Ogilvy has launched a new office in Shenzhen, often referred to as China’s Silicon Valley, and appointed Angela Chou as managing director.

The launch, which was one year in the making, aims to align the agency with the emerging tech companies in the area. Shenzhen is home to Chinese tech giants such as Tencent, Huawei and telecommunications company ZTE, as well as a host of emerging tech companies and start-ups.

Chris Reitermann, CEO of Ogilvy China and Co-CEO of Ogilvy APAC, said, “We are seeing a new generation of global tech players emerging in Shenzhen, and we hope that this new office can be a hub facilitating their access to our global Ogilvy and WPP network for their global branding efforts.”

“We are living in a golden age for Chinese brands going global, which could prove to be as huge as the globalization of Western brands in the 1980’s. It’s an unmissable opportunity for a company like Ogilvy,” added Reitermann.

The Ogilvy Shenzhen team will be led by Chou, who was previously managing partner for Ogilvy Hong Kong. Chou’s team will combine Chinese staff and global brand management experts in a bid to help grow China’s emerging tech brands to grow globally.

Chou said: “Ogilvy Shenzhen is unique among Ogilvy offices. It will serve as a hub of expertise that provides clients access to the best Ogilvy resources from around the world, and bridge differences in culture, talents and creativity to give Chinese clients the best service possible.”