Tag: China

Shanghai, China – Media.Monks, the digital-first creative company, has announced the promotion of Darren Crawforth to executive creative director of Media.Monks China, effective immediately. In his new role, Darren will work with Rogier Bikker, the office’s Managing Director to fulfill Media.Monks’ FutureProofed business vision in China.

With over 20 years in design and technology, the former group creative director, with stints that spanned London, New York, Boston, LA and Beijing, spent the past 10 years living and working in China to help brands in the country connect with global audiences whilst enabling international brands to nestle into China. He has created award-winning work for the world’s most prestigious brands such as Nike, Google, Puma, Riot Games, OPPO, HP, Golden Goose, to name a recent few.

In the past two years, Crawforth has been building a team that brings the talent and perspective needed to challenge the industry status quo and build the unique creative culture in Media.Monks China.

Commenting on his appointment, Crawforth said, “It’s an epic journey to establish what a creative agency from the future looks like and how it behaves. Can’t wait to see what’s next as we continue to build Media.Monks in China together with our teams and client partners.” 

Rogier Bikker, managing director at Media.Monks China, shared, “Darren has been instrumental in bringing our FutureProofed vision to life, attracting the best talent and consistently delivering industry-beating pitch wins. I’m excited for Darren to further build out our digital-first creative capabilities, advocate our FutureProofed vision, train the next generation of creative monks and guide our 40+ Shanghai creatives towards even more award-winning creative work”

Meanwhile, Joao Flores, regional executive creative director at Media.Monks APAC, commented, “Darren represents the very best of a new way of thinking, from a media-driven approach to a more experience-driven approach. He’s a Monk at heart and a key part of our creative collaborative process. We are extremely excited to have him leading the way for growth and extraordinary creativity with our China Team,”

Shanghai, China – Programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) adtech Hivestack has extended its partnership with Asiaray Media Group, an out-of-home (OOH) media company with a strategic focus on mega transport advertising media management. This partnership is already active in Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, and now in Mainland China. 

Through this extended partnership, Asiaray will be offering both domestic and international buyers the opportunity to activate programmatic DOOH campaigns via Private Marketplace (PMP) deals through the Hivestack SSP and direct deals via the Hivestack Ad Server.

Moreover, the partnership will be enabling local and global brands, agencies, and omnichannel DSPs to drive additional scale through programmatically activated DOOH campaigns across Asiaray’s premium transport media inventory in major airports including Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Haikou, Xiamen, Chengdu, Kunming, Zhuhai, and Zhengzhou, as well as in key metro stations across Beijing.

Aileen Ku, Hivestack’s general manager for China, commented, “We are excited to partner with Asiaray in mainland China to drive further business growth for brands, agencies and omnichannel DSPs looking to benefit from the power of programmatic DOOH. Through this partnership with Asiaray, we are thrilled to provide more flexibility for advertisers to target audiences at unprecedented scale through programmatic activation via the Hivestack SSP and Ad Server.”

Meanwhile, Troy Yang, Hivestack’s managing director for North Asia, shared that the addition of Asiaray as one of their important media partners in Mainland China was another huge milestone for Hivestack as they continue to drive their business growth across North Asia. 

“The partnership provides domestic and international marketers with the opportunity to further reach audiences across the region with even broader coverage across premium sites leveraging Hivestack’s leading programmatic technology,” said Yang.

Vincent Lam, chairman, CEO and founder at Asiaray Media Group, noted, “We are excited to extend our partnership with Hivestack, the industry pioneer for programmatic DOOH, and offer our clients a way to drive added reach and impact as a part of their omnichannel plans. Through this partnership, we look forward to leveraging the Hivestack platform to accelerate the adoption of programmatic DOOH in Greater China.”

Just recently, Hivestack has announced its official membership to Prebid.org, an organisation that oversees open source prebid programmatic advertising solutions. Through this, Hivestack will be able to further support its efforts in driving the adoption of an open-source unified auction framework for programmatic DOOH and join its peers to help build and shape the ad tech ecosystem.

China – Global luxury e-commerce platform Mytheresa has appointed Steven Xu, former head of digital and omnichannel for APAC and the Middle East at British American Tobacco (BAT), to be its new president for China and APAC. 

In his new role as president, Xu will now be responsible for all Mytheresa consumer-facing activities in China and APAC.

Xu brings a wealth of consumer-centred digital experience to the APAC region. Aside from his BAT, Xu has also held the role of regional head of digital activation at Philip Morris, and vice president of digital marketing and e-commerce for APAC at Ralph Lauren.

Commenting on his appointment, Xu said, “I am thrilled to join Mytheresa to further drive the business in China and APAC. There is huge growth potential in the region as luxury consumers continue to shift online. Mytheresa’s unique multi-brand digital shopping experience will attract many more customers in the future.”

Meanwhile, Michael Kliger, CEO of Mytheresa, commented, “We’re excited to have Steven on board to further continue our successful global expansion and become the number one destination in luxury e-commerce. Having Steven joining shows our clear commitment to the sophisticated Chinese luxury shopper and their demands.”

Gareth Locke, chief growth officer and managing director of Mytheresa, shared that APAC, particularly China, is an important growth market for Mytheresa, and building a local team there is crucial for them to make consumers even more aware of their unique value proposition.

“Steven brings a wealth of digital experience. We are extremely delighted to welcome him as the new President of China and Asia Pacific,” said Locke.

Beijing, China – Integrated communications agency WE Red Bridge has been appointed by automotive brand McLaren in China as its communications agency of record. This appointment will see WE Red Bridge supporting the automaker’s growth in China by increasing brand equity and exposure in the country.

McLaren Automotive is a luxury automotive manufacturer. The company’s product portfolio of GT, supercar, Motorsport, and Ultimate models are retailed through over 100 retailers in over 40 markets around the world.

Nicky Wang, CEO of WE Red Bridge, highlighted how the agency’s strong sector knowledge and a passion for the industry were crucial factors in its appointment.

“Our extensive experience in the luxury, lifestyle and automotive industries was a point of differentiation for WE Red Bridge. This new partnership with McLaren will see us combine our sector experience and leading engagement toolkit of integrated communications, creative planning, consumer insights and analytics to fuel the automotive brand’s growth in China,” said Wang.

Beijing, China – Public relations firm Hill+Knowlton Strategies has appointed Robbie Yang as its vice president of growth in China. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving the firm’s business growth in mainland China and Hong Kong.

Yang brings more than 15 years of experience in public relations, marketing and digital communications at both brands and agencies. Most recently, he was vice president of branding and marketing at Shanghai Feiren Network Technology and has previously also served as head of marketing and PR communications for AC Milan China, as well as head of communications at Infront China. 

In addition, with 10 years of experience at Ogilvy China, he has supported leading brands such as Mercedes Benz, Jaguar Land Rover and Intel.

Based in Beijing, Yang will report to Jun Xu, CEO at H+K China, and Sam Lythgoe, global chief business development officer for H+K.

Speaking about his appointment, he said, “Throughout my career I have accumulated in-depth knowledge, strategic communications skills, as well as complex account management capabilities in a wide range of sectors including sports, luxury automotive, IT, leisure, fashion, movies and FMCG. I’m excited to bring my skills and thinking to H+K to support the agency’s continued growth in the fast-moving Chinese market.”

Sydney, Australia – Marketing communications agency Bastion Asia has announced a strategic partnership with Shanghai-based PR agency, Adventi, to drive greater digital and marketing innovation for Australian brands seeking to engage with Chinese audiences.

Adventi, a marketing and communications agency specialising in luxury brands, is known for bringing some of Europe’s biggest luxury brands to China, including Patek Philippe, Chanel and Gucci. From its Shanghai base, the Adventi team represents some of the biggest brands who are working to target Chinese consumers including Hermes, Chanel, Sephora, Porsche, Tag Heuer, among others.

Bastion Asia CEO Richard Chapman said the strategic alignment was designed to support the many Australian brands targeting Chinese customers, both locally and abroad.

“Adventi is at the cutting edge of marketing innovation in China and has forged a path into the country for some of the world’s biggest brands. We hope by working together we can help more Australian brands expand into China, while rolling out the latest thinking to our clients targeting Chinese customers based in Australia,” he said.

The Adventi partnership builds on Bastion Asia’s global network, which also includes long-held partnerships with local agencies in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and The Philippines. Bastion also has operations in the US and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Adventi Founder and Director Hong Zheng said: “China is an intimidating new market for many global brands, but our experience bringing many of Europe’s biggest luxury brands here demonstrates there is a path forward. We look forward to helping Australian brands speak to Chinese audiences and understand the value in a truly global approach to communications.”

With these partners Bastion Asia services a number of global clients across luxury brands, B2B and horticulture.

Chapman added, “We are on a path to be able to offer our clients an APAC wide and global approach to communications that cherry picks the best independent agencies in each market. This approach makes us nimble and competitive against larger global holding groups and has been well received by many clients.”

Hong Kong — China Duty Free International, one of the established luxury goods operators in China, has commissioned creative company Superunion to create a visual digital experience for its new flagship opening in Macau. Dubbed ‘The Surreal Island’, the project is made up of large-scale digital displays set within the retail space at the Grand Lisboa Palace, Macau.

Superunion, a company under the WPP umbrella, will create content for digital screens that include ceiling displays and wall panels to be displayed in the Macau flagship store. The company worked in collaboration with Peru-based surrealist illustrator, Paolo Torres. Together, they created a poetic world inhabited by characters and scenes, designed through a whimsical combination of retail products and magical creatures.

Different scenes unfold from the art project; a tiger tote stalks the rainforest and a Venus statue built of lipstick sits at the centre of a lake whilst porcelain whales dance in the sky. Each of these narratives was illustrated and brought to life in motion, designed to seamlessly exist alongside the store’s daily life. The scenes are highly intricate, with day and night cycles that reveal new discoveries through every view.

Louisa Luk, senior designer of Superunion, said that the project has been a truly collaborative effort that spanned across time zones and continents, involving creatives both internally and externally from Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Italy, London and Peru.

“The China Duty Free team gave us an invaluable opportunity to flex our skills beyond branding into experience design – culminating in a fine blend of creative tech, illustration, art direction and cinematography. This immersive and dreamlike space speaks to the vibrancy of experiences and culture in Macau, setting up the flagship as a true destination for luxury shopping,” Luk said.

Meanwhile, Miuling Lau, senior marketing manager of China Duty Free International, commented, “Macau is known for its larger-than-life attitude to experiences, having established its identity as a casino city in the last 15 years. Our hope is that we are able to transport our guests to another world as soon as they step into our store and that this project marks the beginning of an otherwise expansive brand world for Surreal Island, where we can break out of the original retail context into other platforms and experiences.”

China – Global communications group, Havas, has acquired Front Networks, an independent creative agency focusing on social and digital marketing in China, which will be integrated into the Havas Creative network. 

Front Networks, which currently has two offices in Beijing and Shanghai, provides a full range of digital marketing services, with a team of more than 200 people. It has always been at the forefront of digital evolution in China and is trusted by more than 200 international clients across sectors such as automotive, finance, sports, software, artificial intelligence, amongst others, including BMW, Rolls-Royce, Vivo, and Microsoft, as well as Bank of China, and Nestlé, amongst many others.

This move will bring additional creative and digital firepower to Havas in China. Havas will be leveraging Front Network’s expertise in timely and effective digital storytelling, creating engaging digital content and channel mapping, as well as its enterprise philosophy of Connectivity + Creativity + Collectivity.

Yannick Bolloré, Havas Group’s chairman and CEO, commented that China has always been of strategic importance to them and he is thrilled to see that they are keeping up the same drive and momentum in this market. 

“By partnering with the best there is to offer in China, Havas Group will surely create more meaningful moments and value for all our clients, consumers, brands and communities. We are delighted to welcome Felix and the teams to the Havas Family,” said Bolloré.

Meanwhile, Karl Wu, Havas Group’s chairman and CEO for Greater China, shared that Front Networks has proven its business strength, agility, and adaptability during China’s digital emergence and evolution. 

“Amidst the arrival of the metaverse, bringing Front Networks on board is an important strategic step to further enrich our digital solutions for our clients in China. Under our one Havas Village roof, we will together continue our mission to create meaningful differences for brands, businesses and people,” said Wu.

Felix Teng, Front Networks’ founder and CEO, said that they pride themselves in having been recognised by Havas, the industry leader in integration and entrepreneurship.

“With the Group’s resources and empowering tools, we will be able to broaden our horizon, extend our solutions and add scale to the depth of our services. Their philosophy is very exciting and we are looking forward to doing more meaningful things together,” added Teng.

Shanghai, China – Global independent programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) adtech company, Hivestack, has partnered with SparkX Marketing, a Chinese cross-border martech company.

The partnership will see SparkX leveraging Hivestack’s DSP to bring global automation and performance measurement to its clients’ campaigns in DOOH for the first time. Through this, clients of SparkX will be able to access Hivestack’s full suite of tools within the Hivestack DSP, including the ability to build custom audiences, set up live geo-location targeting, plan, buy and deliver programmatic DOOH campaigns globally.

Aileen Ku, Hivestack’s general manager for China, shared that as enthusiasm builds for programmatic DOOH around the world, they are thrilled to partner with SparkX Marketing to continue to drive forward the adoption of the channel. 

“Our unique position as a global, independent ad tech company provides crucial opportunities for local advertisers to plan and deliver contextualised, targeted and measurable campaigns around the world via our global network of DOOH inventory,” said Ku.

Meanwhile, Jun Yuan, SparkX Marketing’s founder, commented that this is a very exciting partnership for their business and will allow their clients to scale their business via programmatic DOOH outside of China for the first time. 

“We look forward to collaborating with our new partner at Hivestack to leverage their market-leading programmatic technology and global network of DOOH inventory to offer our clients a way to precisely engage worldwide audiences outside of the home,” said Yuan.

Just recently, Hivestack has partnered with BlueFocus Media, to enable Chinese brands to plan, activate, and measure DOOH campaigns programmatically via the Hivestack demand-side platform (DSP) from within China to outside China and all over the world.

Shanghai, China – Media agency PHD has been appointed by World Gold Council China to hold its media mandate. Through it, the agency will drive media strategy, planning and buying duties to elevate the association’s brand awareness and encourage gold investment and gold jewellery consumption in the market.

PHD China clinched the account by displaying a deep understanding of the association’s high-net-worth consumers. The agency’s strategic approach to deliver business results through digital and data-led expertise impressed the association.

A spokesperson from World Gold Council China shared, “The association is committed to play an active role in the gold market and to explore more acquisition channels, promote innovation and gold consumption with various partners. PHD’s approach not only focused on media planning, but they also provided a plan for the association to effectively educate consumers about the gold industry.”

Meanwhile, Joey Zhao, CEO of PHD China, commented, “While individual brands usually focus on their own products and image, the World Gold Council allows us an opportunity to promote gold jewellery and investment from the perspective of the industry.”

He added, “Our team has extensive experience in global media marketing and we will create a media strategy for the association in the new digital era, to further help consumers expand their knowledge and awareness of the gold industry.”