Tag: Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – As part of Malaysia Airlines’ commitment to supporting the development of homegrown talent in sports, the flag carrier airline and the Malaysian Football League (MFL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to mark their partnership in supporting the country’s football sporting field.

With the new partnership, Malaysia Airlines will be the official airline partner for MFL, providing safe and seamless air travel for the delegates competing in domestic professional tournaments under MFL, including Liga Super, Liga Premier, and Piala Malaysia, as well as Piala FA, and Piala Sumbangsih. The airline will also team up with MFL to support its activities, including local and international conferences, and football clinics.

Moreover, the partnership entails leveraging the extensive organisational network of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines. It will also see joint campaigns, branding, and events with Firefly, MASwings, MHholidays, and Enrich.

Izham Ismail, MAG’s group chief executive officer, commented that he is certain that this symbiotic relationship between Malaysia Airlines and MFL will be a boon to football enthusiasts across the nation, uniting fans with their favourite teams, especially supporters from East Malaysia, who can now enjoy more matches held in the peninsular, and vice versa, through our seamless connectivity and increased flight frequency.

“As the official airline for MFL and its celebrated professional competitions, Malaysia Airlines commits to providing seamless connectivity and safe travels for members of the MFL and football fans alike,” said Ismail.

Meanwhile, Stuart Ramalingam, MFL’s chief executive officer, believes that the partnership with Malaysia Airlines symbolises two brands – the national carrier and the nation’s biggest football association – coming together to elevate the standard of the Malaysian football scene to greater heights, in line with the national agenda.

“We are delighted to welcome our national carrier to Liga Malaysia. With the new season and fixtures scheduled for the year, members of the Malaysian football fraternity and fans who seek to travel across the country can take advantage of Malaysia Airlines’ increased frequencies, especially from Sabah and Sarawak,” said Ramalingam.

Just recently, Malaysia Airlines has also inked an MoU with Johor Darul Ta’zim Football Club (JDTFC) to mark their partnership which will be committed to elevating the local football scene ‘to the highest level’.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Singapore-based marketing consultancy start-up, The Celeb Net’, has launched its first celebrity marketplace platform in Malaysia, with the aim to make celebrities more accessible and affordable for brands globally. 

The platform is a one-stop platform that provides brands with the opportunity to secure celebrity endorsements easily and efficiently. It allows brands to filter celebrities via their campaign requirements and generate fee quotations immediately, essentially shortening the process from weeks to minutes. 

Moreover, the platform also provides brands and celebrities with access to internal data analysis to ensure both parties are well-informed during the negotiation stages, all within the most competitive rates in the market.

The Celeb Net said that on-boarded celebrities are able to send pitches directly to registered brands from any country for collaborations, while brands can also immediately assess the offer with the celebrity’s current rate and customise the pitch according to preference.

Kevin Zhang, The Celeb Net’s founder, commented that they understand the challenges faced by brands and celebrities in this field, and they aim to cultivate a healthy ecosystem for brands and celebrities by introducing this transparent and seamless process. 

“We are certain that The Celeb Net portal can transform and enhance the experience for brands and celebrities alike, as it is instant, direct, smart, and low cost,” said Zhang.

Meanwhile, Clara Cheong, The Celeb Net’s country head for Malaysia, shared that they see immense opportunity by expanding this business innovation in Malaysia. 

“Through our portal’s large database and optimised features, we aim to be the platform that bridges the gap between celebrities and brands through Malaysia’s diverse and growing celebrity market,” said Cheong.

The platform is a subscription-based marketplace, with its basic plan priced at RM738, while the premium plan is priced at RM1380. It has registered over 60 local A-List celebrities on the platform, inlcuding Janna Nick, Ayda Jebat, Hairul Azreen, Amyra Rosli, and Tong Bingyu, amongst others, as well as big-name brands such as Rado, Ogawa, Maybank, and Sen Heng have also registered on the marketplace platform.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Prudential Assurance Malaysia, an indirect subsidiary of Prudential, has released their annual brand collateral collection — the highlight of which were table-top calendars that took inspiration from something Malaysians was accustomed to every day during the pandemic: the QR Code. The campaign was done in collaboration with ad agency Naga DDB Tribal.

According to Prudential, they were inspired by the resilience in the ‘new norm’. Hence for 2022, the company set out to turn everyday pandemic obstacles we’ve come to normalize into wellness opportunities that refresh and rejuvenate.

Naqib Shamsuri, associate creative director, said, “We realized that the QR code had become part and parcel of our daily lives. From check-ins to menus, it served as a constant reminder of the pandemic. And since we all have our QR camera handy, why not give Malaysians something positive to do with it.”

The project entitled ‘Code to Wellness’ unlocks a wonderful world of wellness not just for users of the calendar and other brand collateral, but for all Malaysians through its online website, Prudential Malaysia’s social media platforms, as well as their official health and wellness app ‘Pulse by Prudential’. By scanning the QR Code every month, customers are granted access to wellness advice, activities and even rewards to transform their year into an exciting journey of wellness.

Angeline Tung Tze Ling, head of brand and communications of Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad, said, “As a brand, we’re all about giving our customers the opportunity to live with confidence. This calendar gives us just that with a year’s worth of health and wellness activities to help transform our lives for the better.”

The campaign is available on Prudential’s website with a monthly promo activation.

Malaysia – Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has elevated Eileen Ooi to the role of chief executive officer for the Malaysia office. This elevation serves as a recognition of Ooi’s stellar performance and aligns with the company’s commitment to nurturing talent from within the agency.

In her new role, Ooi will be responsible for steering OMG Malaysia’s operations, driving efficiencies, and strengthening capabilities among its agencies in the country, namely OMD and PHD, as well as the group’s data and analytics division, Annalect. 

In February 2021, Ooi has been appointed as the new chief operating officer (COO) of OMG Malaysia, and has played a pivotal role in propelling commercial growth and harnessing digital capabilities for the agency network in the market.

OMG Malaysia said that under Ooi’s leadership as COO, the group’s business has grown by 40% year on year, retained major accounts such as Beiersdorf Malaysia, and expanded client’s portfolio across global, regional, and local businesses.

Moreover, with Ooi’s data-driven vision, OMG Malaysia has recently established a three-year transformative partnership with Google, which elevated the network’s capabilities in performance marketing, data analytics, and talent development to support and accelerate clients’ digital growth and transformation. During her tenure, Ooi has also proactively launched and integrated several mental wellness programmes which provide employees with access to mental health resources. 

Tony Harradine, OMG’s CEO for APAC, commented that Ooi has done an outstanding job of driving OMG’s business growth and enhancing its product and people capabilities.

“Her achievements, coupled with her good relationship with the team, make this appointment well-deserved. I am confident Eileen will continue to elevate OMG Malaysia’s performance in the market,” said Harradine.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Pizza brand Domino’s in Malaysia has appointed advertising agency FCB Malaysia to be its new agency of record for creative duties. This appointment comes as a result of several chemistry sessions and a subsequent creative proposal made by FCB during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Following the move, FCB Malaysia has developed a new campaign for the pizza brand’s new ‘Mega Cheese Pizza’. It was created on the idea of ‘Can’t Get Cheesier Than This’, as the new pizza is loaded with up to half a kilogram of cheese.

Linda Hassan, the group chief marketing officer of Domino’s Pizza Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia, shared that the work FCB has done in taking challenger brands to the next level in Malaysia is well documented, so they were already confident of their capabilities. 

“What sealed the decision was the unmistakable entrepreneurial energy that they brought to the table. Their passion for our business was apparent from the get-go and very quickly, we knew that they were the sort of agency that would completely invest themselves in making our ambitions their own,” said Hassan.

Meanwhile, Shaun Tay, FCB Malaysia’s co-owner and CEO, commented, “We’ve seen how innovative Domino’s marketing team has been in leveraging the identity of a global powerhouse to promote a proposition that embraces local marketing flavour. As a best-of-both-worlds agency ourselves, opportunities like this are what we live for!”

Shi-Ping Ong, FCB Malaysia’s co-owner and chief creative officer, explains that going into the campaign, they knew exactly what their game plan was – to claim cheesy superiority for the Domino’s Mega Cheese Pizza. 

“This is why we decided to build our idea around the cheesiest things that would give people the goosebumps, and then use various media – from thematic and product films to radio and even print – to bring the campaign to life. By doing so, we are able to deliver a sensory overload of cheesiness not only conceptually, but also visually and auditorily,” said Ong.

The campaign is now available across TV, digital, radio, OOH, and in-store, as well as social media.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Tire manufacturer brand Continental Tyre in Malaysia has appointed Andrea Somorova as its managing director for its Malaysian operations. Somorova previously served the local branch as its plant operations manager for almost six years.

A native of Slovakia, Somorova joins from Continental of Taiwan where she was general manager. She has been at Continental Group for over 23 years, of which 18 years were spent in Asia. She started her career with Continental Group in 1999 in Slovakia and then moved on to Continental in Germany before assuming managerial roles in Asia including in Malaysia, and other APAC markets.

While in Taiwan, Somorova steered Continental to achieve brand awareness among its Asia Pacific markets. She also led the team through one of its most challenging periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Somorova takes over from Samir Gupta who now oversees the India Operations while continuing to head the Central Asia Region Passenger and Light Truck Tires Replacement Business (PLT RE) at Continental.

Speaking about her appointment, Somorova said, “I am very excited to return to Malaysia and build on the work done previously. I look forward to guiding Continental Tyre Malaysia on its growth trajectory working closely with our teams on the ground to deliver innovative tyre solutions to our passenger and commercial vehicle customers. I always welcome new ideas from my team and believe that empowering them through trust, collaboration, and clear communication works best to deliver on our shared goals.”

Meanwhile, Gupta commented, “Her vast knowledge in the region and her familiarity with the Malaysian market will complement the amazing team in Malaysia who I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past two years.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Financial services company Alliance Bank Malaysia has launched the Alliance Bank Visa Platinum virtual credit card, a virtual credit card for individuals offered via consumer lifestyle apps. The project was launched in collaboration with fintech service provider MCash.

The current service offering of the virtual credit card includes enabling customers to make JomPAY and QR code payments and access cash advance services via the MCash mobile app without the need for a physical credit card.

Gan Pai Li, group chief consumer Banking Officer of Alliance Bank, said that in keeping true to their proposition of ‘Bank in Your Pocket’, the Alliance Bank Visa Platinum virtual credit card is the latest addition to the bank’s line-up of digital innovations to deliver fast, simple and responsive services and is ESG friendly.

Li added that they want customers to have access to cash advance services securely whenever they need it via their mobile phones anytime, anywhere. Li continued by saying they will soon enhance the features to allow transactions for e-commerce, streaming and subscription services to cater to their customer’s lifestyles.

The application for the Alliance Bank Visa Platinum virtual credit card is done via the MCash mobile app available on Google Play and Apple App Store. Customers will be required to upload a digital copy of supporting documents such as EPF statements or salary slips. In addition, upon successful application, customers accessing cash advance services will have the requested funds disbursed into any of their local savings accounts.

“We are pleased that MCash eWallet shares our vision of ‘Bank in Your Pocket’ and have agreed to work with us to provide our customers a seamless digital payment experience,” Li said.

Aaron Lee, chief executive officer of MCash eWallet, commented, “This fintech partnership empowers MCash as the first green-friendly Digital Wallet Operator in Malaysia to introduce a virtual credit card to Gen-Z customers. Apart from protecting our existing 500,000 users and 20,000 merchants in all digital payment facilities, the ease of accessing a digital credit facility will also inspire our current 1,500 MCash micro-entrepreneurs to expand their businesses through the adoption of this ESG-friendly service.”

Ng Kong Boon, country manager of Visa Malaysia, said, “We congratulate Alliance Bank for being among the leaders in the virtual credit card market in Malaysia. As the global leader in digital payments, Visa strives to provide innovative solutions that address the evolving payment needs of consumers and their shifting preferences and behaviours. When it comes to virtual cards, nearly seven in ten (69%) Malaysian consumers are interested to use virtual cards for their daily purchases and financial transactions. Our collaboration with Alliance Bank represents yet another important step in digitising the payments landscape and delivering fast, convenient, secure and innovative payments solutions to our customers in Malaysia.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — The Malaysian Football League (MFL) announced their partnership with Luno, the country’s leading regulated digital asset exchange, as a crypto investment partner and official co-sponsor of Liga Super Malaysia, the nation’s most popular football league, and Piala Malaysia, the annual prestigious football tournament. The one-year partnership agreement covers a series of branding rights including billboards on the sidelines, use of club logos as well as player images, and brand activation at tournament venues.

The collaboration was announced at a ceremony officiated by Stuart Ramalingam, chief executive officer of the Malaysian Football League, and Aaron Tang, country manager of Luno Malaysia.

Ramalingam, shared his enthusiasm with the collaboration, saying, “Today marks a historic day for Malaysian football as we welcome new-age partners that will bring a new exciting image to our League and the reach Liga Malaysia will offer to commercial brands. I would like to welcome the newest MFL partner – Luno, Malaysia’s first regulated and leading digital assets exchange. As the world opens its door in its acceptance of cryptocurrency, this collaboration opens up a whole new horizon for the MFL family of partners with such an extraordinary partnership.”

This collaboration with MFL marks Luno’s first entry into the local sports industry. In addition, the digital asset exchange plans on more collaborations to further boost their presence in Malaysia.

Tang commented that the MFL has a fan base of over 13 million, so the partnership gives Luno a great opportunity to engage with new audiences and raise the brand’s profile among Malaysians who might be considering exploring the world of cryptocurrency.

“Our mission is to put the power of crypto in everyone’s hands in an accessible, convenient and safe way, and this partnership is a step towards achieving this in Malaysia. We believe this partnership will bring huge benefits for both parties — nurturing support for local football while creating an opportunity to explore and invest in cryptocurrency,” Tang said.

As one of the deals in this collaboration, Luno will host an exclusive educational session featuring industry experts where fans can learn more about financial literacy alongside their favourite football players in the MFL.

Johor Bahru, Malaysia – Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) and Johor Darul Ta’zim Football Club (JDTFC) has recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to mark their partnership which will be committed to elevating the local football scene “to the highest level.”

With the partnership, Malaysia Airlines will be exclusively designated as the official airline partner for JDTFC, flying the team to games across Malaysia and in representing the country internationally; besides cobranding opportunities in merchandising rights and customer engagement via experiential experiences.

Captain Izham of MAB commented that there is obvious synergy between Malaysia Airlines and JDTFC as both brands represent Malaysia on an international stage and both strive to provide world-class hospitality. 

“Our partnership will give us a platform to further build on each other’s strengths and we are very excited to begin this journey with our new partner who continues to be the pioneer in Malaysian football, break records and prove that a Malaysian football club can be attractive to internationally renowned partners,” said Captain Izham.

Under the MoU, Malaysia Airlines and JDTFC will also unlock their shared visions in elevating Malaysia’s football scene through a collaboration of ideas in branding and hospitality, domestically and internationally. The airline also said that consumers can expect more engaging collaborations as the airline seeks to create Johor as its key hub, connecting the state directly with East Malaysia.

HRH Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, owner of JDTFC, also commented, “There are very few Malaysian brands that have such a global reach as Malaysia Airlines and I think it is a big statement for such a brand to see JDT as a partner that can match their aspirations. I believe we will certainly live up to the standards expected of such a partnership and we will keep improving to ensure that we remain an attractive and valuable partner. 

Malaysia – Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), the payments network and central infrastructure for financial markets, has launched a three-month programme, aimed at supporting and advancing high potential fintech’s capabilities to further accelerate e-payments adoption in the country. 

Called the ‘FinTech ePayment Accelerator Programme’, the initiative is in line with PayNet’s mission to be a trusted enabler of inclusive and collaborative financial ecosystems. Moreover, this is in collaboration with the Fintech Association of Malaysia (FAOM), which features briefing sessions, and PayNet’s products will be held for interested fintech.

The new programme focuses on the ideas and solutions that can address fintech problems, including the adoption of e-payments, which addresses the conversion of the unbanked and underbanked population towards e-payments utilisation, as well as the improvement to existing products, which should determine specific target groups and how can fintech platforms innovate enhancements for their existing retail products to be more appealing and effective for customer use.

And lastly, the introduction of new business solutions, which should tackle the new and innovative use cases should be introduced to ensure it offers an inclusive financial ecosystem and address the e-payment needs of new markets.

According to PayNet, applicants for the programme will be shortlisted based on the ideas and solutions submitted, and these shortlisted applicants will advance to a pitching session in June 2022, where they will present to a panel of judges on why their ideas should progress to a proof-of-concept (‘POC’). Successful fintech platforms will be awarded a grant of up to RM500,000 to support the execution of the POC and will have the opportunity to work with PayNet’s extensive ecosystem of banks, e-wallets, and third party acquirers.

Peter Schiesser, PayNet’s group CEO, shared that the programme is timely and relevant as part of their efforts to develop a future-ready digital payments infrastructure and help Malaysia transition towards a digital economy. 

“I urge potential fintech [platforms] to seize this opportunity to showcase their solutions and partake in expanding the country’s digital ecosystem and advancing financial inclusion,” said Schiesser.

The applications for the ‘FinTech ePayment Accelerator Programme 2022’ is open until 30 April 2022 and can be submitted online at PayNet’s website. Submissions should consist of a pitch deck or a video presentation addressing the problem statement and include an introduction of the team.