Creativebrief: As Vice President and General Manager, UK and Vodafone Global Group GM. at Motorola, what are your key responsibilities and priorities?

Andrew Morley: Motorola has a long history of innovation. For more than 80 years Motorola has worked to connect people to each other and the world around them in entirely new ways.

When automobiles were becoming a popular mode of transportation, we helped bring entertainment to the ride. We introduced the world’s first commercial portable cellular phone. We even invented the groundbreaking Six Sigma quality improvement process, which became a worldwide standard for excellence. Building upon this brand heritage is a core focus of my role and every role within our business.

Clearly linked to this is ensuring that we continue to build and distinguish our smartphone, tablet and accessories business within the market.

Creativebrief: Your career has spanned Ford Motor Company, BSKYB, Cable & Wireless, Harrods Group and Motorola, what have been the high points?

Andrew Morley: During my role as Sales and Marketing Director in Sky TV I felt we were bringing a truly revolutionary service to the market. We were launching Digital and re-defining TV delivery in the UK and Ireland and I was a part of it.

However that same drive for innovation is present within Motorola. Helping re-define Motorola as an Android smartphone and tablet business, re-invigorating the brand and driving awareness of the truly unique experiences we offer has definitely been, and continues to be, a high point.

Creativebrief: Along the way, have there been particular marketers who impressed and inspired you?

Andrew Morley: Bill Ogle, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Motorola Mobility is an inspirational figure to all those around him. He has repositioned the Motorola brand to represent a fusion of innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives.

Creativebrief: What work have you done recently makes you the most proud?

Andrew Morley: The original Motorola RAZR was, and still is today, one of the most iconic and recognizable brands across the globe with the more than 130 million original RAZR devices sold. It was an industry changer.

When we launched a brand new Motorola RAZR in 2011 it represented the re-birth of an icon and it took the world by storm. Not just because of its unique design, which was impossibly thin and lightweight, but the addition of mind-blowing power and smart software.

Take our Smart Actions app. It’s ready to take over changes so users have less to think about in a day. Who doesn’t get concerned with battery life once in a while? With Smart Actions that’s one less worry because it can automatically change settings to optimize power. For those people that always forget to kill the ringer at work, Smart Actions can remember to do it for them. It’s the app that keeps an eye on the phone, so users can focus on more important things.

Or MotoCast™, the app that lets users sync, store and access the content stored on their home computers from their smartphone, tablet or even another computer. Users can get instant access to entire libraries of photos, music, videos, documents and more whenever they need them wherever they are. 

We are combining smart design with smart software to deliver fantastic experiences that are unique to Motorola.

Creativebrief: What are the main challenges for your sector/category over the next 12 months?

Andrew Morley: Faced with an increasingly competitive market, ensuring that we as a company continue to differentiate the Motorola brand and the products we offer is a key objective. Linked to this is ensuring that during this time we continue to put the consumer first, delivering devices and services that enrich their lives and communicate what we stand for as an organisation.

Creativebrief: How do you see the media landscape unfolding in the next 5 years?

Andrew Morley: We are already seeing the rapid growth of mobile content creation and advertising in response to growing consumption on the “small” screen. This trend will definitely continue, leveraging the unique information the device can offer about the user to ensure they are receiving the content they want, when they want it and in a format they want to engage with.

We are also starting to see the evidence of media companies responding to the worldwide growth in tablet usage. These will become increasingly apparent in our daily lives, with advertising and marketing campaigns becoming truly immersive through touch screen interaction for instance.

Creativebrief: Do you prefer to use an ‘integrated’ agency approach or specialist agencies by individual discipline?

Andrew Morley: I prefer the “hub and spoke” approach. Our currently lead agency is Ogilvy and I have worked with them for over 20 years and they continue to push the envelope. They have huge amounts of experience, are very consumer focused and employ exceptionally talented people.

Their current UK CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, Hugh Baillie, for instance, is probably the most talented “Agency Guy” I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

Creativebrief: Do you prefer to use local agencies by market or international/global agencies?

Andrew Morley: International agencies, once again like Ogilvy, are able to offer the consistency required by multi-national countries whilst also delivering campaigns that take into account local nuances and requirements.

Creativebrief: When choosing agencies in the past were you ever influenced by awards?

Andrew Morley: No. The results and what they can do for me and my company is the most important.

Creativebrief: What challenges do you face, managing day-to-day agency relationships?

Andrew Morley: None – it just works well.

Creativebrief: How often do you look at new agencies or review your roster?

Andrew Morley: I review the roster all the time to ensure we are working with the best and brightest the industry has to offer.

Creativebrief: How do you monitor and stay-in-touch with the agency market to ensure you work with the best?

Andrew Morley: I work with a very talented team and we share the same ethos when it comes to ensuring we are working with the best and brightest. Over the years I have also built strong relationships with people across the industry who adds to these internal insights.

Creativebrief: Which agencies do you think are ‘hot’ right now?

Andrew Morley: The ones we use…

Creativebrief: Do you/have you used intermediaries in the past? What are your observations?

Andrew Morley: I prefer direct relationships. This not only allows the agency to understand exactly what I am looking for, but also allows me to get an idea of team chemistry and enthusiasm for what we are trying to achieve.

Creativebrief: What’s your attitude to the ‘traditional’ pitch? Do you think there is a better/more modern way?

Andrew Morley: The traditional pitch will always have a role to some extent, however it’s increasingly important to look at what has and will be achieved in more detail.

Creativebrief: Would you ever consider awarding an agency business without a pitch? What would they have to do / demonstrate?

Andrew Morley: No – I would always want a pitch for the reasons stated above.

Creativebrief: What are your top tips to agencies when presenting credentials to you?

Andrew Morley: The consumer is the most important person and any business should revolve around them. If you understand the consumer better than anyone else and become their advocate, you will always have their attention.

Creativebrief: What was the most impressive agency presentation you have ever seen?

Andrew Morley: David Mayo from Ogilvy once took us to meet our consumers in their pitch at Ford and we listened to them together. It provided some great insights and is still talked about today.