Telstra drops loud, proud for quiet approach

Mark Collis, pictured, who heads Telstra's grandly titled creativity, innovation, brand strategy and customer experience team, said: "I never really understand what brand campaigns are about. I used to question it at [Leo] Burnett and I am still doing so."

Mr Collis, who has held senior creative roles at the ad agencies Leo Burnett and Ogilvy, said future advertising needed to bring to life Telstra's new brand idea, which is centred on what it does for its 11 million customers rather than how it sees itself.

"Our brand essence is really around connection. We want to build our brand around that," he said, in his first media interview since taking the job five months ago.

The new corporate strapline that will appear in every bit of communication is "It's how we connect".

"What you won't see us doing though is going out with a big song and dance or marching band ads. The advertising needs to be a window into what we are doing," Mr Collis said.

He was hired in May by Telstra's chief marketing officer, Kate McKenzie, to inject some creativity and innovation into her department, which handles pricing, product and promotion.

Dressed alarmingly casually, for Telstra at least, and with a haul of advertising awards stacked in the corner of his office, Mr Collis is already being regarded as something of an agent of change for the corporation. "We see him as a breath of fresh air," said a Telstra insider.

The direction marks a break from the past when Telstra's brand advertising bordered on the patriotic if not nationalistic. Each year much of Telstra's marketing and sponsorship used to hang off its bombastic "I am, you are, we are Australian" ads.

Mr Collis said Telstra needed to adopt a "softly, softly approach" to its advertising and spend more time thinking of ways to engage its customers. Accordingly, he has briefed Telstra's three main agencies, Belgiovane Williams Mackay, Ogilvy and DDB, to present to him ways to "activate" that brand essence.

"I have asked [them] to think about the sort of things we can do around connection that is not necessarily about advertising."

For an example, he referred to the online project by the filmmakers Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald called Life in a Day. They plan to edit and produce a film from footage uploaded to YouTube on July 24, documenting a day on Earth.

The chief executive of DDB Australia and New Zealand, Martin O'Halloran, said: "I think it's a very workable idea. We have to think about ways to show how Telstra can connect rather than talking about it in the traditional brand sense."

Mr Collis did not wish to elaborate on his plans for the Telstra roster but the brief around "connection" is the first major test for the ad agencies.

He will work alongside Inese Kingsmill, a Microsoft marketer, who will join Telstra early in November to become director of business unit marketing and communications, replacing Amanda Johnston-Pell.

Mr Collis's role includes being chairman of a think tank, where up to 15 people from the company meet each fortnight to discuss new ideas. But ultimately the test will be whether he can improve the customer's experience of Telstra, regardless of whether that is in products, the packaging, advertising, in-store or on the phone. "My vision is simple. It's to get our 11 million customers talking more positively about us. If I can do that then game done."