Reporting to Nitro Group global chairman and chief executive Chris Clarke, Cummins’ immediate task will be to develop the group’s Sydney operation into a fully-fledged agency, before concentrating on Asia and overseeing the recently established Tokyo office.
The role will also see Cummins take charge of the group’s existing operations in Melbourne, Brisbane and Shanghai, and lead the establishment of those in Mumbai and Dubai.
Cummins was unable to provide concrete details of strategy, explaining that his overall knowledge of the situation was limited. But he noted that Nitro would seek to facilitate growth largely through acquisition, pointing to purchases that have already included AdCom in Tokyo, and AKA in New York. “If we own a relationship with a client that can expand, that’s what gives us permission to expand,” said Cummins.
An agency source commented that the backing of global clients such as Volvo and Mars gave Nitro “a good base from which to develop” in the region. But another observer suggested that the agency would be prudent to focus on “progressive multinational” rather than local business. “The next challenge will be to stuff in more global clients. Nitro has a unique collaborative creative process, and it’s something clients are increasingly looking for,” said the source. “But they will need to select clients carefully.”
The source added that another major challenge in Asia would be attracting talent. “They won’t have the fat chequebooks of the holding companies, and they need to be choosy to find the right creative strategists that are open to an open concept model.”
Separately, Nitro’s AOR creative relationship with Mizuno China has ended.
