Impact BBDO
Dani Richa, Chairman BBDO EMEA and Group CEO Impact BBDO
How has your role as head of agency evolved?
I play a dual role – on one hand a role very similar to that of casting director, scouting talent and assigning roles, ensuring we have the right skillsets and capabilities in place while also identifying partners for collaboration.
On the other hand, that of an orchestra conductor, ensuring all the different parties are working seamlessly and are harmonious. Having said that my role continues to evolve using data analytics tools to make more educated, strategic decisions, with greater emphasis than ever on diversity, inclusivity and sustainability.
Tell us why you think you won the award?
I think the jury saw that we care about making work that changes consumer behaviour – the way they think, feel and act. We care about work that tells a brand’s story across all channels and touchpoints.
We care about making work that is an economic multiplier for our clients. We are passionate problem solvers at heart, with a remarkable track record in being recognised as the MENA region’s Agency and Network of the Year 17 times in 2023.
How will the award help you/your agency?
This is an important award for us as it is a holistic measure of an agency’s performance. It is not only recognition but also validation of what we set out to accomplish in 2023.
This award is motivating for our people who have worked really hard in raising the bar and maintaining our leadership position in this market – after all this is the second year in a row that we won this accolade.
Coming from a widely respected publication in our industry this award will definitely strengthen our reputation and contribute to our growth.
How are clients demands changing?
Marketers’ needs are evolving in tandem with the changing advertising landscape and consumption habits. Therefore, mirroring today’s client needs for a truly integrated one-stop shop, to help support them from building brands to creating demand is a priority for us.
We are now able to not only provide upstream consultancy but also e-comm execution and everything inbetween, without the client ever feeling that they were dealing with a different set of team members, let alone department or agency.
How important is your team to you?
I’m blessed to be working with a magnificent leadership team surrounded by all our talented people, who have complementary skills and are from multicultural backgrounds. The combined strength of our leadership team with several hundreds of years of collective experience is our true competitive edge.
For us, our people are our most important asset. I always have one eye on the people, the people, the people and one eye on the work, the work, the work.
What are you looking forward to the most in 2024?
We live and work in one of the fastest-growing regions in the world and we are privileged to take part in this exciting transformation.
I truly look forward to seeing more and more projects that we have worked on come to life in 2024 and we will continue to strive for bigger ideas with a bigger positive impact on the region and our planet.
