Agency stability key for HPB: Vernon Vasu

Being a client is tough, says the Health Promotion Board's director of corporate marketing and communications Vernon Vasu as he explains what it takes to have a sound agency-client relationship.Having worked with multiple agencies, managing regional and global clients, what made Vernon Vasu, director of corporate marketing and communications of the Health Promotion Board, switch to a government role? I couldn't resist asking him as my opening question.Speaking with the cadence of a seasoned PR professional with measured, thoughtful sentences, Vasu says he feels the ambition, breadth and mandate of the HPB would be compelling to any marketer or communicator."It's a very pure role that we have here; we are literally trying to change consumer mindsets so they (the local public) can make healthier choices," he says."And it's something you can't persuade through ambition or envy. So it's not the same as a Prada or Louis Vuitton."He adds aside from his role in building communications around healthy behaviour, working at HPB, he feels he has more breadth and control over its sub-brands and products, as compared to a counterpart in large multinational corporation where a lot of the brands are developed out of their headquarters."Our headquarters is here." However, almost in the next breath he adds: "Being a client is tough", and goes on to explain how all the skills he developed in his time at agencies such as pitching, persuasion, project management and pulling together of different stakeholders, were exactly the skills one needed to succeed as a client marketer."Because I have product, people, (and) an equal number of stakeholders. I find it is just like running an agency inside HPB. It's very much the same skill sets."It sounds trite to say this, but I really think it has to be a partnership to work with agencies, you can't have an arms-length relationship with an agency."According to Vasu, hiring an agency is like hiring a bunch of colleagues you have to work with. "We need to understand, we are one of the many accounts they have. They need to be won over by our mandate, they need to understand our counsel, provide feedback ... there's a lot of back and forth," he says.And if he were to choose the one thing he looks for in his agency partners? Stability, comes the reply."At the end of the day as a government agency it's important we pick agency partners with stability. It takes time to call a tender, it takes time to select another agency, and what our agencies have shown is a real dedication to getting the job done regardless of whether agency personalities change."