Approach

To make the world a brighter place.

That’s our core belief, and it’s something that you might not have heard from a communications company before. We mean it, and we’re going to do it in a way that benefits everyone - our clients, their customers, the public, the countries in which we operate, our peers and ourselves.

Here are a few ways in which we believe we can make this happen.

We are creative.

Creativity is at the core of what we do, and at the core of everyone who works at Abovegroup Ogilvy. Yes, that’s right - everyone - not just our design team. It’s about coming up with and executing ideas that are ground breaking, ideas that take our clients and their customers to a brighter place. Everyone is tasked with this way of thinking. Creativity is transformative and we will settle for nothing less.

Of course, that’s not to diminish the role of our designers who are, we believe, the best at what they do. It takes a methodical, structured and carefully reasoned approach to be a good designer and we stand by this. That’s why every designer at Abovegroup Ogilvy attends creative presentations and is comfortable discussing the rationale behind their work. That can be tough for a designer (and sometimes tough for a client!) but we believe that it is critical. It’s an educational process - the more the designer understands the client, the more the client understands the designer, the better the end result.

That kind of engagement is what we are all about, and you’ll notice this immediately when you visit our studio. Our design team are front and centre, not locked away in a basement. Ready to discuss ideas and concepts, to encourage us to take brave steps forward. They represent the centre of our belief system.

We are thinkers.

Creativity without strategy? We think not. Abovegroup Ogilvy is the only agency in the region to have a dedicated Planning + Strategy department, full of the best and brightest thinkers out there. That means that everything that we do is backed with a thorough methodology, carefully crafted strategic thinking, and in-house research and analysis. We produce brand audits, market analysis and strategic plans. So there is no more relying on the same data that your competitors have, which is probably out of date anyway.

In addition to our private work for clients, we will be freely publishing on our website quarterly white papers on trends in pertinent industries to raise awareness and understanding of our rapidly changing environment.

We are digital.

TV? Yep. Radio? Check. Press? For sure. Digital? Er, let me call that guy.

We’d like to announce that those days are now formally over. Why should your digital strategy be orphaned to a faceless web designer? For us, digital runs through everything - it’s not seen as an add-on or an outsourced skill, but as a central part of every strategic decision we make. That’s why we have a dedicated, in-house, digital development team. That’s a group of great programmers and web technologists who can - gasp - also discuss business needs and design. A team that understands the bigger picture and the code that drives it. From developing mobile solutions to interactive websites and social media development and management, we are here.

What does that mean? It means that when we are talking about PR, we are talking traditional and digital PR. That your social media needs are wrapped up and engage - meaningfully - with your offline efforts. That your website, storefront, reception area, branded entertainment and guerilla virals all work with a unified strategy and vision behind them. And that they are all supported and maintained by the same team who understands your goals.

Digital is not the future, it is the present.

We are committed to our environment.

It’s easy to be cynical when talking about companies “greening” up their act. Let’s counter that with some hard figures. We will commit 5% of our resources annually to improving our physical and social environment. And we will publish our targets and results so you can make sure that we live up to our promises.

So what are we talking about here? Socially, engagement with secondary schools, so that students can learn how the creative industries are the leading force of business today, not just for the kids who do “art”; and, more importantly, how they can get involved. Internship programmes and sponsorships. Going to the “no-go” areas. Connecting like-minded individuals.

As for the physical environment - Abovegroup Ogilvy will be the first carbon-neutral business in the country by the end of its first year, and we will be openly publishing guidelines on how our peers can achieve this goal. We will invest in education, the use of alternative energy and environmental stewardship programmes because we believe that this is not just a “nice to have” or a PR initiative, but, as with digital, an integral part of how business must be done in today’s world. It is no longer a distraction; it is a reality.

This is a big task and we’re not denying it. It means working with our clients to do the same. Encouraging our suppliers to take more responsibility about the environmental impact of their operations, or seeking alternatives if they choose not to. Working with NGOs to provide information and resources and share them with our clients and the public.

We’re ambitious and we hope you are too.

We know media like no one else.

We are affiliates of Mindshare, a global media and marketing services group and a leader in communications planning, digital PR, research and analytics. The Mindshare network consists of approximately 6,000 employees across 115 offices in 82 countries. What does this mean to you? The best in the region for media planning and strategy, locally tuned, while supported by a highly successful global network. It means measurable results - not just promises that are impossible to verify. Better negotiating power and understanding of media, bringing you genuine value for money.

We will make you happy.

We’re stepping up our game when it comes to keeping you confident that you made the right choice in Abovegroup Ogilvy. We are quietly revolutionising the account management process, by hiring the best out there and setting in place a continuous education programme so our customer service skills remain second to none. For larger projects, we will now work with certified project managers to be sure that things are completed on time and in budget. Finally, our in-house project management software means that as a client you can log in, any time, to see how work is progressing, both in terms of timelines and actual deliverables. Hassle free relationship management - definitely something to smile about.