Data may be the new oil but it's science & imagination that fuel advertising: Ogilvy UK boss

What is it about advertisements that convinces people to consume more goods and services? Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman, Ogilvy UK, says it’s science and a little imagination that does the trick. He cautions against an over-reliance on data to gauge consumer preference. “If all businesses look at the same data and deploy the same logical techniques, they will all become alike, which will destroy economic value,” he told a news magazine.

To address this blind spot, Sutherland set up a behavioural economics division at Ogilvy, where psychology graduates helped come up with successful campaigns that ran contrary opinions, but still managed to strike a chord. He also rejected the idea that advertising is empirical science without codified rules of engagement. “Finance, economics and other parts of the business world can draw on some form of science to make their case, but the language of marketing seems like astrology, only sounding reasonable if you talk to fellow believers. So, creating a common code or classification will be useful,” he said.