Wunderman, torch-bearers of change: Singapore’s most innovative agencies

“It is critical for agencies like ourselves to be the torch-bearers of this change in the way brands address consumers,” Menon says.

And this can be seen in a lot of the more formal ways in which Wunderman approaches innovation. This year the agency launched ‘Collision’, a way to help the agency work collaboratively across its disciplines. It uses Wunderman Live, a live social newsroom that in APAC is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for the commercial use of WeChat.

“WeChat’s native analytics platform measures only three points of consumer interaction, whereas Wunderman Live can measure up to 13 points of WeChat consumer interaction, all in real time. Seamlessly linking with a brand’s WeChat subscription or service account, Wunderman Live also provides full details of a brand’s followers, including location and user profile,” says Menon.

The fusion of data and creativity is a theme we hear about time and time again as an industry, not least at global events like Spikes or Cannes Lions where ad tech businesses are playing a larger and larger role.

Wunderman has just made an interesting hire to APAC, appointing former Xaxis EMEA’s Caspar Schlickum to lead the region. A big reason for him accepting the role, according to Schlickum, is that he was able to take his trade desk learnings into the creative environment but at an agency that instinctively understood the tech and data side of things.

For unnamed clients, the agency has piloted an iBeacon-based retail platform that integrated existing shopper behavior with the technology, enhancing shopping experiences within the supermarket. The agency says it also created the first wearable UV sensor in the Philippines by using 3D printing and programming a microchip sensor.

Front and center of this is people, and that’s how the agency plans to continue to grow according to Menon. “By continuing to focus on acquiring and developing top talent, building the Wunderman brand and developing data-inspired creative work that inspires action, we are confident that Wunderman will see success for many years to come. We are in the sweet spot and can deliver today the value that every client seems to be asking for. The competition is still trying to get there”.

This article was originally published in the Singapore supplement of The Drum and is available for free on The Drum app which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play.