R/GA Singapore: Living the Future

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SINGAPORE, AUGUST 24, 2011: Here is a question for businesses choosing to expand beyond your home borders. Do you create an outpost or an embassy?

That question arose when R/GA chose Singapore as its pivot for two vast continents—Asia and Africa. An outpost draws its strengths from its own location whereas an embassy draws strength from its identity.

A core of seasoned R/GA veterans helps transplant and reinforce the culture that has made R/GA one of the fastest growing agencies, while newly hired local talent, which would be at home in any R/GA global office, keeps the agency anchored in the nuances of the markets to be served.

R/GA, anointed the Digital Agency of the Decade by Adweek, has a history of re-inventing itself every nine years, thus helping align its business with key technology changes, which seem to change every decade.

Bob Greenberg, chairman, CEO, and global chief creative officer, and Barry Wacksman, EVP, chief growth officer, unfurled the widely acclaimed “The Next 9 Years” presentation at Cannes in June, outlining their vision for R/GA—and indeed the industry. This next phase will begin in 2013.

At R/GA Singapore, many elements of that future already seem to be reality. Take talent, for instance. 

Bob and Barry spoke of diversity and expertise.

First, diversity.

The strong team—a dozen and growing—speaks nine major languages, which gives it access to over half the world’s population, an invaluable competitive advantage because these languages are spoken in countries representing some of the fastest growing economies.

Second, expertise.

The four senior members of the Singapore team have won numerous international awards in their respective fields and have helped build brands and businesses, across geographies and borders. This experienced leadership team is being complemented by talent brought in from across the region.

R/GA Singapore serves as a pivot for two vast continents, Africa and Asia. 

Asia and Africa present an interesting paradox. Consumers are adopting technology in droves. When compared to advanced, western economies, consumers in the region have leapfrogged entire generations of development in computing and telecommunications technology. Whereas consumers, say in the USA, moved from a desktop to a notebook to a netbook to a tablet, many in the region began directly with a notebook or a tablet as their first computer.

Mark Kozlowski, creative director, calls this chasm between consumer enthusiasm and business conservatism, Digital Adolescence. Consumers with advanced devices would soon demand the same convenience, ease and engagement from brands they encounter every day. This, says Mark, is an exciting opportunity for creative thinkers.

Proliferation of platforms and technologies makes Asia and Africa incredibly complex. For instance, CDMA and GSM co-exist in the two largest markets. Although Facebook and Twitter are massive, so are national players like Weibo in China and Mixi in Japan. So how do brands synchronize their presence across these platforms?

That task belongs squarely in the domain of Ronnie Liew, senior technology director.  In 2009, Creativity magazine named Ronnie one of the most inspired creative technologists on the planet. Utility, enjoyment, and incredible ease of use are the bedrocks of his philosophy for creative technology.

The widespread adoption of personal technology—notebooks, mobiles, smartphones, tablets, and cameras—is causing a massive change in psycho-social behavior. Societal norms continue to mandate conformity and restraint in public spaces, while private spaces, mediated by technology and social networks, are seeing significant change.

Asia and Africa are in the midst of societal transformation, in many ways mediated and catalyzed by technology.  In these cultures individual needs and aspirations have historically been subservient to traditional norms, which resulted in community being more important than the individual. 

Computers, mobiles and social networks are now enabling people to discover and revel in a sense of self. From exploring one’s personal identity via social networks to challenging institutions through the access that digital tools provide, technology is empowering individuals to explore new frontiers. Be it at work, leisure, self-expression or brand engagement, we are living through monumental change.

Sushobhan Mukherjee, planning director, has been tracking these developments across the region. He calls these Social Cocoonization; a phase of immense promise that will change how people and brands relate to each other. By empowering individuals, by engaging with their playful selves, as only digital can, brands stand to gain enormously.

If R/GA Singapore is an embassy, its ambassador is Steven Kalifowitz, group director, production. Steve has been with R/GA for four years and has the unique ability to reach deep within the agency’s resources to deliver world-class brand experiences. A two-time Emmy award winner, Steve has also been a broadcast producer for HBO.

Steve firmly believes that collaboration within departments and across offices is the secret behind R/GA’s consistent success. R/GA Singapore has helped win global new business pitches by forming a “24/7, always-on” network. It serves as a vital source for global brand assignments such as the MasterCard account. Perhaps the proudest achievement of R/GA Singapore has been its appointment as the agency for WaterAid, the international not-for-profit organization that has been operating country programs and influencing policy across 26 countries in Asia, Africa, Central America, and Australasia for more than three decades. The office has been tasked with redefining WaterAid’s overall global digital strategy and building an innovative digital platform.

As Chris Osborne, WaterAid’s digital lead, says, “R/GA’s creative DNA, entrepreneurial people, and global experience identified it as the ideal partner to redefine our digital strategy and help us take our story to the masses.”

That comment sums up what R/GA and specifically R/GA Singapore bring to the table. Stay tuned for more.