Managing Partner
Playbook of Innovation:
Can you answer this in one word? Innovation, for you, is…
Tino Reinecke:
Necessary.
Playbook of Innovation:
Do you want to elaborate on that?
Tino Reinecke:
I think innovation is one of the most powerful tools you can use to make yourself happy and successful. It helps your clients thrive and develop themselves in the future. Innovation is necessary when advancing your business and yourself as someone who can act freely. You can expand your business and build something new with a free mind. You have to focus on that.
It’s necessary and not an option. Of course, you can work without innovation in many aspects of your business, but at some point, you need innovation to push further and develop into the future. It’s necessary for our clients, as well.
We empower and help our clients innovate when evolving their businesses. They benefit from us being innovative in real-time. As an agency, it’s pivotal that we help them fulfil this.
Playbook of Innovation:
Why is innovation important for you, your teams, your agency, clients, consumers, and the industry?
Tino Reinecke:
For me, it’s important because it gives a feeling of success and freedom to develop new things for ourselves and our clients that haven’t been done before. I’m often happy when we become one of the first to do something. It’s nice to be a first mover.
It’s nearly the same for our teams because, for people who are involved in everyday operative business, there’s a lot of work that isn’t “cool”. This makes innovation important to feel successful and happy while connecting with others and receiving praise for being the first to do something, especially when the client is delighted with the development. 90% of business is standard number crunching. It’s the other 10% that makes you feel special in an agency.
For example, innovation allows you to receive better recognition for your work. Teams need to get feedback and feel happy in their job. This is why innovation is necessary for developing the agency. If you have happy people working on special projects that get positive feedback from the client, they’ll be proud of their work and will work harder to remain successful on projects that aren’t as innovative. Success depends on each other.
If the agency is doing a good job and is innovative, it helps the client move forward. The client, who may have specific goals and ambitions in innovation, can progress and develop into the future. When the client does develop into the future, there are new things for the consumers that help them in their daily lives.
Playbook of Innovation:
What’s something innovative you recently integrated into your daily work?
Tino Reinecke:
It’s not that innovative, but for one year, we’ve held short weekly meetings where someone brings in an innovative case they either worked on, seen on TV, or in print. Everyone tries to bring something new to help us think about new approaches and what’s developed. For example, this could be an innovative case from another client, but it can also be a book or podcast. Then, everyone thinks about the topic and breaks down the innovation.
Playbook of Innovation:
How do you create an environment where innovation can flourish?
Tino Reinecke:
It’s important that we, as leaders, build up a framework where people can think about innovation. Of course, there are aspects of the group, like the Creative Collective, that serve as a role model in driving notation. But we also tell our employees and colleagues often, “Think free. Do something new. Don’t be limited. Talk to people in the market, talk to your clients, talk to people in your family.” Every person must maintain an open space so they’re free to contemplate new ideas and try them in practice, whether with the client or themselves. If you don’t feel this, then it doesn’t work.
Playbook of Innovation:
What inspires you?
Tino Reinecke:
That isn’t easy to answer as there are a lot of things that inspire me. I’m one of those people who look at all the innovations around the world, especially when I have the chance to be a jury member in an award show and see a lot of cases. This inspires me because there’s good work done in Germany and the global markets.
Otherwise, I look at the markets and talk to media partners, clients, and people working in different industries about what’s new and what special projects they’re doing. I talk to people.
My friendships and family also inspire me. Sometimes, my son inspires me with ideas. Kids think freely without limits or borders.
In terms of being inspired by others in the industry, it’s not always the marketing people. It could be people from the sales or IT department. It could be people from legal, for example, that have novel ideas about what we can do in the future. Innovation, for me, isn’t only about building a new campaign with a new idea. It’s more about working better together, being more efficient in specific areas, and developing new products that help the client better fulfil their campaign.
Playbook of Innovation:
Is there a tool, service, or product inside your agency that you consider a great example of innovation?
Tino Reinecke:
That’s a difficult question because a tool or product is missing. The Creative Collective is like a tool for me, with people coming together with different ideas and bringing something unique by working together to develop new stuff. That is one of the tools you can use.
On the flip side, I’m missing something. I’m missing a special tool where people sit together and develop things, but that will probably change in the future with AI.
My suggestion? Give people the freedom to think, talk to people, go for lunch with a media partner, and talk about their ideas. This is a tool, even if it’s not on the computer. If people come together in the office, have a call, or go out to lunch, I’m convinced that this one hour of throwing ideas together will lead to a better outcome on every site.
Playbook of Innovation:
In your opinion, what’s the most innovative thing about Mediaplus?
Tino Reinecke:
The most innovative thing is we think freely about the clients’ solutions and problems.
From there, we develop innovative approaches. It’s not like we have a buying center where we conduct efficient campaigns. Our approach is often about being innovative for the client’s business and problems, even if it means choosing a solution that doesn’t directly impact earnings. This strongly differentiates us from other agencies, although for us, it should lead to more business with the client.
Following that, Max Schöngen and his Creative Collective are very successful at showing what’s innovative by bringing out cases and going to award shows, which is very important for us. It’s one of the main reasons clients decide to work with Mediaplus and why they’re willing to pay a little more, knowing that every agency is doing the same planning and buying. Some are better, some aren’t, but it’s more or less the same. It depends on who you work with; if you have a connection, believe that they’re leaders, and they’re good with consulting and innovating to bring out new ideas, they help the client show themselves in-house and through the campaign. That’s one of the main points. We have the freedom to do that. A process or tool like the Creative Collective helps you understand how to innovate and bring it into the world.
Playbook of Innovation:
Did your view of innovation change in the last years? If yes, why?
Tino Reinecke:
It’s developed. In the beginning, when I started in the business, innovation meant putting up a giant poster on the wall outside in Germany. Now, that’s common and not considered innovation anymore.
Innovation develops. The approaches to what is innovative, I think, develop strongly. Now, innovation is about technical things, like AI, and understanding how our clients work on that.
Two years ago, it angled towards the Metaverse, which didn’t come across as strong despite being innovative for its time. So, the topic of what innovation is changes, but not the work as we do it.
Playbook of Innovation:
What’s the biggest potential for innovation at Mediaplus?
Tino Reinecke:
First is the collaboration and the work with Serviceplan. Of course, the creative team is more innovative than the media based on their work. They bring out and develop new approaches for the client. Our connection and work within the Serviceplan Group is strong for Mediaplus, making it vital for Mediaplus to be innovative. Many awards we’ve won have had a creative idea behind it that came from Serviceplan or Plan.Net. I think it’s so important to work integrated, learn from each other, and bring each other together for common projects.
Playbook of Innovation:
Thank you very much for your time and insightful answers. Before we let you go, we wanted to lighten the mood with a quick round of this or that questions.
Our first question for you is pineapple on pizza or not?
Tino Reinecke:
Of course, pineapple on pizza! Together with salami. It’s a little bit strange, but yes, pineapple and salami.
Playbook of Innovation:
Mac or PC?
Tino Reinecke:
Apple, but I work with PC.
Playbook of Innovation:
Coke or Pepsi.
Tino Reinecke:
Coke.
Playbook of Innovation:
Marvel or DC?
Toni Reinecke:
Marvel.
Playbook of Innovation:
Star Wars or Star Trek?
Toni Reinecke:
Star Wars.
Playbook of Innovation:
Disney or Pixar?
Toni Reinecke:
I don't like either, but of course, I have to watch them with my son.
Playbook of Innovation:
Train or Plane?
Toni Reinecke:
Travel is the same, regardless of the vehicle. So, train or plane, whatever is necessary. I like both because I travel all the time. Of course, I always look at the impact on our environment and avoid unnecessary traveling.
Playbook of Innovation:
Beer or wine?
Toni Reinecke:
I wouldn’t want to choose, but I’d say beer.
Playbook of Innovation:
That was fun! Thank you again for your time and for playing along. We’re excited to see what you do in the future of Mediaplus.
