Bud Communications expands to Hong Kong with new North Asia lead

Singapore-based PR and content agency Bud Communications has ventured into the Hong Kong market as part of its APAC expansion, two years after it launched its first office in Australia. 

Oliver Budgen, founder and CEO of Bud, told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE the technology corridor connecting the Greater Bay Area (GBA), Southeast Asia and Australia is evolving rapidly.

“From AI and Enterprise SaaS to Web3 and CleanTech, fast-scaling innovators need an agile, borderless PR partner built for speed, but without the bureaucracy and friction of traditional network agency silos,” he said.

With its one-team approach, Bud’s Hong Kong hub will integrate with teams across the region to deliver unified execution across markets from day one, Budgen said.

“We have been doing work that touches Hong Kong for years without being on the ground there and at some point that stops making sense. Our clients move between Southeast Asia, Australia and North Asia constantly and they want a team that moves with them rather than being handed to a network partner. Hong Kong is our sixth market and it closes the loop on how we already work,” he added.

Leading the charge in Hong Kong is Cynthia Chan (pictured), appointed as the Hong Kong and North Asia lead for Bud Communications.

Reporting to Budgen, she is tasked at spearheading Bud's North Asia expansion, leading regional growth, establishing Bud as the strategic communications partner for ambitious brands in Hong Kong and North Asia, and managing brand positioning and strategic PR.

“At Bud, we operate on a ‘one-team regional model’. From Day 1, the Hong King office is seamlessly integrated with and supported by Bud’s established regional teams across Singapore, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia with about 25 people to deliver cross-border support for clients. We also aim to thoughtfully grow the dedicated team on the ground as regional operations expand,” said Chan.

Bud’s strategy for the Hong Kong office focuses on a cross-border regional approach - connecting GBA and North Asia tech innovators to APAC markets while using a seamless "one-team regional model" across existing hubs to support local and regional clients, she added.

Chan brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate positioning, reputation management and change management to Bud. Prior to joining the agency, she served as senior vice president and partner at FleishmanHillard Hong Kong, where she led the corporate practice.

Her background also includes an in-house role as head of communications for Greater China at Covestro in Shanghai. During her tenure she repositioned the chemical spin-off as a thought leader in the circular economy and sustainability, while managingorganisational restructuring and regional change communications.

"Joining Bud Communications at this pivotal moment in the region's technology narrative is an incredible opportunity," Chan said. "The GBA-to-APAC corridor is brimming with world-class tech companies that require sophisticated, strategic storytelling to establish credibility and navigate complex multi-market landscapes.

“Our proprietary Believability Framework is a true differentiator - it turns trust into something structured and scoreable, to help disruptive brands to deliver measurable results to pursue real business growth. I look forward to establishing Bud as the go-to strategic communications partner for tech innovators in Hong Kong and North Asia," she added.

Budgen added that Hong Kong had been part of Bud's growth ambitions from day one.

"Given how significant this market is within the wider APAC picture, we always knew success would come down to two things: timing and talent. With the Government’s HK$35 billion Transformation Blueprint underway and clients increasing their focus on the region, the timing feels right.

"Most crucially, bringing in someone of Chan’s calibre, with 20 years in reputation management and change leadership, gives us exactly the person to build this properly. She's the ideal partner to lead our North Asia expansion and we're thrilled to welcome her to the team as we bring our believability-led approach to this market,” he added.

Bud launched in Singapore in 2020 as a PR and content agency purpose-built for challenger brands looking to make an immediate impact. This latest move expands the firm's operations, having already built presence in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Australia. 

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