As the advertising industry becomes more complex, creativity that disrupts has become more than welcome. The media landscape, filled with various messages and expressions, has necessitated that agencies be exceedingly unique. Breaking conventions, not an easy feat, has become a need.
Amidst this reality, TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno (TBWA\SMP) has placed disruptive creativity at its core, building a culture that allows bold ideas to thrive. While not easy, the agency aims to constantly break norms in its work.
In MARKETECH APAC’s latest Agency Leadership Decoded, Paolo Broma, chief marketing officer at TBWA\SMP, reveals how the agency maintains its relevance through its relentless commitment to openness to new concepts. Through the exclusive interview, Paolo shares how he plans to elevate TBWA\SMP’s work through his leadership mindset while embracing new technologies to innovate its strategies.
Embodying ‘radical openness’ to bold ideas
For agencies such as TBWA\SMP, ingenuity is paramount to success. As Paolo steps in to lead the marketing efforts of the agency, his goal is to build a space where the team’s bold ideas can thrive. He aims to build the conditions to enable the team to execute their ideas well.
To ensure this, Paolo emphasises the importance of receptiveness to new concepts. At TBWA, it is expected of people to constantly defy conventions and “prototype the unexpected.”
“One principle I always return to is radical openness — a mindset that my mentor, our Chief Creative Officer Melvin Mangada, consistently advocates for. It’s about embracing collaboration, encouraging diverse and even conflicting perspectives, and maintaining a constant radar for cultural, technological, and market shifts,” he said.
Embodying openness also means embracing new technologies for Paolo, which has become part of his operations. Needing to process huge quantities of information, he shares how AI deep research has been helpful.
“Personally, I stay deeply attuned to emerging knowledge — across technology, culture, and behavioural shifts… I see this as a key part of disruptive creativity: connecting seemingly unrelated dots to surface ideas and opportunities that feel both fresh and inevitable,” he said.
Part of Paolo’s responsibility in his role is overseeing TBWA\SMP’s PR business unit. More than helping brands tell their stories, he also aims to increase visibility and amplify the agency as a “brand in its own right.”
“We’re working on sharpening how we show up in platforms like LinkedIn and earned media — ensuring our leaders, work, and provocations are visible to both prospective clients and talent,” he shared.
While contributing to the wider industry through substantial thought leadership, the agency is also working on innovation projects internally to create value propositions.
“Beyond being seen as able to adapt to the latest technological developments and societal shifts, I think it is imperative for my organisation to be seen as a catalyst of change, as an agile and potent partner that can lead clients to more disruptive and groundbreaking work,” he said.
Notable milestones
Having been around since 2001, TBWA\SMP has garnered recognition for its creativity in working with well-known clients. Looking back on the agency’s notable achievements, Paolo reflects on the impact of each milestone.
“One early milestone was the launch of How’s Everything, our in-house film production unit — the first of its kind in the local industry. It closed the gap between idea and execution, deepened brand intimacy, and dramatically improved lead times and cost efficiency,” Paolo shared.
He also highlighted the agency’s annual internal hackathon called ‘OOMPH,’ where they fund the business ideas of their youngest team members. “It’s a way to remove traditional hierarchies and foster entrepreneurialism from within. It’s not just symbolic — several of the winning ideas have actually made it into the market,” he said.
“We also launched DLAB, our digital innovation and web production unit — a highly experimental space that actively partners with AI specialists and data scientists. It’s where we test what’s next, and it’s already influencing live campaigns,” he explained.
He added, “Together, these initiatives have deepened our capabilities, enhanced our agility, and redefined what being a ‘full-service agency’ can mean in a world shaped by constant disruption.”
Mastering ‘systems thinking’
Similar to the challenges faced by other agencies, TBWA\SMP also has to maintain its relevance amid shifts in client expectations and digital tools.
“One response has been to create agile teams that cut across data, PR, production and tech — breaking down silos to deliver integrated solutions. Radical openness at work!” Paolo said.
“We’ve also made a conscious effort to upskill our talent and collaborate with specialists from new disciplines — AI engineers, data scientists, coders — creating a culture of experimentation that keeps us adaptive and inventive,” he added.
Navigating challenges and heading towards success needs leadership that masters “systems thinking.” For Paolo, this mindset is an important aspect of leadership, going beyond measuring campaign effectiveness.
“You need to understand the interplay between culture, talent, commerce, and technology — and use that understanding to build scalable, solutions, be it solutions for the client or the agency,” he said.
He added, “I also believe in building with both intuition and intelligence — human and artificial. I’m not embarrassed to say I’ve become reliant on AI — not dependent, which implies helplessness — but deliberately co-piloting with it. It has made me sharper, faster, and more reflective.”
Finally, leaving advice for future leaders in the industry, Paolo said, “Don’t gatekeep creativity. Make room for other voices — especially those with different backgrounds, skills, and perspectives.”
As an agency fuelled by bold ideas and creativity, TBWA\SMP builds a solid foundation with “radical openness” as a culture more than a belief. Moving with the aim of disrupting the industry with bold ideas, the agency is setting new standards, allowing creativity to thrive through innovation and collaboration.
