Australia – Initiative Australia has announced the continuation of its longstanding partnership with Goodman Fielder, confirming it has retained the company’s ATL media, including strategy, planning, buying, implementing and reporting, plus BTL media including retail marketing planning.

Initiative was first appointed as Goodman Fielder’s ATL partner in 2020 and awarded its BTL retail marketing planning in early 2023.

Jo McAlister, CEO at Initiative Sydney said in today’s challenging market the strength of client-agency partnership and the trust a client must have in its agency’s strategy and capabilities comes to the fore.

“We are delighted Goodman Fielder has placed its business for a further 12 months firmly back in our hands, enabling Initiative to fulfil the brand’s ambition to take a more holistic approach to its media strategy and investment,” Jo said.

She added, “Since taking a more universal approach to Goodman Fielder’s investment, we have been able to ensure ATL, at-shelf and at-home work seamlessly together to deliver stronger results for the brand and create a true consumer-first end-to-end solution.  The results speak for themselves.”

Meanwhile, Christine Fung, CMO at Goodman Fielder, commented,  “Initiative is a forward-thinking agency with excellent account management that really create community with their clients. We are delighted to maintain our long-term collaborative partnership, with shared drive for learning as we continue our growth journey.”

Philippines – Globe has joined the ‘Working With Cancer’ initiative, coordinated by multinational advertising and public relations agency Publicis Groupe and aims to eliminate the cancer stigma and provide more assistance to employees afflicted by cancer. 

The initiative urges corporate executives to take the lead in eradicating the stigma and uneasiness that cancer patients experience at work and in fostering a supportive environment for those who most need it. This is in line with Globe’s mission to give its workers all-encompassing support and care so they always feel safe and appreciated. 

Globe has committed to a five-point action plan, which includes understanding and implementing policies and programs to support affected employees, raising employee awareness of the commitment, fostering workplace conversations about the disease, tracking progress, and continuously learning and improving support measures. 

Renato Jiao, Globe’s chief human resource officer, emphasised the company’s emphasis on preventive measures, such as yearly physical exams for early detection and preventive care, in order to preserve the health and wellbeing of its workers. Along with launching health education and awareness initiatives, Globe is always looking for new and creative ways to meet the medical requirements of its employees. 

Nearly half of the estimated 9,000 cancer deaths in the Philippines each year are thought to be premature or avoidable, according to the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies in 2023. Additionally, the nation reports about 25,000 new instances of cancer annually. 

Speaking about the initiative, Ernest Cu, Globe president and CEO, said, “Globe is a highly focused entity when it comes to employee welfare. We hope to set an example for the rest of the community in terms of supporting employees in this situation. My hope is that by bringing this issue to the forefront and to public awareness, we’ll be able to raise funding and draw more attention to it.” 

He added, “Aligned with our commitment to Alagang Globe, we promise to handhold our employees throughout their entire journey with us. Our care is a constant presence, and we continuously prioritise their comprehensive well-being and growth, especially their health.” 

Meanwhile, Paolo Borromeo, AC Health president and CEO, stated, “AC Health is deeply honoured to build on our longstanding partnership with Globe, which reflects our shared commitment to elevating healthcare for their employees. Through programs like Working With Cancer, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive care and support to employees facing cancer, ensuring they receive the best possible treatment and assistance throughout their journey.” 

Lastly, Arthur Sadoun, Publicis Groupe CEO, said, “Today you are joining over 1,700 companies all over the world who are committed to build a more inclusive, more supportive workplace for all of those impacted by cancer and their families. I cannot thank you enough for joining us in this journey. We are so proud to have Globe by our side and signing the pledge is just another example of your exemplary company culture, always investing in your people and their well-being.” 

Singapore – Initiative, the Fame and Flow agency within IPG Mediabrands, has announced the appointment of three new senior client-facing roles, with Hatty Wetzki as the regional client business director, Lucy Jacobsen as the group client director, and Sheena Deutscher as senior communications design director

In her new role as regional client business director, Wetzki will help in rolling out a global strategy for Nike, building fame and flow across its key markets around APAC. She brings exceptional brand knowledge and expertise to the region for the agency, having joined Initiative after nearly 11 years as marketing director at Nike EMEA. 

Also joining Initiative is Jacobsen, who was previously the APAC lead for the Google Cloud portfolio at EssenceMediacom. As the new group client director, she will utilise her deep knowledge of B2B performance media to lead the Amazon AWS business for Initiative APAC, staying at the very forefront of digital, product, and technology innovation. 

Rounding up the new hires is Deutscher, who is set to join the LEGO client team. She joins Initiative from her previous role as a client-side placement at Chanel through the luxury brand’s agency, PHD. In her new role as senior communications design director, she will apply her global cross-category experience to deliver strategic global priorities and planning excellence to the LEGO brand around APAC. 

The three new Initiative client leadership appointments will be based in their Asia-Pacific RHQ office in Singapore and are effective immediately.

Commenting on the new hires, James Smyllie, president of Initiative APAC, said, “We could not be more delighted to welcome Hatty, Lucy, and Sheena to the Initiative APAC regional team, where they will partner with flagship clients such as Amazon, Nike, and LEGO. These recent appointments are testament to the strength and quality of the client partnerships we build at Initiative and the resonance of the Fame and Flow proposition that continues to attract and retain market-leading brands and exceptional talent.” 

Sydney, Australia – Media agency Initiative has announced that it is bringing back its ‘Marketing Multi’ betting platform, calling for the marketing industry to participate and try to predict the marketing trends around the upcoming Super Bowl. 

Built by Initiative’s cultural analytics department, Marketing Multi crowdsources predictions from industry experts across the world and combines it with generative AI to provide the most eclectic multi-market with odds updating live every day.

From celebrity ad cameos,expensive brand ads, and commercials made entirely by AI, Marketing Multi’s betting options features a series of strong contenders and wild cards to make it interesting. 

In the competition, punters can only bet yes or no on whether an outcome will occur and how many times they predict the outcome occurring. Scoring is based on probability with the final odds from each day added to a punter’s daily score calculation. Whoever has the highest cumulative score earns a highly sought after and super-legitimate official ‘Marketing-Multi Super Bowl Ring’.

For this 2024, the platform has evolved to feature new AI powered ‘match insights’ to guide first time betters. Using historic super bowl advertising trends and live web results, this will enable people to better understand the likelihood of each outcome and choose whether to play it safe or risk it.

Talking about this initiative, Chris Colter, chief strategy & product officer at Initiative, said, “The Super Bowl is the only place in culture where people not only pay attention to the ads, but actively lean into them. As brands open their wallets to take a real punt on leaving a lasting impression, it’s become a cultural litmus test for the trends that matter.”

Meanwhile, Ryan Haeusler, head of communications design at Initiative and architect of the platform, commented, “Every year we’ve looked to not just rerun The Marketing Multi, but evolve the experience. With these new AI powered features, it now offers a more equal playing field for people to participate and add to our already diverse winners list.”

The Marketing Multi is open to all agencies, marketers, media owners, or anyone simply wanting to have a punt and have some fun, with bets closing on February 7, 2024.

Sydney, Australia – Media agency Initiative has announced the promotion of Ryan Haeusler to the newly created role of national head of communications design and Emma Greenhalgh to Sydney head of communications design.

The leadership promotions come as the media agency seeks to elevate its planning offerings for its clients.

Haeusler joined Initiative in 2015 and previously held the position of Sydney head of communications design. In his new role, he brings with him years of experience, including that of spearheading the LEGO account that has been recognised for its quality and innovative media planning in the ANZ marketplace.

Haeusler is also known for his innate ability to lead his team to consistently deliver idea-led, culturally empowered ecosystems that drive effectiveness, which is evident in the projects he has worked on before.

Meanwhile, Greenhalgh, in her appointment, will step in to take Haeusler’s former role as Sydney head of communications design. Prior to her role, she served as the communication design director for IAG.

Greenhalgh strongly advocates for industry causes and has been instrumental in leading planning for NFP “WhatAbility”,  a disability support service that specialises in community service.

Both promotions are effective immediately, and Greenhalgh will be reporting directly to Haeusler. The latter will also report directly to the chief strategy and product officer, Chris Colter.

In these new appointments, Colter shared that he couldn’t be prouder to recognise the talents of two of the agency’s most outstanding team members and expand their remit further across the agency and their clients.

He said, “Ryan and Emma are two fiercely intelligent, collaborative, and creative craft leaders and have been the driving force behind a lot of Initiative’s success and the success of our clients. They have a proven track record in making the impossible possible, in architecting some of the most integrated, innovative, and, most importantly, effective work for our clients, and in designing new planning solutions that keep us on top of our game. I can’t wait to see them create the next era of Initiative.”

Meanwhile, on his promotion, Haeusler said, “I’m thrilled to be extending my remit into the Melbourne and Perth markets and to get access to all the amazing people and clients that come with it. Initiative has always put a major focus on strategic media planning as a craft, so I’m super excited to see what Emma and I can build (and break) to make it even better.”

Greenhalgh also added, “Initiative’s culture encourages high achievers to aim for the top, and I love the fast-paced environment. Ryan’s shoes are big ones to fill, but I am confident I can bring new perspectives to the role and continue to help our clients stay ahead of their competitors via an enhanced comms design offering and thought leadership.”

Singapore – IPG Mediabrands’s media agency Initiative has announced its recent affiliate agreement with IG Square Pakistan for its second new market launch: the Initiative Pakistan office.

The affiliate office aims to expand the agency’s network footprint across 14 different countries in the APAC region including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Speaking about the collaboration, James Smyllie, president at Initiative APAC said, “Initiative has had an exciting 2023, with our launch in New Zealand, and now our affiliate partnership with IG Square, creating Initiative Pakistan.” 

“Initiative’s continued expansion into growth markets is testament to the prevailing success of our unique proposition which is steadily building Fame & Flow for brands across the Asia-Pacific region,” Smyllie added. 

Adnan Shaikh, director and chief operating officer at IG Square Pakistan supported this particular announcement and said, “The extension of our collaboration with IPG Mediabrands by introducing Initiative to Pakistan is a dream come true. Not only does it signify another step towards enlarging IPG’s footprint in this market, but it answers the industry demand for global tools and experience with local knowledge under one single umbrella.”

The Initiative affiliate relationship with IG Square Pakistan is set to take effect immediately upon announcement.

Singapore – Initiative, an IPG Mediabrands media agency, has been named the media agency of record for Finnair, Finland’s full-service legacy airline. This appointment followed a competitive pitch review in September of the same year. 

The appointment of Initiative as Finnair’s official media agency is effective right away.

The assigned task for Initiative will be the management of media strategy, planning, and buying across all digital channels, and it will initially cover four Asia-Pacific markets Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. 

Initiative’s strategic model, developed around growth markets and a profound understanding of performance, was cited by Finnair as a key differentiator. 

Speaking about the partnership, Lara Allan, team lead of growth marketing and technology at Finnair, said, “In our centenarian year, Finnair is thrilled to embark on a new chapter, sharing the rich story of our brand and exceptional product with travellers from APAC who aspire to explore Europe and beyond. We are proud to announce our strategic partnership with Initiative, whose strategic insights, local expertise, and expansive media network perfectly align with our vision.” 

She added, “As we look ahead to 2024, the future holds incredible promise, and we are eager to continue expanding our presence in Asia.” 

Meanwhile, James Smyllie, president of Initiative APAC, said, “We are very excited to add Finnair to our client roster. We see this new partnership as an opportunity to help Finnair build their brand Fame and delivering Flow-centric solutions that will elevate Finnair’s position as global trailblazer in aviation.” 

Manila, Philippines – Initiative, a media agency within IPG Mediabrands, has announced their appointment as the media agency of record for Philippine food and beverages company Monde Nissin through the launch of ‘Crave’, their dedicated team assigned exclusively to the company. 

Initiative’s appointment encompasses all media and buying duties for all brands across Monde Nissin and Monde M.Y. San. With resources and expertise from the IPG Mediabrands network, Crave is well-positioned to elevate the partnership.

Gen dela Peña, media communications head of Monde Nissin, said, “Initiative’s focus on business KPIs as the starting point for media decisions is exactly what we are looking for today. Given today’s complex media landscape, we are looking forward to how Initiative and Team Crave will guide us on how to plan media more efficiently and effectively, with a clear focus on achieving the right metric for success.”

Melody Laogan, managing partner, Initiative Philippines, added, “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Monde Nissin and launch Team Crave. This marks the beginning of an exciting journey of pushing boundaries and changing the game together.”

Meanwhile, Paul Atienza, managing partner, Initiative Philippines, also commented, “This epic win is testament to Initiative’s modern and outcome-driven approach to integrated strategic planning. We cannot wait to join forces and craft unparalleled consumer experiences to grow Monde Nissin brands through our Fame and FlowTM model.”

Sydney, Australia – Australian value furniture and bedding retailer Fantastic Furniture has appointed Initiative as its media agency of record.

Through this appointment,  Initiative is tasked with all of Fantastic Furniture’s national and local broadcast media planning & buying, print, outdoor, radio, press, magazines, cinema, and BVOD. 

Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Incubeta, Fantastic Furniture’s Digital agency was not part of the review.

Initiative’s immediate remit will begin on October 1, wherein it will undertake an in-depth analysis of the business to understand its brand identity, target audience and long-term business objectives, to ensure that all media efforts are aligned with the company’s ambition and vision.

Commenting on the partnership, Jo McAlister, managing director of Initiative Sydney, said, “We are confident our strategic approach and quest to hone our craft to create brave, but sustainable campaigns will deliver exceptional results for Fantastic, and will ultimately enhance its brand presence, drive customer engagement and boost sales.”

“Initiative works with clients who have similar cultures and ambitions. We are fearless in our approach to deliver best in class outcomes; we always put our people, clients and partners front and centre in everything we do. It was clear from the start that Fantastic shares the same philosophies, so there is no doubt we will make an undeniably formidable client/agency partnership,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Laurie Lai, chief marketing officer of Fantastic Furniture, commented,  “We are excited to work with a team who is uncompromising in its ambition to provide unbeatable value, smart thinking and pride in their craft, creating the highest quality client outcome possible.

“Initiative presented an excellent understanding of different ways to approach screens and demonstrated they have the right tools to deliver. Their team challenged our thinking from the start, developing a strategy which will ensure we get the best results from our media investment. We look forward to building a strong relationship with Initiative and feel confident our new partnership will deliver continued growth for Fantastic Furniture,” she concluded.