We Are Social expands reach in South East Asia with acquisition of Singapore-based Kobe

Socially-led creative agency We Are Social has acquired a majority stake in best-in-class influencer marketing agency Kobe, growing its position in the region and further strengthening its influencer marketing offering.

Founded in 2016, Kobe (口碑) engages celebrities, Instagrammers, bloggers and YouTubers to deliver award-winning work for a large regional client base, including PepsiCo, Logitech, Suntory, United Overseas Bank, and local Singapore clients such as Suntec City and Genki Sushi Singapore.

With a team of over 20 talented individuals, Kobe is enabled by its own patented Artificial Intelligence technology. The agency will continue operating as an independent brand under the leadership of Evangeline Leong, Founder and CEO and Co-Founder Cha Lin, while taking advantage of We Are Social’s global ecosystem and sharing their expertise in influencer marketing with the network. Evangeline will report to Christina Chong, CEO of We Are Social Singapore.

Evangeline Leong, Kobe Founder and CEO, commented: “We are very excited to join forces with We Are Social, who will help supercharge Kobe with data, insights, strategy and creative expertise. Access to We Are Social’s global capabilities will enhance our existing services, creating opportunities for our amazing team and our valued clients.”

Following the acquisition of Middle East social media agency Socialize in 2018, the Kobe acquisition marks another step in We Are Social’s strategy to accelerate the network’s rapid growth with key acquisitions around the world. 

Nathan McDonald, Co-Founder & Group CEO at We Are Social said: “We are delighted to welcome Kobe to the We Are Social network. This acquisition not only strengthens our offering in Singapore, it also shows our intention to harness more opportunities in south-east Asia. We’re looking forward to working with Evangeline and her team to accelerate the growth of Kobe and We Are Social in the region.”

Christina Chong, CEO at We Are Social Singapore added: “Influencer marketing has always been an important part of our creative product across our network. We’re excited to share our expertise with the Kobe team, and to further strengthen our own influencer offering with Kobe’s skills and technology.”

Source: We Are Social

  Christina Chong, Evangeline Leong, Kobe, Nathan McDonald, We Are Social