Fluid takes aim at custom publishing

Hong Kong - Independent advertising and design agency Fluid has added another division to its arsenal, launching a custom publishing arm, Fluid Publishing.

Fluid Publishing will work across all media platforms and plans to integrate online and mobile media into its custom publishing unit.

Emily Ashman, who has worked with the likes of Hong Kong Tatler, Express Newspapers, Ok! and Grazia magazine, has been hired as editorial director of Fluid Publishing. She will work with Fluid Publishing's managing director Simon Squibb, creative director Helen Griffiths and Scott De Nino, who heads up the new media area.

Squibb said the agency is aiming big with its new venture and looking to acquire licenses for the local market and launch its own titles.

"We're going after the big boys, we want to shake things up a bit," Squibb said.

"Custom publishing is not properly used here, people are not taking advantage of digital."

Fluid Publishing has already landed its first client via Fluid's UK office, signing development and investment group O&H Land. Another major project will be announced later this year.

On top of its core publishing focus, the new business will also offer consulting services and search out joint venture publishing projects.

Squibb added that Fluid Publishing will find a lot of synergies with the company's other business areas including Fluid Media, which owns billboards and Lightboxes around Soho, Fluid's Venue Alliance and the ILoveSoHo.hk website. 

Ashman said the agency now has the firepower to take the custom publishing sector to another level.  

"We now have the capabilities to go to the likes of Nokia and say we can saturate Soho, we can do mobile, direct mail, deal with the web and design elements and also bring marketing to the table" she said.