The roll-out of Universal McCann (UM) across Asia-Pacific is almost
complete, following recent launches in China, Hong Kong and
Thailand.
McCann is among the last of the major agency networks to set up a
unified media brand; however, UM executive VP and worldwide operations
director Murray Dudgeon said in Hong Kong recently that this was "to
make sure we had a point of difference for our clients".
He told MEDIA that the agency had to ensure that its research and
analysis capabilities were up and running in each of the market in which
it planned to launch UM.
Added UM Hong Kong general manager Roid Sin, "Putting in place the
processes and then getting the right people and training them to make
them knowledgeable about the processes takes time."
However, Mr Dudgeon stressed that UM did not represent an unbundling of
media from the main agency.
"Media must be totally integrated into the planning business. Media must
be close to the agency and sit at the forefront of the planning
process.
That means you need the creative team and the account handlers close
by," he said.
Other Asia-Pacific markets UM has already launched in are Malaysia,
Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, India and the Philippines. Japan will launch
by before the end of the year.
Thailand was one of the more recent countries that UM has launched in,
with tailor-made media tools all developed especially for that
market.
These include interactive media, public relations, experiential
marketing, market research and event management.
The local management team is headed by MD Sakda Preechawipat, who said
UM has been conceived differently compared to unbundled media
operations.
"Universal McCann will give new meaning to media by ensuring its role at
the forefront of the communication planning process and campaign
development in Thailand," Mr Sakda said.
He added that UM raised the importance of media and its contribution to
effective advertising.
"The local resource and structure has been developed to promote more
potent communication solutions facilitated by 'holy grail' media tools
and tighter integration with core strategic and creative disciplines
within the main agency."
Echoing Mr Dudgeon's comment, Mr Sakda said UM is not a media
separation, but an elevation of media products built on client needs to
provide greater optimisation of message and channel integration. The
company has also launched Next Generation Media Practice, which aims to
monitor Thai consumer's relationship with media.
This required commissioning the largest single piece of media research
ever conducted by Media In Mind advertising agency.
Mr Sakda said the proprietary study would allow UM media professionals
to glean new insights into the way Thai consumers view media and the way
in which their attention and receptivity to media changes across the
day.
According to Mr Dudgeon, UM's worldwide billings totals US$15.2
billion, with Asia-Pacific accounting for US$2 billion of that
figure.
