WPP combines 5 brand consultancies into Superunion

WPP has launched a new global brand agency named Superunion, following the integration of five of its brand consultancies - Brand Union, The Partners, Lambie-Nairn, Addison Group and VBAT.The integration combines 750 employees in 23 offices and 18 countries including Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Thailand and India. Some of its clients include Diageo, FIFA, Ford and Vodafone. Superunion will be led by global CEO Jim Prior and executive chairman Simon Bolton.Superunion enables clients to engage with a broader array of specialists and offer a more connected set of services. It is able to work with clients across a broader spectrum of target audiences, including corporate, consumer, customer and talent, according to the press statement. The new brand agency comprises senior level, strategic and creative leaders who will help organisations rethink how they can achieve their goals.Overseeing Asia Pacific are chairman, Asia Monica Lee and CEO, Asia Benedict Gordon. Head of development, Asia Po Kay Lee and strategy head, Asia Pacific Ambrish Chaudhry are also part of the Asia Pacific operations team. When asked what the new agency’s strategy will be in Asia Pacific, Bolton said in a statement to Marketing last year that it will employ both an inbound and outbound strategy to global brand management.Lee has worked with brands such as China Mobile, Tencent, Qingdao Beer, ICBC and China Resources on issues ranging from strategic positioning, value propositions and brand management to visual identity systems, package design and communications strategies.Meanwhile, Gordon is responsible for building Superunion's reputation and business across Asia. Prior to his new role, he worked as the MD of Brand Union in Hong Kong and was part of its strategy team in London. He also worked at brand and marketing consultancy Prophet for more than a year.As head of development, Asia and MD, Singapore, Po is responsible for growing the next generation of Asian brands and helping global brands excel in new markets. She spent 10 years at Brand Union and has serviced clients including Singapore Stock Exchange, Telekom Malaysia, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Frasers Property, GSK, Go-Jek, ST Engineering, International Table Tennis Federation, RHB Banking Group, Zalora and Facebook.According to Prior, creativity has to be applied at the heart of the business, where it can affect areas such as innovation, product and service, culture change, people's experience of the brand and the organisation's driving purpose."We will offer more integrated services, high level strategic relevancy and closer connections to audiences, building stronger brands that drive our clients’ success," he added.