Expanding our presence in Australia under our APAC 2020 大湾区 (da wan qu) plan is incredibly exciting as momentum continues to build on our strategy to double in size across the Asia-Pacific region by 2020.
As our operations in Melbourne get into full swing, I was struck by some of the similarities that LEWIS and Melbourne share.
1. Global outlook
From the world’s largest mining company, BHP Billiton, to leading biotechnology manufacturer CSL, Melbourne is home to a range of Australian companies in sectors including resources, medical technology and financial services who have established industry-leading positions due to a focused global outlook.
When I joined LEWIS two years ago, I was amazed at the amount of collaboration that takes place between the Australian team and our global colleagues.
The sharing of ideas and insights between our global team members means that our clients have access to a local team with a truly global perspective. Our reach spans four continents and 28 offices, with regional headquarters in London, Singapore and San Francisco.
And it’s a trait that we share with many of the other global businesses which also call Melbourne home. The LEWIS difference is a genuinely global outlook merged with local expertise and capability. It’s this difference that makes us unique in the Melbourne market.
2. A focus on culture
Melbourne is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities. For a record seven years, it topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index.
A key driver of Melbourne’s continued success is the city’s focus on culture. Often dubbed Australia’s cultural capital, Melbourne features a thriving arts and live music scene and its residents are justifiably proud of its dining and café culture.
Similarly, a key driver of LEWIS’ success is our relentless focus on nurturing the right type of culture which enables our teams to thrive and deliver great work in partnership with our clients.
Energetic, entrepreneurial, adventurous, determined, vibrant. These are just some of the words that describe our culture. But we know that culture is more than words on a page.
It’s about people, and it’s about giving our team members the opportunity to push themselves to achieve their potential, such as our LEWIS Passport Scheme which gives our team members the chance to immerse themselves in new cultures in any of our international offices.
Despite being a diverse team spanning an extensive international network, the LEWIS culture binds us together. At the heart of our culture are our core values – bold, spirited, agile, inquisitive and collaborative.
3. Diversity
Melbourne is home to a diverse community with over 140 cultures represented and 58% of the population having parents who were born overseas.
At LEWIS we also pride ourselves on the diversity of our people. Our Asia-Pacific team comprises of 11 different nationalities which means our clients, and our team members, benefit from a wide range of experiences and perspectives.
But diversity is not just about where you were born. At LEWIS we pride ourselves on the diverse range of skills that our teams possess.
From analytics to advertising, paid media to public relations, digital strategy to design, our breadth of expertise covers all areas of integrated marketing communications services.
But it doesn’t stop there, our global scale means that we have a wide range of vertical expertise in both consumer and business-to-business marketing communications across sectors such as technology, financial services, automotive, education, tourism and hospitality.
4. Growth
Melbourne is the fastest growing city in Australia and is in the top five fastest growing cities in the developed world. With a population which has recently surged past five million, Melbourne’s growth rate is double that of most cities in advanced economies.
Similarly, LEWIS is an agency which continues to experience significant growth – our business has grown consecutively in each of our 23 years of operation. In the last financial year, Australian revenues grew 55% due to a haul of new clients.
With a global team of more than 550 integrated marketing experts, we have grown to become an agency that can solve every communication challenge – from awareness to demand, from adoption to advocacy.
And we believe the best is yet to come – our Melbourne opening is just one component on our ambitious plan for the APAC region which will see us grow even further to create 200 new roles.
If you want to be part of that journey, or would like to find out more about how partnering with us can help your business grow, drop us a line at [email protected]
