Advertising Week APAC Closing Keynote

Early this morning at 3am EST, I had the distinct honor of participating in Advertising Week APAC closing keynote, alongside Rory Sutherland and moderated by the fabulous Ruth Mortimer . Together, we engaged in a lively debate on a thought-provoking subject proposed by my mate Rory:

"This House Believes Advertising Must Look Beyond the Numbers and Embrace the Immeasurable."

The debate centered on the question of whether the advertising industry should move past traditional, quantifiable metrics to recognize and celebrate the immeasurable elements of creativity and impact.

Interestingly, Rory and I found ourselves in agreement on many points. However, the opportunity to present an opposing view was both challenging and inspiring, leading me to delve deeper into the subject.

I took the stance of arguing in favor of measurement, under the banner: "In Defense of Measurement: The Unseen Value of the Tangible."

Stay tuned for a follow-up piece where I'll highlight some innovative brands that are leveraging measurable moments to craft fresh and unique experiences. So here goes...

In an age where the intangible, the emotional, and the immeasurable are celebrated as the new frontiers of success, there lies a quiet but potent truth: the power of measurement. As voices rise to embrace the immeasurable, to champion the cause of kindness, giving back, and social connection, we must pause and reflect on what we might lose in abandoning the tangible, the quantifiable, the measurable.

The call to embrace the immeasurable is alluring. It speaks to our hearts, our desires, our longing for a world where values triumph over value. But in this rush towards the ethereal, are we forgetting the bedrock that has built our societies, our economies, our very understanding of progress?

Measurement is not a cold, unfeeling tool of numbers and data. It's a language, a means of communication, a bridge that connects ideas to reality. It's the compass that guides our decisions, the map that charts our journey, the yardstick that defines our success.

In the corridors of business, the shift from Return on Investment to Return on Involvement, from Attention to Participation, from Information to Inspiration, may seem like a noble pursuit. But without measurement, how do we know if we are truly involving, truly participating, truly inspiring? How do we gauge the impact of our actions, the reach of our words, the resonance of our ideas?

The beauty of measurement lies in its honesty. It doesn't promise, it proves. It doesn't speculate, it shows. It doesn't dream, it delivers. In a world where words can be empty and promises can be broken, measurement stands as a beacon of truth, a testament to what is real, what is achievable, what is tangible.

Embracing the immeasurable may lead us to a world of 3.7 billion Google search results, a world of platforms, pedigrees, partnerships, and performance. But without the anchor of measurement, how do we navigate this vast ocean? How do we discern the meaningful from the meaningless, the substantial from the superficial, the enduring from the ephemeral?

Real-time data, AI, machine learning - these are not just buzzwords; they are the building blocks of our future. They drive demand, shape decisions, and fuel progress. They are the heartbeat of our digital age, the pulse of our interconnected world. And at their core, they rely on measurement, on the ability to quantify, analyze, and understand.

As we stand at the crossroads of a new era, let us not be swayed by the siren song of the immeasurable. Let us not lose sight of the power of the tangible, the value of the quantifiable, the wisdom of the measurable.

For in the measurable lies the foundation of our progress, the clarity of our purpose, the integrity of our actions. It's the bridge that connects dreams to reality, ideas to impact, hope to achievement.

In the embrace of the measurable, we find not just numbers, but truth, not just data, but direction, not just metrics, but meaning.