Tag: China

Shanghai, China – Edrington’s whiskey brand Macallan has launched what it says its largest consumer engagement experience – an immersive and artistic exhibition called ‘The Macallan Experience’ sitting on 4,000 sqm exhibit space of the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (MoCA) in Shanghai, China. This new on-ground activation aims to ride on the rising appeal for premium whiskies among the new generation in APAC. 

‘The Macallan Experience’, which was created in collaboration with Chinese art curator, Bao Dong, and three other acclaimed Chinese contemporary artists, is a new engagement experience for consumers who want to explore the origin and vision of the whiskey brand. It includes three designated exhibition areas, which depicts the origins of the brand, showcases the brand’s value and DNA, and highlights the brand’s outlook on sustainability.

Visitors to the exhibition will be greeted by the massive forest photography installation, executed by installation artist, Ji Zhou, on the exterior of MoCA, which is a tribute to the Speyside scenery where The Macallan Distillery is located.

After entering MoCA’s exhibit space, visitors will experience The Macallan’s tribute to nature, culture, and heritage. The journey will begin as visitors walk through the River Spey, making their way through the vast barley field that leads to the legendary oak forest. Contemporary Artist and Professor Chen Qihad reimagined the River Spey to bring about an immersive sensorial environment, brought to life by audio-visual digital work.

Meanwhile, moving up the sweeping ramp that leads to the second level of MoCA, visitors will uncover the full collection of The Macallan Fine & Rare, while at the end of the ramp, the visitors will be greeted by the iconic The Macallan’s spiritual home, Easter Elchies House, manifested through the interpretation of Sculptor & Artist, Cai Lei. Continuing onto the second level, visitors can also explore a number of rare and limited-edition expressions, and to conclude the immerse experience on the third level, visitors will have the opportunity to savor The Macallan single malt whiskies to further discover the details of the brand’s creations and experience.

Francois Saurel, Edrington’s regional managing director for APAC, shared that the brand wanted to offer the Chinese consumers the opportunity to discover Macallan’s legacy, and to explore some of its collaborations and whisky expressions. 

“With The Macallan Experience – Shanghai, we want to recognize and celebrate the essentiality of China for our brand in Asia Pacific and beyond. And we aim at building deeper connections and affinity with our Chinese consumers and audience,” said Saurel.

Meanwhile, Coral Gill, Edrington’s regional marketing director for APAC, said, “As the biggest event of its kind ever, The Macallan Experience presents a state-of-the-art opportunity to discover the legacy, history and traditions of the brand, which not only include an incomparable approach to the outstanding quality and craftsmanship, but a leading commitment to sustainability.”

The exhibition was opened to the public last 3 December 2021 at MoCA Shanghai, and will be running until 16 January 2022.

Aside from the exhibit, Macallan has also launched its new ‘The Harmony Collection’ brand in Shanghai, which represents the brand’s commitment towards sustainability. ‘The Harmony Collection’, which is done in collaboration with world-renowned pastry chef, Jordi Roca, is encased in recyclable and biodegradable packaging, made using natural products from the chocolate-making process.

Singapore – A group of independent public relations agencies representing Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, as well as Singapore, and South Korea has joined forces to form the new ‘PerfectPitch Asia PR Network’ in SEA. 

The new network aims to support global companies in strategizing and implementing their business communications programs as they venture into Asian markets. It is composed of female founders who are experts in brand strategy, public relations, and integrated marketing, as well as social media.

PerfectPitch founders include Constance Chao, the founder of Media Plus for Mainland China and Taiwan, Maggie Chen, independent representative for Hong Kong, and Yukiko Harada, TrainTracks’ managing director for Japan, as well as Melinda Ilagan, I.M. SEA Communications’ managing director for Singapore, and June Cha, TwinTracks’ managing director for South Korea.

Harada said, “We have come together combining the depth and breadth of our experiences in various industries, practices, and our respective geographies to provide global clients good counsel and strong execution to help them succeed in Asia’s mega-economy.”

Meanwhile, Ilagan shared that SEA continues to experience brisk growth as global enterprises and disruptive innovators set their eyes on the region’s young, tech-savvy talent and consumers.

“Our experience is that global companies and our counterpart agencies in the western hemisphere seek expert advisors in the most economically vibrant countries like Singapore, Mainland China/Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. They come to us because of our intimate understanding of this diverse region,” said Ilagan.

Chao also noted, “With over 20 decades of media experience in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan via Media Plus and Maggie Cheng, PerfectPitch can provide the total solution for the companies who want to enter into these comprehensive markets.”

As free trade agreements get ratified and borders start to reopen amid COVID-19 PerfectPitch said it is anticipating a fresh burst of business opportunities coming into the region.

China – Integrated communications agency in China, WE Red Bridge, has elevated Nicky Wang, former managing director and head of strategy, to be its new CEO for China. 

Wang joined the agency in 2009 as managing partner where she spearheaded the agency’s integrated capabilities expansion in creative, digital, insights and analytics, and planning. Wang has also led teams within the agency that deliver creative, integrated campaigns that drive business results.

Commenting on her new role, Wang said that operating in this dynamic and competitive market requires constant evolution, and she is absolutely honored to lead the team to relentlessly push the boundary of communications.

“I look forward to building on our momentum as the go-to integrated communications partner for brands in China,” said Wang.

Coinciding with Wang’s promotion, Penny Burgess, WE Red Bridge’s former CEO, will step into the role of executive chairman for China. Burgess will support Wang and the agency team through the transition, handing over day-to-day business operations, and continue as a senior advisor to WE Red Bridge clients.

Burgess said, “I am incredibly proud to hand over the reins to Nicky to take the business into the future. Together, we grew the agency from humble beginnings at my kitchen table to the remarkable team we have today of over 120 across Beijing and Shanghai.”

Meanwhile, Kass Sells, WE Communications’ global COO and president of international, commented, “I look forward to the continued partnership with Nicky and her leadership team as we strive to be the best agency in China.”

The elevation of Wang and Burgess will be effective from 1 January 2022.

Hong Kong – Superunion, the creative company under WPP, marks its 20-year anniversary in China by announcing the launch of its new office in the city of Shenzhen. Its founding clients will include Tencent, Riot Games, Vivo and Vanke Nantou City, and will be led by Monica Lee, chair of Superunion Asia, and Maggie Chien, business director at Superunion.

The company’s recent works for their Chinese business include partnering with Riot Games to celebrate the 10th anniversary of League of Legends China, and the creative transformation of Nantou City, known as the ancient city of Xin’an and located at the heart of Nanshan District in Shenzhen.

“As the company’s footprint and expertise expand, it is becoming a business not constrained by a specialism, instead acting as a creative partner for the region’s and the world’s biggest businesses across multiple sectors, helping them create meaningful value and change for their audiences and society,” Superunion said in a press statement.

Speaking about their new office in Shenzhen, Lee underpins the technology and innovation in the Greater Bay Area, which will become the region’s version of ‘Silicon Valley’. She added that they have a ‘laser-focused’ vision to build their presence among these new tech companies, who are looking to stamp their name not only in China, but globally.

“They now account for more than 25% of the new tech businesses in the region, and that number is still growing. The common theme with these businesses is their ambition to embrace new ideas. They are no longer looking for traditional agencies who offer standard services – they want partners who can grow with them, and we are perfectly positioned for this,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Benedict Gordon, CEO at Superunion Asia, commented that clients no longer see them as constrained by a specialism, but as a partner that can help them with a wide range of needs in order to create meaningful value and change for their audiences and society.

“Our ethos revolves around being a revolutionary creative company and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) is very much where many of China’s revolutionary creative businesses are born, providing incredible opportunities for us in areas like technology, AI and biotech. Superunion is the first brand company to have a presence across all of Greater China’s major geographies, including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and now Shenzhen, so this is an exciting and symbolic milestone for us,” Gordon explained.

He added, “Brands now understand and embrace this change and especially in a post-pandemic world, want to make an impact. Businesses really succeed when they integrate business goals and ambitions with a clear brand strategy that they bring to life. This is where Superunion has really come into its own and where we see the opportunity for further growth, globally.”

Shanghai, China – Global communications firm Edelman in China has augmented its capabilities in the health and wellness space by bringing onboard two senior specialists to lead the firm’s offerings for clients operating in the healthcare, sports and lifestyle sectors. They are Laura Zhou as vice president of healthcare, and Chris Leung as senior vice president of lifestyle and sports marketing. 

Zhou brings in over 17 years of experience at China’s communications and advertising agencies, more recently with McCann WorldGroup. She has prior experience as well working with Saatchi & Saatchi, WPP Health and VMLY&R, and has been developing integrated communications solutions for healthcare companies since 2008.

“Edelman understands the factors that influence a brand’s level of trust among consumers, and [advises] clients on how to build and protect it. In the healthcare sector, trust is paramount. I’m excited to be joining this firm at such a pivotal time for the health and wellness sector, and working with our clients on growing this space in China,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Leung joins Edelman from Entourage Sports & Entertainment, where he served as Asia commercial director, and brings extensive experience from the advertising industry, having worked at BBDO, Ogilvy and Saatchi & Saatchi. In addition, during his stint as a marketing consultant to The Peninsula Group, he strengthened the hotelier’s association with motorsports – namely the Formula1 – as well as its commitment to sustainability.

“There has never been a more relevant time for brands and companies to enhance their focus on sports and wellness marketing. With Edelman’s strength in integrated solutions, I’m looking forward to partnering with the talented teams on driving this agenda for the firm’s impressive client roster,” Leung stated regarding his appointment.

Commenting on the new hires, Pully Chau, president of Greater China, commented, “We are anticipating big growth in these areas in a post-pandemic world, as people place greater importance on their health and their overall wellbeing. With these hires, we are in a strong position to lead clients in this space, with an unparalleled, industry-leading integrated offering.”

Shanghai, China – Chocolate brand Dove in China has launched a new campaign aimed at driving top-of-mind awareness and a new consumption occasion by targeting an area where pleasure is too often forgotten – in the workplace.

Led by advertising agency BBDO Shanghai, the campaign was produced with neuroscientist, Paul Zak, a professor at Claremont Graduate University, in order to incorporate expert consultation at the storyboard and planning stage, specifically the use of immersion neurological response testing to make iterative choices for the final two films.

Titled ‘Put Pleasure First’, the campaign is composed of two stories that were set against two low emotions– ‘disappointment’ and ‘stress’ in the workplace. It features Dove’s brand ambassador, Zhou Dongyu, who finds herself on these occasions, but rather than being let down, playfully decides to create an ‘oddly pleasurable’ video out of the things that made her disappointed or stressed.

The brand experience is completed by a series of special packs, featuring five different taglines that express pleasure attitudes towards low emotions at work, giving shoppers instant encouraging messages to have a piece of Dove and put their ‘pleasure’ first. 

Harry Chen, BBDO Shanghai’s group planning director, shared that workplace low emotions are becoming such a ubiquitous phenomenon in China as the competition and pressure have intensified in recent years.

“Dove has always been a brand that stands for pleasure, so we felt we had the opportunity and responsibility to help Chinese people cope with these low emotions a little bit better and experience more pleasure,” said Chen. 

Meanwhile, Arthur Tsang, the chief creative officer at BBDO Shanghai and the global creative lead at Mars, noted about the campaign’s strategy of banking on videos for the campaign, that while Chinese office workers don’t look to chocolate as a stress-reliever, they do on videos.

“We asked ourselves, can we interrupt their break sessions with videos that can make them feel the pleasure of chocolate directly? That’s what we call ‘Oddly Pleasurable’ videos, short audio-visual experiences that can scientifically bring a pleasurable feeling of satisfaction and relaxation, much like the sensation of eating Dove chocolate,” said Tsang. 

On social media, Dove has also released a behind-the-scenes documentary, chronicling the making of the whole ideation, production, and neuro testing process, while on Douyin, a re-edited Zhou Dongyu film was released to encourage consumers to experience the content. 

Moreover, Dove has launched more videos that leverage the actual chocolate product with influencers on Weibo and Douyin, which also encouraged consumers to create their own oddly pleasurable videos.

Australia – Global public relations agency Red Havas has announced its further international expansion to locations Spain, Germany, China, and Italy, as well as France, aimed at bringing these teams together with Red Havas offices across the US, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, UK, and the Philippines, as well as Indonesia, and Dubai. 

The move aims to give clients access to best-in-class thinking and the opportunity for seamless, integrated programs across four continents. Through the expansion, Red Havas also expects strengthened capabilities with the backing of the health network Havas Health & You under CEO Donna Murphy, and the global footprint and expertise of Havas Creative Group under its Global CEO Chris Hirst. 

The consolidation of these assets will allow the network to operate in a unified way across its seven disciplines around the world, namely health and wellness, corporate PR and reputation management, technology and e-commerce, consumer and lifestyle, and automotive and mobility, as well as travel and hospitality, and internal communications.

Red Havas said that there is a further expansion to be realized throughout 2021 to 2022, where it will be partnering with the other Havas Group specialized PR assets to address client needs. 

James Wright, the global CEO of Red Havas and the global chairman of Havas PR Global Collective, shared that the combination of a global pandemic along with the political and social atmosphere of the last two years not only left a dramatic imprint on global society but has dramatically and permanently changed the way people around the world consume media and content.

“We are now living in an era where consumption is more global, more diversified, more simultaneous, and at higher volumes than ever before across platforms. In response to this, brand demand for seamless and integrated communications across multiple platforms and regions continues to grow at an exponential rate. This expansion better positions us to bring the future of PR and communications to our clients anywhere and everywhere,” said Wright.

In September this year, Red Havas in Australia has also announced the appointment of Alexandra Bryant, former managing partner and creative principle of creative communications and content company Finchco Agency, to assume the newly created role of executive director for the Sydney office, tasking her to oversee the team’s performance, growth, and operations, including driving people and culture initiatives.

Singapore – Global communications firm Edelman has announced a new lineup of digital hires as part of strengthening its digital offering in the Asia-Pacific region.This includes expanding the firm’s existing offerings in content creation and production, as well as adding talent in the areas of social commerce, paid and performance marketing, martech, AI, VR and 3D capabilities, among others. 

In South Asia, Saurabh Kulkarni has been appointed as the head of Edelman Studios in India, where he is tasked with building a regional hub for content creation. He will partner with India’s managing director for digital, Kunal Arora, on leveraging AI to create data-centric content production capabilities that will serve the region.

At Edelman China, in addition to Justin Teo joining the firm in August as the new chief digital officer, Yuliani Setiadi has come onboard as head of digital for Hong Kong and Taiwan. With Setiadi’s extensive experience in building shoppable e-commerce experiences across different touchpoints, she will aid in establishing Hong Kong as a B2C regional hub.

In Korea, the firm welcomed Rebekah Lee as its new head of digital earlier this year, bringing rich experience in data-driven performance marketing and web analytics that complements Edelman’s digital newsroom capability in the Korean market.

Jonathan Wong and Henry Taylor also joined the teams in Malaysia and Australia respectively this October to serve as head of digital in those markets. Wong brings extensive technical and automation experience, as well as a proven track record for e-commerce and digital transformation, while Taylor is skilled in content, SEO, newsroom and platform growth strategies, given his background as a data journalist.

To manage the growing team’s operations across the region, Debra Ng returned to Edelman this year to take on the role of regional digital operations manager. She is tasked with delivering digital upskilling and competency development programs for clients.

“Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve seen our clients take significant steps to accelerate their digital capabilities, knowledge and skills. With these hires, we are doubling down on specialisms across the region to match the evolving needs of our clients, helping them create more compelling content, facilitate digital transformation, and leverage the growth of e-commerce and digital storytelling,” comments Stephen Kehoe, Edelman’s CEO for APAC.

He added, “Each of these hires brings a deep specialism to the firm, allowing our clients to benefit from the industry’s most advanced and comprehensive practices, irrespective of which market they are in. By removing the silos of markets and specialisms, we are building a more client- and solution-centric operating model, setting ourselves and our clients up for success in a post-pandemic world.”

Shanghai, China – Renowned sports retailer Decathlon in China has appointed OMD China as its official media agency locally, following a multi-agency pitch. The agency will be taking over its integrated media planning and buying duties across traditional and digital channels for the sports retailer.

OMD China said it was able to clinch the account by displaying a strategic approach to deliver business results through digital and data-led expertise. 

For the remit, the agency will be guided as well by OMD Design, the agency’s end-to-end planning process.

“Over the course of a rigorous selection process, OMD demonstrated their experience and passion for the sports category as well as their advanced strategic thinking with integrated group resources. I’m confident our partnership will result in our brand breaking through in a highly-competitive category and we look forward to working with OMD together for a new journey in the coming future,” said Heddy Yuan, chief marketing officer at Decathlon China.

Meanwhile, Connie Chan, CEO at OMD China, commented that said appointment is a testament to OMD’s strategic approach and their emphasis on placing greater insights and capabilities at the heart of communications planning.

“Coupled with the calibre and passion of the team, we look forward to leveraging the best of our capabilities to drive direct and measurable business impact for Decathlon,” Chan stated.

This appointment comes on the back of OMD China’s recent wins that include UNICEF, BHP and Taro, a Thai snack company.

Singapore – APAC Martech brand Techsun, which provides solutions for consumer marketing, consumer data, and marketing process automation has launched in Southeast Asia with a new headquarters in Singapore. In conjunction with the regional expansion, Techsun has also rolled out a new product built for SMEs.

The new product is an expansion of Techsun’s flagship product, Social Hub, a cloud-native customer understanding and engagement SaaS for omnichannel retailers and brands. It is an integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Customer Data Platform (CDP) solution and enables brands to have a 360 degree understanding of their customers by managing and analyzing relevant customer data across multiple online to offline (O2O) touchpoints such as transactions in-store and in-app, official and authorized reseller websites, social media channels as well as payment platforms. 

Deepening brand loyalty is also part of Social Hub’s value proposition via its omnichannel personalized customer messaging, automated precision marketing, and management of promotion initiatives and loyalty programs such as membership points and discount coupons. 

The expansion to Southeast Asia marks the martech’s first regional office outside of China and is considered as a stepping stone to the greater APAC region.

Ivan Zhou, Techsun’s general manager for APAC, commented that they see great potential for Techsun in the SEA region due to its growing regional economy and a strong business community. 

“With Social Hub, we aim to be the solution of choice for both the global brands and the large SME market in the region. We want to utilize the experience we gained working with numerous global brands in China and the APAC region and help businesses in Singapore as well as the rest of Southeast Asia,” Zhou said. 

Zhou added that its SaaS promises better value with less than 20% of what big companies are charging and is confident that it will go a long way in “uplifting the retail landscape in Asia.”

He also remarked on democratizing tech for SMEs, “SMEs may not be as prolific as MNCs but they are important engines of growth in Southeast Asia. Technology is a key competitive advantage for brands, especially in the new retail era, and we want to democratize access to the same cutting-edge solutions that big brands have been using for SMEs so that they can equalize the playing field.”

SMEs can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Social Hub on Techsun’s website.