DC Consultants, Go Group tie up ahead of AEC
Malaysia-based GO Com-munications Group has formed a partnership with Thai public relations agency DC Consultants as part of its ambitious expansion in Southeast Asia to capitalise on the implementation of the Asean Economic Com-munity in three years.
“By end of this year, GO Communications Group expects to welcome two or three new partners from this region and to have 10 partners in the next couple years,” chairman Bob Chua said yesterday.
The group comprises four key partners – GO Communications in Malaysia, DC Consultants in Thailand and two PR agencies that cannot be named.
GO Communications provides a wide range of services including media relations, branding, events management, crisis communications, and editorial and production services, while DC Consultants has been offering marketing communication services for about five years and has built up a strong client base from the public and private sectors.
GO Communications has acquired shares in the Thai partner, as has DC Consultants, but Chua declined to comment on the ratio. Three directors on GO Communications Group’s board come from GO Communications |– Chua, chief executive officer Michael De Kretser and chief operating officer Peter De Kretser – and one from DC Consultants, CEO Danai Chanchaochai.
Chua said GO Communications is negotiating with PR agencies in Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Viet-nam and Sri Lanka for a strategic acquisition worth about US$3 million to $5 million (Bt95 million to Bt159 million) a deal.
Danai said DC Consultants is also seeing demand from local clients wanting to expand to neighbouring countries. This partnership could allow DC Consultant to grow regionally as well as globally in both local and English languages via this regional network.
The group plans to invest in building and developing local talents and expertise in each country in which the group will be present, he added.
DC Consultants has both international and local accounts, including the world’s first Cartoon Network Amazone Waterpark, Yunomori Onsen, Coca-Cola (Thailand), TMB Bank and Siam Kempinski Hotel.
