Cultural nuances meet business realities: Marcus Krzastek on what's next for VaynerMedia in Asia

The marketing landscape in Asia has a way of humbling even the most seasoned global agencies. Platforms that dominate in the West often find themselves outmanoeuvred by local alternatives, while tried-and-tested campaign approaches falter in the face of distinct consumer behaviours. In this complex ecosystem, VaynerMedia is attempting to scale its operations with the recent appointment of Marcus Krzastek as its first international president.

Since its inception, the agency has positioned itself at the intersection of social media transformation and marketing innovation—less a traditional agency than a bellwether for where consumer attention might flow next. This approach has become increasingly significant as digital platforms fragment and reform. While many agencies have struggled to adapt to the democratisation of media—where a TikTok creator can rival a Fortune 500 brand for attention—VaynerMedia's social-first philosophy seems almost prescient.

Krzastek's 15-year journey with the agency, beginning in 2009, mirrors the industry's transformation from experimental digital plays to sophisticated, data-driven operations. Here, he speaks to Campaign about his new role, the evolution of consulting, platform strategy across key markets, and why traditional hierarchies in marketing are being disrupted by algorithmic distribution.

What are the immediate imperatives for VaynerMedia in APAC and how does your new appointment support these goals?

We’ve learned—both in APAC and globally—that when we deliver against our core products and principles, we drive repeatable business results for our clients. The team has already done great work and built a strong foundation across the region. My role is to accelerate growth and problem-solving as we scale into more countries and take on larger creative and media mandates with our partners.

How will you unify and drive growth across diverse regions such as Japan, Australia, and Singapore? Why was this role introduced now?

Given my experience within the organisation, specifically in helping to drive the evolution of our product, I’m excited to work with the team to bring our work to life in ways that reflect cultural nuances and local business realities—while staying true to the principles that drive effectiveness. We’ve reached a level of global scale where the opportunity warranted this role to ensure we continue growing at the pace our partners expect.

What new products and services have you introduced in APAC over the last 12 months, and what has been their impact?

Our consulting team has been a standout success, becoming one of the fastest-growing areas of our business. It’s a great example of how we approach client relationships. We’re equally comfortable equipping businesses with the tools to execute independently as we are in working hands-on alongside them.

We’ve also built a suite of flexible products that cater to a variety of client needs. These range from short sprints that drive awareness of modern marketing principles to yearlong retainers that can aid with deep organisational change. Beyond consulting, our media services have seen strong growth in both client adoption and service expansion. Increasingly, brands are embracing our integrated approach, where we manage both media and creative. This model allows us to be fully accountable for results, which is what clients demand today.

India has become a key focus for VaynerMedia. What makes this market so important, and how are you addressing its challenges?

India is an incredibly exciting market for several reasons. From a people perspective, we believe the talent across disciplines is world-class and can set the bar globally for our product. The scale and complexity of the market also align well with our approach. India has a truly impressive growth story, and both we and our partners expect that to continue.

We see many agencies and brands meeting the diversity of the Indian market with broad, general messaging. That’s why we’re aggressively scaling up our creative and strategy resources to deliver on the promise of our consumer-first philosophy. It’s critical here to align platform strategy with consumer behaviour. For example, we ensure we’re not overly leaning into platforms like Instagram when audiences may be more active on ShareChat.

We also understand the scale and nuance of the market can be challenging. That’s why we’ve focused on finding a great local partner in Salman and his team to ensure we have a solid foundation. We’ll continue to invest in the team to support across the marketing mix.

What role is AI playing in creative production and the social/influencer space? How are clients responding?

AI is already a core component of most major ad platforms’ products, playing a key role in delivering the right messages to the right consumers. Right now, we’re seeing real opportunity, interest, and value in using AI in two ways. First, AI is expanding our ability to deliver high-quality, personalised, lower-complexity creative—particularly still image assets—more efficiently. Second, brands are increasingly leveraging AI as an insights and analytics tool, especially where they’re building around owned data.

Are social and influencer budgets shrinking among clients in APAC? How is VaynerMedia navigating this?

Quite the opposite. More advertisers are recognising the effectiveness of social and influencer marketing compared to other channels—especially in how these consistently enhance executions across those channels. As a result, they’re committing much more aggressively in both spend and organisational priority.

What about competition from larger agencies and holding companies? Is this a concern?

Competition isn’t something that is a particular concern. Our product is differentiated, and we’ve achieved global scale while maintaining nimbleness and integration. This combination gives us a competitive edge. That said, it does not mean we are complacent. We see a long runway for continued growth and optimisation, which remains my primary focus.

What do you think marketers will focus on in 2025, and how are you preparing to meet their needs?

Marketers are beginning to understand the central role a strong social presence, especially organic, plays in a holistic marketing strategy. Bigger brands are now facing a real challenge from new entrants leveraging algorithmic distribution to capture attention far beyond their market share. These disruptors are forcing established players to rethink their approach. We’re already helping our clients build creative marketing engines that scale, connect with audiences, and drive results across their entire marketing mix. In my view, this ability to seamlessly integrate social with broader strategies will be critical in 2025.