By that I mean:

• Grounded in the realities of businesses and how they make money

• Realistic about the challenges brands now face, particularly in communication

• Substantiated by data as well as intuition

• Enlightened regarding the importance of creativity

Too often I see brand positionings that are complicated, difficult to action or fail to ‘capture the magic’; communication that is missable, poorly branded and fails to pay back; and new product development that is a ‘stretch too far’ or will struggle to make money.

It doesn’t have to be that way. We need to get real – and that means getting creative as well as being astute. Businesses need creativity like never before – but it must be the right kind of creativity, grounded in an understanding of what will motivate consumers and generate the desired business results.