Brand partnership Archives

Singapore – Coffee chain Flash Coffee has announced a brand partnership with plant milk startup OATSIDE, encouraging customers to try out alternative milk options.

The partnership, done under its #DareToGoVegan campaign, sees Flash Coffee customers getting complimentary oat milk upgrades this January. Said campaign will roll out in selected stores in Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea.

Customers who purchase an oat milk drink are entitled to a raffle spin of their own gachapon machine, where they can win prizes such as exclusive kooky OATSIDE merchandise to one week’s worth of free coffee.

The new year updates come months after Flash Coffee welcomed Bjoern Seeber as its new director of operations in APAC. Moreover, it also teamed up with CleanHub as it eyes to be a plastic-neutral brand.

Singapore – Social storytelling platform Wattpad, through its advertising and partnerships arm Wattpad Brand Partnerships, has partnered with pop culture-inclined marketing agency Culture Group to bolster’s Wattpad presence in the Southeast Asia region.

Through the partnership, Culture Group will help connect brands to Wattpad’s growing Gen Z audience, which has now reached a global community of over 90 million people, including more than 22 million users in Asia-Pacific countries. Wattpad is a platform where users can post self-written stories, novels, and full-on books, which are then voted by readers by genre and popularity.

Over the years, Wattpad has been recognized by various media entities in Southeast Asia. The company’s studio division, Wattpad Studios, has produced hit projects like ‘Slow Dancing’, a six-episode series from Mediacorp and Wattpad in Singapore; and ‘Turn On’ from Wattpad, Vidio, and Screenplay Entertainment in Indonesia.

Wattpad also works with Anvil Publishing, Inc., one of the leading book publishers in the Philippines, to bring Wattpad stories to bookstores. The companies have partnered to create Bliss Books, a ground-breaking YA imprint for Filipino book lovers.

Furthermore, the move will offer advertisers more opportunities to tap into Wattpad Influencers, original stories, and thriving Southeast Asian fan communities for innovative brand campaigns and activations. Brands will be able to create content-driven marketing programs in a variety of formats, including audio and video content, associated with fan-favorite Wattpad’s stories.

Commenting on the partnership, Chris Stefanyk, head of Wattpad Brand Partnerships said their expansion to the SEA region responds to a larger untapped younger generation for brands to be exposed to.

“Southeast Asia is home to some of the largest and most engaged communities on our platform, and there’s enormous potential for brands to tap into the Wattpad Stars and long-form Influencers that have found international fame on Wattpad. We’re excited to work with more brands in Southeast Asia to tell their stories in a culturally relevant way that resonates with today’s youth,” Stefanyk stated.

Meanwhile, Culture Group’s founder and president Michael Patent, stated, “We believe firmly that Gen Z is the world’s ‘creation generation’ and nowhere is this more apparent than on Wattpad, where amazing stories are told. We’re thrilled to be partnered with Wattpad in creating immersive, multi-format partnerships through content and fan communities in Southeast Asia.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Social media engagement agency Fotobox has announced its new immersive division ‘Conten.T’, short for content technology, to bring digital engagement offerings to retailers.

Conten.T will stride into immersive technology productions, which include augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), gamification, and mobile-based technology to help brands create experiences to reach consumers at home, especially relevant following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fotobox’s Conten.T has expanded the brand portfolio it has worked with for immersive ad experience, including brands such as Korean beauty brand Mamonde, sportswear Adidas, Coach, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Hendricks Gin, and Scotch whiskey brand Glenfiddich.

“Having predicted a growing trend in immersive technology even before COVID-19, the adoption of immersive exploration was accelerated by the shift of digital-centric consumers largely caused by the pandemic. The launch of Conten.T has proven to be a step in the right direction as industries are beginning to see the increasing need to craft their own experiences digitally,” said Jason Ang (pictured), founder, and managing director for Fotobox.

For instance, collaboration with Mamonde’s revolves around the creation of a virtual retail experience by allowing users to enter a hyper-realistic virtual environment just by scanning a QR code. Within it, one can explore featured rooms and learn about the brand’s products besides chancing upon surprises in a few corners for users to redeem prizes and free samples. By partnering with an e-commerce site, consumers have the option to add products to buy.

Hendricks Gin partnership with Conten.T for immersive experience.

“This is all experienced through mobile phones – no apps, no downloads – just scan a QR code and experience through your mobile browsers, and customers have access to this in the comfort from their home,” Ang commented.

With Adidas meanwhile, Conten.T’s latest work revolves around AR, which allows customers in Adidas’ largest brand center in Malaysia to experience the athletes on the move on an AR journey that leads one to the store at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

Sportswear brand Adidas’ immersive experience partnership with Conten.T

“It is an exciting time for brands to steer into digital experience – not just on the grounds of the shift in consumer behavior but also in reference to the accessibility to technology. Fotobox believes that when one door shuts on physical retail, another opens into a new digital world; one that can reach today’s tech savvy consumers in an impactful, emotional, and interactive way,” he added.

Fotobox’s presence expands beyond Malaysia, including Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong, with brands ranging from fashion retail, beauty and cosmetics, the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and other consumer-based industries.

“Digital & Hybrid experiences are here to stay, we aim to become the technology partner every brand needs to venture into offline and online immersive engagements in SEA and APAC, as more and more younger, tech savvy consumers don’t want to be advertised to. They want to be part of the brand experience.” Ang concluded.