5 Minutes with… Wisnu Satya Putra
From his early experience as a graphic designer to his current leadership role as CEO, Creative, Wisnu Satya Putra has a jack-of-all-trades understanding of creative technology.
Speaking to LBB, Wisnu delves into the data leveraging digital transformation, and explains the crucial skill of fostering creativity in an ever-evolving industry.
Offering invaluable advice to emerging professionals, Wisnu unveils his vision for the future of advertising and marketing, shares his strategic wisdom, and reflects on a lifetime of experience.
LBB> You've managed multiple full-service digital agencies throughout your career. What key differences have you noticed in the digital landscape, and how have you adapted your strategies?
Wisnu> Digital, in the beginning, was “the other” channel, whereas now it has become a necessity. Digital evolved. We used to have limited screens, and attention was very cheap. With the evolution of digital, attention is becoming very expensive in the multi-screen world. This tells us that people converse more digitally. Thus, our competition is now with the culture instead of brands with other brands.
Recognising this dynamic, we have adapted our strategies by incorporating elements of cultural relevance into our works. An exemplary illustration is our campaign, the 'ARTISM Binaural Mix,' a harmonious collaboration with artists on the autism spectrum. This initiative involves crafting art amidst the immersive experience of binaural boosted music, a method shown to enhance concentration on creative tasks with neurodivergent thinking. Our campaign pioneers inclusivity and provides a transformative platform for artists with disabilities to carve out their unique paths in the realm of creativity.
LBB> Given your extensive background, could you discuss the importance of data and analytics in shaping successful digital marketing strategies and how you leverage them at dentsu Creative Indonesia?
Wisnu> In the vastness of digital, data plays an important role. Digital is traceable; once you set your footprint in digital, we get to know the whole thing. But, with loads of information, we need to understand how to manage and analyse the data efficiently. We must create a perfect spot between creativity, data, and technology. At dentsu, our global access, complemented by localised insights, robust capabilities, strategic partnerships, and proprietary tools, empowers us to leverage relevant data and analytics effectively. This helps us create a robust strategy to distinguish between one brand and another brand, as well as to communicate it to the right target audience so that conversions would be more feasible.
LBB> How has your early experience as a graphic designer influenced your approach to leadership and creativity in the digital marketing world?
Wisnu> The various roles during my early career journey shaped me into who I am today. I have the whole package experience from graphic design, account management, and strategic thinking to managing business. From that, I immersed myself in the detailed knowledge of end-to-end processes and learned how to deliver beyond what clients expect today. because I now speak both the client’s and our team’s languages.
All from the basics. I was a graphic designer and photographer in 2007 when I started. I learned how to create a creative concept and to develop it into a real, impactful story. The creative sense from my early role influenced and sharpened my capabilities to shape my business today. In hindsight, I understand the standard and can raise the bar, whether in scouting talents, process, or delivery.
LBB> As the CEO, Creative, dentsu Indonesia, you have a wealth of experience in digital transformation. Can you share a standout example of how you've helped a client successfully navigate this transformation and its impact on their business?
Wisnu> Regarding digital transformation, our focus centres on innovating how brands conduct their business, rooted in a foundation of trust. One notable example involves a client in the automotive sector, traditionally reliant on offline user acquisitions Recognizing an opportunity for change, we seamlessly integrated creativity and technology into their operations.
This not only streamlined their procedures but also significantly improved their acquisition rates.
LBB> Can you share an instance wherein your strategic approach significantly improved brand awareness and contributed to business growth?
Wisnu> Let me highlight a case study involving our collaboration with a multinational company in the Growing Up Milk (GUM) Industry. However, its GUM product held a market leader position. However, they faced challenges in retaining it and were losing traction to competitors.
Our strategic approach to improve the brand awareness involved utilising the audience's sound card. With an emotional approach, we went back to the brand roots, creating resonance fostering brand love, and eventually achieving significant awareness. To drive their business growth, we did a growth hack, deploying their emotional campaigns with hyper-local and contextual content tailored to resonate with each audience’s region.
And with this approach, we maintained the brand’s market leader position, increased brand awareness by 120%, and achieved an unprecedented 37% business growth.
LBB> As a leader in the advertising industry, what advice would you offer to emerging professionals looking to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape?
Wisnu>
- Be in the conversation, because Digital is all about conversation
- Keep learning new things. We are running as fast as the speed of culture
- Do not be afraid to try and develop new things, use a ‘fail-fast’ approach
- Be a trendsetter
- Collaboration is key to thriving in the evolving digital landscape
LBB> What trends and changes in the advertising and marketing industry are you most excited about for the future, and how do you plan to incorporate them into your role as CEO, Creative?
Wisnu> We are moving away from conventional creative. It is slowly dying. Now, it is the rise of modern creativity. Advertising used to be about repetition in the past due to the immense journey from inspiration to transaction. Now, advertising is all about personalisation, narrowing the gap from inspiration to transaction.
Looking ahead, our future will be filled with creativity that creates cultural impact. We believe Modern Creativity will be the driving force - we must create culture, change society, and invent the future.
While the medium and approaches to creativity may change, the essence of creativity remains constant. It’s a state of mind that will continue to propel us forward.
