Saatchis beefs up Asia HP team with two new recruits

Jonathan Fletcher joins as planning director, and will develop strategy for a number of accounts, specifically focusing on HP Asia. With experience in agencies in London and Amsterdam -- including Mc-Cann Erickson, Wieden & Kennedy and DDB -- he was most recently freelancing in Australia for Lowe Hunt, DDB, BMF and Saatchis. Known for his 'visual planning', which bases brand thinking on visual and video evidence, Fletcher is looking to bring this approach to HP in the region.

"It's an effective planning tool at a regional level," said Fletcher. "Key challenges for HP are to maintain relevance in highly competitive, mature markets and to build on its credibility in less mature markets like China and India. So, from a planning perspective, locally-generated insights will play a crucial role in helping HP to leverage its strengths and stay ahead of the curve."

The agency has also hired Justin Stephenson as regional business director on the account. He was previously based in London, as a partner in Orckid, prior to which he worked at Ogilvy & Mather in Hong Kong as regional business director.

"With HP's positioning in the IT space, the opportunity lies to continue to strengthen its relevance as a holistic technology solutions provider, whether in the consumer, SMB or enterprise segments," said Stephenson. "In markets like China and India, the long- term game will be about building a solid brand regard. It's about capturing volume while establishing a clear position. Our focus will be to develop compelling and emotionally relevant ideas that will generate demand among HP's customers."

Stephenson said his decision to return to Asia was due to the "compelling mix between the deep respect for the cultural richness of the region, a fascination for HP's changing persona in the booming tech industry in Asia", as well as the reputation of Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore.