R/GA plots international outposts

MASTERCARD   INTERPUBLIC   EXPANSION

Regional - After securing MasterCard's digital account, Interpublic’s digital agency R/GA is eying growth in Asia, with China and Singapore part of its expansion plan.

The Interpublic Group digital agency has plans to open offices in Singapore and Sao Paolo, Brazil, in early 2010, according to CEO Bob Greenberg (pictured). The offices, which will initially employ 7-10 staffers, are to support the shop's recent win of MasterCard's digital account.

R/GA plans to relocate a staffer to open the offices. Greenberg said this approach is needed since both offices will lean heavily on larger R/GA hubs in London and New York to do much of their work. Eventually, all R/GA offices outside of New York will have the same departments and service offerings as the headquarters, Greenberg said.

R/GA currently has offices in New York, San Francisco and London. It has long toyed with greater international expansion, considering locations like Shanghai.

The MasterCard win earlier this month made the next moves more straightforward, since it handles business in the Latin American region from Brazil and Asia from Singapore. MRM Worldwide retained MasterCard's digital business in Europe.

"These are two great locations," said Greenberg. "We're going to move to where our clients are interested to support them."

Other locations on Greenberg's wish list: Russia, China, India and the Middle East.

R/GA lags behind several of its peer digital shops in an international footprint. Digitas maintains eight foreign outposts; Razorfish has a presence in Europe, Asia and soon Latin America; AKQA is in Europe and Asia; and MRM and Wunderman have offices around the world.

"If you have global clients, you need a global footprint," Greenberg said.

R/GA has been on a new business role of late. It picked up Walmart in March, then added Taco Bell for its San Francisco office and most recently MasterCard's business. Greenberg said the shop is "busier than ever."

Brian Morrissey AdWeek