LONDON--PC vendor Asus has called in Hotwire to help boost its credentials as a lifestyle brand.
The Taiwanese company awarded the six-figure consumer brief to Hotwire following a lengthy competitive review. The business was previously handled by Tru PR.
Hotwire UK deputy MD and head of consumer Emma Hazan told the Holmes Report that the firm will aim to take Asus from “a respected tech company to more of a lifestyle brand that’s at the forefront of innovation and design.”
Asus is best-known for its netbooks, laptops and tablets, which include the Zenbook and Transformer products that compete with Apple’s Macbook and Ipad, respectively. The company is also behind Google’s new Nexus 7 tablet.
Hazan said that tech afficionados are already well-versed in the Asus product line, but the new brief will focus on lifestyle consumers and students, through a combination of national media, broadcast and digital channels.
Hotwire will also provide event support as Asus steps up its product launches in the coming months.
Asus is currently ranked fifth among global PC vendors, and third in Western Europe behind HP and Dell. The company is the fourth biggest player by market share when it comes to notebooks and tablets, and recently announced ambitious growth targets.
The consumer win comes as Hotwire shuts down its Skywrite consumer brand, previously headed by Hazan. “We looked at ourselves and said we will be much stronger as one big agency rather than having separate brands” said Hazan.