South Africa, March 27 -- With data now a standard consideration before, during and after campaigns, I'm starting to wonder if we've chased campaign precision, perfect placement and pivot tables at the expense of original creativity. We've optimised and fine-tuned our campaigns into perfectly targeted, totally forgettable experiences. No memorable hook, no lingering thought, no well-crafted story to deliver a message.

Marketing was never meant to be an exclusive numbers game. Yes, I love a good cost-per-thousand rate as much as the next strategist, but the ads that changed my life didn't come from dashboards - they came from stories. Think Coca-Cola, Cadbury and VW. When the creative lands, it really hits. It provides talkability, longev...