Forecasting 2014 with... Reed Collins

Last year, Reed Collins moved to Hong Kong to take up a role as chief creative officer at Ogilvy Mather Hong Kong, the agency behind the recent Surprisingly Burgundy spot for Rio Mints. Having settled in as we begin 2014, this year he hopes to get a wider feel for his new city as well as take a holiday somewhere hot.

Here, he tells us about his gut feeling for the year ahead, including hopes of brave and risky creative, sensible tech and emotional connection on the client side.

What are your predictions for the industry in 2014?

Content will remain king – but the pressure will be on how to deliver bigger and better ideas in less time and with smaller budgets. In 2014 I think we’ll see more and more content that is created for use across multiple channels. The lines will continue to blur across channels, as campaigns continue to integrate.

What would you most like to see happen in advertising over the next 12 months?

I’d like to see clients be less risk averse. Experiment more. If something works do more of it. If it doesn’t, try something else. The rewards are far greater and it’s a hell of a lot more fun.

What are you most looking forward to personally over the next year?

A vacation.

What will you do differently this year that you didn’t last?

Explore more of Hong Kong. Last year was a big year for me – I moved to Hong Kong and worked really hard to produce good work and form my new team. It’s time to get out and about.

What media/technology/platform/campaign do you think will shine this year?

Rather than say what media or which platform might shine - I think we’ll start to see people push back on tech for techs-sake, both industry and consumer side. Not every brand or product requires an app, nor does every campaign require a microsite – so I think people will start to make smarter and more targeted choices in this area. 

What effect do you think this year’s World Cup will have on the industry?

Big global events are always exciting. They’re golden opportunities for brands to debut their latest products or campaigns. Budgets are big and expectations even bigger, so it’s fair to say we’ll see some crazy good ideas, but I can’t say what that might be just yet. No doubt the big sports and booze brands are cooking up show-stoppers.

Where will you go on holiday this year and why?

I don’t have any holidays planned yet, but I can say without doubt that I’ll be going somewhere warm. I rarely plan a holiday more than two weeks in advance.

What’s your New Year’s resolution workwise or other and do you think you’ll stick to it?

My resolution for 2014 is to leave the office earlier. Most likely won’t but hey, y’never know. To be good at what I do, I need to be inspired and nothing beats actually getting out and experiencing life beyond work.

If you had one hope or request from the client side this year, what would it be?

I would love for clients to “feel” the work more, rather than be so analytical. Sometimes it pays to stop thinking so much – and so seriously – and just react like a normal person.

And if you had a piece of advice for the creative industry in 2014 what would it be?

Make more mistaks.