#AOTYAwards 2021 spills: Open communication and autonomy key to OC Digital's success

Digital marketing agency OC Digital is dedicated to delivering professional services at affordable prices whilst practising transparency and accountability. Specialising in web development, social media marketing, SEO and SEM, the agency strives to achieve total digital success through generating high return value for its clients. Among the list of brands the agency has worked with include Ogawa, MUJI, Fitness First, Skechers, and SMRT, among others. It recently won silver for Lead Generation Agency of the Year, Performance Marketing Agency of the Year and Search Marketing Agency of the Year at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Agency of the Year Awards 2021. OC Digital also took home the bronze award for Mobile Marketing Agency of the Year 

OC Digital's business director and founding partner, John Chang (pictured), told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that open and transparent communication is key when it comes to the employees in the agency. "We believe that open communication and transparency breeds more trust. There have been occasions where we communicated truthfully to our staff members on major changes in business approaches in the past year and further explaining why certain tough decisions need to be made by the organisation and with that staff members were able to better empathise," Chang explained. 

This interview is done as part of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s winners' and finalists’ interview series for AOTY Awards 2021. To find out more about the awards, click here.

Tell us what these achievements mean for you?

Chang: To successfully retain the title of Search Marketing Agency of the Year by taking home the silver award and winning another five new award categories this year was really an unexpected moment for us!

This is the best award showing in the history of OC Digital since our founding. We’re especially proud to win four Local Hero Awards as well as the Digital Agency of the Year, B2B Agency of the Year and Performance Marketing Agency of the Year categories because these categories have been frequently dominated by global networks and international agencies in the past. We’re delighted and honoured that OC Digital, a local bred and born agency, is recognised by industry practitioners to be amongst the best in Singapore. This spurs us in the right direction to deliver better digital campaigns and client experiences despite our humble beginnings.

What makes you proudest about being part of your agency?

Chang: PEOPLE is always the heart of our success. We’re extremely proud of how our team have remained resilient and showed faith despite how challenging the last 18 months had been due to many uncertainties in the current economic landscape. We are also very grateful to our clients who have entrusted us with their business hence allowing us to continue producing innovative and effective digital marketing campaigns for them. Our success today is definitely not built over a year or two but rather it’s a culmination of efforts from everyone involved with OC Digital both past and present.

What are some of the initiatives you have in place to ensure your staff feel proud to be associated with your agency?

Chang: Ever since the Covid-19 outbreak, stricter workplace safe distancing measures kicked in thus transforming the way we operate, function and bond as a team. The common “kopi-break” banter and team bonding drinks have now been replaced by less personal Zoom calls, Skype Group Chats and Work-From-Home sessions. This has made it harder for the managers and team leader to build camaraderie and sense of belonging using the traditional methods we’re used to.

1. Open and transparent communication is key

What we have done well consistently has always been to ensure that all staff understand and share the company’s vision, mission, and goal via various touchpoints with their respective department heads.

We believe that open communication and transparency breeds more trust.

There have been occasions where we communicated truthfully to our staff members on major changes in business approaches in the past year and further explaining why certain tough decisions need to be made by the organisation and with that staff members were able to better empathise. The result is that our staff do not only see themselves as “just another employee” but rather they see a greater value in what they’re doing and their contribution to the company.

2. Autonomy develops a stronger sense of achievement

OC Digital also places heavy emphasis on giving autonomy to staff members. We encourage all staff to solve problems and take pride and responsibility for their work and client accounts. For instance, instead of micromanaging every aspect of client servicing, at the start of a project, managers will lay out the objective and the ideal end goal.

Once these set of objectives and expectations are communicated and understood by the campaign strategist, he or she will have full autonomy in taking the project through with the client with regular touchpoints with their respective seniors or team leader. If the staff meet a roadblock, team leaders will be there to encourage them and guide them towards a solution and by doing so the individual can better develop into an all-rounded solutionist.

How are you attracting talent to your agency?

Chang: As a digital marketing agency, we need to always keep our finger on the pulse to provide an environment prospective employees want to be in continually. There are two fundamental ways that we’re doing this:

1. Creating a culture that we live and breathe by

Skilled candidates who possess strong talents and/or experiences are in demand can often be picky when job-hunting as there is a myriad of offers available to them. If talent is offered two similar roles from two different organisations, company culture usually plays a part in their ultimate decision.

Therefore, developing a strong culture that people admire and want to be a part of is one key factor used in attracting talent to join OC Digital. Our wish is for them to come to our website, check out our social media channels, visit our offices and think: “Wow, I wish I was working here” or “Yes, I can totally see myself working here".

2. Retaining talent by growing from within

At OC Digital, we always envision every individual who joins us to grow and progress with the company. We wish to keep our most talented people who are loyal to our company.

By recognising an individual’s strengths and potential through regular engagements with our staff, managers will be better able to assess various individuals at a more personal level. Thus, promoting internally and actively encouraging our employees to apply for open positions can not only significantly reduce our hiring costs but our staff could be rewarded with:

• The knowledge that we believe and see the potential in them
• The opportunity to take on a new challenge within the organisation
• The potential of a rewarding pay rise

What are your hopes for the Singapore advertising scene in 2021?

Chang: As a marketing professional we have always lived in a world where consumers' (both B2B and B2C) preferences are constantly evolving and we will always be forced to adapt. In the last 18 months, modern marketers have done so in spades, rolling with the abrupt suspension of in-person events (ranging from corporate seminars, sports activities to in-person dining), we have already witnessed a massive shift from face-to-face commerce activities towards digital marketing, and, for many companies and marketers – significantly reduced budgets.

As the world economy slowly recovers and gain momentum, we are also starting to see more borders opening on the back of higher vaccination rates across larger economies. Many companies, agencies and marketers like you and me will likely find themselves with more dollars to spend. In my opinion, marketers will need to be more prudent but also smarter with where they are putting their marketing dollars on.

The hope is for the advertising scene in Singapore to become more vibrant and daring to try out new platforms, new way of doing audience targeting, stay updated with new trends and most importantly for brands, companies, and marketers to adopt a digital-first approach with all future marketing projects. The future of events will be hybrid as the pandemic forced closures and social distancing requirements becoming a norm, marketers faced the cancellation of all manner of in-person events, from store openings, big-ticket concert series or even trade events and seminars.

In their place, virtual events will become a mainstay for engaging with customers and leads. Adopting a digital-first approach with increased spending on social media and other digital platforms will help make these marketing projects more successful.