ASIA-PACIFIC Interpublic Group has identified a regional head for the Draft FCB network, according to the agency's chief, Howard Draft.
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The appointment will see a regional structure return to the IPG siblings, Draft said, describing last year's Centres of Excellence structure as "history". While Draft's existing presence in Asia is minimal, increased investment in senior talent is on the cards to give FCB the necessary below-the-line expertise for a fully-integrated offering.
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"I believe in spending money to make money," he noted, adding that Draft FCB would appoint its Asia-Pacific head from within the network in coming weeks. "We are creating a culture where there's no above-the-line, no below-the-line, no offline. Strategy and planning will drive the solution for the client, while the consumer will be in control of the experience."
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Draft added that the agency was seeking to set up a university training centre in India. "I'm thinking of spending millions of dollars in India just to create a university to train people and then I'm going to move people through it. If I don't train the right people, I have no chance at success and there has to be a process to the training," he said.
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Michael Roth, IPG chairman, noted that the holding company — which recorded a Q1 operating loss of £90 million (US$164 million), compared with a loss of £85.5 million for the same period last year — was seeking to strengthen its media offering in Asia.
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"Our media offering is what we are addressing right now. We are adding new talent to take charge of growth opportunities," he said. "I wouldn't say that we have an open cheque-book, but we certainly see (acquisition) opportunities in China and India."
