Tag: Brand

Thailand – PepsiCo has unveiled its new brand platform, shifting from traditional brand statements to authentic consumer reactions—letting people see great taste in action rather than just hearing about it.

Titled ‘You Can’t Hide Great Taste,’ the campaign introduces Pepsi’s new visual cue, the “Taste Face”—the instinctive, unfiltered reaction to bold flavour. A subtle head tilt, widened eyes, or a moment of surprise captures the genuine enjoyment of great taste.

Focusing on real consumer reactions, the campaign moves beyond scripted messages to showcase taste as a shared, authentic experience. Designed for a social-first audience, it highlights spontaneous moments of delight, letting genuine expressions speak louder than traditional marketing.

Usman Shahid, marketing director for Carbonated Soft Drinks at PepsiCo Asia Business Unit, said, “With our ‘You Can’t Hide Great Taste’ campaign, we’re capturing the raw, unfiltered reactions of people experiencing Pepsi’s bold and refreshing taste. Great taste speaks for itself—there’s no faking that moment of pure enjoyment. This campaign is all about celebrating that authenticity and reminding everyone why Pepsi continues to be the ultimate cola choice.”

Launched in March, the platform began rolling out in Vietnam and will expand to Thailand, Laos, Korea, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Pepsi is also partnering with popular eateries and food brands across the region, encouraging consumers to share their own taste experiences as part of a broader engagement strategy.

Masud Anwar, senior marketing manager of Pepsi for the Asia Business Unit, shared, “Every food and beverage brand talks about taste, but no one has captured what it actually looks like. In a category where everyone makes claims, we decided to let consumers do the talking — or rather, the expressing. With You Can’t Hide Great Taste, we’re not just making a statement — we’re creating a long-term cultural imprint that makes Pepsi synonymous with authentic, undeniable enjoyment.”

You Can’t Hide Great Taste is designed as a long-term platform that will evolve with Pepsi’s future product launches. Through ongoing content, collaborations, and innovations, it aims to keep Pepsi’s taste experience relevant and engaging for consumers.

“With You Can’t Hide Great Taste, we’re not just talking about flavour—we’re bringing it to life in a way that’s bold, unfiltered, and unmistakably Pepsi,” stated Bernard Cheng, CMO at PepsiCo Asia Beverage.

Cheng continued, “This platform is about celebrating real, visceral reactions to great taste and cementing Pepsi’s place at the heart of culture. As we continue to innovate and expand across the region, this campaign will evolve with us, ensuring that Pepsi remains the go-to choice for consumers who crave authenticity and enjoyment.”

Singapore – Nearly two-thirds (61.5%) of Southeast Asia’s population are active on social media, accounting for 10.2% of the world’s social media identities, according to a report by We Are Social and Meltwater.

The report highlights Southeast Asia’s strong affinity for social media, with users in every country exceeding the global average of 6.83 platforms. On average, Filipinos use 8.36 platforms, followed by Malaysians (8.12), Indonesians (7.93), Singaporeans (7.24), and users in both Vietnam and Thailand (7.11).

Delving deeper, Filipinos spend an average of 3 hours and 32 minutes on social media daily—over an hour more than the global average. They also have a strong affinity for influencers and vlog content, with 44.9% following influencers on social media and nearly half (48.3%) watching vlogs or influencer videos weekly.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, social media accounts for nearly half (42.6%) of the country’s total online activity. Two-thirds of Indonesian users actively search for brands on social media, while 82.1% use it for brand research.

Indonesians are also among the world’s most engaged TikTok users, spending close to two full days per month (44 hours and 54 minutes) on the app. Malaysia follows closely, with users averaging 42 hours and 44 minutes on TikTok each month.

Thailand ranks as YouTube’s second most engaged market, with users spending an impressive 42 hours and 14 minutes on the platform—far exceeding the global average of 27 hours and 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Singapore stands out as a top market for Reddit, with users spending 3 hours and 56 minutes on the platform each month and accessing it an average of 116.9 times.

Notably, over a third of the region also relies on social media as a source of news.

Anton Reyniers, head of strategy at We Are Social Singapore, commented, “Southeast Asia is home to some of the most active and engaged social media users in the world. With users across the region spending their time across more than seven platforms – above the global average – and more than half using social media for brand research, it’s integral for marketers to ensure they have a carefully considered strategy to capture their audience’s attention across each platform.”

“This latest report highlights the nuances across different demographics in the social and broader digital ecosystem to help marketers make informed decisions in their plans for 2025 and beyond,” he added.

The report names YouTube as the most used social platform at the start of 2025, with a user base 16% larger than WhatsApp. Instagram leads as the world’s favourite platform, with 16.6% of users pledging loyalty, followed by WhatsApp (16%) and Facebook (13.1%).

Meanwhile, TikTok’s Android users are spending almost 35 hours per month on the app, with time spent increasing by nearly two hours from August to November 2024. In terms of growth, Threads has 320 million monthly active users, with over 100 million active daily users, while Bluesky, with more than 30 million registered users, still has fewer than 25 million monthly active users.

Meltwater and We Are Social further highlight the growing importance of social media for marketers, as half of adult users now visit platforms to learn more about brands—a trend that’s steadily rising. Instagram leads in brand research, with 62.3% of users using it for this purpose, followed by Facebook (52.5%) and TikTok (51.5%). Additionally, 22% of social media users follow influencers, a figure that rises to 30.8% among women aged 16 to 24.

In 2024, global ad spend reached US$1.1t, a 7.3% increase from 2023, with digital channels now accounting for 72.7% of this investment. Online ad spend surpassed US$790 billion, growing 10.3% year-on-year. Social media ad spend rose to $243 billion, up 15%, while global influencer marketing spend increased 14%, reaching $35 billion.

“With digital ad spend exceeding $790 billion in 2024 and social media ad spend growing more than 15% within that, it’s clear that businesses are investing more than ever in capturing consumer attention. Along with this growing investment comes the growing need to prove ROI and show results based on marketing campaigns. With user behaviour on social platforms continuing to shift, teams need data to inform decisions about what platforms to prioritise and create strategies for,” said Alexandra Bjertnæs, chief strategy officer at Meltwater.

The report also highlighted ChatGPT’s growth, with its mobile app averaging over a quarter of a billion monthly active users from September to November 2024. It ranked as one of the world’s most downloaded apps, placing eighth globally. Additionally, ChatGPT.com saw 310 million unique visitors, generating 3.5 billion visits during the same period.

Toby Southgate, global group CEO at We Are Social, said, “Social is where brands can win or lose – it’s central to brand discovery, consumer engagement, and commerce. At the same time, AI is revolutionising how we search, create, and interact, while influencers continue to shape content trends and consumer behaviours.”

“The opportunities for marketers to drive meaningful engagement have never been broader, but the complexity of digital and social media – evident in our 630+ page report – means there’s no single route to success. To create effective work, brands need to understand the cultural nuances of the online world and create ideas worth talking about. Those who do will make an impact,” he added.

Australia – Qantas has announced plans to redesign its uniform for the first time in over a decade, as the airline moves forward with its fleet renewal program, ongoing customer investments, and preparations for the upcoming Project Sunrise initiative.

For this project, Qantas has announced it is searching for a new Australian designer to lead the redesign of its uniform, a significant move aimed at updating one of the most important visual representations of the airline’s brand.

Placing its workforce at the core of the redesign, Qantas will survey its 17,500 uniformed employees to help shape the development of the new uniform, which will reflect the airline’s future direction.

The new uniform design will coincide with Qantas’ ongoing fleet investments, including more than 100 aircraft on order across the group over the next decade, alongside significant upgrades to its existing fleet.

Vanessa Hudson, group CEO of Qantas, said, “We have ambitious plans for the future, and transforming the way we reflect the brand is critical to that. Our uniform represents the Qantas spirit all over the world. With a vast and growing international and domestic network, a historic fleet renewal program underway, and the final frontier of global aviation just around the corner, it’s time to define a new look for our people that reflects where we are heading.” 

Qantas will announce the new uniform designer in the coming months, with plans to debut the redesigned uniform in 2027. The airline will engage multiple Australian designers to assess the requirements and lead a selection process for the eleventh uniform in its history.

Previous designers of the Qantas uniform include Peter Morrissey, Yves Saint Laurent, George Gross, Harry Who, and Emilio Pucci, with each design reflecting significant milestones in the airline’s 105-year history.

“Since our beginnings, the way we represent the brand has evolved significantly. While the uniform style may have changed, what hasn’t changed is the pride our people have in wearing it, which is why we are putting them at the core of the design process. Our people have loved wearing the current design, which was created by Martin Grant in 2013, and I want to thank him for his partnership over the course of the last decade,” Hudson added. 

India – Lovingle, a diaper brand from RSPL, has launched a new campaign with Cheil X that highlights the often-overlooked well-being of new mothers, encouraging families to offer support beyond the baby’s arrival.

Lovingle’s new campaign highlights how family attention often shifts entirely to a newborn, overlooking the mother’s well-being. It also urges support for new mothers and launches digitally with a film and social media assets under #BadhaiHoMaaHuiHai.

The campaign film begins with a young mother reminiscing about her pregnancy, reflecting on how she was once pampered by her family. As the film transitions to the present, it reveals how the same family now focuses solely on the newborn, leaving the mother feeling overlooked. The emotional film draws on real-life scenarios to empathise with new mothers, reminding viewers not to forget their well-being.

Amit Nandwani, national creative director at Cheil X, said, “The communication around diapers in India is focused on babies. We wanted to break this stereotype and shift the narrative to moms who often get neglected once the baby is born. The campaign line ‘Badhai Ho Maa Hui Hai’ beautifully celebrates newborn moms and sets the stage for a movement to sensitise people about the need to shower love on them as well.” 

Neeraj Bassi, chief growth officer at Cheil X, added, “I think the insight nicely captures the dilemmas of a newborn parent, especially the mother. Someone who was part of you is now detached and the centre of the world for everyone around. While it is very understandable at one level, at another level it takes a while to fully grasp this change. Brand Lovingle understands this vulnerability of a newborn mother and urges the family to support her during this phase of transition”.

Lovingle’s campaign takes a different approach in the competitive children’s diaper market by focusing on the emotional journey of new mothers, highlighting their experiences alongside their newborns. It also emphasises providing quality diapers at an affordable price.

Speaking about the product, Harkawal Singh, vice president of global marketing at RSPL, said, “Lovingle as a brand stands out for best quality premium products at an honest, value-for-money price. While our product serves newborn babies, who are the most fragile consumers, even more fragile is the emotive bond of relationships between family members, as a new member gets added to the family. While the category talks about the newborn baby, we wanted to highlight the other newborn, i.e., the mother. Fantastic work by the team to strategically highlight the newborn mother’s emotions and share a new perspective with the audience at large, especially the family members.”

Hong Kong – Mandarin Oriental has announced the appointment of Alex Schellenberger as its new senior vice president for brand to elevate the hotel’s brand presence and to increase its desirability as a luxury hospitality brand. 

With over two decades in global luxury brand building, storytelling and brand experience roles, he brings invaluable insights and expertise to this newly created global role and will be joining the group leadership team.

His most recent role was being the global chief marketing officer of Accor, based in Paris. He began his journey with Procter & Gamble’s prestige division, where he elevated the Hugo Boss fragrance line. Subsequently, he held senior executive positions leading transformative marketing and communication initiatives to redefine and reposition beauty and luxury goods brands, at Coty and Swarovski.

Speaking on his new role, Schellenberger said, “I am proud to be joining this iconic brand that has captured the imagination and the loyalty of so many fans around the world. Mandarin Oriental is renowned for delighting its guests with legendary service, steeped in oriental heritage and we are uniquely placed to drive these exceptional experiences to new heights, further securing our position as a global leader in luxury hospitality.”

Meanwhile, Laurent Kleitman, group chief executive at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, expressed his enthusiasm about Alex’s appointment, commenting, “Alex is a talented and transformational brand builder. His global experience will be instrumental in realising our ambitious plans to put the brand and the guest at the heart of the organisation and deliver enriching and innovative experiences, stunning communications and innovative partnerships.”

He added, “Alex has an outstanding track record elevating luxury brands and I am delighted to have him join our team and steward Mandarin Oriental as we accelerate and elevate our presence in the most sought-after destinations around the world.”

Beijing, China – TCP Group (TCP), the inventors and owners of the Red Bull brand has announced that it has launched on August 8 the new Red Bull campaign, “Ni Zhen Niu” 

The campaign is set to promote the latest addition to Red Bull’s beverage line, the Red Bull Vitamin Flavor Drink, which has previously debuted at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) last November. 

The campaign was kicked off through the launch of its new line-up of celebrity brand ambassadors. This includes R1SE’s Zhou Zhennan, Xilinnayi Gao from Bon Bon Girls, Warcraft III player “Sky”  Li Xiaofeng, and Billiards player Pan Xiaoting. 

Red Bull will implement a strategic multi-media marketing campaign. The said brand ambassadors will showcase the so-called incredible “Zhen Niu spirit,” in TVCs and social media content, bringing inspirational messages of determination and confidence to consumers. 

“Through this campaign, we are promoting what we call the Red Bull Zhen Niu Spirit of ‘Going Beyond’ and ‘Limitless Potential’,” said Supachai Junkeiat, TCP’s global marketing director.

“We want to inspire and empower our fans through this message and support them as they challenge themselves to ‘Go Beyond’,” he added.

Meanwhile, TCP CEO Saravoot Yoovidhya shared that China has always been a top priority in expanding presence of TCP’s brands.

“As a Thai-Chinese enterprise, China has always been at the front and center of our global ambitions to become a global ‘House of Brands.’ This deep-rooted attachment means that TCP’s top priority will always be to contribute to the development of China’s economy and society,” said Yoovidhya.

TCP Group houses a diverse product portfolio comprising four consumer food categories, and another 30 product lines under nine brands