Sir Martin Sorrell President's Lecture

"Without order, planning, predictability, central control, accountancy, instructions to the underlings, obedience, discipline - without these, nothing fruitful can happen, because everything disintegrates.  And yet - without the magnanimity of disorder, the happy abandon, the entrepreneurship venturing into the unknown and incalculable, without the risk and the gamble, the creative imagination rushing in where bureaucratic angels fear to tread – without this, life is a mockery and a disgrace.”

- E.F Schumacher, Small is Beautiful, 1973

With that quote as his leitmotif, Sir Martin's Lecture at the Berlin School was a freewheeling dialogue fueled by pointed questions from the audience and detailed answers. The discussions ranged from the state of the advertising and communication industries to his strategic advice to a competitor's company: "stay small." The packed-house audience was treated to an intimate evening of give-and-take on subjects of leadership, strategy, market forces and the development of WPP.

Background
Sir Martin Sorrell founded WPP, the world’s largest advertising and marketing services group, in 1985 and has been its chief executive throughout.

WPP companies, which include some of the most eminent agencies in the business, provide clients with advertising, media investment management, consumer insight, public relations and public affairs, branding and identity, healthcare communications, direct, interactive and internet marketing, and specialist communications services.

Collectively, WPP employs over 138,000 people (including associates) in 2,400 offices in 107 countries.  The Group’s worldwide companies include JWT, Ogilvy Group, Y&R, Grey Group, Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom, Kantar (including Millward Brown and TNS), Wunderman, Burson-Marsteller, Hill & Knowlton, Cohn & Wolfe, Landor, The Brand Union and WPP Digital (including 24/7 Real Media). Clients include 354 of the Fortune Global 500, 60 of the NASDAQ 100 and 33 of the Fortune e-50.  In 2009, WPP had revenues of $13.6 billion and billings of $59.4 billion.

Sir Martin actively supports the advancement of international business schools – advising Harvard, IESE, the London Business School and the Indian School of Business.  He has been an Ambassador for British Business, and has been publicly recognised with a number of awards including the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award.  He received a knighthood in January 2000. 

Sir Martin contributes to many important organisations and charities.  In 2006, he was appointed a non executive director of Alpha Topco, the Formula 1 company.  In 2008, he was appointed by The English Football Association to the Board of the bid to stage the 2018 FIFA World Cup.  He is on the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum International Business Council and a member of the Business Council in the US.  He is a Patron of the British Museum, a member of the corporate Advisory Group of the Tate Gallery, and on the International Advisory Board of The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.  In 2010 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Bloomberg Family Foundation.

Brabeck-Letmathe tent talk

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman of the Board, Nestlé S.A. talks to Berlin School President Michael Conrad about his personal style of creative leadership, the first three moves he made as head of the company and his philosophy on keeping innovation a focal point in creative organizations.

Impressions

Impressions from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership Graduation Ceremony and Events (November 20, 2011)

iPhone testimonials (November 2010)

Impromptu iPhone interviews with Berlin School participants by Michael Conrad. (Interviews filmed November 2010).

The question: "When we were developing the concept for this program, Sir John Hegarty said that this has to be a life changing event for the participants. What was it for you?"

Ménage à Trois

How can an unsexy brand in a boring category like banking reach consumers and make an authentic impression on them? Drawing on her Berlin School research and years of professional practice, Luciana Olivares presents her findings in her award-winning Master's Thesis, "Ménage à Trois"  She explains a methodology by which brands can identify with a mutual love between themselves and their consumers, and she then shows his this process yielded spectacular results for her company, a Peruvian bank. It capitalized on its regard for Peruvian gastronomy, long a source of national pride, to generate a vast array of activities and products that anchored BBVA Banco Continentale and Peruvian Cuisine next to each other in consumers' hearts. Luciana and her bank went beyond the well-worn methods of celebrity endorsement or community outreach to go much deeper in authentically and creatively promoting something it loved. The results catapulted her bank to the top of brand identity in her market and serve as a helpful blueprint for marketers everywhere.

Marcello Serpa tent talk

Throughout his career, Marcello has been noted as Brazil's most honoured art director, having won gold, silver and bronze medals in the principal Brazilian and international advertising festivals. At the Cannes Festival, in 1993, he won Latin America's first Grand Prix and 31 Lions during the last 6 years.

He is the most awarded art director in the 24-year history of the Annual of the Club de Criação; the most honored Brazilian at the Art Directors Club of New York, with Latin America's only two Gold Medals; winner of two Grand Prix at the New York Festival; Best Creative Professional at the Prêmio Caboré in 1993 and 1999; three-time winner of the Abril Advertising Prize; Professional of the Year for Rede Globo Awards in 1993; winner of Gold and Silver statues at the Clio Awards; winner of three Grand Prix at FIAP (Latin American Advertising Festival). He created two covers for Archive Magazine and is the only Brazilian art director to receive Gold at the One Show.

In 1998, he was the first Brazilian to preside over the jury at the London Festival. In 2 consecutive years, he was named Best Creative Director in Latin America and Brazil at Latin Spots magazine's "El Ojo de Iberoamerica" Awards.

Berlin School

Cannes Creative Leaders Programme

Following an intensive 6 days of classroom instruction in Berlin and 6 days of blended learning sessions in Cannes during the Cannes Lions festival, three 2011 Cannes Creative Leaders Programme participants share insights about their program experience and what the key take aways were for them (Till Hohmann, Chief Creative Officer, JWT Germany, Patrick Tom, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\Vietnam and Nina Mosurashvili, Marketing Communication Director, TBC Bank Georgia).