Etymon expands to a tech clientele with Orange

Forrester Research recently named the agency’s new client as a leader in APAC network infrastructure. 

Etymon Communications & Brand Management Consultants began work on the new account in April after a first-quarter pitch. The agency will mainly handle media relations and work to boost brand publicity for the CSP. Text100 Hong Kong previously worked for the firm on a project basis.

Betty Ng, founding partner and executive director of Etymon said her career background as a tech journalist, as well as previous experience she gained serving other technology names (including an earlier branding iteration of this same client) in PR, convinced Orange to appoint her agency.

She also pointed out that the media landscape in Hong Kong has changed substantially from a decade ago. “The main challenge for us as a PR agency with tech clients is there are very limited media channels that focus on these B2B tech companies. In the past it was easier to pitch stories, but now there are limited choices for media to do publicity. And most online publications are more focused on B2C, as those stories are more juicy.”

Orange, formerly state-owned France Telecom, rebranded itself on 1 July 2013 after gradually bringing divisional branches under the new name. The company’s international business mainly focuses on outsourced and managed-service communication technologies. It offers network solutions in 220 countries with a local presence in more than 160 nations.

This is the first tech client for Etymon. The local PR agency started business two and a half years ago with an initial focus on crisis management. It then  expanded into different sectors, including FMCG (Shiseido, Acuvue, Watsons Water), healthcare (Janssen Pharmaceutical), tourism (Hong Kong Disneyland), art and culture (1600 Pandas World Tour in Hong Kong: Creativity Meets Conservation" by PMQ & AllRightsReserved), entertainment (Performing Industry Association), and education (Yew Chung International School, Hong Kong Polytechnic University).