Ogilvy creates cross-discipline social media practice

Social media was previously a specialist offering with Ogilvy Public Relations only. However, the network has made the move to create a cross-discipline team, made up of members from all parts of the Ogilvy organisation.

The practice will be led by John Bell as global managing director of Social@Ogilvy. Hong Kong-based Thomas Crampton (pictured) is also part of the leadership group, named a director of the unit in Asia-Pacific. 

“Now, no matter which door clients walk through at Ogilvy, they will connect with the Social@Ogilvy team to deliver agile and measurable solutions," Bell said. "That’s access to social experts deep in every marketing and communications discipline."

Bell noted that Ogilvy has been working hard to apply a "best practice" use of social media to its clients. "The real power of social media for business in 2012 and beyond lies in fully integrated solutions, not stand-alone social programmes.”

The practice consists of 550 social-media experts from around the world, with further access to 4000 digital marketing specialists. It is headquartered in New York, but Paul Heath, chief executive officer of Ogilvy & Mather Asia-Pacific, expects the unit will do plenty of work in Asia-Pacific, where it will work in 23 cities across 15 territories.

“The demand for world-class digital and social media solutions across Asia-Pacific is growing rapidly," he said. "Social media has been the fastest growing discipline over the last two years. Social@Ogilvy brings our social media specialists from all disciplines into an integrated team that supports clients at every stage of the game.”