Dentsu Mobius looks to next wave of digital with two new wins

Dentsu Mobius has been appointed as social and digital agency of record by luxury hotel company FRHI Hotels and Resorts and German cuisine brand Brotzeit. FRHI manages the Fairmont, Swissotel and Raffles hotel brands. Both new pieces of business follow a competitive pitch.

Set up two and half years ago, Dentsu Mobius works on a number of high-profile digital accounts, including Singapore Airlines and Mondelez, who’s brands include Oreo and Cadbury’s Dairy Milk. James Hawkins, the agency’s managing director, believes the latest wins are symbolic of a shift in the industry towards real-time digital marketing.

“I think with these two new clients, they’re looking at the next wave of digital, which we think is more about real-time, both for media and programmatic, and for creative and content,” he said.

Hawkins, who was recently named in Campaign Asia-Pacific’s 40 Under 40, suggested that more and more clients were looking for an integrated approach to digital. He said that an increasing amount of offerings in the digitial space—from more traditional media and creative agencies—has meant that the agency has had to evolve.

“In order to stand out in the digital world you have to keep moving," he said. "Our story is a little bit about being small but perfectly formed. And I think that’s where brands are going. Whilst we’re operating within a large-scale operation, brands are looking for the integrated approach.”

FRHI Hotels & Resorts manages more than 100 hotels and resorts in 30 countries across its three luxury brands. Dentsu Mobius will handle all digital and social media for the brands in APAC.

"FRHI decided to engage Dentsu Mobius to manage social-media campaigns for its hotels in Asia because of their capability in offering holistic and impact-oriented solutions to our specific needs,” said Caroline Leong, director, digital marketing Asia Pacific at FRHI.

Founded in 2006 in Singapore, Brotzeit is a German cuisine franchise with restaurants throughout Asia, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand and the Philippines.

As with FRHI, the appointment of Dentsu Mobius is the first time the company has hired an agency for digital work.

Commenting on the appointment, Paolo Nicolas, VP of the brand's franchise business for Asia Pacific, China, and ANZ, said: “Dentsu Mobius is the first and only agency we have engaged on a corporate level. So, we require them to be agile, ambitious and responsible partners to help us leverage all aspects of digital to grow our business.”