Tag: Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Singapore – Global advertising holding company WPP has announced yet another merger, as it announced the merger of communications agencies Hill+Knowlton and BCW to create Burson, aimed at becoming a full-service communications agency focused on building and protecting reputation.

The new merger comes on the back of yet another merger between VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson to create VML.

Corey duBrowa, currently global CEO of BCW, has been named global CEO of Burson and AnnaMaria DeSalva, currently, global chairman and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, has been named global chairman of Burson. 

Together, they will oversee agency strategy, client service, employee experience and culture. Burson will be operational from 1 July 2024, and its new brand will be unveiled later this year.

According to WPP, this union of agencies will enable Burson to best serve clients in a complex and volatile environment in which strategic stakeholder communications has never been more critical. 

Moreover, WPP notes that the new agency will draw on both organisations’ unrivaled talent base, exceptional global networks, investments in technology, creative capabilities, and public affairs and advisory specialities to drive reputation and value creation through the interdisciplinary solutions that clients demand.

Speaking on the merger, duBrowa said, “Harold Burson believed strongly that actions are stronger than words, and he established honesty, transparency, integrity and excellence as the guiding principles of his business. Those principles are the foundational ideals of Burson, upon which we will set the bar for modern communications through our AI-first innovation pipeline..”

He added, “Together as Burson, we will bring insights, expert strategic counsel and technology solutions into a higher value offering for our clients to help them innovate and lead in today’s complex operating environment.”

Meanwhile, DeSalva commented, “The combination of Hill & Knowlton and BCW is highly synergistic, creating a premier partner for business leaders who are focused on commercial growth, risk management, and reputational capital. Our body of work increasingly demonstrates that strategic communication, elevated by creativity, is a primary force for sustainable value creation.”

She added, “By accelerating our transformation through this combination, we will enable the investments in talent and technology that advance communications leadership when it has never mattered more.”

Burson’s leadership team will comprise a cohort of top-tier former chief communications officers and other experienced agency senior executives from both companies who bring deep expertise and knowledge of what business leaders need to succeed. Appointments will be announced throughout 2024 as the integration progresses.

In addition, GCI Health and AxiCom will continue to operate as brands within Burson, offering specialised healthcare and technology communications expertise, respectively, at scale.

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, stated, “Hill & Knowlton and BCW are two high-performing businesses with complementary strengths, shared ambitions and many shared clients. I am delighted to see the Burson brand brought back to unite them. The new agency will be the standard bearer as the most modern, strategic, technology-driven, full-service communications offer in the industry.”

Singapore – Public relations firm Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) has appointed Adeline Lee, former head of PR and comms and business director at ADK Connect, to step into the newly created role of general manager for Singapore.

In her new role, Lee will be focusing on driving growth and overseeing all aspects of the business operations and talent development. Her appointment will accelerate H+K Asia’s growth trajectory and complement the agency’s regional expansion plans. Lee will be reporting to Justin Then, CEO of H+K Singapore and Lumos H+K Malaysia.

Lee brings over 20 years of consultancy and in-house experience in communications management. Prior to her previous role at ADK Connect, she was the founder and owner of SG Story, a local boutique agency that specialised in audience engagement, content development and path-to-purchase marketing.

Lee shared that as content and storytelling continue to evolve, there is an increasing need for effective, compelling, and authentic communications that build relationships in today’s complex and ever-changing situations. 

“This is truly an exciting time for marketers, and I am looking forward to partnering with our clients to drive marketing outcomes that are aligned to their business goals,” she added.

Meanwhile, Then commented, “Adeline is a passionate leader with a proven track record of building successful teams and businesses. Her entrepreneurial spirit and deep experience in omnichannel campaigns make her a valuable addition as we continue to expand service solutions and offerings in Singapore.”

HS Chung, president of H+K Asia, said, “I am very pleased with Adeline’s decision to join H+K and her clear vision of how we can continue to build on an already exceptional team. Singapore continues to be an integral hub for our network and clients in the Asia market and this appointment bodes well for H+K Singapore’s growth.”

Beijing, China – Public relations firm Hill+Knowlton Strategies has appointed Robbie Yang as its vice president of growth in China. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving the firm’s business growth in mainland China and Hong Kong.

Yang brings more than 15 years of experience in public relations, marketing and digital communications at both brands and agencies. Most recently, he was vice president of branding and marketing at Shanghai Feiren Network Technology and has previously also served as head of marketing and PR communications for AC Milan China, as well as head of communications at Infront China. 

In addition, with 10 years of experience at Ogilvy China, he has supported leading brands such as Mercedes Benz, Jaguar Land Rover and Intel.

Based in Beijing, Yang will report to Jun Xu, CEO at H+K China, and Sam Lythgoe, global chief business development officer for H+K.

Speaking about his appointment, he said, “Throughout my career I have accumulated in-depth knowledge, strategic communications skills, as well as complex account management capabilities in a wide range of sectors including sports, luxury automotive, IT, leisure, fashion, movies and FMCG. I’m excited to bring my skills and thinking to H+K to support the agency’s continued growth in the fast-moving Chinese market.”

Beijing. China – The Chinese arm of global public relations consulting firm Hill + Knowlton (H+K) Strategies has announced the launch of its strategic advisory services to aid local businesses in creating environmental-friendly business strategies, in line with the upcoming COP15 conference to be held at Kunming, China on 11 to 24, October 2021.

Known as the ‘UN Biodiversity Conference’, COP15 will convene governments from around the world to agree on a new set of goals for nature over the next decade through the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 framework process. 

The framework sets out a global plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in society’s relationship with biodiversity and to ensure that, by 2050, the shared vision of living in ‘harmony with nature’ is fulfilled.

Through the newly-launched services, H+K China encourages the fact that effective communication will be essential for businesses and NGOs to gain recognition from key stakeholders, establish their positions in the global movement for biodiversity conservation, and deliver real impacts both within and outside of their organizations.

Furthermore, H+K Strategies has developed the H+K Better Impact™ offering in response to the challenges that companies and NGOs encounter while pursuing sustainability. Services under this new offering will empower brands and organizations to deliver timely and enduring impacts around COP15 through a holistic approach, which involves a unique score, act, consulting, or partnering process that zooms in on the best areas for targeting sustainability endeavors.

“H+K Strategies encourages all organizations to join in the global movement for safeguarding the natural world. At H+K Strategies, we’re dedicated to empowering and enabling brands and businesses to have a better impact on people and the planet. As a once-in-a-decade biodiversity conference, COP15 offers a fantastic platform for us to help them formulate a performance strategy that will deliver a better impact before, during and after the event,” said Jun Xu, CEO of H+K China.

Singapore – Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K), a global public relations consulting company, has appointed two key senior hires to strengthen its regional hub capabilities in Singapore.

The new hires are Jason Cheang, the new director of integrated communications, and Vylvianne Devajothi, the new regional PR services lead. Both will report directly to Matthew Briant, the head of H+K’s I+C Hub in Asia and managing director of H+K Singapore.

Cheang has previously worked as the head of digital for the Metia Group teams in the Asia Pacific and Japan. He specializes in digital strategy, creative ideation, and experiential events, which enabled him to work with various companies and government clients, such as the Singapore Tourism Board, Ministry of Transport, and GovTech, as well as Singtel, among others. Cheang will now be responsible for the H+K Asia’s Innovation + Creativity (I+C) Hub, bringing with him his sixteen years of experience in digital strategy and marketing communications.

Meanwhile, Devajothi previously led integrated communications for corporate clients across PR and social at Havas Singapore. She specializes in PR, digital, social, and offline, with a focus on content strategy and distribution, and has worked with different brands, such as Nikon, Philip Morris International, and Singapore Management University, as well as Roche Diagnostics, among others. Devajothi brings with her almost a decade of experience in the consumer and enterprise technology sectors across both the Asia Pacific and the US.

The H+K’s regional hub in Singapore aims to build a team that will drive forward regional consistency while being aligned with local market nuances, and helps brands to communicate effectively.

Commenting on the two new appointments, Briant said, “I am thrilled to have these two accomplished individuals join our regional Hub team. At H+K, we put creativity and team culture at the heart of everything we do. I am confident that this further strengthening of our regional capabilities will drive greater value for our clients through consistently delivering the highest standard of creative and strategic communications across Asia.”

Meanwhile, HS Chung, the president of H+K Asia, also shared that having Cheang and Devajothi onboard underlines their ambition to aggressively pursue growth and focus on creating leading-edge offerings for their clients across the region. 

“Our Innovation + Creativity Hub has been successfully providing our regional clients with Podcasting and Multi-Platform Measurement services particularly in these times among others. By bringing on board these talented minds, I look forward to strengthening our capabilities by implementing customer-centric solutions ensuring purpose and excellence at the center,” added Chung.