[NewsMaker] Andre Fourie

Q: What is at the top of your to do list?
A: Building campaigns, refining our systems and recruiting some talented young PR professionals to assist me with campaign implementation. Right now, a lot of my time is spent working through campaign reports to find areas where we could add more value or potentially do things a little differently. I'm also looking at CVs - finding great PR talent can be a little tricky so I like to keep a door open to potential staff.

Q: Unpack what your position with MarcusBrewster entails?
A: I provide strategic input on all clients and campaigns, guide and mentor the account teams with their campaign planning and implementation, and work with the agency's senior management to ensure we're ready for all the changes underway in the PR industry. I also do quite a bit of new business development, and I keep a close eye on the rest of the industry to ensure we remain competitive.

Q: Most important attribute needed to do your job?
A: Analytical thinking. I tend to question everything and I'm constantly looking for new or better ways to achieve results. You also need quite a bit of patience and perseverance - I spend a lot of time doing research, reading through reports, making suggestions and challenging the team to consider alternative tactics.

Q: The biggest trend to note in your industry?
A: I think data is the big trend right now, at least on a global scale. As our work increasingly shifts to digital environments, we have access to rich data that can drastically improve our decisions and secure greater results for our clients. PR agencies are also trying to be a lot more creative in their approach, so we're seeing agencies experiment with new tools and new disciplines.

Q: What does the sector need to do to lead in this new digital world?
A: I think data and content are the keys to our success. Data can (and should) be used to improve the way we implement campaigns in real time. As Sir Martin Sorrell says, data and content binds all the integrated marketing activities together. If we can get a handle on the data side, the PR industry will be well-set to take a leading role in the broader marketing and communications industry.

Q: How will you make an impact?
A: I think I'll know that I've made an impact if we can show a measurable improvement in the speed, quality and influence of our campaigns.

Q: What inspires you?
A: Stories. I have a passion for stories in all their forms. It's what attracted me to the industry in the first place - the opportunity to construct stories around brands, campaigns and ideas, and seeing those stories play out in real life.

Q: What are you currently reading for work?
A: 'Rework' by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.

Q: Your life philosophy?
A: Family first at all times. I am uncompromising with my private time, which I spend with my wife and two year-old daughter. Our industry often demands extra hours to be put in, but I make sure that I am home to read a bedtime story to my daughter and have a sit-down dinner with my wife before putting in the extra hours.

Q: At the top of my 'bucket list' is...
A: A six-day train trip from Paris to Istanbul aboard the Venice Simplon Orient Express definitely tops my bucket list. A close second is a night in the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finland, where you can lie in your glass-domed igloo and watch the spectacular Northern Lights.