Global President & CCO
180
1) This has been the biggest year for change that I can remember. The holding company model is certainly being challenged. We’ve seen big mergers across the board, from CRM to brand agencies, and new models appearing as agencies try to diversify their offerings in order to stay competitive. Agencies and holding companies alike are constantly looking for new ways to structure themselves, but one thing remains the same: great work is great work.
2) We’ve been following industry trends closely, like most agencies. We’re leaning heavily into data and social listening, and we’re excited about our in-house content creation and nimble production capabilities. The biggest change for us this year has been in our attitude and energy – we’ve adjusted our mentality to that of a startup. Without the traditional hierarchy and siloes, every challenge that comes our way is met with our full, collaborative attention. We’re working so much faster – it’s very refreshing.
3) I’m proud of all the work we’ve produced. I’m also very proud of the culture we’ve built within the agency that makes room for new talent and voices to emerge. We’ve invested in the personal growth of everyone in the company, and our output reflects that.
4) I’m sure we’ll see different types of offerings from smaller agencies – they can do quite well in a climate that demands fast content. The legacy agencies will have to adapt in order to stay competitive.
5) Our resolution this year is to continue to build on what we’ve discovered over the past twelve months. By deepening our commitment to a culture of free flowing creativity, personal growth and development, and an all-hands-on-deck attitude, we’re making space for exceptional talent to rise up in every department. Our clients can feel that energy, and the results speak for themselves.
Forsman & Bodenfors Shifts Its Singapore Group Creative Director Ivan Guerra to Its NYC Hub
Forsman & Bodenfors (F&B) has expanded its creative leadership in New York by relocating longtime group creative director Ivan Guerra from the Singapore office to the Big Apple to support a quickly growing list of new client wins.
As a group creative director in Singapore, Guerra racked up numerous accolades and participated in a myriad of new business wins that fueled the agency’s growth year over year. He explained why now was the right time to come back to the states, adding more nuance in the process. ”Singapore is the business hub of Asia, New York is the business hub of the world,” he said. “Our office in Singapore was small when I arrived. Since then, we’ve more than tripled in size, and became the [number one] most creative agency in the country, and work with more and bigger clients than ever before. There’s always more to be done, but the agency I’m leaving behind is in fantastic shape and ready to take on the world, as I know they will.”
For Guerra, there’s an opportunity to replicate in New York the success he had in Singapore. During his career, he repositioned and promoted businesses and products across a wide variety of markets and industries including P&G, Coca-Cola and Booking.com. Some of his well-known work includes a campaign that increased Samsung’s sales in the Middle East by almost 200%, one of the most iconic films in the history of Converse, Verizon’s most successful sports partnership program “Data Dunk” with the NBA, and a “Proud Whopper” campaign in 2014 that reignited Burger King and garnered 13 Cannes Lions and a Grand Clio.
Coming back to New York after 15 years in the business, including a stint where he spent time at the likes of top-shelf agencies like R/GA,... Read More