“The Creative Age of Business

- Kunal Sinha & Mark Sinnock (OgilvyDO.com) -

We are now on the cusp of the creative business generation. According to Professor Li Xiguan, Director of Tsinghua University's International Communication Centre, today's economy can be aptly encapsulated by the phrase "Economy of Attention" (See Video). In other words, to remain successful in this world of digital media and inter-connectivity, businesses need to get across their message to consumers in the fastest possible manner.

True to its word, youths today have a short attention span. Even during a media writing module that I am taking currently, the lecturers often make it an imperative for our articles to have a "kicker" that can grab the attention of the reader. Once you've succeeded in doing so, the reader will then be more engaged with your article. I think a similar process as such is reflective of the business environment today.

With the rise of the Internet, Generation Y/Z or digital natives (as some may call) are endowed with unprecedented levels of interactivity and participation. We are prosumers (producers/consumers) remember? Otherwise, how else can I be posting this article.

While everyone is quick to point out about the benefits of the Internet for democracy, commerce and what not, I have my reservations. The Internet is merely a tool for creativity. For it to succeed both as a democratic or in this case a business tool, a human touch is necessary to bring the benefits to life or else the Internet is all but just a white elephant.

Singapore, for example is today pushing hard for its people to be creative and take risks. However, given the dependence of Singaporeans on their government, it is difficult for Singapore to have a Steve Jobs of its own one day (considering the talent pool too). The "kiasu" (afraid to lose out) mentality also encourages everybody to conform to the much recognized route of academic success: anyone that falls away is deemed a "failure"/outlier.

Of course, mindsets are changing. The Singapore government is taking measures to change that mentality and one can see the effects of their policies gradually taking shape such as the liberalisation of the arts scene paving way for a more vibrant culture etc. As things stand, creativity remains a prized commodity in Singapore and if it were to retain its competitive edge in the global market place, its people have to adapt and alter their current practices.

I remain optimistic about Singapore though. We may not have the brainpower of massive nations but we remain a talent magnet. Open-sourcing can make up for our iniquities. In fact, I just saw a report that Singapore is giving away a million dollars for individuals to come up with a creative design layout for future container ports (See Article). I'd say go underground or go undersea but heh, that's just my two cents worth. I'm sure some novel ideas (better ones than I have) will be thrown up through this "tendering" process and hopefully Singapore's economy can benefit from this initiative.

Creativity is such a fluid concept that cannot be structured into daily processes. Can't be taught but can be nurtured. Individuals must be given the freedom to explore, engage and create. The Internet has provided the medium for ideas to be exchanged but the onus is on individuals to tap the Internet's power constructively.

For background information, visit OgilvyDO and watch the video etc. The site leaves great avenue for thought.