WPP's tenthavenue will launch mobile marketing agency Joule in Australia and New Zealand as part of a joint venture with digital agency Switch Digital.
Joule will be headed by managing director Glynn Honey, who joins from Isobar where he was also MD. Honey has previously worked for @WWW as general manager and Hyro as client service director.
The Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland offices will open in 2012. Australia has one the highest smartphone penetration rates in the world.
Joule is planning aggressive growth in Asia Pacific in the next six months. The agency was launched in 2006 and has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris.
Tenthavenue chief executive Rupert Day said: "We are excited to be working with such an experienced team as Switch Digital. Their knowledge and experience in digital marketing performance is well suited to the special mobile performance and reporting capabilities to the Australian and New Zealand market.
"We see Australia as a market with significant opportunity where our global learnings and skills can be leveraged."
Switch Digital chief executive Lee Stephens said: "Primary access to the internet in Australia and New Zealand is shifting rapidly to mobile as smartphones and tablet devices become ubiquitous. Joule's capabilities make mobile marketing much more accountable than has been possible in the past."
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