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 What are interviews with the great and the good meant to accomplish?
In our view, there are several levels on which a profile of Significant Figures can work: an announcement on thought or action by a leader in a field; an insight into their methods; or a softer look at their background and upbringing.
(For an example of the last two, today’s National carries an interesting – if perhaps somewhat cuddly – profile of Menacom boss Joe Ghossoub , which is worth a read.)
Alternatively, a profile can spout a right load of old tosh – as is the case with Arabian Business’s “exclusive” (aka “once a year”) interview with Kevin Roberts, global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi.
AB was kind enough to preview
the article last week, presumably in the hope of drumming up the odd extra sale. At the time we commented that we hoped there was rather more in the full interview than in the short sneak-peak.
Yeah, well, that didn’t really happen.
In fact, last week’s preview was rather more interesting than the final piece, containing as it did what we in journalism call “the best bits” – in this case, predictions of global societal apocalypse for next year that sound more suited to a new Roland Emmerich
movie.
But in this week’s full interview, aside from the forthcoming Armageddon, Roberts the renegade, the rule-breaker, the maverick manages to be Roberts the repetitive.
Lynx awards a sham? Check.
Bankers getting it wrong? Check.
Politicians are liars? Check.
Brands need to differentiate themselves? Check.
Free stuff online is bad business? Check.
Er... and that’s it. The end. Khalas. Finito. Thank you and good night.
So for controversy, we’re left with Roberts’ assertions that with “70 million unemployed” in the world, we’re going to be facing the breakdown of Known Society.
(We really hope he means 70 million ADDITIONAL unemployed – although that’s not the way it comes across in the interview – as one worst-case scenario posited in January
is 230 million out of work around the world, up from 179 million in 2007.)
Frankly, this is utter bollocks (we hope it is, anyway) – especially coming from someone who, at the end of the day, sells advertising. No offence to all you wonderful ad people out there, but we do have to break it to you: being an Ad Man does not give you a magical inside track into the hidden depths of sociology – it just means you can make people want another can of Pepsi.
There’s also precious little discussion about the Middle East, or even just Dubai – normally a safe topic for visiting bigwigs, many (but not all) of whom will not have ventured further than the chauffeur-driven car and the high-end hotel.
This is perhaps more forgivable, in that when a journalist has a global-stature subject in the interview chair, it’s natural to talk about all those big, juicy issues, rather than the often-parochial matters of this small, sandy region (although your correspondent does not personally subscribe to this view).
But instead, in the hour-long interview, and the 1800-word article which followed, interviewer Anil Bhoyrul managed only to pry the economic-collapse claptrap from Roberts, along with assorted warmed-over statements we’ve now heard too many times before.
We’re just surprised he didn’t trot out the “it’s important to keep advertising during a recession” line.
Anyway, it’s all rather a shame, considering that, 1800 words later, we’ve not really learned anything new from a man who, ultimately, appears to be pretty good at his job. All a bit pointless, really.
Perhaps the best line – certainly the most revealing – comes right at the end.
Bhoyrul writes: “An hour into the conversation, it is time to go – though it seems that Roberts is only just getting into his stride. He has given many views on how to change and save the world, and who is to blame. Just after I turn the tape recorder off, I ask him why he hasn't ever gone into politics.
“He looks at me with a sheepish grin: ‘I like power without accountability.’”
Hey, at least he’s honest.
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