Brent has the honour of being the first CMO to join The Imposterous for a chat and we’re all the better for it. He believes fervently in the vital distinction between giving a client what they want, as opposed to what they need. ‘Need’ is much harder, but if you have the vision, POV and certainty, he’ll back you all the way.

 

Because Brent Smart is a rare breed of marketer – equal parts creative and commercial. In our conversation we talk how any client can buy time, it’s called a fee. But, as anyone who knows how it actually works, the real value comes outside of that time – it comes when you’re walking the dog, or squeezing a shampoo bottle, or walking back from the bar…it’s this ‘discretionary effort’ that makes the magic. In order to get that, client and agency both have to inspire each other with a singular, authentic vision of where you are trying to get to.

 

And Brent knows how to spot a fake – it’s not down to talent or experience, it’s simply someone who doesn’t care. Because in order to be a great creative you need one thing above all else – an opinion. When it comes to the crunch, in judging the work in a pitch or a presentation, forget the brief, they just set things going and are often wrong. People hide behind briefs all too often. Instead start with your gut – how does the work make you feel? Follow that and you’ll get to better work a lot faster.

 

With a track record of changing the fortunes of brands, leading NRMA to 3 years of customer growth after 7 years of decline, delivering Cheerios first quarter of sales growth after 13 quarters of decline and even helping Yellow Pages steal share of search from Google. Without doubt this Imposterous guest knows how to build a creative culture on the inside that delivers more effective creative output on the outside.