Young and Rubicam has announced that Fraser Lamb, former managing director of prospering Young and Rubicam Gitam Direct, has succeeded John van Wyk as managing director of the main agency, effective on October 1st 2003.
Fraser brings a wealth of business knowledge and acumen to the position and intends to guide the agency in a new direction.
Lamb feels that the agency needs to look to what its global counterparts are doing and feel the same Y&R drive and excitement running through their veins.
"I want us to live the brand of Y&R, and to find out more about the brand's culture and make it core to the success of Y&R locally," he adds.
As part of the fundamental change, Fraser wants to recreate the agency's current strategic department facility. "It's the one area in this industry which no one owns."
"Advertising alone does not move products. We have that perennial debate between the creative egos and the amount of time spent developing an ad id often at odds with the objectives of the client. The objectives are clear to sell product, our part is to assist in making as many sales as possible for our clients. The days of the ad agency not listening to its clients are well and truly over," says Lamb.
He claims that many clients have for some time put paid to this practice, demanding return on their marketing spend and forcing the agencies responsible to gain results based on allocated budget.
"We need to feel passionate about our client's business and understand them because then we will be able to deliver a targeted, tailored marketing solution, putting egos aside and becoming more involved in the client's business.
"Ninety percent of the time that an account moves, it has nothing to do with the advertising, it has everything to do with relationships and the notion that the agency is a business partner and is listening or not listening to their needs. One must be wary of the execution team becoming too familiar, overbearing or even intimidating. It is the job of the account director to listen and watch out for these signs and act accordingly before it becomes a major problem. This sort of thing happens every day. We need ask ourselves 'are we listening closely enough?'"
In addition Fraser believes that the staff need to become more involved in the client's business, which will have a knock on effect of empowering to perform.
"A major facet of advertising is the need to create and not to replicate. Inspire freedom in the team so that true creativity comes to the fore," concludes Lamb.
Fraser Lamb holds an MBA from the Unisa School of Business Leadership. Prior to joining Y&R Gitam Fraser worked as operations director for lottery operator Games Africa. All eyes will be upon him now to see if he can propel the currently 4th placed agency in the country, even higher.
