Design agency Cowan Australia relaunches – led by former Landor Associates MD Dominic Walsh

Cowan, the independent, international design agency, has relaunched in Australia from today (August 1) as client needs in Australia and Asia are once again driving marketers to invest in regionally-based brand design.

The Cowan Australia team is led by newly-appointed CEO Dominic Walsh (left), who joins from Landor Associates, where he was managing director.

The Cowan Australia team will work seamlessly with existing Cowan offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and London to offer an integrated international service that builds on Cowan’s strong track record of creating and growing consumer brands for clients that include Tesco, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Danone and Coca-Cola.

Walsh will lead the business from the newly-created Sydney office in addition to the already established Melbourne office. He will partner with chief creative officer Bob Price (left), who has also recently joined from Leo Burnett, where he was previously a globally-focused executive creative director in both the USA and Russia.

Says Walsh: “Today’s brand marketers have three pressing needs. They need to influence their points of transaction including packaging, physical stores, e-commerce and every other touch point where there is a value exchange between brands and customers. To meet those needs, we’ll be building our innovations expertise, to add to our existing skills in retail and packaging.

“Secondly, they must understand – and become relevant to – the rising Asian consumer. We have been established in the region for more than a decade and are well placed to assist Australian clients who are increasingly looking to Asia as part of their growth strategy.

“Finally, brands need agency support that’s as agile and entrepreneurial as the start-ups taking their market share. They need solutions that are fast, high quality and value based. Until now, they’ve struggled to find agencies that can deliver all three elements. That’s what we’re here to do.”

Says Price: “It’s refreshing to be embracing the agility, strategic rigour and creative firepower of an independent operator such as Cowan, especially at such a pivotal time for brands.”

Says Mark Cowan, founder and executive chairman, Cowan: “We’ve achieved double-digit growth in South East Asia, China and London over the past five years. We have a culturally diverse international team with over 120 people, who between them speak over 15 languages. The relaunch of our Australian business, together with the addition of Dominic and Bob, signals our firm intention to help take Cowan’s clients’ brands to the next level.”