YEAR-END REVIEW: When bigger really is better

<p>It's a year many would sooner forget, but 2001 may well mark a </p><p>turning point for agency executives. A year when a promising career path </p><p>mattered more than the size of a compensation package. Alicia Kan looks </p><p>at the highs and lows of life in agencies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>How has the year been for advertising executives? In a word, rough. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Have agencies changed and adapted to what has been a Sod's Law year </p><p>marked by a technology slowdown, a global slump, dwindling advertising </p><p>revenues, salary cuts, redundancies, a terrorist attack on the US and a </p><p>war in central Asia? </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Some have, but most are still feeling their way. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Media's year-end ad agency survey polled more than 2,500 advertising </p><p>executives region-wide on a wide range of issues, from job satisfaction </p><p>to their opinions on how well their respective agencies were riding out </p><p>the storm. It also asked them to rank the top five agencies in terms of </p><p>creative reputation, account servicing and the company they would most </p><p>like to work for. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The survey, conducted online by Asia Market Intelligence, drew a </p><p>response rate of 12.5 per cent. The most significant findings drawn from </p><p>the answers of 320 individuals who completed the poll are certainly </p><p>compelling. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Nine out of 10 feel it is important to belong to a global network. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>One head of an advertising agency recently remarked that the world would </p><p>belong to the very big or the very small, and advertising executives are </p><p>feeling this point of differentiation quite keenly. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The merger and acquisition flurry in recent years has resulted in six </p><p>powerful global players: the WPP Group, the Omnicom Group, the </p><p>Interpublic Group of Companies, Publicis Groupe SA, Havas Advertising </p><p>and Dentsu. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Being a member of the "big six" makes sense: consolidated resources </p><p>means a more widespread network to ride out rough seas when times get </p><p>tough - although this year has been exceptional with just about every </p><p>economy hitting the rocks - and better benefits for global clients. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The M&A dance has slowed down for the moment, replaced by profit </p><p>warnings right and left. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Zenith Optimedia predicts an advertising recovery will start in 2002, </p><p>but world advertising spending is still tipped to fall 1.3 per cent next </p><p>year. In the US, where acquisitions have been taking place until </p><p>recently, Zenith says it sees a fall of 3.5 per cent in 2002. Full </p><p>recovery in the sector will only be felt in the fourth quarter. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Despite dwindling revenues and shrinking staff payrolls around the </p><p>world, Asian advertising executives are confident in the long-term </p><p>benefits of belonging to a global network. Interestingly, 85 per cent of </p><p>those who have worked at their present agencies seven years or longer - </p><p>and they make up the second biggest group among the respondents - are </p><p>most vocal about the advantages of being part of a worldwide player. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The first two years of an executive's worklife are critical in deciding </p><p>whether he or she stays or leaves. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>More than half of the respondents - 51 per cent - have worked at their </p><p>respective agencies for two years or less. The next biggest group at 18 </p><p>per cent are respondents who have been faithfully working for the same </p><p>agency for seven years or more. The two-year period is a time of </p><p>soul-searching for a new advertising executive; do they treat me well, </p><p>do I have a future here, do I like my job are the questions that </p><p>regularly cross their minds. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The fact that the second-biggest number of respondents are seven-year </p><p>veterans belies the common impression that the revolving door syndrome </p><p>is rife in agency circles. Yes, some agency people may well flit around </p><p>like flies looking for the best deal, but it appears that only two out </p><p>of 10 are seriously thinking of leaving their agencies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Surprisingly, despite the prevailing belief, the main reason for walking </p><p>out is not money or long hours worked, but career development. If there </p><p>is a message in this, all agencies had better do more than simply </p><p>mouthing on about training. They had better start nurturing young </p><p>talent, training them, treating them better, and motivating them. More </p><p>than money, these are the factors that will secure staff commitment and </p><p>loyalty. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>One agency that has been moving in this direction is Leo Burnett. For </p><p>the past three years, Burnett has been conducting an in-house survey </p><p>globally called the Agency Climate Survey. Asia regional human resources </p><p>director Nadia Pan says media's findings bear out what Burnett has found </p><p>in its poll. "Our employees' issues with the agency are not about </p><p>money," Pan says. "They're more concerned about training and </p><p>development. They want leadership and communication." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Burnett now allocates a specific portion of payroll for training, which </p><p>is a combination of in-house and external programmes. Pan says there has </p><p>been a strong trend towards job satisfaction, with the renewed emphasis </p><p>on training and development. Agencies within the network which score </p><p>highly in Burnett's poll also tend to enjoy sustainable success - both </p><p>financially and creatively - in the long term. "They may not get the </p><p>highest revenues, but their performance is consistent," Pan says. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Communication and transparency make a huge difference as well. CIA </p><p>managing director Charles Brian-Boys recalls asking in all the agency's </p><p>staff into the conference room to show them that the latest business </p><p>figures were considerably down. "They had three choices: make the </p><p>necessary redundancies, look at closing down the business or everyone </p><p>gets a 20 per cent pay cut but we all retain our jobs." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The last option got the overwhelming vote. "It's a strong bond we have </p><p>here," he says. "The economic situation has pulled everyone together in </p><p>our agency; people here act more like a family." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Despite longer working hours and less staff, agency people still believe </p><p>their senior management has done well under the circumstances. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Only one out of 10 respondents think their senior management's </p><p>performance has been poor in today's harsh climate. Having said that, a </p><p>possible bias may exist as the respondents are survivors of the </p><p>inevitable redundancies plaguing the region as much as it is impacting </p><p>the rest of the world. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Seven out of 10 expressed confidence in senior management's ability to </p><p>take their companies through the current crisis. The same number believe </p><p>that despite the dire situation, their employers have still provided an </p><p>environment that fosters creativity. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Bartle Bogle Hegarty's creative director, Steve Elrick, says: "Our </p><p>people can see that a tight-knit unit like ours is all heading in the </p><p>same direction - that everyone, whichever department, is respected for </p><p>their ability to contribute to creativity. And people also see us </p><p>standing firm on the value of creative work - like our refusal to </p><p>present creative work at pitches; as though serious insight into brands </p><p>and great creative work can be conjured up in a couple of weeks. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"I've had many other agency people applaud us on this. They say 'I wish </p><p>we could do that.' I usually reply, you can. Grow some balls." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>When it comes to best practices, Elrick says the best creative people </p><p>are self-motivated. "All I hope I have done is give the teams the </p><p>environment in which they trust myself and the other people in the room </p><p>to choose and fight for the best work devoid of politics or any other </p><p>factor," he says. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Training and development is a no-brainer. "We try to have fun together. </p><p>Doesn't it just appear that a lot of agencies are depressingly serious </p><p>and bland? We've also tried to give our people a little wider scope too </p><p>- we've asked them to look outside advertising for inspiration. Sent </p><p>them on courses that have nothing to do with ads," says Elrick. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Despite what's happening, advertising is still the career for most </p><p>respondents. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The survey shows two out of 10 plan to leave the industry altogether in </p><p>the next 12 months. Six out of 10 intend to stay - job cuts and salary </p><p>cuts and longer hours notwithstanding. Hong Kong 4As chairman Jeffrey Yu </p><p>has said that ad executives need a passion for advertising. The fire is </p><p>still there, but it helps that agencies are working furiously at stoking </p><p>the passion by developing their staff and providing the appropriate </p><p>environment for growth. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Getting the right heads (of divisions) is pretty damn important," says </p><p>Ogilvy & Mather vice-chairman Tim Isaac. "We also care about awards - </p><p>it's at the heart of what we do." Isaac says the human resources </p><p>function had never before existed in ad agencies, but O&M is consciously </p><p>upgrading, advising and training staff. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>How does he manage to keep communications flowing when the agency has </p><p>grown so huge? Isaac says management does its best to keep </p><p>connected. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"I write up a chatty email to everyone in the agency, with little </p><p>anecdotes. It's tough, but we need to keep the communication channels </p><p>constantly open. And there's room for improvement. We're aware of how </p><p>we're not doing it well enough." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Which agencies do ad executives rate most highly? </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ogilvy & Mather's formidable reputation continues to precede it. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The network trounced rivals, topping media year-end measurement of the </p><p>creative and account servicing reputation of ad agencies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Naturally, this made O&M the it agency again in this year's poll. The </p><p>majority of respondents all want to work for the agency, which is lead </p><p>by regional chairman Miles Young, media's choice for its new Agency Head </p><p>of the Year award. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The sheer strength of O&M's creative and account servicing muscle meant </p><p>that the fight was really for second place. BBDO and J. Walter Thompson </p><p>were respectively honoured in second place for their creative and </p><p>account servicing reputation respectively. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In the mixed bag of media and ad agencies that respondents would most </p><p>like to work for, O&M was followed closely by MindShare in second place, </p><p>Leo Burnett in third, Zenith Media in fourth and Bartle Bogle Hegarty in </p><p>fifth. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The online poll went to 2,569 employees spread across more than 500 </p><p>advertising and media agency offices in Asia. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In all, 320 completed questionnaire forms, or 12.5 per cent of the </p><p>total, were returned to Asia Market Intelligence, which conducted the </p><p>poll. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>According to AMI, no more than seven per cent of completed </p><p>questionnaires came from one particular agency. More than 60 per cent of </p><p>votes for the top agency came from employees outside of the top five </p><p>agencies in the three ranking categories. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The results of the survey show the attitudes towards advertising </p><p>agencies among those who work in the industry. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>