Harnessing the power of ideas for clients

Since China has the largest number of Internet users in the world, Saatchi & Saatchi initiated a "hybrid experiment" project to collaborate with, build and learn from digital and technology startups. By bringing in people with expertise outside of the conventional agency role, the project allows employees to gain access to technology, and non-traditional thinkers provide a new way to create better work, he said.

What is more, the agency's digitalization strategy in China varies from other peers. While other agencies establish their own digital teams or departments, Saatchi & Saatchi empowers each team with the digital knowhow and capacity. This means, said Senior, that the creative staff will be able to deploy traditional and digital tools, according to the clients' requirements.

Digitalization is beset with several challenging conditions because the entry costs are relatively low. But it also means that companies need to be more nimble to have more options, Senior said.

The company has come out with several initiatives that seek to nurture and embrace the entrepreneurial spirit that the digital world encourages. "We don't talk about digital because it is as fundamental to us as the oxygen we breathe. It's not a discipline, it's just part of our agency. It also helps in the evolution of our talent base. When the going gets tough, the team automatically develops resilience," he said.

Senior said Saatchi & Saatchi also focuses on using the latest technology such as big data or cloud computing to leverage its offerings. Even though these technologies do not define the agency, they help in providing valuable insights and distribution.

Mutesic, a mobile phone app introduced in China last year, was Saatchi & Saatchi's latest attempt to adopt the latest technologies to help improve people's lives.

Together with the media company Vice, the application automatically synchronizes with the user's current location using global positioning satellites, and then turns down the volume of the music to which the user is listening when they approach busy road intersections. This is also based on the fact that traffic accidents have increased by 300 percent in China because people wearing headphones drown out ambient warning sounds.

"It's undoubtedly technology-based. But the idea is human-based. Our starting point is not a mainframe, because we are not Accenture. We are an advertising agency. The start point is creativity. Then we see what platforms will help. We start with humans and we end with humans, and in the middle we have technologies," he said.

Q&A

How do you spend your weekend?

After a hectic week, I always try to relax during the weekend by spending time with my family and friends. It is also an ideal time for me to catch up on sleep.

What are your hobbies?

Cycling is what I like to do the most in my spare time. But, I also enjoy skiing and going to the pub with my friends.

What is the saying that you like the most?

Nothing is impossible.

Who is your favorite icon/role model?

Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, has been an inspiration to me for a long time.

What is the book you are reading now?

I am currently reading Vikram Seth's social satire and social history A Suitable Boy.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

What I would like to do is to climb a mountain and then ski down, but not before having a picnic on the mountain top. Perfect happiness for me is the moment of sitting and looking before I ski down.

What is your greatest fear?

Complacency. It is too easy to think the job is done. But the job is never done.

What is the quality you most admire in a man and seek in your friends?

The ability of a person to laugh at himself.

What is the best way to break the ice with a Chinese businessman you've met for the first time?

"Hello, we are agency of the year in China. Can we help you?"

What kind of experience has shaped your thoughts the most?

The word "No". When people say "No", what they usually mean is "I don't understand", or "not yet", or "I'm nervous", or "I don't believe you can do it", etc. "No" sounds definite. But 75 percent of the time it is not. It's temporary.

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