Q&A with Lindsey Clay, CEO, Thinkbox

Funded by the commercial TV companies in the UK, Thinkbox is the marketing body for commercial TV in all its forms and on every screen.  Thinkbox works with the marketing community with a single ambition: to help advertisers and agencies get the best out of today’s TV. 

Prior to Thinkbox, Lindsey had roles at advertising agencies including McCann Erickson and J Walter Thompson, working on some of the industry’s biggest clients and most famous TV-advertised brands.

Her other responsibilities include being the Non-Executive Director at Somethin’ Else, a Director of the British Arrows Awards, Trustee of the Rank Foundation, Fellow of the Marketing Society, member of MGGB and recent President of Women In Advertising and Communications.

Lindsey will be joining us at Inspiring Results on November 8 to discuss Profit Ability.  For the first time, Profit Ability’ has quantified the total volume of profit generated by different forms of advertising in the UK, to show what each form delivers to the bottom line. In addition, Profit Ability also provides guidance on the likelihood of returns of different types media investments.

What’s involved during a typical day for you in your role as CEO of Thinkbox?

“Lots of ings: championing, challenging, myth-busting, presenting, collaborating, celebrating, planning, deciphering, listing. Also crow-barring (see below).”

You’ve worked with some brilliant brands. What has been your stand out favourite campaign to work on and why?

“I loved working on the Nestle Rowntree business: helping to create iconic campaigns for Kit Kat, Rolo, Polo, After Eight, Smarties and Yorkie was brilliant fun. But seeing the impact of our Thinkbox Harvey campaign was the best. Seeing for myself as a client the awesome power of a popular TV ad was inspiring. The crowning glory was when it was voted ad of the year by ITV viewers.”

What part of the process do you enjoy the most?

“Creativity and storytelling of every sort. And the moment the TV ad campaign is signed off and you know success is around the corner.”

How has the explosion of digital technology impacted marketers?

“It gives us the best of both worlds. TV advertising is, as ever, a handy example. It offers mass reach and personalisation; short-term sales and sustained profitability; live and on-demand; shared experience and solo indulgence. Yin and yang. There have been some negatives too, however. The over-emphasis on short-term tactics driven by online advertising has seen overall effectiveness drop like a stone. We’ve also seen rampant fraud and deceit injected into advertising’s bloodstream. But this can be rectified if we want it to be.”

What keeps you inspired?

“Blockchain. Sorry, I meant TV: hours of daily inspiration whenever and wherever we want it.”

If you could give your 16-year-old self one piece of career advice, what would it be?

“Speak up. And never get a perm.”

Check out Lindsey’s work and latest campaigns here.

Sign up for Inspiring Results here.