Fallon McElligot ponders setting up Asian presence

<p>Fallon McElligott, the US-based creative hotshop, is planning to </p><p>establish a presence in Asia-Pacific. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency's managing partner, corporate growth, John Gerzema and group </p><p>director Rob Buchner both recently visited Hong Kong and Singapore to </p><p>investigate the possibility of setting up one or more offices in the </p><p>region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We are doing a very careful study of the Asia-Pacific market and how we </p><p>can exist, grow and thrive in it," Mr Gerzema told MEDIA. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He said that they had talked to potential joint venture partners, </p><p>examined opportunities, including ways to utilise the resources of its </p><p>agency network partners, Publicis and Saatchi & Saatchi. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Fallon, which became part of the Publicis group in February of this </p><p>year, is an ideas-driven agency, with the brand philosophy being </p><p>'simple, powerful ideas'. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Gerzema said, "Asia-Pacific is of huge strategic importance to us not </p><p>only for our clients but also for us to be able to extend that creative </p><p>reputation worldwide as we create a global network devoted to our brand </p><p>philosophy." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Fallon - which has billings of about US$850 million with clients </p><p>such as BMW of North America, Time magazine and Starbucks - was founded </p><p>in Minneapolis almost 20 years ago. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>However, its only other offices to date in London and New York were set </p><p>up just two and three years ago respectively. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Gerzema said it was still early days to say where Fallon offices will </p><p>open in Asia, but he did say he would be making more trips to this </p><p>region before the end of this year and visit cities other than Hong Kong </p><p>or Singapore. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He added that Fallon is looking for entrepreneurial JV partners who also </p><p>shares the agency's culture and corporate values. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>These partners, Mr Gerzema said, also have to be smart marketers and </p><p>tops in the field of strategic planning. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency is hoping to have a worldwide network of 10 offices within </p><p>the next few years, he added. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Buchner said the goal of Fallon now was to build on its philosophy of </p><p>'simple, powerful ideas' on a global platform and be known as the agency </p><p>which "has the capability to produce the most creative and most admired </p><p>product". </p><p><BR><BR> </p>