Global social media agency We Are Social has increased its worldwide footprint by launching in China with a new office in Shanghai.

Pete Lin, formerly general manager and chief marketing strategist at Gravity Group Asia, has been appointed as managing director for the Shanghai office.

Lin has 17 years’ experience in digital marketing, initially in the US where he helped to build the digital practice at Grey in San Francisco. In China, he has worked as business director at Grey Shanghai, client services director at Publicis, and head of digital at JWT.

Ying Chang has also joined the team to lead its creative offering. She has worked at agencies such as Leo Burnett, DDB and, most recently, AKQA, where she was associate creative director.

The new Shanghai office opens with a number of initial clients, including global beauty brand L’Oreal, international conglomerate Liebherr and GMAC, the owner of the GMAT exam, which has appointed the agency to accelerate its China digital marketing.

Lin said: “The social landscape in China is maturing, platforms are becoming more sophisticated and brands are increasingly seeking tangible benefits from their social presence in China.

“While there are obvious differences between social media in China and the West, We Are Social’s focus on human insight and creativity, not platforms, translates in any market. We’ll bring this approach to the Chinese market, and with it, we’re confident we’ll attract forward-thinking brands and the best talent to service them.”

Robin Grant, We Are Social’s global managing director, added: “China is an extremely important market for our global clients, but just as importantly, is increasingly leading the way in social media innovation. It was clear we needed to establish a presence here.

“Our global experience and the success of We Are Social’s approach of putting social thinking at the centre of our clients’ marketing strategies will be hugely beneficial to brands in China.”

Shanghai is We Are Social’s second new office launch in 2015, following the announcement of its San Francisco base earlier this year.