When Holly Pavlika was judging the annual Caples Awards a few years back, she made friends all over the world that she kept in touch with afterward, networking and sharing ideas by e-mail.
It struck her that it would benefit the industry to have a community where creatives could talk peer to peer, particularly about work in the multichannel arena. Thus was born the Direct Marketing Association Creative Council.
“There's never been a better time to celebrate direct and interactive creative,” says Pavlika, executive vice president and CCO at G2 Direct & Digital. “Our industry is going through so much change right now — [direct is becoming] the way of the world.”
Thanks to an ever-increasing number of communications channels, less product differentiation and more competition, creative has taken on a bigger role in the marketing process, she adds.
“[Those who] come from the traditional direct marketing side might think creative is the last thing that drives response,” notes Pavlika. “But I think the way the dynamics of the market are going, it's actually becoming foremost in terms of breaking through the clutter and moving people through marketing initiatives.”
Today, consumers are everywhere and they no longer have set purchasing patterns — an interesting situation from a creative standpoint, she says. “One day I can buy clothes online from the Gap and the next day I can buy them from the Gap four blocks from my apartment. It just depends on what fits my need at that moment.”
A social networking Web site with robust content will be the crux of the council's initial efforts. Pavlika would like the site to celebrate not only DM creatives' professional work but their outside creative endeavors, like art or poetry.
