OMD unveils digital offering for China

<P>OMD has hired a senior executive from PCCW Directories, Lawrence Wan, to launch its Greater China digital offering as the unit's digital director, based in Hong Kong.</P> <P>Wan, business manager at the PCCW unit, which handles Yellow Pages, joined the agency at press-time to launch OMD Digital, which comes a year after the network rolled out the brand in Australia. </P> <P>OMD's Greater China MD Maggie Choi downplayed the agency's belated entry into the digital space, saying the company had been keeping track of client developments, and felt the time was now right to launch the service. <BR>"A lot of clients are exploring opportunities in digital, but they are not yet willing to spend a lot of money on interactive marketing," Choi said. "But digital is definitely developing fast as clients are now ready to take a long-term view of digital."</P> <P>Wan, who boasts both an agency and an interactive background, helped launch a pay-for-performance online contextual ad service in late 2003, before moving to PCCW a year later.</P> <P>OMD also plans to launch its digital offer for Southeast Asia, but has yet to fix a date for the rollout.</P>