Once thought of as an odd pairing, creativity and technology are two forces that are now inexorably linked as more and more agency leaders and brands look to push the envelope in the race to win over the digital consumer. The confluence of emerging technologies from the worlds of social, mobile, video and more are making it possible to launch breakthrough brand activations that have simply never been imaginable before.

Earlier this year, BBDO and Microsoft joined forces to pursue a global research study to understand what factors really prompt consumers to discover, engage with and act after being exposed to advertising. The results of this effort were shared on Microsoft's Advertising Week main stage in New York City under the title "What Moves You?" by Natasha Hritzuk, Senior Director of Global Insights from Microsoft Advertising and Simon Bond, Global CMO of BBDO Worldwide.

What really drives consumers to use certain branded mobile apps or websites? That is one of the key questions that brands and marketers are clamoring to answer as they pull together their strategies for attacking the immense opportunity that mobile represents for reaching and engaging today's and tomorrow's consumers. It's also one of the key questions that drove BBDO and AOL to join forces to undertake an unprecedented research study to better understand consumer behavior around the alway on, always on you smartphone.

Spikes Asia 2012, Asia's creative advertising festival and awards show held in Singapore, has just wrapped up recognizing the year's best efforts in creativity and commercial content from some of the world's fastest growing ad markets. BBDO and Proximity was there in full force, both to present thought-provoking keynote insights to help advance the industry overall and to be recognized for client work from markets across the region.