The first thing that Shamsuddin Jasani did as the CEO of Wunderman Thompson, South Asia, in November of last year, after leading Isobar for more than 13 years, was to have face-to-face meetings with every member of the organization. He firmly believes that “people are the center of the agency ecosystem,” which is why he made this gesture. He wants to get to know everyone very well, but even more so, he wants everyone to get to know him very well. The goal of these discussions has been to learn about the teams’ problems by listening to them. He is in favor of total openness.
In an interview with afaqs!, he outlines his plans to see the agency double in size over the next three years, integrating various business units and maximizing its potential in martech and commerce. All the while, ensuring the happiness of his people. He maintains that the agency’s employees are what really make it what it is, hence it is crucial that they feel valued.
He emphasizes the necessity of reestablishing the boundaries between work and home life, which have become more muddled over the past two years. However, he accepts responsibility for this, stating, “It is the leader’s duty to ensure that occurs.”
Even while he works hard to give his people this balance, he finds it for himself through weekend runs, quality time with his seven-year-old son, and a glass of single malt Scotch. However, he appreciates the demands of his work and seldom finds the need to relax.
Revised Excerpts:
How do you see Wunderman Thompson developing? And where shall we concentrate our efforts here?
For the past nine decades, Wunderman Thompson has been the industry leader in advertising in India. We are, and always will be, a creative agency. However, we must change. The next step in the agency’s development will be to use this knowledge of customers throughout the whole customer journey. Thus, it affects not only the brand but also the whole company and even the customer experience after the sale. It is a natural progression from brands to customer experience. And that’s our goal for the upcoming year—to develop and collaborate with our customers. Our goal is to double the agency’s size within the next three years.We won’t be able to shut the loop without technology and commerce, so those two factors will drive a lot of this. Under Mirum, we already have excellent marketing technologies. We also have Wunderman Thompson Commerce, which operates a sizable setup in India and performs high-level work for numerous businesses worldwide. In order to provide similar capabilities to the India business as well, we wish to leverage those resources. That will be our main priority as we approach 2023. But innovation will always be our cornerstone. Furthermore, digital will undoubtedly take center stage in all we do.
What excites you right now?
The increased interoperability of Wunderman Thompson, Mirum, and Wunderman Thompson commerce excites me much. Together, we already have a large number of products ready to go on the market.
Which avenues are you looking to expand the company into?
The new company will be divided into several divisions. The first is the creative agency, which will always be our main source of income. But for the next three years, a large portion of the development will also be driven by martech and commerce. We’re also keeping an eye out for the proper kind of acquisitions in the fields of experience design, data technology, and commerce.
What insights do you carry with you from Isobar?
Twenty years were spent working with a wide range of great people. Employing individuals that are superior to me is one of two things I’ve always done. There are many really intelligent people in the system. Thus, all that needs to be done is ensure that they are heard. The second question is: How can I render myself obsolete? This is more from the viewpoint of people, i.e., how can I create an organization of giants? From a digital standpoint, presenting the notion that it is merely an additional media and not necessarily something you have to consider individually. Along with the complete planning and creative staff that works on mainstream media, we also need to consider digital. Isobar transitioned from.
Which are the directions you are looking to grow the business?
The new company will be divided into several divisions. The first is the creative agency, which will always be our main source of income. But for the next three years, a large portion of the development will also be driven by martech and commerce. We’re also keeping an eye out for the proper kind of acquisitions in the fields of experience design, data technology, and commerce.
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