VCCP’s Ismail Jooma On Why There’s More Than One ‘Cultural Truth’
Now a pivotal figure at VCCP Singapore, Ismail Jooma knows firsthand what it takes to make brand strategies work in a diverse and dynamic market.
Having begun his career in South Africa, the new VCCP head of planning brings a refreshing blend of global acumen and cultural empathy.
His reflections highlight VCCP’s ‘challenger mindset’, aiming to foster a collaborative environment transcending clichés. Jooma unpacks how to make planning a cornerstone for creative ideation, and projects the trends likely to shape the APAC market in the coming years.
LBB> You've recently joined VCCP Singapore. What motivated you to join the agency, and how has your experience been so far?
Ismail> VCCP’s challenger mindset and track record of sustained success were the key drivers for wanting to join.
VCCP has a reputation for being a “people” agency. As a planner, I have a healthy cynicism for cheesy mantras and have been pleasantly surprised by how welcoming and collaborative everyone here has been. From the folks in the UK to the team in Singapore, they truly live the agency’s values - being “unprecious” and putting the work above ego is the one that resonates most.
LBB> Your career has taken you across various continents, working with diverse teams. How do you leverage your global experience in understanding and approaching the Asian market?
Ismail> I’m from a country with 11 official languages and many cultural nuances. My learnings from home are just as relevant here because there’s no substitute for lived experience.
Understanding a region as diverse as APAC requires a healthy dose of humility. Trend documents are great but aren’t able to give you the subtle differences in what might outwardly appear as a homogenous experience.
The paradox is that with incredible linguistic, ethnic, and religious diversity; these interwoven cultural threads can be both specific to a particular place yet culturally familiar across the breadth of the region.
My approach to mitigating these complexities is to be as open and collaborative as possible. The search for the elusive singular ‘insight’ or ‘cultural truth’ is well-meaning but often misguided - getting multiple perspectives from locals, subject matter experts and, most importantly, cab drivers - is the best antidote to confirmation bias and siloed thinking.
LBB> VCCP is known for emphasising planning and strategy. How do you plan to contribute to and enhance the existing planning culture at VCCP Singapore?
Ismail> I’m in a privileged position as I’ll be building on an already impressive strategic foundation. Leaders like Julian Douglas and Michael Lee have fostered a culture that is rare in our industry; one that doesn’t treat planners as mere creative rationale writers but as the driving force for big ideas that create business impact.
My journey to this role has been varied, from studying visual design, writing an academic thesis on communication strategy, and then getting a solid foundation on brand strategy at Ogilvy, to learning more about customer experience and service design at an innovation hub such as VML.
Drawing from my experience, I aim to foster a culture of curiosity and continuous learning.
LBB> Given your role operating at the intersection of brand and customer experience, what trends do you foresee in the advertising and marketing industry in APAC for the upcoming year?
Ismail> Shifts in technology and consumer behaviour post-pandemic have brought us closer to realising the trends that have been on the cards for a long time.
The pursuit of the eye-roll-inducing bit of jargon first introduced into marketing briefs before many of today’s social platforms existed - “customer centricity” - continues to be what drives brand ambition. In 2023-2024, this just happens to be underpinned by buzz terms such as “data-driven customisation”.
For APAC in particular, these trends aim to capitalise on the fact that the region continues to be a rapid growth market, with increased disposable income and smartphone ubiquity, this rising middle class is driving significant shifts in content consumption habits across APAC. The repercussions for brands are substantial, and there are three broad themes to keep in mind:
Short-Form Content, Long-Term Brand Building
The region has always been synonymous with a mobile-first approach, and the continued growth in popularity of localised short-form video content has made brand integration and the need to be instantly captivating a table stake. Indonesia, for example, has the second-highest number of active TikTok users globally, with brands becoming more adept at crafting content that brings together emotional connection and a clear path to driving purchase intent.
Data Privacy and Relationship Building
With shifting consumer expectations for how data is used, evolving privacy legislation across the region and an imminent cookie-less digital trail, brands will need to adapt their content strategies to elicit zero-party data and build long-term relationships more authentically and engagingly.
Gaming and Performance
APAC is the world’s largest gaming market, with a captive youth audience. We expect to see brands creating more content that goes beyond paying homage to gamers through manifestos to crafting relevant integrations that enhance their overall gaming experience.
LBB> Could you share a challenging project you've worked on in the past and the innovative strategies you employed to overcome obstacles and achieve success?
Ismail> One that comes to mind was working on the launch strategy for Nando's e-commerce platform in South Africa.
The challenge we faced was the need to imbue the brand's digital experience with the charm for which it had already become famous, both in terms of the app’s functionality and an authentic-to-brand approach to convincing users to download and make use of the app.
As Nando’s lacked the mega-budgets of its global competitors, differentiation in our approach was key. Through intense user testing and a genuinely collaborative spirit between strategy, dev teams, creatives and clients, it became clear that customisation through our unique use of language was our way in.
The creative campaign highlighted nuances in language specific to the region - from the big city to the coast - and positioned the app as the solution to avoiding tricky scenarios common in local culture.
Authentically connecting in culture through technology led the campaign to exceed expectations in both the number of downloads (nearly three times the initial target) and the doubling of the sales target for that period.
LBB> Can you elaborate on how you see VCCP's challenger spirit influencing the agency's approach to client projects?
Ismail> VCCP's challenger spirit is a mindset that constantly questions convention and pushes the boundaries of what's possible for the benefit of our clients. From a planning perspective, we believe that “we interrogate the brand until they give up a revelatory truth”. This goes back to the earlier point around challenging assumptions. That’s the role of the challenger. To shake things up and give an informed perspective on a better approach.
Agencies that lack a proper planning culture have given rise to the stereotype of the strategist as a pontificator. One of VCCP’s core principles is to be “clear” when it comes to strategy in particular - it is easy to complicate but far more difficult to simplify.
LBB> Crafting strategies that inspire creative ideas while also driving business results can be challenging. How do you strike a balance between creativity and tangible outcomes in your strategic approach?
Ismail> The core belief at VCCP is that “it only works if it all works.” This sentiment resonates deeply with my own approach to strategy and work in general. It speaks to a collaborative mindset and the acknowledgement that each part of the business should be in service of the greater good of the work.
LBB> Looking ahead, what is your long-term vision for the planning and strategy department at VCCP Singapore? How do you plan to contribute to the agency's growth in the region?
Ismail> My vision is to build a team of well-rounded thinkers that have a breadth of experience and the ability to create brand worlds while also having a performance lens that is increasingly pivotal for clients in our region.
A culture of challenger-thinking requires curiosity, humility and bravery. These are the strategic tenets to which I aspire and which I believe will be key to creating memorable work that makes VCCP Singapore famous across APAC.
