Ian Pearman, president for Asia at TBWA\Worldwide, on a visit to the TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno office in Manila, reveals what it means to be the disruption agency and what impresses him the most about TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno.
At the TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno office in Makati, Pearman was greeted by banners that read “Make the triangle sharp.” Pearman explains, “I think in our methodology, coming up with a really disruptive idea that punctures whatever the convention is. So our triangles can never be sharp enough. That’s part of our mission, just as it was when my predecessor’s: To keep looking for big constructive ideas that are going to create the big exponential value that are clients expect.”
Since assuming the leadership of TBWA APAC this August, Pearman has been touring the agency’s offices in the region. He shares, “The extremes of different cultures, it’s been amazing. I’m very relieved about is the quality of the people I’ve seen and the quality of the work they’re doing… It’s very reassuring to see how good it is. But there’s still stuff to be done and that’s exciting for me to be part of that process of getting to the next stage.”
Even as TBWA takes on the mantle of “The Disruption Agency,” some competitors have recast themselves as venture capitalists that provide creative services and artificial intelligence platforms. Pearman elucidates, “I don’t think our business model is going to change dramatically. We’re going to continue and try to be the primary trusted advisor for clients when it comes to communicating to consumers and motivate consumers. And I think the ways and the means might change, but that’s fundamental and you just have to adopt the new technologies to help them do that. The thing that will be consistent is making sure our agencies are consistently adopting those changes quickly enough and making sure we understand them as quickly as we can before our competition and we’re learning those for our clients. And that’s the thing I need to inculcate everywhere. There’s a lot of it here already which is fantastic.”
TBWA\Worldwide APAC president Ian Pearman confides to adobo magazine what impresses him most about TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno: “what I love about this agency is the energy. It’s just, the ability to keep winning, like they do. They keep getting better. It’s extraordinary. They don’t experience any of the boom and bust cycle that agencies do. They tend to go up and throw up. And I’m in awe of that and long may it continue. They’re just an incredibly positive group of people. The clients feel that and you can see it in the work. And that’s why I love coming here.”
Ian Pearman joined TBWA\Group Asia as Regional President, based in Singapore, effective August 1st of this year. Pearman joined AMV BBDO in 1996 as a graduate trainee, rising through the ranks to CEO in 2010. He has driven innovation, digital transformation and new services. The agency has topped the billings league for twenty years and over Pearman’s seven year CEO tenure AMV BBDO has won over 40 Agency of the Year awards, as well as a place in the top 40 ’Best Companies to Work For’ rankings. Andrew Robertson, President and CEO, BBDO Worldwide said: “TBWA has a succession need. Ian has been looking for his next big challenge. Both can be solved without either having to look outside. It’s a textbook case of how to manage and develop talent.”
Pearman’s arrival comes at an exciting time, as TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno under Melvin Mangada is leading the charge in the Philippines, having recently been named 2017’s top Digital Agency by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies (4A’s). Out of 358 international offices, TBWA\SMP is consistently the Philippines’ most-awarded agency in local, regional, and international festivals highlighting creative work and marketing communication. In addition to client-driven work, the agency has been making headlines through its “Creativity for Humanity” initiatives, generating awareness and raising millions in donations through projects such as ‘Dirty Water Color’ for ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation and ‘Correcting History,’ a campaign to update school textbooks to include the atrocities of Martial Law.
