Creating passion to engage versus enrage consumer co‐creators with agency co‐conspirators: unleashing creativity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a perspective on how new interactive media trends affect the creative process in agencies and engage consumers as co‐creators, based on recently published research and observation. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews, participant observation, and secondary analysis of recently published qualitative and quantitative research (1996‐2008) by the author and leading scholars in the field is used in this offering. A review of emerging trends and conceptual thinking in this area prompts the suggested perspective along with an empirical longitudinal global study on what drives creativity in advertising ADCRISP©. Findings – This contribution illustrates examples of how a passionate approach drives creativity and change for an iconic brand. Ethnographic methods are suggested for reconnecting with changing consumers and environments. This viewpoint recognizes the potential of engaging the consumer and unleashing creativity while pointing out potential pitfalls of misplaced marketing and misdirected creativity. Originality/value – This paper offers a creative viewpoint and a practical direction on how agencies might be more appropriate in engaging the target consumer. The consumer participates as co‐creator and impacts the agency‐client‐consumer creative development process.