Arkr brings Vitamine under its fold

The decision to combine forces enables the agencies to bring their clientele a more all-around service in social media, mobile and e-commerce projects. In 2014, Arkr Group plans to intensify its efforts in big data, traditional CRM and retail via strategic partnerships to unite the ecosystems of digital media and business.

Both are well-known independent boutique agencies in China founded between 2009 and 2011. In 2013, Vitamine garnered Campaign Asia-Pacific's Greater China Independent Agency of the Year.

Once the merger completes, the founder of Vitamine, Jason Zhan (詹嘉), will work with the three partners of Arkr Digital, Steven Lee (李翔), Jancoo Lee (李劼) and Aaron Zhang (张璐), to form a new managerial team. 

Aaron Zhang becomes managing director of the merged entity and will handle new business development, strategic partnerships, clients' brand positioning and merger management.

Jason Zhan, also a managing director, has the duty of integrating the staff and finances into a single structure. Arkr Digital hires more than 80 people throughout China while Vitamine has 20 employees. Additionally, Zhan will lead research and investment in the latest technological developments.

Steven Lee, managing director as well, takes responsiblity for internal project management, process optimisation and human resource training. His main task is to implement Arkr Group's model, called 'Liquid Content + Smart Touchpoint'.

Jancoo Lee, as creative managing partner, will deal with the group’s work pertaining to content and idea generation.

The group says mobile platforms will make up an integral part of its strategic execution. “Consumer behaviour is becoming more and more diverse. Platforms with repeated content and few distribution channels no longer satisfy user preferences in an age where personal time is increasingly scarce and fragmented," Zhan said.

Zhang added that the benefits he expects from the merger include an exchange of resources that enable Arkr Group to boost its overall competitiveness as well as the excellence of its work. 

Clients now include Michelin, Philips, Haier, Royal Canin, Standard Chartered, Bang & Olufsen, Meters/bonwe, Clarins, Revlon, Sephora, Halls, The North Face, Johnson & Johnson, Puma, and Moët & Chandon.