Tag: Apple

Shanghai, China – Apple has partnered with TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai to launch its latest 2024 Chinese New Year film titled ‘Little Garlic’ that shows the importance of embracing and being proud of one’s self.

The digital film, shot with an iPhone, addresses the insecurity felt by many Gen Zs in China. It tells the story of a young girl, Wei, battling with her insecurities and how she overcame them with the help of her grandfather’s wisdom and love.

With this film, Apple welcomes the year of the dragon through a poignant yet timely message that there is nothing wrong with being ‘just yourself’ and that you are unique in your own way.

Apple’s CNY film tackles the importance of accepting one’s self and to reflect on the meaning of being ‘perfect’.

The film also highlights Apple’s iPhone’s features that were used to bring the film to life.

‘Little Garlic’ will appear on broadcast, digital, and social media platforms.

Apple’s new CNY film comes after the launch of its ‘Relax, It’s iPhone’ campaign in Vietnam, which featured a ‘Shot on iPhone’ music video. This is Apple’s seventh year of celebrating Chinese New Year with a digital film shot by their iPhone.

Singapore – InMobi, global provider of mobile marketing and monetisation technologies, has announced its new industry-first, proprietary programmatic bidder to better drive iOS app performance for growth marketers without relying on user-level identifiers. Complementing InMobi’s traditional demand-side platform (DSP), the pioneering automated bidder is built from the ground up to rely solely on privacy-safe data signals when optimising programmatic media buys, whilst leveraging Apple’s SKAdNetwork (SKAN) attribution framework. 

Apple’s release of SKAN 4.0 brings more insights into campaign performance, unlocking even more powerful optimisation and measurement capabilities—creating renewed optimism amongst performance marketers for the future of iOS app growth. With more than half of digital dollars now earmarked for mobile—now 68% of all digital spend—InMobi aims to help marketers invest in understanding and maximising SKAN 4.0 with a purpose-built solution to thrive in the privacy-first era.

“SKAN 4.0 is especially relevant for Southeast Asia markets that heavily rely on iOS devices as they offer a privacy-focused solution for mobile app performance advertising on iOS,” said Rishi Bedi, managing director at InMobi. 

“With iOS devices being increasingly adopted in the region, it is imperative that advertisers are able to utilise solutions to provide accurate reporting while adhering to iOS privacy policies. In Southeast Asia, we have leveraged our early investment in SKAN 4.0 to pioneer privacy-focused innovation that avoids user-level identifiers for effective data collection and to shape the future of mobile app performance advertising,” he added. 

Since the rollout of SKAN 2.0 in 2020, InMobi has been handling audience targeting and campaign optimisation at a large scale, without relying on Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) due to robust testing on Limited Ad Tracking (LAT) users in iOS. With the accelerating cadence of SKAN improvements, advertisers are shifting more budget towards SKAN-compliant campaigns, which now represent nearly 80% of iOS spending on InMobi’s DSP. 

“When Apple first announced ATT and SKAdNetwork, it added complexity for marketers and we saw a clear opportunity to expand our suite of mobile app performance offerings to power media buying and optimization in this new privacy-first world,” commented Navin Madhavan, vice president of revenue and operations for InMobi Demand Platforms.

“Working closely with our most innovative clients, we developed deep expertise on Apple’s privacy-preserving attribution framework across our media buying, product, engineering and data science teams. The result is a proprietary solution that helps leading app growth marketers consistently exceed their KPIs on iOS while adhering to Apple’s strict privacy parameters,” added Madhavan. 

InMobi’s DSP is integrated with leading mobile ad exchanges and its new SKAN specialised bidder supports all currently released versions of Apple’s attribution framework, including the new 4.0 version. SKAN 4.0 has been developed to deliver campaign performance insights more rapidly, frequently, and with higher granularity than previous versions.

Some notable enhancements of SKAN 4.0 include multiple postbacks, which simplifies delivery and new insight into post-install events; hierarchical source ids, which afford more opportunities to uncover learnings that improve optimisation; hierarchical conversions, where performance insights come more rapidly, predictably, and frequently; and also Safari mobile web support, which grants additional privacy-safe channel to reach users on their mobile devices. 

In Mid-2022, InMobi has integrated its ‘Exchange’ SSP into Yahoo’s DSP to enable advertisers direct access to premium in-app supply. 

New York, USA – One year after Apple has applied changes to its privacy structure, specifically its IDFA change, social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Snap and YouTube are seen to take a dramatic hit in revenue, with a foreseen aggregate of $16b in losses. Furthermore, Facebook is predicted to have the biggest blow with 81% of said amount to be incurred by the platform, this is according to an analysis by data solutions provider Lotame. 

The identifier for advertisers by Apple or well-known as IDFA is the only means for advertisers to precisely target and track users within apps on iOS devices. It enables an advertiser to get notified when a user of a phone has taken an action like clicking on their ad in a browser and then installing, using, or interacting with ads in their app. By April of 2021, Apple announced changes to its IDFA, dubbing it as an App Tracking Transparency, where users now have the option of not sharing their personal data with third parties.

At that time, Lotame estimated a $9.85b impact on the four companies, with over 80% of that impact on Facebook, which still holds true after a year of the announced changes. 

Mike Woosley, chief operating officer at Lotame, said, “The effects of these changes on these companies are hard to isolate because all four players are still growing extremely strongly, still taking share from the last bastions of traditional media and gaining share in digital media as privacy regulations make it harder and harder for independent publishers and technologies to execute.” He also commented, “To add to the complexity, the pandemic has introduced volatile and unpredictable gyrations in the pacing of media spend.”

“As we move into the back half of 2022, we will no longer be talking about the impact the IDFA changes had on these players – by then 18 months hence”, added Woosley. “First, we may be moving into a recession. Next, there are other shocks affecting the industry. Third, we’ll be thinking and talking about the next wave of changes and the likely impact on these players (cookies, IP addresses and GAIDs). Finally, the companies themselves will be telling the market that workarounds and adaptations that they have advanced have cauterized the impact on the business,” said Woosley.

Singapore – TBWA\Media Arts Lab, the Los Angeles-headquartered creative agency solely dedicated to Apple, has named a new executive creative director for the Asia-Pacific region, Kenny Blumenschein. Blumenschein was most recently from advertising agency Energy BBDO, and before that, worked for Facebook as its creative strategist for the Greater China Region for almost three years.

TBWA\Media Arts Lab currently operates in 25 markets globally, with five regional hubs outside its HQ—London, Miami, Singapore, Shanghai, and Tokyo. The agency solely creates work for the tech and smartphone giant Apple.

As the new ECD for APAC, Blumenschein will be based out of the Singapore hub and will be partnering with Managing Director, Michaela Futcher and reporting into Global Chief Creative Officer, Brent Anderson.

At Energy BBDO, Blumenschein held the same role of ECD alongside being the agency’s senior vice president. During his time there, he notably worked on the award-winning Wrigley’s ‘For when it’s time’ campaign. Meanwhile, at Facebook, he assisted global brands in crafting their stories and reaching business objectives through Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, according to his LinkedIn.

Blumenschein said that joining Media Arts Lab is a no-brainer as he always had a ‘crush’ on the agency.

“It’s a very rare opportunity to work on such an iconic brand with the smartest and nicest people in our industry. To do this in APAC, which is one of the most diverse, fastest-growing, and exciting regions is a further privilege,” he said.

Blumenschein is of Thai and German descent. He has amassed experience across multiple continents, including Europe, North America, and Asia, bringing with him valuable global perspective to his work. Aside from his most recent roles at Energy BBDO and Facebook, he also previously held posts at Ogilvy as ECD Digital & Content, and as head of creative at VMLY&R. Back in Germany, Kenny has also spent time at BBDO and Isobar.

In the new role, he will be working with teams stretching across the APAC, from India to Australia, to develop business building and culture-defining work for one of the world’s most recognizable global brands.

Futcher commented, “This part of the world couldn’t be more important to us, and ensuring that we have the creative firepower to deliver on our ambitions has been a critical focus. I’m so excited to have found someone of Kenny’s creative caliber, humanity, and experience to help us do that. His background as a ‘cultural chameleon’ is critical to us unlocking the diverse opportunities across a region as vast as APAC.”

Meanwhile, Anderson said, “Kenny is a strategic, innovative, and artful creative leader with great instincts and taste. He’s led dynamic, modern teams across agencies both in Asia and North America. He’s spearheaded cultural, integrated work that breaks through for challenging clients. Kenny is a creative soul with a reputation of mentoring, building atmospheres wherein creativity thrives and protecting great ideas.”

Singapore – Global SaaS analytics platform AppsFlyer has announced the launch of its new predictive analytics feature, PredictSK, a new solution that will be a part of its SKAdNetwork suite, SK360

SKAdNetwork is about to become a major part of campaign measurement and optimization on iOS, following Apple’s latest privacy changes. This deterministic attribution framework provides advertisers with some data on their iOS campaigns, and while Apple has been continuously making updates to improve its offering to advertisers and app developers, it also introduces critical limitations.

Through the new solutions suite, brands are able to configure and optimize their conversion value, validate their data and keep it fraud-free. They will also be able to integrate with their choice of partners, all through a dedicated, centralized analytics dashboard. 

PredictSK is made in response to the current limitation of SKAdNetwork where advertisers rely on short window time in measuring campaign performance. With only 24 hours of user activity to work with, optimization is nearly impossible. With PredictSK, advertisers will be able to leverage early signals of engagement, which is usually in the first 24-72 hours, to predict long-term campaign performance. 

Furthermore, PredictSK puts mobile attribution in SKAdNetwork on ‘auto-pilot’, removing the measurement and timing barriers and allowing advertisers to maintain and strengthen their competitive edge in this new reality.

According to Barak Witowski, vice president for core product at AppsFlyer, the company’s developed solutions have always been at best for the benefit of advertisers, adding that PredictSK will help brands be empowered against limited data availability.

“AppsFlyer’s SK360 suite will empower brands to eliminate the uncertainty brought on by limited data availability and limited measurement capabilities, while maintaining end user privacy, by combining multiple solutions for maximum coverage,” Witowski stated.

He added, “Moreover, PredictSK will enable measurement across all user events to quickly and accurately predict user loan-to-value (LTV), helping advertisers save precious time and money. With SK360, Advertisers can stay in the driver’s seat while complying with the strictest privacy requirements,”

Meanwhile, Liwei Chen, staff product manager at Twitter, stated that they were working closely with AppsFlyer in delivering a fully operational plug-and-play SKAdNetwork solution.

“The solution was designed together to validate all advertisers’ needs from SKAdNetwork are met: data trust, granularity, optimization, and measurement. This is another exciting step for advertisers, delivering upon our promise of helping drive business success while maximizing end-user privacy,” said Chen.

The new product will be available after Apple starts enforcing its AppTrackingTransparency framework in early spring. The SK360 suite will continue to support the ecosystem throughout Apple’s upcoming privacy updates.

Mumbai, India – Apple will launch the Apple store online in India on September 23, offering Apple’s full range of products and support directly to customers across the country for the first time. 

The new online store will provide customers with the same experience found in Apple store locations around the world.

“We’re proud to be expanding in India and want to do all we can to support our customers and their communities,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People.

 “We know our users are relying on technology to stay connected, engage in learning, and tap into their creativity, and by bringing the Apple Store online to India, we are offering our customers the very best of Apple at this important time,” added O’Brien.

Apple Specialists will be available on the online store to assist customers from custom-configuring any Mac to setting up new devices. Customers will also be able to get advice, receive guidance, and learn about new products directly from Apple, both in English and Hindi.

With financing options and an available trade-in program, the online store online offers a range of affordability options. Students can shop for a Mac or iPad with special pricing, and receive discounts on accessories and AppleCare+, Apple’s warranty and technical support.

In October, customers can expect free online “Today at Apple” sessions led by local creative professionals, focused on photography and music. Sessions on signature gift wrapping and personalized engraving will also be available for select products. Engraving of emoji or text will be available for iPad and Apple pencil in English, Bengali, Gujarati, and Hindi as well as in Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Apple has been operating in India for more than 20 years. In 2016, Apple launched an iOS app design and development accelerator in Bengaluru in support of the country’s engineering talent and iOS developer community.

Singapore – The government of Singapore and global tech leader Apple have partnered to launch the health initiative LumiHealth, a personalized program to encourage healthy activity and behaviors using Apple Watch. 

The first-of-its-kind program was designed by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board in conjunction with Apple as part of the country’s Smart Nation initiative, which is a national effort to leverage technology to deliver benefits to its citizens and businesses.

At the core of the initiative is the LumiHealth app. Created in collaboration with a team of physicians and public health experts, LumiHealth uses technology and behavioral insights to encourage Singaporeans to keep a healthy living and complete wellness challenges through their Apple Watch and iPhone. 

The program will run for two years starting October 2020, where pre-order has already been made available on the app store.

“Even as all of us around the world are dealing with the challenges of COVID-19, we must keep investing in our future. And there is no better investment than in our own personal health,” said Heng Swee Keat, Singapore’s deputy prime minister. 

“This partnership between Singapore and Apple will enable Singaporeans to lead healthier lives, but equally important, it will contribute valuable insights [into] improving the health of people all over the world,” added Heng. 

The app uses a quirky feature, a ‘friendly” intergalactic explorer who will guide users while they “travel through worlds” in accomplishing wellness tasks that will be personalized based on their age, gender, and weight. 

The tasks include weekly activity goals that can be met through not just walking, but also swimming, yoga, and other activities. LumiHealth will also be providing reminders to users with regards to health screenings and immunizations as well as to participate in wellness challenges that aim to improve sleep habits and mindfulness, and encourage better food choices. 

Lumihealth

As users complete the said goals and challenges, users navigate the intergalactic explorer back to its “home,” all while being able to earn rewards worth up to S$380 over the two-year duration of the program. An Apple Watch is necessary to participate, as is downloading the LumiHealth app.

LumiHealth was created with customer privacy and data security built into its design. The program will be voluntary as users must opt in and provide consent to share information with app when they join, and may opt out at any time. 

Apple assures, “The collection of any personal identifiable information will be limited to information that will enable the app to provide an experience that is personalized and relevant to the user’s needs.” 

It adds on the privacy terms, “All user data will be encrypted to protect privacy. Data will be stored in a highly secure system that is fully compliant with Singapore’s data privacy and security laws. No data from LumiHealth will ever be sold or shared for marketing purposes.”

LumiHealth is the culmination of a two-year process that began with Singapore soliciting proposals from international healthcare and technology companies on ways to enrich the lives and health of its population.

Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer said, “Singapore has one of the world’s leading healthcare systems, and we are thrilled to be partnering with them to incorporate Apple Watch and LumiHealth into their holistic approach to well-being.” 

“Apple Watch has already helped millions of our customers manage their activity levels to improve their health, and we look forward to applying our expertise here in the same privacy-friendly way,” added Williams.