Clients are 'excited' by AI but must first shore up their data infrastructure, Oteh says.
Accenture Song is undergoing a leadership shakeup as creative heavyweight David Droga prepares to step down as CEO of the $19 billion marketing arm of Accenture.
Now, his successor, Ndidi Oteh, has given a flavor of what to expect from its next chapter as Accenture Song walks the tightrope between committing to creativity while embracing AI.
Against the backdrop of Cannes Lions, where advertising executives from Mars, Amazon, Apple, and more have been discussing the risks and opportunities presented by AI, Oteh said clients were “excited” by the tech but lacked the data infrastructure to implement these rapidly evolving tools.
“So it ends up looking scary [to them] because [they lack] the foundations to get rid of the tasks they’re not excited about and focus on interesting creative work,” she said during a conversation with ADWEEK CEO Will Lee at ADWEEK House in Cannes.
“Over the next two years, we’re going to see that transform significantly. And we’re going to see some of the best creative work yet,” she added.
Nearly a third (30%) of Song’s client engagements incorporate AI right now, a number Oteh previously said she expects to grow.
It works with more than 150 Fortune global companies, including HP, Google Cloud, and Adobe.
Accenture’s Song’s Next Chapter
Oteh will take over Droga’s helm in September; he will transition to vice chair for Accenture at the end of the fiscal year, the company announced in May.
Droga sold his celebrated eponymous 2006-founded agency, Droga5, to Accenture Interactive in 2019 in a blockbuster $475 million deal.
Soon after, Droga was named CEO of Accenture Song in 2021. In 2022, under his leadership, the consulting giant rebranded its creative services division, Accenture Interactive, to Accenture Song, unifying over 40 acquisitions and groups under the name.
During the ADWEEK House chat, Oteh, a 14-year Accenture veteran who currently leads Song’s operations in the Americas, outlined the company’s core strategy, which blends Accenture’s tech chops with talent acquired from former agency brands such as Karmarama, The Monkeys, and Rothco.
“Some people know what Accenture Song is, but I’m not sure everyone really knows, and that’s partially because of the diversity of capabilities that exist within it,” she said.
Though the business discloses limited financials, it recently reported that revenue grew from $12.5 billion to $19 billion for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2024, placing it ahead of the Big Four ad networks: Publicis, WPP, Omnicom, and IPG.
Oteh said Song’s goal is to create seamless brand experiences by offering connected solutions instead of one-off campaigns.
She also emphasized her commitment to inclusive leadership, saying she was focused on building a team around her featuring diverse voices and skill sets.
Source: adweek.com