CAREERS: D'Arcy poaches branding specialist from Scient

<p>As some ad agencies lose work to brand consultants, D'Arcy has </p><p>responded by poaching Shauna Li Roolvink, director of strategy at Scient </p><p>and a former associate director of strategy at Interbrand, Omnicom's </p><p>brand consultancy business. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Scient employed her to help some of its pharmaceutical clients develop </p><p>an online presence in China, while at Interbrand Roolvink handled </p><p>strategy for General Motors, Du Pont, Cerebos and StarHub. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>At D'Arcy, Singapore-based Roolvink is director business strategy, </p><p>working across the region on accounts such as Procter & Gamble, Bristol </p><p>Myers Squibb and Mars. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>D'Arcy hopes the move will ensure it gets involved in client business at </p><p>the early stages rather than coming in late in the process when </p><p>strategies are already implemented. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Most ad agencies come in on the communications level but now that we're </p><p>involved in brand consultancy we can come in at the business level," </p><p>said Jan Gerits, D'Arcy director of business development for </p><p>Asia-Pacific. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We want to walk away from being an ad agency and become an ideas </p><p>company that builds businesses and brands," he added. "Most ad agencies </p><p>rate highly when it comes to creativity but less so when it comes to </p><p>business building." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>As a consequence, many clients turn to brand consultants much to the </p><p>chagrin of ad agencies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>And brand consultants - unlike ad agencies - have an easier time getting </p><p>to the top of the totem pole, often working with the company managing </p><p>director or chief executive officer, while ad agencies work with the </p><p>marketing manager. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Kim Faulkner, managing director of Interbrand in Singapore, said ad </p><p>agencies in Asia like to think they are the client's brand </p><p>custodian. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But ad agencies are incapable of doing the work of brand consultants, </p><p>according to Faulkner. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>She said ad agencies focus on advertising, while brand consultants </p><p>examine all aspects of the client's business. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Focusing on internal brand management work can help ensure that whenever </p><p>a customer comes in contact with the brand - whether it be via the </p><p>company call centre, at store level and so on - it helps improve the </p><p>brand's image, she said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>To achieve this, brand consultants have to train client staff on how to </p><p>deal with customers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>