From left: Caroline Hsu, Chief Global Officer and MD of APAC, Lydia Lau CFO and EVP of Global Operations, Vicky Wong, GM of Malaysia and Maureen Tseng, MD of SEA
The Hoffman Agency has widened the reach of its global network with the opening of an office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It marks an important strategic flag on the map in Southeast Asia and brings the total number of offices in Asia-Pacific to 10.
Hoffman is growing steadily in Southeast Asia. Fee revenues there increased 60% last year, and Hoffman Southeast Asia is now a 50-strong team excluding affiliates. Between 2020 and 2022, the operation has defied the conditions of the pandemic to grow 149%.
As part of an independent network with a single P&L model, the hub’s focus is on helping global and regional technology and B2B companies solve direct business challenges and build their presence across key Southeast Asian markets. Demand for multimarket support is high, and clients include Trellix as well as homegrown enterprises such as Bukalapak and Alpha JWC.
Malaysia represents a significant opportunity for the technology sector and for Hoffman as a rare technology and integrated marketing communications specialist.
Last year, Malaysia’s technology sector grew around 10%. The economy grew at its fastest rate in more than 20 years, with GDP increasing 8.7%.
Vicky Wong will lead the new office as General Manager. As a Malaysian, Wong reflects Hoffman’s policy of hiring local leaders with diverse professional experience to lead its operations across Asia-Pacific.
Wong was formerly head of corporate communications at Digital Nasional Berhad, a Malaysian government-owned entity supporting the proliferation of 5G infrastructure in the country. She has also held leadership roles at agencies such as Lumos Hill & Knowlton Strategies and Text 100 (now Archetype) and supported a wide range of multinational brands spanning the technology, corporate, energy, healthcare and consumer sectors.
Wong will work closely with teams in Singapore and Indonesia and report to Maureen Tseng, Managing Director of Hoffman Southeast Asia. Hoffman’s single P&L gives clients of the Malaysia office added simplicity and flexibility with the option to access resources and expertise across the agency’s international network as required.
“Economic uncertainty can lead agencies to contract and batten down the hatches,” said Tseng. “Instead, we are embracing the opportunity before us and investing in the future of the technology sector.
In Southeast Asia we work as one team across Singapore, Indonesia and now Malaysia. This allows us to provide top quality consulting that combines big-picture thinking with nuance and insight unique to each individual market.”
“Having a physical presence in Malaysia deepens our capabilities as a hub and means tech clients in the market can take advantage of diverse knowledge and experience within a single team,” Wong added. “We specialize in helping tech brands enter new markets and build a consistent but localized brand identity across those markets.
We see great opportunity to do this for both multinational and local clients and in so doing support the growth of Malaysia’s and Southeast Asia’s tech ecosystems.”
Hoffman believes in building deep expertise in specific fields. Its areas of specialization include semiconductors, where it serves two of the largest companies in the sector as well as multiple related companies; data centers and cloud computing; the digital economy including start-ups and venture capital; fintech; cybersecurity; and ESG.
Named SABRE APAC Tech Agency of the Year in 2019, 2021 and 2022, the consultancy’s quest to be the best in the world at executing multi-country campaigns for tech companies is working. The company’s global growth has exceeded 30% for the past two years with global fees hitting $26.326 million in 2022.
Hoffman is currently hiring in Malaysia and SEA and welcomes enquiries from prospective talent with a passion for IMC at [email protected]
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