Effectiveness measurement, which enables advertisers to quantify the effect of their spending, is a must for today's agencies in the fight to raise accountability and nurture client relationships, said Tim Broadbent, regional effectiveness director of Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific, on a recent visit to Bangkok.

Broadbent is a recognised world authority on measurement and advertising. He was earlier this year appointed to the newly created position of regional effectiveness director, the first appointment of its kind in Asia.

Based in Beijing, he works with Ogilvy offices across the Asia-Pacific region. His role is to increase Ogilvy's ability to measure the effects of advertising spending, responding to clients' demand for a measurable return on their investment.

"As David Ogilvy has said, the purpose of advertising is to sell," said Broadbent. "It has no other justification worth mentioning. Advertising's effects on the market can be isolated and evaluated with surprising precision. This allows clients to justify their advertising expenses and assess progress against the strategic and business objectives and helps agencies to focus on the most successful and productive creative ideas."

Measurement can also be used as input to creative work. "Measurement in a creative business seems like a conflict of interests, but with media slices becoming thinner and thinner, the need has never been more apparent," he said.

By building an effectiveness culture, Ogilvy & Mather will be able to measure the impact of work on the brand as well as the tangible "effects" - such as traffic, sales and requests - and also drive for more modern and shared methods of remuneration such as PBR (payment by results), which ensures that agency and client have a common agenda.

For Ogilvy & Mather, Broadbent sees effectiveness as a tool to strengthen its creative reputation and acknowledged ability to grow brands and enhance business whilst at the same time deepening its client relationships as the company becomes more accountable for delivering "Great Work that Works".

Broadbent was previously director of BrandCon Ltd, a UK evaluation brand consultancy. He is the only person to have won two Grand Prix and a Gold at the IPA Effectiveness Awards.

Previously he held senior strategic and planning roles at several global agencies, including serving as chief strategic officer for Bates Group EMEA and planning director/managing partner for Young & Rubicam.

He has sat on numerous juries for the IPA Effectiveness Awards, helped make the IPA Awards the only global effectiveness competition and established industry-effectiveness schemes in four European countries.