Tag: CXM

Singapore – Sprinklr, the unified customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform, has announced its expanded strategic partnership with multinational advertising company WPP to bring AI-powered customer experience management solutions to global brands. 

In this partnership, WPP will become Sprinklr’s first global agency partner and both will collaborate to launch a new offering, CX Live AI, that connects both companies’ AI tech resources and capabilities.  

The joint offering will leverage Sprinklr’s AI+ platform, including its customised AI models and generative AI capabilities, and WPP’s own AI resources to offer help to WPP teams in creating optimised content that reaches the right audiences. 

Together, WPP and Sprinklr plan to create AI solutions that will help global clients deliver more personalised and consistent experiences to their respective customers using Sprinklr’s unified customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform. 

The partnership comes as both companies understand the challenge of creating a seamless customer experience across a variety of channels. With this, Sprinklr can now offer a platform that can provide WPP’s largest client companies with a comprehensive view of data to inform insights and analytics, helping them reach, engage, and listen to customers at scale.

Both companies are expected to work together on shared data, analytics, and solution development for joint clients. Furthermore, WPP teams will receive priority support from Sprinklr, including bespoke enablement programmes and early access to new Sprinklr products and platform features. Meanwhile, WPP will participate in Sprinklr’s Partner Advisory Board to help shape the roadmap for products.

As of now, WPP and Sprinklr are collaborating on solutions with only select clients, such as The Coca-Cola Company, where teams leverage AI insights around customer engagement to inform creative development and channel selection.

Stephan Pretorius, CTO at WPP, said, “Through the seamless integration of WPP’s AI toolset with Sprinklr’s AI+ platform, we are reshaping how brands can connect with their audiences. This partnership enhances our existing AI offerings and enables our clients to create customer experiences across all touch points on a scale like never before, further solidifying our position as a leader amidst the technology revolution that is transforming our industry.”

Ragy Thomas, founder and CEO at Sprinklr, also commented, “Sprinklr and WPP serve many of the world’s most iconic brands. Together, this partnership will enable customers to effectively deploy AI that will result in measurable productivity, cost savings, and the seamless experiences customers have come to expect today. Integrating Sprinklr’s AI-powered Unified-CXM platform with WPP’s AI toolset will help our shared customers quickly adopt the latest AI technologies while ensuring the enterprise-grade privacy, security, and governance that Sprinklr and WPP have built our businesses on.”

United Kingdom – Podcast ‘The Diary Of A CEO’ hosted by British entrepreneur and TV personality Steven Bartlett features Greg Hoffman, former chief marketing officer at Nike, and author of Emotion By Design in an interview to share his journey and expertise in the industry. 

In an interview with Bartlett, Hoffman shares his story of having experienced racial abuse in kindergarten, finding out who his real family were only 18 months ago, and scaling the ladder at Nike leading its global marketing for almost 30 years. 

Hoffman also shares how to be a devoted leader, and how to deal with the stresses of high-level executive roles, because when it’s your job to find ways to connect ideas with other people, you first have to connect those ideas to yourself. 

On the success of Nike, Greg Hoffman, ex-CMO at Nike, said, “The best marketing teams are able to get under the surface of a human being, and find the deeper truth. And they reveal it through storytelling. See what others see, find what others don’t.”

According to Hoffman, Nike was really the only brand that was putting people of colour in their communication. He also advised entrepreneurs to really build their brand elements. Hoffman also shares his mantra, “Your authenticity is your cultural currency. The minute your audience can no longer see your original pursuit, they partner with someone else.” 

Meanwhile, Steven Bartlett, entrepreneur and host of The Diary Of A CEO, said, “If you work in marketing, own a business, work with brands or are building your own brand this is a must watch. The knowledge, wisdom and experience Greg has to share is so unique and so beneficial to all. For me there was one particular analogy that I can’t stop thinking about. Trust me when I say you’re going to want to grab a pen and paper for this one.”

The Diary Of A CEO is an unfiltered journey into the remarkable stories of the people that have defined culture, achieved greatness and created stories worth studying. Steven sits down with some of the world’s most influential people, experts and thinkers and embarks on a curiosity driven journey to discover untold truths, unlearned lessons and important insights that will make his, and the audiences’ lives more enjoyable, more successful and more fulfilled.

Hainan, China – Japan-based beauty brand SK-II launches ‘House of Miracles’, an interactive social retail pop up store in Hainan where shoppers are granted the opportunity to learn more about their skin, receive customised products, and also have the opportunity to personalise its entire storefront design with a gamified experience on Wechat.

The SK-II House of Miracles pop-up store in Hainan is part of the brand’s ongoing foray into retail innovation and a global transformation to connect with a new generation of consumers who are yearning for more meaningful experiences with the brands they know and trust.

SK-II’s House of Miracles is full of unique personalised experiences from start to finish. According to SK-II, shoppers will be introduced to the Miracle Generator where shoppers are encouraged to download the store’s Wechat Mini Program digital companion, a miracle generator that gamifies the shopping experience. Shoppers collect and grow Miracles in Wechat as they shop throughout the store and customise their Miracle as they wait in line to check out.

Shoppers can also enjoy a personalised skin analysis with SK-II’s latest contactless skincare counselling innovation, the Mini Magic Scan. SK-II’s Mini Magic Scan is an AI-enabled skin analysis tool that allows visitors to gain understanding of their skin strengths and potential, unlock their skin age as well as receive personalised skin analysis and personalised product recommendations.

Shoppers can learn about PITERA™ and SK-II products in a whole new way by discovering the content with intuitive eye-tracking technology. By simply looking at a product on the wall, they can embark on a personal skincare learning journey about PITERA™ and key information and benefits about SK-II’s core products.

Shoppers also get to experience the Miracles Tester Bar which is the first thing shoppers encounter when they enter the gorgeous ode to PITERA™, the Miracle Chandelier. Every time a shopper picks up a bottle of iconic PITERA™ Essence it triggers a delightful celebration of light from the Chandelier.

Moreover, when shoppers check out, they will be invited to scan their customised ‘Miracles’ to broadcast it on the store’s interactive digital store skin which is made out of floor to ceiling edge-to-edge LED screens. This allows them to personalise the store façade with their very own created Miracles in a visually impactful display.

SK-II has launched several pop-up Stores in Hainan, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, and even in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and China International Import Expo (CIIE). 

Through creating immersive, unique and personalised skincare experiences, SK-II hopes to make her shopping experience and journey even more meaningful and relevant by allowing to browse, shop and learn about her skin at her own pace and on her own terms, in a safe, yet engaging way.

The SK-II House of Miracles pop up store is located in the HaiTang Bay Duty Free Shopping Centre and Haikou Mova Mall by China Duty Free Group (CDFG) and will be open for a limited time only from 1 to 29 June 2022.

Singapore – Dentsu International’s customer experience management (CXM) company Merkle is expanding its APAC presence with the launch of its services in Taiwan. Merkle’s 30 years of global experience in data, digital transformation, and worldwide talent connections will now be adopted by the new team.

Carrie Tsai, who is iProspect Taiwan’s CEO, has been appointed by dentsu Taiwan to also become Merkle Taiwan’s CEO. Joining Tsai to head the new team is Boice Lin, former SVP of Global partnerships/Global business development at Appier, who has been appointed as general manager of Merkle Taiwan.

The agency said that the new Taiwan team will work closely with martech, adtech, cloud, and tech providers to integrate commerce design consultancy. The CXM transformation offerings that will be provided by Merkle Taiwan include data transformation as in focusing on data science and data engineering, including cloud service consulting, data management consulting, and data analysis, which will also include personalization, commerce consulting, CRM, and loyalty program consulting. Most of all, Merkle will be helping brands in CXM Transformation such as customer experience transformation strategy, planning, and technology consultancy.

Remarking on today’s market, Jennifer Tang, CEO of dentsu Taiwan, said that brands have entered into a new era in which everything is all about data and that to meet the evolving market and technology demand, such as the cookieless future, brands need to consider connecting with customers through consumer experience, finding more value from data, and extending business applications.

“With Merkle joining dentsu Taiwan, we are able to immediately respond to the market and clients’ demands, and also further consolidate our industry leadership in creative, media and CXM, making dentsu the only marcom group in Taiwan that truly provides idea-led, data-driven, and tech-enabled end-to-end solutions,” said Tang. 

Meanwhile, President of Merkle Asia Pacific Zhengda “Z” Shen, added, “Asia Pacific is a key global growth driver for Merkle, and we’re very enthused with the rapid growth and maturity of digital commerce, data management and customer experience in Taiwan. Putting together this superstar team has been years in the making. We’re excited to now launch in market and work with the most innovative marketers and technologists.”

New CEO Tsai further stated that Merkle is a well-known global brand for its delivery and proofing capability.

“We have built a team of global talents who hold entrepreneur experience. It is the winning strategy to bring the brand’s vision to life through customer experience transformation. Our vision for Merkle Taiwan will be to focus on data transformation, digital transformation and CXM transformation, and it will integrate with dentsu’s other offerings and change the value chain,” said Tsai.

Meanwhile, new GM Lin highlighted that launching Merkle Taiwan indicates dentsu’s dedication to enabling end-to-end marcom solutions, “Only considering both data application and commerce insights can help brands rebuild their model post COVID-19. It is crucial for our clients to take action and work closely with a full-service consultancy. We are confident to be the best transformation partner.”

Last August, dentsu APAC has also launched Merkle in Indonesia.

Singapore – Customer Experience Management (CXM) platform Sprinklr has announced its Singapore expansion with a new Research and Development (R&D) center to support its continued business growth.

The company said the new facility in Singapore will strengthen Sprinklr’s position as a CXM provider, affording it an expanded opportunity to support valuable brands in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, including Samsung, Gojek, StarHub, and Changi Airport Group. 

The new R&D center adds to Sprinklr’s two other existing R&D centers, which are located in the United States and India. The new R&D center will start recruiting and investing in engineers, sales, customer success, and recruiting support across APAC.

Ang Chin Tah, vice president and head of Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), commented that Sprinklr’s expansion during these challenging times demonstrates the company’s confidence in Singapore as a strong business hub, with world-class R&D and engineering talent. 

“We welcome the addition of the R&D center to our tech ecosystem and look forward to the exciting job opportunities it will create for Singapore and Singaporeans,” added Ang Chin Tah.

Meanwhile, Pavitar Singh, chief technology officer of Sprinklr, said, “At Sprinklr, we are working to define the future of customer experience management every day. We’re thrilled to open an R&D center in a ‘forward-thinking’ city, accelerating our ability to develop visionary technologies that help brands create human experiences at scale.”

Florian Zenner, senior vice president of Sprinklr APAC and Japan, also said, “Singapore is a global hub for innovation, with world-class talent to help Sprinklr meet the growing demand from enterprise customers for advanced CXM. We’re excited about this R&D center to strengthen our relationship with the Asia Pacific and support our continued international expansion.”

Singapore – Global advertising and public relations company dentsu has recently appointed Rachel Ooi as the company’s new chief growth officer for customer experience management (CXM) for Asia Pacific.

Through the new appointment, Ooi will be responsible for bolstering CXM’s regional footprint through new business and organic growth, working closely with Media and Creative leads on integrated opportunities. She will also lead the regional roll-out and implementation of the sales platform across all sales and account management functions. She will report to Zhengda Shen, CEO of CXM at dentsu APAC, and Owen McCorry, global CXM chief growth officer.

“dentsu has world-class capabilities in CXM through Merkle and huge growth potential in APAC. I am excited to join the team at such a pivotal time for the business, especially when this growth opportunity collides with a seismic shift in changing consumer and business habits seen globally in the past year,” Ooi commented regarding her appointment.

Prior to joining dentsu, Ooi has worked for professional services company Accenture as managing director for Industry X.0 lead (growth markets), and for multinational conglomerate Electric (GE) as general manager for the ASEAN enterprise sales, as well as leading GE’s Ecosystem Alliance for the APAC region.

“Rachel has an impressive track record, is results-driven and skilled in leading high-performance teams and projects across various sectors, especially Tech Innovation and Digital. Her background and experience will ensure we continue to lead in this space,” Shen said.

Meanwhile, Owen commented, “We believe focusing our business capabilities around customer experience is the greatest advantage we can give our clients. Hence, we need someone like Rachel, who has proven strategic vision growing businesses and challenging the status quo. Most importantly, she will deliver client centricity across APAC markets, bridging cultural nuances, which is fundamental to success in this dynamic, fast-paced region.”

Rachel Ooi’s appointment comes with a greater need in digitalization of businesses. For her, there are opportunities to drive business outcomes for clients amidst transformations and convergence,  which she describes as the “era of digital genesis”, centered around a “digital-first, cloud-scaled, and AI-enabled circular economy”.

“CXM is the weakest link today in many organizations that are in transition, where there is an urgent need for creativity working with digital innovation and human-centric engagements for continual customer intimacy and business success. I look forward to working with the team to make a fundamental impact and deliver value for our clients,” Ooi concluded.

Hong Kong – Canada-headquartered customer experience management (CXM) and insights platform Alida has expanded its Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) team to build on its existing regional presence and propel further growth in the CXM industry.

Formerly named Vision Critical, Alida is a global platform that offers both CXM and extraction of insights and feedback. Its products offer brands a number of use cases such as customer journey, customer satisfaction and advocacy, marketing and advertising, and product and UX design across a broad range of industries.

The firm recently appointed its general manager for APJ, former CEO of IT firm NTT Steven Medeiros, and along with Medeiros’, its several appointments of senior industry leaders in the region support its expansion to drive new growth while making additional investments in its clients’ success and partner ecosystems. 

“We are seeing unprecedented demand from clients and partners seeking enterprise technology, industry expertise, and a high touch, localized delivery model. We will continue to invest in great people to better serve our clients and partners across Asia Pacific and Japan.” said Medeiros.

Phillip Walsh, former regional vice president for APJ at Texas-based computer software company Kony, joins the team as general manager for Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific. Walsh brings over 19 years of CRM sales experience, with leadership positions at Atomic Software, BMC Software, Pegasystems, and IBM Australia. In his role at Alida, Walsh will focus on formulating strategy and growing business in ANZ.

Jodarna Meade has been appointed as head of customer success for the APJ region. Meade brings over 20 years of experience and previously led Alida’s sales operations, partner ecosystems, and customer success management in North America recently relocating back to Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining Alida, Meade spent a decade leading marketing at Lendlease. 

Karen Lo joins the APJ team as head of marketing to further expand client and partner growth in the region. Lo’s decade of experience in leading corporate communications and marketing for Dimension Data and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, will strengthen Alida’s pipeline and revenue growth and expand brand presence across APJ.

Wingsan Lun, senior sales executive of APJ, joins the team to lead sales and growth for APJ. With more than 20 years of experience in Temenos, Adobe, and Salesforce.com, he brings deep expertise in digital marketing and customer experience. Lun will support the growth of Alida’s customer base in the region and support its clients to uncover the power of customer truth in their businesses.

Uma Jain, partner manager at APJ, brings over 18 years of experience in business development and execution of global go-to-market strategies for acquiring new clients and partners. Jain previously held senior management positions at Kore.ai, OutSystems, and Kony. She will support the growth of Alida’s global and partner ecosystem.

Jagan Sivanesan, the new principal solution engineer, has joined Alida to lead the regional APJ solution engineering team. Sivanesan brings over 16 years of engineering experience developing state-of-the-art software experiences, high-growth technology companies, such as Kony and Wipro Technologies.

“I’m thrilled to have assembled this powerhouse team of proven technology experts to drive our growth in APJ. Each leader brings unique expertise that is fundamental in propelling our business to the forefront of the CXM industry in Asia Pacific and Japan,” said Medeiros.

He added, “Their collective wealth of experience will drive our next phase of growth in the region. Our priority as a team is to know our customers and put them first.”