Sharing the news with Campaign Asia-Pacific at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, MediaMonks' chief executive Victor Knaap explained that the company aims to raise the overall standard of digital production in Singapore, while gaining and applying lessons from areas such as mobile to the European market.
MediaMonks claims to be the first agency of its kind to open for business in Singapore. The firm will offer digital execution services to agencies. Clients include BBDO, BBH, TBWA and Saatchi & Saatchi. The office will be led by Joris Pol, who has been with the company for five years in London.
Knaap described the move as a "massive step" that enabled stronger service to its agency clients on a global scale. "During my visits to Singapore last year, it was clear that no local agency offered our digital expertise," he said. "We believe that building a solid relationship with our agency partners is a model that creates the most value for everyone involved. Now we can do this in the Asian market, from the ground up."
He said the move followed extensive research into the market. "There are production companies, but they are all attached to agencies," he said. "There are a few local shops, but they are not able to service the creative industries. They are more tech-based and not well-suited to serve regional campaigns."
 Victor Knapp |
Agencies do have digital production capabilities, he noted, but added that "the big jobs will always be done externally. We have the same model as film production companies: you devise the big idea and we do the execution".
Despite an increasing trend for production houses to work directly with brands, Knaap said that was not part of MediaMonks' ambitions. He said such a move would undermine the company's position with agencies. While the firm is positioned as a creative production house, he noted: "We don't do brand strategy. If you have a big idea, we make sure it is done in the best possible way."
Knaap admitted that MediaMonks' and Europe as a whole was behind in terms of mobile work. He said that working on a brief for a SingTel account had yielded a better understanding of the platform, which had in turn been applied to activities in Europe.
"At heart we are a tech company," Knaap said. "But technology alone is not the solution. We start with the idea, then decide what technology suits it best."
MediaMonks worked on BBH's 'Apollo' campaign for Axe, which won Gold in the Promo and Activation category at the festival. The company also has offices in London and New York.
