Cannes 2013: McLarens makes pit stop at the Palais with Mindshare

Day two of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2013 saw Nick Emery, CEO, Mindshare; John Allert, group brand director, McLaren; Ron Dennis, chairman McLaren Group; and Jenson Button, driver, McLaren F1, delve into how data can be adapted in real time for success.

The session was on the theme 'How to be more adaptive and why it will make you more creative'.

Emery said, “Mindshare and McLaren can give fundamental reasons to adapt data and distribute it real time. Although we’re doing similar things with numbers, the difference in faith on data is completely different."

He explained that while both brands relied heavily on data, Mindshare didn't have have the 'life-and-death trust' on data that an F1 team like McLaren does.

Allert added, “Data needs to be people-friendly. No point in having enough data without being able to implement it.”

New agency models

Emphasising the importance of data in the media business, Emery said, “Data needs to be used how McLaren does real time to arrange its pit stops and other activities in Formula 1. One needs to marry technology and adopt the data to run it more efficiently. To use and adapt F1-style data, one doesn’t require a media or a traditional agency, but needs to look at new agency models.”

Target and aim

Allert spoke about McLaren having Formula 1 at its heart, but added that the company was also a diversified technology player. He elaborated on brand McLaren.

“McLaren as a brand is not traditional. Our brand is not inanimate. We see our brand on the race track once in two weeks racing around the world. Our brand has adapted to tell stories. In a field of branded technology we need to innovate and be ambitious; we are ambitious because we set targets and surpass it. Without a target and aim nothing can exist,” said Allert.

Winning ideas

Dennis spoke about the importance of being adaptive. Giving an example of how that has helped McLaren be successful, Dennis said, “If you stand still, you fall. Formula 1 is a sport that doesn’t take prisoners. In 30 years (since McLaren’s existence), 106 F1 teams have come and gone, because they haven’t understood the importance of competition.”

He offered some insight on how McLaren chooses brand ideas, and said, “Ideas come up all the time. But, if the idea doesn’t make you the best in the world, there is no point in wasting your time on it. We look at ideas that can do that and then look at the costs etc. associated with the idea.”

McLaren P1: An advertising tool

McLaren recently announced the launch of the fastest passenger car, the P1. Dennis explained how the car with only 375 units  expected to hit the road, was an advertising expenditure for the company. He said, “It’s the fastest car on the road. But, it’s like an advertising budget for us. The car, for whoever can pay to own it, will be a brand statement and will be an appreciating asset for them.”