COLOGNE – Data alone isn’t the answer to better ads. Creativity, insight and relevance still reign, says Amir Kassaei, IBC Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide, in an interview with Ashley J. Swartz, CEO of Furious Minds, at DMEXCO last month.

The problem with data is that it’s not always used to foster value, he says. Data is a tool, and needs to be used to help create relevance for a brand.

“You can use data to create the right insight but you have to connect the dots. Creativity is solving a business problem by using the right tools to come up with an innovative idea. It’s not about the technology,” he says, in delivering a tough contrarian point of view that runs counter to automated ad decisioning in vogue today.  “You want to use the technology as a tool to generate the right insight and start the creative process.”

After all, algorithms don’t move people, nor do they have emotional value. That’s what brands still need to elicit in order to connect with consumers, he says.