Behind the name: ROMP shares secret to being a successful independent agency

In the business of brand building and advertising, having a name that stands out and is memorable matters. ROMP is one such name creative agency which launched in the Indonesian market with a bang. Founded in 2019. Joseph Tan, CEO, ROMP told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that its name came from wanting a mono-syllabus name that is easy to remember and sounds the same in both English and Bahasa Indonesia.

While ROMP is associated with rough, very energetic play, the agency prefers to be associated with the naivete spectrum of it - “boisterous, playful childlike spirit”. 

ROMP currently has about 230 employees, and has managed a roster of 35 brands thus far. These include companies such as Indofood, Telkomsel, Danone-Nutricia, Godrej, Prudential, Google and Sampoerna Philip Morris. 

According to Tan, all of ROMP’s founders had decorated senior leadership roles in renowned network agencies globally and regionally, which enabled it to consult brands at the highest level – this gave the agency a competitive edge over other independent agencies in the market. “We believe every independent agency was born out of conviction that they have garnered the right credentials, are amazing in their craft and believe it’s about the people behind the door not the name on it,” he said.  

Despite being launched right before COVID-19 became a pandemic, Tan said that it had been a great journey thus far as ROMP was able to put on surmountable new businesses, acquire amazing talents and produce great work despite everyone working virtually from home since March 2020. “We are undaunted and relentless; determined to bat at the highest level.  And day in day out, everyone shared that very same drive,” Tan added. 

However, if there was one thing he could change, Tan wished that ROMP had better managed the different expectations of stakeholders. “Sometimes the excitement of going independent can blindside certain priorities. Wish we could be more specific and aligned on what we are, what we are not and which way are we heading,” he explained.  Moving forward, ROMP envisions to incorporate art, science, experience, tech and data verticals in its offerings. To that end, the agency plans to invest in diverse talents and specialists and forge the right partnerships.  

While being an entrepreneur is tough Tan said knowing failure is not an option and everything including his kid’s education fund rides on it keeps him going.  

On what he envisions for the creative industry in Indonesia, Tan said that he hopes to see marketers regain confidence to reinvest in long term brand building, redefining the experience journey utilising technology and reframing their purpose in the post-pandemic world. 

ROMP is also a strong advocate of having women in the ad industry climb the corporate ladder. Last year the ad agency made it to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s Adland Diversity & Inclusion Index shortlist of the most progressive agencies in the region. With pregnancy discrimination a common phenomenon in workplaces, ROMP took it upon itself to change the culture within its own workplace.  As a company who prides in having 60% women in the workforce, ROMP pioneered a M.O.M.S programme, Mothers Overcome Maternity and Schooling, that is designed to support the health of expectant mothers, single and/or married working mothers, and provide financial aid for the children's education.

The M.O.M.S programme focuses on four key issues identified by the company related to working women and maternal health:

• Insurance companies in Indonesia do not consider pregnancy as a medical condition.
• While the law requires companies to provide maternal health benefits, most companies provide employees with a one-time maternity allowance in a lump sum, not end-to-end maternal health coverage.
• The Social Health Insurance Administration Body exclusively states that "The (working) husband is the head of the family"; therefore, he's entitled to get health benefits including maternity allowance for the wife.
• Many women have dropped out of the industry due to lack of support and benefits.

According to the agency, working women and mothers have always had it rough in Indonesia as they are often undermined and constantly challenged by societal expectations. In the advertising industry, where the working hours can get long, working mothers are often left with the dilemma to choose to have either a career or a family.

Faced with unequal health welfare and the demands of work in the advertising industry, Tan and the team at ROMP also believes that it is the agency’s responsibility to take action and stand for change.

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