Tag: Edelman

Hong Kong – Global fast food brand KFC has launched a new campaign, encouraging overthinking to think less and indulge more with their signature fried chicken–using a brand-new tech device called the ‘KFC Brainwave Bucket’.

Conceptualised alongside Edelman Hong Kong, the device is a brain-sensing helmet with a built-in headband that analyses people’s brain activity. The data from the helmet is connected to an app which provides real-time biofeedback showing how active the mind is.

The helmet design, and the mind-detecting enclosure, are based on KFC’s iconic bucket. People are invited to sit inside the bucket-inspired structure and wear the helmet on their head, after which they’re encouraged to switch off and think less with the help of some Finger Lickin’ Good chicken.

The campaign is based on recent studies that indicate Hong Kong is one of the most stressful cities in the world and ranks first in the stress index of employees all around East Asia, with a massive 53% of employees feeling pressured and stressed from their day-to-day occupation. However, scientific findings have shown that comfort food relieves the stress response in the brain.

John Koay, regional executive creative director at Edelman, said, “Born from a great truth, we recognise the brand’s ability to provide people in this pressure cooker of a city with a moment of escape – and the Brainwave Bucket is a fun way to prove it. Partnering with KFC always brings so much excitement and innovative opportunity and this campaign is a great demonstration of that.”

Singapore – Warren Fernandez, formerly an editor affiliated with The Straits Times, has been named the new chief executive officer of Edelman in Asia-Pacific, effective October 25 this year.

Fernandez will join the firm’s global executive leadership team and report to global president and chief operating officer Matthew Harrington. He replaces Stephen Kehoe, who left Edelman in June. Dave Samson, global vice chairman of corporate affairs, has served as interim CEO since Kehoe’s departure.

His appointment also follows several key appointments for Edelman’s health arm in APAC, in Singapore, and the appointment of Melvin Goo as new chief operating officer for Indonesia.

He joins from English/Malay/Tamil Media Group in SPH Media, where he was the editor-in-chief. He simultaneously served as the editor of The Straits Times. He joined The Straits Times as a political reporter in 1990 and would go on to serve as news editor as well as foreign editor and deputy editor. 

In 2008, Fernandez left to join Royal Dutch Shell as a global manager for its Future Energy project, working with its scenario planning and communications teams in London and the Hague. He returned to the paper in 2012 as its senior-most editor.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “I’m very excited to join a firm that I have admired and worked with, as a client and partner, over the years. Edelman continues to drive the conversation on Trust and shape the future of the communications industry. I believe there is enormous potential to continue to expand upon the vital thought leadership, as well as media, brand and strategic communications advice we provide to our clients. I look forward to leading the team in Asia Pacific and working with the industry-leading talent across its global network.”

Meanwhile, Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, commented, “Asia is one of the most important markets to Edelman’s future. We have purposely built a communications advisory firm to help Asian companies step onto the global stage, while also supporting other companies as they seek to expand into the diverse markets of Asia. Our ability to help companies navigate the complexities across this vast and dynamic region have never been more critical to businesses and we are the right firm to help them succeed in doing so.”

Singapore – Global public relations and marketing consultancy firm Edelman has announced several strategic leadership appointments in health across APAC, which include the appointment of Will Collie as vice chair of Health in APAC, Brian Wang as head of Health for China, and Jenny Jackson as head of Health in Hong Kong. These senior appointments serve to further Edelman’s growth in APAC, with Health as a strategic priority.

As vice chair of Health in APAC, Collie will be overseeing Edelman’s Health teams in India, China, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Thailand, as well as Taiwan, and Australia. Collie, who now resides in Australia, was previously based in the United States in both Los Angeles and Chicago, where he was head of Edelman’s Southern California business and prior to that Chicago Health business. He also served as Edelman’s Health lead in Sydney, where he joined the firm in 2012. Before joining Edelman, Collie served as senior manager of external affairs for the global pharmaceutical company Sanofi.

Meanwhile, Wang will be overseeing the Health teams in Beijing and Shanghai. Prior to Edelman, his career spans almost 20 years across the health, wellness and retail sectors in Taipei, Beijing, and Shanghai. This includes 12 years at GSK Consumer Healthcare, where he led brand teams across integrated marketing, channel planning, in-market portfolio positioning and communications across the Greater China Area.

And lastly, Jackson will be bringing more than 12 years of health communications expertise. She has led multi-channel communications and market research campaigns for global pharmaceutical and medical device companies across APAC, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Jackson brings to Edelman a strong understanding of multiple healthcare, regulatory, and compliance environments across a wide range of disease areas.

Commenting on the appointment, Collie said they’re building teams with no boundaries, bringing the best minds to their clients regardless of where they’re based. 

“Our integrated approach, coupling data, insights and health expertise to deliver high-impact creative engagement, sets us apart. The addition of these deep-rooted Health experts, with their knowledge of the region and insights at the local level, strengthens our capabilities both across APAC as a region as well as in local markets where clients are operating on the ground,” Collie added.

Meanwhile, Kirsty Graham, global president of practice and sectors at Edelman, said health remains a key driver of business for Edelman globally, and the opportunity to partner with clients in this industry across APAC is enormous.

“These senior appointments strengthen our specialised approach – we have the expertise, the depth of knowledge and the nuanced insights to drive truly impactful client programs. Under Will Collie’s leadership in APAC, we continue to expand our specialisation of Edelman Health’s teams and offers,” said Graham.

Just recently, Edelman Indonesia appointed Melvin Goo as its new chief operating officer. Through the new appointment, Goo will drive the next chapter of the firm’s growth in Indonesia, and realise Edelman’s ambitions of delivering integrated marketing communications solutions for local, regional and global clients serving the market.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global public relations and marketing consultancy firm Edelman in Indonesia has appointed Melvin Goo as its new chief operating officer. Through the new appointment, Goo will drive the next chapter of the firm’s growth in Indonesia, and realise Edelman’s ambitions of delivering integrated marketing communications solutions for local, regional and global clients serving the market.

Goo was previously the marketing director of tech start-up Cashbac, driving both its revenue and reputation mandates. A seasoned business leader with over 16 years’ experience, he has worked across some of the most recognised PR and media agencies in Jakarta, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.

He will report to Adrian Warr, CEO for Southeast Asia at Edelman.

Speaking on his new role, Goo said, “I’ve been admiring the transformation that has been underway at Edelman Indonesia from a distance. Given its pedigree and its proven track record I’m extremely confident of the value we can achieve for our client partners, especially in these uncertain times. I really look forward to leveraging the company’s unique ability to combine and leverage the best of both brand marketing and brand reputation.”

Meanwhile, Wart commented, “Melvin’s going to be a game-changer for us. His experience is multi-country, multi-category and multi-faceted, who better to steer our ever-growing business operations here in Indonesia. Having worked on both sides of the client-agency spectrum, Melvin is also the perfect person to advance our unique approach to earned-paid-owned with our client partners.” 

He added, “I’m over the moon to have him onboard and confident that under his leadership we will fortify our market position and excel as trusted advisors to all our client partners.”

Singapore – Edelman has announced key leadership changes in its Singapore team. It is led by the newly-appointed chief executive officer Julia Wei, followed by Yeelim Lee promoted as chief operating officer. Other leadership appointments include Nisha Sivanandan as head of strategy and integrated client leadership, Jonathan Ha as head of digital and integrated solutions, Amanda Lam as director of human resources, and Xi Ling Lee as finance director.

Wei will report to Adrian Warr, CEO for Southeast Asia at Edelman, and will build on the agency’s growth and innovation in earned-centric, integrated campaigns.

She leaves her role as managing partner at AKA Asia to return to Edelman where she previously spent a decade honing her capabilities. She now brings over 17 years of diverse expertise in integrated communications, both in-house and agency, to drive growth through modern communication approaches. 

Meanwhile, Lee has spent eight years with the firm, across Hong Kong and Singapore, and has held positions that built experience in regional client management, data and analytics, sector and practice leadership, and new business operations.

Speaking on her appointment, Wei said, “Edelman has always held a special place in my heart and the opportunity to return in a leadership role at a pivotal point of the agency was a no-brainer. I’m looking forward to working with my new, and former, colleagues and collectively elevating our work, our skills and of course continuing on our business success.”

Meanwhile, Warr commented, “I could not be more pleased to see Julia return to the fold. Having achieved several years of fast growth and bold innovation, in spite of significant market headwinds, we now have a unique window of opportunity to evolve our culture, capabilities, and our services to clients – there’s nobody better than Julia to lead that charge.” 

He added, “Julia’s going to have three clear priorities – firstly, maintaining the best agency culture in the market, secondly getting A-list fame for the amazing work we do with our client, and thirdly creating new ways of working in this fascinating hybrid world. Julia and Yeelim have very complimentary skillsets and experience –together, they will lead the team to new frontiers.”

Hong Kong – Edelman has strengthened its leadership team in Hong Kong and Taiwan, having elevated leaders across its corporate, brand and technology offerings and expanded its creative team. The appointments come shortly after Delicia Tan’s arrival as CEO of Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area.

From her previous director role in the agency, Sofia Yip is appointed as head of brand across Hong Kong and Taiwan. Edelman said that with brands operating at the intersection of “culture, purpose, and society” to succeed, Sofia’s fluency in brand management, strong track record of leading integrated global and regional accounts and deep local cultural understanding will help its clients’ brands reset and reimagine amidst today’s rapid changes. 

Meanwhile, Oliver Davis has come onboard from Ogilvy as the firm’s new creative director across Hong Kong and Taiwan. Davis brings more than 9 years of experience in creative, having played a critical role in award-winning brand campaigns, activations, product launches and customer communications for brands including Pizza Hut, Huawei, and Coca-Cola. Davis will report to Executive Creative Director, John Koay, who joined the firm earlier this year. 

Alongside the new heads for creative and brand, Edelman has also elevated leaders to lead the team anew in the corporate and technology departments. 

Tasked with diversifying Edelman’s corporate communications offering, Angela Hui has been elevated to head of corporate for Hong Kong and Taiwan. Meanwhile, Simon Chan will serve as head of technology for the Greater Bay Area. Chan joined the team from Edelman London in November 2018. In his new role, he will partner with Edelman’s APAC Tech Sector Lead, John Kerr, overseeing the development of a regional Centre of Excellence based out of Hong Kong, providing regional clients with solutions in the areas of Web 3.0 and the Metaverse.

Delicia Tan, CEO of Edelman Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, commented, “Clients today demand borderless digital-first integrated communications that drives impact. Working together as onE Edelman team across Hong Kong, Taipei and the Great Bay Area will enable us to create compelling new touchpoints for their stakeholders, while building engaged communities through digital storytelling and immersive experiences. This will enable them to stand out, build engagement and ultimately, drive real action.”

New York, USA – Global communications firm Edelman has launched Edelman Smithfield, a financial communications boutique that specialises in the financial markets and strategic situations, serving clients in the United States, EMEA, Asia, and beyond. This move aims to bring together under one brand Edelman’s Financial Communications and Financial Services teams, combining specialised industry knowledge with global scale and localised expertise, while remaining connected to and integrated with Edelman’s full capabilities.

Moreover, Edelman Smithfield is focused on advising senior leaders and management teams in navigating complex matters that impact reputation and valuation. The firm has deep expertise in serving and communicating with the financial markets and is comprised of two primary practice areas, which include partnering with companies in the financial markets to help them protect, promote, and evolve their reputation, and partnering with companies navigating and communicating with the financial markets and during strategic situations.

Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, shared that the financial communications team has built an incredible platform and has advised on some of the highest profile clients and situations over the past several years. 

“We continue to see significant demand from both existing and new clients for the work that they are leading, especially given the volatility and complexity of the global financial markets. There’s tremendous opportunity ahead, and we will continue to invest in Edelman Smithfield to ensure the team is well placed to define the next generation of financial communications,” said Edelman.

Meanwhile, Lex Suvanto, global CEO of Edelman Smithfield, noted that they have a singular goal of building a financial communications powerhouse globally, and Edelman is providing the investment and runway to make this a reality. 

“We are the only firm that specialises in the financial markets and strategic situations while bringing the reach and resources of broader Edelman. Together as a global team and with a unified banner and strategy, we will unlock new opportunities, while always prioritising excellent client work, conducting ourselves with integrity and attracting and empowering an incredible team of dedicated advisors,” said Suvanto.

Edelman said that the new financial communications boutique’s asset management clients professionally manage more than $20 trillion combined, which, when coupled with insights from the annual Investor Trust survey, translates into a unique understanding of the global institutional investor landscape. It has advised on hundreds of transactions in the last five years, including some of the most prominent mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and restructurings.

Sydney, Australia – Edelman has announced that Tom Robinson has been appointed as the new chief executive officer in Australia. Through his new role, Robinson will be bringing a proven culture-building leadership style to Edelman – empowering employees at all levels and instilling a people-first approach.

His appointment takes effect in 1 August this year, and he will report to Stephen Kehoe, Edelman’s CEO for Asia Pacific. He is taking over the position from Michelle Hutton, who was elevated to the role of APAC vice chair in 2021

He joins from MediaCom, where he spent around 11 years and led agency teams across the content and integrated communications landscape, most recently serving as the managing partner for Creative Systems, a business unit he established in 2019.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “I am excited to be joining Edelman, given its momentum in the marketplace and reputation as an innovator in the communications space. Having witnessed the firm’s build-up of its creative, strategy and digital talent over the past few years – and the increasing competition it brings to the creative landscape – I look forward to being part of the firm’s growth journey in Australia and working with leading brands and organisations on developing communications strategies that generate stronger impact and results.”

Meanwhile, Kehoe commented, “As a people business, it is crucial that culture is at the heart of our organisation and Edelman is a place that people want to work. Tom Robinson is known for his investment in identifying and fostering talent, coupled with innovative ways of growing a business. I am excited to have someone of his calibre leading our firm in Australia. Tom’s multi-disciplinary experience is exactly what our clients are looking for.”

In addition to Robinson’s appointment, Edelman has strengthened its Australia leadership bench, promoting Amber Scotto Di Perta to the newly created role of chief operating officer, and Peter Pippen as chief strategy officer.

Hong Kong – Edelman has appointed Delicia Tan as its new chief executive officer in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. In her new role, she will lead the firm’s offices in Hong Kong and Taipei, as well as being in charge of realising the firm’s Greater Bay Area (GBA) strategy, partnering with regional sector leads to further integrate and expand the firm’s operations in Shenzhen.

She will report to Pully Chau, President of Edelman Greater China. In addition, Tan will also serve as a trusted advisor to the firm’s China leadership team, having spent over two years leading the corporate practice at Edelman Beijing from 2013 to 2015.

With over two decades of experience in communications, Tan has spent the last 16 years at Edelman. In her most recent capacity, she evolved the Singapore operation’s 50-strong corporate reputation practice into a fully integrated communications team, as well as serving as the APAC chair for diversity, equity and inclusion, championing the firm’s efforts for greater inclusion and belonging across the region.

Speaking on her new role, Tan said, “I’m thrilled to be a part of Edelman’s journey as we enter a new era of client-centric innovation with a focus on driving stronger partnerships and impactful client work. I’m dedicated to building on our strength as One Edelman across borders and disciplines; earning trust through action, while presenting the full value and creative power of Edelman in a seamless and relevant way to our clients.”

Meanwhile Chau commented, “I’m delighted to welcome Delicia into her new role. Her strong experience in client strategy and integrated corporate communications and her past work in China will enable us to continue our strong momentum in Hong Kong and Taiwan, while inspiring greater growth in Shenzhen. I envisage the adjacency of Shenzhen and GBA as an additional springboard for sustainable growth that will bolster China brands going global and Hong Kong-based enterprises tapping into China growth.”

Sydney, Australia – United Entertainment Group (UEG), the global entertainment, sports, and lifestyle agency owned by Edelman, has announced the launch of its agency offering in Asia-Pacific. In addition, UEG has appointed Si Philby as its executive vice president for its APAC offering.

He will be reporting to Jarrod Moses, CEO and founder at UEG, while partnering with Michelle Hutton, vice chair for APAC at Edelman, to roll out its services to clients.

The agency’s expansion into the APAC region – one where the intersection of entertainment and culture are at the crux of brand partnerships and strategies – reflects increasing global demand for its services. This marks the fifth international office the agency has opened since 2017.

Philby brings over two decades of global creative experience to this role. He co-founded and launched two independent agencies – the most recent being the Background Creative Counsel, a global network of diverse experts who participate in culture and offer creative counsel to future-minded brands and leaders.

Speaking about his appointment, he said, “UEG is a phenomenal business that resonates with my own values on how brands show up in culture. Having collaborated with Edelman’s brand teams on special projects over the last 10 years, there’s already an established level of trust and partnership that we are now building on. We are collaborating with the best talent and smart clients to develop innovative ideas that are different from the norm.”

Through the launch of UEG in APAC, Philby’s Background Creative Counsel will be integrated into UEG’s operation, providing clients with unparalleled access to this unique network which includes creators, athletes, futurists, philanthropists in the areas of music, entertainment and fashion.

Meanwhile, Moses commented, “As an agency whose mission is to deliver best-in-class global entertainment and cultural connectivity, it’s essential that we have experienced leadership in APAC, which is the fastest growing entertainment region in the world. Si brings a wealth of industry experience, cultural connections and an expansive creative network to UEG. We’re excited to have him at the foundation of our APAC offering which will deliver unparalleled value to our clients.”

Lastly, Hutton added, “Our region is the most diverse and culturally rich region in the world, it’s where many trends and movements are born and with UEG’s launch in APAC, we will be at the forefront of helping clients find new and different ways to connect and engage with people.”