• CEO Cowan Australia, Dominic Walsh
    CEO Cowan Australia, Dominic Walsh
  • Chief creative officer Cowan Australia, Bob Price
    Chief creative officer Cowan Australia, Bob Price
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International design agency Cowan has today relaunched its Australian agency as a result of growing client demand in the Australasian market for regional-based brand designs.

Former managing director at Landor Associates Dominic Walsh will lead the Cowan Australia team as CEO from the new Sydney office, alongside the already established office in Melbourne.

Walsh said Cowan is building upon their existing skills in retail and packaging, as well as helping clients to understand and become more relevant in the Asian market.

“We have been established in the region for more than a decade and are well placed to assist Australian clients who are increasingly looking to Asia as part of their growth strategy," he said.

“Today’s brand marketers…need to influence their points of transaction including packaging, physical stores, e-commerce and every other touch point where there is a value exchange between brands and customers."

“Brands need agency support that’s as agile and entrepreneurial as the start-ups taking their market share.”

Chief creative officer Bob Price will partner Walsh in leading the relaunched Australian division and said, “It’s refreshing to be embracing the agility, strategic rigour and creative firepower of an independent operator such as Cowan, especially at such a pivotal time for brands.”

The Cowan Australia team will work with existing Cowan offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and London as part of its international service.

Cowan has created and grown a range of consumer brands, including Tesco, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Danone and Coca-Cola.

Food & Drink Business

As the Australian functional beverage market continues to grow, emerging companies are still finding places to slot in. Alcohol recovery drink, Dodge, hit stores in mid-2022, and has taken off across the Asia-Pacific region with its science-backed formula and striking branding. Food & Drink Business spoke with co-founder, Braeden Leahy, about the product and plans for the future.

The former deputy chief of staff to the federal communications minister, Amanda Watson, has been appointed CEO of the Brewers Association of Australia (BAA).  Watson starts in the role on 14 July and replaces John Preston, who had been in the role for five years.

The Victorian government has invested $160,000 to support the sustainability and profitability of the state’s wine industry, matched by $240,000 from Wine Australia. The funds will help Wine Victoria to provide the wine industry with the knowledge, tools and resources needed to improve practices and outcomes.