With a new regional managing director at its helm, BBDO
Asia-Pacific is gunning for the top by "building up the highest calibre
of professionals in line with revenue growth".
Mr Peter Wilken, previously head of Leo Burnett Malaysia and now charged
with leading the region for BBDO, said the intention was to "build
sensibly - in line with revenue, not ahead of it".
The agency had launched a bold initiative in 1998 with the creation of
'The Hub' as a boutique of top-flight professionals brought in primarily
on a project and needs basis, only to shut it down a year later.
Now, Mr Wilken said, expansion is back on the cards, but resources will
be invested in key strategic partnerships determined by the needs of its
client base.
"The network will be sensibly expanded and built around client needs,
rather than simply for the sake of putting dots on maps," he told
MEDIA.
"In other words, (expansion) will be needs versus
opportunity-driven ... We need to be sure we are fighting at the right
weight."
BBDO will focus on strengthening its capabilities in key hubs such as
Singapore, which is headed by Mr Arto Hampartsoumian.
But before any grand plans are put into motion, the network intends to
concentrate on training its staff.
"Training, especially in North Asia, is absolutely key," said Mr
Wilken.
"As an industry, we pay lip service to training, and then wonder why
management consultants earn three to four times what we do - but look at
what they invest in training as a proportion to their revenue.
"It's at least 10 to 12 times more than what (the advertising industry)
does."
The end result is this: with other industries, such as management
consultancy, offering better training and higher pay, the ad industry is
seeing the already shallow talent pool evaporating at a rate of
knots.
"We are at severe risk of losing our attractiveness as a career prospect
- what happened with the dotcoms was a rude wake-up call," Mr Wilken
said.
"Savvy young people in Asia have much more alluring career options than
advertising to consider."
The region's first 'BBDO University' started in Bangkok, and focused
primarily on brand management.
The curriculum is modularised, with case studies brought in and
presented by the network's key people from around the world.
The schedule of programmes will cover everything from basic
communication strategies upwards.
"(Starting from the basics) is absolutely fundamental to success in our
business; these are areas which too many agencies usually sweep under
the carpet," said Mr Wilken.
It will be left to each of BBDO's country heads to tailor individual
programmes for their staff, with two regional training events scheduled
to take place annually.
"A significant proportion of our revenue will be ploughed back into
improving our skill and knowledge bases," he said.
BBDO's credo is simple: "The work, the work, the work", and Mr Wilken
said that with this in place, there was "no need to do any more
visioning".
"Now we need to focus on how we can deliver that promise. (Former
regional head) Chris Jaques had excellent taste in creatives - we now
have terrific, high profile creative talent of world class in place," he
said.
"... It is easy for vision statements to be meaningless mush. If, under
my remit, we become the best executors of the BBDO credo, that's
great ...
"The proof will be in the eating; everyone spouts words, but the
rallying cry for BBDO will have to be 'deeds, not words'."
