WE Engauge Formed to Become Leading Social Marketing Agency in China

ATLANTA & HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Engauge, the leading U.S.-based independent agency for the social age, and key founders of WE Marketing Group (WMG), China’s leading independent agency, have formed WE Engauge, China’s first global social marketing agency. The firm will serve multinational and native brands throughout Greater China, a country that boasts the largest online population of any nation; its over 500 million users are also the most socially active participants in the world.

“The Chinese consumers are adopting these technologies faster than anyone in the world. There is a real void of agencies that understand Chinese consumers and social media culture as well as the unique social platforms within China. Our partnership creates the agency that fills that void.”

“There is tremendous opportunity in social media for brands in China,” said Rick Milenthal, Executive Chairman of Engauge. “The Chinese consumers are adopting these technologies faster than anyone in the world. There is a real void of agencies that understand Chinese consumers and social media culture as well as the unique social platforms within China. Our partnership creates the agency that fills that void.”

WE Engauge is already working with several brands, including Lee Kum Kee, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Cisco Systems, Citibank Hong Kong, Stroili Oro, M&M Mars, and more.

WMG Chairman and industry leader Viveca Chan will serve as Chairman and CEO of We Engauge. In announcing the venture, Chan said, “Engauge is a leader in leveraging social media marketing for brands in the United States. Our management team has worked with blue chip brands in China for two decades and understands the unique social media platforms here. Together, we make a winning team, creating new tools and creative campaigns to help clients break new ground and achieve optimum business results.”

Milenthal will serve as Vice Chairman of the new agency. Hugo Chan, a renowned leader in the China media industry and author of "Social Marketing: Customer's Engagement" will serve as Managing Partner. Raghu Kakarala, Engauge Chief Technology Officer, will serve as CTO and partner of We Engauge. The agency will work closely with WMG and will share offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.

Engauge and the WMG management team already have strong ties as mutual shareholders of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent agencies. “I have watched Viveca grow her agency in China over the last 5 years into the country’s leading independent. We are honored to have an opportunity to partner with her on this great venture,” said Rick Milenthal.

Al Moffatt, Worldwide Partners President/CEO said, “Both WE and Engauge are agency partners in Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent agencies. The creation of this new social media agency in China through these two partner agencies is just one more example of the power of global connectivity and collaboration among agencies that are part of Worldwide Partners. I have every confidence that WE Engauge will be a social media ground-breaker in China and will be very successful.”

Engauge is working on partnerships in Taiwan, Tokyo, London and Sao Paulo to create the first-ever international social media agency.

“With WE Engauge, our clients will be able to leverage social media in greater China and throughout the world,” said Viveca Chan. “No one else in China is leveraging local knowledge with worldwide access like we do.”

About Engauge (www.engauge.com)

Engauge is a full-service marketing agency for the digital and social age. They help grow clients' businesses by leveraging creativity and technology to connect brands and consumers through the most relevant content and channels. The agency’s client roster includes Nationwide Insurance, Holiday Inn, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Chick-fil-A, and Cisco Systems. Engauge, which has offices in Atlanta, Columbus, Orlando and Pittsburgh, is a portfolio company of Halyard Capital.