When Marina Saroka arrived at McCann Buenos Aires as Managing Director a year and a half ago, the agency was going through a process of transformation in which the business vision focused on the use of data and technological tools to generate creative ideas. “I arrived at a key moment of the communication and ad industry in general that is undergoing digital transformation,” says Saroka, recalling the panorama with which she found herself at the beginning of her management.
Marina Saroka has a degree in advertising from the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires and has a master's degree in marketing from the Complutense University of Madrid. Throughout her professional experience she was part of different agencies both in Argentina and in Spain, having been the regional account director at J. Walter Thompson Madrid. Prior to her arrival at McCann Buenos Aires, Marina gained a long experience in Coca-Cola, where she spent seven years, and served as the Manager of Integrated Marketing Communications for the Southern Cone.
“The contribution was that I was an outsider to the agency world that could understand how to help the growth of our clients' business and the greater understanding of consumers. I think it's something that advertisers on the other side needed, ”says Saroka about her main contribution to carry out the new era of the company.
A fundamental factor in McCann's transformation process has been the adoption of a Data Centric mentality where the use of data serves as a starting point for generating insights. “Data is everywhere, but interpreting and giving the information utility is important. I think it's the way to pave the way for creative insights, ”says Saroka.
To implement this modality focused on the use of data, the first thing that was done at McCann was to inaugurate the so-called Live Space, the agency's social listening laboratory. “It is a proprietary methodology that has a physical place, a department with people watching what happens on the Internet and generating insights from that data. Before ads were based on the creative's perception of everyday life, and now ideas feeds from information, ”explains the Managing Director of McCann Buenos Aires.
Live Space is based on the integration of platforms such as Sysomos, Comscore, or Google Analytics. The real-time observation of Internet conversation trends serves as the kick-off of the brief. "This allows us to be close to our brands and continue to bet heavily on the integration of disciplines and this logic of customer service," says Marina Saroka.
The contribution of this Social Listening laboratory is fundamental to the work of the agency's creative department, an aspect that Saroka pointed out, “Both departments complement each other. That data is fuel that inspires creatives, it is to understand your consumer from another angle and all those triggers are what later give findings to larger developments. ”
When asked about success stories related to this work modality, Marina first cited the Change the Heritage campaign developed for the launch in Vital of Chile, the Coca Cola mineral water.
The campaign is part of the global initiative of the company A world without waste, which seeks to reduce plastic. “From the data we understood the need of the consumer to be part of a transformation and that the brands walk the talk. It was factual evidence that we saw with real data, and from that point on, what we suggested was to make a sustainability platform where the consumer participates and can take the plastic containers and covers of their product so that they can be recycled and transformed into park games for the children. I like this campaign because it is a committed brand that not only stays in the discursive aspect but also takes part in the action and is part of the transformation, an emblematic case because it transcends and generates an impact on society. ”
As a second example of a success story generated from the interpretation of data, Saroka cited the campaign developed for the launch of L’Oréal micellar water with Cabify.
“We start from a fact: 90% of women do not remove makeup before bedtime and that served as a trigger for an idea. With that logic we think that if this product is for girls who remove their makeup after going out at night, it was a good opportunity to take advantage of the dead time between leaving the bowling alley and arriving at their homes. Then we put free samples of the product in front of them when they were traveling in the Cabify from 5 to 7 in the morning, they tested it and the next day they received a notification and by digital means we could follow up that they had tested the product, ”she says. Marina.
“It was a spectacular campaign at the level of results, since for the first time L'Oréal passed to its competitor in the category, in addition it was the first action that was done with Cabify as a medium and hence the doors were opened so that Do actions with other brands. It is an emblematic case of how from the use of the data a great insight was found that led to rethinking a medium and contact with the consumer, ”she adds.
As a conclusion, Saroka pointed out the new approach of McCann Buenos Aires, “I am convinced that the great creative ideas are the great differentials, but on the other hand the logic of using the data to know more about the consumer and the business problems allows us to anticipate the needs of the customers. In that sense McCann is a strategic and proactive partner that moves forward, accompanies customers and provides turnkey solutions.”
The original article appeared here