Manifest wins UK rollout brief for bike sharing company ofo

China’s largest non-docking bike sharing company, ofo, which is valued at over $1bn according to Bloomberg, has appointed Manifest as its retained agency to support its UK launch and rollout.

The ‘unicorn’ company is on a mission to “get Britain on two wheels” and will launch in Cambridge in April, before rolling out in other cities later this year, including London and Oxford.

ofo gets its name because when written, the letters form the shape of a bicycle, and the company was first established by graduates at Peking University.

Having since spread across China, launched in Singapore and started a US trial in San Francisco, ofo has now set its sights on the UK market to kick start its European presence.

The company recently received $450million of investment, with global expansion a primary objective.

Manifest’s brief includes brand consultancy, PR, social media strategy, community management and influencer marketing; alongside digital content creation delivered through Manifest’s content division, O.

Claire Chen, head of ofo UK, said: “We are very excited to be bringing our cycling revolution to the UK, and from our first meeting Manifest shared our enthusiasm and vision for the brand.

“Its integrated approach and their understanding of purpose-driven marketing was just what we were looking for to help us make a big impact in the UK and build a loyal community of users to kick start our presence here.”

Alex Myers, founder and group CEO at Manifest, added: “Following its huge impact in China and Singapore, ofo is already a disruptive business that is making its mark globally – so it’s exciting to help steer the brand’s evolution and success in the UK.”