by Matthew Jones

In keeping with the increasing demands of the consumer, and the fragmented interests of the global marketplace, the agency model has changed dramatically over the past 10 years.  No longer limited by the boundaries of traditional advertising, agencies have been creating a record number of subsidiaries and specialty shops – reorganizing across a variety of marketing disciplines, including Direct Marketing, Ethnic Marketing and Internet.  Yanti Arifin is among those defining the industry’s new and best practices.

Tribal DDB Chicago, the interactive arm of DDB Chicago, has just elevated Arifin to Director of Creative Services, where she will oversee the creative process and product for all the agency’s clients, including State Farm, McDonald’s, Betty Crocker and Home Depot, among others.

Her charge will not be an easy one.  In a field cluttered with banner ads, pop-up alerts and unsolicited email, getting positive brand messages through to target consumers is more challenging than ever before.  The controversy over aggressive Internet advertising has even reached the legislative level, where lawmakers are seeking new ways to protect consumers from unwanted contact.

None of this, however, will affect Arifin, or Tribal DDB, for that matter.  She views intrusive tactics as outdated and ineffective.  Recently appointed director of creative services, Arifin plans to continue to follow the agency’s philosophy of drawing targeted consumers inward to the clients, rather than blindly sending messages out.

“We’re very much a permission-based agency,” said Arifin regarding her philosophy on effective Internet marketing.  “Our job is to create a demand for the brand.  We’re not just throwing products at people – we get customers to reach out to the client.  (Intrusive marketing tactics) hurts the brand.  As an agency, we don’t believe in that.  You have to love your customer.”

In keeping with Tribal DDB’s mission to bring “humanity to the Digital Age with brand and business ideas that stimulate, respect and serve consumers,” Arifin will oversee a professionally diverse pool of employees dedicated to bridging the gap between clients and their targets.  Tribal DDB is comprised of a broad selection of talent, with each member bringing a specific and unique perspective to the creative process.

“That’s the beauty of Interactive marketing,” said Arifin.  “We’re all from different areas of design and advertising.  Some of us have grown up on the agency side; some have grown up on the design side.  Some even have a consulting background, or a technical background.  We’re all different.”

Arifin: Breaking New Ground

Arifin’s path to advertising was a relatively straightforward one.  She was initially studying graphic design at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, when she came to feel that it was “too rigid – with all the rules, formats and formulas.”  As a free and creative thinker, Arifin wanted something a little less linear.

She also had a feeling early on that she was meant to make a difference in whatever industry she chose.  For Arifin, advertising held a greater potential for her “to be a pioneer.  It’s more chaotic, less formulaic.  And there’s a greater potential to break new ground.”

The advertising world, despite all of its recent advances, is largely dominated by Caucasian men.  But this has not deterred Arifin, who is consistently breaking new ground in her career.  Today, Arifin is one of a very few Asian women who yield considerable power in the industry.

Her success, however, is not calculated.  Arifin’s blistering pace has required her to bulldoze over obstacles and prejudices without breaking stride.  Arifin told dib that she has not noticed a lot of racism in her personal business dealings, but she said being a woman has brought its share of challenges.

“It’s a very male-oriented industry,” said Arifin of marketing.  “(In the interactive industry at large) there is still about 90 percent male leadership.  Any obstacles (I have personally experienced in the industry) have been more gender-based.”

Arifin has been able to work through those challenges, mostly by not paying much attention to them.  Instead, she chooses to focus on the positive traction she has been able to generate in her career.

“I don’t dwell on it – I move on,” said Arifin.  “I’ve always been an anomaly.  I have developed a comfort level with it – I actually thrive on it.  I’m not your typical creative director.  I see that as an advantage.  I try not to look at it as an obstacle.”

As Arifin sees things, equality will not come from external forces, but rather from within the industry and the individuals in it.

“(Positive change) will not happen (as a result of) outside pressure from organizations,” said Arifin.  “It’s always good to have pressure to change (from activist and professional organizations), but until then, it’s the people who have to make the difference.”

Diversity and Adaptability

Arifin has certainly made a difference for both her agency and her clients.  Much of her success comes from the usual attributes of successful people – hard work, intelligence, and just doing the best she can.  But from her view, the one element that truly sets her apart is clarity of thought.

“I have the ability to clear out the noise,” said Arifin of her talent in screening out the marketing jargon and double-speak to address the issues at hand.  “I like to take a pure, simple approach – find the clean, logical way, and strike a chord with the customer.  I keep a radar on what people are thinking, needing and looking for.”

She brings that radar into meetings and creative pitches, as well.  Using that radar, and her intense listening skills, Arifin said she often finds that special moment in her presentations – that moment where it’s “in the bag.”  Her confidence is rooted in the timeliness and accuracy of her intuition.

Arifin also puts a lot of stock in her ability to develop her team members.  By putting her team first, she has been able to exercise leadership in a way that is most comfortable for her.

“As a leader, it’s not your job to be the guru or the rock star,” said Arifin on her philosophy of developing her team.  “It’s your job to create the foundation to bring the guru or the rock star out of your team.  A leader creates new leaders.  I’m in service to (my team).”

By keeping the focus on her team, Arifin is able to concentrate on helping her people be the best they can be, while at the same time, fostering an atmosphere of creativity, teamwork and loyalty.  That’s a key advantage in an industry that lives and dies on its ability to attract new talent.

“I go out of my way to get (hot new talent),” said Arifin.  “Then, I go out of my way to keep them.”

She goes out of her way to protect them, as well.  According to Arifin, her loyalty to her team is one of the reasons she has enjoyed the success she has had so far.

“I’m an advocate of the people,” she explained.  “I recognize my job as a provider for talent.  I look out for my people, and my team.”  By being loyal, open-minded and adaptable, Arifin has been able to build a powerful creative team that shares her values.

A quick look at Arifin’s personal history helps explain her adaptability, and her unique perspective in the workplace.  Born in Tokyo, Japan to an Indonesian mother and a Chinese father, Arifin’s world has always been multicultural.  Her father did not want her to go to an Indonesian school, and her mother did not want her in a Chinese school.  As a rule, they spoke English in their home.

Ultimately, their conflicting desires for Arifin’s education placed her in the American International School system, which in its own right was a highly diverse place – culturally and linguistically.  As a result, Arifin enjoys “an open-minded view of the world.”

While her parents had a different view of her education, they certainly are not divided in their pride in her success, although Arifin admits they don’t totally understand what she does.

“I tell them I’m in digital marketing and their first thought was ‘Oh, you do those annoying banner ads,’” jokes Arifin.  “I’m also their 24 hour help desk person.  Any computer questions in the family come to me.”

The End