JWT's activation company Always expands

Photo: Frank Bauer (left), Anand Kumar and Sanjiv Sharma (right)

 

JWT and Always, China’s largest field and activation company, have together launched JWT Always, a full-service shopper, retail marketing and consumer activation division of JWT Singapore.
JWT Always, which will sit within JWT Singapore’s office, offers shopper marketing & retail audit, activation strategy, road show / event and other field marketing services, all of which are designed to drive bottom-line results for brands.

 

"We face amazing growth of an affluent and very informed, new consumer base and our multinational clients operating in Singapore and across Southeast Asia want strong brand ideas and consistent, integrated engagement solutions in one shop,” said JWT Singapore CEO Frank Bauer. “We are determined to expand and meet this need."

 

The Singapore collaboration is a pivotal part of the regional expansion of Always. Always, which is owned by JWT, works for a tier-one list of international clients, including Unilever, Ferrero, Nokia, J&J, Pfizer, Intel, Microsoft and VISA, in China. Always and JWT set up operations in Taiwan in May, and will extend services in other Southeast Asian markets through the operation in Singapore.

 

“Always is the unrivalled leader in China, and I’m excited to extend that expertise and service range to other Asian markets,” said Cai Hua, Founder and Chairman of Always. “Singapore is a sophisticated and highly competitive market, and the services we offer with JWT Singapore will give brands a critical edge in that last mile – the point of purchase.”

 

JWT has appointed Sanjiv Sharma as Managing Director of JWT Always, and Anand Kumar as General Manager. Both Sharma and Kumar were part of a regional shopper and field marketing agency before joining JWT Always. Collectively, they have over 15 years of experience in shopper and field marketing.

 

“The retail environment is the final front of a brand’s strategic battle with their competitors, and you can imagine how cluttered that can appear to a shopper. The brand that best understands that dynamic and deploys the most novel, cut-through and simple solution wins,” said Sharma. “That’s what we’ll deliver through JWT Always.”

 

Both Sharma and Anand Kumar will report to Bauer.

 

"The inauguration of JWT Always in Singapore is an important step in expanding JWT's ability to translate creative ideas into on-the-ground behavior that drives sales," said JWT Asia Pacific CEO Tom Doctoroff.