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“I enjoy it immensely!”
Michael Maedel’s not referring to the snowy slopes of Lebanon, where he chaired the jury for the fourth Mena Cristals, although he is a passionate skier. Oddly enough, he’s talking about the global economic downturn, which has been rocking the advertising industry for  more than six months now.
 

Apparently, he’s not just trying to spur controversy with a contrarian comment. A former Young & Rubicam man (until he joined JWT in 1990), Maedel, a tall, slender 59-year-old Austrian, became JWT’s president in 2003.
 

The man has gentle manners, but he’s also strongly opinionated. And after more than 30 successful years in the business, he can afford to be. Take his opinion on the recession: Maedel sees the bad economy as an opportunity for advertisers to go back to basics and reassert their core principles. “Our business is simple,” he says. “It’s all about people getting together to create ideas. And it’s just fun. But, recently, we tended to move away from the core.”

BEWARE THE BORE. With an ever-increasing number of innovative technologies at people’s disposal, new channels have opened that have put the consumer in control. This much we knew. But Maedel says some things haven’t ever changed – and never will.
 

“What hasn’t changed is the idea and its power,” he says. “This idea can be communicated in different ways, but it is very significant that some 40-year-old commercials still have enduring values.” In other words, with consumers being more vigilant and demanding – and, most importantly, being able for the first time in history to avoid and even spoof advertising messages – “We have to be careful not to give in to global uniformity, as people are becoming very savvy in deciphering commercials.”
 

“Besides,” he adds, “it’s boring.”
 
In that regard, Maedel looks at the regional ad landscape and warns of the risk of conformism in the guise of modernity. “Part of our craft is to be embedded in a cultural environment,” he says. “Advertising is a part of a country’s culture. It reflects people’s feelings, emotions and values. How can we make sure that part of our image is reflected in our communication? It requires a certain level of courage.”
 

Presiding over a competition such as the MENA Cristals gave Maedel a window through which to observe the region’s potential. “Some of the work is very impressive,” he says. Nevertheless, he expects more. “We must never forget that it’s a journey.”
 

Referring to the fact that several categories weren’t awarded Grand Cristals this year, he says, “It’s right to be dissatisfied and not to give certain awards. The bar has been raised and it will be even higher next year. It never ends.”
 
Advocating permanent self-criticism, Maedel says the mantra that “ideas matter” is truer than ever in these challenging times. “An idea in which value can be demonstrated to the client, that will engage the public, is never ditched,” he says. “And the scarcity of means helps the quality of ideas, as [otherwise] there’s always a risk of compensating a lack of ideas by splashing money.”

BACK TO THE FUTURE. “We must keep in mind that one day [the crisis] will be over, and that’s what should determine the behavior of companies,” he says. “Either they give in to the gloom or they see this as an opportunity.” It’s true, however, that clients will be more critical in how their money is spent, more focused on return on investment, and on their brand activation. They may also start thinking in terms of months instead of years.
 
Still, he says, “Ideas don’t cost money. The best ideas will prevail. Most importantly, we should keep the intent, the belief that we can do it. Besides, clients will look for stability in their agency partners, so agencies will have to be rounded, with a solid platform. But people will still eat and drink and look for a better life.” There will always be work for smart advertisers, in other words.
 

Maedel’s presentation at the MENA Cristals included “Ten trends that could provide the seeds for a silver lining and shape 2009.” Several themes recurred, all designed to better engage consumers in the current context. For example, Maedel says that in times of “recessionary living, families spend more time on low-cost media, so marketers will have to sell categories as well as brands.”
 

Yet, with everybody now able to become a content creator, cost is no longer an issue. Great content allied to smart distribution can be extremely effective, as proven by the Obama “Yes we can” Internet campaign, viewed by 25 million people in under a year.
 

“In 2009, scarcity is in the eye of the beholder,” adds Maedel, explaining his “Luxyoury” concept, which is based on the need to offer consumers a luxurious personal experience. He also stresses the fact that, “Mobile devices are the everything hub. Sales of smart phones are expected to more than triple by 2012. Marketers must learn this lesson.”
 

Marketers should also acknowledge the fact that authenticity matters. “Consumers have lost a great deal of trust in brands, so they must return to simple, straightforward values,” he says. Morever, advocating a concept he calls “Feedback 3.0,” Maedel pushes for use of the Internet as a way for companies to respond to consumers. “It began with Web sites, then with the possibility to post suggestions,” he says. “Today, marketing departments must own and respond to these
complaints, instead of storing them in some back room.” 
 

In a world smaller and more connected than it used to be, a redistribution of power must be recognized. “Good ideas can come from anywhere and get to anyone,” he says. “We must design a net to catch them.” All in all, Maedel hopes that many will realize that 2009 can be an excellent year for those who care about consumers.
 

It is also a good time to innovate. “Consumers question what really makes them happy, so they’ll switch to different consumption models,” he says. “Anyone who can help them will be guaranteed success. As a great man [Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Art Buchwald] once said, ‘Whether these are the best of times or the worst of times, they’re the only times we’ve got.’”

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