Origin Vs Culture

asked Nabil Sargi, Drive Dentsu’s Managing Director if the origin of an agency affects its culture, knowing that Drive started out as an in-house agency for Abdel Latif Jameel, which eventually became affiliated with Denstu. So, is Drive Dentsu, a Saudi, or Japanese entity and what set of values drives it?

I wish to start by correcting your opening statement. Drive Communication was never an in-house agency. Instead, it simply happens that the agency kicked off its operations in Saudi Arabia, with a local partner, to service its first client: Toyota Motors. As you know, this eventually snowballed into the development of a comprehensive MENA Network operating a number of brands across a wide spectrum of industries – which is where we still stand today. That being said, and to start answering your question, I personally tend to differentiate between an agency’s origins and its culture. For me, those are two completely different notions, of which only the latter has an immediate implication on how the agency functions, wins business, identifies and develops talent. I consider the agency’s origin - or rather “nationality” - whether North American, European, Asian or otherwise a detail that only comes into play in the opening minutes of a credentials presentation. Culture, on the other hand, can be an interesting dimension that could indeed drive vision, know-how, innovation and differentiation – only if it’s relevant, applicable and accepted by all concerned stakeholders. With this in mind, our corporate philosophy mirrors that of our mother company: Good Innovation – built on three key pillars: Ideas that reach beyond the imaginable, technology that crosses the bounds of possibilities and entrepreneurship that surpasses the expected. Through such an inspiring and actionable platform, we strive to demonstrate our ability to deliver creativity that means business, being a testament of our deep involvement with our client partners, driving actionable and pertinent solutions to a given brand or business.