Creative Personalisation of Ads - and Scale? Dan Dawson

This piece first appeared on LBB 

LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?

Dan> One of my earliest professional mentors was a creative director called Jon Laurie. Jon is a fantastic leader for many reasons, but foremost from a creative and guidance perspective. He provided me with active experiences around making the most of a creative brief, exploring avenues and allowed the whole team to develop skills while answering the briefs. This leadership is something that has been priceless to me as I forged my own path and offered me a sound foundation for creative leadership in the professional world.

LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?

Dan> I think it’s simple. Be the leader you’d like to be led by and start from there. I really do think that leadership is about evolution, rolling with the changes, people, tides and times. Fundamentally though, I try to lead and communicate with people in the way I’d like to be led or communicated with. I always aim to provide my team with an environment where they too can challenge me and each other in a pragmatic, calm and candid way, while respecting each other’s boundaries, beliefs and skills.

LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?

Dan> I have spent the majority of my career working with one of the best leaders in our industry, Neil Morris. Over the last 17 years of Grand Visual Neil taught me so many lessons in team building, bonding and growth. There’s not one big lesson… everyday was a school day!

LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so how did you work towards it and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?

Dan> No. It kind of fell on me as our company grew. In order to scale effectively we really need to build a team that shares our company vision and culture…. And I’d be lying if I said it was plain sailing. I think we failed on lots of efforts, and finally found our flow through being more self critical. For me that’s one of the most important things about leading in anything. You need to prepare to fail, fail fast, learn from it and move forward using those failures as lessons.

 LBB> When it comes to ‘leadership’ as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, how much can be taught and learned?

Dan> I’d say it’s got to be equal. I think good leaders get lots of their skills naturally…. However as with anything the more you open your mind to learning and education the better you get at it. EG I’m a keen golfer… I’ve always had natural hand eye coordination so when I first picked up a golf club I was able to connect with the ball. However my game only really turned a corner after hours and hours of practice, watching lessons online and working on my game in the range and then the course. There are natural, emotional and physiological skills everyone possesses and with some extra effort, and some craft those skills can be forged into a real tangible asset if you put that effort in.

LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?

Dan> I’ve a tendency to think and act fast. I think it’s a product of the work we do and the fast paced environment that a busy creative studio gives you. I’ve been working on slowing down and trying to separate creative executive decision mode from business and people mode. But obviously in our world those lines are often quite blurred.

LBB> Have you ever felt like you’ve failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?

Dan> EVERYDAY! I’m my own worst critic and enemy. But I think that’s ok. Self assessment is part of growing and understanding yourself.

LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be as transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?

Dan> I’m open, honest and candid as can be…. But there will always be parameters to the information that could be shared and that needs to be shared… and the effect it may have on people in your team.

LBB> As you developed your leadership skills did you have a mentor, if so who were/are they and what have you learned? And on the flip side, do you mentor any aspiring leaders and how do you approach that relationship?

Dan> I’ve had many unofficial mentors [see above for examples], and only one official mentor. Although my official mentor claims he was never my mentor… we just had some ‘chats’. I think that’s what made him a good mentor for me… it never felt forced, I never took notes, just two humans talking about making the world a better place to work in.

LBB> It’s been a really challenging year – and that’s an understatement. How do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through such difficult waters?

Dan> In some ways this has been the most difficult 18 months of my career… some of the decisions we’ve had to make from a commercial perspective have had a profound effect on the people in our care, our colleagues and our friends…. as well as us as leaders. I think with anything you need to give yourselves the oxygen away from the office to keep the fire burning in the office. For me that’s my family life, sports and sometimes just getting outside and enjoying the great outdoors on my mountain bike.

LBB> This year has seen the industry confronted with its lack of action/progress on diversity and inclusion. As a leader how have you dealt with this?

Dan> We must always be doing more in this area. Our work will never be done, or done fast enough. Always learning and ever evolving… as people and as an industry. Coming from a mixed race family, and experiencing first hand some of the worst sides of our fellow humans, I have always and will always ensure my team, and place of work puts a lot of emphasis on making sure our work environment is reflective of our great community. In the creative industry I think this is most important. When we work on briefs at Grand Visual and Talon Outdoor, we pull ideas from all over our business, with input from our people from all over the world, with different beliefs, backgrounds and from different cultures. I believe, having a diverse workforce offers us greater insight, knowledge, research and experience which ultimately helps our creative output.

LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with staff working remotely in 2020?

Dan> It’s everything. The Grand Visual trajectory as market leader was only possible through the people who powered it and the culture they subscribed to from initial contact to exit. We had lots of remote sessions while we were all locked in… but there’s no real substitute for getting the team back together and being a bunch of humans interacting.

LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?

Dan> Talk and listen to others. There’s not always a book, a course, a roleplay or one pager to answer your leadership issue. I think I’ve learned more from talking and listening to others than from any organised session.

Grand Visual Team

Our Team

Neil

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
It’ll be fourteen amazing years in July this year. I’m CEO and work with a great management team at Grand Visual and QDOT.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
So many to choose from over the years! But I’d have to say Lynx Angel Ambush because it really made everyone wake up to the potential for creative technology in out of home and it won our first Cannes Lion.

If you weren’t in the Management Team, would you rather be in the Production Team or the Creative Team?
I started out as a Producer so I should go there but I think I’d join the Creative Team for a new experience.

Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or fly through the air?
Fly through the air – that would be so much fun.

Would you rather have an unlimited international first class ticket, or never have to pay for food at restaurants?
Definitely the first class ticket – visiting new countries and cultures is an absolute treat. (Although if I can fly through the air I might not need the plane ticket …)

 

Our Team

Dan

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
I joined at inception as one of the founding fathers of the company.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
Wow. It’s like asking who your favourite child is! Our projects are all so different so I have favourites in each category, for each client and in each market. As I look back over the last 14 years of Grand Visual the milestone projects are those which really helped shape the DOOH industry and then made the phone ring. I think back to Rocky Balboa, Nike Write the Future, Yell.com, Google Speech, The Harry Potter Premiere and Lynx as pivotal moments in both the company’s and the industry’s history. I think I’d have to pick Lynx Angel Ambush as the one… That campaign was a game changer. The teams we worked with on that project have become lifelong friends for the pain we all went through together. I feel like that project helped Grand Visual propel to the next level and also helped us give birth to probably our most successful Augmented Reality projects Pepsi Max: Unbelievable Bus Shelter and My Disney Side.

If you weren’t in the Management Team, would you rather be in the Operations Team or the Tech Team?
Wow. Again it’s like asking who your favourite child is! But yeah… Tech. Operations require far too much political correctness and HR – everyone who knows me knows I swear way too much when I’m excited/showing off.

Would you rather be able to control fire or water?
Easy…Water. I’d give everyone in the world access to clean water, and put out the fires of the idiot who answers this question incorrectly.

Would you rather be the first person to explore a planet or be the inventor of a drug that cures a deadly disease?
I’d invent the drug and give it away for free… get a Nobel prize, become a Trillionaire through my new found celebrity and philanthropy status… and then go explore a new planet with my new found wealth.

Spotify 2018 Wrapped Digital OOH Piccadilly Lights

our team

Sarah

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
A bit over a year and a half and I’m a Senior Marketing Executive.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
The Augmented Reality experience that we did Pepsi Max Unbelievable bus shelter, I remember reading about it when I lived in Australia and thinking it was so cool!

If you weren’t in the Marketing Team, would you rather be in the Creative Team or the Client Services Team?
Creative Team.

Would you rather have more time or more money?

More time to make more money.

Would you rather only be able to jump everywhere or only be able to walk on your hands?
Probably jump everywhere.

 

our team

Steve

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
Just over three years – I’m a software developer.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
Has to be the interactive game we did for Pets at Home ‘My Pet Pals’.

If you weren’t in the Tech team, would you rather be in the Production team or Operations?
Ops. I’d get to work with Gwen all day!

Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or fly through the air?
Flying definitely!

Would you rather become twice as strong when both of your fingers are stuck in your ears, or crawl twice as fast as you can run?
Stronger with my fingers in my ears. It would make leg day easier.

digital marketing apprenticeship grand visual

our team

Steve

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
I’ve been at Grand Visual for just shy of a year, working as a Creative.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
My favourite GV campaign is Sky Q Summons. Using Augmented Reality to create an interactive experience and allowing people to meet their favourite TV stars was awesome! Seeing the surprise on their faces really made all the hard work worth it!

If you weren’t in the Creative Team, would you rather be in the Finance Team or Operations?
I’d rather be in Operations … spreadsheets and I wouldn’t get along.

Would you rather hear the good news or the bad news first?
I’d rather hear the bad news first!

Would you rather live without the internet, or live without AC and heating?
I could live without AC and heating … watch me put four jumpers on as I find something to watch.

 

our team

Jackie

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
I’ve been at GV for 11 years and I’m the Finance Manager – or anything no-one else wants to do!

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
The Augmented Reality experience that we did for Angels.

If you weren’t in the Finance team, would you rather be in the Production Team or the Tech Team?
The Tech Team.

Would you rather be completely invisible for one day, or be able to fly for one day?
I’d rather be able to fly.

Would you rather be able to control fire or water?
Water!

Grand Visual Team

our team

Gwen

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
I’ve been at GV for five years now and I am Head of People.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
That’s an easy one! My favourite GV campaign is the Let The Memories Begin campaign that we did for Disney.

If you weren’t in the Operations, would you rather be in the Finance Team or the Tech Team?
If I wasn’t in Operations, I would rather be in the Tech Team as they are always building cool stuff for our campaigns.

Would you rather live in a place that is always cold or always hot?
I would rather live in a place that is always hot than cold.

Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or fly through the air?
I would prefer to breathe underwater than fly through the air.

 

our team

Ric

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
I’ve been at GV for 6 years and I’m the Creative Director.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
Probably the Augmented Reality campaign that we did for Doctor Strange as it had a load of awesome things going on in it.

If you weren’t in the Creative Team, would you rather be in Client Services or the Production Team?
That’s a difficult question. I think I’d rather be in Production rather than Client Services as I don’t think I’d enjoy communicating with clients on that side of things!

Would you rather be the first person to explore a planet or be the inventor of a drug that cures a deadly disease?
I have no interest in trying to discover new planets so I guess it would be curing a disease.

Would you rather be completely invisible for a day or be able to fly?
I think I would get up to terrible things if I was completely invisible for a day so I’d stick with flying for a day!

Grand Visual OOH

our team

Matt

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
I have been at GV for just under 3 years. I am the Management Accountant, which means I report the monthly/yearly performance of the business. I also look after the day to day functions of Finance.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
My favourite campaign would be the work that we did for the film, The Accountant. It’s nice to see a film show our profession in a good light. Even if there were not enough explosions to do us justice.

If you weren’t in the Finance Team, Would you rather be in Client Services or Operations?
Client Services defo! I love eating/drinking in new places and entertaining clients. That’s all there is to it right?

Would you rather be an amazing dancer or an amazing singer?
Singer, it’s where the ££££ is at!

Would you rather become twice as strong when both of your fingers are stuck in your ears, or crawl twice as fast as you can run?
Crawl twice as fast as I can run. I’m quite fast at running, so my crawl would be insane! Plus I’m sure my kids would love to jump on my back while I whizz around.

 

our team

Nadiya

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
Almost 6 years! I’m the Production Director.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
Our Augmented Reality campaign that we did for Pepsi Max Unbelievable bus shelter. It was truly a media first that opened so many doors for GV!

If you weren’t in the Production Team, Would you rather be in Operations or Client Services?
Client Services.

Would you rather be the first person to explore a planet or be the inventor of a drug that cures a deadly disease?
Invent the drug that cures a deadly disease.

Would you rather be completely invisible for one day or be able to fly for one day?
Be able to fly.

digital marketing apprenticeship grand visual

our team

Lisa

How long have you been with GV for and what’s your role?
I have been at GV for just over 4 years and I am the Head of Marketing.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
My favourite GV campaign would probably be the Angels campaign which is a really old one – but was the first campaign that made me aware of who Grand Visual was.

If you weren’t in Marketing, would you rather be in Tech or Finance?
FINANCE!

Would you rather control Space or Time?
Mmmmm… time!

Would you rather hear the good news or the bad news first?
The bad news.

 

our team

Ben P.

How long have you been with GV for and what’s your role?
I’ve been at GV for 2 and a half years and my current role is Client Services Director.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
My favourite GV campaign is our recent campaign for SONY for Spider-Verse. It’s an awesome campaign that basically gave people the opportunity to enter into The Spider-Verse.

If you weren’t in Client Services, would you rather be in Creative or Production?
Definitely Creative.

Would you rather control Space or Time?
Time.

Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or fly through the air?
Definitely fly.

Grand Visual Team

Our Team

JJ

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
I’ve been at Grand Visual for seven years now, and I’m a Creative Technologist which means that I bridge together the Creative and Technical departments.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
I’d say it would be Disney Shadows, which was quite a fun project to work on. It was very different to what we usually do… and it got a great reception online!

If you weren’t in Tech would you rather be in Production or Creative?
I think I’d definitely rather be in Creative… it’s already part of a role that I work at the moment so I think that would come most natural to me.

Would you rather travel a hundred years into the future or a hundred years into the past?
I think into the future… it would just be fun to see how far everything has come and whether we’ve actually managed to crack the hologram from Back To The Future.

Would you rather it be hot all of the time or cold all of the time?
I think cold all of the time because it’s easier to warm up than cool down.

 

our team

Collins

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
I’ve been at GV for four and a half years and I’m a technician.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
I’d have to say… Doctor Strange!

If you weren’t in Tech would you rather be in client services or marketing?
Oh, marketing… definitely!

Would you rather be completely invisible for one day or be able to fly?
Fly… obviously!

Would you rather give up bathing for a month or give up the internet for a month?
Internet!

Grand Visual OOH

Our Team

Nathelie

How long have you been at GV for and what is your role?
Two months and I’m a Senior Producer.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
Spotify! Obviously.

If you weren’t in Production, would you rather be in Marketing or Tech?
Creative! Oh, neither!

Would you rather have no taste buds or be colour blind?
Erm… colourblind!

Would you rather be the first person to explore a planet or be the inventor of a drug that cures a deadly disease?
Planet!

 

Our team

Charlotte

How long have you been with GV for and what’s your role?
I’ve been at GV for five months and I’m a digital marketing apprentice.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
I like the Haunting of Hill House campaign that we did a couple of months ago.

If you weren’t in Marketing would you rather be in Production or Tech?
I’d rather be in tech because they look like they have more fun than production.

Would you rather have no taste buds or be colour blind?
I’m already pretty blind, so… I wouldn’t mind being colour blind if I could keep my taste buds!

Would you rather live in a place where it’s always hot or always cold?
Always hot! I’m definitely chasing the sun!

 

Grand Visual Team

Our Team

Zevi

How long have you been at GV for and what is your role?
I’ve been at GV for a month and I’m on the Client Services Team focused on the US business, developing our footprint in The States.

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
My favourite GV campaign is the Google Play Music campaign we did for Google and Omnicom. The thing I liked about that campaign was our ability to leverage data and triggers to make it more contextually relevant for the consumers that engaged with the creative.

If you weren’t in Client Services, would you rather be in Production or Tech?
If I wasn’t in Client Services, I’d rather be in Tech because I’d like to see what is under the hood and all of the cool technology that we’re rolling out on these campaigns. It’s what really differentiates our company and makes us unique. I’d love to be one of the solution providers behind the scenes – if I wasn’t selling these campaigns!

Would you rather be colour blind or have no taste buds?
I would rather be colour blind than have no taste buds because I feel that having flavour in your life is key for happiness and I love to eat.

Would you rather be an amazing dancer or an amazing singer?
Well, I’m already an amazing dancer so – I’d opt for having a good singing voice which I sorely lack! I have a good talking voice but my singing voice needs a little work, so – please help me out a little bit!

 

Our Team

Mike

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
So I’ve been at GV since 2012 and I’m a Full Stack Developer.

What is your favourite GV campaign?
I think my favourite GV campaign would probably be the first one that I ever did – Disney Memories! I was fresh out of university and going to New York was really exciting!

If you weren’t in Tech, would you rather be in Marketing or Client Services?
This is a tough question! If I wasn’t in the Tech Team I think I would rather be in Marketing. I used to be an editor so I think I’d be quite good at making promos and things like that.

Would you rather hear the good news or the bad news first?
I always would prefer to hear the bad news first – to come out on a high!

Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly for one day?
I need to think about that one… I think I would rather be able to fly for a day because being invisible for a day you’re about to get into a lot of trouble!

 

Our Team

Ed

How long have you been at GV for and what’s your role?
I’m a producer and today is my two year anniversary at Grand Visual!

What’s your favourite GV campaign?
My favourite GV campaign would probably be Spotify because I love music!

If you weren’t in Production, would you rather be in the Creative Team or the Tech Team?
Would I rather be in the Creative Team or the Tech Team? Probably the Creative because they seem to like to have more fun!

Would you rather live without the internet or without AC/heating?
Would I rather live without the internet or AC and heating? Well to be fair, I don’t live with AC at the moment and the heating – we only put it on for a short time… of the year anyway so, without that! Internet all the time! Obviously!

Would you rather have an unlimited international first class ticket, or never have to pay for food at restaurants?
Would I rather fly internationally for free forever or have unlimited food? Fly – because I don’t feel I’ve travelled as much as I should have so definitely that one!