Tag: digital media

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Catcha Digital has announced that iMedia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Catcha Digital, has entered into a conditional share sale agreement to acquire a majority shareholding of 60% in FrameMotion, an integrated digital media solution provider.

This strategic acquisition combines Catcha Digital’s digital advertising solutions with FrameMotion’s immersive digital marketing capabilities in producing digital content leveraging on virtual reality and augmented reality technology to augment both online and offline advertising experiences. This transaction is also expected to contribute positively to Catcha Digital’s earnings in the future.

FrameMotion specialises in experiential marketing, brand activations, production of digital content and physical events for immersive experiences by leveraging on virtual reality and augmented reality technology, across Southeast Asia and other countries. 

Speaking on the business move, Patrick Grove, chairman at Catcha Digital, said, “We are very excited about this acquisition and believe that integrating FrameMotion’s cutting-edge expertise with our wide network will enable us to offer highly innovative and integrated solutions to clients across the region. We can’t wait to push the boundaries of digital storytelling with the FrameMotion team.”

Meanwhile, Jeand Pua Yin Chye, co-founder and CEO of FrameMotion, commented, “This deal with Catcha Digital is a game-changer for our company. Their acquisition not only validates our creative vision but also accelerates our ability to deliver world-class digital experiences. We look forward to integrating with Catcha Digital’s broad suite of digital solutions to elevate our offerings to clients of both parties.”

Catcha Digital previously acquired a 70% interest in Tastefully Malaysia for RM7.6m. Said stake acquisition marked Catcha Digital’s ambition to continue growing its integrated digital media business to provide an omnichannel online-to-offline advertising solutions to its client base.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Catcha Digital, an investment holding company focused on digital media and advertising businesses, has announced that it has entered into a share sale agreement to acquire a 70% interest in Tastefully Malaysia for RM7.6m. Said stake acquisition marks Catcha Digital’s ambition to continue growing its integrated digital media business to provide an omnichannel online-to-offline advertising solutions to its client base. 

The acquisition will provide significant cross-selling opportunities between Catcha’s existing advertising client base and Tastefully’s clientele. 

Moreover, Catcha will be able to offer Tastefully’s in person advertising solutions to its clients while Tastefully can leverage Catcha’s comprehensive digital advertising capabilities and online audiences to enhance its advertising offerings to its clientele primarily F&B brands. 

Patrick Grove, chairman of Catcha Digital, said, “The F&B industry in Malaysia represents one of the most dynamic sectors in terms of consumer engagement and brand building. Through this acquisition, we’re combining Tastefully’s proven expertise in creating high-impact consumer events with Catcha’s digital capabilities.”

He added, “What particularly attracted us was Tastefully’s ability to execute large-scale consumer expos events across Malaysia, and their track record of consistently delivering value to both exhibitors and visitors. As brands seek more integrated advertising solutions, we believe this combination will create compelling opportunities for our existing advertisers while opening up new avenues for growth.”

Meanwhile, Esther Fong, CEO of Tastefully, commented, “Over the past 13 years, we’ve built Tastefully into the go-to platform for F&B brands to connect directly with Malaysian consumers. By joining the Catcha Digital family, we can now offer our exhibitors an integrated advertising solution that spans both physical and digital touchpoints.”

She added, “We’re particularly excited about leveraging Catcha’s digital expertise to enhance our event experience and advertising offerings to our clientele. We are very excited to embark on this partnership with Catcha to take our business to the take level.”

India – dentsu X India has been awarded the digital media mandate for LG Electronics, India’s leading consumer electronics brand. The account was won following a competitive multi-agency pitch and will be serviced from the agency’s New Delhi office.

As per the mandate, dentsu X – the data & tech-driven agency from dentsu India, will cater to a gamut of digital media solutions for the brand. 

It will also offer a comprehensive suite of solutions overseeing online marketing plans across social media platforms, content creation, influencer marketing, media planning and buying, analytics, and full-funnel management for LG Electronics’ B2B segment and B2C website.

This partnership underscores dentsu X’s commitment to upholding the brand’s philosophy of transparency and integrity. The agency will play an instrumental role in amplifying and expanding the brand’s digital footprint with innovative and engaging brand strategies. 

Leveraging its expertise in media, tech, data, and content, dentsu X aims to deliver transformative digital-first experiences, driving business growth and solidifying LG Electronics’ leadership in the consumer electronic industry.

Commenting on the partnership, Jose Leon, CEO at dentsu X India said, “We are thrilled to welcome LG Electronics onboard. This strategic win aligns perfectly with dentsu X’s digital-first and data-driven approach. Our objective is to enhance LG’s digital presence through cutting-edge strategies, driving growth and reinforcing its leadership in the consumer electronics industry.”

Meanwhile, Anita Kotwani, CEO of media for South Asia at dentsu added, “We are excited to join forces with LG Electronics, a leader in the Consumer Electronics industry. LG’s blend of contemporary innovation and authentic approach, along with its evolving core philosophies, aligns seamlessly with dentsu X’s goal of creating transformative brand experiences. Our commitment to driving revenue growth through distinctive data-driven and consumer-centric strategies will add significant value to LG Electronics. We are confident that our digital solutions will support them in achieving its business objectives and further strengthen its industry leadership.”

Lastly, Jae Hyung Jun, head of corporate marketing at LG Electronics India commented, “We are thrilled to partner with dentsu X as we elevate our digital presence. With dentsu X’s innovative approach and deep understanding of the digital landscape, we are confident this collaboration will further strengthen LG’s connect with our customers across digital platforms. We look forward to leveraging their expertise to enhance brand engagement and drive impactful results for LG India.”

Singapore – The APAC ad market will see growth by 8.5% this year to US$289b with traditional media owners (TMO) ad sales will grow by 0.8% to US$68b while digital pure players (DPP) ad revenues will expand by 11.1% to US$220b. This is according to the latest forecast from IPG Mediabrands’ resource arm MAGNA.

According to the report, television budgets are stabilising in 2024 and are expected to be up by 0.2% following 2023’s – 2.3% performance. This increase in growth is primarily driven by the tailwinds of sporting events – primarily the Paris Olympics. The UEFA Euro 2024 tournament and other sporting events typically have only a minor impact in APAC markets.

Meanwhile, digital advertising revenues are the driver of growth. Search remains the largest portion of digital advertising revenues and will represent US$103b in 2024. This is 47% of total digital advertising budgets. Search advertising in APAC is substantially driven by retail media platforms, especially in China where Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo, and Meituan all drive search advertising revenues. Core search is also spiking around the world as traditional search platforms like Google and Baidu also see strong performance relative to recent results. 

In addition, social media advertising revenues also remain strong in 2024. While social media was already surging ahead in 2023 in APAC (+19% growth to reach US$65b), growth will again be robust in 2024 (+15% to reach US$74b). This means social media budgets will represent 34% of total digital advertising budgets. Both search and social media revenues are driven by mobile devices. Smartphones are not just the dominant way that most consumers access the internet; in many APAC markets they are the only way consumers access the internet. 

“Many consumers skipped the desktop hardware generation and conduct their digital lives solely on their smartphones. Furthermore, in China consumers don’t just do shopping and communication on smartphones, but also banking, insurance, and many work functions. Because of this, 76% of total digital advertising revenues in APAC are on mobile devices,” the report noted.

The digital strength driving APAC advertising revenues will translate to continued share gains for digital advertising revenues in APAC. Digital revenues will represent 81% of total budgets in 2028, up from 76% of total advertising revenues in 2024. In 2024, the strongest growth in APAC is expected to come from Sri Lanka (+12%), India (+11.8%), and Japan (+11.8%). This represents a significant jump in growth for Japan, following 2023’s +5.6% growth rate. Growth in many traditionally mature markets is rebounding in 2024. APAC as a region is still dominated by China, which represents approximately half of total ad revenues. When combined with Japan, Australia, India, and South Korea, those five large markets represent 87% of total APAC revenues. 

By 2028, the share of total revenues that are represented by linear advertising formats will have fallen to just 19%, representing about the same number of dollars (US$65b) as they do today (US$68b). Digital pure players, on the other hand, will represent 81% of total budgets and US$286b, significantly higher than their 2024 total (US$220b). The largest absolute increases in advertising revenues will come from search advertising (+US$28b) and social media (+US$27b) by 2028 compared to this year in 2024.

Leigh Terry, CEO at IPG Mediabrands APAC, said, “The advertising industry in APAC is poised for continued growth in 2024, with an 8.5% projected increase, reaching US$289b. This follows a 9.5% growth in 2023. Despite economic fluctuations, digital advertising remains the driving force, with search and social media leading the way. The digital dominance in APAC is expected to persist, with digital revenues forecast to account for 81% of total budgets by 2028, up from 76% in 2024.”

He added, “This shift underscores the growing importance of digital channels in reaching and engaging consumers in the region. Sri Lanka, India, and Japan are poised for significant growth in 2024, with mature markets in the region also showing signs of recovery, and contributing to the overall positive outlook for APAC.”

Meanwhile, Paul Waller, chief investment officer at MAGNA APAC, commented, “Despite economic uncertainties, the global and APAC advertising market continues to expand. With digital ad spend leading the charge and projected to reach unprecedented heights in the coming years. Now that inflation in commodity costs and consumer prices are under control, marketers are returning to previous levels of advertising budgets and taking advantage of the investment opportunities offered. With a heightened focus towards more targeted and data-driven marketing strategies.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad (DLMI), a part of FrieslandCampina in the Netherlands, the multinational dairy company, has appointed Xing Jun Khoo as its head of digital, media, and insights in Malaysia. In this role, Khoo’s main responsibility will focus on leveraging the wealth of data and information available within the organisation.

In an exclusive conversation with MARKETECH APAC, Khoo also added that by leveraging the company’s data, he will be able to create cohesive and actionable strategies in line with FrieslandCampina’s current business strategy, as well as being able to drive effective decision-making across the organisation.

“I am looking forward to leveraging the wealth of data and information we have within the organisation, particularly from the consumer front. My goal is to integrate this data into actionable strategies that will enable us to craft even more effective digital and media approaches. By doing so, we can identify methods that align more closely with consumer needs and market trends,” Khoo told MARKETECH APAC.

Prior to this new role, he was recently with Accenture Song, where he served as its manager for brand and communication strategy. Prior to this, he was also with Entropia where he held various media roles until Accenture Interactive’s acquisition of said agency in June 2021.

“During my time at Accenture Song, I had the privilege of collaborating with various teams and analysing diverse forms of data to craft comprehensive strategies for our clients. This experience honed my ability to create integrated solutions that align with business objectives. I plan to bring this skill set to DLMI, ensuring that our strategies are data-driven and effectively address the needs of our consumers and stakeholders.” he stated.

When asked what particular challenges and opportunities digital and media strategies are having this year, he noted that with changing consumer behaviours and economic conditions, there is a challenge in adapting to these changes whilst maintaining cost-effectiveness.

“However, this also presents an opportunity for us to craft more effective and efficient strategies. By leveraging data analytics and AI technologies, we can better understand and engage with our audience, ensuring that our digital and media investments are both smart and impactful,” he explained.

For Khoo, it is also worth noting that two trends will help shape marketing strategies and that is the integration of generative AI tools to improve current marketing strategies, as well as having sustainability initiatives being on the top of mind for brands this year.

“At DLMI, we are committed to staying ahead by incorporating advanced AI technologies into our marketing strategies, allowing us to create more personalised and efficient campaigns. Additionally, we are dedicated to enhancing our sustainability initiatives, ensuring that we continue to prioritise our purpose of ‘Nourishing Our Nation,’ while ensuring that our practices remain socially and environmentally responsible. By focusing on these areas, we aim to lead the industry in both innovation and sustainability,” he concluded

Singapore – Mothership, the youth-focused digital news platform in Singapore, has forged a partnership with Outbrain, the recommendation platform for the open web.

The partnership will see Outbrain’s AI-driven customisation featured on the digital publisher’s website, providing advertisers with premium inventory reaching younger, hard-to-reach audiences in new and innovative ways.

Mothership is the third-largest news site in Singapore by traffic, according to Similarweb, and reaches a significant portion of Singapore’s Millennial population. Outbrain’s Smartlogic technology will enable Mothership to further monetise its traffic by personalising the user experience and content recommendations for readers.

Ben Steel, GM of Outbrain for SEA, commented, “Supporting quality local journalism has never been more important, and is at the heart of our mission at Outbrain. So we are thrilled to partner with Mothership to help this fantastic Singaporean success story keep on telling the stories that matter.” 

“Importantly, Mothership speaks to younger audiences, a hard-to-reach group for many marketers. Outbrain’s innovative technology and data-driven approach will provide new ways to communicate with this vibrant group.”

Daniel Ho, head of corporate development at Mothership, also said, “We are excited to adopt Outbrain’s AI-driven customisation with editorial, ad, and layout prediction, to better serve our audiences and generate positive brand value.”

Outbrain has also previously inked partnerships with Singaporean publishers Singapore Press Holdings, Mediacorp, and AsiaOne. 

Sydney, Australia – Azerion, European digital media and gaming platform, has announced the APAC launch of its new data and technology arm, Performance by Azerion.

With a strong heritage in high-impact, gaming, video, and audio advertising, Performance by Azerion establishes the platform as an end-to-end solution for clients. 

Azerion’s team of full-funnel specialists are able to offer customised strategies and curated audiences, assisted by Azerion’s proprietary DMP. Combining their creative expertise with data captured from unique browse, search and social activities, along with contextual data, Performance by Azerion captures billions of monthly data events in the aim to identify and build bespoke audiences in real-time. 

The company boasts of the Azerion datasphere that can scale even niche or cookieless audiences, and with data refreshed every two hours, it brings live audience insights into targeting strategies.

Georgia Woodburne, managing director at Azerion JAPAC, said, “It is more important than ever that advertisers work with trusted partners that deliver competitive outcomes. Clients are seeking to maximise revenue through media and technology, and this is what Performance by Azerion will strive to achieve.”

The company says Azerion’s performance solution is designed to increase performance across all advertising funnel objectives, by creating bespoke targeting, creative, and measurement strategies within the Azerion ecosystem. Azerion’s extensive portfolio of products now provides clients with end-to-end solutions that drive attention, high-value ROI and performance-based outcomes. 

“We are proud to offer clients and agencies fully customised solutions that have a laser-focus on performance,” said Elizabeth Grant, operations and commercial strategy director of Azerion JAPAC.

The new offering will be available to APAC clients from May.

In late 2022, Azerion announced its acquisition of London-based programmatic agency and digital trading desk, Hybrid Theory, with operations in the APAC region. The company has acquired nearly fifty companies since 2014.

Sydney, Australia – Australian footwear and clothing company R.M. Williams has appointed WiredCo. as its global digital media partner, where the agency will be working with the apparel and footwear brand across six regions globally.

WiredCo’s mandate covers paid search, shopping, display, broadcaster video on demand (BVOD), and off-page management of the brand’s Meta, Pinterest and YouTube channels.

R.M. Williams is undergoing a massive digital transformation and will use digital media channels to drive brand awareness, consideration and growth globally, focusing initially on their biggest and emerging markets; Australia, New Zealand and the UK, respectively.

As part of the mandate, WiredCo will work in close partnership with the brand’s offline agency partner, Audience Precision, tapping into their proprietary ‘Precise360’ platform, along with Special Group, the brand’s creative agency of record.

Chris Willingham, chief marketing officer at R.M. Williams said, “What really stands out about WiredCo. is how successfully they integrate strategy and creativity with digital performance. It’s something I haven’t seen done this well by a digital agency before.” 

He added, “Above all, the people at WiredCo. are the perfect fit for the people at R.M. Williams. We’re looking forward to a fruitful long-term partnership as we launch into a new era for the brand.”

Meanwhile, Angela Hampton, founder and managing director at WiredCo, commented, “We’re absolutely stoked to be appointed to the legend and icon that is R.M.Williams. Having grown up in the bush myself, I have a genuine connection with the brand so this is a dream come true for our agency. As the brand embarks upon a new journey to get closer to its Australian roots, we can’t wait to play a key role in realising this.”

Singapore – While a privacy-first internet is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, advertisers and companies are not withheld from disclosing the real pains of transitioning and adapting to a cookieless digital space when Google dropped the news of cookie deprecation in 2020. 

Advertisers were, however, granted a breather, when the cookies phase-out, originally eyed by the tech giant in 2022 had been delayed a bit further into 2022.

Shortly after the announcement, data solutions provider Lotame released a poll among 200 Singapore-based senior decision-makers in digital media and marketing to further learn their sentiments on the future of cookieless internet. 

First off, half, or 55%, said they were happy with Google’s decision to delay citing that they needed “more time to prepare.” 

A top concern among digital media professionals is losing revenue amid weakened ad-targeting opportunities, where about 57% of marketers believe in reduced ad-targeting opportunities, with over two-thirds (66%) expecting a 10% to 25% drop in revenues as a result of the loss of third-party cookies. Meanwhile, almost 60% (57%) of publishers anticipate a reduction in the workforce brought by revenue loss. 

In adopting new identity solutions, the primary reason for Singapore-based marketers is to support audience targeting (59%), while among publishers, 64% would foremost adopt identity solutions for data privacy. 

With the optimal number of ID solutions, 36% of Singapore marketers were open to using any number, while 35% of publishers cited two, with 30% saying three.

“A cookieless future is closer on the horizon and whether or not the industry ‘feels prepared,’ the end result is inevitable,” said Luke Dickens, Lotame’s managing director for ANZ.

Dickens adds, “Digital advertising is changing, and identity solutions will be part of that new future. Addressability and connectivity are at greatest threat in the post-cookie world.”

With a stronger call for privacy, Apple, aside from Google, had digital media players also rethinking their ad strategies with an update on its privacy features earlier this year.

Apple’s new iCloud Private Relay has been designed to protect users’ privacy by ensuring that when browsing the web in Safari, no single party, including Apple itself, can see a user’s identity and the sites he or she is visiting.

The same survey found that 53% of Singapore-based respondents are concerned about their ability to monetize the email channel amid Apple’s new privacy feature, while 46% said they are concerned for the impact on email hash identifiers.

Relatedly, email-based identity solutions (69%) were the most popular choice when asked what types of ID solutions marketers and publishers were planning to test in the next six months to one year. Contextual (44%) was in second place, followed by cohorts (33%) and probabilistic (27%).

The current report ‘Beyond the Cookie: Identity Solution Adoption & Testing Among Marketers and Publishers’ is part two of Lotame’s cookie-focused study, where the pilot study was released in February and examined how organizations are beginning to plan for the phase-out of third-party cookies.

Singapore – ADK Connect, multi-national digital creative and performance media agency with origins in Japan, is strengthening its digital media capabilities with the launch of its new programmatic-focused Integrated Performance Platform (IPP), which is developed to centralize the connection of all ad accounts for ad platforms and demand-side platforms (DSPs) in one place.

The agency has inked a multi-year partnership with Bench Connect, a data-driven marketing intelligence technology for brands and agencies, to power the IPP. The platform enables advertisers to scale their campaigns across multiple platforms efficiently while gaining complete control and transparency of all digital media channels and regional teams at the same time.

Kelvin Koo, the managing director of ADK Connect in Singapore, said that its Singapore office is fast becoming the programmatic hub for the region and IPP is centralizing all offices to extend on the ‘Locally Global’ ethos of ADK.

“The APAC market is ready for simplicity and transparent media practices. We require a holistic marketing intelligence platform that sits at the heart of our agency operation and that allows everyone including advertisers to see all their digital media in one place and make rapid decisions accordingly,” said Koo.

Bench’s CEO Ori Gold said, “We are excited to power ADK’s Integrated Performance Platform. This partnership represents a new breed of digital media management software purpose-built to rapidly connect ad platforms. ADK has made a clear step ahead to automate all ad platforms and DSPs in one place.”