Forbes called him the most bankable star in the world. And when Will Smith set foot on the stage at Cannes Lions, he could be banked upon for not only winning the hearts of the world’s top executives from the advertising and creative fraternity but also teaching them a lesson or two on marketing.
Establishing his credentials, he called himself a marketer. “My career has been strictly being able to sell my products globally.” He then went on to share his personal experiences that have helped him establish some marketing mantras and change his way of looking at movies and his life.
“Smoke and mirrors in marketing and sales is over. People are going to know really quickly and globally whether a product keeps its promises,” Today people are tweeting 10 minutes into the movie, he said. You can’t trick them anymore. The result is going back to making good movies, good products that you believe in and depending on old fashioned storytelling.
“The power has gone away from the marketers,” he informed. It has now shifted to the people. Marketers will be more successful if they shift focus from product to people. This would mean listening to them and being in tune with their needs. “If the audience doesn’t want it, you can’t sell it!”
Will recalled an incident when his 10-year-old daughter defied him by shaving off her head to drop out of touring with Justin Bieber, as she no longer found it fun. This was when he thought he was being a great parent by helping her establish a career in music. This made him realize that “parenting, selling, marketing and creating cannot be about me.”
“People can tell when you have considered them.” He said. We “must have profound principles that look at others point of view”
“Our goal should be to improve lives. Others are all targets.” Applying his new perspectives in life, he today only accepts movies that will impact lives. “People purchase because they connect with your values,” he said.
He spoke of his son Jaden’s obsession with saving the planet from plastic which resulted in Will’s work with his firm, ‘Just Water’ – water provided in a fully recyclable container, like a tetra pack. This is now his area of focus. Our “Intention is not to destroy the planet.”
His parting shot – Live life with a purpose, live by values.