Tag: Global

Mumbai, India – All-in-one engagement platform CleverTap has recently announced the launch of ‘Signed Call’, an industry-first, VoIP-enabled, in-app voice capability for trusted and contextual customer engagement.

Through Signed Call, CleverTap customers will be equipped with an effective way to engage with end-users, leveraging VoIP-enabled in-app calling for real-time, secure, and contextual customer experiences.

Moreover, brands are not required to disclose end-user PII data (Personally Identifiable Information) to unauthorised individuals or agents while using Signed Call, thus mitigating privacy concerns. This no-code solution also comes with pre-built use cases and call screens for easy implementation.

The introduction of Signed Call is poised to revolutionise how brands connect with users through voice as a channel; especially within the ride hailing, BFSI, and food delivery app-categories, as well as in other industries looking to create more personalised customer experiences. It aims to transform customer engagement and elevate trust to a whole new level.

Talking about the new feature, Anand Jain, co-founder and chief product officer of CleverTap, said, “Users often choose not to pick up calls if the caller isn’t a known contact. This can lead to dropped calls and missed opportunities for a business. When extrapolated to the scale of a user-base, it can lead to a significant loss in revenue, and erosion of trust.

“However, with Signed Call, CleverTap customers can offer a personalised and secure experience, maximising the chances of conversions and ultimately increasing revenue,” he added.

Singapore – Bonzai, a creative technology platform, has launched BrandStory, a new premium mobile ad format.

In comparison to single-scroll ad formats, BrandStory delivers three times the ad area and 2.8 times longer viewing periods, addressing businesses’ growing demand for more real estate to produce outcomes globally. It combines awareness, investigation, and action in a whole solution.

With 4.6 billion smartphone users worldwide (expected to rise to 5.1 billion by 2028), mobile internet traffic currently makes up about 60% of all web traffic. Recognizing this growth, Bonzai concluded that a large-scale premium mobile ad format was required. Through a scrolling user interface, this format seeks to extend the in-ad experience while simultaneously increasing brand awareness and effectively communicating more product information in a non-intrusive way. 

Building on years of observations, BrandStory is available in Australia, Zealand, and SouthEast Asia. Bonzai’s new, no-code solution does deal with the requirement for integration for current clients. It offers benefits to publishers as well as advertising.

Speaking about their latest offering, Rahul Pandey, Founder and CEO of Bonzai, said, “BrandStory is the culmination of our commitment to pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation in the advertising industry. With the explosive growth of mobile internet users worldwide, we recognised the need for a premium mobile ad format that provides more real estate for brands to captivate their audience effectively.” 

He added, “BrandStory is our answer to this demand, offering advertisers an unrivalled canvas for crafting immersive campaigns that seamlessly integrate awareness, exploration and action.” 

“We are excited to empower both advertisers and publishers with this unique, no-code solution that unlocks new opportunities and revenue streams. BrandStory sets a new standard in the industry, and we’re thrilled to introduce it across APAC, empowering brands to reach their audiences like never before,” Pandey expressed. 

Singapore – Bigo Live, the worldwide live streaming platform, has launched the Amateur Streamers Incentive Program, which aims to assist aspiring broadcasters who want to use livestreaming to exhibit their talents. 

The project is in line with Bigo Live’s general strategy, which is to promote and create an ecosystem that is centred on the creative economy in an organic manner. It also seeks to preserve a welcoming environment on the network for both creators and users.

Bigo Live plans to build on its current creator-centric incentive programs and initiatives through the Amateur Streamers Incentive Program. The program’s goal is to inspire Bigo Live users to start their own live streaming sessions, which will attract more users to the network. Additionally, it aims to persuade those who are interested in live streaming but are not currently users to sign up and use the site for themselves.

Those who are approved for the program will have access to a customised initiative that will teach them how to stream live sessions on Bigo Live with specific training. Best practices for becoming skilled Bigo Live broadcasters will be covered throughout the course. In addition to having the freedom to arrange when they livestream, participants will benefit from the platform’s ability to provide them with worldwide exposure.

Significant incentives will be built into the program to encourage continuous and engaging content creation while also promoting live streaming as a source of income. 

The Amateur Streamers Incentive Program, which was started earlier this month in the Middle East and North Africa region, has since expanded to a number of nations in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The program reached the registration of over 300,000 amateur broadcasters to date. 

Speaking about the program, James, president of BIGO Technology, said, “Our Amateur Streamers Incentive Program offers a custom-made agenda that meets the unique needs of our amateur broadcasters, who despite their talent, often hesitate to step into the limelight. We recognise this, and we hope that through the program, our users can overcome their inhibitions, showcase their creativity, and seamlessly integrate into a welcoming community that celebrates their unique voices and perspectives.”

“Through a comprehensive training and reward mechanism, we want to nurture the next generation of broadcasters and empower them to be the best versions of themselves,” James said. 

He added, “The global creator economy has allowed the livestreaming industry to experience exponential growth in recent years, presenting limitless opportunities within the virtual landscape. As we remain committed to empowering our users by lowering the barriers of entry and providing then with the right environment to develop, the Amateur Streamers Incentive Program will provide a launchpad for aspiring content creators and deliver positive impact through a holistic and inclusive livestreaming experience.” 

London, UK – Landor & Fitch, a brand consulting firm under WPP, has announced its official rebranding as Landor as it introduces expanded consulting capabilities.

Inspired by the transformative power of water, the brand’s refreshed ultramarine identity pays tribute to the origins of the business founded by Walter Landor on a ferry boat in San Francisco harbour.

Landor’s rebranding is the result of a five-year strategy that has seen the WPP company’s consulting, design, and experience offerings expand significantly.

For the past year, Landor has bolstered its consulting capabilities with a rapidly growing brand performance practice. It also broadened its retail experience offer in 2020 with a merger with Fitch, continuing to build out its brand-led employee experience offer.

The business has welcomed into its expanding family the sonic branding agency amp, workspace and architectural design experts BDG, and motion design specialists ManvsMachine.

Jane Geraghty, group global CEO at Landor, said, “Over the last five years, our business has evolved, and our offer has expanded significantly. We’ve welcomed world-class specialists in sonic, motion, and workspace design, and today, most importantly, we have come together as one team with a shared culture. United in our drive to make a positive difference.”

Teemu Suviala, global chief creative officer at Landor, also shared, “Our new brand charts an ambitious course for our future. We use our new brand colour, the ultramarine blue, to signal the redefining of the brand and design category.”

He added, “Our design and expression capabilities are now unparalleled. For our own brand, we tapped into brilliant creative minds from around our network, just as we would do for our clients, to create a brand that comes to life in every facet—from visual and verbal to sonic and motion.”

USA – Global digital experience management platform Sitecore has recently announced the appointment of Kathie Johnson as its new chief marketing officer, wherein she will be leading marketing for the platform based out of the firm’s headquarters in San Francisco. 

Prior to her appointment, Johnson served as the chief marketing officer of Talkdesk, where she led the firm’s marketing organisation through a transformative growth period, taking the company from 66th place in the Forbes Cloud100 list in 2019 to 8th place in 2022 and 2023.

As Talkdesk’s first CMO, Kathie helped the organisation create and launch a vertical approach, expand into new countries in EMEA, APAC and Latam, and extend the product portfolio.

In her 25 years in the industry, Johnson also worked at Salesforce, where she was the senior vice president of marketing, as well as the vice president of marketing for Salesforce’s Commerce Cloud. 

Speaking on her own appointment, Johnson said, “I am excited to join Sitecore because of its innovative technology that is a true game changer for CMOs and CDOs who seek to differentiate their companies through superior digital experiences.” 

“Sitecore is a leader in its space and continues to innovate by prioritising a roadmap focused on SaaS-based, cloud native tools built on composable architecture. I am thrilled to be part of Sitecore’s journey and look forward to working with our customers, partners, and employees around the globe,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Steve Tzikakis, CEO of Sitecore, said, “Kathie’s track record as a marketing leader speaks for itself. Her formidable background securing brand expansion and delivering incredible digital experiences will massively contribute to Sitecore’s efforts to disrupt, accelerate and innovate digital experience delivery.”

“Sitecore’s compelling message offering SaaS-based, composable solutions will be greatly aided by this wonderful addition to our leadership. On behalf of Sitecore, we are thrilled to welcome Kathie to our team,” he concluded.

New York, USA – South Korean multinational electronics company LG has partnered with advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day New York for its new ‘Better Choices Make a Better World’ campaign that echoes the company’s commitment to sustainability.

The multifaceted campaign features a hero film that follows three ‘changemakers’ who are creating a more sustainable future with the help of LG’s home appliances. The global campaign used mixed-media to bring together live-action miniatures, 3D models, and animation, creating a miniature world that represents a better world with LG appliances.

For this campaign to be possible, LG and TBWA\Chiat\Day New York tapped global creative studio LOBO, which specialises in moving images, to bring to life their campaign film through a certified ‘green’ production.

To further show their commitment to sustainable initiatives, LG has also worked with consulting firms Set Sustentável and Casa Causa to ensure that, from conception to execution, the new global campaign would have a reduced environmental impact.

The consulting film was tasked with overseeing the production process to reduce the environmental impact through waste management initiatives.

Sookie Roh, vice president and head of LG Electronics home appliances and air solution brand communication division, said, “LG appliances are well known for their category-creating innovation, but we do not believe in innovation for the sake of innovation. Over the years, we have been raising awareness of sustainability initiatives connected to our products, and in our latest campaign, we aim to connect to an audience that shares our belief in the power of positive change—the brave optimists we call changemakers.”

“We want to convey that our customers have the potential to change the world through the choices that they make in their daily lives,” she added. 

Speaking on the campaign, Allie Lightcap, business director at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, also shared, “When we learned about the positive, eco-conscious technology of LG’s home appliance products, it was important to us that we had the same commitment to the environment through our production craft: from the development of each unique character to building the miniature sets to crafting the 3D models of LG’s home appliances. We made sure that the campaign represented the same attention to detail and sustainability as LG’s products.”

Singapore – Cross-border payments network TerraPay has announced its global partnership with online payments account Maya to empower seamless money transfer services for Filipinos across the globe.

In this partnership, the Maya app will leverage TerraPay’s extensive global network and secure adaptable payments technology to provide its users with a seamless money transfer experience from Korea, the USA, Singapore, and the Middle East.

Maya will now also have the ability to expand its thriving network of customers, promoting global financial interoperability and inclusivity while opening new channels for customers to access convenient and safe payment solutions across borders.

The partnership comes as both companies aim to enhance the customer experience while ensuring the utmost safety and security of transactions, offering faster transfer times, competitive exchange rates, and affordable borderless payment options.

With this newly forged collaboration, Filipinos outside of the Philippines can have more accessible, convenient, and secure international remittances.

Commenting on the collaboration, Ani Sane, co-founder and chief business officer at TerraPay, said, “This partnership aligns perfectly with TerraPay’s mission of driving financial inclusion and revolutionising global borderless payments. By teaming up with Maya, we can serve customers in the Philippines with innovative solutions, empowering them with fast and affordable cross-border payment options. We remain committed to making digital transactions more secure and faster for remitters and customers in the Philippines.”

Khurram Malik, chief operating officer at Maya, also said, “We are pleased to work with TerraPay to make international remittances more accessible and convenient for our customers. Cross-border payments are integral to the increasingly global Filipinos with family or virtual work opportunities overseas. By leveraging the seamlessness of the Maya app, we are making it easier for them to receive money, save, and spend smartly.”

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.”

Singapore – Global hospitality and tap, order, pay technology firm, me&u, unveils an expansion to their hospitality ecosystem with ‘me&u engage’ – a tool set to transform venue marketing by providing deeper customer insights and unlocking new revenue streams.

Developed with global SaaS provider Eagle Eye, me&u engage is an omnichannel loyalty, promotions and subscription platform set to influence customer behaviour along the path to purchase, helping drive incremental spend from both new and existing customers.

With me&u engage, venues can streamline customer lifecycle management, with a unified view of the customer journey, impact on revenue and return on marketing investment. Engage is also now a  part of me&u’s new suite of Influence tools, which help venues connect with their customers across the customer lifecycle journey.

Using Engage, venues can now target customer groups on and off premise via the channel of their choice, whether that be social, eDM, SMS, poster or digital. The tool helps with the claim and redemption flow, with full attribution analysis to understand the path to purchase, channel performance, campaign impact and ensure continuous optimisation.

With me&u engage, venues can increase footfall and customer spend by engaging customers on and off premise with personalised deals, offers and loyalty promotions, engage customers with personalised campaigns at scale, provide channel performance, ROI and attribution insights, and increase marketing opt-ins and drive customer loyalty using data to incentivise customer segments.

Another notable feature via me&u engage is ‘Targeted Promotions’, enabling venues to efficiently manage large-scale promotions, like those aimed at encouraging an additional order or another visit. Soon to be introduced is Stamp Cards, a digital loyalty card to foster repeated visits and reward customer loyalty. More functionalities will be added as time progresses.

Katrina Barry, CEO of me&u, said, “Partnering with Eagle Eye has enabled us to deliver a market-leading product with the same fantastic software that underpins the loyalty programs of the world’s leading retailers, including Woolworths Group in Australia, and biggest hospitality operators in the UK, including Greene King, Mitchells & Butlers and Pret A Manger. Engage delivers clear benefits for both sides – the customer and the venue.”

“We’re excited to continue to grow and answer the demands of our partner venues to expand our suite of offerings at me&u, so we can achieve our mission of creating a better future for hospitality, both for business owners and venues, as well as customers alike,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Jonathan Reeve, VP APAC at Eagle Eye, commented, “We believe me&u engage will be a milestone in the evolution of customer engagement in the hospitality sector. We are excited about the practical impact this partnership will have, not only in benefiting partner venues but also in advancing the standards of customer engagement in the industry. Together with me&u, we are thrilled to be shaping the future of hospitality in such a dynamic manner.”

Singapore – European automobile company PEUGEOT announced that it has appointed Accenture Song, the tech-powered creative group of Accenture, as its global creative agency of record from January 2024, as part of a competitive pitch.

Aiming to be the electric vehicle (EV) leader in Europe by 2025, PEUGEOT has consolidated all its global advertising communications, across Europe, Middle-East-Africa, South America, Mexico and Asia Pacific into Accenture Song.

Accenture Song is mainly tasked with helping to enhance familiarity and appeal to the brand and its wide EV line-up for a new younger, global audience with creative communications across all channels.

The first campaign will be a full-360 integrated launch of the all-new Electric Fastback SUV E-3008 in early 2024. It will be followed by supporting activities for the reveal of the new E-5008, as well as further launches yet to be revealed.

Phil York, head of PEUGEOT marketing & communications, said, “Over the last few years, we’ve seen dramatic and fast unfolding step-changes in the automotive industry and customer expectations. This rapid pace of change requires bold thinkers, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Accenture Song to help us on our journey of transformation into a 100% electric brand that sets new benchmarks for alluring design, driving pleasure and tech.”

Meanwhile, David Droga, chief executive officer at Accenture Song, commented, “Together, PEUGEOT and Accenture Song aim to do something new and different. PEUGEOT has an exciting opportunity in the electric category to define their products and services with a distinctive and human approach, emotionally connecting with a new generation of drivers.” 

“I believe our tech-powered creatively driven model that’s fuelled by our collective ambition will support PEUGEOT in the vision of becoming a true tech mobility company,” he added.