“5G’s going to be a game changer. I’m not going to have to be at home anymore to be connected. If we want to stream this video right now, right here, using 5G, that’s possible.”
Juan Garcia is head of technology at the award-winning whiteGREY, the Australian arm of the global Grey Group, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne. Garcia specializes in software development with an emphasis on the creative process and personalized customer experience.
In this episode of Velocitize Talks, Juan Garcia provides his insights on brand loyalty, company culture and how the rise of the 5G network will revolutionize the industry.
What makes whiteGREY an award-winning agency? [0:28]
“A collision of creativity and technology…it’s the team. Great ideas come from a great team.”
Having great clients helps. Garcia’s team is a team with “no egos,” and they work in a culture that brings them together. Clients trust the team to go out and execute their ideas, finding the right balance between the creative process and technology platforms.
A broader creative canvas [2:51]
“When we help companies, we cannot rely on these big systems anymore, the big licensing, the big cost…We need to look beyond and see how the actual marketers are going to use those tools.”
Given the much stronger ties between creativity and technology in digital marketing today — and the increased number of opportunities to leverage both — agencies need to provide their clients with the right technologies and tools to enhance their brand, especially as those solutions evolve.
How do you heighten a brand’s relevance? [4:23]
“We’re talking to brands and we’re trying to tell them, this is the moment to explore, to play with the technology.”
In order to increase brand loyalty and increase trust in that brand, you have to choose the right technologies for the project, whether it’s AI, machine learning or voice. whiteGREY is investing heavily in the voice industry. By 2020 it’s estimated that 50% of searches will be by voice.
Talent is key [6:08]
“We cannot compete anymore with the Googles and Facebooks. They have awesome offices. We’ve got the flexibility, the interesting work. We can do cool stuff. We are nimble, we can work quickly.”
An agency needs to have a strong vision in terms of acquisition of talent. Having a plan in place for incoming employees, and investing in them so they can become “masters of their own craft,” is a major factor in attracting the right people.
Using facial recognition technology for good [7:53]
“Projects like this don’t come around [very often].”
The Invisible Friends campaign was developed last year by whiteGREY for the Missing Persons Advocacy Network, an organization providing support to families and friends of missing persons through Facebook facial recognition and user profiles and photos.
How do you know when a client’s a good fit? [10:24]
“Everyone likes to work with a blank piece of paper. The formal process is still there… but let us show you our creativity, here’s the value we can put into place.”
When you’re pitching a client, you’re interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you. The more limitations the client puts on you, the less freedom and creative license you’ll have at your disposal.
Why is 5G technology such a game changer? [13:30]
“There is no need to worry about quick connections, which connection, just get the phone. Get the phone out.”
To learn more about whiteGREY and Juan Garcia, visit their website.