VIDEO: Douglas Faudet on DDB's Southeast Asia aspirations

While DDB Singapore is, and continues to be, one of the most successful agencies in Singapore and the region, Faudet says that office is strong foundation upon which to build the network’s Southeast Asia capabilities.

“Ideally we’d like seven David Tangs and seven DDB Singapores,” says Faudet, explaining how the flagship office will be crucial to raising agency standards in Southeast Asia. “I’ve had several conversations with David on what Southeast Asia should look like.”

Having just announced a new agency in Indonesia, Faudet says that DDB Vietnam is the next major project in the sub-region. Tasked with increasing the agency’s footprint, Faudet prefers to think of it more in terms of increasing the agency’s skill-base to meet client need.

Asked whether DDB have been slow into the sub-region, Faudet says the agency has always had a presence in Southeast Asian markets other than Singapore, via in-market strategic partnerships.

“I knew you’d ask me that,” he laughs. “We’ve not been slow in the markets we’ve just not been noticed in the markets…. We’ve been in, if you like, a hands-off partnership (in many of those markets). We would want to have four or five very strong places in Southeast Asia by the end of next year.”

Faudet goes onto say that DDB will be bringing not just its creativity, but its entire solutions capabilities, including Tribal DDB and RAPP, to the sub-region according to client need. “We also need to note that while penetration of (technology) is very high, the take-up by clients is still very low.”