CReATION: Decipher: bringing strategic digital clarity to Hong Kong

<p>Lowe & Partners/Live is making way for a newcomer in its Hong Kong </p><p>offices. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>And attempting to make sense of the SAR's digital scrum is fellow Lowe </p><p>Group member, Decipher. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Bringing the cachet of such brand heavyweights as UK supermarket chain </p><p>Tesco, which recently took its offering onto the Web and became the </p><p>biggest online grocer in the world, HSBC, Unilever, Vauxhaull and </p><p>Porsche to Asia - you could say Decipher knows its online onions. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It should do - it's provided the digital strategy behind these and other </p><p>large scale Web successes in the UK and stateside. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Luckily, founder Nigel Walley is under no illusion that Asia's Web space </p><p>will conveniently mimic Europe or the US. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Our view is that Asia is as different to Europe in the new media space </p><p>as Europe is to the US - and in some aspects it's ahead with the mobile </p><p>and hand-held revolution." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Interestingly, he views innovation-driving trends as less apparent </p><p>here. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The trend towards new media family conglomerates, where every group has </p><p>got a Web design company, a portal, a systems integrator and some </p><p>content companies reflects Asian business practices, but prevents some </p><p>of the frenetic competition which drives innovation in other markets," </p><p>he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>And while, to some, piggybacking off the Lowe Group's existing market </p><p>advantage might seem the ideal plan for an Asian debut, Mr Walley is </p><p>keen to stress that Decipher is the only entity within the group not to </p><p>have 'Lowe' in its name. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A "hands-off" approach that wasn't an accident. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We tend to help companies establish new digital businesses that only </p><p>fall into the sphere of Lowe's interest once they are at that launch </p><p>stage - so the Lowe clients that work with us tend to do so separately </p><p>from their Lowe relationship," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Aside from HSBC, however, Decipher's Hong Kong client menagerie will </p><p>undoubtably include the emerging digital TV sector. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>And importing the knowledge garnered from the UK's multinational TV </p><p>giants was one area Mr Walley earmarked as potentially "ground-breaking" </p><p>in a localised context. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We're not just focusing on Web pages, we do the whole technology </p><p>spectrum, " he added. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But while the streets may be littered with dotcoms crying out for a </p><p>decent Web strategy, finding the right person to head-up Decipher's </p><p>Asian offering has thrown up its own set of pitfalls. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"It's a really great opportunity for someone who's come in and doesn't </p><p>have to get into the boring stuff like building the infrastructure - </p><p>it's already there," noted Decipher case leader Ian Partington. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"All they (the winning candidate) have to do is get the right people, </p><p>get the clients and get the business going." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>As the toss up between a consultancy staffer, a digital TV specialist, </p><p>or a stragecially-minded agency staffer ensues, one burning question </p><p>remains: anyone want a job? </p><p><BR><BR> </p>