Racheal Lee
Jan 10, 2014

Cohn & Wolfe opens in Manila, eyes Indochina

MANILA - Communications agency Cohn & Wolfe has expanded in Southeast Asia by opening an office in Manila.

Mendoza: Eyeing Myanmar and most of Indochina
Mendoza: Eyeing Myanmar and most of Indochina

Led by industry specialist Amiel Mendoza, the Manila operation has six employees. Mendoza joins Cohn & Wolfe from EON, where he worked with brands such as L’Oreal, Cirque du Soleil, McDonald’s, Kraft and Procter & Gamble. He will report to Gavin Foo, group managing director for Southeast Asia.

Over the past two years, Cohn & Wolfe has expanded throughout Asia. In 2011 and 2012, the agency opened offices in Jakarta, Mumbai and Delhi; acquired two agencies; and added additional offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. In early 2013, the agency acquired a minority stake in Middle East network BPG PR, establishing offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Doha, Jeddah and Kuwait.

As for next phase of expansion, it is eyeing markets that provide a little more clarity in terms of political, economic and trade stability, as well as the ability to grow together with clients.

“Myanmar and most of Indochina markets offer tremendous potential, and will be the logical destination for the future growth of any agency with a Southeast Asian agenda,” Mendoza told Campaign Asia-Pacific.

The Philippines team will focus on the core areas of technology, consumer & lifestyle and branding. Its Southeast Asia clients include Google and Nokia.

It will also serve as a platform for local brands and industries looking to leapfrog into the global marketplace, according to the agency.

The country’s huge young population, Mendoza noted, together with a growing national economy and a government that is paving the way for greater business and political stability drove the decision to expand into the country. It will also be working with Filipino conglomerates that are looking to bring their brands to regional and international markets.

The agency expects its integration of digital and social to help brands reach out to young and digitally savvy consumers.

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

40 minutes ago

WPP shares slump as revenue declines and headcount ...

The operations in India grew 2.8% but China declined by 20.8% on the back of pressures surrounding Group M.

7 hours ago

Creative Minds: Kate Enright would rather take ...

From breaking into creative via a rap video to creating a magical AI blob, Kate Enright's creative journey has been anything but ordinary.

9 hours ago

40 Under 40 2024: Tom Geekie, Jaywing

His progressive leadership has propelled Jaywing's growth to new heights as shown by a string of new clients, steady growth, and an assured DEI vision.

9 hours ago

Salesforce and Google expand partnership to boost ...

The collaboration offers businesses greater flexibility to develop tailored AI solutions, enabling faster and smarter customer service through multimodal capabilities, real-time insights and seamless platform integrations.