Over the course of his career, Rangaka has only worked at two agencies, FCB and Ogilvy. He took over from Ahmed Tilly, who left the agency after three years to pursue other opportunities, still to be disclosed.
Here, Rangaka tells us his opinion on the popular culture of chopping and changing jobs regularly versus working for a company long-term, that he feels he has more value to add than if he had stayed at FCB all these years, while speaking very highly of his time at Ogilvy…
Thank you. I guess one could look at it as the most roundabout full circle ever, which would be depressing. So, let’s not do that. A lot has changed since my time at then Lindsay Smithers. The agency is in a very different space and so am I.
My journey with Ogilvy has shaped me in various ways and I feel has better equipped me to, hopefully, bring more value than if I had stayed there all these years. I’m obviously excited but also downright petrified.
Johannesburg is where it all happens from a commerce and popular culture point of view. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in Cape Town and love the city, however, there’s a very real sense of being cut off from the rest of the country and zeitgeist. The opportunity to plug into that energy and rally great creative talent around it is what I’m most excited about. I’m also really looking forward to experiencing what an agency led by a creative CEO and an ex-social entrepreneur MD feels like.
I’ll miss the people most, both colleagues and clients. Some of them have moved on but the best have left an indelible, positive mark on the agency spirit. I started at Ogilvy as a junior and have never felt a need to move in all that time. I was challenged, valued and appreciated. I was given the opportunity to work on some of the best brands in the world and a fair amount of stick when I stepped out of line. Sounds a lot like family, right?
I’ve never had to ask for a promotion in my career and that’s testament to the quality of leadership I’ve been fortunate to have at Ogilvy.
I’ve been fortunate enough to work at two agencies that are constantly reinventing themselves. Be it through changes in leadership, strategic focus or the ebb and flow of accounts. So, there was never a dull moment.
The other reason is that, while work flows out at a more rapid pace, it takes much longer to shift and evolve brands in the background. To make a real difference on a brand, DNA level, one has to necessarily be in it for the long haul. That’s just my view.
There is a flip side though, especially for junior talent. It takes frustratingly long for most agencies to get this bench of talent earning enough to offset their very real financial pressures. Quite often the only way to accelerate this is to jump from one agency to the next.
Well, the short answer is I’m not ready for this. What I hope will help is my experience working more and more with people. Clients, teams, partners. It all runs on people and relationships. I’ve also learnt to give people space and bet on them to deliver on the task. One really cannot do it all.
Real city traffic. Meeting the agency team and clients. Reconnecting with friends I’ve neglected.
At Ogilvy it’s enabling as helpful and seamless an exit as possible. At FCB it will be to keep my mouth shut and listen for as long as I can get away with it.
I’m making my way through Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers. Not sure how I feel about it yet. I also enjoy a lot of the Gimlet series of podcasts.
My favourite pastime is compiling playlists. I spend more time on Netflix making lists than actually watching anything. It’s quite therapeutic.
Follow Rangaka on Twitter and Instagram, and/or FCB Joburg on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
