THE CREATIVE ISSUE Issue Issue 11 11 February/March February/March 2012 2012
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Edward de Bono Exporting on creativity local talent
Creativity in education
Welcome
Contents We are not the strongest of animals. In fact, we are quite weak, in a very naked way – other animals are stronger, more able-bodied. The surprising chapter in the history of the universe is how man has managed to survive with no claws, fur or sheer brawn. What has, in fact, enabled us to evolve and conquer the world is our boundless creativity.
Creativity is key to everything we do. It inspires us to produce and appreciate great art. Creativity draws the fine lines of architecture and marries form and function to create design. It makes us celebrate birth and love and find solace in death. Thanks to creativity we buy, sell and open our eyes to the next business prospect. In our first issue of 2012, which is dedicated to creativity, we interview the originator and developer of the tools for lateral thinking Dr Edward de Bono, who tells Vanessa Macdonald how creativity is a top priority in business. Karsten Xuereb, Project Coordinator for the Valletta 2018 Foundation, tells us how local organisations are increasingly investing more of their human resources in culture, while Veronica Stivala meets six Maltese creatives – Brian Schembri, Loranne Vella, Carlo Schembri, Andrew and Paul Albanozzo, and Ray Mizzi – whose talents are winning them praise beyond our shores. Marketing and branding are also areas where creativity takes centre stage. We take a look at seven local campaigns and see how they combine the right design and strategy to make their voices heard. In this issue, we also let our creative juices flow with a winter fashion shoot and a 30-hour flight to a place in the sun. We are also launching our exclusive Money subscriptions. Read on and enjoy.
Editor Anthony P. Bernard Email: anthony@moneymag.me Consulting Editor Stanley Borg Email: stanley@moneymag.me Design Porridge Email: hello@weareporridge.com Printing Progress Press Distribution Mailbox Direct Marketing Group
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8 What I think In business, creativity is a top priority, the originator and developer of the tools for lateral thinking Dr Edward de Bono tells Vanessa Macdonald.
11 Our creative exports A magnificent Trovatore production in Ukraine, a futuristic teenage novel, furniture that remembers you, ultra light bicycles, and a Cannes-award-winning film. Six Maltese creatives who are doing us proud abroad speak to Veronica Stivala.
21 The message and the medium Five design and branding agencies get all creative.
29 Bank on art Involvement in art can become an integral part of a bank’s image, corporate culture and social responsibility, says Marina Vryonidou-Yiangou.
33 Creating employment Creativity is increasingly becoming an environment where to invest our human resources, says Karsten Xuereb.
37 Put your money where your art is So you have creativity but need the money to express it? Aaron Aquilina sources the funds.
40 United we stand Marcel Cutajar, Director at Key Group, explains how the Group’s growth inspired its rebranding.
43 Power to the people Human qualities such as charm and trust are important in winning and keeping client relationships, says Mark Jacobs.
47 Creating the future They’re young, bright and hopeful. Sandy Calleja Portelli gets a creative education from four students.
50 Creativity and confusion It’s not a deficit of artistic talent, but rather a surplus of delusional fantasy that torpedoes most creative careers. So how does one break ranks with starving artists around the world and actually make money from their craft? Sean Patrick Sullivan shares his secrets.
52 Life is Swede Will the sick men of Europe drag healthy Sweden down, asks Vanessa Macdonald.
60 Creative chic Money plugs in the best looking gadgets around.
63 The value of everything and the cost of nothing It takes Mona Farrugia four commercial flights and a private one, a ride in the back of an open pick-up truck, a wade through a kilometre of open sea and a half hour boat ride to get to Quilalea Private Island. Was it worth it?
Money is published by BE Communications Ltd, 37, Amery Street, Sliema, SLM 1702 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission. Opinions expressed in Money are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. All reasonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the editor and publishers cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in articles, advertising, photographs or illustrations. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome but cannot be returned without a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The editor is not responsible for material submitted for consideration.
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Interview
“An Indian said at a conference that he kept my first book in his briefcase for 30 years – he started with $3 in his pocket and now has $3 billion.” 8 - Money / Issue 11
Vanessa Macdonald is a freelance journalist in her spare time, covering a wide range of lifestyle and economic issues.
What I think In business, creativity is a top priority, the originator and developer of the tools for lateral thinking Dr Edward de Bono tells Vanessa Macdonald
VANESSA MACDONALD It has been 45 years since you first proposed the concept of lateral thinking. Do you feel that people’s approach to thinking has actually improved globally since then?
EdB I am writing about a change from traditional thinking habits. That will always be the same but the new things are different. For example, Six Thinking Hats (Penguin: 2009) is very different from lateral thinking.
EDWARD DE BONO The business world does more thinking than any other sector of society – in fact, in business, creativity and design are now top priorities. A survey by IBM put creativity at the top. I think this is due to my work at least in part. The effects in the education world are patchy with thousands of schools and even whole countries adopting my work.
VM You’re now 78 and have shown no signs of slowing down. Is Think!: Before it’s too Late (Vermilion: 2009) your last book?
VM You don’t only promote lateral thinking but also positive thinking. How important is happiness – given that the greatest artists seem to have been manic-depressives? EdB Positive thinking is very important. This can mean happiness but it is a different thing. You can think yourself happy. In the art world, misery may be a motivator – but not elsewhere. VM You have also been campaigning to teach people how to think. How would you objectively rate the degrees of your success? EdB I am always meeting people who say they owe their success to my thinking. Paul Smith in a television interview said that his start in business was due to my thinking. An Indian said at a conference that he kept my first book in his briefcase for 30 years – he started with $3 in his pocket and now has $3 billion. He said that this was 80 per cent due to my book.
EdB No. I am working on a very important book that is very much needed. Because of the influence of the Church, our thinking has been concerned with finding the truth. There are other very important aspects of thinking that have been neglected. This is in addition to creativity.
VM You once said at a lecture I attended in Malta that you thought some of your methods such as Six Thinking Hats could and should be used much more widely in Malta to solve problems – such as the Drydocks. Have you seen any evidence of such improvement locally through the use of your tools? EdB It is possible that my methods have been used in Malta but I am not aware of specific examples. There is a much greater use in China.
VM Six Thinking Hats and other problem-solving tools have been used successfully by various businesses all over the world. Yet how possible is it to gauge the extent of their actual impact in the short-term?
VM I read that the British government raised the employability of those seeking jobs five-fold – merely by giving them six hours of tutoring about thinking. You also said that teaching ‘thinking’ improves performance in every subject by 30-100 per cent. Yet ‘thinking’ is still not on the national curriculum in spite of the fact that it has been tweaked several times. Why aren’t parents and policymakers lobbying harder?
EdB In New York, use of Six Thinking Hats by juries in court was so successful that in some states the judge can order that the jury use the method. Organisations like J.P. Morgan have shown that meeting times can be reduced to one tenth using the method. In South Africa, a steel company generated 21,000 new ideas in one afternoon using just one of the tools of lateral thinking.
EdB Yes, employment increased 500 per cent. Crime among youngsters was reduced to one tenth. Research showed that teaching my thinking as a subject in schools increased performance in every other subject by between 30 and 100 per cent. Unfortunately, education is very conservative and there is a lot of jealousy. Other countries, including India and China are moving much faster.
VM You have blamed problems like wars and persecutions on “poor thinking”. That’s a pretty ambitious claim. Have any of your methods ever been used in conflict resolution and did they succeed?
VM We live in a world of information overload. How would you suggest that people filter this overwhelming amount of information in order to feed their creativity rather than to bog it down?
VM You wrote your 82nd book a few
EdB The methods have been used in
years ago and – perhaps inevitably – this generates some criticism that you are just recycling old concepts. How would you respond?
industrial disputes. In Canada, one union said they would not negotiate with management if the Six Thinking Hats method was not used.
EdB There is a huge overload of information and people are starting to believe that you do not need to think but just need to react to the information. This is very dangerous and limits progress.
Money / Issue 11 - 9
Creativity
Our creative exports A magnificent Trovatore production in Ukraine, a futuristic teenage novel, furniture that remembers you, ultra light bicycles, and a Cannes-award-winning film. Six Maltese creatives who are doing us proud abroad speak to Veronica Stivala.
Money / Issue 11 - 11
Russia. He also gets great satisfaction in encouraging important works by young, contemporary composers such as Karl Fiorini, whose work will be performed in Russia next season. Schembri admits that suggesting the choice of works for a programme is becoming increasingly difficult what with the evolution of classical music in so many directions and the fact that the average audience has so many more “diluted interests and entertainment distractions”. How has living in France contributed to the conductor’s artistic output? Noting how leaving Malta was imperative “by simple existential necessity”, Schembri speaks of France as a terre d’acceuil (‘land of refuge’) to foreign artists fleeing terror, war and provincial artistic poverty. The country also provides some basic support schemes for artists. Ultimately, Schembri prefers living in France for its lifestyle and the relative distance people seem to nurture between themselves.
Major scale Conductor Brian Schembri needs no introduction. He was the youngest ever to obtain the Licentiate of the London Royal Schools of Music and later graduated in piano conducting at the Kiev and Moscow Tchaikowsky State Conservatories. Schembri has worked with top orchestras including the Royal Scottish National Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, to name a very few. The conductor has lived in Paris, France for over two decades and works
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with music both Maltese and from all over the world. Never discerning between local or foreign, the most important thing for Schembri is that he is excited and inspired by a work or programme. “I try to do my best to perform in the way I believe [the work] should be performed,” he explains. Of course, when an opportunity does come up to propose a Maltese composition, Schembri never misses the chance. He recently performed Charles Camilleri’s New Idea Symphony a number of times including two performances in Paris and Brussels and has helped get works by Carmelo Pace performed in Portugal, the UK, Romania and
“Coming from a claustrophobic island and educated by a pre-planned Soviet social experience, I found the French unconcern with each other’s private life quite comforting. Then there is the food, the wine, the fantastic regions, the language and its literature and a certain aspiration towards refinement.” Schembri’s recent exciting projects in the pipeline include a Trovatore production at the Lvov National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ukraine and a highly acclaimed concert with cellist virtuoso Sergey Antonov and the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra. He is presently working on a coproduction of La Traviata with four important opera houses in Italy and is looking forward to a new collaboration with the Novosibirsk Philharmonic in Russia.
The stuff of fiction That the internet plays a major role in our lives today is a given – social networking sites have become part and parcel of our routine. But could it be it will soon become an all-encompassing application, a sort of mother figure to whom we all must answer?
In Loranne Vella’s teen novel Magna Mater, it does. Set in the very near future of 2020, Vella’s fictitious novel presents a world in which the internet is no longer a web or networks but is a very complex machine. Man has created something so big it’s bigger than the world itself because it’s virtual and knows no boundaries. The title is a play on words, combining the concept of mother and the Maltese word for machine ‘magna’. In fact, in science fiction, Vella notes, the computerised system is a supreme mother or father who takes care of the people.
“I knew I’d either go abroad or else be stuck in Malta doing the same thing for the rest of my life.”
How does a translator living in Brussels come up with such ideas? “I was influenced by my past,” explains Vella, anachronistically sporting a chic 1980s look. “When I was young I used to watch lots of manga animé like Mecca. The stories were always about the threat from outer space and how we are going to deal with it,” she reminisces. So strong an influence were they that Vella had to include the animé series Galaxy Express. “It’s in my blood somehow.” The series are about travelling from one galaxy to another of which there is a hint in her short story in Merlin Publishers’ collection of short stories 45. Vella left Malta some five years ago because she felt she was at a standstill both career-wise and in her personal life. She was also doing really well with her theatre group Aleateia. “I knew I’d either go abroad or else be stuck in Malta doing the same thing for the rest of my life.” Admitting that the idea of translating, and a better wage, were attractive, Vella is so dedicated to her creative output that she will be working part time in order to focus on her writing. “I want to travel to space in my next novel,” reveals the author. “But what’s going to happen, who the characters are, I have no idea.”
Money / Issue 11 - 13
Based in Milan, the creative directors are kept up to date with the latest in design. They are invited to see the freshest and newest in the world of design. Now, if Milan is the place to be, why does Schembri live in Malta? Waxing lyrical about how Malta is the best place to live because of its weather and lifestyle, Schembri admits that if he didn’t have any dependents, things might have been different. But because of internet, being based in Malta doesn’t interfere much with this creative. “I’m constantly online and can have meetings this way,” he says. Also, travelling from one end of Italy to another works out pretty much the same as catching a flight from the rock to the nearby country.” So what’s in store in the design universe’s future? “Many ceramic and memory products,” says Schembri. Memory? “There will be chairs and sofas that remember who sits on them.”
Design that’s alive Don’t you just love the smell of your grandpa’s leather sofa? Creases and all, as you sit engulfed in it, it brings back fond childhood memories of when you’d sit on granddad’s lap and listen to his colourful stories. Now wouldn’t it be great if you could buy a new sofa and infuse it with a familiar smell and even have the leather age speedily, but stop it when it looked just right? It sounds like the stuff of fiction, but Forfun Design Milano, the brainchild of designer Carlo Schembri and Italian architect Antonio Zardoni, is following the latest trends in design. “This is where design is going,”
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explains Schembri. “Form follows function, always, but now we’re going deeper. Design is becoming all the more interdisciplinary incorporating smell, emotions and even psychology,” he notes. Indeed, the name of the company is an abbreviation and derivation of the form/function formula. The company mostly does art direction with a focus on combining various areas such as graphic and interior design, website presence and packaging to give one solution. For example, ForFun Milano recently worked on a chain of 84 high-end shops giving them an idiosyncratic identity. The company is based in Milan, the only place where the company could have been based, says Schembri, for this city is the Mecca of design. “Anyone who’s anyone and who has a product they want to develop goes to Milan.”
Surely not an idea to be complacent about.
Bicycle race You know they must have something special when bicycles are being sold at up to €12,000.
Photo by Nicky Scicluna
Having made a name for themselves internationally through their hightech, extra light bicycle frames, brothers Andrew and Paul Albanozzo have branched into the world of designer bikes. These, as one might guess, are for those with a few extra thousand pounds to spare and who want to show off their unique wheels. That said, the brothers’ company, Action Frame, is still in the bike frame market. In 2002, together with his brother Paul, Andrew set up a bike frame manufacturing company at Corradino industrial estate called Action Frame.
Despite their international connections, having clients from all over the world, the brothers still work from their Corradino base.
The idea came about following the closure of an Italian bicycle manufacturer in Bulebel that Paul worked for. Although devastated, they found an entrepreneurial way around it and were soon making frames so light that Olympic athletes would race on them. The company places carbon fibre tubes into a mould to be pressed into shape which is then meticulously trimmed by hand. The end product weighs just 900g, compared to steel frames that weigh 1.6kg. It is a given that the two have been bike (both motor bikes and bicycles) aficionados since childhood and have since been in love with both the mechanics and the racing side of things.
“We’d take apart a bicycle when we were young. It’s the first thing you do,” Andrew says fondly. “Even today, we still like to take bicycles apart and examine their workings.” As for the riding part, nothing beats the rush of doing a sport based purely on skill and talent. “We loved the thrill of doing something all on our own,” says Andrew. In recent years, the Albanozzos also bought an Italian brand called Switch Bikes which makes high-end, innovative racing bicycles. Despite their international connections, having clients from all over the world, the brothers still work from their Corradino base. Andrew is the mechanical technician and Paul is a professional welder and spray painter. Andrew matter-of-factly explains their being based in Malta simply because they are Maltese. Also, one can still find manual workers who are not so abundant in Europe. Another plus is that since we are a small island, supplies can be found easily and obtained quickly. The main disadvantage is directly related to this advantage: shipping costs for items that cannot be found locally. Andrew is remarkably unassuming and humble considering the genius and meticulousness behind their work. Their latest innovation is a racing motorcycle to be entered in the Moto2 category of the Gran Prix next year.
Money / Issue 11 - 15
Creativity Foreign Exchange
Right direction When this policeman says “Shoot!” nobody dies – well, maybe they fake die.
Kevin Mallia (left) and Ray Mizzi. Photo by Nicky Scicluna
You’ve got to admit, a policeman film director is quite a rare combination. And one who wins Best Director is rarer still.
scene in James Whale’s 1931 movie when the angry mob light their torches during the night and go after the monster.
Ray Mizzi’s 11-minute film The Medic has been awarded Best Directorial Debut of a Short Film by the ITN Distribution Film and New Media Festival in New York. He will be presented his award later at Cannes this year.
So, helped by his father, they gathered friends and neighbours, lit torches in an abandoned farmhouse in Xghajra and made their own version.
Mizzi pinpoints his directorial epiphany to the day, aged eight, when his father took him and his sister to a cemetery near their new home. “I felt like I was walking in a film or something I had seen on TV,” he recalls. Having caught the film bug, Mizzi began to make short films with his dad, a photographer. The young boy had always dreamt of replicating the Frankenstein
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Mizzi continued to make short films, educating himself through the internet. In 2008 he made Lucrezia, set in 1900 about a small, religious community who have to deal with the consequences of their sinister actions, and 6 a.m. in 2009 about a couple who are robbed while they are still in bed. His latest, The Medic, is a heart wrenching war film with few words but with a strong message. Mizzi explains his love of WWII films and his fascination with fast-paced action.
It is curious how a full-time policeman finds the time for these visual creations, yet perhaps not so when one speaks to the man. His passion for the medium is almost tangible and he notes how he works on films whenever he has an ‘off day’ (he works on a shift basis). Mizzi is indebted to Kevin Mallia, his right-hand man who helps out with whatever needs done be it props, makeup, storyline, editing and so on. The two reveal their next project: given the working title of 1565, the film is no ordinary piece of historical fiction for it is set in the present with flashbacks. And lest you think you already know the story of the Great Siege, Mizzi has tweaked it with a few surprises of his own.
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Marketing
The message and the medium Five design and branding agencies get all creative.
Information overload has reached headache proportions. There are billboards on our way to work, promos on the radio, adverts on television and newspapers, and viral campaigns online. It is a world of shouted, whispered, overheard messages. So how do design and branding agencies combine design and strategy to make their voices heard and deliver their message to the right audience?
Money / Issue 11 - 19
Marketing
Taking flight Q: What were the principal aims of the Air Malta Facebook campaign? A: The campaign was intended to raise awareness on Air Malta’s commitment to social media and create a platform from where Air Malta could engage with fans, while at the same time reward loyalty, inspire conversation and be ‘social’. Q: In what way did the airline’s restructuring efforts influence the campaign? A: For us, this project was business as usual and the airline’s current restructuring never entered conversations. I believe the team really put their heart and soul into the project to make sure the campaign not only worked but also rocked. Q: Who was your target audience? A: We wanted to reach everyone who has an existing relationship with Air Malta and more. We tried to harness the power of social media to go beyond this obvious audience and reach new customers who have some sort of relationship with the islands and Air Malta. Even though the campaign was mainly running through Facebook, users were given the chance to invite friends through e-mail too, which resulted in over 365,000 invites. Q: How did you intend the campaign to create conversation, offer social value and integrate the brand with interesting content: all valuable elements to create a successful viral campaign?
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by BRND WGN
A: We have run campaigns for other clients which were successful so we were really excited about having the national carrier to do great things. The campaign had all the elements necessary to go platinum – users had to invite a minimum of five users in order to participate, participation was extremely simple and did not require you to leave Facebook at any time, the prize was fantastic and the whole campaign embodied all the elements of a super-social experiment. Besides the interaction through the competition itself, the promotion was talked about, re-posted by users and even discussed on forums, blogs and tweets. Q: What skills did the team that worked on the campaign need to have? A: Besides the technical skills and knowledge required for originating the concept, translating that into a social strategy, designing a simple yet attractive user-interface, and writing the Facebook code, I think the real magic came from mixing our clients’ foresight with our design and tech team. Q: What were the logistics of the campaign: planning, design, launch and maintenance? A: Following an initial briefing, we discussed a number of ideas on the drawing board and presented the concept to our clients who provided further ammo for us to play with. We then set out to plan the web architecture,
user interface and content. After our design was approved, we implemented the tech and tested the code in an safe environment before going live. We then seeded some invites using a core team of Facebook users and pushed it like crazy.
Facebook ad campaign, while communications agency The Creative Partners engaged with fans on a regular basis about the competition.
Within the first weekend, we harvested around 10,000 additional likes and after that the momentum and conversation really picked up. To support the campaign we ran a very small
A: Absolutely overwhelming. At the start of the campaign, we had 10,741 likes, while the total likes as on February 1, 2012, were 32,537. The number of invites sent amounts to 365,497.
Q: What was the audience’s reaction to the campaign?
Wrap it up
by MPS
Q: What were the principal aims of the GasanMamo campaign? A: Every year or two we revive the GasanMamo campaign with a new concept, according to the current market need. The concept always has to be something that is relevant to a broad audience, aged 18 years and older. The underlying thought behind the bubblewrap campaign is that insurance is something necessary. You can almost say that it is a ‘generic’ product where the differentiator lies in the quality and type of service that is given to the customer. Insurance is something we should always have, but it shouldn’t hinder our daily lives. We should be able to go through life with the peace of mind that should anything go wrong, GasanMamo is ‘Always there’ (for many years, the GasanMamo corporate slogan). We also wanted to deliver a different treatment to the campaign. Local insurance marketing tends to be stiff, so we looked at what the competition was doing and did something completely different. We brought humour into the equation – rather than looking at life with insurance we looked at how ridiculous life could be without it, and selected another ‘generic’ product that everyone is familiar with, to replace insurance – hence the bubblewrap. Q: What influenced your choice of medium? A: Since this is not a product specific campaign, but more of a branding campaign, we selected mass media such as press, TV, print, out-of-home and digital. The campaign had very minimal text and a strong visual, so it lent itself to mass media. We heightened our CRM through a Facebook app, creating a ‘Bubblewrap the World’ competition, which proved to be very successful, increasing our Facebook presence significantly and keeping an open thread with our audience. Q: How did you intend the campaign to create awareness and deliver the intended message? A: The tone of voice of the campaign, while being humorous, also had to be down to earth. We had a family, finding life very uncomfortable without insurance. It was important that we used normal-looking people doing everyday things. That way we could get our target audience to empathise with the situations in the ads. The whole ‘bubblewrap’ idea was so far fetched that in order to make it believable, everything else had to be as realistic and as simple as possible. We achieved this through the use of silence in the TV ads, allowing the audience to take in everything else that was going on. The subtlety of the campaign slogan, ‘There are easier ways to get yourself covered’, coupled with the lack of sound complemented the message. Q: What skills did the team that worked on the campaign need to have?
A: We needed a great set decorator and prop master for this campaign – a very patient person in the form of Matthew Pace who was on set hours before everyone else, meticulously wrapping everything (and everyone). Our lighting crew was also presented with a challenge, due to all the reflections and muted colours. The photographer, Steve Galea, also had his own set of challenges, even in post-production, as we insisted on having a de-saturated, semi-high definition feel to the print ads. The team here at MPS had to ensure that we didn’t go off mark and get carried away with the ridiculismus of the campaign. Something that, I can assure you, happened very often in brainstorming sessions. But we were very quick to reel ourselves back in and stick to the brief. We needed a very talented set of actors – their challenges were to portray the situations by only using facial expressions. Q: What were the logistics of the campaign: planning, design, launch and maintenance? A: From a planning perspective, we had to ensure that our message was consistent across all media. Rigging sets and shooting film and stills, all had to be planned well in advance. We also planned a series of adverts from the start, so that the campaign would have a longer life, allowing us to keep the audience entertained for longer. The campaign was designed to fit within the GasanMamo identity, while portraying these ridiculous situations, and the dull life that the poor ‘bubblewrap family’ lead. In order to launch the campaign effectively we went out on mass media, even ensuring that the slotting of the TV commercials was in high viewership TV programmes, and billboards were placed in high catchment areas. This got our message out there as quickly as possible. Post launch, the campaign went through revivals, as we introduced the different adverts over a period of time. Q: What was the audience’s reaction to the campaign? A: There was a very positive reaction to the campaign. Of course, there are always people who don’t quite get it. Someone even called it ‘l-avviz tat-toast’ (toast popped out of a toaster at the end of one of the commercials). This amazed me, because there was a bubblewrapped man, sitting in a bubblewrapped kitchen, drinking from a bubblewrapped mug, yet he still labelled it as the ‘toast ad’.
Money / Issue 11 - 21
Marketing
Q: How did you intend the campaign to create awareness and deliver the intended message? A: We wanted to anthropomorphise the bank: if it was a person, what kind of person would it be? Ultimately we aimed for people with a better standard of living than most, though since then we’ve re-evaluated this to a much wider group of people as the bank has extended its products in original and diverse ways. The campaign was quite a blitz – appearing everywhere at once, like the sounding of a ship’s cannon declaring its arrival. It was hard to miss. Q: What skills did the team that worked on the campaign need to have? A: We are lucky to have one of the best a/v production houses on the island. We have a very able camera crew, lights and editing team, and a backup of coordination that catered to the casting, makeup and location scouting. From a print perspective we hired a photographer to ensure we get the right shot and that very little post production would be required to get this campaign sorted out. Q: What were the logistics of the campaign: planning, design, launch and maintenance?
An excellent investment by Lighthouse & Ashley
Q: What were the principal aims of the Mediterranean Bank campaign? A: Mediterranean Bank had just been re-launched under the purview of a new board of directors and had reinvented itself and its strategy. At this point in time the campaign was that of a simple introduction: we’re here, take note. It also communicated that it is not a high street bank with everyday products but (at the time) one for larger scale savings, investments and wealth management. The campaign was an aspirational one. Q: What medium was used and what influenced your choice of medium? A: The goal was to be noticed – this campaign ran across all print mediums, television and a hint of radio. It was supplemented with a number of product adverts as well illustrating the rates and services on offer. Q: What was your target audience? A: A lot of people have savings that sit in the bank waiting for a rainy day or a pension. We wanted them to invest it with Mediterranean Bank, who via their very good rates can elevate you to a different lifestyle.
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A: Once the marketing objectives that we wanted to achieve were set, we began to create a plan. The two basic tasks of marketing communications are message creation and message dissemination. Media planning supports message dissemination – our media planning helped determine which media to use to be able to communicate the message in the most effective way in order to reach the desired audience, be it television, newspapers, radio, billboards, in-store displays, or banner ads on the web. The media planning consisted of: setting media objectives in light of marketing and advertising objectives; developing a media strategy for implementing media objectives; implementing media strategy; and evaluating the effectiveness of the media plan. Q: What was the audience’s reaction to the campaign? A: The bank generated a lot of feedback very quickly. It is a credit to the campaign that was quickly noticed and talked about, but also to the bank, who positioned themselves very well and still retain one of the best investment services on the island. Their client base is still rapidly growing.
Creating identities by Dmax Creative director and founder of Dmax Studios Ray de Bono on some of his firm’s identity creation projects in Malta, Germany, UK and Africa. Money: Is Malta a place to be as a brand designer? Ray de Bono: Scandinavia, Germany and the UK have a good name in the branding industry yet we chose Malta as our base for our branding and online solutions firm as we believe this country has the talent and potential to compete and win on the world’s stage. We wanted to create a Maltese export platform, to promote innovation, new designs and smarter online solutions. We attracted other European partners from Germany and the UK, travelled extensively and built this small firm to the success levels of today. M: What have been, to date, your favourite identity projects? RdB: Research, business know-how and understanding of the client’s business is crucial, and this came handy in the case of the Malta Information Technology Agency, the official IT arm of the Maltese government MITA was a challenging yet stimulating project. Not only was the logo to enshrine the corporate standing of this organisation, but it had to encapsulate the principles of ‘transformation’, ‘innovation’ and ‘excellence’ which are the basis of its raison d’être.
The result was a dynamic combination of iconographic design and typography, a symbol that today is recognisable locally and overseas as Malta’s prime public ITC agency. Besides the creation of MITA identity itself, Dmax was also responsible for the creation of MITA’s corporate identity style manual.
Media Ltd (the publishers are based in Accra) – is a highquality business publication targeted principally towards corporate decision-makers. Every month this publication attracts advertising from companies like Bang & Olufsen, Vodafone, Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa, and features seminal articles and interviews.
RdB: In art, dreaming is the seed that brings ideas to life. So for me, Europe is not a limit. As with any business, working for an international audience introduces a new dimension particularly where different cultures are involved.
A project that has occupied Dmax for these last years was the identity creation and production of Ghana’s first Business & Finance Magazine. Contrary to the stereotypical projection of sub Saharan Africa, Ghana is an oil-rich West African state and is one of the most stable democracies in Africa. The economy of Ghana has a diverse and rich resource base and generates one of the highest GDP per capita in Africa. With contributors from all over the world, GB&F Magazine – produced monthly in Malta for African Business
M: If you had to suggest the Maltese government three ideas related to Malta’s image to the world, what would these be? RdB: Malta is dying for a comprehensive rebranding exercise. We need one image for this nation and not one for each economic sector. Malta needs an official government typeface and a fixed set of identity guidelines.
M: Dmax is one of Malta’s most prolific international branding houses – is Europe your limit?
Through our work in London (where we service clients in ICT and transport, like the CTO and the Omnibus Society) we came across some interesting African contacts. Little did we expect that these friends, upon their return to their native homelands were going to convert themselves into our new business frontier.
After months of research and hard work, the new identity for Avantech was launched last year enabling the company to carve a well-deserved, recognisable leadership identity for itself.
Dmax manages the monthly production of the magazine, from concept, typesetting to printing coordination. Dmax also created www. ghanabizmedia.biz, the online portal for GB&F. M: What other Maltese brands have you created? RdB: Brand equity is one of the important characteristics that accrue value for your business. Leading Maltese brands like Mediterranean Insurance Brokers, Ideacasa, Technoline and Avantech, all carry the Dmax stamp of design quality.
Make sure key government websites, particularly those attracting investment in Malta are looking at their best, and that they are primarily in English. Alternative languages, besides Maltese should include German and Italian. Launch a TV or at least a radio station that broadcasts only in English. I’ve had enough of hearing from tourists and non-Maltese living or working in Malta complaining that they have no access to radio or TV news in English from a local perspective.
The new identity creation for Avantech, the official distributor and service agent for Canon Consumer and Business Solutions products in Malta and Libya was a particular hard nut to crack. This company had a respected and very recognisable ‘old’ logo so superseding it with a completely new one was no mere task.
Money / Issue 11 - 23
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Marketing
A unique breed by Active Enterprises
Q: What were the principal aims of the Sunlab campaign? A: Preparing an attractive artwork followed with a slogan and copywriting is not what an effective campaign is all about. You need to dig deeper in your creative tank to deliver the required results for your client. The ‘What breed are you?’ concept derived from one very simple thought – everyone of us has a different sense of style, fashion, and character. So, considering Sunlab represents leading brands of jewellery, watches and sunglasses each of which fall in their very own style category, then why not brand the style and not the brand itself? This is where we adopted the ‘dog’ concept. Every dog breed is different and they all have their own style of behaviour, just like us humans. Hence the Sunlab brand “What breed are you?” We compiled all brands found at Sunlab and categorised them into their very own breed: Guess (Snazzy Pup and Posh Bitch), Morellato (Pimp my Cuteness), Fossil (Doggie Stylin’) and so on. We managed to link relevant brands to relevant styles and breeds. Although some brands are very powerful, it does not necessarily mean that they’re your style. So, advertising Sunlab and its brands would not be reaching out to an individual market audience, but instead it would be
reaching out to a generic market audience. The conclusion is that one has a style and each brand fits that style. So brand the style/ breed and not the product. Q: What medium was used and what influenced your choice of medium? A: We launched this campaign late in 2011 using events, print media, outdoor, radio and social media. Each medium was chosen and inserted in the media plan according to the market audience we wished to reach. Since our target audience is of a certain age group, we needed to make sure that we reach the full variety of our prospective audience, bearing in mind that everyone has different lifestyles and everyone of us has a different way of connecting to relevant advertising medium – party goers, social media fanatics, readers, people who are out on the road and so forth. Q: How did you intend the campaign to create awareness and deliver the intended message?
A: By using the ‘Breed’ campaign titles – namely Doggie Stylin’, Posh Bitch, Pimp my Cuteness and Snazzy Pup – we managed to generate a social interaction having people say “I’m a Posh Bitch” or “Look at Steve – he is a Snazzy Pup” and other interactions that gave the campaign the reach and response we hoped for. Q: What skills did the team that worked on the campaign need to have? A: Through creative thinking and the skills of our senior graphic artist Matt Cassar, we managed to translate a creative idea into visual communication which is not always as easy as people make it out to be. Thankfully, the skills of our design studio make these creations possible and help make the outcome of said campaigns positive and well received by our clients. Q: What were the logistics of the campaign: planning, design, launch and maintenance? A: The budget has a vital say in how to proceed with an advertising campaign.
Launching a new brand concept is something you need to pace and introduce slowly but surely. Advertising works differently for different services, products and brands. Some launch with a big impact on the market but don’t last the whole nine yards, some campaigns are only for a certain period of time, while other campaigns work strategically – the latter are the campaigns that entail most work. We needed to ‘educate’ the market into understanding that we all have our own style and that certain products and brands suit our style best. Q: What was the audience’s reaction to the campaign? A: So far so good. The audience has reacted positively to this campaign and is relating to the concept more and more as time moves on. Social media was a strong testament to this as we had quite a few postings and tagging going on during relevant periods, which goes to show the relation between the campaign and the audience.
Money / Issue 11 - 25
Marketing
to achieve all this. This meant that the creative idea had to be able to cut through the clutter and be immediately recognised by the audience. Q: What was your target audience? A: Like McDonald’s itself, the McCafe brand is really a brand for everyone and so defining a specific audience is always a tough one. That said, our central audience for the campaign were young adults as from our market intelligence we clearly know that it is these young adults who drive volume in the business. Q: How did you intend the campaign to create awareness and deliver the intended message? A: Previous McCafe campaigns had always centred around the product and acted as mere product displays. When developing the campaign, we knew the products still had to play central role – but we had to innovate our approach, as our goal was not to build awareness of the product range but instead build brand affinity and liking. We started to think about the consumer relationship with the product and this led us to the ‘So Good’ concept. Looking around McCafe’s we saw that consumers really loved the product and indulged in it. The result was an intense consumption moment that generally resulted in empty crockery and satisfied clients. This led us to the visualisation of the idea. When we developed final conceptualisation, we held focus groups and reviewed the mock visuals and garnered some really positive feedback.
Wake up and smell McCafe
Q: What skills did the team that worked on the campaign need to have?
by TBWA\ANG
Q: What were the principal aims of the McCafe ‘So Good’ campaign? A: The McCafe brand had been in Malta for a couple of years and had recorded strong growth. That said, the brand’s novelty effect had started to wear out and we needed to proactively start to create some real differentiation for the brand so as to be able to stand out from all the other coffee options and continue to build market share and increase visits. We wanted to cement the brand’s position as a leader and make the brand Malta’s favourite coffee destination. Q: What medium was used and what influenced your choice of medium? A: We knew from the start that our concept had to be an overarching one and had to work well both above-the-line and below-the-line. We were also clear about the fact that we needed to develop something that would speak to a mass audience and we really did not have a huge budget with which
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A: As a full service agency our account teams at TBWA\ are multifaceted and multi-disciplined. The central McDonald’s team developed the campaign idea and direction along with the media strategy. Our design team then took this to the next stage and visualised the concept. We then collaborated with Steve Galea, who shot the actual end products for us. Q: What was the audience’s reaction to the campaign? A: Feedback was great – the client loved the outcome, we got positive comments from the general public, and most importantly of all the ‘So Good’ campaign helped the client build positive incremental sales and drive increased frequency of visits to all McCafe’s. Post campaign research also showed that awareness of the McCafe brand had considerably improved and people were also more positive about the brand. Over and above all this was the fact that the campaign was well received within the McDonald’s and TBWA\ communities. The campaign was actually used to promote McCafe’s in Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania – this is not an everyday happening and was a great achievement for all who worked on the project.
IT’S GETTING
BIGGER &
BETTER
Some great reasons why your retail business needs Main Street Shopping Complex in Paola • Major bus routes from all over the south of the island stop right by the complex. • Paola’s positive reputation as a popular shopping hub in the South of Malta has helped established Main Street shopping complex as a major shopping centre and the leading one in the area, in the heart of several other facilities, making it ideal as retail or office space. • Almost 700,000 people pass through the existing Main Street Complex on a yearly basis. • Large Computerized Bingo Hall, and the Temple Café and Restaurant with free WIFI make this popular shopping centre a social meeting place too for all ages including MCAST students. • Ample free parking facilities with plans to add more parking under the new extension. • Main Street Complex is very involved in the local community actively participating in and supporting local cultural associations such as band clubs and the local council to promote art, culture, local talent and our heritage. • A fresh new look both for the facade and inside the complex with large areas available.
BE PART OF A PORTFOLIO OF POPULAR HIGH STREET BRANDS
Money / Issue 11 - 27
Banking
Marina Vryonidou-Yiangou, the Director of the Marfin Laiki Bank Cultural Centre promotes an annual programme of activities, curates art and history exhibitions, is responsible for collection acquisitions, is the editor of the museum’s publications and educational programmes and is an active member of various art committees for the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture.
Bank on art Involvement in art can become an integral part of a bank’s image, corporate culture and social responsibility, says Marina Vryonidou-Yiangou.
MONEY What role does an art collection play in a financial institution? MARINA VRYONIDOU-YIANGOU
For centuries, financial institutions have had a beneficial relationship with the arts. Some of the earliest banking houses of the Italian Renaissance were art patrons and collectors. In fact, currently an exhibition entitled ‘Money and Beauty: Bankers, Botticelli and the Bonfire of the Vanities’ is showing at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence. In the 1960s and 70s there was an international boom in corporate art buying, to the point that corporate collections began to dominate and influence the art market. Even after the 1990s recession when many analysts predicted that corporate art collecting was finished, they were proven wrong since artwork and collections may have exchanged hands, but they still remained within the corporate sphere. M Has this role been enhanced, given the current economic situation? MVY In principle, the motivator for collecting art is directly related to the balance sheet – when profits are good, art collecting is in and when profits fall, art collecting is out. Yet the cycle involving art and corporations is not so much about the actual expenditure
that this activity involves but rather the controversy of whether art collecting is a frivolous expense or an asset for the future. One fact that supports corporate art collecting is that while over the last few years most banks have seen their fortunes and share prices decrease, the value of art has remained stable or even risen, and this is certainly beneficial. Furthermore, the most important trend that has emerged in recent years is that art collections are perceived as an integral part of a bank’s image and corporate culture. M How has the Marfin Laiki Bank art collection grown in the past years? MVY The Marfin Laiki Cultural Centre’s annual activities are dedicated to Cyprus’ cultural heritage and are focused on art, history and education through collections, exhibitions, publications and educational programmes.
Fundamentally, the art programme initiated the art collection, since when you endorse the work of any artist you also create value for it and therefore a growth in the demand for their work that enables it to gain in value. The Bank’s art collection began informally in the late 1970s when its original
purpose was decorative. In 1985, a more complex but rewarding route was taken – we undertook the broad charge of firstly establishing an art programme and then through this programme also forming a cohesive collection of Cypriot art. The art programme reflects an implicit understanding of art as an integral force of a country’s social development and its fundamental objective is to encourage and support the creativity of Cypriot artists both at home and abroad. As a matter of policy it was also decided that the Cultural Centre would not sponsor individual shows or galleries, but rather dedicate its effort and resources into creating an art scene in Cyprus that would be beneficial to the country’s artistic prospects. One example of the initial art programme was the exhibition series called ‘Young Cypriot Artists’ that we organised from 1986 to 2004, in order to showcase the work of promising young Cypriot artists abroad. This programme has evolved into annual conceptual art shows that integrate innovative work of local and foreign artists. Another
is the annual art forum held at the Bank’s Pierides Museum in Larnaca entitled ‘A Meeting of Contemporary and Ancient Art’, where we invite contemporary artists to create an artistic dialogue between past and present art. The Marfin Laiki Cultural Centre also organises or sponsors conceptual or thematic art exhibitions that offer an opportunity to Cypriot artists to collaborate with foreign artists. At the same time and parallel to the art programme, we began a systematic approach to artwork acquisition and integrating commissioned artwork within the architecture of new banking halls with site specific installations. As the art collection grew, artwork was placed on walls and display cases within bank branches and offices – hence the art collection steadily became part of our corporate image. M What works of art does the collection include? MVY The Marfin Laiki Bank possesses one of the largest corporate art collections in Cyprus, focusing on modern and contemporary Cypriot painting, sculpture,
Money / Issue 11 - 29
Banking
installations and multimedia, all of which trace the progression of Cypriot art throughout the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. The collection is focused on museum-quality works that are visually and intellectually stimulating, incorporating works of emerging and established Cypriot artists.
an art programme and an art collection, these activities become interrelated to the bank’s mission of economic and social development. While an art programme reflects the artistic and cultural expression of the country, as well as the social profile of the bank that supports it, an art collection furthers this by defining the value of the art that is purchased.
Between 2000 and 2006, the Bank’s art collection was enhanced by a diverse and definitive range of historical Cypriot art that includes ancient, byzantine, medieval and ethnographic Cypriot art, through the acquisition of the Pierides Museum collections. M How are the Bank’s collections showcased? MVY Art is exhibited in local or international offices. Artwork from the collections has also been used for cultural and corporate publications while art expositions have been used in corporate social responsibility media campaigns. Works from our collections are included in most of the thematic exhibitions we present in Cyprus and abroad and are also an integral part of our educational programmes. M So the Bank’s collections also play an educational role? MVY Children’s educational programmes are present in both our museums and in most of our activities and all schools in Cyprus are invited to participate. Emphasis is placed on learning through artistic creativity and interactive play. A new programme is presented for every new exhibition, the content of which always showcases some aspect of our art collections. Every year an estimated 11,000
30 - Money / Issue 11
M Is cultural involvement, in particular art collecting, still a sound financial investment?
schoolchildren visit our exhibitions and take part in our educational programmes. This is a mutually beneficial activity for the Bank because with these programmes children are introduced to a banking institution through culture and social interaction that allows them to develop a connection with us long before they understand our financial role. This relationship develops loyalty that eventually creates a bond that promotes future association with the bank. M What value does the collection have for both the Bank and the Bank’s clients? MVY An art collection is not just an investment in art but an investment in the artists that create it and the society they belong to.
A bank’s cultural agenda must have cohesion and structure so that its contribution has lasting value and beneficial results for the bank and society. By investing in art both through
MVY I believe that not all cultural involvement necessarily requires only expenditure without return. An action plan can be formulated where the value of the funds allocated for art and cultural programmes may also create long-term benefits for a bank.
As an example of this kind of strategic cultural involvement, from 2004 to 2010 we presented a series of social history exhibitions and accompanying publications on three topics: ‘Commerce and Advertising in Cyprus from 1878 to 1978’, ‘The Medical History of Cyprus from Antiquity to Independence’ and ‘Through Chords and Chorus: Recreation and Entertainment in Cyprus from Ancient to Modern Times.’ These topics have great cultural and historical value to society, enrich our own cultural heritage collections and, more importantly, offer usefulness to the Bank’s core business. Why? Because, through research and accumulation of information we come into contact with many professional and affluent people. Consequently, the database of contacts
that we compile, as well as the goodwill we accumulate during each exhibition, is very beneficial for the Bank’s financial services and client expansion. As for the financial value of art collecting, while the Bank’s art collections keep gaining in value year after year, through actual figures based on auction sales, unfortunately due to the economic recession in Europe and Greece’s dire economic circumstances, the same cannot be said of our share price. By simple monetary comparison, at this point in time, art investment value has trumped share value. Of course, this will not always be the case, but in my experience art collecting within the corporate sphere has not caused any harm. Quite the opposite – it has given financial institutions an additional income to include in their annual fiscal reports. A quote from the Deutsche Bank, whose commitment to art and culture is unsurpassed and who also possesses one of the most comprehensive corporate art collections in the world, is particularly relevant: “For Deutsche Bank, contemporary art is first of all an intellectual asset which, by coming into contact with a nontraditional place like a bank, opens up new horizons in the world of work and has a positive effect on its workers and customers. This way, the group helps to support and promote emerging artists and art galleries that are able to anticipate future trends.
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Employment
Karsten Xuereb is Project Coordinator for the Valletta 2018 Foundation.
Creating employment Creativity is increasingly becoming an environment where to invest our human resources, says Karsten Xuereb.
A
little bit more than a year and a half ago something strange happened to me – my daughter was born. Well over and above my economically gainful employment, I entered a world which was replete with novel responsibilities, new ways of managing my time and a renewed sense of curiosity towards the most basic things in life. While not involving any income – except a most welcome increase in children’s allowance – fatherhood became the most absorbing part of my life. I cannot relate this experience to it being a job, but it provides for a great source of creativity in how to best guide a person new to the world and make the most out of this experience. Creativity does not always translate into employability, however intense and satisfying it can be. That can be a shame, as achieving the security of a job with the added advantage of doing something you can be creative at is a very worthwhile goal. Many of us, at various points in our lives, may conclude that the two are not made to go together, and decide to put up with a job with requires little creative
activity from our brain cells, while dedicating our passion and curiosity to something which lies outside the office walls. Then again, attempting to combine the two is an interesting challenge which may lead to new ways of experiencing things, irrespective of the final results. Seeking to make one’s creative skills pay off in the field of culture provides interesting prospects. At various levels of competence we are told that it pays to invest in culture. This applies to governments, private enterprises, local authorities, schools and civic centres. It is also said to apply to individuals, if they can crack the formula which translates ideas into some form of recognisable output which is in demand. This is certainly happening at a local level, with various organisations finding in culture the right environment where to invest more of their human resources with an aim of speaking a language which touches the sectors of society they want to be closer to. As Project Coordinator of the Valletta 2018 Foundation, responsible for the
candidacy of Valletta for the title of European Capital of Culture in 2018, I see this trend becoming more popular. I see Government entities responsible for cultural matters looking into new ways of engaging with or directly employing people who can find ways of making culture matter to their national remits. I speak to local councils who realise the potential which lies in expanding their cultural base by supporting the cultural events which take place within the communities they address. I hear from teachers who are excited by the new possibilities which the arts, particularly digital arts, offer their students, to develop their personal skills in ways which may allow them to realise their ambitions in the coming years. I participate in events run by civil society leaders which enable effective communication and empower citizens through creative means, be these in the voluntary sector, community activities or the media. This is all very positive, especially in light of a cultural event of international dimensions like the European Capital of Culture which not only Valletta, but the whole country, is gearing up for.
Closer to completion The development at Tigné Point drew closer to completion with the planning authority giving the green light for substantial elements in Tigné North. The full development permit for 103 apartments in two blocks and for a 16,000 m2 business centre will consolidate Tigné Point project’s vision as a holistic mixed-use development that brings together residences, shops, leisure areas, restored heritage sites and business in a prime location served by ample underground parking. While the total buildable area is the same as that originally envisaged in the 1999 Outline Development Permit, the number of blocks to be constructed in the north phase are now less but higher due to the reduced footprint that became available as a result of the preservation of the Garden Battery, a series of 19th century British gun emplacements that snake across the northern shore of the site. The final stage that will complete all the works in Tigné Point will be the large open public space situated north of The Point Shopping Centre which will contain two pavilion style catering establishments with outside dining, as well as a tree-lined open pedestrian boulevard adjacent to the historic seafront battery.
Money / Issue 11 - 33
Employment
However, there are still a lot of challenges which we need to face up to in order to be able to allow more people, especially young people, achieve their dreams. The scarce human resource which can confidently deliver a high-level cultural programme is a serious shortcoming, as practitioners in the performing arts will tell you. Addressing our creative skills is not restricted to the artists and those who are most commonly associated with creativity, but also all those who we need to invest in so that we can manage the various strands of the programme we wish to deliver. Stage managers, producers, script writers, editors, publishers, campaign directors, volunteer managers, curators, press directors and translators are only some of the people Malta will need to identify and support over the coming years, not only to hit a high when 2018 comes, but to leave a legacy for future generations after that. The opportunities for generating new jobs in the creative industries have been enjoying an upward trend. This is only the beginning, as different media and means of expression merge and open up new platforms for creative ways of addressing our everyday challenges. The Ministry of Finance, the Economy and Investment and the Ministry for Tourism, Culture and the Environment have worked together to support the young and creative generations in making the most of our entrepreneurial and cultural resources through programmes which encourage collaboration with the creative sectors in society. Such an approach needs sustaining in the long-term, and where recent experiments and pilot-projects have worked, maintain support, and start to expand into other, related fields, such as audio-visual media and trans-media narration.
Freedom and authenticity Pater Group has announced the official addition of the Jeep brand to its portfolio of represented brands in Malta. The first three Jeep models – the Jeep Wrangler, the Jeep Compass and the Jeep Grand Cherokee – are now in Malta and available for viewing and test drives. “In Malta, the Jeep brand is going to be sold from our landmark showroom in Valley Road which is currently undergoing major refurbishment in order to be in line with Jeep’s international corporate identity standards,” announced Francesca Mamo, Managing Director of Pater Group. Ms Mamo also announced how the Pater Group will also be offering complete aftersales services to new owners of Jeep models and also to those who may have personally imported a Jeep from other markets prior to the Group’s appointment as official importer and distributor of Jeep in Malta. The two core values of the Jeep brand are freedom and authenticity – freedom as a state of mind and individual determination to follow one’s own instincts, and the authenticity that belongs to the original brand that pioneered the outdoors. For more information visit www.jeep-malta.com or e-mail jeep@ucim.com.mt
34 - Money / Issue 11
WE BELIEVE
THAT TALENT WILL ALWAYS BE THE MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE WWW.DEBONOGROUP.COM.MT
Funds
Put your money where your art is So you have creativity but need the money to express it? Aaron Aquilina sources the funds. projects, provided that appropriate and requirement-meeting submissions are given in by the deadlines set. The MCCA operates funds aimed at artists, musicians, writers, performers and others whose roles cross with the cultural sphere, all under a total allocation of an annual €430,000 (€30,000 of which are directed towards marketing and management of such schemes). Although such subsidies have an overtone of investment and generation purposes, they provide the crucial means towards producing small and large art projects under the Project Support Grant strain, helping organisations running any form of art programme under the Organisation Support Grant, and providing opportunities for artists to collaborate with and go to overseas events, workshops and courses.
R
esources are getting harder to come by. This is more of a fact than a bemoaning of the economic situation which is throwing back funding availabilities across the globe. Long-term and short-term grants are both becoming more rarely disbursed and lesser in proportion, while some public trusts and foundations have unfortunately been cut off completely. Some opportunities in Malta, however, are still available and provide the recipient with the necessary monetary aid needed to further their creative goal. What follows is a short look at possible funding options in Malta, specifically for creativity and the arts. Further details regarding all these programmes and schemes can be found online. One must also remember that there are other opportunities for local artists and organisations. Though some schemes and plans do not prioritise culture and the arts, they would also be open to participants from within those areas. Moreover, as unveiled by the European Commission on November 23, 2011, there is about €1.8 billion for the period of 2014-2020, which means that cultural and creative sectors across Europe are still to bloom, not least in Malta.
NATIONAL FUNDING On a national level, there are several funding opportunities. One option is through the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts – the Council generally provides from €100 to €5,000 for small projects, and €5,001 to €20,000 for larger
Another funding option is the INVEX (Investing in Excellence) Scheme, which was introduced in 2011 as one of a series of measures aimed at strengthening the capacities of cultural operators and at promoting excellence in the creative sector. With €150,000 available per year, INVEX aims to help business development, technology used for creative goals, and international partnerships. Although such a scheme only benefits organisations, it ensures that only businesses which offer new employment opportunities are eligible to financial help, thereby assuring an indirect donation towards individual artists. Commencing on January 1, 2010, Malta Enterprise initiated an incentive system for creative purposes, which it claims lead to diversity and uniqueness. Again, the creative talent of the individual is a must, as well as the support for artistic zones and interdisciplinary creative cluster areas (which are all defined in their online and hardcopy issues). This incentive will run for three years, and while not having any specific amount of money set every year, it aims to help enterprises through VAT reductions and through giving them eligibility for cost claiming. Usually, a tax credit equivalent to 60 per cent of the eligible expenditure (up to a maximum of €25,000) may be approved for companies involved in the creative industry.
EUROPEAN UNION FUNDING On a European level, the main opportunities for local artists stem from the Culture Programme and the Media Programme. The Culture Programme is maintained under the CCP – Culture Contact Point (Malta) – and siphons funds from the European Union. Running up until 2013, this is the main EU financial tool to celebrate Europe’s common cultural heritage through cooperation initiatives among organisations active in the field of culture.
Money / Issue 11 - 37
Funds
The European commission allows the Cultural Programme €400 million favourable to cross-border mobility and international fora and dialogue. Maltese cultural operators who are granted funds can also be supported by the Cultural Programme Success Scheme, whereby organisers and co-organisers are granted extra monetary assistance for inter-organisational cooperation. In 2011, at least five major new initiatives were launched in Malta related to professional creative growth. The Media Programme is also subsumed under the European Union and is aimed at supporting the European audiovisual sector. Media Desk Malta is hosted by the Culture and Audiovisual unit within the Ministry for Tourism, the Environment and Culture. The budget for this programme (2007-2013) caps at €755 million over seven years. The main focus of this financial aid plan is cinematography and thus benefits production companies, film festival organisers, and so on. Money (either as lump sum or as tax rebates) is also directed towards the training of professionals within the film sphere, as well as to the development and promotion of individual projects – which, in Malta, often crossover with the Malta Film Commission, the Broadcasting Authority, the Public Broadcasting Services, and/or the Malta Communications Authority.
COMMONWEALTH FUNDING To date, Malta is not yet part of the Commonwealth Grant Scheme – which provides funding to higher education providers in Bachelor and similar courses within the University of Malta – nor part of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan. However, Malta’s relationship with the Commonwealth is slightly reciprocal – at times, Malta acts as a provider rather than a recipient of aid. Meanwhile, though Malta is not part of the CSFP and is not directly provided with scholarships from the Commonwealth’s pockets, we are eligible for certain financial help with scholarship studies. Commonwealth country citizens may be offered support with PhD programmes, both abroad as well as split-site, subsidised mostly by the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Scottish Government. Applications should always pass through the National Commonwealth Scholarship Agency, which is the Directorate for Lifelong Learning within the Ministry of Education in Malta.
Great choice Burmarrad Commercials Ltd recently won a tender for 40 new generation Toyota Avensis which were duly delivered and added to its fleet of commercial and private vehicles. Burmarrad Commercials is Malta’s largest importer and supplier of new and used commercial vehicles, special purpose vehicles, cars, warehouse equipment and industrial machinery. It is the strongest player in fleet management segment in terms of sales and leasing to corporate clients. BC was founded by Mario Gauci in 1984 and nowadays employs 40 persons, most of whom possess highly specialised skills. Mr Gauci decided to offer the latest Toyota Avensis and partner with Michael Debono Ltd in this venture. The choice of the Toyota Avensis was due to the superior quality offered by the brand as well as an impressive list of features which come as standard, class-leading cost of ownership, an incredibly low Co2 emission level for its class and low fuel consumption. BC offers a comprehensive service to its clients, with professionally staffed workshops to handle mechanical maintenance and repairs, vehicle body works and alterations, spray painting and tyre services. The company’s leasing arm also provides a valued short-term rental service. Michael Debono Ltd is the number one retailer of new cars through its Toyota brand. It is also renowned for top notch after sales service and parts availability, including a state of the art body repair centre catering for all car brands. The combination of attentive customer care and world class automobiles has endeared Michael Debono Ltd to the Maltese public and proved crucial to Mr Gauci’s decision to compete for the tender with the Toyota Avensis.
38 - Money / Issue 11
Branding
United we stand Marcel Cutajar, Director at Key Group, explains how the Group’s growth inspired its rebranding. Photos by Christian Sant Fournier
“The final result, including the logos for the Group and individual companies, makes use of a vibrant set of colours. We believe this reflects the bright and innovative solutions that we offer.”
MONEY What fuelled the need to rebrand Key IT Group? MARCEL CUTAJAR As an organisation that is very much on the pulse of the ever-evolving developments within the IT sector, we felt that we needed our brand to reflect that. And while we were very happy with our logo and brand in general, our recent growth required us to reassess, and we are very pleased with what our team – both internally and externally – has come up with.
Additionally, Key Group now offers a very diverse set of services that incorporate hosting, IT services, software and training. Our brand is required to showcase and promote all four in a seamless manner, and our new marketing tools enable us to do this in an effective manner that translates effortlessly to our diverse client base.
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Key Group has grown a lot over the last few years and we have felt the need to organise the company better and to promote a new, united focus.
M What were the principal aims for your rebranding efforts?
to organise the company better and to promote a new, united focus.
MC Over the years we have built an
We have also increased the number of services offered to clients and, due to the nature of the growth and our restructuring, we have formalised everything into four new companies – Key Hosting, Key Services, Key Software and Key Training.
unparalleled reputation in our fields of IT services, training and software, and we wanted our brand to effectively reflect that. Although it wasn’t an easy decision to make, as we were happy with the brand already, we wanted to keep moving things forward so that we could uphold our mission statement to always: use the latest methods, processes, technology and training, with high quality resources on time and within budget, whilst observing our corporate and social responsibilities. M What new identity did you want to give the Group? MC This decision was taken to position Key Group as a modern and inclusive organisation, as well as to singularly focus on our mission.
Becoming a more mainstream organisation has already resulted in several benefits for Key and helped us to take the Group to the next level of growth with respect to our four service areas.
Ultimately, we believe it is beneficial to emphasise that each of these four companies has an edge thanks to the combined synergies they offer in delivering a holistic service to our customers.
The final result, including the logos for the Group and individual companies, makes use of a vibrant set of colours. We believe this showcases our modern and friendly approach, and reflects the bright and innovative solutions that we offer. With the new logo and the capabilities we have built, we are today offering a new customer experience that completely fulfills technological aspirations and reinforces our commitment to our customers.
M Was the rebranding process conducted in-house or outsourced? And how was the process conducted?
M How is the Group’s new identity being promoted?
MC It was a combination of both utilising the expertise in-house and outsourcing where we needed extra help.
MC To back up its new identity, Key Group will be launching an extensive marketing campaign over the next few months.
To this end, we held numerous in-house and external studies, and work-shopped various ideas with all the members of our team until we were happy with the results. Additionally, we worked with our specialised, appointed branding company to ensure that we were also reflecting the latest international market trends.
to company reorganisation or consolidation/expansion of services?
We feel that combining both aspects has led to a very cohesive result that perfectly reflects the company’s current status, as well as our plans for its future.
MC Key Group has grown a lot over the last few years and we have felt the need
M What determined the choice of logo, design and corporate colours?
M Does the rebranding run in parallel
MC As the Group incorporates so many different elements, we went through a very extensive process in order to come up with something that was just right.
Utilising our in-house team when it comes to online and IT expertise, we will commence an exhaustive social media campaign incorporating Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Additionally, we are already working on the search engine optimisation of all of our websites, including the sites that are due to be launched in the coming months. Furthermore, we will be targeting other demographic groups through the use of print advertising in carefully-selected local media.
Money / Issue 11 - 41
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Business
Mark Jacobs is a Director at Mdina Partnership Ltd. and has been delivering the Mdina programmes since 1999. He is a speaker at the 2012 Business Leaders Malta event.
Power to the people Human qualities such as charm and trust are important in winning and keeping client relationships, says Mark Jacobs.
M How can qualities such as ‘trust’ and ‘charm’ help a business achieve and maintain profitability?
MONEY Have these economically difficult times helped us rediscover the importance of human qualities in business? MARK JACOBS Like all things, it depends on your perspective. Typically in tough times, organisations cut costs (this often means people) while asking the remaining staff to pick up the increasing workload. From this perspective, the human quality that organisations are relying upon is resilience.
A more positive perspective is the focus from some larger companies to understand the motivational drivers of their key resource (that is, their people), something that smaller organisations do naturally. When working for a small business, it is easier to understand the purpose of the business and the individual roles within it. This allows individuals to commit emotionally to their business, relying on their wide range of skills to deliver on their goals. In larger organisations, this sense of belonging and the relevance to the big picture can get lost as they implement
structures to monitor and control their workforce. With the exception of simple repetitive tasks, there are a number of studies that suggest that allowing people and teams to find ways to achieve goals rather than micro-managing the process toward goals works well. M Is positive attitude a human quality that comes by nature or nurture? MJ The nature or nurture question has
raged for many years and I do not believe that the debate is whether it comes from one or the other, but rather, the balance of importance between the two. I believe that a happy upbringing and supportive environment would make positivity in an individual more likely but it is not a guarantee in itself. Interestingly, I believe that positive attitudes can be developed but there has to be a motivation to do so in the first place. I am sure we all have stories of people who changed their attitude following a significant event or trauma on their lives.
MJ The subject of trust and charm is close to my heart because I provide sales training and development and I believe that both these qualities are important for winning and maintaining client relationships. Charm will certainly help to win business but trust needs to be a long term commitment. Internally, charm can be a valuable tool to help them persuade and motivate others when necessary. M Are these qualities only valuable for staff who enjoy direct customer interface? MJ In training, I often ask different types of groups to consider the qualities in the inspirational managers they have worked for in the past and ‘trust’ is a common characteristic. M Also, can such qualities be transposed and offered in an online, rather than physical, exchange? MJ Focusing on ‘trust’ first, there are some brands that trade on being trustworthy. In the UK these would include companies such as the BBC and Virgin and these are brands that have been developed over many years, giving them a perception of quality that is not always based on fact. For example, the mobile network provided by T-Mobile is white labeled by Virgin as Virgin do not have their own network. When surveys are carried out in this industry, Virgin consistently get higher quality and service ratings that T-Mobile when it is the same service.
Money / Issue 11 - 43
Business
‘Trust’ is a very powerful tool because we can dislike a service provider but still use it because we perceive it to be safe. Again in the UK, most people will complain at some point about the telecoms provider BT but it is widely used because of this factor. Marketeers will talk about the type of ‘voice’ that an organisation is using when communicating with their clients, and this voice would be used in all online and offline communications – charm would fall into this category. M How valuable are these qualities for customers? MJ Charm will help with interpersonal issues and certainly in the initial phases of any relationship between customer and supplier, but in the end it is trust that maintains the business.
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M What is the fine line that divides fake from genuine positive attitude? MJ This is a difficult question because when things are going well, we can be more positive but the reverse is also true. When things are going badly, it is a positive attitude that can change things so trying to look at things positively can help – is this false? I do not believe so.
I am sure we have all heard of stories about people losing their fortune and then rebuilding it again when many of us might just give up. I am sure that those (eventually) successful people were not naturally positive about losing their fortune but picked themselves up and built something new. Negativity versus realism is another discussion. This is a question that often comes up in training sessions with some people questioning the difference between being negative and realistic. Experience allows us to look before we leap and the questioning of situations can be a health test of thinking, but too much questioning or questions handled in the wrong way can come across as negative.
SPEAKERS Prof Pasquale Pistone, Professor of Tax Law at the University of Salerno
Mr Paolo Arginelli, Professor of Tax Law at Università Cattolica (Piacenza) Prof Frans Sonneveldt, Professor at Leiden University
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN EUROPEAN TAX LAW Taxation Conference 2012 16th March 2012
Conference Chair: Dr Juanita Brockdorff Partner, Tax Services, KPMG For further information kindly contact: Malta Institute of Management FRCC Building, Alamein Road, Pembroke PBK 1777 Tel: 21453097 Fax: 21451167 Email: tzahra@maltamanagement.com www.maltamanagement.com
Prof Luís Eduardo Schoueri, Professor at University of São Paolo Prof Daniel Gutmann, Professor of Tax Law at University Paris
Mr Laurent Sykes, Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers, UK
Prof Michael Lang, Professor of Tax Law, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration Dr Neville Gatt, Tax Partner, PwC Malta
Dr Robert Attard, Director, Tax Services, Ernst & Young, Malta
Dr Simon Xuereb, Advisor, KPMG, Malta
Dr Conrad Cassar Torregiani, Leader International Tax, Deloitte Main Sponsor
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Money / Issue 11 - 45
Education
Creating the future They’re young, bright and hopeful. Sandy Calleja Portelli gets a creative education from four students. Photos by Nick Scicluna.
U
ntil 2001, the creative arts were something of the forgotten child in our education system. A bright young thing wanting to pursue a career in interior design – or even to study anything higher than an ‘A’ level in art – had very little option other than to go abroad to study. Acquiring the skills required to be able to make one’s way in the media industry meant learning on the job here or attending college abroad. Since 2001, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology has been offering courses that enable creative spirits to pursue their chosen field of study right here at the Institute of Art and Design. Budding interior designers, graphic artists, photographers and cinematographers have the opportunity to prepare themselves to work in the industry they have chosen.
Set on a hilltop on the outskirts of Mosta, the Institute of Art and Design has ample open spaces where students can nurse their creativity. As I enter the grounds on a bright winter day, students are scattered around the grounds engrossed in their sketching. While waiting to meet four students in their final year of their respective courses, I admire the artwork lining the corridors, noting how the students used different materials in their work. And as I catch snippets of students’ conversations – “LED’s would be the best option...,” “Business plan presentation...,” “Shopping for supplies for the garden model...,” – it becomes clear that studying here is no relaxed walk in the park.
Kathleen Pearson B.A. (Hons) in Media (Moving Image) In her final year at the Institute, Kathleen Pearson is looking forward to her future in the media industry. “The local media scene has come a long way over the last few years and I think it will continue to grow in the near future.” The proliferation of production companies creates more opportunities as well as fiercer competition. “This course is very hands-on and true to life. We can make use of the media suite on campus which includes a fully equipped studio, High Definition 46 - Money / Issue 11
cameras, editing suite and sound rooms and learn to undertake many roles. So sometimes you’re working the camera or acting as floor manager while you could be the director on the next project.”
finished project on time, within budget and to the client’s satisfaction.” Currently working on her thesis, Pearson is hoping to have a product she can pitch to a TV station by the end of the scholastic year.
Kathleen has been working with a production company on a part time basis while studying and feels the practical experience coupled with her degree will enable her to make her way in the local media industry.
“I feel that there is a gap in the programmes that cater to teenagers and young adults. For my thesis I need to create a programme proposal complete with concept, target audience, budgets and a pilot episode, all of which should be of a high enough standard that I could pitch my programme to a Head of Programmes.”
“The course work is detailed and assignments require us to create a project from conceptualisation through to filming and editing the required clip. This kind of thorough grounding is necessary to working in the industry, especially when it comes to working within a budget. Having experienced the real world I know the pressure involved in winning a commission and then go on to present the
Conceding that she still has some research and planning to do, Kathleen doesn’t want to divulge further information about her plans. What is certain is that, having already won a commission to produce a TV advert, she is looking forward to starting work.
Richard Cachia B.A. (Hons) in 3D Design and Interiors Richard has always wanted to be a designer. His only dilemma is which field he would specialise in – automotive or interior design. “My dream career would be in automotive design, which would necessitate studying and settling abroad as there are no work opportunities in this field in Malta,” he says. “3D design and interiors also fascinate me so I might continue studying for my Masters, either by going abroad to study or by correspondence while I work in Malta.
“I feel confident that I will be able to build a satisfying career in Malta. Over the past three years, we have covered every possible area of 3D and interior design through different projects and assignments. When we undertake a design project, we are required to tackle the entire process from the conceptual stage right through to making a model or prototype. Thus we have to consider production costs, properties of the materials to be used and even a prospective customer base.” Working in collaboration with a number of private companies, the institute is able to give students the chance to submit proposals for real projects. After placing second in one such design assignment with Toly Products, Richard enjoyed a month’s work experience with the company. His design for cosmetic packaging has been accepted and is currently in production. Money / Issue 11 - 47
Education
Rosanna Farrugia B.A. (Hons) in Graphic Design and Interactive Media “I’ve always been artistic and knew I would eventually forge a career in a creative field. Until I came to MCAST I wasn’t quite sure what that would be exactly,” Rosanna Farrugia tells me. “I first came to the Institute of Art and Design in 2007, enrolling in the Foundation course while studying for ‘A’ level in art independently. “After that, based on the work we’d covered in the Foundation course, the Higher National Diploma in Graphic Design followed by the BA Graphic Design and Interactive Media seemed like the natural progression for me. “Graphic design impacts so much of everyday life – from packaging to corporate stationery, magazines and billboards – and it is definitely a growing field in Malta. “The study assignments have been varied and true to real life. I’ve designed billboards, packaging, corporate identity and a magazine amongst other things. I took part in a competition for a campaign to promote internet safety and was thrilled to place third. All in all I’m looking forward to starting work after I graduate in June.”
48 - Money / Issue 11
Sarah Marie Scicluna B.A. (Hons) in Fine Arts For Sarah Marie Scicluna, there has never been another option except to study fine arts – she simply cannot imagine herself doing anything else. She is perfectly aware that it will be some time after graduation before she will be able to support herself financially with her art works. “My studies here have encompassed many different types of art work including oil painting, sketches, ceramic works and sculptures and I have had the opportunity to take part in exhibitions at Notte Bianca and the end of year school exhibition. My dream is of one day having a solo exhibition but I think there is a while for me to go yet.” Sara has already had some paying commissions which were very well received by her customers and she is confident about her long term future. In the immediate to short term, the question of employment is rather less clear. A PGCE course will give her the qualifications to teach art while curating a museum would also be a possibility albeit such opportunities are few and far between in Malta. Undaunted, this is one young woman who is fully prepared to stay the course.
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Money / Issue 11 - 49
Sean Patrick Sullivan is a Toronto-based copy writer, creative director, and content producer. His first book, ‘May I Be Candid: Unsolicited Advice For Unconventional People’, is due out next year.
Business
Creativity and confusion It’s not a deficit of artistic talent, but rather a surplus of delusional fantasy that torpedoes most creative careers. So how does one break ranks with starving artists around the world and actually make money from their craft? Sean Patrick Sullivan shares his secrets.
A
couple of decades ago, forging a career in creativity was no easy task. Typically, one had to manage concerned parents, expensive materials, laborious processes, limited job opportunities, few media channels, and a certain cultural ambivalence toward people – people like you and me – producing art, craft, design, and literature. But now, it’s a very different story. First of all, the definition of creativity has sprawled and expanded beyond recognition. Corrupting the slow, solitary, deliberate practice of turning nothing into something – paintings, sculptures, buildings, photographs – creativity has come to include anything and everything imaginative or innovative. Life coaches? You’re in. Strategic planners? So are you. But that’s not all. Parents have started to loosen up. Digital
Step 1: Test your talent We’re constantly hearing from pundits, consultants, and educators – you know, those people who actually think brain-storming works – that everyone has it in them to become a creative genius. They’re lying to us. So do what I do – ignore them. Test your talent instead. How? By kissing your computer goodbye. That’s right – for a solid month, pretend you’re on an airplane, turn all your devices off, and create with nothing but your eyes, hands, and brains. If you want to be an author, snuggle up to the old-world charm of pen and ink. If you want to be a filmmaker or photographer, shoot, develop, and splice actual film. You may not enjoy your experience, you may not produce your best work, and you don’t have to ever do it
50 - Money / Issue 11
again. But it will certainly tell you whether or not you have the patience, commitment, and discipline to do what you allegedly want to do for a living. You might even cultivate your own aesthetic – something a bit more special and therefore marketable than your basic Photoshop filter. Bonus tip for creative-agency types: forbid your staff to use digital devices one day per week, preferably Mondays.
Step 2: Choose a direction If you read magazines, then you’ve seen photography negotiated, produced, or otherwise massaged into reality by Robin Krasner. Krasner, the founder of – and indefatigable force behind – iGroup, one of New York City’s top creative agencies, represents a wide range of commercial photographers, retouchers, designers, and
cameras and computers have made artistic production, distribution, and consumption both accessible and affordable. Consumer culture has convinced everyone who can style an outfit, decorate a room, or craft a clever Tweet that a career in creativity is theirs for the taking. May I be candid? The net result – too much freedom and not enough discipline; too many opportunities not enough challenges – actually makes it harder, not easier, to cultivate a productive, successful, long-term career in creativity. Fortunately for you, you have me. Now, I can’t guarantee you’ll make a million (or more) as a painter, sculptor, author, decorator, what have you. But I can promise you that, if you follow my five-point plan, you’ll save yourself – and everyone around you – a whole lot of time, effort, and heartache. Let’s get started.
stylists. According to Krasner, when choosing a career in creativity, you must ask yourself an excruciatingly obvious, yet undeniably essential, question: why am I doing this? “If you want to make lots of money... working with the best people at the biggest brands and boldest agencies... you really don’t have to sacrifice you artistic integrity. That said, in the world of commercial creativity, there are rules, and you have to honour them. For example, if you’re a photographer, and you want to shoot a mainstream American campaign, you’d better have lots of smiling faces in your portfolio. Not your style? Fine with me. Just don’t act surprised – or, worse, insulted – when no one wants to book you. Now, my country’s rules may not be your country’s rules. But trust me: your country has
rules. Learn them, accept them, and use them to your advantage.” For those unable or unwilling to play by the rules of commercial creativity, Krasner says there are other options. “If you don’t like networking... if you don’t want to stay abreast of current trends... if you can’t handle nervous clients telling you what to do... if you really just want to stay inside your studio and express yourself on your own terms... I applaud your conviction. Just don’t expect to ever book a major campaign or see a sizable paycheque. I’m not saying it can’t happen. It’s just not likely. Instead, post your work online. Sell your own prints. Publish your own books. Take the gallery-andmuseum route. And get a day job. Because this career path can be absolutely, positively brutal.”
Step 3: Get it in writing For now, we’re going to skip over the eternal question of how to score and price assignments, and dive right into the even more nagging question of how to make sure they go smoothly, with no unpleasant surprises for you or your client. My advice is really very simple: when working for an agency or publication, get your assignment – concept, budget, schedule, expectations – in writing. Almost anything, even a single- paragraph e-mail, will do. It may not be legally binding, but if things start to go wrong, you can use it as the centrepiece of a candid yet gracious conversation to get things back on track. On the other hand, if your assignment is for a mom-andpop business, which is how most creative careers begin, your client may not know how to write a contract, so do it for them. Don’t know how? Hire an attorney. Don’t want to? That’s too bad. As for me, I write my own contracts from scratch, using plain English, never exceeding three pages. Typical sections include:
scope; schedule; deliverables; terms and conditions; rights and responsibilities; fees and payments; and spots for signatures. In my fees-and-payments section, I always ask first-time clients to pay one third up front, one third in progress or upon completion (depends upon the complexity of the assignment), and one third within 30 days of final delivery. I suggest you do the same. Will you lose clients who don’t want to sign anything or make deposit payments? Most certainly – but that’s a good thing. In my experience, clients (much like lovers) who refuse to commit will always break your heart.
Step 4: Charm to disarm Creative people – I dare say you and me included – have a tendency to be selfish, petulant, inconsistent, and temperamental, especially mid-process. Don’t worry about it. And don’t try to change yourself either. You’ll kill your creativity along the way. That said, in this recession-dampened economy, creativity is a business, there’s a queue of people waiting to take your
place, and your clients care far less about your artistic vision than their own bottom line. The solution? Recognise that your talent got you through the door. Now seal the deal by actually being someone they’ll want to call back. Study etiquette guides. Express gratitude and actually mean it. Send thank-you cards or, for huge assignments, a thank-you gift. And just know that there’s perhaps nothing quite as powerful as meeting your client armed with an assortment of baked goods and enough strong coffee for everyone at the table. If you really want to make yourself indispensible, go even further. Know your competition and that of your clients. Recognise what’s riding on your deliverables and rise to the occasion with the best work you’ve ever done. If you ever fear you’re being steered down the wrong path – “wrong” defined as failing to satisfy the stated objective – say so rationally and respectfully, then suggest an alternative. If you can’t suggest an alternative, or you just don’t like what you’re being asked to do, keep it to yourself. No one wants to hear your complaints.
Step 5: Outsource your arguments Once you’ve gotten your feet wet and developed your portfolio, that’s your cue to install a buffer between yourself and your clients. Partially because it will position you powerfully. Partially because you’ll be too busy actually working to talk. Depending upon your region, market, and discipline, you can choose to use an agent, manager, attorney, or in-house business partner. If you can’t find representation worthy of your talents, find someone who works in the same discipline as you, and suggest that you work as each other’s producers. This is definitely a short-term solution and an uncoventional one at that. But if you find a fellow creative you like and trust, imagine how much you can learn from producing each other’s projects. After a month to a year of collaborating in this manner, you should have the talent, experience, and portfolio to score “real” management. May I be candid? That’s when your career really takes flight.
Money / Issue 11 - 51
Country Profile
Life is Swede Will the sick men of Europe drag healthy Sweden down, asks Vanessa Macdonald.
Sweden ranks as the 23rd largest GDP in the world even though it has a population of just nine million.
I
n spite of the eurozone’s turmoil, there is still a queue of member states struggling to get their affairs in order so that they qualify to join. But we perhaps sometimes forget that there is a country in that queue which should have joined an awful long time ago. Its credentials are truly awesome, especially when compared with the dire straits of Greece, Italy and Spain. It actually has a budget surplus, and is one of only four member states (along with Estonia, Luxembourg and Finland) which for a long time were not subjected by the European Commission to the Excessive Deficit Procedure. So why doesn’t Sweden join the eurozone? And since it complies with all the Maastricht Treaty conditions
52 - Money / Issue 11
for membership, why isn’t it being pressured to do so? The latter is easy to answer: because no one dares embarrass them, even though the UK and Denmark are the only member states with a derogation from eurozone membership. The former is perhaps more complex to explain. It has to be said that Sweden can afford to poohpooh the eurozone because its economy is doing so well, compared to the rest of the member states. A little bit of history here helps. The country enjoyed peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th century, enabling it to build up a superb standard of living for its welleducated population, which in turn sustains a successful
high-tech economy that runs smoothly along the excellent infrastructure. Sweden ranks as the 23rd largest GDP in the world (purchasing power parity, per capita), even though it has a population of just nine million. The budget surplus it normally insists on (and fairly high taxes) also enables the country to maintain extensive welfare benefits – in fact, according to the CIA Fact Sheet, none of the population lives beneath the poverty line. The generous welfare network will, of course, be hit by the government’s insistence on a budget surplus. Even Sweden’s unemployment is one of the best, just 20 per cent (longterm) compared to the EU average of 43 per cent in the second quarter of 2011.
Sweden in numbers Country
Divided into 290 municipalities and 18 county councils
Population 9.4 million
Youth
2 million under 18 years
GNI per capita $50,110
Life expectancy
80 years for men, 84 years for women
Energy
45 per cent renewable
Education
240,000 new university admissions a year
Vanessa Macdonald is a freelance journalist in her spare time, covering a wide range of lifestyle and economic issues.
The country’s economy is based on timber, hydropower and iron ore, with private firms representing the vast majority of output – of these, half are engineering firms. Think Volvo, Ericsson, Skanska and Electrolux. In fact, over 70 per cent of GDP is based on services. Of course, even the most successful economies have blips. Sweden did extremely well until the latter part of 2008, when it slid into recession, its heavy emphasis on export (Germany, Norway and the UK are its main markets) making it very vulnerable to the declining demand in other countries. But more importantly it also recovered quickly and grew by 5.6 per cent in 2010. But the eurozone crisis set it back again and 2012 is not expected to be stellar, as its trading partners are suffering badly. The forecasts are a mere 1.4 per cent and 2.1 per cent GDP growth for 2012 and 2013. Domestic demand is not as volatile, thanks to the Swedes’ high saving rate, even though wages and employment are not growing as fast as they were. Having said that, the Swedes have higher than normal borrowing at the moment, as the result of a recent mortgage boom, which makes them vulnerable to any interest rate hikes that might be forced by the financial market turmoil. Inflation has been kept moderate, to no small degree because the impact of higher commodity prices has been offset by strong currency appreciation. This tool would not have been possible had Sweden’s population – which was happy enough to join the EU in 1995 – rejected eurozone membership few years ago. With a deficit below one per cent of GDP and a debt of just 36 per cent, the country seems to come together as smoothly as an Ikea self-assembly cupboard.
Made in Sweden 01. Ikea 02. Electrolux 03. Skanska 04. Thomas Sandell 05. Claesson Koivisto Rune 06. H&M 07. Stieg Larsson 08. Absolut Vodka
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Money / Issue 11 - 53
Small town boy Photography: Kris Micallef Creative director: Luke Engerer Model: Danny
Red checked jacket by Hilfiger Denim T-shirt by Ralph Lauren Jeans by French Connection Shoes by French Connection
Hat by Tommy Hilfiger Shirt by French Connection Jeans by French Connection Jacket by French Connection Shoes by French Connection
Shirt by Tommy Hilfiger Waistcoat by Tommy Hilfiger Jeans by French Connection
Top by French Connection Shirt by Tommy Hilfiger Jeans by Esprit
Shirt by French Connection Jumper by French Connection Jeans by French Connection Shoes by French Connection
Shirt by Esprit Suit by French Connection Bow tie by French Connection Shoes by French Connection Bag by Carpisa
Gadgets
Creative chic Money plugs in the best looking gadgets around.
Play it loud
Bright idea
The Denon CEOL Hi-Fi system packs a punch straight to your ears. And despite looking quite masculine, it can multitask – it plays CDs, can access more than 15,000 internet radio stations, streams music with an impressively fast connection, and can also play music from your iPod or iPhone via the dedicated dock or a front-mounted USB connection. It can also handle 24-bit/96kHz studio master recordings. Controls are agile and dynamic. Push the play button.
Running on Android 3.1, the Lenovo IdeaPad is great for nonstop social networking and hours of entertainment in HD on its widescreen LED display. Preloaded with a bunch of useful apps, the tablet also supports Flash and comes with ITB hard disc drive and optional Blu-ray drive. And the range of colours it comes in are brilliant.
60 - Money / Issue 11
Shooting for fun
Beat it
The Canon PowerShot G1X fits in SLR levels of control in a compact body. The large CMOS sensor will allow you to shoot with greater control over depth of field while the superb 4x zoom lens uses Canon’s precision technology to achieve sharp, high-resolution images. There’s also an intelligent IS system to reduce camera shake and blur as well as a vari-angle LCD, HDR mode and ND filter.
Created by music professionals for music professionals, the Monster Beats Pro headphones are for hardcore music lovers. Built from lightweight aluminium, the headphones are sturdy enough for on-the-go use. As for sound, it’s clean and powerful. Comes with dual input/output audio ports for communal listening.
You’re toast Breakfast will never be the same again. Inspired by 1950s Italian glamour and style, the DeLonghi Icona is the best looking toaster around. Yet under the retro hood, the Icona is fully modern – each double-slot can be controlled independently and you can choose between six digitally controlled browning options. It also has an extra-deep crumb tray to keep your kitchen tidy.
Take this call Phones are not just a means of communication – they are also a fashion statement. And no statement is louder, yet so quiet in its simple design, than the wireless ePure phone by Swissvoice. The design of the ePure is inspired by a 2D computer icon which, in turn, nods at the lines of an old-fashioned phone. Yet despite the nostalgic design layers, the phone looks timeless.
Money / Issue 11 - 61
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Mona Farrugia edits and writes for food, travel and review website www. planetmona.com
Travel
The value of everything and the cost of nothing It takes Mona Farrugia four commercial flights and a private one, a ride in the back of an open pick-up truck, a wade through a kilometre of open sea and a half hour boat ride to get to Quilalea Private Island. Was it worth it?
F
or my honeymoon, I booked North Island in the Seychelles. “It’s $1,000 a night,” I told my husband to-be when it was too late to do anything about it. I could see his hairline receding. “How long are we staying?” he asked, switching on his mental calculator. “Three nights,” I replied. This is how I came to marry the most patient man in the world and have the shortest honeymoon in history. “I prefer to have something brief but incredible,” I continued uselessly because we both knew the decision had been taken. North Island set the standards for the rest of my life. A 24-hour butler (with his own staff), a villa which – despite its vast dimensions – always felt private, meals on tap, a golf buggy and a mountain bike to whizz through the jungle, a sunset cocktail bar and fabulous service meant that on the
ride back to the helicopter which would take us back to the mainland, I was weeping. It was a rare moment where I wished I were rich enough to return every year. Consequent trips around the world continued to open our eyes to what was available in the everinnovative hospitality industry. In our heads, for the 2012 January jaunt in the sun, we wanted to combine the stunning blue and stretches of sand of the Maldives, the service at North Island, the green of Mauritius and Sri Lanka, the food of India and the warmth of the South Africans. It would have to take something extraordinary to bring it all together in one country and one resort. When I saw the pictures of the Quirimbas archipelago in Mozambique, I was sold. We left Malta on Emirates. Two and a half hours later we landed in Cyprus. After an hour’s stopover we left for
Dubai. Three hours at 37,000 feet and just 30 minutes of holding, we landed. Fifteen minutes of carousels. Three hours of waiting for our connection then the A380 to Johannesburg. Seven flying hours later, we were in OR Tambo. There are only two flights a week with SAA to Maputo so all our arrangements had to fit according to what was available. This is where agencies such as Escape To (www.toescapeto.co.za) come in: we found huge help from the ladies at Royal Travel but for detail, we needed somebody who knew Mozambique well. Flying in Mozambique is not about the customer but about the airline. We stopped for a couple of nights at the beautiful Polana hotel in the capital, and then got a flight with LAM, the blacklisted Mozambique carrier. At this point I was beginning to lose
track of flying time. A private CFA flight would then take us to the archipelago. The four-seater Cessna, captained by the lovely John, landed in a coconut field better than some commercial pilots land you on a world-class runway. Rainer, the island’s transport, coconut and coffee supplier was waiting next to his pick-up truck. “You can ride with me up front – we’ll put the luggage in the back.” We decided to ride with the luggage, the sun beating on our faces, coconut palms whizzing by. When we arrived at the other side of Quirimbas island, the tide was out. “Really sorry miss,” Nelson, a butler from Quilalea smiled disarmingly. He handed us a pair of rubber shoes and we walked through a kilometre of seabed to a canoe, which took us to a speedboat, which took us to the island.
Money / Issue 11 - 63
Travel
On Quilalea, the rest of the staff were waiting on the shore, singing and dancing our arrival. From the water, the coral island looked nothing short of extraordinary: crystal clear waters, stretches of white sand and right there, somewhere to our right, villa number nine, our home for a week. We were welcomed by one of the best resort managers I have met in the past five years: the ineffable, always smiling, always helpful Nathan. He apologised profusely for the tide not being too customer-friendly but at this point we were already in love. Quilalea Private Resort sits in the northern archipelago in Mozambique. Christopher and Stella Bettany, along with their Mozambiquean partner (you cannot own property in the country if you are not a local) have turned a tiny island into paradise. The island only has nine villas, all decked with beautiful natural materials, a huge four-poster bed, dressing room and double-bathroom area, a private multi-level terrace and direct access to some of the best snorkeling in the Indian Ocean. Quilalea sits in a marine reserve, which is why guests pay a park access fee. Although this is not cheap, no guest ever complains – if we can contribute to keeping the marine world this side of the ocean pristine, then it is worth every penny. As a resort, it is also all-inclusive. Now this allinclusive business varies all over the world. At North Island, for example, it really means what it says, with a fabulous choice of wines and food. Quilalea still seems to be entrenched in the breakfast-
64 - Money / Issue 11
lunch-dinner dictum, which is a little silly when you’re on holiday. Possibly the worst situation was with the wines: we had a choice of South Africa Two Oceans or the infamous Mateus round bottles in rose or white. If we wanted to splash out, an average $50 would buy us a wine which sells for $10 in Europe. Gripe over, the food was absolutely wonderful. This side of the world, resorts e-mail their will-be customers to ask about their wishes and ours for ‘curries’ was met on the first night: a Mozambiquean fresh crab steeped in the love and attention of warm spices. We ate fresh lobster, fresh prawns, a stunning lobster soup, just-right grilled fish and everything we ever would have wished for. Meal times would be preceded by drinks at the bar. The lovely Vita would bring over a huge board and ask us what we would like to eat. Then we would eat wherever we liked. In the first few days, location changed constantly: overlooking the sea, in the open-air restaurant, beneath the trees. One night, the sandy coast was decked with candles and we were led to our table on the sand. The stars winked. During the day we read, snorkeled, and walked to the stunning Turtle Beach where we scared ourselves stiff goose-stepping over massive oysters while the tide was out. Sometimes we just stayed on our deck and chilled, until at some point when the sun was edging towards the water, Vita would come over and say “Come! We have a surprise for you!” and the beach would have been strewn with candles and they would serve us cocktails to watch the sunset to.
At Quilalea, the wonderful staff contributes tremendously to the feeling of well-being. Sure, you can get into a kayak and join the turtles or dolphins in the water, but there is nothing like the loveliness of a genuine and welcoming smile to start your day, unless of course, it is accompanied by a board of great breakfast items to choose from. Here nothing is ‘buffet’: everything is bespoke, including the food. I, a die-hard muesli hater, found myself having theirs every day, simply because it was so good. What we truly noticed though was the managerial acumen. In Mozambique, there does not seem to be a real classification system in place so that we went, in the space of two weeks, from a five-star hotel which may have been ‘the best’ in the area yet which sold a buffet dinner for €120 per person for cheap tat, to a five-star resort which was lauded to high heaven on Tripadvisor but which was akin to a Fawlty Towers in the Indian Ocean, and eventually to the paradise that is Quilalea. Nathan has been managing Quilalea since its creation nine years ago. When the Mr & Mrs took it over they refurbished to international
luxe standards and wisely enough, kept him on. A chef with many years of experience in world-class kitchens, you can see his attention to detail in all he does and the way he manages his crew of smiling, warm staff. On holiday, most guests just want to chill out yet in a place so remote, the logistics are terrifying. He manages to bring it all together so that you feel that it is easy to do and that is the mark of a true hotelier. So: how much for peace, solitude and stunning service? Considering the amount of flights involved, the logistics, the actual cost per night and the extras, this was very probably the most expensive trip I have ever made in my life of expensive trips. Was it worth it? I returned with a suntan, a clear brain, long days of pampering still surrounding me like an aura and a truly stunning experience to boot. You be the judge.
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66 - Money / Issue 11
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