Kuo leaves Ogilvy

BEIJING - Ogilvy & Mather Advertising's group director of digital strategy Kaiser Kuo (pictured) will depart the agency next week to continue his work as a consultant for online video site Youku.

Kuo, who joined Ogilvy in January 2007, said he would also focus on music-related projects. He is the lead guitarist for the band Spring and Autumn and was a founding member of Tang Dynasty, both of which are Chinese metal bands.

Based in Beijing, Kuo also writes an industry blog titled ‘Ogilvy Digital Watch’, which he says he will continue to maintain independent from the agency “with Ogilvy's blessing”.

“It's going to be less ad-focused, and will cover more of China's Internet world than it did before,” he said of the blog.

Kuo, the former China bureau chief of Red Herring, additionally writes a column for That’s Beijing magazine called "Ich Bin Ein Beijinger".