IPG Mediabrands go 'Fully Hybrid' in Asia

IPG Mediabrands, the global holding company of a network of media and specialty service agencies, has decided to go ‘Fully Hybrid’ across its World Markets Asia cluster, thus dissolving the distinction between online and offline and making the planning and buying department as one single entity.
 
Launched early last year, Project Hybrid was based on the principle that consumers view the brand as a whole and accordingly, planners must become adept at handling online and offline media to bring one single marketing solution.
 
Concerted efforts were made to accelerate the integration and achieve 90% compliance by April 30th timeline. Consequently digital planners and buyers were either repurposed as ‘superspecialists’ in areas such as Search, Social, Creative Services and Real Time Buying, or turned into integrated planners and buyers. Similarly integrated planners were compulsorily required to be hybrid and be comfortable with digital much the similar way they would be with traditional media.
 
A series of intensive training programs was also launched over the past twelve months, coupled with deep changes in structure, KPIs, incentive systems, infusion of a range of new capabilities, and various cultural initiatives to eliminate the line between online and offline.
 
"Today, digital is the mainstream; not a speciality. It is the second largest medium globally as well as in many of the Asian markets. The lines we draw between offline and online are anachronistic and actually only exist in the minds of those in denial of the new reality,” stated Prashant Kumar, CEO of IPG Mediabrands for World Markets Asia. "A commitment to going ‘hybrid’ is a commitment to the future of our talent, as we have no doubt that the future in our industry will belong to those who will be comfortable with old and new media.”
 
IPG Mediabrands’ approach to ‘Hybrid’ sets the new norm in the industry that continues to have strong delineation between online and offline. This means there is no online marketing vs. offline marketing, but just marketing; there is no TV vs. online video, but just video.
 
“We wanted to make a decisive break from the usual approach and embrace the future where the starting point for every marketing solution is the brand’s objective and the consumer. It could be the biggest opportunity of our times in media and marketing productivity and we believe half-hearted efforts won't do. We must lead the future," concluded Kumar.