PR firm Mutant hires former Ruder Finn MY country head to beef Malaysia ops

Shortly after its foray into Malaysia, Singapore-born PR agency Mutant has appointed branding and communications veteran Archana Menon as its country head for Malaysia.  In her new role, Menon will be responsible for overseeing and growing Mutant’s business in Malaysia, offering specialist services in branding, content development, PR and digital marketing to both existing and new clients and driving results that boost sales, leads, and customer retention.

Since launching its Malaysia office in 2019, Mutant Malaysia has worked with several local brands, includingPavilion REIT (Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Da Men USJ & Intermark Malls), MYNIC (Malaysia’s digital enabler), and have worked on campaigns for JobStreet and Kimberly Clark, amongst others.

The first client for the agency was 4Fingers Crispy Chicken where apart from launching new outlets, Mutant also organised media and influencer campaigns and events with Asia’s celebrity chef, Bjorn Shen.

Currently the agency has a headcount of nine Mutants in Malaysia, and is seeking senior talent, specifically across PR, editorial content and branded content.

Menon, who was previously country head for Ruder Finn Malaysia, brings more than 14 years of experience in integrated communications, media planning and branding to the agency. Having worked across a variety of sectors, including property, healthcare, technology and telecommunications, Menon’s diverse track record includes strategic counsel and crisis management for local and regional SMEs, startups and government bodies. Menon’s appointment supports Mutant’s broader plans for the region, including its goal of becoming a full-service, integrated agency, with new digital marketing and branding offerings.

“Mutant’s ability to pair strong storytelling with public relations has helped clients successfully navigate the transformation we’re seeing in the media landscape. I’m excited to now take things a step further by combining content, PR, branding and digital marketing to attract a strong roster of clients, and help them stand out and drive business goals,” Menon (pictured) said.

“Mutant is redefining how PR, content, digital marketing and branding come together to help businesses succeed, and I’m excited to see how Menon will take her depth of knowledge, strong leadership and passion for the job to solidify and grow Mutant in Malaysia,” said Joseph Barratt, founder and CEO of Mutant.

When asked for its strategy in growing its Malaysia ops, the agency said, “It's a fairly straight forward strategy but one we feel like is often neglected in the agency world - we practice what we preach. We run content marketing, thought leadership, PR campaigns and branded content to drive leads, and convert them. Where we differ though is that we don't aim to convert every lead. We take the time to identify clients who understand that we are partners. In the immediate term it means intentional growth and more expensive servicing but it pays dividends in the medium to longer term when you consider lifetime value of clients, the cost of churn and constantly pitching.”

Join us for our Content 360 conference happening 6-8 April 2021 to learn more about the marriage of content and technology in this new world.