If you were unfortunate enough to miss out on this insightful and enlightening evening, you can view the video of Tom’s speech below.

Tom Holmes speech to the IIBN in London:

Tonight’s subject is ‘How entrepreneurial brands can stay ahead of the competition through clever marketing’.

The original idea came to me when I was visiting agencies in Dublin and Belfast and I was impressed by the value and experience on offer.

I also thought it would be good for businesses over here, particularly businesses run by Irish entrepreneurs looking for more bang for their buck, and to make them aware of the quality of ‘talent’ on offer back in Ireland and the cost savings that can be made.

Hence, inviting three of Ireland’s leading advertising CEOs to talk to us this evening.

However, I also thought the timing appropriate to look at Irish marketing,  considering the observation made at the Irish Embassy by Mr. Micheál Martin,  Minister for Foreign Affairs at our recent IIBN breakfast, where the Minister said that it was important that Ireland now focuses on developing its ‘sales and marketing’ capability.

I was delighted by this statement as too often the marketing industry is undervalued by business and its contribution to the economy ignored by government. And because, at creativebrief, we believe in a simple truth, that every company, no matter how small or large, needs marketing if it is to achieve commercial success.

However, finding the most effective marketing partner can prove time consuming, confusing and expensive. That is why I built creativebrief, so that brands can find the most effective agencies to match their brief, saving time and money in the process.

However, before we focus tonight on advertising and look at some successful marketing case studies, I thought it might be good to talk a little about the creative and media industry in which advertising plays a pivotal part.

In the UK I had lunch recently with Siôn Simon, Minister for Creative Industries, as I’m working on an initiative with the MediaGuardian to revisit the government strategy launched two years ago to nurture the creative industries entitled “Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy“.

There is a huge opportunity to market the marketing industry both inside and outside the British Isles. Because, as Sir John Hegarty, the worldwide creative director of Bartle Bogle and Hegarty recently pointed out, it is now 30% cheaper for overseas companies to ‘create’ in the UK. With the decline in our currency we now offer unprecedented value. Given that government has long seen creativity as a potential export, rather than a spiritual asset, I think Sir John has a point. 

Growth in the creative and media industries has been fuelled not just by the continuing emergence of the digital channel and the proliferation of online and mobile communications, but throughout the industry as demands upon innovative creative and media, power exciting and challenging programmes.

As there is little prospect of the innovation engine powering this global growth slowing any time soon, our industry in its broadest terms, is set to continue its growth and indeed its share of economic activity throughout the world.

In fact, to put all this in perspective, the global ‘creative cluster ‘(defined variously as arts, culture, design and media), has now become a major player in developed economies. In the European Union this sector’s turnover is over €654bn (according to 2003 estimates) and this accounting for 2.6% of EU GDP…and a massive 6m jobs.
 
Closer to home the figures are even more dramatic – here in UK, the sector (according to UK govnt stats) was worth over £60bn in 2008, employing a staggering 2m directly or indirectly in the industry, and contributing to over 7.3% of GDP.

Clearly, we know the UK has a leading global role in the creative and media industries, but you may be surprised to learn that in Ireland the figures are even more impressive – a massive 7.6% of GDP or €11.8bn is accounted for and this sector employing 8.7% of the workforce, incidentally worth an estimated €300bn to the Irish exchequer!

When you also take into account that in Northern Ireland there are some 2,500 creative firms employing over 34,000 people, the island of Ireland can be seen as significant player in the European creative industry and the important bit – with loads of potential within and without its borders.

That’s why I’ve just got back from a round of meetings in Belfast where I met with Invest NI and number of the key figures in the Creative Industries Sector, and the Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure (DCAL), the lead NI Department in the development of Creative Industries. 

The creative industries not only contribute towards the economy directly, they also have a powerful, indirect impact on the rest of the economy - by adding style, aesthetics and freshness to differentiate our products and services. The creative industries also improve our quality of life and make our cities more vibrant by stimulating awareness and demand for the arts, design and media products and services. And nowhere is this more impressive than in my home town, Belfast, where the transformation of the Cathedral Quarter has been spectacular.

However, the bit of the creative industry that I’m particularly interested in is the bit where ‘creativity meets commerce’, especially the bit being driven by the brands!

I built www.creativebrief.com to connect this fragmented and complex industry and enable brands to find the most effective partners to communicate their message, across the spectrum of creative, marketing and media disciplines. 
 
Regarding Ireland, I’m delighted as we have more clients poised to review and we’ve already helped brands like Diageo and The RBS Group (Ulster Bank) search, shortlist and select agencies in both North and South.

Click here to view the article in the Irish Times