Campaign Asia-Pacific presents its 18th annual evaluation of APAC agency networks, based on their 2020 business performance, innovation, creative output, awards, staff development, diversity and leadership.
Despite the tumultuous year, PHD APAC has succeeded in improving their grade for this critical industry benchmark from last year’s B− to a B. One of only a few agencies who managed to improve their mark and in a year fraught with restrictions and unprecedented lockdowns, PHD scored one of the highest marks in the region.
In this exceptional year, PHD’s innovation, concern for well-being, and determination to build a future-fit workforce stood out.
Agency Report Card: PHD APAC
2020: Grade B (2019: Grade B−)
- PHD saw an additional US$200 million of organic revenue from existing clients
- PHD secured a 12% year-on-year uplift in client satisfaction scores across the region
- The agency won 68 pieces of new business over the past year and subsequently, brought in US$684 million in new business billings
- PHD China scooped the year’s biggest global win: a mammoth US$850 million three-year contract with Shanghai VW Group
- PHD APAC accounted for 40% of PHD’s global business (a double-digit percentage leap from 2019)
PHD started the year with a new brand positioning: ‘PHD | Make the Leap’. PHD vowed to be more ambitious in 2020, and when the pandemic arrived, this vision turned into a necessity.
PHD overhauled its approach to internal communications and collaborative learning with the launch of ‘Portal’. It acts as both a self-learning platform for PHD’s tools and practices and a hub for staff to share best practices, work, thought leadership, pitch materials and more. Spearheaded by head of planning and strategy Chris Stephenson, the platform has been gradually expanding since April, and as of December, contained 22 learning tracks and had signed up two-thirds of total APAC staff, with 500 active weekly users.
By virtue of investing in its staff, PHD had a standout year for new business. Along with China’s phenomenal Shanghai VWG win, other major global wins included Diageo, LG and a consolidation of the VW Group globally. Other notable local wins included Spotlight Group and Bayer in Australia and Foodstuffs in New Zealand.
Read the full story in Campaign Asia
