Innocean Indonesia CCO Chow Kok Keong (fourth from left) and Innocean APAC Regional CEO Lee Sang-seok (center, sixth from left) pose for a group photo alongside their employees at Innocean Indonesia's headquarters in Jakarta on Sep. 7. (Innocean Worldwide)

Innocean Worldwide said Wednesday that its Indonesian unit was named the second-best agency of the year by Campaign Brief Asia, a global online portal specialized in marketing and advertising.

Campaign Brief Asia assessed firms in Indonesia based on their history of receiving creative awards and an internal evaluation, conferring second place to Innocean Indonesia in the Agency of the Year 2023 ranking on Sept. 7.

Despite being a relative newcomer to the Indonesian market, the firm outpaced renowned global and local advertising rivals in the country, reaching the milestone only three years after its establishment in 2020, the company added.

Indonesia, home to the largest population in South East Asia, is a regional hub not only in politics and economics, but also in advertising.

As of this year, the size of its advertising market was estimated at some $6.2 billion, putting it far ahead of Thailand with $4.3 billion and Singapore with $2.6 billion.

As the world’s 17th-largest advertising market, it is also home to global advertising and media agencies including England’s WPP, Japan’s Dentsu and the US' Omnicom Group.

Recognizing Indonesia’s market size and potential, Innocean Worldwide appointed Chow Kok Keong, an expert in the Southeast Asian marketing industry, as the chief creative officer of Innocean Indonesia last year.

“Deep insights into the local culture (are) vital when it comes to creative advertising,” said Chow, who also recently served as a head judge for Busan’s international marketing competition, MAD Stars 2023.

“Based on the insights we have, we aim to establish a creative advertising network spanning the entire Asia-Pacific region."

Innocean has recently conducted an organizational restructuring to establish an Asia-Pacific office that aims to oversee its existing affiliates in Singapore, Australia and Indonesia.

With Innocean Indonesia as a control center, the Asia-Pacific branch plans to facilitate its venture into neighboring countries, including Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, while actively supporting the marketing activities of its major clients in the region, including South Korea's Hyundai Motor and Kia.

By Song Jung-hyun  (junghyun792@heraldcorp.com)