Meet the CEOs: Omelette Digital's Jarvis Wong

Omelette Digital’s director Jarvis Wong (pictured) first dipped his toes into advertising as a media executive at IPG Mediabrands. Since then, Wong has garnered skills to communicate with clients and come up with market-stunting ideas to execute extraordinary campaign work.

One of the most important lessons Wong took away from his mentors was that it is rewarding to explore improvements through unremitting self-reflection on work, career or even life. Therefore he always believes that one cannot please everyone with every decision, however, giving the best shot and learning from mistakes is one of the essential elements for adland players.

Find out more about Wong's journey in advertising thus far and who inspires him.  

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What was your first job?  

I started out as a media executive at IPG Mediabrands. It was a tough yet fruitful experience to step into the world of advertising, acquiring solid Media 101 and client servicing skills after having served more than 15 brands in two years.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What was your first role in advertising?  

Those were the days when a very comprehensive agency structure existed, so there was a luxury to take the time starting from the basics - I spent a year learning how to communicate with multiple media owners and handle campaign execution works before I could face clients.  

The process might seem slow at first (at least I thought so at the time), but now I see this as an opportunity to lay solid groundwork before moving forward. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What was your first impression of advertising?  

Definitely Don Draper's charismatic pitches on "Mad Men", especially the "It's Toasted" scene while he came up with the new tagline out of the blue. Who wouldn't be attracted by him generating market-stunting ideas during casual conversations while wearing a fancy suit?

As it turns out, I have never worn a full suit during my career, nor have I come up with any brilliant idea out of sudden during a meeting. As for the word "charismatic", it simply does not apply to me as well.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Who was the mentor who influenced you the most and how?  

It has been a privilege to meet a lot of people who have been positive influences in my life and career, and I really hope someday I can embody all their virtues, especially their kindness.

There’re people I look up to – I’m proud to have followed the best agency people including Eddie Ngan and Gordon Kwan, who were my bosses at The Bread Digital. They are my role models in how to be an excellent leader and presenter, and they gave me the chance to start being versatile across media planning, content & creative works.

And there’re people I look forward to becoming - Paula Yang, my boss at New Digital Noise, taught me the value of generosity. Upon hearing I was quitting, she spent a lot of time listening to my thoughts, and shared her sincere and genuine feedback with me, which I will never forget; My supervisor at Mindshare, Daphne Ng, inspired me to explore improvements through unremitting self-reflection on work, career or even life. It has been a blessing to have her as both my supervisor and friend.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What's the harshest criticism you've received and how did you cope with it?  

It took place a very long time ago. My boss told me I hurt the company's reputation for a photoshoot that went wrong because of my mistakes. He was right, and I took this criticism to heart. The reflection motivated me to stay more alert throughout every task since then to ensure the quality of work.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Describe your own management style now as a leader  

A boutique agency is a place where everyone has a great stake in its success. I focus on establishing a fair working environment for everyone to thrive and without being distracted by red tapes or unnecessary frictions.  

At Omelette Digital, there is no "CEO" but collaborative leaders. Matt Kwok, our creative director, and I are equal working partners within the team.

We agree that rather than serving the preference of one single leader, we hope the whole team are all servants of the best ideas instead. 

Many ideas are great yet can easily get lost along the way, and it is at this moment that we two with the most experiences can play a constructive role by guiding the team in making the best possible decisions.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What's one thing you wished employees understood about being a leader?  

There’re many tough decisions to make, and some cannot satisfy everyone. However, we have already given it our best shot.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What do you do during your free time?  

My top priorities are movies, cardio, and preparing dinner. A good run or a feel-good movie like "Barbie" can always help me overcome mental fatigue and provide me with a fresh perspective.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Where do you find your inspiration?  

Historical biographies. I have just finished reading "Critical Biography of Wang Anshi'' 《王安石評傳》. Wang fulfilled his lifelong ambition because of his intelligence and perseverance, while his radical personality also paved his inevitable downfall. How historical figures behaved during critical moments gives me the opportunity to learn from their past mistakes (and not to repeat them, I hope).

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: If not in advertising, where would you be?  

The idea of becoming a journalist, especially on people's interviews, has always intrigued me. Growing up, my favourite columns were Next Magazine’s《非常人語》 & Eat and Travel Weekly’s《老字號》. With their beautiful crafts, the journalists unearthed the extraordinary stories of ordinary people in different parts of Hong Kong.

The stories about people always captivate me, such as my interest in history, and I dream of creating work one day at this level.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What advice do you have for someone looking to start a career in the industry?  

Let me be honest. One should ask herself/himself whether job satisfaction is more important to her/him than money and work-life balance, since at the beginning the job doesn't pay well and can be busy as hell. If yes, the rather hassle-free agency life would bring out the best in you. Or otherwise, you would constantly be frustrated.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What issue would you like to see the industry change in 2023? 

I hope there can be more frictionless working environments for all of us to thrive, while we can focus on giving it all to the quality of work itself.

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