Page 44 - AdNews May-June 2020

Profile
Michael Rebelo, CEO of Publicis Groupe ANZ: “Nick is a proven leader with a strong track record of working in dynamic and fast-chang- ing business environments.
“His adaptive and collaborative nature is a perfect fit for the culture of Publicis Groupe [owner of the Starcom brand]. I know the blend of his experience will be a great asset to Starcom clients.”
In his tenure so far at Starcom Australia – whose key clients include Lion, Visa, Subaru, Snooze and Metcash – Keenan says he has already learnt much.
“I think I am learning to com- municate more effectively,” he says. “Video calls, particularly one- to-one, force an amazing level of active listening on both parties.
“So I am becoming a much bet- ter listener as a result. It’s a good trait of any leader and one we can always work on. Thanks to tech- nology and isolation, it has ena- bled a better behavioural change.”
Keenan says the “new normal” day-to-day at Starcom for him and his team involves four core areas.
“The first is staying connected to all key staff as much as possible. That effectively means over- communication and constant accessibility. You cannot go dark on comms.
“So the day is filled with more calls and updates, but also, pleas- ingly, a lot of fun stuff – quarantine trivia, isolation playlists, virtual yoga – which is enabling all of us to get to know each other quite intimately.
“This would not have happened as readily in a more traditional working environment.”
The second core pillar is group updates. With information coming so thick and fast, “much of the day is spent just keeping up with, and on top of, the impact to the business,” says Keenan. “So our group comms are not just daily but incredibly frequent.
“We must work through deeper, more strategic issues beyond day-to-day operations, such as working on our craft, product and service plan for post-pandemic. We are leveraging the Publicis Groupe Product suite and are focused on getting `match fit’ for the recovery.
Ensure information is transparent.
Do not leave gaps where fear and imagination can start filling in.
Nick Keenan,
Starcom Australia CEO
Starcom Australia – part of the Publicis Groupe – is ramping up its service levels to withstand the current COVID-19 crisis and ensure it hits the ground running when all of it is over.
“Any gaps we had leading into COVID-19 we are now working to close so we either catch up with or leapfrog our competitors when we come out of it.” Keeping one another other positive, is number three (but not
necessarily third in importance).
“It sounds obvious but this is the key challenge right now,” he says.
“There is so much information, news, headlines – and just overwhelming changes – as we are all forced into isolation.
“It can freak people out, and that is natural. Therefore we must keep people connected, not just for work talk and output control but to do the personal and fun things referenced in point one.”
While so much remains uncertain on a global scale about the length and levels of lockdowns, and how far into the future a vaccine may be available, the immediate focus for Starcom is short-to-medium term goals so the company is in a strong and agile position to meet long-term chal- lenges and goals.
“Protecting our staff and their jobs is of the utmost importance,” says Keenan. “To this end, Starcom – being the trusted advisor for clients on a daily basis – is ramping up our service levels to an even greater degree and making sure there is business continuity in a time of crisis. That is a top priority. We are drawing on the Groupe to provide increased service to our clients.
“We have to step up during these times and be a true partner to work through the challenges our clients face; the partner that can be relied upon as their worlds change radically around them.
“Focusing on that day to day helps teams focus and get through the challenges, as well as striving to stay positive at every level.”
Keenan explains that Starcom’s medium-term goals are to establish its key point of differentiation in the market – “which we will launch when appropriate” – and implement our growth strategies.
“We will connect more of our product and service into the Groupe, integrating where it provides meaningful solutions for our clients, and reclaim our rightly position in the market.
“Starcom has great people, does great work for its clients, is part of a formidable global network and has amazing resources. We need to tell this story better.”