5 Minutes With... Kathy Delaney

In February, Kathy Delaney was revealed as the new CCO of Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness – and has since overseen projects as diverse as teaching birth control in Ghana to thinking differently about psoriasis. And while the agency is all about health and wellbeing, Delaney also has a nose for healthy business. She spent 12 years at Deutsch growing it to a $2.5 billion business and then served CCO at Nitro between 2007 and 2011, building the company ahead of its sale to Sapient. Looking forward though, Delaney has found herself in an interesting area of the industry. Combining social responsibility, behavioural insights, and self-monitoring tech, it’s an area that looks like a crucible of advertising innovation. Kathy tells LBB’s Laura Swinton why people have had enough of ‘finger wagging’ and why dogs are an agency’s best friend.

LBB> What is it that attracted you to Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness and what do you hope to bring to the agency?  

 

KD> The overall concept of ‘wellness’ – from nutrition and fitness, to beauty and a healthy mind – is fascinating to me.  I’m really passionate about it in both my personal and professional life. It’s an exciting space to innovate in. 

 

LBB> Behaviour change and understanding the psychology behind health choices are a key part of working on health and wellness brands. How do you stay on top of this and what do you think are the key things to bear in mind when trying to encourage healthier behaviour? 

 

KD> People who need to make changes in their lifestyles have had enough of the “finger wagging” from everyone – from their families to doctors and back.  They want to be rewarded for their efforts, so positive reinforcement from trusted sources always goes a long way. Brands need to be both allies and coaches – not another scolding voice and scare tactic – to create that trust and inspire change. 

 

LBB> Tracking and monitoring apps have taken off in a big way when it comes to fitness and health –  and they are a great way for brands to provide real utility. Do you think the self-monitoring trend is here to stay? If so, how will it evolve? If not, what will take its place?

 

KD> Not only is it here to stay, but we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg on how far it will go. Nike changed everything with FuelBands.  Now Jawbone has taken it to another level, not just tracking your activity, but your sleep patterns as well. New apps and tools emerge every day.  Not only will they help consumers understand and track their health better, they will also help doctors get better reads on patients and effectively diagnose in unprecedented ways. 

 

LBB> Agency life is typically fast-paced, long hours are the norm and creative often find themselves spinning more and more plates – how important is it to ensure that the ‘wellness’ values that the agency champions feed into the staff as well as the brands? 

 

KD> It’s vitally important.  Keeping a sense of balance, no matter what’s going on, is one of the biggest challenges of agency life. You have to laugh and keep it fun. Make the time to revel in small victories. Building a culture that encourages and celebrates learning, from both the successes and losses, will keep talent motivated. 

 

We have weekly meetings where we celebrate the great things our team accomplishes – both big and small. Taking time out to breathe and feel good about successes along the way is good for everyone. 

 

I’m also a big believer in dog therapy at the office and encourage people to bring in their dogs – they’re good for a healthy and happy heart.  

 

LBB> What are the keys to nurturing creativity within an agency?  

 

KD> Keeping people engaged and curious. Every project has the potential to be great.  Some you just have to dig deeper on to unlock it.  And when you do, those ones are even more rewarding.

 

Creativity is not just about creative output and it can’t be fostered in just one area of the agency; the entire culture has to be about it. All aspects of what we do are infused with creativity and innovation. Also, highlighting the success of individuals who have really pushed themselves outside of their comfort zone is important for motivating talent and nurturing creativity. 

 

LBB> Which recent projects have particularly resonated with you and why?

 

KD> We are working on a project to teach women in Ghana about the different options of birth control that are available to them. The culture in Ghana is very male-centric, and as far as the men are concerned, the more babies they have, the more virile they are perceived – so they’re less motivated to use birth control. Having the opportunity to educate women about taking control of their own bodies and futures was very fulfilling. 

 

We’re also trying out new ways to uncover insights into patients and their conditions.  For a project in our London office, we recently conducted a focus group in which we hired a make-up artist to create psoriasis-like skin conditions on a group of people working on a new assignment.  Our team then went out into the world to experience people’s reactions to seeing the condition – reactions that people with psoriasis live with and deal with every day. This scenario opened up new ways of thinking about the patients and what they go through, putting it in a whole new light. It also led to some amazing creative. Those are the kinds of things that really excite me.