting to be solved. This, we believe, is the perfect condition to deliver great work.
Q] Is it the right time for an agency like Whyness in India?
In India there is always a feeling that we are in the process of getting there. We are developing, but not quite there yet. So we usually postpone doing things that are innovative and sophisticated, because we always feel that it’s time has not yet come. I asked myself if the idea behind Whyness is a bit ahead of its time here in India. But I felt that if we didn’t do it now, it might be too late.
I also thought it was the right time because every marketer around the world feels the need to integrate disciplines when it comes to communication. But there aren’t many agencies that successfully manage this integration. Of course there are “digital” agencies, and there are, what you call, “traditional” agencies. But you rarely hear of agencies that bridge the gap, and do so successfully.
Q] Which Indian and international clients have the agency signed up so far? Tell us about your strategic partnerships that are in place and are in the process of being set up.
Whyness is opening its gates only now. We are in the middle of conversations with some prospects here in India and in the US. We have a continuous, seamless alliance with Findability Sciences from Boston for big data technology and software solutions; Seenk from Paris for branding and graphic design solutions; and with École Intuit.lab from Mumbai and Paris to draw from a talented pool of fresh graduates for research and new design perspectives. We are a part of a global ecosystem that does diverse things. It emerges from our passion to cross-pollinate disciplines and mix things up, such as sound strategy with surprising creative; great design with functionality; new technology with key human behavior; and digital interface with a physical environment.
Q] Whyness could be considered as your second innings. What are some of the learnings you take from Lemon that you apply to Whyness?
I don’t know if I would consider this as my second innings. In a long career, you are always trying to create new things and improve your game. In that sense, I consider Whyness as a new interesting chapter in my career.
One lesson is that when you are trying to create something new, especially a company with a slightly different vision — something that not too many people can easily see — it is important to have the control and execution of the idea totally in your hands. It must not be with anyone else. That’s the only way forward.
Q] Some people from the industry believe that given more time, Lemon could have become one of biggest independent agencies today. What is your view on this?
Lemon indeed was a great team and was all set to grow. What I also know for sure is, yes, it could have become one of the best agencies. But that’s nostalgia. Now it’s time to look forward.
Q] Have you taken the Contract philosophy of ‘Grow Young’ with you to Whyness?
Of course not. That is something I created for Contract with complete belief. Over the years it has really worked for the agency and I hope it continues to work for them.
Q] How is Whyness going to change the way brands communicate with consumers using technology?
The reason we started Whyness was to take the next big step in seeking answers on how to communicate better. We redesigned the way we should work, right from our structure and our alliances, to our talent strategy. For instance, with Findability Sciences with us, we have access to big data which we can turn into ‘smart data’ and analyse it. We can then filter the information to give ourselves and our clients a much sharper picture of the consumer and identify trends for the future.
As far as our talent strategy is concerned, we will have creatives, designers, planners, coders and interaction designers working together, so that things that are functional and technical, are also beautiful and immersive.
Q] How is big data going to be leveraged to help clients and brands in their creative communication? How does the traditional art of storytelling change in this equation?
Whyness will work with Findability Sciences seamlessly; we will use their expertise of turning big data into ‘smart data’. This process will help us understand people’s sentiments and behaviours. It will also help us produce accurate strategies for our clients and, in turn, help them analyse their own performance. Indeed, this process gives you much better understanding of people and their world. As far as communication is concerned, the storytelling will be more specific and directed towards a focused audience.
Q] What are some of the ‘un-learnings’ from your previous roles and experiences in traditional agencies when you started Whyness?
You can only make cosmetic changes to a traditional agency; you can’t rip it apart and build it from scratch. You wouldn’t be allowed to do that since your revenue streams are set.
Traditional agencies typically work in silos. To me, working in silos doesn’t work, period. Digital integration is non-existent in most traditional agencies. Traditional agencies are trying to get digital by buying over small digital shops. It is their fastest way to understand the new media and perhaps a logical thing to do.
The challenge however is to integrate traditional agencies with digital agencies. This is difficult because each agency has its own style and culturally they are very different from each other. So they fail to blend and then continue to operate in silos again. It’s a vicious cycle.
Q] Do you think brand communication today is being dictated by the medium?
Yes. Media is changing people’s behaviour. For instance, whenever people need to search for something, their reflex action is to turn to Google. It’s the same for Facebook. People are not running for privacy anymore — they are becoming more social, more transparent, more open. New media is making people generate so much content in the form of videos, blogs, talks.
Brands have to take note of people’s new behaviour, and be present in that media. Today, how often do you see people staring at their phones? How often do you see office-going people glued to their laptops? How often do you see lift operators and watchmen killing time downloading videos on their half-smartphones? Even naga sadhus in Kumbh mela are seen with tablets and smartphones! Also increasingly, the line between the media and the message is getting thinner. There is creativity not just in the message but also in the media.
Q] Could you give us an example of an ideal marriage of creativity and technology?
In the world of communication and brand building, Nike Fuel Band and Jay Z’s ‘Decoded’.
Q] How are you going to ensure that Whyness retains its original intent and purity, once the inevitable business economics take over?
We have embarked on a unique journey. The need for an agency such as Whyness, will only grow. The challenges we will have are to always do very good work, keep finding good ideas and surprise our clients. We will make sure we stay true to the spirit of Whyness.
Feedback: priyanka.mehra@exchange4media.com
