Cash in on creativity in the workplace: PrintEx Forums

Workplaces and individuals should not fear, but embrace creativity, according to Todd Sampson. Printers, that includes you, too.

The second PrintEx forum drew an even stronger crowd than yesterday’s session which was specifically print-related, perhaps proving that the industry is full of creative types. Spotted amongst the crowd were Ken Bishop, CEO of the Catalogue Association; Joan Grace, CEO of PrintNZ; Livio Barbagallo, managing director of Muller Martini; Susan Heaney, president of Printing Industries and Ian Martin of both Ferag and GAMAA.

Sampson (pictured) gave the advice that anyone slightly right-leaning would hate to hear by encouraging people to pursue more creative endeavours. “As a kid, I was actively discouraged from the arts – my parents thought studying arts would be a road to nowhere,” he said. “I now know that is absolutely false.”

As the CEO of advertising agency, Leo Burnett, and regular on TV program, The Gruen Transfer, he is proof that creativity can pay off, and encouraged other organisations to think the same.

“Companies run by fear never succeed. They have an obligation to sponsor and encourage creativity in others,” he said. “It’s also good for profit.”

One sub-editor from Fairfax was quick to tell Sampson that there is “a lot of fear” in the company with people worried about losing their jobs. Sampson, however, sees a strong future for the medium.

“I think print media will stay forever, but its role will change,” he said. “The major issue for newspapers is that they pretend they don’t see it [digital] coming.”

He predicts that sites such as Facebook and Twitter will have changed in five years’ time and perhaps not even exist, but the patterns that they created will remain. “The infrastructure and network will stay,” he said.

When asked by one member of the printing industry how to promote its environmental credentials to a wider audience, Sampson was evasive. “That would be a very expensive thing for me to answer,” he said.