Tag’s Open House Event Delivers Insights and Good Vibes

The 24th of April saw Tag’s London headquarters in Soho open its doors wide, welcoming clients to an open house event that married the opportunity to learn about what’s been happening at the company since the dentsu acquisition with an afternoon of informative talks and socialising – powered by seriously good drinks courtesy of William Grant & Sons.

The atmosphere was jovial as guests mingled - with not a space free - ahead of the opening presentation from Angela Tangas, the UK&I CEO at dentsu. Angela took everyone through the reasoning behind dentsu’s acquisition of Tag, which was completed last July, citing Tag’s ‘multiplier effect’ in powering up end to end brand experiences.

What some may not know is that dentsu’s 120-year-old Japanese heritage of innovative problem solving for brands and business, is guided by the principle of ‘sanpo yoshi’; - being good for business, people, and society. Taken as a whole this is what is underpinning dentsu’s business objective: innovating to impact. With Tag now in the fold, the fusion of east meets west will allow the company to pursue that objective ever more holistically by connecting brands and creatives with audiences through technology.

The content economy was one of the biggest talking points. Currently, it’s worth around $2 trillion, powered by 50 million content creators who reach 5 billion social media users across the globe. To succeed in this changing market, dentsu and Tag will help businesses enact strategic brand building through connected content. It’s vital for denstu and Tag to produce the content sustainably and ethically while leveraging new technologies, including AI.

The new technology currently in development at Tag – which is set to launch soon but is still under wraps as of now – will tackle marketing supply chain’s main issues: complexity, disconnectedness, and noise. Tag’s answer to these woes will be a one-stop solution utilising automation to enhance efficiency and offer simplicity that’ll greatly reduce administrative burden.

The breakout sessions

Prior to attending the event, guests were asked to sign up to two Tag expert-led breakout sessions choosing from topics like strategic sourcing, creative studio, CGI and post production, shoot production, shopper marketing, and language services.

 

Language services

Led by Rik Grant, transcreation partner at Tag, the language breakout session focused on the importance of approaching different markets with cultural nuance. Translation - which is now very competently aided by AI - only goes so far and cannot analyse markets like experts can to ensure that the content is relevant, impactful, and hitting the right tone. This is known as a ‘cultural consultation’ and it’s a way for brands to get to know the market, its taste and sensibilities, allowing them to tailor the content - through the process of transcreation - accordingly and to avoid faux pas that may be impossible to undo.

 

Strategic sourcing

Managing director Steve Pitts reminded the audience that print advertising still has a really big impact on shoppers and that a high percentage of gen z consumers still flock to physical stores first to discover new products. This means that brands cannot take their focus away from how they present physically, which is where strategic sourcing comes in. Tag’s capability in the area provides brands with strategic guidance from design through to delivery with sustainability built in at every step.

Shopper marketing

Neil Thomson, global creative partner, discussed how Tag helps global brands develop more effective and better-connected commerce journeys. In today’s world, there is little to no divide between the digital and physical journeys, one necessarily informs the other, and consumers expect to move fluidly between the two spaces and brands need to be ready to meet that expectation. That’s why shopper planning and creative should happen earlier on in the ideation process, leaving ample room for innovation and the creation of the ‘stores of the future’ that shoppers actually want to visit. Tag’s ‘Total Commerce’ solution addresses all this and more through consultancy and planning services which span specialist design; cultural consultation; print, manufacture and distribution; and learnings via audits and data.

Shoot production

Managing partner and executive producer Rhiannon Lewis of The Gate Films, which Tag acquired two years ago, discussed how the move has elevated Tag’s production services with premium hero and content film production, virtual studio capabilities, animation, and access to A-list directors. With over 25 years of experience, The Gate brings proven experience in the category and innovative outlook on film and photography. Deep understanding of platforms and consumer content habits, The Gate Film’s approach is focused on agility, flexibility, and finding new ways to address existing and forthcoming challenges.

The Creative studio

Dan Davies, strategy director, and Craig Greenwood, executive creative director spoke about The Creative Studio’s ability to move and mobilise people, in any media and moment. The strategic approach looks at the best way to amplify creative ideas, whether that looks like creating a new one from scratch, reimaging existing content in new channels and markets, or reusing and reapplying existing content through a fresh lens. All the decisions are informed by data and tech insights to produce optimised content that resonates with audiences.

 

CGI and post production

Simon Lewis, CEO at The Gate Films and head of film at Tag, showcased the extensive CGI and Post Production capabilities available to Tag and its clients. From character design and animation, to liquid simulation, to fully photoreal products and characters, Tag has produced world class 3D campaigns for some of the world’s best-known brands and agencies. Plus, with a global team of experts, there’s scale to match the craft. The capabilities also span editing, retouching, sound design, music composition and sync, and colour.

The event showcased Tag and dentsu’s joint commitment to innovation and collaboration in meeting and exceeding evolving client needs through a continued investment in the intersection of people and technology.

This year, one of Tag’s focuses is on engaging with clients directly, getting people together, and sharing knowledge plus excitement for what’s to come. The open house event proved that there is an appetite across the board for people to gather, exchange ideas, learn, and feel like a part of the advertising community.

Anastasia Brand, marketing director at Tag, reflects on the event: "In 2023, our business experienced a transformative shift with our acquisition by dentsu, marking a pivotal moment in our journey and the evolution of the industry. This collaboration has allowed Tag to maintain its distinct identity in the marketplace while benefiting from the extensive values and network of dentsu. As we ventured into 2024, our mission for the EMEA market remained clear: foster meaningful connections within the industry through our dedicated team, exceptional spaces, and valued partnerships. The success of our inaugural open house event last week underscores the undeniable truth: our industry thrives on connections, through the power of people coming together face to face. We look forward to opening more of our doors across EMEA, welcoming industry allies and showcasing the boundless potential of production throughout 2024!”