Features | January 10, 2023

Embracing Fresh Perspectives With a Chief Creative Director

By Annabel Steele

This piece was previously published in the April 2022 issue of PS Magazine. Brand Chain members can access interactive Flip Books of all current and past issues on our website.

How many of you have ever owned a Nike product?

Odds are a good number of us have sported the famous swoosh at some point. But for every Nike product that we, as consumers, get to buy and wear, there are myriad other prototypes that never hit shelves. This is because the designers and engineers at the famous Nike Sport Research Lab are always testing new ideas and experimenting with new products, even if they’re unlikely to see the light of day. Why put so many hours and resources into prototypes that won’t bring revenue back to Nike? The answer is simple, according to AMB3R CEO and Creative Director Jeremy Picker.

“Nike knows the value of creativity,” Picker says.

Picker is a strong advocate for the role of chief creative officer at brand solutions companies. After all, he says, nobody doubts the need for a CEO, CFO or COO. The individuals in those roles represent “the epicenter of that particular part of the company,” according to Picker. A chief creative officer can play the same role, spearheading and overseeing a company’s creativity — a vitally important element of the brand solutions industry.

“Technology and products are becoming more accessible,” Picker says. “Creativity is really the true differentiator, in my opinion.”

In Picker’s view, a chief creative officer has three distinct job responsibilities. First, they should play a prominent role in the company’s product design process. They are there to examine the design process from all perspectives; not just the isolated design of a logo, but how that logo will look when it is applied to different mediums. They should be heavily involved in design and creative discussions at the company.

The second job function is supporting and educating the company’s sales staff. Salespeople are tasked with building relationships and drawing in new business. One compelling way to do that is to show the company’s expanded capabilities. A chief creative officer can help the sales staff communicate all the different options available, or even sit in on sales calls to act as a creative expert.

The third responsibility is educating customers about the creative options available to them. As Picker points out, people come to the brand solutions industry for help because they can’t do it themselves. “If they were experts, they wouldn’t need us,” Picker says. A chief creative officer, as the creative expert at the company, can help customers understand their options, or even nudge them to increase their investment.

“A chief creative officer should show customers what they can have if they give us more time to produce and source, or if they increase their budgets in this or that scenario,” Picker says.

Advantages and Considerations

On top of these job responsibilities, a chief creative officer can help their company in other ways. One major advantage, according to Picker, is the potential to become a public thought leader, attracting the attention of potential customers.

Think of it this way: if someone is looking for a new company to partner with, they’re going to do their research. They’ll check out company websites and social media feeds. If one company has a chief creative officer who participates in podcasts, writes articles or puts their ideas out there in some other way, and the other has no such role or online proof of thought leadership, which company has a better chance of winning out?

As the chief creative officer participates in these engagements, they’ll become even more tapped in to the industry, including what’s coming down the pike. That can help retain customers after a company wins their trust. As Picker points out, technology is rapidly changing, and new ideas and opportunities are constantly popping up. If one of your customers wants to do something in the metaverse, but you know nothing about it, you’re probably going to lose that customer.

“You need someone with their head in the clouds so they know what’s coming down,” Picker says.

Meanwhile, a chief creative officer can help relieve strain on other managers and employees. Picker believes anyone can be creative if they have enough time. But he acknowledges it can be very difficult to think creatively on a grand scale “when you’re in the real heat of day-to-day, in the trenches, managing projects.”

That’s where the chief creative officer comes in. Picker compares the role to someone in a plane flying overhead. The people on the ground are focused on the day-to-day, and the creative director in the air has a unique perspective that can generate fresh ideas.

The chief creative officer, Picker says, “should be holistic to the whole company, creatively thinking through marketing, sales approach, websites, processes and technology.”

Company leaders considering adding a chief creative officer to their teams should keep one thing in mind, Picker cautions: the whole point is to shake things up. A person in this role should be constantly looking at new trends and finding new ways to operate. It might be difficult to let go a little bit, but companies will maximize the value they get out of their chief creative officer if they let them test boundaries.

“The chief creative officer isn’t going to come up with perfect ideas every time for every customer. But if you don’t push back against the norm, you’re just going to stay in your lane forever,” Picker concludes.

Tags:
Staffing and Talent Features