O&M launches China Practice in New York

Ogilvy & Mather has launched an official China Practice in North America. The China Practice will serve the growing need for communications services by China-based companies and public sector institutions as they move into international markets, and for companies seeking to expand into China.

The Ogilvy China Practice will be located in the company’s global headquarters in New York City and will be overseen by newly appointed cross-cultural marketing expert Lyndon Cao (left), former General Manager of the China Daily (China’s national English-language newspaper) in the United States. Cao will report directly to Miles Young, Global CEO of Ogilvy & Mather.

“The establishment of a China Practice in New York supports our strategy to identify growing client marketing communication needs and to create dedicated services to meet those needs,” commented Young. “Not only do we handle the global marketing and communications work of more than a dozen Chinese firms, but the rate at which we are welcoming Chinese delegations to our offices in New York, Washington, Brazil and throughout Europe is astounding. We have wanted to establish a formal practice for some time and have found the right person in Lyndon to lead this.”

Young is no stranger to China either. Prior to becoming global CEO of Ogilvy in 2009, he spent nearly 15 years in Asia when he moved to Hong Kong in 1995 to take up the position of Chairman of Ogilvy in Asia. Young is also co-founder of the Ogilvy-Tsinghua Program for Public Branding, a joint venture with Tsinghua University in Beijing, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Tsinghua School of Journalism. He is also an Economic Consultant to the Jiangsu, China Provincial Government and a visiting Professor at Xiamen University.

“It’s like returning home,” said Cao. “In establishing China Daily’s operations in the North American market for the past four-and-a half years, I have built up an extensive network of like-minded experts with ideas that need an international network like Ogilvy & Mather to incubate. For me, there was really no other global network with such a focus on China. I am very excited about this next phase in my career.”

Prior to joining China Daily to lead its US operations, Cao worked in Ogilvy PR’s Public Affairs and Branding States Practice in Beijing helping governments and public sector institutions build and improve their communication capabilities. From 1996 to 2002, as a diplomat at the Chinese Foreign Ministry and later the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations, Cao covered global crises in Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans, and contributed to UN deliberations on critical issues such as the expansion of the Security Council and UN peacekeeping reform. After taking on his new role at Ogilvy, Cao will continue to offer support to China Daily’s overseas development.