Forrester’s first evaluation on digital agencies in China

Research and advisory firm Forrester has announced its first Forrester Wave Evaluation Of Digital Agencies In China report, helping marketers better understand the strategy and execution capabilities of digital agencies in China.The evaluation researched, analysed and scored eight digital agencies across 30 criteria in terms of current offering, strategy and market presence.The eight selected agencies are BlueDigital, Isobar, OgilvyOne, Possible, Proximity, Razorfish, VML IM2.0 and Wunderman. All of them provide a full range of digital services, have presence in mainland China for three years or more, and excel in both client retention and acquisition.The report showed that OgilvyOne, Isobar and Razorfish are still dominating in overall performance.“Despite there being hundreds of digital marketing service providers in China, many of the local players only offer a handful of services, some specialise in one,” said Forrester Research analyst Wang Xiaofeng.“Global digital agencies thus are still the primary players by offering a full range of digital services in the market.”The research company believed that digital agencies will play a more important role than ever as more ad dollars are shifting from traditional media to digital.According to Forrester's forecast, online ad spending in China has almost doubled over the past two years - from $9.2 billion in 2012 to $18.1 billion in 2014 - and is expected to reach $38.1 billion in 2017.“Digital is core to the future of all businesses and China is no exception,” Ng said.“To reach and engage with the 670 million Internet users in China, marketers increasingly need digital marketing support from their agencies.”“The key challenge for marketing leaders in China is how to select the right digital agency to be their strategic partner in digital marketing.”