The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Picks Its Winner: Lindy Taoushiani
Daniel Neville
One of the best things about working at Idea Bounty is being able to pick up the phone and call a winner - Its a small thing but I usually get as excited as the winner on the other end, almost like I pocketed some cash myself. Calling our latest winner Lindy (pocketing $3,000 for her solution to the Allan Gray Orbis Foundations brief) was no different, especially considering that she managed to come out at the top of the pile on quite a tough brief.
Over all we received some outstanding Ideas in answer to the Allan Gray Orbis Foundations quest to find the right applicants for their fellowship program. Some of the Ideas pulled some serious out the box thinking out of the bag and others went in directions we could never have dreamed of. Over all we ended up taking 18 Ideas to a final selection workshop - which gives you an Idea of the quality Ideas that you all produced!
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Winner - Lindy Taoushiani
After much deliberation the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation team eventually settled on Lindy's Idea which was titled 'SMS Your Results' - we are seriously looking forward to see the Idea rolled out. In the mean time check out our interview with Lindy below!
First and foremost, congratulations on having your Idea selected as the winner - mobile marketing is still quite fresh concept. Did you think you had the winning Idea?
Thanks Daniel. Not at all! I submitted three – the first two off the top of my head (with embarrassing typos I see now!) and the third more thought through. I think it was the second one that won.
Tell us a bit more about yourself and how you stumbled across Idea Bounty and the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation brief.
I am very interested in the digital media landscape and the way marketing and relating to consumers has completely changed. One of the Habari summits I attended had a lady from Brazil who mentioned the site as a fantastic South African idea so I looked it up and tried it out.
What drew you to submitting an Idea? Was it the challenge presented or just a chance to show off your Ideas?
Initially it was to try out the crowdsourcing concept only – but I really enjoy coming up with possible solutions to marketing problems – especially when these solutions include digital. Add in a competition element and I’m in!!
How long did it take you to come up with the Idea - was it a toilet moment (I get lots of Ideas on the toilet) or a cunningly crafted plan?
I’m afraid it was off the top of my head – I submitted three ideas at different times – every time I looked at the brief I had a different thought and banged it out right there really.
Tell us a bit about your experience with working on below the line campaigns as well as your online work and how you see the two coming together?
I have 10 years marketing/ agency experience at Artifact but the most exciting for me has been the last three where I have emmersed myself in online/ digital marketing and media - now we are providing a strategic integrated offering that offers the full picture to clients and I am really excited that we are ahead of the game here.
There is definitely a need to stop looking at digital, BTL and ABL as separate strategies. As a strategist my goal has to be to look at what is truly the best way for the client to engage their consumer. In order to do this I have to look at all media avenues – not just the services we offer as an agency or are comfortable with. All marketing professionals should be aware of the different media opportunities available, otherwise they are losing out.
What was your process for tackling the brief - did you stick to methods used in your day job & do you think it helped?
When we do strategies for clients we put in more research I promise! For me the target market being so niche and young, and the client looking for a mobile solution made the idea flow quite easily I think. The more niche the market the easier I find it to connect the client with the consumer.
You have along with your agency worked on a couple of mobile sites for your clients - how do you see brands using mobile in the future? Do you think they will become the standard first point of call a consumer will make when looking for information on the fly?
South Africa is in a unique situation with over 5 million internet users on PC and now probably over 7 million internet users on their mobile. I think mobile presents more than a platform for info on the fly – for many South Africans it is their social networking tool, their research tool, their weather and news tool, music player, etc etc – so I think it is for many already the standard first point of call & often their only point of call.
We assume that you have no problem with Crowdsourcing, (since you submitted an idea) what do you think it will take for the concept of mass Idea generation to become standard thought for big brands?
I think crowdsourcing is obviously a fantastic idea! Along with other global trends, SA agencies need to take note – creativity is not limited to creatives and a successful advertising idea these days is not what it used to be. I think that the more brands realize that their agencies are maybe not offering the full scope of what is possible but are limited to what they are comfortable with they will seek other solutions. You guys will be there with the answers! I also think crowdsourcing should be looked at by brands for product development and marketing – fantastic way to interact with your consumers and create lasting relationships – like Nike does.
It must be awesome to know you are going to see your Idea rolled out - How do you feel about this and any plans for the $3,000 you pocketed in the process?
Its such a great feeling to have won something like this – unfortunately I am not in the target market so the campaign being so niche may miss me!! Boringly I need to start an education fund for my kids and this is a great boost!
Lastly if you were given an unlimited budget to develop a product or idea what would you create?
Unlimited budget – don’t tease me!! I have a BIG idea for tackling the “digital divide” in SA and providing clients with what they need in this changing media landscape – so unilimited budget to get that off the ground would be fantastic!
A big congratulations to Lindy Taoushiani for a well deserved win, we hope you enjoy your $3,000 Bounty! We will be awarding some creatives for their outstanding efforts too - check out the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation top 29 to see who walked away with Gold, Silver and Bronze awards.
Comments
Totally awesome for a South African creative to have won this particular bounty...it has a sort of holistic feel to it....an idea that finds the minds that shape the future of SA, the country in which Lindy lives etc etc...Synergy at play.
Well done to all that submitted such a high calibre of Ideas....keep the Ideas alive.
Hi, great stuff, keep it lit girl, you know ideas develop the world, careless taughts destroy it.
Dyl on 04/03/2010
Congrats!