The move marks the first regional appointment for Southeast Asia, which has been handled market by market to date.
Y&R will be briefed on marketing strategies to close the gap with larger rivals UPS, FedEx and DHL.
Advertising for TNT is expected to trumpet the Netherlands-based brand as more than just a delivery logistics company.
“Asia is going through the greatest speed of growth in recent history in terms of the level of investments coming in and exports going out,” said a source. “TNT will want to make sure people know who they are, and are clear on their role in Asia’s growth story.”
That story depends on the success of the company’s Asia Road Network, a door-to-door delivery service that uses routes linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Vietnam and Bangkok and, more recently, Penang. Delivery volume growth is expected to come from the electronics manufacturing industries between these locations, with the addition of China to the Asia Road Network expected next month.
Agencies competing for TNT were short-listed from a list that included two other contenders.
