As well as managing the account in Australia and New Zealand, Howorth Communications Sydney will provide the umbrella strategy, which will be implemented on a local level by Ogilvy-owned consultancies in Singapore, China, Japan and India.
The business was won in a competitive pitch involving four other agencies including incumbent PPR Australia, which has held the account for the past two-and-a-half years.
PPR had acted as the regional hub with consultancies in each market: Golin/Harris in Singapore, Mindlink in China and Euro RSCG in India. This is the first time an agency has been selected in Japan.
Ogilvy PR didn't enter the fray until after the first round of pitching and, according to Lexmark's Sydney-based Asia-Pacific head of marketing Vivienne Horsfall, the ability to form a "strategic regional relationship" with Lexmark was key to the win.
Reporting to Horsfall is Howorth group account director Melissa Donnelly, MD Mike Howorth and account director Julie Eubank.