Chinese digital agency Aiken acquires Fixx Digital to push into SG and MY

Chinese digital and design agency Aiken Digital Group has expanded into Asia Pacific with the launch of its Singapore and Malaysia offices. Aiken Digital has acquired digital design agency Fixx Digital to debut locally. With the acquisition of Fixx Digital, Aiken will take onboard the team behind the work for clients such as Changi Airport, Citibank, Jones Lang Lasalle and Grab, and looks to sharpen the agency's UX/UI capabilities to complement its digital strategy credentials.

With over 15 years under its belt, Aiken Digital boasts a client roster comprising names such as Unilever, LVMH and Amway, establishing it as one of the leading forces in digital marketing strategy and development in China. Currently, Aiken Digital has been building a substantial portfolio of work across the region with the likes of Mastercard over the last nine months leading up to its post circuit breaker debut party.

Aiken Digital’s senior leadership team comprises CEO Andrew Tong (pictured extreme left), chief commercial officer and managing partner Joseph Chua (pictured second from left), creative partner and founder of Fixx Digital Darren Lee (pictured second from right) and Byron Bignell (pictured extreme right) the CTO, leading the AI R&D teams globally.

The Aiken Digital Group aims to continue focusing on stimulating growth for clients and partners through the marriage of technology and creativity. With a dedicated AI R&D team based in Singapore, the agency looks to find new applications for automation and machine learning to achieve brands’ growth objectives post COVID-19.

With a headcount of 30 people across its Singapore and Malaysia offices, Aiken Digital is also hiring aggressively and always on the lookout for great talent across the region. Over the last two months, the agency has appointed Mark Bellamy from Dentsu Aegis Network to head up planning and strategy, Kenneth Chiew from Unilever to take the role of business director, Evan Ooi from Publicis Groupe as chief of staff and Kin Sang Hou from BBDO to lead the project management division.

CEO Tong added that the team has seen the marketing landscape embrace AI technology at different rates, some seeing it as a threat and others looking for potential value. “Our belief is that in the challenging post-COVID-19 world, any opportunity for technology to help a business evolve their marketing capabilities should be embraced with open arms. We're here to help them find the most effective way to harness those opportunities," he added.

Meanwhile, managing partner Chua said: "It might seem odd to talk about growth in a time where consolidation is the focus for many businesses, but the philosophy we share with our clients is that now is the most important time to invest in increasing the speed, scale and precision of our marketing dollars to ensure we don't just survive but thrive as others stand still."

Chua is no stranger in adland. He was previously the general manager at Havas Group Singapore, overseeing the creative side of the business with a focus on client service, strategic thinking, innovation and effectiveness, leveraging the integrated capabilities of the agency. Prior to that, he has been with Resn Asia, JWT and Leo Burnett.