Endemol Shine Group has announced the launch of Endemol Beyond Asia, the company’s first Asian hub, which will be based in Singapore.
The hub will produce local versions of the company’s global digital formats, premiering with the lifestyle channel ICON, which focuses on beauty, fashion and wellness and is creatively led by digital pioneer Michelle Phan. It will also create original programs and branded content for Asia, with a focus on nurturing digital talent.
Christopher Smith will serve as the head of digital and branded content for Endemol Beyond Asia. He will work under Fotini Paraskakis, managing director of Endemol Shine Asia, while also collaborating with Georg Ramme, managing director of Endemol Beyond International. Smith, a seasoned creative director and brand strategist, previously worked for Mindshare Singapore.
Paraskakis commented: “Launching Endemol Beyond Asia is a significant move in our growth across the region. The synergy between our core business and this new division will allow us to deliver clients premium content on all platforms. Christopher’s extensive experience in MCNs and brand relationships makes him ideally suited to lead this important new area.”
“Endemol Beyond is a creative organization at its core and it’s exciting to leverage the years of experience and success in creatively led storytelling to the Asian market,” noted Smith. “There is a huge opportunity in Asia for both branded content and original digital programming. I look forward to adding to the success of Endemol Beyond in this region, and to develop our Asia-based studios into one of the leading producers of outstanding content for both brands and viewers.”
“Endemol Beyond continues to go from strength to strength and establishing this new hub in Asia reinforces our position as a truly global company,” added Ramme. “Audiences in Asia have a strong appetite for digital content and this region is key to Endemol Beyond’s growth. Christopher’s experience and innovation puts us in a great position to create fantastic programming, attract digital superstars and deliver bespoke content to leading brands.”
