5 Minutes with… Karen Crookes
Karen Crookes' career started out in production, specifically working in-house at TV behemoths Sky and Fox. She gradually migrated towards the advertising industry, 10 years ago joining Across the Pond (ATP), an advertising agency with a proud focus on shaping the communications of the world's most forward thinking tech brands.
In May 2017, Karen moved to San Francisco - the global home of technology - to launch ATP's US presence, and is now vice president of the agency. Karen's production experience and expertise is now playing a key role in shaping the overall vision of an agency that was also founded by a producer: founder Julie Cohen created and grew Google's in-house production agency prior to launching ATP.
LBB's Addison Capper chatted with Karen to find out more.
LBB> Prior to becoming VP at Across The Pond, you spent much of your career in production at places like Sky and Fox, as well as ATP. How does your production experience help you when it comes to being a leader at a creative agency?
Karen> From an early stage in my career at Sky & Fox (FX), I was given the responsibility of building and managing production departments without a direct line manager or mentor. To this end, it was important to use my logic and the experience of those around me to figure things out. This experience really taught me the power of relationships and ultimately being humble, authentic, curious, never afraid to question or learn from those around me. All traits I endeavour to uphold now as a leader of a creative agency.
Working in production, I used and cultivated many skills that have inevitably become invaluable to my current role leading a creative agency. Principally, being a people person, good listener, and problem solver are all essential for building lasting and trusted relationships whether that’s with crew and talent as a producer or colleagues and clients as a VP.
With both roles, no two days are ever the same so qualities like keeping calm under pressure, and being an action based problem solver are invaluable. Likewise, throughout both stages of my career I’ve found combining big picture creative vision and a healthy realism of what is possible to be essential.
LBB> That change in role seems even more natural considering ATP's founder was a TV producer within Google originally. How does that DNA inform the way you run the agency and the type of work it does best?
Karen> Storytelling and entertainment at the core of what we create, combined with a healthy realism for what is possible, production / execution wise. Relationship building, strategic budget management, building talented teams and helping set the stage for them to do their best work are key parts of both being a producer and leading an agency.
LBB> With that in mind, how would you define what ATP does best and the unique space it occupies in the market?
Karen> We are best at meaning making for tech brands. We find ways to build emotional connections and resonance through storytelling between tech brands, their products and services, and people. In our work we take concepts that are abstract and complex and make them human. After a decade of specialising in tech, we know that tech marketing needs a differentiated approach. Because ‘tech’ is not simply another category, like retail or telecom. Tech is a means - not an end in itself. Tech is an invisible enabler of some of our most important needs. It enables belonging, community, communication, education and creativity. We believe the most effective way to create emotional connections and resonance in storytelling is through cultural and social associations that matter to consumers. We have a unique approach of exploring and understanding technology, rooted in culture. For tech brands, this means more effective and impactful marketing for the following reasons: it is human first not machine first, emotional not functional, and meaningful because it is built on shared social values.
LBB> How does working so closely with some of the planet's most cutting edge minds inform ATP's creative output?
Karen> We love being in SF and so close to the headquarters of our tech partners. There's an energy and culture here of rapid innovation and achievement. There's always a wealth of world-changing developments and stories that need telling. No two briefs, no two audiences are the same. Our work is incredibly diverse in terms of format, tone, and audience as a result. Companies like this work quickly and iteratively - an engineering culture - which means truly fluid and collaborative partnerships. We're able to create efficiently, and get to a sophisticated result fast. Our perennial challenge is to present innovation and achievement with the awe and respect it deserves, but also bring a real-world perspective to the work. Quite often our content focuses on subjects that are one step removed from a consumer or user. We constantly have to find creative ways to translate ideas, and make them mean something to an audience, without misrepresenting or oversimplifying the message. It keeps our work and our approach fresh.
LBB> On ATP's website it says, "Tech has a personality problem." What do you mean by that and how can that problem be fixed?
Karen> In culture today, there is a dominant story - the idea that tech shapes us. The idea that technology is causing changes in society is how technology is understood in the media and in our minds. These narratives have become pervasive. Silicon Valley is the epicentre of innovation, tech entrepreneurs are an archetype and software is eating the world. Technology is something that happens to us, rather than something built by us, for us and around us. This narrative builds a sense of disconnection and fear between people and technology. Important technologies like AI and their potential are misunderstood.
We believe there is a different viewpoint of technology that needs to challenge this dominant narrative. The idea that we shape technology. Technology is built by us in response to culture. This viewpoint brings human agency to the fore and ensures that sociotechnical blindness does not hide the essential and pivotal roles humans play in the creation and use of technology. Tech's personality problem is fuelled by this dominant narrative. At Across the Pond we believe a more balanced viewpoint is needed. One which acknowledges that technology is culture first - often driven by our needs, desires and values.
LBB> That personality problem can, understandably at times, manifest in a deep mistrust of 'big tech' by swathes of the globe. But ATP is "driven by a profound belief in the benefits that technology can bring to humankind". Why?
Karen> We are lucky to work day in and day out with some of the most inspiring and future forward tech teams in the world. We believe tech is pivotal to how economies and society will develop and grow. Tech is the solution to climate change. Tech will revolutionise healthcare, education and culture. Tech is an economic multiplier, allowing creators and businesses to reach audiences anywhere in the world. Being in close proximity and witnessing the dedication and ambitions of these teams is always a reminder of the power of technology, if harnessed right.
LBB> How did you wind up in production and advertising? Was it a planned thing or more a happy accident?
Karen> A keen interest in acting and music as a child actually meant I started my career on film sets and in front of the camera. I knew the creative arts was the place for me but as I spent more time exploring, I realised my happy place was behind the camera bringing it all to life instead. A degree in music / drama and then a masters in film and broadcast management confirmed this for me.
My first foray into production was actually when I was still at high school. A high up TV exec, who formerly went to the school, came to do a talk, during which he talked about perseverance and getting your foot in the industry door any way you could. I took him at his word and found a moment to accost him while he was hiding away smoking after the session. After charming some contact details out of him, I followed up regularly until I was offered a summer work placement. Determined and resilient or just a little bit annoying I don't know, you can decide!
After university, I again took the advice of getting my foot in the door any way I could… after a short stint scheduling for a broadcaster, I very quickly realised that getting up from the laptop, away from Excel sheets and interacting with people was super important to me, as well as that sense of creating something from scratch as a team and the excitement and variety that filming presents. Production was the perfect career path.
From sports broadcasting, entertainment, production companies, advertising, in-house and agency land, it's been a winding career path within production but that's given me a depth of knowledge and experience that I've found invaluable while building our US agency.
LBB> What creative content inspired or interested you most when you were growing up? Do any TV shows, films and ads stand out to you?
Karen> My love of US teen dramas certainly sparked my desire to live in America at some point. Saved by the Bell, Dawson's Creek, My So Called Life, Gossip Girl, Friday Night Lights... any of them. If there was a high school cheerleader team, some romantic angst and lockers with those twiddly circular dials (that still to this day defeat me), I was hooked!
I was so determined to make it a reality that I used to trawl through newspapers and magazines to then find my parents some potential US homes they could buy (having no concept of the complexities of things like visas at the time). It may have been a good chunk of time later but I did indeed make this US dream a reality.
The 1986 movie Space Camp and basically any film around astrology / space / space travel - this early fascination with science and technology has stood me in good stead for working at an agency that works with some of the world's biggest tech firms and seeks to make the complex human.
One of my biggest sources of inspiration when growing up was actually getting out into the world. As a kid, my family and I used to pack up the car and go camping around Europe for three weeks at a time. Experiencing and absorbing different cultures sparked my love of adventure and curiosity that has been invaluable for my time spent producing documentaries, and now working for a global agency that seeks to remove cultural barriers altogether.
LBB> And outside of work now, what keeps you inspired, entertained and relaxed?
Karen> Getting up from the laptop - sailing, spinning, running, tennis. Music - whether it's playing myself (flute, piano, singing) or attending gigs / festivals. Embracing my new home in California and continuing to explore all the beautiful places it has to offer. Mindfulness - yoga / meditation / walks on the beach! Trying to learn Spanish (I'm not sure it classifies as relaxing but it’s certainly a good challenge).
