Shanghai, April 29th, 2022

PLTFRM is a brand consultancy agency specialised in localisation, digital advertising and Ecommerce in China. Founded in 2012 in Shanghai, PLTFRM is a Sino-French agency with a Chinese and international staff. The agency has gradually grown into a seamless cross-cultural bridge between business and creativity.

Alexandre Ouairy is the director and co-founder of PLTFRM. In an interview with TIA, he described what it means to work in Shanghai and his first steps in the business. He highlighted the inclusivity and diversity of the agency’s culture and gave some examples of recent work done by the agency in China.

To kick things off please can you describe to us a little bit about your city and why it is a great place to work?

Shanghai is a unique place in mixing the latest innovative experiences in both digital and retail while retaining its classic charm in Lilong architecture (old alleys with classic lane houses built around the late 19 century).

A must-do would be to experience both the new and the old Shanghai. Trendy areas to discover are places such as the experimental beauty retailer Harmay, the newly renovated Maoming Road shopping street and VR gaming in the North Bund. On the other side, wandering around the old town or along the Huangpu River while enjoying a classic Shanghai Xiaolongbao (Shanghainese Steamed Ravioli) is just as enjoyable.

How did you first become interested in interactive experiences?

We ventured into interactive experiences at an early stage of the company, when Wechat launched its official account, experiencing with HTML5 interactive applications. We kept innovating with interactive experiences, and developed our own AR system for real-time 3D character rendering. We integrated the system for our livestreams on Tiktok.

Can you tell us about your role and what you’re focusing on? How would you describe a regular day?

We are a particular agency with both a marketing and e-commerce management department. My business partner focuses on the strategic development of e-commerce, while I mainly concentrate on our marketing innovation.

What does it mean for PLTFRM to be a sino-french agency?

It means that we welcome and combine cultures and methods from a multiplicity of horizons. We are a bridge between foreign brands and the local market. We understand the challenges of entering China, and are able to guide our clients to navigate the marketing and e-commerce landscape from both Chinese and foreign perspectives.

How can leadership create and then cultivate an inclusive and diverse workplace?

Being a multicultural leadership team, inclusivity and diversity are embedded in our culture. We consider diversity as the best source of creativity.

What have you learned about the process of developing digital products?

The particularity of the market, as both social media and e-commerce platform work hand-in-hand, means that prior to developing digital products, brands need to establish a strategy to link marketing and sales. Understanding and following local digital regulations are essential, therefore foundational work is necessary.

Tell us about a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. What particularly brought out the best in you?

For one of our clients, we conceptualised a large-scale project involving 15 major online and offline retailers in exactly 3 days. We delivered 40 videos using our AR system and strategized a system flexible enough so that any retail partners could appropriate the project as their own. Our connections with Chinese e-commerce partners and our speed of execution allow us to realise all of that without compromising brand consistency and media qualities.

Smart team drives agency growth. What’s your approach to hiring?

We have a specific screening process for the analytic and critical thinking skills of candidates. We further have a constant learning and training program to keep our team curious.

Fostering employees’ personal projects is important. Could you name any favourites?

Our own AR system for real-time 3D character rendering. Our employee wanted to bring 2 systems together: motion-capture and live-morphing. They already made the research prior and found a company to produce it. We thought it was a great idea, and invested to have it made. Now it is one of our favourite tools for livestreaming.

Where do you see the metaverse going? What impact will it have on your services?

I think that Metaverse will need further hardware innovation for enhanced experiences. We are monitoring what is happening. For us, it will be another toy to play with.

When looking at the advertising landscape today, what makes you think “wow”?

Tiktok in China is both a social media and e-commerce platform. It has very quickly and radically transformed the modality of advertising and marketing vis-à-vis traditional e-commerce giant like Tmall and JD. Agencies need to create the WOW effect in viewers in less than 5 seconds, when done well, it is quite impressive.

How would you describe the creative industry in Shanghai compared to other major cities?

Shanghai is a very dynamic creative landscape. Agencies need to foster flexibility and innovation to match the incredible pace of social media and e-commerce changes.

From your personal standpoint, what global issues are you most passionate about and why?

Sustainability, the reality of human footprint on the planet is something we need to consider as a group, we need to thoroughly rethink how we consume and how we advertise.

Please share a fun-fact that not many people know about you

People refer my business partner and I as Q&A.

Thanks Alexandre!

> Learn more about PLTFRM here

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