Creative perspectives: Alex von Plato

Jacky Law talks to Alex von Plato about the role of creativity within the global healthcare advertising industry.

pharmaphorum invites five judges from this year's Creative Floor Healthcare Awards to talk about how the most talented people in the advertising business can be drawn into healthcare.

Alex von Plato is a strong believer in the power of teamwork and the challenge of the empowered healthcare consumer to drive innovation in this space.

Interview summary

JL: What's been the most important thing you have learnt within your creative career?

AvP: Culture is the secret weapon that unlocks creativity. This is an ensemble business. A good idea may come from an individual, but a great work is always the result of great team. Creative teams today need to be more eclectic and diverse to generate ideas that connect across channels, audiences, oceans. Think jazz.

"Creative teams today need to be more eclectic and diverse to generate ideas that connect across channels, audiences, oceans. Think jazz"

JL: How do you think healthcare can better attract advertising talent?

AvP: I would mention three things. First, stop trying to only attract advertising talent and start looking for people who want to use their creativity to transform the industry and build brand experiences that help people make better, more confident healthcare decisions.

Secondly, make your agency stand for something that matters more than awards. This is actually easier to do in healthcare then in general agencies because almost everything we touch has the opportunity to improve, change or even save lives.

And thirdly, brag. Healthcare is high tech, healthcare is global and healthcare is truly, deeply human. This space is as cool and geeked out as anything Google can dream up - own it.

JL: What developments in creative advertising beyond healthcare could most benefit the healthcare space?

AvP: Creative is not confined to the ad. Today we can build brands and ideas that connect across platforms. A truly big idea today creates engagement and content in every media: print, video, mobile and social.

"Healthcare is high tech, healthcare is global and healthcare is truly, deeply human. This space is as cool and geeked out as anything Google can dream up - own it"

JL: How could healthcare award shows better recognise talented creativity?

AvP: Celebrate the people who are making a difference as well as their work.

JL: What do you think will be the most exciting developments in healthcare advertising over the next five years?

AvP: The rise of the empowered informed healthcare consumer. People will be demanding more change, more control and more transparency that will force a transformation that even the best marketers will struggle to keep up with.

Read the next interview in this series 'Creative perspectives: Denis Mamo' here.

About the Interviewee

Alex von Plato will be judging at The Creative Floor Healthcare Awards, for more information about the awards or to enter, visit their website.

Alexandra von Plato, President and Global Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Healthcare Communications Group.

As a digital media pioneer, Alex was the first creative executive to focus on the use of new media in healthcare communications. Today Alex oversees the largest creative portfolio in healthcare worldwide and is shaping how we connect brands with consumers and healthcare professionals in a trillion dollar industry. She leads a purpose-built team of creative and strategic professionals dedicated to the transformation of healthcare marketing including digital brand strategy, social and mobile, campaign development, UX content and information design. Agencies under her leadership include the global agencies of Digitas Health and Publicis Life Brands. She has shared her ideas as a speaker at industry-leading events, including Advertising Week, Procter & Gamble Alumni Association, and Digital Health Summit at CES. In 2013 she was named to the PharmaVOICE 100 list of inspired life sciences leaders.

Closing thought: How do you think the empowered patient will raise the bar in the healthcare advertising space?