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News Release
02 February 2007

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Today, Profero announced the receipt of documents and certificates from the PRC Central (Beijing) and Shanghai Government confirming that Profero is the 100% owner of the awarded Shanghai-based Advertising and Media Sales company Blue Flying Fish Limited (BFF). As a Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise of Profero Limited, BFF can either for itself and / or on behalf of both Domestic and International companies:

•	Advise, design, produce, publish all forms of communications;
•	Plan and buy media; and
•	Create, represent and sell media

At an appropriate time BFF will be re-branded Profero and use the already secured Chinese name 博斐 (pronounced bo fei), where 博 means “extensive, rich, profound” and 斐 means “colourful, brilliant”. For now the advertising and marketing services arm of the business will trade as reddot profero, which is the result of merging REDdot (Design and Marketing subsidiary of BFF) and the existing Profero China Digital Advertising and Media Planning & Buying team. The combined team now consists of 30 creative, media and technology people working in Shanghai and Beijing, 75% who are Chinese and some of whom have already completed International exchanges with other Profero businesses. Over the last 12 months this team has worked with clients including AstraZeneca, Australian Tourism Board, Electronic Arts, Johnson & Johnson, Pollo Campero, Quiksilver, Solid Vodka, Starwood Hotels Group, Wuhan Tourism Board and some very exciting mainland Chinese businesses such eno, an emerging youth lifestyle brand.
 

To achieve this high status in China has taken over 4 years in the planning, 2 years on the ground operating experience and 12 months completing a central and local government approved step-by-step process. Profero has been advised that it is the first International business in advertising, media and other marketing services to acquire a local company 100% and receive regulatory approval to operate it without a Chinese partner since the WTO ruling came into effect in December 2005.

Daryl Arnold, Group CEO, who for the last 12 months has mainly split his time between Shanghai and Tokyo notes ”While there has been a recent flood of announcements regarding office set-ups, minority investments and new joint ventures by the likes of AKQA, aQuantitive, Omnicom and WPP, Profero’s achievement is unique even when compared to BBH because we have inherited 6 years of fantastic history which is of great value in China and something we will treasure.” He continues to add “The fact I spend 50% of my time in Shanghai has definitely helped underline our commitment to the authorities and I am looking forward to continuing to help existing and new clients in America, Europe, Japan and the rest of Asia Pacific grow their businesses in China. In addition, helping Mainland Chinese clients achieve great success on the Global stage.”