W Communications’ HelloFranses! lands in SG as agency eyes APAC acquisitions

Global creative and communications agency W Communications has launched HelloFranses! in Asia, establishing Singapore as the regional hub for its standalone celebrity and creator-first consultancy. The move marks W’s first step into talent representation and signals a broader regional investment push across influencer, social and digital capabilities.

Founded in the UK by Chloe Franses, HelloFranses! has grown into a 20-person team working with brands including Disney, Hublot, Aston Martin and Bacardi. The consultancy was also behind POP MART’s Labubus shift from cult collectible to mainstream fashion accessory. The Asia rollout positions the practice to tap the region’s expanding creator economy and increasing demand for cross-market, culturally fluent partnerships.

Warren Johnson, founder of W Communications, said the expansion is part of a wider plan to bring more of W’s specialist brands into APAC. “And then we'll also be rolling out some of the other W brands into the region, the first and most important one being HelloFranses! We’ll be looking at that as a full-service influencer agency, doing paid influence management,” he told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE exclusively. 

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Singapore will anchor HelloFranses! Asia, a decision driven by existing operations and the market’s growing influencer maturity.

“Many of the brands we work with are already using influencers, but often as an extension of PR. What we’re seeing globally, across the hubs we operate in, is a growing appetite for influencer to be a standalone focus," explained Franses.

“Singapore is interesting because it has such a vibrant culture: from new food offerings to product launches, plus B2B dynamics. LinkedIn is a big part of that. It’s such a business hub, and there’s a growing need for businesses to have strategies that speak to B2B influencers. The strategy piece is really key," she added. 

HelloFranses! offers end-to-end influencer solutions spanning strategy, creator shortlisting, content production, paid amplification and campaign analytics. Its tech platform supports real-time reporting and streamlined content management, with the agency aiming to focus its teams on long-term, culturally relevant brand–creator relationships.

In APAC, HelloFranses! will also directly represent influencers for the first time. Its roster will feature KOLs, creators, emerging celebrities and creatives, with a focus on luxury and global-facing talent.

A shifting influencer landscape 

According to Franses, the creator economy is moving from traditional endorsement to something more akin to paid media planning, adding that reporting rigour has now become essential. “From a reporting perspective, it is important for brand managers and teams working with brands to actually see the value and ROI they’re getting from each partnership and each endorsement done through influencers, so the reporting part is really key. We now have various tools, including proprietary ones, that help with that.”

The consultancy’s remit spans the entire creator spectrum. Franses highlighted the career development aspect, working with talent at different levels, from creators who feed the constant content needs of brands to those building long-term careers. “There’s a need for those collaborations to be real, and for creators to see their own career paths. That’s something we’re very focused on and looking to do more of,” she said.

Building on its experience with big-name celebrities, HelloFranses! works across nano and micro influencers producing UGC content, as well as macro influencers and established stars who feature in large-scale campaigns, appearances, and key activations that bring brands to life. When asked about talent names, Franses cited work with Idris Elba, Charlize Theron, Orlando Bloom, as well as UGC creators supporting brands such as Victoria’s Secret.

Building on this breadth of talent, Robin Chang, general manager of W Communications APAC, highlighted a growing appetite for cross-border collaborations and B2B influencer work.

“A lot of our current clients and prospects are asking for cross-collaborations — celebrities and influencers from the Philippines to Singapore, UK crossovers, and so on. It’s no longer linear. There’s real cross-pollination of KOLs, even on the B2B side. With the growth of platforms such as Substack, this is increasingly possible,” he said.

He added that creators are seeking more than one-off transactional posts. “KOLs and celebrities want agencies like us to help land partnerships and endorsements. They want new ways of creating content with brands: more organic, less formulaic.”

Acquisitions on the horizon 

Chang’s comments underscored the increasingly complex and interconnected nature of influencer campaigns across markets. To capitalise on this momentum and strengthen its regional footprint, W Communications will use Singapore as the base for a more aggressive APAC expansion strategy.

“We’re going to be a lot more acquisitive and will invest more money in Singapore and the region,” said Johnson. “We’ve got a significant war chest to make acquisitions, likely in influencer, social, and digital. We can probably open more PR offices organically, which Chang and I are working on, but we’ll look to buy social, digital, and influencer expertise on a market-by-market basis.”

Johnson highlighted Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia as immediate opportunities, with China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan also on the radar. He noted cultural fluency as a core requirement in any acquisition, citing the risk of applying Western models without localisation.

“We don’t want to adopt cultural imperialism or operate in mono. We want to work with brilliant, authentic partners on the ground so we can run great work market by market,” he said.

The founder added that Southeast Asia offers stronger entrepreneurial momentum compared with Western markets: “In this region, there are some of the most innovative agencies. There’s so much energy and ambition. In other markets, you’re scraping the barrel.”

Chang also pointed to W and Bellow’s joint venture model as part of the region’s future content strategy. Earlier in April this year, the agency launched W Productions, a global join in venture partnership with multi-discipline content agency, Bellow. “Our joint venture with Bellow is based on the foresight that you can’t do big videos and billboards at five-digit budgets anymore. We support talented creators, former YouTubers, for example, who set up their own outfits and focus on short-form impactful content at accessible price points.”

Franses added: “In an era where the demand for content is so high, it’s a real challenge for clients to keep their channels filled with quality content.”

Looking ahead, Johnson said Singapore remains central to W’s long-term investment thesis. “It makes sense to invest in Singapore and then have the capital to expand in the region — hire a bigger team, make acquisitions, and take calculated risks in other markets," he said. 

The launch of HelloFranses! Asia will sit alongside the agency’s Singapore office, which works with brands including 1664, Moët Hennessy Diageo, Deliveroo, Hilton and Geneco, strengthening W’s ability to deliver creator-led and social-first work across Southeast Asia.

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