Arcade launches consultancy business with Hiroshi Harada

The new Singapore-based consultancy is a joint venture between Arcade and Harada. It will provide consultancy services to Japanese brands looking to expand in Greater China, Southeast Asia and India, as well as for international brands wishing to break into the Japanese market.

Harada, who left Dentsu Asia this year, was considered the network’s top-ranking man in Asia with more than 30 years’ experience. He helped Dentsu grow into the largest network in Asia.

Harada said Arcade understands the business of building great brands with creativity being at the heart of its approach, which Japanese clients will love.

Nick Marrett, Arcade’s CEO, said it’s the right timing to launch the joint venture, as Japanese clients are seeing a need for a new kind of agency that is compact, agile and senior enough to make the big global calls. “Japanese clients are now looking for different partnerships, instead of using one large agency,” he told Campaign Asia-Pacific. “This trend will continue to develop in the next three years.”

To help international clients tap into the Japanese market, Marrett said the key challenge is to understand consumers and find the right partner, but with Harada, who knows both Japanese and international markets, he is confident about the new business.