SINGAPORE: Young & Rubicam is integrating the leadership of DY&R
and Impiric in the Asia-Pacific region in a bid to increase its
competitive advantage by offering integrated solutions to clients.
Arun Nanda, chairman of Rediffusion DY&R in India, and Yasuo Yoshitome,
co-chairman of DY&R Asia, have been named co-chairmen of the new
entity.
Nanda said that the time had come for the two agencies to work in a more
co-ordinated fashion above and below- the-line.
"It's a total communications issue; which arm of the octopus are we
going to recommend - DM, internet, television, print, PR or a
combination of these - to deliver the most-effective solutions to our
clients," said Nanda.
Details of how the two WPP networks would be integrated have yet to be
announced, however, Nanda said that there weren't any plans for
redundancies.
"We want to keep all the people but we must make sure that we go out
there and gain new business."
Peter Steigrad, chairman of DY&R Asia-Pacific, and Wolfgang Haf,
chairman of Impiric Asia, will both continue as heads of their
respective agencies, but they will now report to the integrated regional
operation.
Singapore will remain the Asia headquarters, but Nanda will continue to
be based in Mumbai.