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The distinct personality of FCB South Africa

Advertising agencies, perhaps more so than other companies thanks to the interactive and frenetic nature of their industry, have distinct personalities. Some are extrovert, loud and brash. Others shy away from the limelight, content to drift along the business current as long as nothing or no one rocks their boat. Only a few exude quiet confidence. One of these is the FCB South Africa group, headed by CEO Neil van der Weele.

With blue chip clients such as Vodacom, Toyota SA, Shoprite, FNB, Distell, Adcock, Unilever, Momentum and Santam, the group is consistently busy, employs over 600 people and directs a large slice of the country's advertising spend.

Van der Weele classifies his key task of growing the group while maintaining a superior marketing communication product as both incredibly challenging and highly stimulating. The challenges he faces, he says, are made attainable through the professional, talented team he has supporting him.

Despite its size - the agency is the largest in the South African market, FCB South Africa achieved a 15.5% growth in revenue growth in 2004, off a very big base, of course. Star performers within the group during the period were its full-service advertising agencies FCB Johannesburg, FCB Cape Town and FCB Durban, which grew revenue by over 70%) as well as FCB Redline (PR) and Joe Public.

Van der Weele attributes this success to the fact that the group is very cohesive. He's worked very hard to foster communication and working relationships between the agencies in the three cities as well as across disciplines. This has resulted in a strong team that enjoys each others' company, and has a great deal of mutual respect for each other. This in turn has converted to very strong integration, which is critical for client's success. Many of Van der Weele's contemporaries have yet to get this right in their agency groups.

Considerable investment in the creative product is another cornerstone of the group's performance. While many other agencies may appear to chase the Holy Grail of 'creative advertising for awards', FCB South Africa's product is guided by the principle 'Creativity above everything else - except accountability'. FCB's strength is certainly at producing highly creative advertising that is loved by South African consumers, and this is reflected in the results of Millward Brown Impacts' 'Best Liked' and 'Best Noted' lists for television commercials. FCB has gained an enviable reputation as an agency that "Builds South Africa's favourite brands".

Reflecting on 2004, Van der Weele highlights the group's investment in Africa as both satisfying and extremely challenging. He regards markets on the continent as growth zones for his group's client base and has insisted that staff from all levels travel to affiliate agencies in Africa to work for three-to-six month stints. Not only does this assist with skills transfer to the agencies in our network, he says, but it gives our staff excellent exposure to new markets and the opportunity for personal growth and development.

With an eye on 2005, he lists the group's challenges - remain true to the FCB South Africa brand, attract and retain top talent, and don't take the eye off the transformation ball. And grow revenue yet again.

"In 2004, we distilled the FCB South Africa brand promise into five critical words", Van der Weele says - 'Building South Africa's Favourite Brands'. This focus allows the group to hone in on its clients needs and wants, and place these ahead of its own. In 2005, the group will remain driven to produce exceptional creative products that produce results." It's all about delivery, delivery, delivery ... and accountability," he says.

Van der Weele has also tasked the group's human resources arm with continuing to attract and retain top talent across the disciplines in 2005. This will be achieved through a strategic initiative that incorporates unique selection and recruitment methodology, career path planning, mentoring and skills training and development. He says that HR has always been a key strategic focus for FCB and he wants FCB to continue to have the best HR capability in the business.

Van der Weele's ambitions for the Group's human resources are closely linked to its transformation initiatives. At a Group level van der Weele is setting the bar for the rest of the Group companies -- 60% of the most senior Group positions are now held by Blacks.

His view is that transformation should not be a paragraph in a strategic plan that is reviewed and filed once a year but rather a focus of day-to-day business. With this in mind, he's initiated a cultural diversity programme to ensure top management across the country embrace diversity and individual uniqueness; the programme will then be rolled-out in all offices during the course of 2005.

Van der Weele says that the Group is continually restructuring, retooling and reskilling to stay ahead of the dynamic market, and to deliver on its clients needs - Building South Africa's favourite brands.



Editorial contact

C-Cubed Communications
Cathy van Zyl
(021) 852-7198

15 Mar 2005 09:54

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