Welcome home, Sparks.

Everyone who has worked with me, will notice that I always had a lanyard around my neck. In the plastic case contains my office tag, some business cards for those off-guard moments and one very special card.  It was my business card from Sparks' days.  I've been carrying it around for a decade now.  So here we are today, after the many ups and some downs in the Dentsu group for so many years, it has come to the moment we part ways.  For what it is worth, it's been a great journey.  Many couldn't believe that I have worked here for ten years - yeap, my whole youth gone!  I couldn't believe I'd last that long either.

I'm indebted to many of my clients but in particular, Honda for allowing me the space to continuously challenge and excise new thinking and be part of the team that transform a niche brand to today's top-selling one.  I've seen many generations of teams come and go while I stuck around the account like a bubblegum - it has allowed me to see the transformation that happens to a brand and a company with an unflagging emphasis on their spirited culture.  I've witnessed all the growth and crisis.  I've taken beatings and failures but I've also tasted victory and an unprecedented camaraderie that honestly is what made it hardest to leave. I've seen things that I would have not seen if I had accepted any other offers in the past decade.  I may have missed out great career opportunities but given a second chance, I don't think my choice will be any different.

I'm indebted to Dentsu. The Japanese have shown me great hospitality, loyalty, silliness and insights for the many years I have worked with them.  I have all the opportunities that came my way which made me believed that there was only one company who truly value entrepreneurship at every staff level.  I was given many chances to flex my ideas.  I used to tell the teams - the only limitation is yourself because if you have an idea, Dentsu never says no.  Well top-down or bottom-up, as in life, balance is the best approach.  We had a merger and I was elevated to a group role and itself was an amazing opportunity.  I spent 3 years on group strategy, executive management and data leadership.  I had to learn from ground up on media because I only had creative agency background.  It's like you don't just have to run but also eat at the same time.  It was tough but it was also a great workout (well maybe not recommended in real life).  It reminded me of the early days in Sparks - I was working on 3 agencies at any one time.  Every working year triples the experience!  It was tough but it was good because THEN, I was one of those eager beavers who couldn't wait to grow.  But when I was in DAN, it wasn't as easy because I had a lot of people to care for.  It wasn't just me.  I had to run and eat and make sure the rest of the people behind me cross the finishing line too.  The difference was stake I guess.  It's a helluva of an experience but I will never exchange that for anything.  The other day I had a chat with a legal veteran and she told me that she has worked for 25 years and served 7 CEOs.  I told her I have worked in DAN for 3 years and I have served 13 CEOs.  I felt like I was a walking CEO-pedia.  I knew all colours, shapes and forms of ideas and intentions, professional or otherwise.  I think this was the extraordinary part of my position that not many people were given such opportunity.  So if you are a CEO wanting to give me a job, seriously, you can just cut to the chase.  And if I'm ever to be CEO, I sure hell know what rocks and which type I don't want to be.

And when it came to regional offices... I realised (not sure if The Regional People realised), that the most hated word in any agency and I'm not even referring to the network I worked for, but anyone from this industry whom I came across, hates this 4 letter word - APAC.  LOL. Seriously.  I get WHY it's difficult but to be honest with you, I never had any issue with the regional team - whether or not they are my team or even directly relevant to what I do.  I think I might be the luckiest person in the agency world then cause the people I'm in touched with are seriously the most helpful ones.  They get everything for me, all I had to do was just ask.  And sometimes we gossip.  And we laugh out loud.  And then we go back doing our work.  And we go back helping each other.  Although, I'm not really sure if I ever want to be known as APAC, or at least that kind of APAC.  The word GLOBAL is not even half as bad as APAC!  Maybe cause GLOBAL is too far away and APAC is just across the causeway.  Haha, I laugh just thinking about it.  People, wise up!  We're all on the same boat.  A very big boat!  But the same boat.

And lastly, the people I love, trust and respect.  My team.  All of my team, direct or indirect reports, with dotted or squiggly lines, in the group or across all brand agencies - I'm going to miss them the most.  The ones who fight the battles on ground.  I guess my biggest regret if I had one, was I could have done more for them.  The one thing that's more satisfying than personal growth is when you see others grow.  Many have left and new ones came but I'd like to think like Soichiro Honda who once said that he was proud when great Honda employees after so much vigorous training left to work elsewhere.  Because that only affirms that Honda is moving in the right direction and that's how the philosophy will spread around the world.  That amongst many quotes, is one of my favourite.  I'd like to think too that when you have trained real good people and they leave you - it's never disloyalty.  But it's a way for them to create greater change elsewhere.  

So here's signing out from Dentsu Aegis Network.

And welcome home, Sparks. We are now open for collaboration :)

Jobs in Dentsu Utama, updated 26/04/12.

(Last update on 26th April 2012)

If any of the following hits a note with you (or someone you know), please direct enquiries here.

1) Account Director: To oversee our key Electronics account, handling a team of Senior Account Manager, 2 Account Managers, a Senior Account Executive and an Account Executive.  Obsessive constructive leadership is absolutely necessary.  People prone to emotional breakdowns need not apply.

2) Senior Account Manager: To handle our 2-wheeler account with primary focus to expand.  Driven and enjoys travelling.  Being able to converse in local dialect automatically adds 10-points to your score.  People who know how to drink and socialize but can't do sh*t need not apply.

3) Account Manager:   To handle three reasonably-sized accounts: Pharmaceutical, Automotive-related industry and FMCG/alcohol. Someone who has experience in a media agency is preferred.  With knowledge and experience in PR (I mean the discipline, not drinks with clients) adds 10-points to your score.  Driven to expand current business.  People who say they know media but don't know how GRPs are calculated need not apply.

4) Senior Account Executive: To work on women and baby products, working closely with a shared Senior Account Manager and a dedicated Senior Account Executive to manage the client and be apt to business growth opportunities.  Preferably female for obvious reasons (but hey if you think you can hack it but are born a bloke, why not).  People who are attention-deficit and always need to be recognised for menial work done, need not apply.

5) Associate Planning Director: 2nd in line to the Planning Director.  To assist in overseeing the planning department when the Planning Director is away and handle a telco account independently.  Looking for someone who has a good track record in either winning new business and/or expanding existing accounts.  Leadership is commendable.  Needs to be adept in research methodologies and practices.  People who hold two titles; one their actual position and the other called something like 'Strategist' need not apply.

6) Senior Planner/Senior Planning Manager: To primarily manage our automotive account (both 4 and 2 wheeler) and assist in other small accounts as well as pitches.  Needs to be adept in marketing and research.  People who want to experiment with planning because they dislike being a suit, need not apply (and refer to number (5)).

6) Planning Intern: Coordinator for the planning department, assist in research and basically a management trainee.  Strawberry-generation mindset (poke, bruise, cry) need not apply.  By the way, if I have to talk to your parents, I will.  Trust me.

7) Digital Media Marketer: To market creative concepts in the digitalsphere with adept knowledge in (minimally) GA, online media channels, KPI-setting and ROI measurement.  Able to produce digital-translation of integrated campaigns is a major plus point.  People who can only plan and can't execute (or vice versa) need not apply.

8) Mid-heavy weight creative: Art + Senior Copywriter + Designer (team of three) to work with a dedicated planner of similar weight.  Primary role is to push the creative envelope, producing strategically sound integrated campaigns for an Electronics account.  People who cannot ideate and try to cover up by using vavavoom execution, need not apply.

9) Mid-weight creative team: Art + Copy + Designer (team of three) to work with a dedicated planner of similar weight.  Primary role is to push the creative envelope, producing strategically sound integrated campaigns for an Automotive account.  Primadonnas need not apply.

10) Content strategist and writer: To plan and write for publication and engagement (both printed and digital).  Huge opportunity to grow in content creation.  Copywriters whose sizzle fizzles after 3 lines, need not apply.

People with 10 years experience in 10 different agencies, need not apply.

To an awesome year!

p/s: Sorry, I just realized this is on social global media.  This Dentsu is Dentsu Utama, Malaysia (an integrated advertising agency).  Not to be mistaken for another country, an auditing and finance firm and/or a certain spark plug manufacturer.

What did the media say about us?

Dentsu Bags Creative For Lumix And Viera

By: Malati Siniah, Malaysia

Published: 3 hours 49 min ago

 PANASONIC   OLYMPICS    LUMIX

Malaysia - Following a 2-week 5-way pitch, Dentsu Utama, the local office of Dentsu Network has won the strategy and creative duties for Panasonic's digital camera range Lumix and its television range Viera.

The pitching process was to determine the best agency to integrate both brands with innovative solutions. However, Panasonic was not necessarily looking to award the same agency to handle both of the accounts.

Dentsu Utama has begun work on both accounts and expects to kick off its first campaign soon.

Last year, Dentsu Utama was appointed to manage the corporate communication for Panasonic's Eco and Energy business and corporate sponsorship for the Olympics 2012 campaign.

Commenting on the agency's latest win, Hideo Katakura, vice president of Dentsu Utama said: "We are elated to move to the next level of business partnership with Panasonic. In order to meet our client's overall business objectives, we need to have an aerial view of the corporate strategy as well as an insightful vision for all of its brands,"

Last month, Panasonic kicked off an integrated campaign introducing new range of its Lumix digital cameras targeted at women. It also recently invested RM15 million to market its newly launched Smart VIERA TV.

_________________________________________________________

Follow us @Marketingeds on Twitter for breaking stories throughout the day.

Have something to say? Comment on our Facebook page or contact the writer at malatis@marketing-interactive.com.

Source

What happens when you lose?

March was a krazy month.  With a capital K.

Amidst our campaign launches, pitches here and there, small and big, we got two wins and two losts.  I remember someone telling me that we're always SO focused on our shortcoming that sometimes we forget to celebrate the other great stuff that has happened.

But sometimes when we're too focused in that elated feeling, we become over-confident and arrogant.  And I think that is what caused us the lost.  These were very difficult pills to swallow.  Because you know exactly why you lost.

Sheer arrogance.

Kills opportunities.

Or was it exhaustion?

My ex-boss used to tell me to stop being so competitive.  But I have a whole different contention to that.  It's not that I'm competitive (okay, maybe a little bit) but you really wanna give your best to every project.  If it's not 100%, it's not a 100%.  It's okay if you're ready to bite the bullet and chew on the results if you're well aware from the beginning, you're not gonna give a perfect ten.  But it's something else when you perceived yourself for having done that and yet in retrospect, you realized it was just over-confidence masquerading as know-how.  The frustrating thing is I know this.  We've had a similar experience with a long-time client.  The day we lost, the feeling... sucked.  Again, because we know why we lost.  Since, we've vowed to always carry humility to this particular client and so far, so good.  So this is not a new lesson.  It's a forgotten lesson but it's one, once again, well-learned, well-deserved.

I'm deeply humbled.

And I owe an apology to my client.

For losing on such irrelevant ground.

We'll be better next time round.  That's our professional commitment.

What happens to us during a crisis?

This month was 'hellish' - in true definition of the advertising world.  We have had two pitch presentations and two events and everything that's equally important but not in priority (at the moment) in between.

But we survived and with one more coming up this week, we will survive.  At moments like this, we know the team is super exhausted.  Everyone is stretched and maxed out - suppliers, clients inclusive.  Everyone is in their jumpy mode, frustration surmount, irritability sky high.  Due to work and partially due to lack of sleep.  Personally I think it's impossible to tell anyone to control their frustration right now because if we could in this kind of situation, we would have been gods or Ghandi.  I would suggest that we understand better where the frustration is coming from, when we receive it and work it out as positively as possible.  But  DO NOT, I repeat, do not return fire.

Admittedly, unabashedly, ashamedly, I too whined out loud and thank God for a trustworthy ear.  Last week was pretty intense and it made me realize a couple of things:

1) How important it is to work in a team.  We had a challenge and some people whom I never expected, rose up to the occasion and beyond.  These people weren't 'helping', they were true additional value to the team.  And to them invisible heroes, I'm eternally grateful.  Shows that when you need help, ask.  The resources are always there, don't blame anyone for lack of assistance when you have not ask in the first place.

2) When there is competition, there is greater motivation to improve our quality of work.  Yes, if you ask me, competition is tiring.  Work or personal, if you have to constantly prove yourself, it can get a little exhaustive.  But sometimes, positive and meaningful competition can really bring out the best in people.

3) It's more important to be committed than to be seen as important.  Especially in client servicing, there is no glory when it is personal glory.  When you are committed to the client, you will be happy because the client is.  That's called job satisfaction.  But if you're sucking up to the client, then it's called 'sucking up to the client'.  Personal glory has no space in team spirit.  When you truly deliver your words, no human being can be fooled.  Likewise when you can't.

4) Never trust something entirely unless you've seen it or touched it.  Do not succumb to heresy and rumours.  No good decisions can ever come out of inaccurate information.

5) In times of crisis, it's important to be 'emotion-less' and stay on facts.  "You've got it wrong" means "You've got it wrong, but now let's get it right".  Don't let your emotions decipher meaning that's absent from what's being said.  It doesn't mean, "We're blaming you".  Be solutions focused, don't muddle your head with unnecessary feelings of 'hurt'.  Now it's not the time to discuss 'what I feel...'.

6) When the situation calls for it, S-T-R-E-T-C-H.  It will do you good and it will do the team good and more importantly it will do your relationship with your team, great.  Trust is built in times of crisis, not in times of peace.

7) When your boss is stressed because he has too many fires to fight, be a solution.  Step in and take a bullet for him.  I know we're not born heroes but it will help everyone collectively if the emperor's throne stops shaking.  If all of us pick a fire and keep focus in distinguishing it, we will get all the problems solved a hell lot faster than having a few headless chickens running around, trying to spit on some bonfires.  If you can't do that then step out from the line of fire.  Bullets are blind.

One more week and it's the launch of one of our much anticipated campaigns.  May not be for you, o-ad-people-who-have-millions-to-dispense, but it is for us - because the value of putting the campaign together is worth much much much much more than the profit and media commission we may earn.

So... here's to a great turbulent week ahead.  The human spirit is designed to rise above adversity.  And that is what we will do.  To all of us.

mcgarrybowen meteoric rise.

In 2002, John McGarry and Gordon Bowen left their big employers to set up on their own with only four staff and no client.  Today, mcgarrybowen employs over 700 people in New York and Chicago, boasting 20 clients, 65 major brands, and billings in excess of $10 billion.

Which means to say, within 10 years, on average per year mcgarrybowen hires approximately 70 people, gaining 2 new clients that bring in 3 to 4 brands per client which provides approximate billing of millions per year.

Dentsu Utama is in its 6th year now.

Don't mean to self-hurt.  But.  Sometimes, you know.  It's frustrating.  No one knows why and no one wants to talk about it.  But if you look at benchmark numbers, it's crystal.

Really frustrating.

*mcgarrybowen is part of Dentsu Group.

It's that time of the year again - appraisal time ;)

Appraisal time.  The moment of truth.  Have you got enough ammunition or does the very thought of it send jitters to your spine?  Or worse.  You are oblivious to it?  It doesn't excite you, doesn't spook you, to you it's just another piece of paper, another meeting, another session of nonsensical but mandatory chat session.  It. doesn't. mean. anything. to. you?

Well if I hit a nerve there, then I'm really worried for you.  Because it shows that you have no accountability to what you do.  A job is a nine to five routine that you trade for some dough to basically eat and drink to stay alive before your time ends.  You have no love in what you do.  You don't care about the bigger picture.  You don't care about your boss.  You don't care about your clients.  You don't care about your colleagues.  You. just. don't. care.  Or do you? C'mon, get a grip.

Last mid-term, I had a moment of truth.  Appraisals are done annually, but we have a practice here to touch base with the team every 6 months just so, we are not just on the same page but are on track - you know, the usual - motivation, goals, $$$, things-we-love-most-about-you-which-you-should-continue-doing and things-you-do-that-we-hate-so-much-we're-using-all-our-might-to-refrain-from-...

And my moment of truth came after speaking to about 10 colleagues.  People, are generally hungry for feedback.  I always thought that perhaps, Malaysians being non-confrontational tend to shy away from these kind of open discussion, especially when it's their performance that is put under the microscope and scrutinized.  But such is not so.  They generally want to know if they have done well, met expectations, hoping you could give them feedback which they failed to see in the mirror.  And me being me, I'm the last person on earth to be appointed to candy pills, I'm quite surprised that the team takes facts - good or bad - with good strides.  And the best part is?  No satisfaction is bigger than to watch people grow.  In the next 6 months, you see them change.  You see them really working on the issues which we've identified and agreed upon.  Albeit they're not perfect, but the point is you do see them working on it and you do see results.  Sometimes the result is tangible, other times it's not.  Sometimes it's surprising even.  But of course, you get a lemon now and then.  And unfortunately OR fortunately for us, the person almost always leaves the team before the term ends.

I always get the jitters when it comes to appraisal time.  Not so much my own - I have one of the nicest and most encouraging bosses eva and I almost always get away with a lot of things - on paper or no (haha!).  Woops.  Too much info.  But anyway, it's the appraisal time with the team that gives me the chills.  We made a point that it'll be an open discussion, a two-way traffic.  So as much as the person is reviewed, I supposed I'm also getting reviewed indirectly as a senior colleague.  If you've been put in charge to lead, it's hard not to feel responsible for the person whom you are leading.  C'mon, if one of your staff is in Timbuktu, SURELY there must have been a smart alec who may have mentioned 'going to Timbuktu' at some point?  I'm not sure whether everyone feels the same or just the fact because I'm the fairer gender (hence I'm more emotional, more feely weely, more blah blah blah), I feel responsible when one person does not hit their KPI.  It's strange.  It feels like you've not been guiding enough.  It feels kinda like a guilt-trip.  You get what I mean?  And almost always, with extremely great difficulty for the words to spew out from my mouth, I will ask them for feedback on my leadership.  That's when the butterflies don't just fly, the explode in your gut because it's your turn to strip naked and go under the microscope.  I know my colleagues withheld a lot of comments (haha!) seriously.  Because I know them and because I know I could be better.  And I thank them for... being extremely considerate about my feelings :) No, seriously.

It's quite ironic, that being in a communication industry, ad people rarely talk to each other.  They play cool and they hardly get in touch with their emotions when it's this very same business that should be stirring emotions, creating new feelings.  If you're doing appraisal with your team right about now, take some time off and really... communicate with them.  It's not about talking, but about understanding.  Yup, the pressure is always gonna be there when there're numbers put in place as goals but it's gonna be good.  The second most satisfying thing about working here, in Dentsu is to be able to see your team grow.  Not just in the business sense, but as people.  You see them become empowered and you see them try and challenge themselves and you see them stretch.  Well, fireworks are inevitable along the way because we are... at war, but nevertheless it will be pretty at the end of it and it will be all worth the trouble.

To my awesome team, I'm really fortunate to have you guys.  No, seriously.  I may not LOOK like it (dood, it's tough to look like it every day.  I am after all a human being) but I sure mean it.  Somehow, this appraisal thing?  Makes me more aware of myself too not as a staff to my boss but as a colleague, a person, a leader, a guide, a friend, a lamp post, a torch light, whatever you wanna call it, you know what I mean :)

Here's to our realignment and an awesome 2012!

We won a pitch.

We were recently invited to... defend one of our sub-accounts (I suppose it's strange to call it a pitch because then it would sound like it wasn't rightfully ours in the first place), nevertheless we've got official news today that we've won and will be working with our clients for the next coming year.  Nice one team!

+ Jacq, Cindy, Raof, Hide-san, Motoki-san, KW, Yap, Charel, Franz

p/s: Hope I didn't miss anyone else.  But if I did, my sincere apologies and I allow you one punch.  My happiness will absorb all pain ;)

What can I say, but thank you to The Power of Dreams.

About this project:
Dentsu Utama is in charge of overall brand strategy, content planning and producing for Honda's owner magazine since 2006.  

When do you call it plagiarism?

Sometimes it's really hard to tell if our idea is truly original anymore.  Same idea different execution?  Different idea same creative strategy?  What we think of here today, is also thought by someone else somewhere else.  When the world was divided (read: world without the wide web), it was much more difficult to aggregate creative work.  Maybe it has been happening all this while, with or without the internet. It's just gotten a lot more in your face to watch your idea being executed with the most uncanny similarities on YouTube.

Watch this (Subaru, Japan, Dentsu Kansai, 2010):

And then compare with this (Audi, London, BBHLondon, 2011):



What if two different teams in two different parts of the world have the same idea.  Upon client approval, started executing it and at the end, one produced faster than the other.  If you were the one in the midst of production and so happened on a beautiful hummingbird chirping morning clicked, and watched in horror the same idea being executed in another part of the world.  What would you do?  Would you stop the commercial and burn the money?  Or would you proceed and bear industry mockery after you launch the campaign, even though you could have been the one who conceived the idea wayyyyyy before the other team?  It's such a subjective and grey area.  So if this was the scenario, and the team which was able to launch the commercial faster, subsequently submit it for awards, will of course stand a higher chance of scoring it.  Do you see the fundamental problem here?  What this essentially means is, the metal is awarded to the team who executed the campaign first.  It has nothing to do with WHO conceived it first.  It's based on speed that kinda stems from a lot of luck.  Would this be an industry problem?  Do we close one eye and pretend this is not happening?  What is the implication on us anyway?  And more importantly what is the implication of this on intellectual property and creative thinking?

Good question.

Rallying for an ECONATION. Join us at ECONATION365.

C'mon peeps. Chop chop! Yesterday, we officially launched our ECONATION campaign for Panasonic Malaysia at IGEM2011, KLCC. In conjunction with the marketing campaign which we've designed to rally and nudge every layer of our society to make a change towards a dream nation, an Econation (if you will), we've got an engagement portal up as well called the ECONATION365.

One fun task a day for 365 days, how resilient are you to be a true blue (or green in this case) Econation citizen? I've joined. Not because it's our campaign but because I truly believe that things can change (as witness in recent events). We may not be able to change our government (so fast) but we can still change the nation... by other means ;)

So, come on Malaysians! We only have one Earth, true. Malaysia resides only one part of the Earth, true. But we love our grounds, don't we? So let's do something small each day and collectively, we sit back and watch the nation change.

Towards an Econation! エッコネシィオンへ！Spread the word!

Small start to big things.

The Tambuli Awards is Asia Pac's industry recognition for IMC effectiveness that also promotes positive societal values. Last night, Dentsu U received a Bronze for Best Small Budget Brand category for the Insight Generation campaign. When I thought about it, it's funny how things unfold. One minute we were launching the car, the client breathing down our necks, we were breathing down other people's necks, so many issues with costing and production and timeline and finally *poop* the campaign was a wrap. And so many months later, *poop* we were awarded a small recognition for at least meeting industry standards. Honestly, the latter was entirely unexpected. They say good things happen when you least expect it to. Well, whomever who coined that was a genius :)

We've been riding on some wind brought by lady luck, blessed with some small network awards, etc. This was a first for us from international shores. So I guess, it certainly calls for a celebration.

But strangely... I don't mean to sound like a perfection-chasing, unfulfilled cynic, but something's still missing. I don't know what it is... I feel that this award really goes to the entire team who went out an arm and a limb to make it happen. So in a way, it's really a great motivation. It puts a smile on their face because the industry is telling them that they've done an amazing job and at the end of the day, it's all worth taking the shit for. I sometimes wish, I am motivated the same way. If you ask me, I gain more intensity of satisfaction in seeing people smile when they received a potted plant from Honda's Insight Generation than when going up on stage to receive the award. Maybe because it ain't Gold? HA HA. Kiiiiiiddddddding!

I know metals are great motivation drivers. But if we're not careful, we will then be driven to do things for the wrong reasons. I'd sound really arrogant to say that awards are not my thing. Maybe I should clarify. It's not my 'personal' thing. But I do recognise the fact that this is how the industry game is played. Agencies are constantly being benchmarked with one another on not just their creative ability but also their element of innovation, social responsibility and of course, effectiveness. And so, chasing for awards becomes an unavoidable management tactic. The responsibility no longer lies solely on the creative department. We now have to look into all façades of our business and see what we can push, where, involving many stakeholders.

I think the challenge is to make sure we have our goal posts in the right spot and make sure it damn well stays there! Oh well, I suppose if we get our bearings right, then all things great will come our way, anyway. So let us continue to make a difference in this world. With the skills we're blessed with and with what we're trained to do :) 今からもとがんばります！

p/s: Can't thank you guys enough.

For those who have not been nor seen, welcome to Dentsu.

いらっしゃいませ。こんにちは　:)

Welcome To Dentsu from Aidan Taub on Vimeo.

Dentsu appointed as the official representative of Facebook sales and marketing support in Japan.

While all of us were occupied watching pseudo-Mark in The Social Network (which won Best Adapted Screenplay by the way), our President was busy drinking tea with the real deal :) We can expect even stronger know-hows in local markets very soon.

***

February 28, 2011 - Dentsu Inc. (Tokyo: 4324; ISIN: JP3551520004; President & CEO: Tatsuyoshi Takashima; Head Office: Tokyo; Capital: 58,967.1 million yen; hereinafter "Dentsu") and Facebook, Inc. (CEO: Mark Zuckerberg; Headquarters: Palo Alto, California, USA; hereinafter "Facebook") announced today an agreement under which Dentsu will become the official representative of Facebook's sales and marketing support to companies in Japan.

Under this agreement, Dentsu, as Facebook's official ad sales representative in the Japanese market, will provide consultation on effective Facebook Page development, exclusively market Facebook Premium Ads, and offer new marketing strategies utilizing Facebook that are tied into ad placements in the mass media to advertisers in Japan.

"Dentsu will be a valuable partner for us as we seek to support marketers in Japan to connect and engage with their customers," said Blake Chandlee, Vice President & Commercial Director, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Emerging Markets, Facebook. "Dentsu understands the unique social marketing opportunity on Facebook, and will work directly with brands here to help them create and implement campaigns that will impact their businesses in meaningful ways. "

"As communication styles diversify, social networking, which directly connects consumers to other consumers, has become a vital communications medium in the world today," said Dentsu Executive Officer Akira Sugimoto. "I believe that our collaboration with Facebook will play a key role in our initiatives to further strengthen links between consumers and corporations. "

Facebook has more than 500 million users worldwide, and many brands and businesses around the world are already integrating Facebook as part of their marketing activities. Campaigns in which advertisements in Facebook are linked to a wide variety of advertisements in the mass media are becoming increasingly apparent .

Through this alliance, Dentsu will propose and implement new communications strategies and marketing activities utilizing the Facebook platform to advertisers and media companies, in addition to creating new advertising models that will generate new revenue streams.

cyber communications inc. (President & CEO: Hideyuki Nagasawa; Head Office: Tokyo; hereinafter "cci"), a subsidiary of Dentsu Inc., will act as the media representative for sales of advertising space on Facebook.

Looking forward, the Dentsu Group will provide optimal solutions for the new marketing activities required by companies in this age of social communication.

The main points of the agreement are as follows.

[Main points of the business collaboration agreement]

1. As Facebook's official ad sales representative in the Japanese market, Dentsu will obtain from Facebook the latest technical information and examples of how to use the services, and will provide consulting services to advertisers and media companies.

2. With the cooperation of Facebook, Dentsu will create Facebook Pages that maximize the platform's functions in order to provide added value to advertisers and media companies.

3. Dentsu will have exclusive sales rights to the premium advertising space on Facebook for a one-year period from February 18, 2011, and will develop new advertising strategies in Japan that link advertisements in the mass media (such as television, newspapers, magazines and radio) with advertisements on Facebook.

4. Utilizing the technical support provided by Facebook, Dentsu will develop new plans and business related to advertisements and promotions that utilize the Facebook platform.

5. Dentsu will proactively incorporate into its proposals to clients Facebook Premium Ads with social context that Facebook currently offers

(Press Release)

Dentsu Utama - 1st runner of CREAM awards.

Quite a nice surprise, considering we were not even in the list in 2009. I'm not sure who we should thank and I didn't even know there was such an award. But anyway, I guess it's something small but a significant morale booster for everyone in Dentsu Utama. I guess... er... we should try harder next year?

But, if you're our client and have participated in this survey, thank you very much and we're eternally grateful (we won't forget those sleepless nights and mindless arguments so soon) but like any good old husband and wife relationship, we know we cannot live without one another. Ha ha, kidding! Lighten up, will ya? Maybe this will be the post for getting myself sacked ;)

But on a more serious note, thank you. Seriously. It's not the award that mattered, it's your opinion that had mattered. Thank you.

James Hawkins set to perform for Dentsu.

A little late, but better late than never! A significant step to even stronger online performance marketing for our clients in Malaysia. Looking forward to regional collaboration to providing more significant value for our clients' investment in the digital space.

***

Former Managing Director of DGM Asia, James Hawkins, has joined Dentsu Asia Pte Ltd as the Executive Director of Performance Marketing.

Reporting to the COO of Dentsu Asia, Mr. Hiroshi Harada, Hawkins’ main role will be to develop and grow the agency’s capability in performance marketing, the core measure of digital campaigns with today’s clients working closely with Angeli Beltran of Dentsu Asia Digital Division (DADD) and Akiro Suzuki of Dentsu Media in Singapore.

Angeli Beltran, Executive Regional Director, DADD, say, “The business of results – tracking, measurement and optimisation, is the fastest growing area in digital. James comes with a proven track record with multi-national clients and we’re very pleased that he will be able to contribute to growing our clients’ businesses as well as imparting the skill sets regionally” DADD was set up in January 2010 as a regional hub to drive digital business for Dentsu’s clients.

Dentsu Asia won regional Apple account.

This will be a good springboard for us to further advance our digital innovation capabilities. On a separate but relevant note...

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Apple & The Dentsu Group Bring iAds to Japan

TOKYO and CUPERTINO, California—November 9, 2010—Apple® and The Dentsu Group today announced a partnership to expand Apple’s iAd℠ mobile advertising network to Japan in early 2011. Dentsu will be responsible for the selling and creative execution of iAds in Japan, and Apple will host, target and deliver the iAds to its iPhone® and iPod touch® users. iAd was launched in the US in July and has emerged as a powerful new way for leading brands to reach the tens of millions of iPhone and iPod touch users, while providing a significant new revenue stream for developers.

“After an incredibly successful launch in the US where we’ve already doubled the number of brands on the network, we’re excited to bring iAd to Japan,” said Andy Miller, Apple’s vice president of iAd. “Dentsu is one of the world’s most prestigious advertising agencies, making them an ideal partner for iAds in Japan.”

“We’re thrilled to be joining with Apple to introduce such a powerful new ad platform in Japan,” said Ryuichi Mori, Senior Executive Vice President, Dentsu Inc. “Mobile advertising is Japan’s fastest-growing platform and iAd’s rich media experience and engaged audience of iPhone and iPod touch users make it uniquely positioned to capture mobile’s full potential for advertisers and developers.”

Dentsu subsidiary cyber communications, inc. (cci) will provide one-stop services for iAd in Japan including creative production and media planning.

iAd, which is built into iOS 4, lets users stay within their current app while engaging with an ad, even while watching a video, playing a game or using in-ad purchase to download an app or buy iTunes® content.

Developers who join the iAd Network can easily incorporate a variety of advertising formats into their apps. Developers will receive an industry-standard 60 percent of the iAd Network revenue, which is paid via iTunes Connect. Developers can visit developer.apple.com/iad to join the iAd Network, or to learn more about the iAd platform.

Founded in 1901, Dentsu Inc. has held the position of world’s top brand agency for almost 40 years. Based in Tokyo, Dentsu offers national, multinational and global clients the most comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services through its unique “Integrated Communication Design” approach. Active worldwide in sports marketing and the production of movies, anime and other entertainment content, the Dentsu Group has more than 6,000 clients and close to 20,000 employees worldwide.

cci, established in 1996 as a subsidiary of Dentsu Inc., has led the growth of Japan’s online advertising market as a total interactive, one-stop marketing service company that provides internet advertising services including media planning, ad serving technology, ad creative service and market analysis.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Press Contacts:
Tom Neumayr
Apple
tneumayr@apple.com
(408) 974-1972

Shunsaku Kannan
The Dentsu Group
s.kannan@dentsu.co.jp
+81 3 6216 8041

Dentsu London x Berg: Getting experimental to make future magic.

Watch how they discovered the technique to 'paint' holographic designs using an iPad :)

Making Future Magic: iPad light painting from Dentsu London on Vimeo.

A moving collaboration between Dentsu London and Wallpaper.

Relook at print. And relook. And relook. And relook. And never stop looking ;)

Dentsu London ‘Moving Wallpaper’ from Dentsu London on Vimeo.

And learn about the technique:

Junichi Harima "The Technique" from Dentsu London on Vimeo.