Sydney-based Ripple Effect Group opens first Southeast Asia office

The new office in Manila, which is a joint-venture with a private firm, is its first office in the region. It was soft-launched two weeks ago.

The Manila office is led by managing director, Philippines, Steven Legg (pictured), supported by a local team and the Sydney team. An economist with nine years experience in Australian government and the tertiary education sector, he specialises in policy development, stakeholder engagement, governance, social research and in-depth statistical analysis.

Legg previously worked with Philippine Airlines, NSW Government, UNSW, NSW Parliament, Australian Retailers Association, Australian Paint Manufacturers Association, Local Government, Keep Australia Beautiful, Australasian Campus Management Association, Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, UTS Design Out Crime Research Centre.

Anne Bartlett-Bragg, managing director, Asia Pacific at Ripple Effect Group, noted that the agency’s plan to open the second office in the region – this time in Singapore – by the first half of next year, before expanding to other Southeast Asian countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and also Hong Kong, progressively.

“We have not decided on the business model of the Singapore office but it is likely to be our own entity,” she added.

Meanwhile, the agency changed its name to signify the beginning of a new level of maturity in how businesses approach the social economy and how social technologies are fundamentally changing the way to approach businesses.

“The Philippines consistently rates highly globally for its use and acceptance of social media through mobile devices,” Bartlett-Bragg said.

“Coupled with its strong economy and government support for innovation and business focus, businesses and government agencies are looking for ways to integrate social technologies/channels and behaviours into their operations. These conditions are ideal for social business focus and acceptance.”

The Ripple Effect Group offers services, from the development of a strategy right through to implementation, social intelligence and community management, for all industries to help them integrate new social channels, both internally and externally, into their operational and promotional mix of channels.

In Australia, The Ripple Effect Group has been commissioned to produce publications, including the Gov2.0 Australian Federal Government tool kit for social media and designing mobile apps, as well as a roadmap for businesses requested by the Ark Group.

Ripple Effect Group has also worked with clients including Virgin Australia, IBM, PwC and Microsoft.