MELBOURNE: The move by Clemenger BBDO (Melbourne) to establish a full research and development department, with planning merely one aspect of the division, has brought planning director Stefan Graefe into the agency. GraefeÕs appointment was in line with the agencyÕs commitment to deliver better tools and greater effectiveness to its clients, said managing director Mark Pearce, allowing a greater depth of thinking and an opportunity for experimental strategies to be worked out within an R&D environment. Graefe moved to Melbourne after having worked across Asia and Europe, most recently for BBDO in Germany where he was director of brand strategy. He said there has been far too much confusion over the years as to what brand building and brand equity really mean. ÒYou have companies talking about building a strategy that will come to fruition in about five years, which is patently absurd because if there are no short-term results, you simply canÕt build long-term equity for any brand. ÒObviously there are long-term objectives,Ó he said, Òbut there are certain immediate ones concerning revenue, sales and profits that have to be implemented so you can start the process of fulfilling the brandÕs promise.Ó Jane Schou-Clarke
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