BR Interview! Steve Harding (Geometry Global): “E-commerce is gaining ground, but is still seen as more of an occasional channel”

With over 20 years’ worth of experience in the advertising industry, Steve Harding is the Global CEO of Geometry Global, the world’s largest and most geographically complete activation network. He was appointed to this role in conjunction with the launch of the company, formed in June 2013 to combine the strength and talent of three well-known WPP-owned brands– G2, JWT Action and OgilvyAction.

He oversees 4,000 experts in 56 markets throughout the world and BR talked with him about the agency’s recent re-branding and role in the region, but also about the latest trends, e-commerce and omnichannel.

What would you say that are the main trends in advertising at the moment and how do you see them evolve in the next years?

Something I am hearing more from clients is their interest in creating amazing brand experiences for their customers. This is not just about events and goes deeper than creating ‘brand love’. This is about really understanding people and their needs and making their lives easier or better in order to forge a connection. This is what we are focusing on at Geometry.

Have there been any trends in the last years that haven’t lived up to the expectations, in your opinion?

E-commerce is not a trend, but I have been surprised that despite rampant growth in the category, it is still underestimated and underserved by the creative industry. An area of such growth and client focus should really have the full attention of creative minds and agencies in order to leverage the huge opportunities it represents.

How important is Romania as a market for your agency and why? Where is its place in the CEE?

Romania is a very important market for us in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) region. It is not only an important market, but also a star among offices in the region in terms of its creative output and business performance.

How is Geometry Global positioning itself different in the CEE, compared to its competition?

Geometry operates in 56 countries and this gives us global knowledge across the world, and experience applying that learning to local markets. Local knowledge complementing the global strategic approach is a competitive advantage in itself.

Geometry Global Bucharest benefits from the network know how and our deep shopper marketing experience, understanding the needs both of shoppers and retailers that serve them. Shopper programs, brand-at-shelf solutions, category re-invention, digital @retail are just a few of the core services that makes Geometry Bucharest one of the few agencies in Romania that really offers a complete shopper cycle from strategy to execution.

What is your positioning towards the omnichannel approach?

We are experts on how people shop and buy, and in many countries that happens across multiple physical retail and digital channels. So if we want to reach shoppers, we must be omnichannel! But that does not mean that every campaign is executed across every channel, every time. It means that for each campaign we identify the most critical moment and apply our creativity to that specific moment.

In Romania, omnichannel is still in its infancy, but courageous clients are taking the first steps. E-commerce is gaining ground, but is still seen as more of an occasional channel rather than a day-to-day shopping outlet, especially for groceries. It’s a step-by-step process, but the signs are optimistic.

How do you see the importance of experiential marketing and why?

People are seeking more personalized and meaningful experiences and brands are looking for ways to engage with their customers. Experiential is all about creating direct connections between people and brands because one on one interaction can increase appreciation and inspire action. So I believe this area will continue to grow in importance.

What do you do to educate the clients and the markets you are operating on?

We try to convince our clients of the importance of offering people a meaningful and seamless brand experience across touch points. We often face the misconception that shopper marketing is just about having shelf wobblers and a promoter in store. It is actually much more than that. It consists of a very complex system of analyzing shopper behavior and reaching them in the most relevant touch points and steps along their path to purchase. Geometry has a proprietary methodology of conducting this kind of analysis that has been successfully used by our clients.

What are the main changes that happened in the agency since the rebranding and why?

We rebranded in March, so it’s been a few months and I am happy that the new brand has been so well received by our people, our clients and the industry at large. It really represents the energy we have in the agency now. I guess the biggest thing that has happened since then is that we have won a lot of awards, including 6 Cannes Lions at the recent Festival of Creativity.

You are overseeing 4,000 experts in 56 markets throughout the world, bringing together complimentary expertise in shopper marketing, digital activation, consumer promotions, experiential marketing, relationship marketing, and media planning & buying. How do you do it, what are your secrets?

We operate in a lot of markets, but my goal is not to be the biggest, it’s to be the best. To support that I am focused on creating a real interwoven network that shares and learns and brings the best value to clients. For instance, we have a team of global experts who share best practices across regions and work with local teams to tackle local brand challenges with the full support of the global network behind them. It’s an ongoing process but one that I feel brings great benefits to our people and our clients.

What are the main challenges of your position and how do you tackle them?

The challenges we face are the same faced by companies across many industries these days: uncertainty due to fluctuating economic and political conditions. This makes long term planning very difficult for our clients, which in turn has an impact on us. The pace of technology change has also had an important effect as brands try to figure out the best way to invest their resources. We are focused on staying ahead of the curve and close to the commercial end of the marketing spectrum so that we can always have a positive impact on our clients’ bottom lines.

How are you stimulating your employees’ innovation and creativity?

There are varied programs and approaches in different countries, but what is constant is our focus on instilling a culture of creativity and innovation across the company. Creativity is the lifeblood of our industry and every program, whether big or small, thrives when creativity is applied. I believe we will only succeed if we continue to nurture this every day.

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