“We are the ‘yes we can do it’ agency,” declares Ali A. Rizvi, the recently appointed COO of Interflow Communications and the man who is spearheading what he calls a ‘year of reinvention’ at the agency.

The agency itself needs no introduction. It is an institution known for its pioneering work on brands such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Ufone and, of course, also by virtue of its acclaimed helmsman, the Ogilvy-esque, Taher A. Khan.

It has been 28 years since Interflow first opened its doors based on Khan’s belief that the Pakistani advertising environment needed an agency that would offer a level of expertise in every sphere of marketing communications. In less than three decades of operations, this vision has been transformed into a reality, giving birth not only to a slew of companies specialising in activation, media planning and post-production but also to a media empire which encompasses broadcast and electronic entities. And yet the ad agency (the company that started it all) has remained front and centre in the Interflow Group universe.

Of course, advertising has morphed into a completely different animal since Interflow gained its much celebrated affiliation with Ogilvy & Mather in the mid-eighties or even since it almost single-handedly pioneered Pepsi’s music marketing strategy in the early nineties, taking the brand from challenger to market leader in less than a decade. The fragmentation of agency services into specialised units, the growing focus on consumer engagement and a wholly turned-on-its-head media consumption profile have led to a radical shift in mindsets and agency business models. Interflow has followed suit – no matter who you chat with in that office, whether it is the creative manager, the head of client services or the COO himself, the same message resonates throughout: the knowledge that the agency is an extension of the brand team.

Perhaps this sense of brand ownership at all levels comes from a strong culture of empowerment that seems to be very much a part of the Interflow experience. Khan says that although the COOs of his various companies are always welcome to walk into his office for a chat, he is happiest when he doesn’t see too much of them “because it means the business is doing well”.

Similarly, Executive Creative Director Adnan Yusuf believes in empowering every employee in his department.

“When I hire a fresh grad, I tell them we are looking at you as a creative director in the making.”

This sentiment finds very practical application in the lives of the new appointees. Khizra Munir joined Interflow fresh out of art school five and a half years ago and has worked her way up to creative manager. She says that when she first started working there, she was immediately exposed to clients and made responsible for projects from presentation through to execution. Munir believes that this empowerment strategy has been picked up by other agencies, thereby revolutionising the agency culture in Pakistan.

Aiman Rizwan, Director Strategic Planning, agrees, saying that people want to work at Interflow because it has set a benchmark of excellence in the industry. However, he realises that this comes with the added pressure of setting new standards of excellence, whether it is in terms of personnel management or the service provided to clients.

As the COO, Rizvi is very clear that in order to maintain the agency’s cutting edge, the team needs to have a mix of experience and enthusiasm, i.e., old hands as well as new blood. As a bit of a newbie at the agency, he also seems to have an innate understanding of the fact that while Interflow is a brand in its own right, it cannot afford to depend entirely on its reputation for future growth and progress. He identifies several areas where opportunities and challenges exist.

First, he explains that while Interflow has done a great deal of interesting work for clients in the last few years, it has not done a very good job of publicising its efforts. This is particularly true for brands such as Mountain Dew, where Interflow played an instrumental role in shaping the strategy and advertising template, and while the work is excellent, people often mistakenly assume that the conceptualisation and execution were done abroad. In an increasingly competitive agency environment, Rizvi believes it is essential not only to do good work but also to promote it through the right channels.

Secondly, while Interflow’s focus will remain on creative, Rizvi hopes to revitalise the agency’s media offering.

“Over time, we have put media buying on the back burner; while we are strong on media, we have not fully explored its potential. Moving forward, we will be investing in this area of the business and showing that we are among the top five media agencies… So don’t take us lightly.”

Another source of concern for both Khan and Rizvi is the growing trend of outsourcing creative work.

“A lot of multinational companies have created their centres of excellence elsewhere,” says Khan. “In the beginning, they asked us to replicate those ideas; now they are just bringing in films from abroad and airing them as is.”

According to Rizvi, Interflow is going to challenge this trend.

“If good work can be done by an agency in Pakistan, why is it being taken out of the country? As a team, we are taking on the challenge of reversing this trend.”

In addition to these goals, the key players on the team have their own agenda as well, which fits in rather well with the overall theme of ‘reinvention’. Reema Mustafa, Head of Client Service (an agency veteran in her own right), hopes to work on new brands that the agency hopes to eventually turn into market leaders. Rizwan hopes to further expand Interflow’s advocacy portfolio, working on brands involved in development work and social service. Yusuf, for his part, hopes to continue playing an active role in building big brands.

The last word, however, goes to Mustafa, who manages to condense all these ideas into one potent thought: “Most agencies have not matured beyond advertising. With Interflow, the picture is getting bigger every day.”