Interview Jose Carlos Gutierrez

with Jose Carlos-Gutierrez

Managing Partner

Playbook of Innovation:

Can you answer this in one word? Innovation, for you, is…

José Carlos Gutiérrez:

Transformation.

Innovation is something that surprises you, makes you react, and then behind this, it’s transformation. Positive transformation is something new, something useful.

Playbook of Innovation:

Why is innovation important for you, your teams, your agency, clients, consumers, and the industry?

José:

For me, it’s important because innovation surprises and inspires me to make a change for the positive.

I think innovation is valuable for my team because it challenges them and pushes them to do creative work, approach things in another way, think differently, and not make things logically or standardized but instead create new approaches. Innovation also gives the agency a new position and reputation. We all want to be innovative and avoid seeming outdated or old-fashioned. So, being innovative is very important for the image of the company.

For clients, innovation helps them stand out in a competitive world. It reinforces their confidence in us. When we put innovative solutions on the table for their needs and problems, they’ll trust more in us. That is very important.

Playbook of Innovation:

How do you create an environment where innovation can flourish in your agency?

José:

I try to do it by sharing my experiences and knowledge with the team. Due to my position, I have more external activity than those on my team, meaning I attend congresses, conferences, and so on. I then share my experiences and ideas with my team to empower them with access to different sources of information by allowing them to see new ways to work and learn other ways to make things and ideas.

Playbook of Innovation:

What inspires you?

José:

I’m inspired every day. I think the most important source of inspiration for me is art. I like the whole variety of painting, photography, and sculpture. But the street is also a great source of inspiration and can be found by watching people, the atmosphere, the environment, and how people react to different situations. Of course, the media and news provide us access to articles, writings, and documentaries that expose us to new ideas and trends. Historical events, too, are inspiring in how they offer new perspectives on our current world.

And, of course, different people and cultures are a great source of inspiration. I can be inspired by conversations with the concierge of a building, with a taxi driver, in a restaurant with the chef, or when talking with a celebrity or a guru. Different people are always a source of inspiration.

Playbook of Innovation:

Touching on the first point you mentioned, the arts: do you ever see an overlap between your job, your profession, and the art that inspires you? Do you ever feel like there are connections between them?

José:

My work is more analytical and technical because you always work on the media side. But, this sympathy or affinity with the arts inspires me when presenting and finding solutions for clients. In media, it’s not all about numbers but also ideas. And ideas can be inspired by art, a singular picture, the style, a painter, or a photo.

This is important since most of us use the same data sources: public studies, surveys, and so on. So what makes the difference? The difference is in the way you transmit this information. A way to do it is to be influenced by the arts. Why not? The best way to present something is to do it emotionally.

Playbook of Innovation:

Is there a tool, service, or product inside your agency or department that you consider a great example of innovation?

José:

At Serviceplan Group, we use corporate tools to learn about the experiences and examples of other companies involved in the group. They’ve been working well and are an important source of inspiration. SharePoint and WeNet are prominent examples that come to mind.

Playbook of Innovation:

In your opinion, what’s the most innovative thing about Mediaplus?

José:

The most innovative thing in Mediaplus is Max Schöngen and his team in the Creative Media Department [laughs]. Establishing a creative team within Mediaplus is a highly innovative move and a valuable asset for everyone in the media sector. This initiative is crucial and exciting as it enables us to continue developing innovative solutions for our clients.

Playbook of Innovation:

Did your view of innovation change in the last few years? And if yes, then why?

José:

I think not [laughs]. I still think about innovation in the same way that I thought of it years ago. What changed is that in the past, the examples of innovation differed from what is current innovation.

Playbook of Innovation:

In the future, where do you see the greatest potential for Mediaplus?

José:

In media, we’re all working with more or less the same elements. The difference lies in selling and presenting, including the ideas surrounding strategy. For me, strategy is the soul of our work. Creative minds like Max Schöngen and his team are crucial when developing an innovative and creative strategy.

I’m convinced we have solid and relevant people in our network concerning technical things. But it’s important to complement this with creative minds to make the biggest difference. Our group has Serviceplan and Plan.Net, and we should combine all these through our creative minds. This is the opportunity for our group to stand out and hold a relevant position amongst the different media players in the market.

Playbook of Innovation:

Thank you so much for your time and insights on innovation. Before we let you go, we wanted to have a little fun. Are you ready for a little this or that challenge?

Let’s start with pineapple on pizza, or not?

José:

Not.