At the intersection of creativity, curiosity and experimentation, Lauren Kushner has built Kettle from a tiny digital agency to the trusted creative partner to the world’s biggest brands (Apple, American Express, T-Mobile and Nike). See below how Kushner, CEO at Kettle (part of the Code and Theory Network), thinks brands can distinguish themselves in the year ahead.

What do you think people aren’t thinking enough about as they plan for the future?

Creativity.

In the past few years, I’ve seen more than a handful of briefs come across our agency that appear to be an upper funnel ask. After a number of iterations and feedback from senior leadership, these inspiring, purpose-driven, innovative, big idea briefs can end up looking like lower funnel creative that is focused on driving immediate sales. And, I get it. The C-suite today has more pressure than ever to make every dollar work harder. Sometimes it feels easier to measure conversions than brand love, loyalty or long-term retention.

We all know that marketers should not be self-limiting by focusing solely on the lower funnel metrics. Key Performance Indicators across the funnel, from brand awareness to conversion, should be in place. The upper funnel is not only your pipeline filler but also one of the tone-setters for your brand. So, you can focus on things like Reach and Brand Lift studies in upper funnel media. But again, it’s easy to forget.

When planning for the future, don’t forget about the value those memorable creative moments can bring. Tell your brand’s story. Showcase the humanity behind the brand through powerful ideas, creating connections and eliciting emotions. At times consumers will be thrilled to have that $5 coupon or 20% off discount but today’s consumers also want to take a peek behind the curtain and to educate themselves on a brand’s purpose and values. Consumers who have an emotional relationship with a company will likely recommend the brand at a rate of 71%. The average rate, by comparison, is 45% (Source).

The upper funnel is not only your pipeline filler but also one of the tone-setters for your brand.

If there was one thing you’d like marketing and product leaders to understand about AI and the current state of technology, what would it be?

AI — It’s all everyone talks about these days. At this point, people often think of AI as a tactic. But it’s not a tactic. AI is a new era in how we do things on the Internet, buy and sell products, consume content and document our lives. And we are in such an exciting moment — the beginning of it all. AI is going to be a thread in all of the fabric we weave; exactly how is the question.

I remember when I started my career, it was the era of Web 2.0. Every client wanted us to include a “Web 2.0” idea in proposals. I worked on an at-the-time groundbreaking project where we allowed users to connect to their Facebook accounts on a YouTube channel page. It was big. It was exciting. People could watch an episode of content and comment with their friends. We were experimenting, and defining the playbook of this time. We were figuring out how Web 2.0 features could be used to change how we interacted with brands and other humans across the Internet. Those activations became the fabric.

We built our agency on a framework of curiosity, collaboration and experimentation and we are evolving again for this new era of digital, powered by AI.

And here we are again. AI tools are accessible to many. So, have some fun with it! Use these tools to help move product, engage with your customers, and take the initial pass at simple copy exercises. By assigning the more simple tasks to AI, it allows us to dive deeper and create things we may never have explored in the past. At Kettle, we encourage curiosity, knowledge sharing and experimentation, both internally and with clients. For example, recently, we’ve been planning for new headshots across the agency to create uniformity in our presentation materials. By using AI we are simplifying this process dramatically; allowing Kettlers across the globe a way to generate their headshot on day one without requiring a photographer, backdrop and more. Every business has the chance to dive into uncharted territories, play around, and set new benchmarks. It’s time to reinvent the game, but this time with AI woven throughout.

How is Kettle and the Code and Theory Network uniquely suited to deliver what’s needed?

Kettle was created in 2009 during an era of change; during a time when we felt a shift happening in the way business approached digital and the way clients wanted to work with digital agency partners. We built our agency on a framework of curiosity, collaboration and experimentation and we are evolving again for this new era of digital, powered by AI. Being part of the Code and Theory network elevates us even more and allows us to be even stronger thought partners to our clients. As a network, we are 50% creatives and 50% engineers and are set up to innovate and make all of our ideas come to life.

What is the biggest area for growth for your clients? An area of growth for many clients (and prospects) centers around building a centralized system for brand standards and guidelines for their organizations. The channels and touch points where a brand shows up have increased exponentially in recent decades. Brands today often leave too much room for interpretation. Instead, this centralized system will be constantly evolving. It guides users from across the brand’s organization by providing updates, allowances, use cases, etc., and allows for feedback to be submitted. I encourage clients to hire both internal and external partners to help build, rollout and constantly evolve these systems to ensure teams have the right framework and filters to create work without a lot of churn and with alignment.

What is the one thing you’d tell your younger self? Go with your gut. Your instincts don’t usually stray you.

Learn more about Kettle here.