OgilvyInteractive and Australian-based interactive agency NetX have
formed a joint venture media consultancy to service clients in the Asia
region, outside of Australia.
The new operation, called NetX OgilvyInteractive, will open its first
operation in Singapore and Greater China this month, with plans for
expansion into other Asian markets over the next few months.
The JV will combine OgilvyInteractive's regional network and blue chip
client list with NetX's innovative approach to interactive media to
provide clients with new media services in the region.
These will include planning of interactive media campaigns, post-buy
analytics of campaign effectiveness and a variety of consultancy
services for clients wishing to conduct affiliate programmes,
interactive media sponsorships and content deals.
NetX OgilvyInteractive will also provide services for both fixed line
and wireless telecommunications devices.
OgilvyInteractive Asia chief executive officer Kent Wertime said that
NetX - which won five of six categories at the 1999 Australian Internet
Advertising Awards, including 'Best of Show' - was a valuable partner
because it has more experience in online campaigns, having been
established in Australia more than three years ago.
"Asian companies are now more centrally focused on themselves; they ask
questions like 'how do we start a website?' compared with in Australia
where they ask more sophisticated questions like 'how will our website
make a point of differentiation for our brand?'," he told CReATION.
Mr Craig Wilson, chairman of NetX and CEO of the JV unit added: "We've
been through the learning curve when it comes to bringing clients online
and, depending on individual situations and scenarios, we generally know
what works for which client."
In the rush to provide interactive solutions for clients, most agencies
- big and small - spend most of their time and energy on banner ads.
However, Mr Wertime said that this was a mistake. "The new world of
media is not old media simply grafted onto new media," he explained.
Clients, he noted, were increasingly asking for new and innovative
solutions for their 'Net ventures and that was more about content,
affiliate programmes and sponsorships, in addition to advertising.
Mr Nic Burrows, NetX media services director who will head up the
Singapore JV operation, added, "We will even think about ebusiness
strategy all the way to execution and right up to pulling out the data
during and after a campaign to learn where we could have done things
better."
