The Agency’s global operation caught the attention of Inc. Magazine in 2007. Focusing on Asia, the journalist examined the different approaches used by the Agency in opening up international offices. The following is the original article as it appeared in Inc ("enhanced" with a few links). Six Ways to Open an [...]
Back in the early days of Hoffman Asia Pacific, U.S. clients asked us to provide tour support for their executives visiting Singapore. They wanted us to set up meetings with media and local leadership, create schedules and provide chauffeur service. Eventually, we responded to those requests this way: “Hold on, you [...]
I had barely unpacked in Singapore in 1996 when I heard from our client HP. The company was hosting a major customer/media conference in a luxury resort on Phuket Island, Thailand, and my presence as media contact was requested. Hoffman Asia Pacific was barely hatched at that point, but that’s why we were there.
The first few months of my work in Singapore in 1996 were complicated because I had to leave the country every 60 days to have my passport re-stamped as a visitor. In addition to a few out-of-country business trips, and one trip home, that meant a couple of one-night sojourns on [...]
We first connected with David Frost, founder of Australian PR agency PR Deadlines, back in 2001 for an assignment involving Juniper Networks. The fit worked. We’ve been teaming with PR Deadlines ever since. David’s son Luke is now a big part of PR Deadlines. Even at an early age, Luke proved calm [...]
Kaori Saito launched our operation in Japan. As you’ll hear from her, she didn’t want the job. I remember a breakfast meeting at Hobee’s and her challenging me with “Why do you even think I can do this job?” But she was the right person for the job. She was a [...]
Ray Schuster started our Asia Pacific operation in Singapore. It wasn’t easy. We didn’t have an international expansion department. No, I take that back. Ray was our international expansion department. He navigated the government regulations. He found our office space and oversaw the buildout as well as played interior designer down to [...]
We talk about the launch of Asia Pacific as if it were one launch. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Every single office had to be started from scratch. Behind every single office stands an individual who believed in our mission and worked 24/7 to make it happen. For the [...]
Some celebrities achieve one-name status. Adele. Ronaldo. Kobe. As the Agency’s first staff member hired in Asia Pacific, Maureen Tseng has achieved one-syllable status … “Mo.” Out of all the decisions Ray Schuster, who launched our AP operation, made over his stint in Singapore, I think he’d agree the hiring of [...]
Congratulations to The Hoffman Agency (HA) for 20 years in Asia Pacific. Lou, Ray Schuster and Maureen Tseng had one heck of a vision. It is great to see that their vision has materialized. From the outside, it seems like the company is as strong as ever having reinvented itself as a [...]
