Tag: Advertising

Singapore – foodpanda has announced today a strategic partnership with The Trade Desk that will enable brands to better reach their target audience and measure the success of digital advertising campaigns on the open internet. 

The collaboration will span seven markets, namely Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

The partnership features multiple retail media solutions powered by The Trade Desk’s programmatic advertising platform and foodpanda’s first-party retail data. This enables brands to engage with foodpanda customers on the open internet via The Trade Desk’s platform across channels such as OTT, music streaming, mobile apps, gaming, and websites, expanding their reach beyond foodpanda’s integrated advertising solution, panda ads. All data is pseudonymised, ensuring that customer identities remain anonymous.

Additionally, it allows brands to measure the impact of their ad campaigns on conversions. With these insights, brands can aim to optimise their ads in real-time, through ways that were previously not possible, helping them make informed decisions that could help boost their performance objectives.

Wen Zhe Lim, director of solutions, advertising and partnerships at foodpanda, said, “We are on a mission to grow foodpanda into the retail media network of choice. Our partnership with The Trade Desk is perfect for the era of consent-based advertising, where first-party data is key for targeted, personalised marketing. Leveraging the rapid growth of quick commerce, we help brands reach millions of tech-savvy customers, connecting them in ways that were not possible before.”

Meanwhile, Chris Mooney, general manager of data partnerships for APAC at The Trade Desk, commented, “Retail data is reshaping the landscape of marketing, and our partnership with foodpanda represents the incredible opportunity brands have to improve the effectiveness of their advertising spend through the adoption of data-driven strategies on the open internet. Retail data provides brands better targeting and performance measurement, enabling them to understand how their advertising dollars impact actual sales. We are thrilled to join forces with a company that is pioneering new approaches to digital advertising.”

During its beta phase in 2023, the solutions helped Unilever’s Knorr reach new customers and drive conversions for their new product line on foodpanda in Taiwan. To achieve this, Knorr leveraged TTD’s platform and used foodpanda’s retail data to target foodpanda subscribers.

Sharon Liu, marketing manager of nutrition at Unilever Taiwan, said, “Partnering with The Trade Desk and foodpanda played a crucial role in the success of our recent campaign for Knorr, enabling us to reach new audience segments on the open internet. We were extremely pleased with the significant increases in add-to-cart rates, conversions, and new buyers the campaign delivered.”

Sydney, Australia – Nexxen, a global, unified advertising technology platform with deep expertise in video and connected TV (CTV), in partnership with VIDAA, has announced the launch of ‘TV Viewership Audiences’ across Australia. 

The launch builds upon Nexxen’s broader TV intelligence offering, a suite of planning, targeting, and measurement capabilities rooted in exclusive ‘automatic content recognition’ (ACR) data from VIDAA, which is the smart TV operating system that powers Hisense, Toshiba, and other ‘original equipment manufacturer’ (OEM) brands. 

The new and expanded data-driven solutions aim to improve audience targeting using TV viewership data from various channels while ensuring privacy compliance.

After its US$25m investment in VIDAA in 2022, Nexxen reaffirms its dedication to providing exceptional TV targeting and measurement solutions that adapt to industry change with the newly-released solutions. 

Built to enable brands to reach TV audiences with precision and scale, ‘TV Viewership Audiences’ leverages the exclusive ACR data to create custom segments based on viewership patterns, specifically brand ads’ exposure activities using opted-in household viewership data. 

Nexxen’s exclusive access to VIDAA ACR data enables the delivery of a comprehensive TV solution. This includes proprietary planning tools like the ‘Nexxen TV Planner’, which provides insights for optimised TV reach across linear and streaming platforms. Additionally, campaign results and incremental reach can be measured through reporting solutions such as ‘Nexxen TV Measurement’, aligning with marketing objectives across linear, CTV, and digital channels. 

Moreover, Nexxen now offers unique ‘TV viewership audiences’, ensuring precise, representative, and scalable reach. These audiences come with advanced capabilities like suppression or retargeting of linear ad-exposed viewers, competitive conquest, and targeted preferences across channels and programmes.

Nexxen’s unique approach is supported by shared infrastructure and technology between its demand-side platform (DSP) and supply-side platform (SSP). 

Josif Zanich, managing director for JAPAC at Nexxen, said, “This is a huge milestone for Nexxen in the Japan-Asia Pacific (JAPAC) region. Having exclusive access to VIDAA’s ACR data will not only enable us to push the boundaries of what’s possible, delivering advanced TV solutions to advertisers, but will also allow us to exponentially enhance the effectiveness of TV buys across all screens, unlike ever before.”

Commenting on the launch, Guy Edri, CEO at VIDAA, also shared, “We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Nexxen in Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region. With our shared goal of empowering advertisers with valuable insights derived from TV viewership behaviours, we aim to drive innovative advertising solutions tailored to the unique needs of this market, ultimately providing greater efficiency and success for advertisers.”

Singapore – Interactive visual marketing platform Wootag has teamed up with Lemma, an omnichannel SSP for emerging formats, to offer brands the unique opportunity to leverage the growing audience engagement within digital-out-of-home (DOOH) and connected TV (CTV) media and elevate their visual interactive marketing campaigns. 

Wootag’s partnership with Lemma is set to transform creative enhancement and media effectiveness for marketers. 

Through this partnership, marketers will now have seamless access to Wootag’s interactive visual marketing capabilities within Lemma’s robust media ecosystem. By integrating Wootag’s technology, marketers can create captivating and immersive experiences that drive deeper audience engagement. 

Furthermore, the collaboration unlocks the potential for personalised and impactful campaigns at scale, combining Lemma’s unprecedented reach and targeting capabilities with Wootag’s interactive features. 

As audiences spend more time on CTV and engage with outdoor environments, brands recognise the importance of targeting intent viewing and other funnel metrics. Wootag and Lemma enable marketers to enhance the viewing experience by delivering contextual and personalised content that yields a significant 2-3X performance increase over standard videos on CTV and DOOH platforms.

Through this collaboration, Lemma clients and agency partners can effectively incorporate Wootag’s interactive visual marketing capabilities as part of their media offerings. This bundled solution is available globally, providing agency partners with a convenient way to combine cutting-edge technology with media to drive campaign effectiveness at scale. 

By leveraging Wootag’s interactive features within Lemma’s omnichannel ecosystem, marketers can create highly engaging and personalised experiences for their audience across multiple channels. 

This strategic partnership also empowers marketers with valuable insights and analytics, enabling data-driven decision-making. Marketers can gain a deeper understanding of audience behaviour, preferences, and engagement patterns, allowing them to refine their strategies and optimise performance in real time. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and data-driven insights, marketers can make informed optimisations and drive better campaign results. 

Raj Sunder, CEO and founder of Wootag, said, “At Wootag, we offer marketers a comprehensive solution that integrates interactive visual marketing with a powerful media ecosystem. With our partnership with Lemma, marketers can deliver highly interactive and contextualised experiences that captivate audiences and achieve exceptional results in their advertising efforts. We are thrilled to embark on this journey with Lemma and empower brands to fuel remarkable business growth.” 

Meanwhile, Gulab Patil, founder and CEO of Lemma, shared, “At Lemma, we are committed to staying at the forefront of innovation, ensuring that our brands remain ahead in the competitive landscape. Partnering with Wootag reflects our ongoing pursuit of excellence in serving our brands and clients by unleashing the power of interactive visual marketing and data-driven insights and sets a new standard in the digital advertising landscape.”

Singapore – Integral Ad Science (IAS), a global media measurement and optimization platform, has announced an extension of its brand safety and appropriateness measurement reporting on TikTok. The upgrade features new category exclusion and vertical sensitivity segments, which allow marketers to avoid a greater range of content that may be incompatible with their brand.

This extension uses IAS’s AI-driven Total Media Quality (TMQ) product to further improve and optimise the way advertisers measure and protect their campaigns on TikTok. It guarantees that marketers can develop their brand presence on one of the biggest and short-form video entertainment platforms globally with certainty.

IAS is adding 11 more nations to its brand safety and suitability measurement on TikTok, bringing the total to 62 countries in 34 languages. IAS’s AI-powered total media quality offering for TikTok makes use of multimedia technology, which combines frame-by-frame video analysis with audio, text, and image information. This makes it possible to classify material accurately and at scale in the for you Feed in accordance with four risk levels and 12 GARM brand safety & suitability categories. 

Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of IAS, said, “The rapid adoption of short-form video on social platforms like TikTok created demand for next-generation solutions that can provide protection and performance for advertisers. As the first independent, third-party digital media quality provider offering an end-to-end brand safety solution for TikTok, global advertisers now have access to AI-backed solutions to safeguard and scale their brands across one of the largest and fastest-growing social platforms around the globe.”

Meanwhile, Chen-Lin Lee, global head of measurement and data partnerships at TikTok, stated, “TikTok is continuously building and refining our brand safety and suitability solutions for advertisers, and evolving to stay ahead of emerging needs. We are excited to be partnering with trusted third-party measurement provider Integral Ad Science to complement our own TikTok Inventory Filter, and our new brand suitability controls Category Exclusion and Vertical Sensitivity, so advertisers are confident in the tools that empower them to connect with our community.” 

Singapore – Zefr, the data platform for brand suitability targeting and measurement, has announced its significant expansion of its brand safety and suitability measurement product with TikTok. 

In this new update, global advertisers will now have the ability to deploy advanced brand suitability controls, including ‘Category Exclusions’ and ‘Vertical Sensitivity’ controls, all of which will be available through TikTok’s newly released Brand Safety Hub in TikTok Ads Manager. 

These new capabilities offered by Zefr are designed to offer unparalleled protection and customization for brands advertising on TikTok, ensuring each campaign aligns with their unique brand values and safety and suitability standards.

The introduction of ‘Vertical Sensitivity’ on TikTok will allow advertisers to select their vertical and exclude content categories they deem unsuitable. This will cover 11 brand verticals such as pets, beauty, food, fashion or retail, and more, and is now available across key markets like the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. 

Meanwhile, through the ‘Category Exclusions’ feature, brands can prevent their ads from appearing next to content categorised under gambling and lotteries, violent video games, combat sports, and youth content across all TikTok inventory filter markets.

This announcement builds on Zefr and TikTok’s latest collaboration, announced in September 2023, where Zefr provides video-level signals to inform TikTok Inventory Filter for GARM Suitability optimisations, giving advertisers even further control and transparency when using the TikTok Inventory Filter on campaigns. This collaborative process is representative of an evolution in brand suitability optimisation, giving advertisers deeper control and transparency.

Since its inception in 2022, Zefr has consistently achieved a brand safety rate exceeding 99% on TikTok, following GARM floor definitions across global campaigns. Going beyond brand safety, this partnership aims to enhance the advertiser experience by providing advanced tools and insights that honour both brand values and audience sensitivities. The collaboration between Zefr and TikTok will continue to expand these product features across all regions globally throughout 2024.

Rich Raddon, co-founder and co-CEO of Zefr, said, “Zefr is committed to innovating in brand safety and suitability across social platforms. The integration of our advanced controls into TikTok’s Brand Safety Hub on TikTok Ads Manager highlights our continuous dedication to innovation and empowering advertisers. This collaboration reflects our joint efforts to set new standards, prioritising the brand-suitable alignment of ads with content while minimising over-blocking and maximising reach for brands.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – In line of the upcoming Hari Raya festivities, RHB has launched its latest film ‘Lembaran Baharu’ (Forgiveness) alongside creative agency FCB SHOUT, featuring a dramatic reenactment of ‘the most unforgettable case’ of Malaysian lawyer Ahmad Zaharil Muhaiyar’s long and illustrious career. 

In 1998, Ahmad Zaharil found himself helping a woman who had stolen a pencil case as a gift to her son who had ranked number one in class. Ahmad Zaharil went on to represent her in court pro bono and was able to reduce her sentence to Good Behaviour Bond. One day, about two decades after the fateful encounter, he was approached by a young man who revealed that he was the son of the woman whom he defended back in 1998, and is now following Ahmad Zaharil’s footsteps by being a lawyer.

Abdul Sani Abdul Murad, group chief marketing officer at RHB Banking Group, said, “Hari Raya is a season of forgiveness and starting anew. Ahmad Zaharil’s astonishing story perfectly encapsulates these values and so much more, proving that forgiving and helping with a sincere heart will often bring not only far-reaching consequences, but also life-changing outcomes.”

He added, “A seemingly insignificant gesture from Ahmad Zaharil on that one fateful day not only changed the life of the woman he helped, but also her son and all the people he would go on to help as a lawyer. Spanning over two decades, this story is the epitome of RHB’s brand belief of ‘Together We Progress’, and I believe the lessons we can take away from this incredible tale of forgiveness, justice, and kindness are especially apt in the times that we are living in today.”

Meanwhile, Tjer, head of creative at FCB SHOUT, commented, “The way we approached this story was very different from the other RHB festive films that we’ve done. This time, because we couldn’t write a better story even if we tried, we simply allowed art to imitate life. With Ahmad Zaharil himself as our consultant, we stayed as true to the real case as possible.”

He added, “As such, we didn’t have to take a lot of creative license to turn this true story into an engaging and entertaining piece that is fit for the Hari Raya occasion. Instead, we spent a lot of time working with our production partners at D Moving Pictures and GT Records to find the most engaging way to craft an emotionally charged film that would do justice to the life-changing actions of the protagonist and the unbelievable outcome that followed.”

Lastly, Ong Shi Ping, co-owner and chief creative officer of The Shout Group and FCB SHOUT, said, “The hallmark of progress is measured by how far we are willing to go to help another person, even when they can offer us nothing in return. I believe that Ahmad Zaharil’s story is beyond just a great festive film, as it is also a timeless reminder of the power of simply being human.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysian based Taylor’s University, through its School of Media and Communication, has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Omnicom Media Group (OMG) Malaysia, marking the commencement of a dynamic collaboration aimed at fostering talent development within the advertising and media industry.

This strategic partnership between Taylor’s University and OMG Malaysia underscores a shared vision to bridge the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in an ever-evolving media landscape.

The collaboration will facilitate initiatives such as guest lectures, industry workshops, internships, collaborative industry projects, and sharing real-life case studies and experiences with students through projects from OMG’s wide repertoire of clients, which will offer students with opportunities to gain practical experience, network with industry professionals, and stay ahead of emerging trends in advertising and media.

Additionally, this partnership also highlights the importance of industry-academia collaborations in addressing the talent needs of the advertising sector. By fostering closer ties between educational institutions and industry players, both parties can leverage their respective strengths to create impactful learning experiences and drive innovation in talent development.

Neethianathan Ari Ragavan, executive dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management at Taylor’s University, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “This partnership exemplifies our commitment to providing our students with real-world experiences and industry exposure. By working closely with OMG Malaysia, we aim to empower our graduates with the skills and insights needed to excel in the dynamic field of advertising.”

Meanwhile, Eileen Ooi, CEO of OMG Malaysia, commented, “As a leading media agency, we recognise the importance of nurturing the next generation of talent in our industry. By partnering with Taylor’s University, we are committed to supporting the development of future-ready professionals who will drive innovation and excellence in advertising and beyond.”

Australia – Full-service integrated agency Think HQ, alongside its multicultural communications arm, CultureVerse, has announced its new strategic positioning as ‘The Positive Change Agency’, which cements the agency’s core purpose.

Along with the positioning, Think HQ has unveiled a refreshed brand and visual identity designed and implemented by Think HQ’s in-house creative, design, production, and technology teams.

Talking about the refresh, Jen Sharpe, managing director and founder of Think HQ, said, “This refresh tells our story and shows our dedication to actively listening and involving the community in all of our work. It also means we are not defined by one particular service offering. We have spent years building up our in-house integrated capabilities, so rather than the market thinking of us as a creative, PR, events, multicultural, language services, First Nations, technology, or production agency, we have defined ourselves by what brings it all together – positive social change.”

“This is a significant step change for the agency as we enter our next phase—it perfectly captures Think HQ and CultureVerse and reflects our dynamic, diverse, and authentic people who are the driving force of everything we do. We know that while competitors will flirt with the idea of ‘purpose’ or social impact, no one else in the market comes close to who we are and what we do,” she added.
 
Meanwhile, Andy Lima, chief creative officer at Think HQ, added, “The refreshed Think HQ and CultureVerse brands reflect our unwavering vision of delivering communications that support the change needed to create a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable future for everybody. The brief was simple yet challenging to realise: We required ease of application by the whole group while representing our diverse service offerings.”

USA – Quantcast, a global advertising technology company, announced three new appointments to its APAC sales team today, following its continuous expansion efforts in Australia and Southeast Asia. All of the appointments will take effect immediately. 

Alara Yenisey joins ANZ as client success manager, while Koh ChewHoi and Amanda Soh take up client success manager and senior sales manager roles at the Singapore office, respectively. 

Yenisey, who will have her headquarters in Melbourne, has a track record in client management, digital media, and advertising, which she brings to Quantcast. Prior to joining Quantcast, Yenisey worked for News Corp Australia, UM, OMD, and SBS as a key account manager and in digital planning. There, she worked with both domestic and international clients like McDonald’s, Coles, and Optus.

ChewHoi is a digital specialist with more than ten years of experience in media and publishing, mostly in Singapore. ChewHoi has worked in management at Performics, iProspect, Zenith, and Singapore Press Holdings across her career.

Soh brings sales and account management expertise from the APAC digital advertising sector to Quantcast. She will be in charge of leading initiatives to boost income and developing strategic alliances with important clients throughout the area in her new position.

Prior to joining Quantcast, Soh oversaw initiatives to increase the platform’s market share while working for Twitter (now X) as the Southeast Asia agency lead and client partner. She was also employed by Oracle, Amnet, and MEC as a senior account manager. 

Speaking about the appointments, Sonal Patel, vice president, APAC at Quantcast, said, “We’re excited to expand our sales and client management team in the region as we continue to grow. Amanda, Alara and Koh all bring a depth of experience in their respective markets, and a passion for enhancing client relationships. Quantcast has significantly bolstered its Australia and Southeast Asian operations over the past several months, reflecting a genuine commitment to growing our APAC footprint and strengthening our relationships with our clients. The sales team is well-placed to extend our efforts in the APAC market.”

Meanwhile, Yenisey said, “As a digital-first marketer, Quantcast’s dedication to leading the market in effective, accurate digital advertising makes it an attractive place to work. I’m excited to join the growing ANZ team and look forward to bringing my extensive agency experience to drive measurable outcomes for Quantcast clients.” 

Chewhoi also said, “Quantcast has become one of the premier digital advertising marketers across Asia and I’m excited to be part of such an illustrious organisation. With a passion for improving the client experience, I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to help grow the client books across Asia.” 

And lastly, Soh said, “Having worked in the APAC digital sales industry for most of my career, I’ve had a front row seat to Quantcast’s ongoing growth and domination in the market. I’m excited to be joining the team at a pivotal time for the organisation as it seeks to further drive revenue and new client partnerships, particularly across Asia.”

Singapore – Bonzai, the creative automation platform, has launched its latest service, Fillboard, a premium digital ad format designed to improve viewability and user experience (UX) for advertising served on desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms.

With the introduction of Fillboard, a customised ad format by Bonzai, marketers can draw in and retain users without interfering with their enjoyment of the website’s content. Advertisers looking to create distinctive and impactful campaigns are empowered by this technology. 

The possibility that the target audience will see the advertisement, its longevity during an advertising impression, and whether or not it will appear on a user’s screen when a page or app loads are all indicated by the Ad Viewability Score. The desire for the ad inventory rises when an ad’s viewability score rises and campaign performance reports get better. Using ad styles that will grab viewers’ attention is one of the industry norms for optimising viewability, which is important for publishers and advertisers alike.

Speaking about the launch, Rahul Pandey, founder and CEO at Bonzai, said, “With a keen understanding of how the slightest boost in user attention can bring significant gains in ad awareness, Bonzai Fillboard was designed with care. We are offering a solution that helps avoid outdated intrusive methods, prioritising contextual advertising that aligns with user intent. Moving away from formats that interrupt, cover site content or don’t work across devices, advertisers can now utilise Fillboard, a fresh way to connect with all their audiences and stand out in the crowded digital landscape.”

Meanwhile, Ash Tanwar, head of ad Operations at The Guardian, commented, “Our long-standing partnership with Bonzai has played a pivotal role in shaping our vision for a product geared towards enhancing ad effectiveness. Close collaboration with the team has culminated in an ad format that ensures heightened viewability for our readers, thanks to its ingenious cross-screen experience. With initial testing already proving to have promising results, this new product in market will undoubtedly excite our advertisers.”