Future focused: (From left) Murali, Debica, and Yuen are working to ensure IPG Mediabrands Malaysia is fully prepared to adapt to a rapidly changing market.
PETALING JAYA: In a rapidly evolving advertising landscape where consumers are increasingly discerning, adapting to survive is no longer enough for agencies that seek long-term growth and success.
For the heads of IPG Mediabrands Malaysia, it is now crucial not just to keep pace with the sector, but to proactively build a strong framework that will see the media agency group through the shifting winds of the future.
“The industry is changing at warp speed. To thrive, we need to be innovative and creative growth architects, understanding the interplay between culture, commerce and brand building to ensure our business model is built to last,” Darren Yuen, IPG Mediabrands Malaysia chief executive officer, told StarBiz.
“We’re not just selling campaigns anymore – we’re building sustainable business growth.”
This commitment to business resilience and longevity now drives each aspect of the agency’s operations, from nurturing agile talent to blending creative excellence with performance marketing.
“It isn’t about incremental tweaks, but a fundamental reimagining of the agency’s role. This moment is a blank page for us, and we see it as an opportunity to redefine what an agency can be in the 21st century and the value we can bring,” said Yuen.
He added that this mindset revolves around laying a solid foundation for a business that can withstand market fluctuations, technological disruptions, and evolving client needs.
For this reason, emphasis needs to be placed on profitability, efficiency, and innovation.
One main area that is being reimagined is traditional commercial models, in which agency-client relationships are typically built on fixed fees, billable hours, and commissions.
In lieu of this, the group is looking towards approaches that are more transparent, equitable, and outcome-based, to ensure partnerships built on mutual success.
“Old commercial models may not quite work anymore,” noted Murali Ramasamy, chief financial officer of IPG Mediabrands Malaysia.
“What we need to see are more equitable remuneration models that move away from the orthodox methods. Agencies need to be more progressive in their thinking, to look at how they can shape models that will incentivise long-term collaboration and shared success.”
He added that this would entail partnering with clients on remuneration, open communication in aligning fees with specific business objectives, and sharing in the risks and rewards.
To attain this, there should be an emphasis on matching clients’ objectives up with commercial needs.
“Understanding these business objectives is key, and from there, we need to have honest investment-related conversations to see how we can help extract the maximum value for them,” Murali said.
“Clients, pitch consultants, business and finance teams need to work together to ensure synergy on the commercial plans. With continuous, transparent dialogue, agencies can help to build more sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships.”
The agency’s aim in taking this collaborative approach is to foster trust and enable more strategic and impactful partnerships, moving past simply executing campaigns and instead becoming a true extension of the client’s team and contributing to their long-term growth.
Another crucial aspect seeing transformation is in workforce management, with heavy investment in fostering a culture of continuous development and adaptability among the agency’s talent.
Debica Sigamani, chief talent officer of IPG Mediabrands Malaysia, said that talent reinvention has now become paramount.
“We’re not just hiring for today’s needs but preparing our people for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. That means reskilling and upskilling in areas like artificial intelligence, marketing technology, data analytics, and future-proofing their skills for a sustainable career path within the agency,” she explained.
In line with this purpose, the agency is evolving into what is described as a “talent academy”, where individuals can grow in their career through structured learning pathways, leadership mentorship, and cross-disciplinary exposure.
The group is also adopting a flexible talent model where employees are trained in future-facing, cross-departmental skills. Project assignments are designed as modular, enabling talent to be deployed across different teams and projects based on various needs of the client.
“This creates a more mobile and agile system. It protects jobs by making our talent more versatile and adaptable, and builds trust by empowering employees to take ownership of their development and contribute in meaningful ways,” Debica said.
“Moreover, it makes talent deployment faster, smarter, and more relevant, ensuring we always have the right people working on the right projects.”
Additionally, the agency has turned its focus towards a consultancy model, seeing it as the clearest path forward for sustainable survival.
“Consultancies have already moved aggressively into marketing services, selling transformation, digital overhaul, and marketing-tech adoption. They are attractive because they promise structure and credibility. Yet what they lack is the cultural fluency, executional agility, and consumer understanding that agencies have honed for decades,” Yuen said.
Agencies therefore have an opportunity to seize this gap, outmanoeuvring traditional consultancies by combining advisory credibility with executional delivery.
Embracing this shift, IPG Mediabrands Malaysia is positioning itself as a strategic partner to help clients navigate the complexities of the marketing landscape.
Combining sustainable business practices with its core data and creative prowess, the agency is confident in establishing a future-proof business poised for long-term success.
“The journey is just beginning, but our vision is clear: to be more than just an advertising agency, but a true architect of growth, a catalyst for change, and a force for sustainable success in the world of marketing,” Yuen said.
