Tag: Korea

South Korea – Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has partnered with E-Mart Inc. to establish a joint venture, combining their South Korean e-commerce operations in a strategic move to compete more effectively in the country’s growing online retail market.

According to Bloomberg, E-Mart’s stock exchange filing confirmed earlier reports that AliExpress International and Gmarket are forming a 50-50 joint venture. The companies reportedly plan to make additional investments in the venture, which will hold full ownership of Gmarket. 

Sources familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that the new entity might be worth about $4 billion.

The joint venture aims to strengthen the companies’ position against local competitors such as Naver Corp. and Coupang Inc. Additionally, Alibaba has reportedly been focusing on expanding its international footprint to offset slower growth in its core Chinese e-commerce operations.

Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce growth remained sluggish in the September quarter, weighing on financial results despite gains in its cloud and international businesses, including Lazada and AliExpress. Facing fierce competition from PDD Holdings and ByteDance, the company has pivoted under CEO Eddie Wu to streamline core operations and prioritise high-growth areas, Bloomberg reported.

Alibaba, under Jiang Fan’s leadership, is integrating its domestic and international e-commerce operations while shedding non-core assets. Last week, the company sold its Intime department store business to Youngor Fashion for $1b, marking a $1.3b loss on its initial investment.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg also reported that E-Mart shares rose 5.5% in Seoul, boosting its market value to $1.4 billion. Alibaba’s American depositary receipts climbed 2.1% in New York, bringing this year’s gains to over 11% and valuing the company at $206 billion. 

E-Mart has been expanding its e-commerce presence through organic growth and acquisitions, including a 2021 deal to acquire a controlling stake in eBay’s South Korean marketplace for $3 billion.

Korea – GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, has been named L’Oréal Korea’s media partner of record, responsible for all media planning and buying activities.

GroupM was chosen by L’Oréal Korea after a competitive process, impressing with their in-depth understanding of the Korean market, strategic prowess, significant media buying power, and advanced capabilities in technology and commerce.

Michael Beecroft, GroupM’s CEO for Northeast Asia, said, “We are hugely honoured to be expanding our relationship with such an iconic and ambitious brand in such an exciting market.” 

“Korea is home to many of the world’s most sophisticated beauty consumers. We look forward to helping L’Oréal Korea meet their needs with compelling, relevant media that drives growth and innovation,” Beecroft added. 

This appointment strengthens the global relationship between L’Oréal Groupe, the world’s fourth-largest advertiser, and GroupM, expanding their partnership to over 30 markets worldwide, including the key Korean market.

Seoul, Korea – Tinder has unveiled its latest local brand campaign in Korea, which celebrates and caters to the authentic self-expression and choices of Gen Z’s.

Building on Tinder’s “There’s no wrong choice, Tinder.” brand message in Korea, the campaign focuses on Gen Z’s quest for honesty and authenticity through real-life stories of one of Korea’s rising stars, in addition to real stories of actual Tinder users.

In the campaign video, Korean actress Jeon Jong-seo unapologetically showcases her distinct personality with a promise to share all aspects of herself as an actress and as an individual. 

https://youtu.be/JO0Q0d2-CEk?si=9JA0O9cxK2FkgHoS

Whether it’s love, friendship, or an undefined relationship, the subsequent three campaign videos showcase real-life stories of Korean users who have found new connections on Tinder, illustrating the possibilities of anyone finding a significant other or friend on Tinder.

The campaign takes inspiration from the new generation of Gen Z daters who are known for expressing themselves more and being authentically honest in showing who they truly are to others, according to Tinder’s 2023 “Year In Swipe” report.

The campaign in Korea will run through April 30, and four campaign videos, including one by Jeon will be available on Tinder’s official channels for Korea, including the Tinder app, YouTube, and Instagram.

Talking about the campaign, Daniel Kim, VP of Marketing, Asia at Tinder, said, “Tinder’s latest brand campaign in Korea celebrates this generation’s self-expression and authenticity. At Tinder, we are passionate about creating a space where every individual can showcase their true selves fearlessly, knowing that they’re embraced and celebrated just as they are. With this new local campaign, we’re proud to champion authenticity as the cornerstone of meaningful relationships.”

With this campaign in mind, Tinder continues to connect  strongly with Gen Z singles across the APAC region. “There’s no wrong choice, Tinder,” in Korea follows Tinder’s first local “It Starts With A Swipe” campaign in Southeast Asia that debuted in Vietnam, illustrating how this generation of young adult singles are looking for endless possibilities. The “Love Is With Others” brand campaign in Japan similarly celebrates young adults seeking new possibilities and encourages them to look for joy, laughter, and sadness with someone else to make every day special.

Seoul, South Korea – Advertising agency BBDO in South Korea has recently announced the appointment of Junhwa Jung as its newest executive creative director. This strategic move aims to elevate the agency’s presence in the dynamic creative landscape, focusing on infusing his expertise into the industry.

Jung boasts a rich portfolio as a creative director, leaving an indelible mark on global and domestic brands. With over two decades of experience, he has even cultivated collaborations with Korean artists and forged diverse partnerships.

Previously recognised as one of the country’s top creative directors, his influential role in crafting advertising narratives extends to renowned brands such as Samsung, Nike, Levi’s, Amore Pacific, SK Telecom, Yuhan-Kimberly, and Outback Steakhouse.

Apart from this advertising prowess, he has also ventured into the tech realm, establishing a tech agency committed to projects involving augmented reality platform development and digital human initiatives using real-time 3D technology.

Following the said appointment, Jang-Yong Kim, CEO at BBDO Korea, shared his enthusiasm, saying, “We are delighted to welcome Junhwa Jung as our new ECD. With his exceptional talents and passion for unconventional creativity, we are confident that he will lead BBDO Korea to new creative heights.”

In his newfound role, Jung is poised to imbue a novel approach into the company’s advertising initiatives, showcasing his remarkable copywriting skills and innate capacity for unconventional thinking.

Taiwan – Global marketing and advertising agency dentsu has announced the establishment of a new ‘Greater North’ cluster that brings Mainland China and three of the regions in Asia into one structure, with a new leadership team and Jennifer Tang to spearhead as the CEO. 

The new Greater North cluster will merge dentsu’s markets in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan to form one management structure.

With the new cluster, dentsu also announced the appointment of its visionary team of leaders from the agency’s respective markets who are expected to drive success and growth for the new cluster.

Tang, who is currently serving as dentsu Taiwan’s CEO, will take the helm as Greater North’s CEO. She is recognised for her transformative management approach, transforming the Taiwan business with her six-year visionary journey and making it among the strongest in the APAC region. 

She is known for her unwavering focus on integration, innovation, data, and technology, which enabled dentsu Taiwan to capitalise on high growth opportunities by expertly predicting and navigating the changing expectations of consumers and delivering competitive advantage for brands in the market.

Together with Tang, Joshua Wong from dentsu Taiwan will serve as the new cluster’s CFO. He is an innovative and strategic leader who brings a critical commercial lens to investments and operations. Having worked with Tang, he was part of Taiwan’s transformation journey to deliver some of the strongest results in the group.

Chu Yin Mak will remain as dentsu China’s CEO and dentsu APAC’s executive committee member. With 25 years of career experience, his mastery of the varied imaginative value delivery, technology, data, and ecosystem landscape, along with his ability to identify and take action on significant growth opportunities from evolving market conditions, is expected to bring a significant advantage to the group.

Also working with the new group is Simone Tam, who is now appointed CEO for the Greater Bay Area. Tam has been overseeing both Dentsu Creative and dentsu Hong Kong as CEO since 2021 and has been growing both over the course of her career. 

In her new role, she will capitalise on the huge potential of the Greater Bay Area, overseeing a geo-centric business unit comprising the hyper-growth territories of Hong Kong, the Guangdong Province, and Macao as the new CEO. 

Lastly, Donna Kim, dentsu Korea’s CEO, will also join the Greater North cluster’s leadership team. With 30 years of experience building successful domestic enterprises for large global MarComms businesses, she is expected to further drive growth for the group. Her deep level of industry knowledge and thorough understanding of building brands in and out of Korea bring a strong media perspective to the fore. 

Rob Gilby, CEO APAC at dentsu said, “Jennifer is a vocal advocate of co-creation and collaboration, and together with her leadership team will deliver new untapped growth opportunities for both our clients and our business. Bringing together these markets into one management structure with an integrated cluster strategy will enable each leader to spearhead an agenda that benefits all markets, delivering new innovation and client opportunities, improved speed to market, greater autonomy to deliver solutions, and economies of scale aligned to market needs.”

He added, “Jennifer needs no introduction; she has won a number of accolades for her own leadership and the culture she has overseen in the Taiwan business, while her teams have been recognised on the global stage, from Cannes Lions to Spikes, Clios, Madstars, and RECMA. She is a passionate advocate of B2B2S and dentsu’s impact on the communities it’s a part of, living the values that are fundamental to the way we do business.” 

Commenting on her appointment, Tang shared, “We’ve been given a significant opportunity to drive unprecedented scale and build our business around our clients and their needs, which is unique to dentsu and our model in market. The formation of this cluster ultimately drives greater opportunity for our clients, giving them frictionless access to a collaborative community of experts across marketing, consulting, and technology.”

“I am excited to work with the exceptional leaders in Joshua, Chun, Simone, and Donna, who bring significant expertise across a range of specialisms. Together we will drive new growth for brands and opportunities for our people by delivering new services and solutions that tackle our clients’ greatest challenges, fueling our growth and broadening the horizons for professional development within our teams,” she added. 

Seoul, South Korea – Multinational electronic company LG Electronics (LG) has launched its latest motivational brand film that highlights the importance of optimism to communicate the true meaning of the brand’s ‘Life’s Good’ message. 

Crafted in collaboration with the creative team at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York and headed by EmmyAward-winning director Nicolai Fuglsig, the 90-second film powerfully illustrates what can happen when one elects to walk the path of optimism.

The new brand film features a middle-aged man struggling to ride a longboard down a suburban street. However, as the film progresses, he becomes more determined and begins to slide gracefully over the asphalt with a smile on his face. 

Upon choosing optimism in his personal journey, the man was able to overcome obstacles and accomplish something no one believed he would be capable of. The heartwarming story is a reminder that there’s an optimist inside everyone; it’s merely a matter of deciding to embrace it.

The new brand film is part of the brand’s ongoing global ‘Life’s Good’ campaign, which aims to inspire people to face challenges with an optimistic attitude during difficult times. It also highlights the enduring nature of LG’s brand philosophy and values, which the company has consistently upheld throughout its entire history.

The campaign has also graced some of the most iconic landmarks in various cities around the world, including Dubai, London, New York, and Seoul.

LG is transforming its businesses and the way it communicates its brand with customers and stakeholders through brand reinvention. With this, the company ensures the values and philosophy of ‘Life’s Good’ are delivered at every touchpoint across the customer experience.

Jeongseok Lee, senior vice president and head at LG’s Global Marketing Center,  shared, “Life’s Good represents our unwavering commitment to making people’s lives better through innovation. In line with our future vision to become a smart life solution company, we will communicate with various customers at every touchpoint in a more dynamic and youthful way.”

Speaking on the campaign, Kim Hyo-eun, vice president at LG’s Global Marketing Center, also said, “With our global campaign, we aim to convey our message of Life’s Good, inspiring and encouraging customers to take life with an optimistic attitude. We hope that our brand film can uplift customers and create meaningful influence on their lives.”

Meanwhile, Director Nicholai Fuglsig said, “LG came to me with the idea of sharing the meaning of its Life’s Good philosophy through the lens of choosing optimism, and I was immediately drawn to the project.” 

“I love the story of an unexpected hero venturing out of his comfort zone and using optimism to overcome challenges. Personally, I feel it’s a powerful reminder not to get bogged down by negativity and to live life to the fullest,” he added. 

Singapore – Jona Oboza, formerly the APAC senior director of client strategy at Xaxis, has joined adtech PubMatic as its country manager for Southeast Asia and Korea, according to her LinkedIn profile.

In her previous role at Xaxis, she was responsible for the company’s business management, programmatic media buying, and new business development in the region. She also previously served as Xaxis’ general manager in Taiwan, where she led the accelerated transformation in client development, innovation, and operations excellence of GroupM Taiwan’s performance media and programmatic business.

Her other previous roles included head of digital integration and innovation at Publicis Media and head of performance at Omnicom Media Group (OMG), as well as associate director at Innity.

PubMatic recently published a playbook in October this year, where it laid out strategies on how mobile app publishers can capture increased brand spend.

Seoul, South Korea – Full-service communications agency Redhill has appointed Do Sik (DS) Kim, former senior writer at Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), to be its new chief operating officer for its Korea operation. 

In his new role, Kim will be based in Seoul and working closely with Redhill Korea’s leadership team. He will also be focusing on driving local expertise and cross-market collaboration to orchestrate broader capabilities for clients and accelerate business growth — with a sharp focus on the domestic market’s thriving start-up and tech investment ecosystem. 

Kim is a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience in public affairs and corporate communications. Over the course of his career, he has developed a robust background in legal reporting and has forged strong connections with various government sectors from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, as well as with prominent prosecutors and lawmakers. He began his journalism career at the Yonhap News Agency, followed by a 26-year stint with SBS.

Commenting on his appointment, Kim said that he could not be more excited by this opportunity to join hands with this rapidly growing agency.

“I’m looking forward to assisting our local clients with creating exceptional marketing communications and creative innovations to enter new markets and expand their global footprint and global clients to enter and deepen their market presence in South Korea,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Jacob Puthenparambil, founder and CEO of Redhill, noted that they know their clients will greatly benefit from Kim’s foresight, wealth of experience, and counsel to navigate their complex business and communication challenges.

“DS brings deep subject matter expertise and an impressive track record as a trusted advisor, collaborator, and growth driver. I have full confidence that he will be a great asset to expand our domestic footprint and orchestrate new service offerings to create exceptional work for our clients, said Puthenparambil.

Singapore – Cartoonito, the preschool brand of Cartoon Network, has been launched across Southeast Asia, as well as in Japan and Korea. The Japan launch of the brand was made on 1 March, while the Korean and SEA launch was made on 28 March. ‘Cartoonito’ offers a modern approach to preschool programming, built to support each child’s unique potential with its educational framework called ‘Humancentric Learning’.

Tentpole shows in Southeast Asia and Korea include Lucas the Spider, Dino Ranch, Monchhichi and Esme & Roy. These sit alongside a growing slate of new and library series in a line-up that celebrates individuality and originality, while championing creativity, compassion and inclusion. These shows will also sit in a dedicated Cartoonito programming rail on the regional streaming service HBO GO in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. A launch event is scheduled in Singapore in April.

Meanwhile in Japan, the line-up includes Thomas and Friends, Pingu, and Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. Celebrity singer Kaela Kimura sings the theme song during the daily block. Cartoonito will launch in Australia and New Zealand in early July, and in South Asia later in the year.

All ‘Cartoonito’ shows follow a curriculum designed by early childhood education expert Dr. Laura Brown to support the four pillars of ‘Humancentric Learning’: creativity, caring, curiosity and courage. The brand aims to inspire kids to use their imagination, to learn from their mistakes and to treat others with empathy and respect.

Leslie Lee, head of kids for WarnerMedia in Asia Pacific, said, “When we introduced Cartoon Network’s new brand promise ‘Redraw Your World’ earlier this year, the channel shifted to become more inclusive to boys and girls. Now with Cartoonito, our demos are even wider – creating a safe environment for even younger children to enjoy every morning with their parents and caregivers. While the content and on-air packaging are extremely appealing to youngsters, it is how the block is carefully curated and programmed which makes it stand out.”

Singapore – Global communications firm Edelman has announced a new lineup of digital hires as part of strengthening its digital offering in the Asia-Pacific region.This includes expanding the firm’s existing offerings in content creation and production, as well as adding talent in the areas of social commerce, paid and performance marketing, martech, AI, VR and 3D capabilities, among others. 

In South Asia, Saurabh Kulkarni has been appointed as the head of Edelman Studios in India, where he is tasked with building a regional hub for content creation. He will partner with India’s managing director for digital, Kunal Arora, on leveraging AI to create data-centric content production capabilities that will serve the region.

At Edelman China, in addition to Justin Teo joining the firm in August as the new chief digital officer, Yuliani Setiadi has come onboard as head of digital for Hong Kong and Taiwan. With Setiadi’s extensive experience in building shoppable e-commerce experiences across different touchpoints, she will aid in establishing Hong Kong as a B2C regional hub.

In Korea, the firm welcomed Rebekah Lee as its new head of digital earlier this year, bringing rich experience in data-driven performance marketing and web analytics that complements Edelman’s digital newsroom capability in the Korean market.

Jonathan Wong and Henry Taylor also joined the teams in Malaysia and Australia respectively this October to serve as head of digital in those markets. Wong brings extensive technical and automation experience, as well as a proven track record for e-commerce and digital transformation, while Taylor is skilled in content, SEO, newsroom and platform growth strategies, given his background as a data journalist.

To manage the growing team’s operations across the region, Debra Ng returned to Edelman this year to take on the role of regional digital operations manager. She is tasked with delivering digital upskilling and competency development programs for clients.

“Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve seen our clients take significant steps to accelerate their digital capabilities, knowledge and skills. With these hires, we are doubling down on specialisms across the region to match the evolving needs of our clients, helping them create more compelling content, facilitate digital transformation, and leverage the growth of e-commerce and digital storytelling,” comments Stephen Kehoe, Edelman’s CEO for APAC.

He added, “Each of these hires brings a deep specialism to the firm, allowing our clients to benefit from the industry’s most advanced and comprehensive practices, irrespective of which market they are in. By removing the silos of markets and specialisms, we are building a more client- and solution-centric operating model, setting ourselves and our clients up for success in a post-pandemic world.”