Broadbent, currently director of UK evaluation brand consultancy BrandCon, will be based in Beijing. As the only person to have won two Grand Prix and a gold award at the IPA Effectiveness Awards, along with establishing industry effectiveness schemes in four European markets, Broadbent's arrival gives the WPP network new heft in driving accountability and ROI.
"Tim Broadbent's task is to give some rigour to what we already do in order to grow the business," said Ogilvy & Mather Advertising regional president Paul Heath. "In turn, this will deepen our client relationships as we become more accountable for what we do."
Broadbent's appointment is believed to be the first of its kind in Asia, where agencies are highly aware of the critical importance of linking advertising to sales results.
"As David Ogilvy has said, 'the purpose of advertising is to sell'," said Broadbent. "It has no other justification worth mentioning. Advertising's effects in the market can be isolated and evaluated with surprising precision."
Broadbent's remit is broad, across all Ogilvy offices in Asia-Pacific. He is charged with measuring the impact of work on the brand as well as more tangible effects, including traffic, sales and requests, in a bid to drive shared remuneration models such as payment by results (PBR).
Prior to joining BrandCon, Broadbent held senior strategic and planning roles and several global agencies, including chief strategic officer at Bates EMEA, and planning director/managing partner at Young & Rubicam.
