Dentsu’s Chieko Ohuchi shows what female leadership can be in Japan
The recently appointed managing director of a prominent creative division has worked her way up and broken down barriers by demonstrating the results of her work.
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Female leaders in Japan: A journalist in the realm of brands (part two)
Oglivy Japan’s head of content discusses how brands can win people over by removing their ‘commercial’ hat, and why Japanese women often hold themselves back from career success.
Female leaders in Japan: A journalist in the realm of brands
For all the excitement around the potential for brands to be media companies in their own right, few journalists have made the transition to advertising agencies. We spoke to one who has.
If you want your agency to evolve, ask the right questions
Assuming that the incoming Trump administration doesn’t do anything too crazy, the top theme for agencies in Japan in 2017 will be internal transformation.
Japan can leave innovation to the rest of the world: Scott McNealy
Speaking at Ad:tech Tokyo, the Sun Microsystems co-founder had a sobering message for a country that still fails to give entrepreneurs the support they need.
What it’s like to be a foreign female creative in Japan (pretty good, actually)
Claudia Cristovao of AKQA discusses the unexpected advantages of miscommunication, digital’s “blind spot”, and what is needed to nurture female talent in Japan.
We're getting closer to being the most creatively driven agency: McCann's Wu
Nearly 18 months into his role as McCann's regional chief talent officer, Jean-Michel Wu spoke to Barry Lustig of Cormorant Group about the requirements of a position that is for the most part behind the scenes, and the most important challenges he faces.
Loewe's Aika Sawai on more liberating roles for women in Japan's luxury sector and the need for bold agencies
Loewe Japan's director of marketing and communications opens up on her move from agency to brand and the ongoing challenges of digital luxury experiences.
Veronica Phua: Agency founder turned foodie influencer
Known as "a passionate foodie" on Instagram, Phua has advice for working with influencers like herself—and choice words about hiring creatives for agencies that are known to "work them to death and spit them out".
An inside look at WPP Ventures: Opportunity favours the prepared
Tom Bedecarre, the Silicon Valley-based president of WPP Ventures, speaks candidly to Barry Lustig of Cormorant Group about the unit's mission and how it works with clients and entrepreneurs.
Creative technologists are not technologists unless they code: Party’s Qanta Shimizu
For this installment of Campaign Japan's series on creativity, Qanta Shimizu, the leader of Party New York and the agency’s chief technology officer, tells Barry Lustig why coding is essential and being Japanese is irrelevant.
Creativity in Japan: A perspective on dealing with change
Barry Lustig, managing partner of Cormorant Group KK, an Asia-Pacific focused brand and strategy consultancy, explains the thinking behind a new series in collaboration with Campaign Japan on the changing nature of Japanese creativity.
Dentsu's Jean Lin on her internet beginnings and the need for 'idea engineers'
The Dentsu executive officer explains how creative departments need to change to involve idea innovators and software engineers, and discusses her latest role.
It's easy to pretend you're a pro—but don't: Nobuhiro Nakaji
For this installment of our series on creativity in Japan, we take a step back from technology to speak to a passionate copywriter about where his craft fits into the modern world.
There's no substitute for getting out into the world: Akira Kagami
In the first of a series of interviews examining the changing nature of marketing creativity in Japan, we hear from someone who has shaped much of what we see today: Akira Kagami.
Where Dentsu's venturing
Dentsu's approach to venture capital points to significant cultural changes in one of the advertising industry's most complex organisations, writes Barry Lustig of Cormorant Group.
The OOH revolution will be digitised
In this interview conducted by Barry Lustig of Cormorant Group, Clear Media's Mark Thewlis speaks candidly about recent developments in the OOH industry in Asia as well as its challenges and opportunities.
Collaborate and iterate, otherwise stagnate
Barry Lustig, partner of Cormorant Group, argues that most companies are still not set up to enable real experimentation, with the result that new technologies often aren't given the chance to get off the ground.
The unpaved road of agency investing
In this guest post, Barry Lustig, partner of strategy consultancy Cormorant Group, interviews Rick Webb, co-founder of The Barbarian Group, on his views on communications agencies and their venture investments.
Dentsu sees biggest growth opportunity in the US: Tim Andree
The company's international supremo is charting an unsentimental, technology-centric course for an entity that wants to avoid becoming a “traditional holding company”.
No one wants to have a drink with you
Young people in Japan have profoundly different expectations than their managers as to what company life should be. We need to listen to them.
Rightsizing and you
If you’re worried about losing your job, consider what you can do to make yourself a more valuable asset. You’d be surprised how few people do.
Q&A: Media's central role at the Cool Japan Fund
The fund's managing director, Ken Matsumoto, explains how he hopes supporting international content and media properties will also help make Japan more competitive.
Advertising's 'big short'
As the climate change deniers of the marketing world, agency holding groups now have big bets stacked against them. They will survive and even prosper if they face up to reality and learn to evolve.
Making Japan work better for workers, and brands
Well-known economist and commenter Robert Feldman discusses macro issues that make Japan a difficult place to succeed for international brands and agencies, including the need to adapt strategy and the “prison without walls” of lifetime employment.
WPP: Don’t let the headlines scare you
The next six months promise to be unpleasant for WPP. However, it’s a great time for the future of WPP. (Both of these things can be true.)
Why Bain’s ADK buy is the most important story of 2017
And why the advertising industry should be optimistic about it.
Japan's future competitiveness: Castles made of sand?
Japanese marketers should revisit their fundamental assumptions about how they will compete and grow.
‘There should be no reproach for speaking up’
Female leaders in Japan: A bicultural communications leader applies her international experience to the Japanese workplace and the minefield of ‘going global’.
How’s your Japan strategy coming?
If Western agencies are serious about helping Japanese brands go international, they need to treat them with the respect they deserve.