Tag: APAC

Los Angeles, California — Prolific video game developer Riot Games has announced its expansion into several countries in the Asia Pacific (APAC) as part of its business reorganization in the region. 

With a focus on hyper-localisation and fresh plans to extend its publishing reach to Japan and India, Riot Games will also open new publishing offices in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Riot had previously run the SEA business out of its Singapore hub office and also had an office in Japan.

Riot has also brought in Alex Kraynov, its previous managing director of emerging markets for Southeast Asia, India, Latin America, Brazil, Middle East, North Africa, and Japan, as the new managing director for APAC to lead publishing.

The reorganization will also see a diversification of Riot’s operating model with publishing at the forefront, alongside its other business pillars of games, entertainment, esports and enterprise.

In this effort to strengthen their presence APAC, Riot has made the following regional appointments namely Shinji Komiyama as director of country management for APAC, Jennifer Poulson as head of publishing partnerships for APAC, Alasdair Gray as head of marketing for APAC, and Derek Winder as head of business development for APAC. Riot also made some appoint for its local division namely Yasushi Fujimoto as country manager of Japan, Joel Guzman as country manager of the Philippines, and Resha Pradipta as country manager of Indonesia and Malaysia.

Since re-establishing its Singapore HQ for Southeast Asia in 2018, Riot has significantly grown its workforce and is now doubling down on publishing in the region. This organizational expansion translates into the establishment of local offices and hiring country managers in key markets such as the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and India, joining publishing forces with Riot’s Japan office, and enhancing its publishing hub in Singapore to over 80 people across the region. Key departments within APAC Publishing include country operations, publishing partnerships, brand marketing, growth marketing and services, business development, and regional tech. 

Alex Kraynov, managing director of Riot Games Asia Pacific, commented that this is a natural step in progression for Riot’s publishing business in Southeast Asia, and they recognized that APAC has the potential to become the biggest region in the world for the company. Kraynov continued by saying that APAC is intricately diverse, with massive gaming communities that have diverse needs and a strong appetite for mobile gaming. 

“In the past few years, our offices in Singapore and Japan have worked hard to release several new games and have nurtured new esports leagues to excite and delight players. Working towards more physical presence in our key APAC markets, we’re extremely excited to double down on these efforts to continue striving towards being the most player-focused gaming company in the world,” Kraynov said. 

Beyond the gaming space, Riot has also released projects and campaigns in animation adaptation, music, and fashion. More recently, Riot also collaborated with Filipino urban streetwear brand Team Manila on an exclusive capsule collection to celebrate the launch of Neon, the first Filipino agent in its tactical shooter VALORANT.

With the goal of being the most player-focused game company in the world, Riot has in the last couple of years launched new titles including its recent shooter hit VALORANT. Riot’s games within the League of Legends universe have garnered over 600 million players globally in the past decade.

Singapore – Global security intelligence company LogRhythm has unveiled its new brand identity, which is designed to represent its commitment to helping security operations centres (SOCs) close workforce gaps, increase knowledge of new attacks and techniques, and navigate an ever-changing threat landscape with confidence. 

LogRhythm, which has a presence in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, and Malaysia within APAC, brings together the complete technology to improve security posture. It combines a comprehensive and flexible security operations platform, technology partnerships, and advisory services.

The new logo recognises LogRhythm’s value, which is not rooted in technology alone, but is both analogue and digital; a mix of people, expertise, and know-how that allows the company to best apply technology to customers’ most pressing security concerns and challenges. It also connotes being in rhythm with the company’s customers, colleagues, and partners. Moreover, the wave signals LogRhythm’s commitment to adapting to the ever-changing threat horizon to keep customers protected in the face of uncertainty.

Cindy Zhou, LogRhythm’s chief marketing officer, shared that LogRhythm gives customers the upper hand by proactively identifying threats and the technology to defend against them.

“The people who work at LogRhythm are cyber advisory and technology allies to our customers. This brand identity supports our new technology offerings coming in 2022 that align with the mission we have always had, to ensure our customers are ready to defend against today’s top threats,” said Zhou.

LogRhythm said that the rebrand is the first of many changes to come in 2022, including a fresh visual look, an upcoming cloud-native platform, and a new outlook that reflects the company’s vision and evolution.

Singapore — RIMM Sustainability, a sustainability platform based in Singapore, has raised a total of US$3m in its pre-series A round led by venture capital fund BEENEXT. Notable key investors who have backed RIMM in this round are tech investor Mamoru Taniya, and the Aswani family of the conglomerate Tolaram Group and Atlas Asset Management. 

The platform disclosed it will utilize the fund in its quest to make sustainability accessible and actionable to SMEs and to develop and launch RIMM’s enhanced v2 platform, and release new features and expand the team. 

RIMM’s automated platform, launched in 2021, was built to address the needs of SMEs for simplified and affordable sustainability guidance and solutions. Since its v1 launch, RIMM has secured key clients and partnerships, as well as being awarded a USD$1m Green Finance grant by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and a grant from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. 

Hero Choudhary, managing partner, BEENEXT, commented, “RIMM has an excellent product and team. We invested in RIMM because we believe in its ability to transform the state of sustainability for SMEs. The sustainability space is dominated by opaque solutions and expensive consulting driven models, RIMM’s easy-to-use platform is perfectly poised to disrupt this trend and help all companies, whether big or small, make a real impact.”

The RIMM platform, created and simplified by experts, provides SMEs with a simple yet actionable way to start their sustainability journey. The user-friendly platform has intelligent tools that enable sustainability management, reporting and optimization. 

Ravi Chidambaram, CEO and co-founder, RIMM, said that they are delighted to have closed the pre-series A round, the pedigree of the participating investors were a testament to their team, their platform and their roadmap.

“This is a great step towards our goal to become the world’s largest sustainability platform and create an ecosystem where companies, citizens and stakeholders can engage to identify and solve the most pressing sustainability problems of today and tomorrow. The success of microfinance is based on banking the unbanked. At RIMM, our success as a sustainability platform will come from serving the unserved,” Chidambaram added.

Singapore – Advertising network TBWA\Asia has appointed Gabey Goh, former editor for Asia at research, case studies, and best practice provider firm WARC, to be its new associate director of innovation content.

As part of her new role, Goh will now be responsible for helping develop and execute the Asia collective’s innovation content strategy to deepen thought leadership and stimulate innovative ideas across the region.

Commenting on her appointment, Goh said that it was hard to say no to joining a team that brings positive disruption to brands, in a time when leading-edge thinking and work has become a necessary and business-critical asset.

“I can’t wait to lend a hand in telling these stories of transformation and triumph from Asia, with TBWA,” added Goh.

Meanwhile, Tessa Conrad, TBWA\Asia’s head of innovation, shared that to effectively articulate and amplify the creation of value they strive to bring to the clients via their innovation capabilities, the role of innovation content director has become an imperative. 

“Gabey’s adept ability to identify key emerging patterns across cultural content, data, technology and consumer behavioural trends, coupled with her experience and passion to create valuable and insightful reports, which resonate across cultural and geographical boundaries, will enable us to achieve our ambition,” said Conrad.

Ireland – Ireland-based e-commerce financing and growth platform, Wayflyer, has secured a Series B funding round of US$150m, which brings the platform’s post-money valuation to US$1.6b, making it the country’s sixth unicorn. 

The all-equity round was co-led by DST Global and QED Investors, as well as three new investors, namely Prosus, Madrone Capital Partners, and J.P. Morgan. Existing investors Left Lane Capital and Guillaume Pousaz also participated in the funding round.

The new funds will be used to continue building Wayflyer’s presence in current territories, expand into new territories across Europe and Asia, further expand its product range, and hire the best talent globally. Wayflyer will also provide billions of dollars to e-commerce merchants in the coming years.

Aidan Corbett, Wayflyer’s CEO, shared that Wayflyer was launched in April 2020, and has been relentlessly focused on helping their customers drive growth and removing the barriers that limit their potential.

“Our Series B round will help us build our offering to customers, expand into exciting new territories, and hire more world-class talent. We’ve only just scratched the surface of what’s possible here, and with an incredible team all working together to solve the biggest challenges in e-commerce, I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead,” said Corbett.

Wayflyer helps ambitious e-commerce businesses unlock their true potential, solving some of the critical challenges that have long stifled growth. Combining access to capital and insights that help e-commerce businesses deploy that capital effectively, Wayflyer acts as a trusted growth partner to many merchants worldwide. 

Tom Stafford, DST Global’s co-founder and managing partner, shared that they are impressed by their commitment to building the best products for their customers and proactively helping their customers grow via analytics, practical insights and attractively priced funding. 

“We are pleased to continue supporting the team, as Wayflyer expands globally to provide innovative financing and growth solutions for e-commerce businesses around the world,” said Stafford.

Meanwhile, Sandeep Bakshi, Prosus Ventures’ head of investments for Europe, said, “The pandemic has accelerated e-commerce adoption globally and Wayflyer is transforming financial services for e-commerce businesses wanting to scale quickly, helping them to gain access to capital, inventory and insights at attractive terms.”

Singapore – Global mass media and entertainment giant, WarnerMedia, has appointed three new senior content hires in Asia, in an aim to scale up its original productions teams in advance of the launch of HBO Max in the region.

For the Singapore team, Mark Francis, former head of content for OTT at TV and radio operator Astro, will be WarnerMedia’s new group lead of production and development, both scripted and unscripted. He will lead a regional team to develop Asian original productions under the ‘Max Originals’ banner. 

Meanwhile, Shi Ming Wee, former assistant vice president of regional content and productions at streaming media platform Viu, has been named the new head of entertainment content acquisition for North Asia content. She will now be working alongside Katheryn Lim, who leads content acquisition for international and English-language entertainment titles. They will both report to Magdalene Ew, WarnerMedia’s head of content – entertainment for SEA, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

For Mumbai, Saugata Mukherjee, former head of content for SONY LIV at Sony Pictures Networks India, will be joining WarnerMedia as the new head of content – entertainment for India. He will now be responsible for commissioning local originals, as well as acquiring and developing Indian content across all general entertainment genres. The newly-created role, like Ew, reports to Clement Schwebig, WarnerMedia’s managing director for India, SEA, and Korea.

Schwebig believes that these roles are vital as WarnerMedia looks to ramp up its original content and programming ambitions in the Asia region. 

“Saugata, Mark and Shi Ming have a great eye for a winning project and have enviable connections within the industry. With them all now in place over the past few months, we’re looking in great shape to entertain local audiences with a well-rounded and premium slate,” said Schwebig.

Hong Kong – To welcome the Year of the Tiger, Superunion, the creative agency under WPP, has created its new online game that plays on the use of words.

The new game features a ‘tiger machine’, which is inspired by the Chinese name for a slot machine, that generates a unique ‘lucky cat’ design for each player – attracting good fortune for the agency’s clients, teams, friends, and family. 

When the tiger’s paw is pulled, the ‘tiger machine’ randomises a design – head, body, and plaque – each coming from a different original artwork, to make a unique combination of colour and pattern. Custom tools allow the players to art direct their own background, creating a personalised festive greeting to download and share with friends and family.

Superunion said that the 18 original 3D artworks were created by its teams across Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai, as well as Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.

Tim Brown, Superunion’s creative director for Asia, believes that the Lunar New Year is a great opportunity to come together and work on something fun, to put a smile on people’s faces – something everyone needs more than ever. 

“We wanted to create an interactive, sustainable and shareable way to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Wishing you all good luck for the year ahead – Kung Hei Fat Choy,” said Brown.

Players can visit Superunion’s website to play the game and create their own Tiger greeting.

Singapore — Media investment group GroupM has announced the appointment of Anne Ng, former senior director for corporate communications in Lagardéré Sports, as the new director of marketing and communications for the Asia-Pacific. Ng will lead communication strategies for the APAC market, moving forward GroupM’s vision of “Making Advertising Work Better for People”.

Ng holds extensive experience in marketing campaigns for high-value clients. Aside from her director role at Lagardère Sports, she’s held positions as communications manager for Singapore Grand Prix where she was in charge of the media centre and press functions for Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. She also authored and published a book, produced an HIV anti-stigmatisation movie, and founded a publishing and communications consultancy ‘A Good Word’ prior to joining GroupM.

At Lagardère Sports, Ng headed corporate communication functions across APAC and the Middle East and was instrumental in amplifying the company’s brand equity in Greater China.

Ng will join the APAC regional leadership team. She reports to Ashutosh Srivastava, CEO of GroupM APAC, and Jill Kelly, chief marketing officer of GroupM Global.

Ng shared her thoughts on the appointment, saying, “As many media evangelists like me will attest to, GroupM is a leading, visionary brand whose work has fundamentally transformed the landscape of media, influenced consumer habits, and shaped global culture. GroupM is poised to be a force for good and I look forward to maximizing the potential of our trailblazing talents across the region, help strengthen the agencies’ already powerful legacies, and generate far-reaching value for clients.”

Meanwhile, Srivastava welcomed the investment group’s new signing.

“We extend a very warm welcome to Anne whose values, mindset, and wealth of experiences dovetail with the GroupM ethos. She will work closely with our regional leadership team to drive our collective agenda in shaping a new era of advertising that’s focused on bettering businesses and benefiting communities,” Srivastava said.

Last November, GroupM held its third annual ad marketing conference entitled SourceCode in Malaysia, which saw the company inviting key leaders from several top-tier brands to talk about how they are shaping the marketing landscape.

Singapore – Interpublic Group (IPG) has announced that its bespoke solution, Team Dynamic, has been named the regional production and operations partner for luxury vehicle company BMW Group.

Team Dynamic integrates production and operations resources on a responsive, data-driven technology platform. It incorporates both onshore and offshore production solutions, delivering quality outputs in a streamlined, efficient way. 

The new partnership consolidates remit across 11 markets with IPG, following Team Dynamic’s appointment as a production partner in Japan and India in early 2021. The new markets include Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand, as well as the Middle East, and South Africa. 

Through the new partnership, Team Dynamic will be handling content production for both BMW and MINI’s media requirements, including digital and offline production, website management and maintenance, marketing campaign services, and after-sales and financial services marketing support.

Mish Fletcher, IPG’s chief growth officer for APAC, commented that they are thrilled to extend their partnership with the BMW Group in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and South Africa through their proven Team Dynamic production model. 

“Our connected technology solution allows for real-time optimization, consistency, and flexibility while ensuring unbeatable content production quality at speed and scale,” said Fletcher.