Tag: IPG Mediabrands

Sydney, Australia – KINESSO Commerce, IPG Mediabrands’ technology-driven commerce subsidiary, announced a global partnership with Vudoo, a technology company and content commerce expert. As part of this partnership, KINESSO Commerce’s activated media and Vudoo’s innovative shoppable ad technology have joined forces to offer an always-on commerce media solution that makes content shoppable 24/7 on the open web. 

KINESSO Commerce has created an end-to-end solution called “ShopNow,” which includes Vudoo technology, KINESSO’s activation and performance capabilities, and creative solutions from IPG Mediabrands. 

The partnership offers KINESSO clients increased transparency and visibility into the consumer journey, including whether or not a customer completes a purchase after adding items to their basket. It is a first-to-market worldwide solution across commerce partners, including Amazon. With a number of Australian retailers, the worldwide alliance will debut in the Australian market. Additional rollouts are planned for the UK, US, and APAC, as well as a wider range of clients. 

The combination of Vudoo’s real-time first-party data capture and KINESSO Commerce’s measurement and analytics expertise will improve KINESSO Commerce’s optimization capabilities and increase conversions for the agency’s clients. For the benefit of the larger IPG Mediabrands network, KINESSO Commerce will now be able to improve its off-retailer website and content creation services. Vudoo’s interactive video capabilities will allow digital advertisers to access customer intent signals that are now unavailable in traditional video formats, providing consumers the ability to choose what they want to view and how their user journey unfolds.

Speaking about the partnership, Hope Williams, KINESSO Australia’s head of Commerce, said, “Vudoo’s vision aligns perfectly with ours at KINESSO Commerce—we believe every story we tell needs a ‘buy button’ to ensure a seamless consumer experience, which has become a fundamental expectation for brands today, especially with younger digital-native audiences. We are confident this partnership will redefine how our global brands engage with consumers on the open web.” 

He added, “Our commitment to providing a globally scalable, end-to-end solution—including creative production, activation and insights, paired with Vudoo’s world-class commerce technology —is a testament to our dedication to client growth and success in the face of digital disruption.” 

Meanwhile, Nick Morgan, Vudoo’s CEO and Founder, commented, “We’re thrilled to announce our alliance with KINESSO Commerce, enabling consumers to shop directly from ads and content, and helping retailers achieve greater reach. This partnership is a testament to Vudoo’s commitment to innovation and our vision for a future where shopping everywhere becomes a seamless reality for consumers worldwide. Together, we hope to set a global precedent of transforming traditional advertising by making every piece of content shoppable directly on the open web.” 

Lastly, Amie Owen, KINESSO Commerce’s global chief growth officer, said, “The content commerce space is rapidly evolving and expectations from consumers online are high, particularly when it comes to the checkout process. We’re excited to partner with the team at Vudoo to make content shoppable and streamline the user experience as we believe that everything should be shoppable all the time. The 360-degree view of customer purchasing journeys and real-time analytics available on Vudoo’s platform will enable our marketers to enhance customer engagement and drive actionable insights for brands.”

London, United Kingdom – IPG Mediabrands, Interpublic Group’s media and marketing solutions subsidiary, global adtech firm PubMatic, and SeenThis, an adaptive streaming firm, have signed a landmark deal to establish the Climate Action platform (CAM), the industry’s first green advertising platform.

CAM takes advantage of adaptive streaming technologies from SeenThis, PubMatic’s flagship inventory, as well as the technological competence of IPG Mediabrands’ performance agency, KINESSO.

Since 2021, IPG Mediabrands and SeenThis have worked together to achieve better campaign performance, creative outputs, and the possibility of transferring less data when compared to traditional advertising technology, which would minimise carbon emissions. Beginning in Q2 2024, all clients of IPG Mediabrands will have access to the new service. By lowering carbon emissions and utilising the advantages of collaborating with Orion opted-in partners, CAM seeks to advance sustainability.

With the least amount of data waste, SeenThis’ adaptive streaming technology loads creatives promptly in the best quality. The digital carbon footprint of a brand is decreased because data is only transported for the purpose of seeing creative assets. With the new arrangement, all campaigns may make use of SeenThis’s adaptive streaming, which offers a better performance and viewing experience while consuming a lot less bandwidth than traditional advertising technologies. 

Using PubMatic’s premium supply, SeenThis’ video-in-display systems provide reduced data waste and cost-efficiency. SeenThis’ adaptive streaming technology cuts load times, removes file-size constraints, and avoids wasteful data transfer, lowering CO2 emissions while providing performance benefits. Clients of IPG Mediabrands can integrate CAM into their go-to-market investment strategy at no additional expense.

Speaking about the agreement, Martin Bryan, global chief sustainability officer at IPG Mediabrands, said, “Our advertisers strive to deliver campaigns of the highest quality and meet performance goals while simultaneously integrating strategies to minimise carbon emissions. With our Climate Action Marketplace, we can deliver on all fronts. By leveraging SeenThis adaptive streaming technology as a default across our media delivery, we can make an enormous positive impact for our clients and reduce data transfer – thus carbon emissions – in the process.”

Meanwhile, Kyle Dozeman, CRO at PubMatic, stated, “Our partnership with IPG Mediabrands and SeenThis provides brands with a solution that delivers incredible advertising experiences on premium content while also reducing their carbon footprint. It’s exciting to collaborate with other companies that are creating solutions that deliver both performance and sustainability at a global scale as we seek to build a better, more responsible supply chain for digital advertising.” 

Lastly, Susan Kravitz, head of commercial partnerships at SeenThis, said, “IPG Mediabrands is taking a bold step forward to create immediate improvements for their own business and for their clients. With SeenThis’ proprietary adaptive streaming technology, IPG Mediabrands is embracing the next generation of digital advertising with better performance, beautiful viewer experiences and reduced carbon emissions.” 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – IPG Mediabrands Malaysia has announced the appointment of Stephanie Foong as its chief investment officer. Her appointment follows the leadership transition of Fan Chen Yip, the current chief investment officer, who departs to pursue new opportunities.

Effective immediately, Foong will step into the role of chief investment officer, responsible for all legacy and new media investments within the group, with a focus on buying accountability and innovation. Stephanie’s role will oversee all aspects of IPG Mediabrands’ investment initiatives, focusing on maximising value for clients through data-driven insights and innovative media strategies. 

Her appointment takes effect 1 July 2024, and she will report directly to CEO of IPG Mediabrands Malaysia, Bala Pomaleh.

Speaking on Foong’s appointment, Pomaleh said, “After three years of dedicated service, Fan will be moving on from our company from the end of June. During his tenure, he has been instrumental in shaping our investment strategy and fostering growth within IPG Mediabrands. We are grateful for his contribution to our leadership team and wish him all the best as he embarks on this next chapter of his career.”

He added, “We are excited to appoint Stephanie into this role as chief investment officer. Stephanie has been with the group as head of Orion for four years and played a pivotal role in nurturing our partnerships. Her wealth of industry experience and proven track record within the network gives her a deep understanding of the nuanced media investment dynamics at play today. We trust in her commitment to driving results as we look to steer our partnerships and trading capabilities through this next evolution. Stephanie’s leadership will be pivotal in helping us navigate the rapidly evolving media landscape to ensure we continue to deliver unparalleled service to our client base.”

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 – MBCS, the media-driven creative content practice within the IPG Mediabrands network, has announced the creation of MBCS Academy, a new CSR initiative that will allow underprivileged kids to continue higher education while obtaining job experience in the advertising profession. 

The ‘Work & Study’ program at MBCS Academy is especially intended for school dropouts from Malaysian B40 SPM and STPM classes, which correspond to families from the lowest 40% of income earners in Malaysia. Successful applicants can pursue a subsidised diploma or degree program at a partner university, as well as full-time, salaried employment in advertising with MBCS, as part of the program. 

An extensive grasp of the industry and working life is given to candidates during the six-month internship that precedes the MBCS Academy. Successful interns will get a study stipend to continue their studies at partner universities like CATS College, INTI International University, Open University Malaysia, and Veritas University College, in addition to an offer of full-time employment after the internship. 

Stanley Clement, chief executive officer of MBCS Academy, said, “There are many young people who end up missing out on life’s opportunities merely because they can’t afford to get into tertiary education. The MBCS Academy is specifically designed to give a leg up to these talented young people who might otherwise be left behind. It is also gives young school leavers a first-hand look at the advertising industry as an apprentice, without having to have a paper qualification in hand. It is our hope as an industry to change the world with what we do. This is our way, one student at a time.” 

He added, “We are excited to open this up to eligible school leavers who received their results this week. Those of us in advertising understand the importance of moulding a new generation of capable talents to serve our creative and innovation needs of tomorrow. As a people-first agency, MBCS is excited to give back to society in this unique way by nurturing talents with real working experience by the time they graduate.”

Singapore – IPG Mediabrands and Zefr have announced a first-in-kind agency partnership. Said partnership is designed to combat disinformation and improve brand safety and acceptability for online campaigns. 

The partnership will provide campaign solutions that enable brands to avoid spreading false information on social media, using the technology-driven performance unit, KINESSO, and the research data from IPG Mediabrands’ media intelligence and investment section, MAGNA. Political, environmental, medical, AI-generated, and brand-specific content are amongst the main areas. 

Moreover, the partnership between Zefr and IPG Mediabrands continues, and this alliance expands on it. It is in line with the agency network’s media for good programs, which prioritise brand safety, media responsibility, marketplace equity, and sustainability in order to foster influence both inside and outside of its business scope. 

The new campaign tools were developed with input from the MAGNA Media Trial. KINESSO is integrating these disinformation capabilities into the end-to-end integrated campaign process for IPG Mediabrands clients. 

Speaking about the partnership, Dani Benowitz, US & global president, MAGNA, said, “Helping our clients to protect their brands while reaching their audiences through the most effective channels is core to the work we do as their agency partners. By engaging in specialised partnerships like this with Zefr, we are ensuring our clients have access not only to our in-house expertise, but also to the best tools and capabilities the industry has to offer, so their media investments are strategic and made with relevant, high industry standards in mind.” 

Meanwhile, Andrew Serby, chief commercial officer at Zefr, stated, “At Zefr, we have been proactive in tackling misinformation across walled gardens, combining advanced AI for multi-media with global fact-checking networks. IPG’s leadership in combating misinformation for their clients is second to none, and this partnership underscores that commitment towards this critical issue. Together, we are accelerating the fight against misinformation across walled gardens, applying media responsibility to client investment around the world.”

Singapore – The media and marketing solutions subsidiary of Interpublic Group , IPG Mediabrands, has announced that Kristine Biti has been appointed as the head of KINESSO in Asia-Pacific. Biti will be based in Singapore at the KINESSO Regional Headquarters, reporting to Leigh Terry, the CEO of IPG Mediabrands Asia-Pacific. On Thursday, April 11th, her appointment will become effective.

The announcement comes after Matt Ware was promoted to CEO for Japan at IPG Mediabrands. 

Biti takes over as APAC Head of KINESSO, IPG Mediabrands’ tech-driven performance agency, and leads a team of over 1000 digital experts across 11 markets. They work in digital media, marketing automation, advanced analytics, commerce, and AI. 

Biti has 15 years of expertise in advertising, marketing, and technology in Asia Pacific, and she specialises in driving regional expansion, strategic collaborations, and organisational transformation within the industry. Her previous work includes as APAC head of operations, client, and growth at Media.Monks.

Commenting about Biti’s appointment, Leigh Terry, CEO IPG Mediabrands APAC, said, “Kris has a great reputation for driving operational excellence and commercial transformation. Her deep-seated knowledge of marketing technology paired with an unrivalled passion and tenacity for the forward progress of this industry, make her the perfect hire to lead our digital performance specialists across the Asia-Pacific region. We are very excited to have her on board.” 

Meanwhile, Biti stated, “I am joining KINESSO at a time of exponential technological advancements, ever shifting consumer behaviour and heightened privacy scrutiny. More than ever, brands are seeking expertise and agility as they navigate the complexities of data, analytics, and their technology stack. The combination of KINESSO’s innovative solutions, top-tier services, and exceptional talent is the winning combination to propel our clients forward.”

She added, “It is an honour to have the opportunity to work with Leigh, his seasoned leadership team and legendary KINESSO crew across the world. I am looking forward to taking the APAC business to new heights.”

Singapore – IPG Mediabrands is a media and marketing solutions company. Interpublic Group has launched a partnership with The Insight Hive (Pvt) Ltd. for the establishment of two new organisations, UM Sri Lanka and Initiative Sri Lanka.

IPG Mediabrands and Insight Hive for UM Sri Lanka, and Initiative Sri Lanka have established a partnership agreement that will be implemented immediately.

The announcement comes following earlier this year’s revelation of new agency debuts in New Zealand and Pakistan. It expands IPG Mediabrands’ footprint in the Asia-Pacific region to 16 countries.

Speaking about the expansion, Leigh Terry, CEO of IPG Mediabrands, said, “The network’s expansion into three new growth markets this year, is not only testament to the strength and vitality of our media agencies and the demand for their services, but it also signals the health and recovery of our industry within the Asia Pacific region. Proof in point, our recent MAGNA global advertising forecast confirms that the Asia Pacific advertising economy grew by +8.2% this year, significantly higher than the global average of +5.5%.”

Meanwhile, speaking about the partnership, Peter Solomon, managing director of IPG Mediabrands Sri Lanka, commented, “This alliance with IPG Mediabrands is a major landmark for us at Insight Hive. We stand at the forefront of representing the UM and Initiative media agencies in Sri Lanka, which will contribute to the evolution of an ecosystem that is founded in our unique experience and market intelligence, coupled with the international scale and standing of the IPG Mediabrands network.”

He added, “We hope to establish new standards in consumer intelligence and effective campaign development targeted at a fast-paced marketplace.”

Singapore – IPG Mediabrands has announced strategic partnership between IPG Mediabrands Commerce and Stickler, a live commerce enablement technology provider, to produce a flexible end-to-end live commerce solution for brands across the Asia-Pacific region.

The IPG Mediabrands Commerce and Stickler live commerce solution will be launched and available to brands across 15 Asia-Pacific countries this year.

The bespoke solution which offers ‘Live Commerce as a Service’, allows brands to plug into a suite of software and service components to empower their own existing e-commerce operating framework, in addition to the ability to ‘plug and play’ any part of the live commerce stack with a complete end-to-end solution.

Moreover, the partnership between IPG Mediabrands Commerce and Stickler builds out scalable solutions for brands to establish themselves in live commerce, and create sustainable advantage by owning a greater portion of consumer spend in this emerging channel.

Leigh Terry, CEO at IPG Mediabrands, said, “With live commerce now accounting for 30% of ecommerce in China, and 15% globally, platforms across the region are taking note. Many brands understand that Live Commerce is imperative, and want to address the huge growth opportunity, but don’t feel quite ready to embrace the channel. Our unique approach with Stickler is less about trying to be full service, and more focused on giving brands what they need, whether this be full end-to-end or simply fill-in-the-gaps.”

He added, “We have combined software development and service structure to provide Live Commerce as a Service; this is an exciting evolution in our Commerce practice and an important offering for brands across the region.”

Meanwhile, Fionn Hyndman, founder at Stickler, commented, “IPG Mediabrands Commerce expertise combined with their specialised partner technology allows the scale and flexibility for marketers to optimise Live Commerce, regardless of their current structure. What we are building together is a future model, for the most significant growth channel I’ve seen in the last 10 years. We are solely focused on delivering results within our clients operating framework through Live Commerce. Our aim is to empower and enable them to achieve success.”

Singapore – IPG Mediabrands, Interpublic Group’s media and marketing solutions group, announced the appointment of Paul Waller to the newly created job of chief investment officer MAGNA for APAC. Waller will report to Leigh Terry, CEO of IPG Mediabrands APAC, and will be based in Singapore. His appointment is effective immediately.

Waller in his new position of chief investment officer MAGNA APAC, he will be responsible for leading investment performance throughout the IPG Mediabrands group’s agencies in the Asia Pacific area. MAGNA, the network’s global media investment and intelligence firm, will help to aid this endeavour. 

Waller has joined the IPG Mediabrands group, bringing with him trade and investing experience from positions held at GroupM and Omnicom in Singapore, China, Australia, and the UK. He comes to this post after serving as EssenceMediacom APAC’s chief media solutions & investment officer, where he was in charge of overseeing the department throughout 16 markets in the area. 

Speaking about the appointment, Leigh Terry, CEO of Mediabrands APAC, said, “We are very excited to welcome Paul to the IPG Mediabrands network. His track record of executional excellence and delivery, perfectly position him to help drive exponential growth for our client base through optimised trading efficiencies and services.” 

Meanwhile, Waller commented, “I’m thrilled to be joining the team at IPG Mediabrands and collaborating across such a diverse and future focused portfolio of advertisers. As leaders in data management, I believe that MAGNA are perfectly positioned to harness the technology-driven evolution of media and consumer behaviour. I look forward to building on the network’s impressive work in the responsible media communication and sustainability space.”