Despite rumours that HP has intended to consolidate the business with a sole agency network in the region, so far only B-M has been nominated to handle HP's imaging and printing group (IPG) region-wide save Hong Kong, with no single consultancy dominating the agency line-up.
Cecilia Pang, HP's Singapore-based communications director, Asia-Pacific, refused to comment on market-by-market consultancy choices, however she confirmed that a decision was yet to be made on the China market.
"We're still working through things. We will be choosing to work in all the countries in this region with either H&K, B-M or PN, or their affiliates where appropriate."
PRWeek has learned that in Singapore, following H&K working closely with Pang on corporate comms in late 2002, the agency has been handed the full brief for all of HP's business units, save IPG but including the enterprise systems group (ESG); personal systems group (PSG); HP services, HP education services and corporate, without a pitch.
Fending off Australian incumbent on the IPG business, Recognition PR, B-M was the former incumbent on Compaq Australia prior to the global merger with HP. Following a three-way pitch it has snared all of HP's communications business in Australia.
"B-M demonstrated that it could provide the industry expertise, strategic vision and tactical savvy," said HP Australia corporate comms manager Hugh Scott.
In Hong Kong, where Shout Asia has held the ESG retainer since 2002 as well as handling Compaq pre-merger and projects across units, the account has gone to Bentley Porter Novelli (BPN).
Shout MD David Ko said that as a BPN associate and a former knowledge leader on HP, Shout would be subcontracted for the PSG business, and consulted "as a resource on other aspects of the business".
BPN chairman Annie Liang Bentley confirmed that the consultancy had won the retainer account for the ESG, IPG, PSG, and HPS business, in addition to corporate comms. She classed the win as: "An ongoing relationship - some of the business will be on retainer and some on project", with brand-building and promotion "in very specific terms" core to the brief.