Standing tall above the digital crowd

An international digital media exhibition in Beijing. Market research company Carat says digital spending has been increasing in the media sector, with global growth rate expected to be around 15.5 percent this year. Provided to China Daily

Advertising needs to capture the business strategy of brands, says Dentsu executive

Tim Andree, executive chairman of Dentsu Aegis Network and executive vice-president of the over 110-year old Japanese advertising giant Dentsu Inc, is used to breaking stereotypes. But it is his towering personality, both in terms of height and professional acumen that sets him apart from the rest.

The former basketball player who has played in the professional leagues of Italy, Spain, Monaco and Japan, now has a more difficult task on hand as he steers the Japanese advertising giant through a period of heady change in the global advertising industry.

Andree, a US native and the first non-Japanese member on the Dentsu board, said: " To be successful in a global and multi-cultural organization, it requires certain amount of listening and understanding and not expecting everyone reacting in the same way to similar information."

It is not fair to expect everyone in an organization to react in the same way to a situation or development. But the bonhomie shared with co-workers can diffuse complex problems and create a spirit of togetherness, he said. That is why he always begins meetings with lots of laughter.

Andree joined Dentsu in 2006 as CEO of Dentsu America. In two years, the US unit became the fastest-growing advertising agency in the United States, according to rankings released by Ad Age. In 2008, Andree became Dentsu's first non-Japanese executive officer.

"I feel extremely lucky. Until I joined Dentsu, I had never worked in an (advertising) agency environment. Dentsu took a big chance on me," he said. Though he is rather modest about his professional knowledge, Andree has a sharp understanding and insight of the global media market and trends, especially about China.

That also explains why he said that advertising and media industry growth in China would be driven largely by globalization. He also talked about introducing marketers to new customers and the media convergence, and how various media can be used for better customer interactions.

Andree said that he is particularly excited about media convergence empowered by digital development, a sector in which Dentsu Aegis Network is acknowledged as the market leader. He believes that investment in digital media has been growing three times faster than that for traditional media. "Digital investments continue to generate more data and the industry gets better by using this data to develop analysis and insight for better sales and overall economic improvement."

When it comes to individual companies or brands, the effective use of digital media and data helps in better targeting and understanding the pulse of consumers, said Andree.

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