When he was younger, Adam O’Conor spent weekends training as an osteopath to ensure he had a back-up if his original career choice didn’t work out. But, as luck would have it, experiencing a taste of another profession only confirmed that the world of advertising was where he belonged.
“I suffered some early uncertainty, but it was useful because I then knew what I wanted and it gave me a renewed passion for this business,” says the chief executive of Ogilvy & Mather Group in Hong Kong. “I also realised that, purely by accident, I’d had the perfect start and was set up for success.”
O’Conor unwittingly built a foundation for success when he opted to study psychology and information systems at Bournemouth University in the UK. This unconventional choice was inspired by a fascination with consumer decisions and how to influence them.
With the digital era on the rise, the course provided a much-needed mix of creative and scientific skills. It also provided insights into how media operates and, crucially, opened the door to an industry looking for individuals who combined creativity with an eye for detail and sound commercial instincts.
“At school, the only good advice I was given was to study things you love, or are interested in, because then you will do well. Looking back, that has certainly turned out to be right.”
Having heard about Ogilvy from one of his wife’s friends, O’Conor shelved plans for an MSc in sports psychology, did some research, and met the deadline for the next graduate intake.
“At the interview, I was sick from a trip to Turkey, but I suppose I had a couple of USPs [unique selling points], and it just clicked. Like any ad agency, they were basically looking for people who were curious, had opinions, and could bring something to the table. The ‘torture test’ of a presentation to the management team was a humbling experience but, somehow, I must have made a good impression.”
From the outset, what most appealed to O’Conor was the industry’s blend of creativity, psychology and persuasion. There was also the fact that creativity had to “work” by achieving a clear commercial result. Ideas should strive to cause a change in demand, drive a specific business outcome, repair reputations, or alter perceptions in the broader community.
“There are many measures of success, but in this industry, creativity is not an art unto itself; it has to serve the client,” O’Conor says. “That’s why you need a good blend of people with ‘creative muscle’ in different disciplines. Nowadays, that includes technology as much as [visual imagery] and the written word to get the best possible outcome.”
A two-year “sojourn” with another firm in the mid-90s provided a chance to work on Honda’s European account and to experience a contrasting corporate culture. But, like the excursion into primary health care training around the same time, it was also a helpful reminder of where better long-term prospects lay.
Returning to Ogilvy with recharged ambitions in 2001, O’Conor was first to put up his hand for a transfer to the company’s joint venture in Sydney. Over the next few years, he was instrumental in landing major accounts, travelled extensively in Asia and, in meeting successive new challenges, felt a real sense of personal growth.
“I learned the trade in London, but learned how to run a business in Australia,” he says. “The boss there knew everyone and the agency did everything. It was business-like and driven and hanging its hat on achieving growth and developing talent.”
However, within the wider group, it also became clear that the biggest opportunities and centres of energy were increasingly in North Asia. The region was “going crazy” in terms of new client demand and rates of expansion, and O’Conor did not intend to miss out.
“I wanted to get nearer to China and be part of the company’s central nervous system,” he says. “After joining as a graduate, you are on certain people’s radar, so I spoke to the right leader at the right time and, a year later, was in Hong Kong.”
O’Conor was initially tasked with looking after regional clients, but has evolved to be a leader in the organisation. In doing that, he holds to certain key tenets: treat everyone the same “from the chairman to the doorman”, hire people who are good at the things you are not, and lead by example.
“In some ways, leadership is visceral, but Hong Kong has taught me tenacity and the importance of a can-do spirit,” he says. “In other respects, while it is hard to keep up with the multiple formats of social media, it is now the duty of any leader to understand how that can nurture or kill your business. Remember, we are in the business of building advocacy, and social media is one way of tapping into the psychology of the community.”
With three children under 12, O’Conor’s interests away from work centre on family, including coaching junior rugby, being chairman of the Friends of Harrow School in Tuen Mun, and escaping to a holiday home in Provence.
“There are always other things you’d like to do, but with emergent superbrands coming out of China, it’s not going to get boring here anytime soon.”
This article appeared in the Classified Post print edition as Powers of persuasion .
