Born: Melbourne, Australia.
Worked in: Australia and Asia Pacific roles based out of Singapore and Hong Kong.
Name an innovative idea or business solution for which you
are most proud. PHD in Asia Pacific has been on an exciting journey of change over the past two years. In 2008, we were relatively unknown in the region. Today, we are winning major pitches like Unilever and HP, opening new offices, doing great awardwinning work and going from strength to strength. There have been a number of factors that have driven this change but the most impactful has been our agency wide push towards implementing a new innovative culture.
To futureproof the brand, two years ago, we re-engineered our culture to one more akin to that of an ideas company rather than a traditional media agency. We tore down walls, removed doors, made our offices open plan, injected music into the workspace, added in quirky architectural features and designed an environment that encourages free thinking,
inspiration, collaboration and innovation. It’s one thing to say that you are innovative, but
you have to show staff and clients that you actually live it.
Why do people see you as an innovator? Because I’m passionate about great ideas, creativity and change.
What role does innovation play in your marketing strategy today? PHD is a media business that has been built on a culture of thought leadership, creativity and most importantly, innovation.
At our core is a strong belief that innovative media ideas matter. In our hearts is a commitment to lead the industry with thought provoking opinion and innovative thinking. We believe that now is the most exciting time in the history of the communications business. Media, communications, entertainment, and related industries are experiencing rapid growth.
The traditional boundaries of the media and entertainment industry have also become meaningless. Today, almost every business and social activity is a form of media. An increasing proportion of our social interactions happen across media channels. Every organization is now a media entity, engaged in creating and disseminating messages among its staff, customers, and partners to achieve business objectives.
The current positioning of some media companies in a rapidly changing market means they are not experiencing this upside. They are caught in the old world of traditional planning and buying and noughts and crosses whilst others are doing fabulously well in tapping people’s almost insatiable desire for content and connection.
PHD is an agency that is thriving in this new environment. Our promise to all our clients is resolute—to always challenge ourselves to find a better way. Finding a better way is the modus operandi that manifests itself across everything we do.
- It’s about constantly looking for improved performance, seeking innovation and creating new ways of using media.
- It’s about having the right tools to deliver deep new thinking.
- It’s about exploring new opportunities.
- It’s about actively managing and learning.
- It’s about inspiration, creative thinking and surprising and delighting clients and consumers.
- It’s about challenging conventional thinking.
- It’s about making a difference.
So in a nutshell, innovation is central to our marketing strategy today.
What is the biggest challenge you face in applying innovative thinking to international projects? Convincing clients to be brave. It’s all about instilling confidence to do things in new and interesting ways.
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