Erik Hallander × Hideto Tokumaru (Part 1): Innovation arises from technology and creativity.

On July 1, Dentsu Inc. iX (pronounced "eye-ex"), specializing in digital solutions, was newly established following a name change from the former Dentsu Razorfish. Looking ahead, President Hidemaru Hidetoshi identifies Isobar—a global leader in digital creative—as the most similar business partner within the Dentsu Group, given their shared focus. They welcomed Eric Hallander, Mobile & Innovation Director from Australia, to discuss fostering innovation within organizations and expectations for future collaboration.

 

“autonomous ”——Isobar's corporate culture that empowers individual discretion

 

Tokumaru: Headquartered in the UK, Isobar is known as an agency that has established the world's largest digital network through cutting-edge technology and creativity. I was looking forward to speaking with Eric today, who serves as Director of Mobile & Innovation for Asia Pacific.

Eric: Me too. Nice to meet you.

Tokumaru: I understand you're based in Australia. Could you start by telling us about your background?

Eric: I started out as a programmer and founded a company in my home country of Sweden about 15 years ago. After that, I joined Nokia and worked in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Then I moved to Chicago, USA, and worked for several agencies. A few years later, I was invited by Isobar Australia to join as a programming lead. It's been seven and a half years since I joined Isobar.

Tokumaru: You've been active globally for quite some time now. Having experienced various regions internationally must be quite valuable in your current position overseeing the entire Asia-Pacific region, right?

Eric: That's true. Living and working in different countries makes you more aware of distinct cultures and differences. Spending a long time overseas makes you sensitive to those aspects.

Tokumaru: Isobar is known as an extremely innovative company even within the digital agency industry, and last year at Cannes Lions, you won international awards like the Innovation Lion. What kind of company is it, really?

Eric: Isobar feels quite different from any company I've worked at before. First, regarding the work environment for staff, each person is granted "autonomy"—the authority and discretion to make decisions. You can freely take on challenges and make proposals. I think it's a very comfortable environment for staff to be creative.

 

Mechanisms that encourage collaboration among staff with diverse backgrounds

 

Tokumaru: Is that a common trend across Isobar offices globally, or is it particularly strong at Isobar Australia?

Eric: While we operate in nearly 50 countries, there are naturally differences. Offices in the US and Brazil share similarities in scale and atmosphere with Australia. However, there is a global movement within Isobar to maintain consistency, including in granting staff autonomy.
Naturally, each country's office reflects its local culture and socio-economic factors, and these differences are an advantage. Working in different markets means we learn a lot from each other.

Tokumaru: I hear Australia's growth within Isobar has been particularly remarkable. The significant autonomy granted to staff might be one factor. Could this approach spread to other countries?

Eric: That could be the case. Isobar's own journey has progressed at a very rapid pace, and Australia is particularly notable in this regard. When I joined seven and a half years ago, there were about 50 people; now there are 320.

Tokumaru: I've also heard that about half of Isobar Australia's staff are technology specialists. That's quite different from Japanese agencies, isn't it?

 

Eric: That's right. In our Melbourne office, about 40-45% of staff are technology-focused. I believe the offices in Canberra, Perth, and Sydney have roughly the same ratio.

Tokumaru: Why are there so many tech staff?

Eric: That's because Isobar aims to be an agency that can offer technology-focused products and services. From the start, the founding vision for Isobar was to become an agency capable of making proposals that others couldn't.

Innovation comes from both technology and creativity.

 

Tokumaru: To make proposals that leverage technology, you obviously need collaboration with creative staff, right? But since the ways of working and the terminology used are different, I imagine it's often difficult to make it work smoothly. How do you integrate those aspects?

Eric: A key turning point was reorganizing our office seating arrangement about three or four years ago. Previously, we had separate areas for technology, creative, strategy, and other departments. We changed it so people sit based on the project they're working on. This made collaboration between people with different backgrounds work much more effectively. Even within project teams, while we grant the autonomy I mentioned earlier, people can now work more proactively under their respective project leaders.
We also regularly hold meetings like "technology education sessions" to share the latest tech and "idea sessions" for freely brainstorming, enabling better collaboration between technology and creative staff.

 

Tokumaru: So, to generate new ideas and innovation, it's crucial to have thoughtful arrangements like seating and meetings that encourage cross-departmental collaboration, and also that earlier point about "autonomy," right? Delegating authority to the front lines. Do you think emphasizing that is why we're seeing this growth now?

Eric: Absolutely, 100%. Previously, there might have been a stronger tendency toward micromanagement, where supervisors checked and controlled even minor details. Instead, when each staff member gained the freedom and discretion to collaborate, I truly believe the nature of the work changed.

Tokumaru: Since innovation today is deeply intertwined with technology, fully unleashing that capability is a major point, isn't it?

Eric: That's true. However, I personally feel it's a bit simplistic to equate "innovation = technology." Isobar invests heavily in technology, and it certainly enables us to achieve magical things—it's a force for innovation. But it's not solely about that. I also believe "innovation = creativity."
In other words, it's about whether we can come up with new, unprecedented ways of thinking. That, I believe, is what ultimately leads to true innovation.

 

Tokumaru: I see. By the way, Eric, as the Asia-Pacific Innovation Director, is building the organization and culture across this vast region also part of your mission?

Eric: I see it that way. Frankly, my current role itself didn't exist before. My mission includes creating an environment where everyone can perform at their best, enhancing our corporate culture, and envisioning what kind of future our company can deliver.
Isobar Australia has been commercially successful, thankfully, and I believe we've also done well in building our culture. So, I hope to leverage this experience to support and extend it to other countries across Asia Pacific.

(Continued in Part 2)

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<In Part 2, we'll focus on virtual reality, explore the technologies Eric is watching, and discuss the expansion enabled through collaboration.>