Human intelligence remains our biggest differentiator: PHD leaders

At a time when the advertising industry is racing to embrace AI, data and automation, PHD believes its greatest competitive advantage remains distinctly human. Speaking on the sidelines of Cannes Lions 2026, Christian Flouch, Global Brand President of PHD, and Eileen Ooi, APAC CEO of PHD, reflected on how the agency is balancing technological transformation with the strategic thinking that has defined the network for 40 years.

In conversation with Neeta Nair, Editor, IMPACT Magazine, they discussed PHD’s challenger positioning within Omnicom, the opportunities unlocked by greater access to data and AI capabilities, and the role of human intelligence in creating effective media solutions. The conversation also explored the future of search, the growing influence of APAC on global culture and why, despite all the technological advances, media success will continue to be driven by people rather than platforms.

Excerpts from the conversation

PHD is known as a challenger brand within the broader Omnicom ecosystem. With the expanded mandate and network, what will be the distinct identity of PHD going forward?

Christian: From a differentiation standpoint, PHD has always been known for its strategic planning and thinking. We were founded 40 years ago on the premise of challenging the industry, and that's something that remains core to all of us—to Eileen and the 6,500 people around the world who work for PHD. That can be summed up as human thinking. At a time when we're seeing so much transformation, not just in our industry but in society at large, our differentiation comes from putting people at the centre of everything we do.

If you had to talk about one category or domain where PHD is most likely to surprise the industry, what would it be?

Eileen: As an agency, we want to be a leader across all domains. But if I had to pick one area, I’d go back to what Christian was saying—strategy is in our DNA. Today, with data, technology and AI becoming buzzwords, human intelligence remains at the centre. More importantly, it’s about how we connect all of these elements. That’s why our global mission, Intelligence Connected, resonates so strongly across our network. If there’s one thing PHD wants to do exceptionally well, it's orchestrated intelligence.

PHD ranked number two on the Global WARC Media 100. But in an age of data and algorithmic buying, media buying is becoming increasingly commoditised. How do you ensure that cultural ingenuity remains intact when creating media plans for clients today?

Christian: In addition to that, PHD UK was also the number one-ranked agency in the world. One thing Eileen and the team spend a lot of time doing is understanding what we can learn from these accolades.

Since the acquisition of IPG, we’ve mobilised to leverage Acxiom, which gives us access to 2.5 billion real IDs. In markets like India, we have access to over 500 billion IDs. The question is how we use data as the foundation for strategic planning and activation. Then you add capabilities like Flywheel from a commerce perspective.

The advantage of being part of Omnicom is access to all these capabilities. The next step is putting a PHD lens on them. That’s where our human-led approach comes in. I often describe it as a human sandwich—human first, technology in the middle, and human again at the end. It’s about bringing all of that together and taking it to market for our clients.

Eileen, talking about cultural differences, what are some of the structural and cultural differences across the APAC markets you lead? How are you bringing them together under the PHD Intelligence Connected ecosystem?

Eileen: That’s almost an oxymoron because APAC’s diversity is what makes it so special. Look at China and the speed of innovation there. Then look at India, which is a melting pot of cultures. We often refer to India as one market, but in reality, it’s made up of many regions and cultures.

More than anything, we need to embrace that diversity because the cultural energy across Asia fuels creativity. To answer your question about Intelligence Connected, I’d come back to culture and behaviours.

We focus on three core behaviours: outthink, outpace and outgrow. That’s the red thread connecting our network. We’re now globally cascading how we want to bring this philosophy to life for clients. India has been particularly successful and has delivered strong growth. I love what Monaz Todywalla and her team are driving there.

The culture we’re building is becoming a real strength for the network. But ultimately, outthink, outpace and outgrow are the common behaviours that connect us all.

Christian, you’ve been a strong advocate of transformational outcomes over incremental gains. In today’s environment, how do you measure transformation rather than something as incremental as lower CPMs?

Christian: It goes back to PHD’s history. Forty years ago, our philosophy was always about smart media, not cheap media. As the industry races towards efficiency, the real question is effectiveness. If clients focus on asking the right questions about effectiveness, efficiency will naturally follow.

We’ve seen connected commerce, connected TV commerce, and influencer marketing emerge as major growth areas in media, particularly in APAC. What do you think will be the next big platform or trend that will make a mark in APAC and eventually go global?

Eileen: Social commerce is certainly growing rapidly in APAC. But if I had to place a bet, it would be on the convergence of content and media.

When we look at the creators and influencers emerging from APAC today, they’re increasingly shaping culture around the world. One of the biggest conversations we’re having with clients is around how content and media can work together more effectively.

In some ways, it’s an age-old question, but the ecosystem and platforms have changed dramatically. It’s no longer just about producing content. It’s about powering content with data and intelligent solutions. I believe content is going to play an even bigger role within the media landscape.

Christian: From an AI platform perspective, we’re very interested in how AI will impact social platforms and the web. We’re already seeing platforms such as OpenAI introducing advertising opportunities, which will become increasingly relevant from a media perspective.

The audio capabilities of these platforms are already incredibly advanced, and they’re changing how people interact with technology. Instead of typing, people will increasingly rely on voice conversations. That shift will fundamentally change advertising experiences because they will become more personalised and conversational.

You’re not necessarily going to be looking at a screen anymore. I’m excited to see what AI companies develop next, especially screenless experiences and what those could mean for media platforms.

Eileen: When people think about content, they usually think about video. But one of the conversations we’ve had with Google is about the future of search. Everyone talks about how to win in the search era, but very few are discussing what Google AI Overviews, Gemini and AI-powered search mean for content strategy.

Search is no longer just about text. If brands want to appear organically within AI-generated results, they need a completely different content strategy. Those conversations are beginning now, but they’re only going to accelerate.

Talking about acceleration, last year at Cannes, OMD won Media Network of the Year, Mindshare was second, and PHD came third. How do you move from a podium finish to the number one position?

Christian: Success requires both the client and the agency playing their part. A great example is our work with Skoda, which was shortlisted in the Titanium category earlier.

The challenge was simple: how do you get a message to someone wearing noise-cancelling headphones? Skoda has deep roots in cycling—it was the first thing the company produced before cars. Cyclists ringing bells often go unheard by pedestrians wearing noise-cancelling headphones, which can lead to accidents.

Our team in London partnered with the University of Salford to create a bicycle bell with a frequency that could cut through noise-cancelling technology. That’s innovation, but it starts with a client willing to solve a real-world problem.

Work like that is what moves agencies up the rankings. Hopefully, by Friday morning, we’ll have even more reason to celebrate.

Have you submitted as many entries this year as last year, especially considering the consolidation process and the stricter rules Cannes has introduced? Entries are reportedly down 25% compared to last year.

Christian: The focus on integrity is a very positive development. We have had a strong internal awards process in place for several years to celebrate creativity in media across our network. It gives teams around the world an opportunity to showcase great work done for clients.

Our numbers haven’t gone down. If anything, they’ve increased. We’ve had a strong year for new business and added several clients. Uber, for example, is having a fantastic year. They recently won big at the Effies for their football campaign and are hoping for further success here. OpenAI is another example, with significant work being done in key markets such as the US, India and Brazil.

As our client base grows, so does the volume of strong work being produced. We’re optimistic about what that will mean for us this week.