Tag: Marketing

Singapore – Energy provider Senoko Energy, in collaboration with creative consultancy ABrandADay, is giving away its pineapple plushies to eligible homeowners in a locker activation launch. 

Senoko Energy’s activation, launched in partnership with locker network Pick Network and OOH media platform owner Target Media, conceals the BB Ong Lai and Ong Li plushies in lockers at 282C Sengkang East Avenue. 

The lockers can be accessed by scanning a QR code and completing a brief questionnaire. Those eligible will be sent a PIN that unlocks the locker with a free plushie.

Through the activation, Senoko Energy aims to engage customers through community experiences, consequently boosting its brand presence in Singapore.

The activation builds on Senoko Energy’s launch of plushie vending machines, adding convenience to how they can be redeemed.

“Our social channels have been buzzing with requests for more of BB Ong Lai and Ong Li after the success of their tour. We’re pleased to partner with Pick Network and Target Media to bring these fan favourites even closer to home,” Heather Ang, head of marketing and consumer sales at Senoko Energy, said.

“Being the first to launch this innovative locker wrap activation lets us offer the beloved pineapple plushies to more homeowners across Singapore—this time, right to their doorsteps or almost,” Nafe Tong, chief creative officer and founder at ABrandADay, said.

Indonesia – To strengthen its position as a high-quality, mid-to-high-end stationery brand, Bantex has unveiled a comprehensive brand refresh alongside a significant expansion of its product line in Indonesia. 

Launched at a conference in Jakarta, Bantex introduced 31 new categories and over 600 SKUs, marking a major milestone in its brand revitalization. This initiative includes a significant expansion of product offerings, the launch of innovative items, and upgrades to its visual identity, such as refreshed packaging and design, all tailored to meet the needs of both local and global markets.

The expanded product line spans a diverse range of categories, including writing materials, notebooks, office stationery, storage solutions, binding, adhesives, and document management tools. Additionally, it introduces smart devices such as attendance machines, scanners, laminators, shredders, and safes, further solidifying Bantex’s position as a one-stop solution for high-quality stationery and office needs.

During the event, Bantex’s senior leader emphasised the importance of their recent brand refresh and strategic expansion. He noted that these efforts are aimed not only at achieving growth but also at bolstering market confidence and outlook. He further elaborated that the company is committed to innovation and leadership in delivering top-tier stationery solutions.

Meanwhile, a senior leader from RUHONG Group, Bantex’s new shareholder, highlighted the potential of Indonesia’s growing market and reaffirmed the group’s commitment to investing in Bantex. He outlined plans to enhance local manufacturing capabilities and create job opportunities, emphasising that these efforts aim to drive long-term growth and foster a brighter future.

Bantex’s brand launch conference marked a key milestone, showcasing its refreshed image and “Achieving made easy” philosophy. The initiatives highlight Bantex’s commitment to innovation and quality, solidifying its position as a leader in high-end stationery tailored to diverse client needs.

Engaging niche audiences through marketing campaigns is vital for business growth. However, reaching these audiences can be more complicated than it seems, needing certain nuances and messages that are highly relevant.

To thrive in the market as a stand-out investment platform, IG has collaborated with Yahoo to launch a data-driven campaign that is aimed at increasing engagement for its platform.

This case study delves into IG’s challenges and its strategies to solve them with its partnership with Yahoo as it leveraged technology and identity solutions to reach niche users.

Challenge 

Investment platform IG wanted to widen prospects for its CFD trading feature, a derivative trading method that would appeal the most to advanced traders who are familiar with financial markets. Wanting to achieve maximum impact while targeting highly relevant users, IG tapped Yahoo for a campaign that was hyper-focused on reaching a specific set of audiences and pushing them towards meaningful action.

Objectives

IG’s goal is to target a highly niche audience such as active traders, investment seekers, and high-net-worth individuals, driving them to action. IG aims to gain new investors and encourage more users on its platform.

Solution

IG’s solution is a strategy that leveraged AI and sophisticated identity solutions to reach a niche audience, delivering a 6-fold increase in clickthrough rates with a cost-per-land efficiency that exceeded 35% compared to similar campaigns by IG.

Singapore has a vibrant retail investor market across all ages, with a majority of Singapore investors remaining actively invested throughout bull and bear conditions. A 2023 survey showed that about 67% of Singaporeans said their investment goal was to build wealth over time and 75% have also maintained or even raised their risk levels over the past twelve months.

Wanting to acquire new investors on its platform and encourage more users to utilise their platform for CFD trading, a high-level form of trading that lets users trade based on price movements, IG embarked on a campaign with OMD Singapore and the Yahoo Demand-Side Platform (DSP) to reach their key audience.

The strategy? To go wide and long on a niche market of experienced and ambitious investors – a sub-group of traders well-versed with financial markets – and drive them to register for a new account on IG’s platform.

With the goal to target a highly niche audience in mind, the campaign needed to maintain optimum relevance. Additionally, with competitors also gunning for the limited audience pool, the strategy needed to be anchored on a deep understanding of audiences, their needs and interests. The campaign would also require the ability to adapt and implement analysis and insights in real-time to optimise ad delivery and ensure the right type of audience sees the message, at scale. This set a cutting-edge approach in motion: programmatic ads, powered by a potent combination of AI and identity solutions, to power rich yet precise targeting of audience profiles that would maximise impressions and deliver optimum performance.

Establishing a strong base of a highly niche group of users at scale – active traders, investment seekers, and high-net-worth individuals – entailed a sophisticated and privacy-centric mix of identity solutions that utilised Yahoo’s first-party data alongside identifiers of users that have visited IG’s website.

Data security and respecting data privacy were of utmost importance, especially as this cohort was more likely to be more conscious of how their data is used than the average user.

First – the campaign sought to prospect segments of people who were likely to be interested in high-return investments. Using Yahoo’s first-party data, based on anonymised content consumption and interest data such as investment seekers and those interested in exchange-traded fund (ETF) investments, the campaign planned to reach precise first-party audience segments such as high net-worth individuals.

Second – the campaign also prospected people who were already actively trading. Prospecting these audiences meant employing cross-screen data signals from purchase receipts and mail domains of active traders and investment seekers – including those who have subscribed to investment-related mail domains and services.

Predictive Audiences, powered by Yahoo Blueprint, further set the stage for robust targeting plan by utilising an artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm with over one million dimensions to accurately identify and reach audiences with a high propensity for conversion.

The campaign then implemented insights from Dot Pixel to expand the audience pool through the creation of lookalike audiences. Dot Pixel also enabled a stronger and more collaborative re-engagement tactic of IG’s website visitors alongside lookalike audiences.

Having reached a highly niche cohort at scale, the next step involved quickly applying insights to refine the campaign and ensure close alignment with audience needs. This required a sophisticated arsenal of tools that would help IG and Yahoo maximise this impact.

For this purpose, the campaign activated Yahoo Blueprint, a central AI suite that powers performance-based solutions within the Yahoo DSP that optimises goals across the entire campaign lifecycle, enhancing decisioning and driving performance with AI-powered audience insights and recommendations.

With a mix of AI and identity solutions to create a complete and in-depth picture of the audience, Yahoo Blueprint’s enhanced capabilities would enable 10x more data processing, ensuring campaign success through robust AI-enabled predictions and insights. Omniscope, an algorithmic forecasting tool within Yahoo Blueprint that is powered by over a million data signals and bid request data, was also used to accurately plan and compare projected reach and performance of different targeting parameters, including audience segments, across various channels.

At the activation and optimisation stage, creatives with direct messaging and strong design were deployed to target experienced and ambitious traders – resolute decision-makers who are often pressed for time. The target audience was urged to take immediate action through creatives and messaging that highlighted IG’s strongest points as a CFD trading platform upfront, including its extended trading hours for over 70 US shares.

Yahoo Blueprint’s insights provided guidance and projections for the bidding process, as well as ad delivery and efficiency. These helped fine-tune bids, adjust spend pacing based on budget, and target the right person, at the right time and place for maximum efficiency and performance.

Results

Amid a highly competitive market for trading platforms, IG carved out an edge in a highly niche space, achieving a dual combo of efficiency and performance by leveraging a future-forward arsenal of AI capabilities and privacy-centric identity solutions powered by rich first-party data.

A testament to its precision, the optimisation through Yahoo Blueprint and a sophisticated mix of identity and first-party data solutions effectively drove momentum for the campaign’s performance, achieving the following:

  • Implementation of Yahoo Blueprint from the onset and throughout the campaign lifecycle ensured deep understanding and insights to efficiently prospect and reach niche audiences.
  • Cost-per-land efficiency that exceeded 35% compared to similar campaigns by IG that did not utilise Yahoo Blueprint
  • 6 times higher clickthrough rates (CTR) compared to similar campaigns by IG that did not utilise Yahoo Blueprint

With outstanding outcomes in efficiency and effectiveness, IG renewed its campaign with OMD Singapore and Yahoo DSP for another 4 months.

Against the challenge of reaching niche audiences and spurring them to action, IG, OMD Singapore and Yahoo DSP effectively leveraged the capabilities of sophisticated identity solutions and AI-driven Yahoo Blueprint to power audience understanding, insights and decision-making to secure a winning investment.

“IG was keen on targeting a highly niche group of investors, a cohort of people with very specific needs and wants, who would be interested in utilising their platform for specialised investment methods. Looking to deliver results at scale and more, our strategy harnessed the power of identity solutions and AI to sharpen the campaign’s focus towards highly relevant user profiles. Fully utilising Yahoo Blueprint’s performance-based solutions, the campaign delivered outstanding outcomes, offering purpose and value for investors and realising desired results for IG’s business,” Kenneth Koh, head of commercial sales in SEA at Yahoo, said.

“At IG, we look for high-impact and effective ways to reach the most relevant audiences that would resonate with our various investment offerings. Yahoo helped us tremendously in capturing the attention of the potential investors – highly experienced traders who would be interested in our CFD trading service – and effectively hear our message. The results have been outstanding and we look forward to exploring greater possibilities in the next phase with Yahoo,” Rafael Victorino, marketing executive at IG, said.

Hong Kong – The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), in partnership with Grey Hong Kong, Hongkong Post, and Carat Hong Kong, has infused WinterFest with a vibrant twist, transforming everyday icons into festive delights that aim to spread joy across the city.

Winter in Hong Kong has long been marked by dazzling lights, stunning skylines, and festive decor. This year, fresh excitement fills the air as ordinary sights are transformed into joyful surprises.

Rick Kwan, executive creative director of Grey Hong Kong, said, “Winter is a time for joy and connection, and WinterFest is about bringing a new kind of surprise to the traditional holiday season. We wanted to capture the beauty of Hong Kong’s traditions while showing how even everyday sights, like mailboxes and trams, can spark wonder when reimagined.”

This year, WinterFest takes a fresh approach as HKTB gives iconic city sights a festive makeover. Hongkong Post’s mailboxes transform into ‘Postmas Trees,’ while the tram’s signature ‘ding-ding’ becomes a joyful jingle. Even classic postcards, enhanced with festive filters, offer a new perspective on Hong Kong’s dazzling lights and winter magic.

“We wanted to bring out the unique charm of Hong Kong and spread festive joy around town through WinterFest. And thanks to the first-ever collaboration with Hongkong Post, we could weave festive delights throughout the city’s iconic staples, celebrating Hong Kong’s creativity and making it extra cheerful this season,” said Samantha Fan, general manager for marketing at Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Polly Ip, business director at Carat Hong Kong, added, “We are excited to collaborate again with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Grey to create an authentic festive vibe unique to Hong Kong. With insights indicating that over 60% of travellers prefer to share enjoyable live experiences during the holiday season, our goal is to offer visitors an unforgettable experience. By illuminating the city and showcasing our distinctive festive charm, we aim to create lasting value for all in this joyful season.”

Vietnam – Spotify has released portraits of Vietnam’s top artists at hair salons, allowing fans to adopt their styles. The initiative was launched in collaboration with creative agency Happiness Saigon.

As part of the launch, trending artists in Vietnam, Vũ Cát Tường, Wren Evans, and MONO, are featured in images displayed at hair salons in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi.

Spotify users who have one of the three artists as one of their favorite artists on Wrapped 2024 can replicate their hairstyles for free.

Spotify Wrapped is the app’s global annual campaign that highlights its users’ listening habits and celebrates how they shape music culture. 

With this year’s Spotify Wrapped emphasizing music’s connection with lifestyle, the launch with Happiness Saigon reflects this by integrating music into personal style.

The initiative is further blended into everyday spaces with Spotify collaborating with Đông Tây Barbershop to roll out haircutting trucks in the streets of Ho Minh City.

The barbershop was also present at the HOZO Festival 2024, a music festival in Vietnam, allowing attendees to engage with music in a different way.

Singapore – Dating app Tinder has activated a real-life ‘Passport’ portal connecting people in Thailand and Vietnam. 

The ‘Tinder Passport: Teleport to Another City’ activation introduces a new way to meet people through a livestream portal in Siam Square, Bangkok and Landmark 81, Ho Chi Minh from December 6 to 8.

The activation complements the Passport Mode found on the Tinder app, where users can browse profiles and chat with people from a chosen location.

People on each side of the portal can connect through a five-minute video, with prompts guiding the conversation. The portal also allows them to send match requests or opt out of the call.

While the campaign has been primarily launched in Thailand and Vietnam, Tinder is planning to launch the activation in other major cities in Asia next year.

“Tinder is all about sparking new connections and creating meaningful experiences, and our latest experiential activation takes that mission to the next level. By connecting two vibrant cities in Asia, we’re giving people a unique opportunity to break the ice, meet new people, and explore the potential for real-life connections across borders similar to our Passport feature in the Tinder app,” Daniel Kim, vice president of APAC Marketing at Tinder, said.

“Whether it’s finding a new friend, travel buddy, or something more, Tinder and this campaign is designed to be a fun and innovative experience on bringing people together,” Kim added. 

Singapore – Global investment company EQT Private Capital Asia has completed its acquisition of property technology company PropertyGuru Group Limited by BPEA Private Equity Fund VII. The deal values PropertyGuru at approximately US$1.1b.

Due to the acquisition, PropertyGuru has been removed from the New York Stock Exchange, as it will operate as a privately held company.

EQT’s investment aims to support PropertyGuru in advancing technology development, expanding market reach, and improving operations. Through the acquisition, EQT is set to strengthen the company’s position in the industry to drive growth. Both parties have agreed on the acquisition earlier in August.

PropertyGuru is among the leading property technology platforms in Southeast Asia, offering comprehensive real estate listings, mortgage solutions, and enterprise client solutions.

Meanwhile, EQT has worked with various companies in the digital marketplace and real estate industry, including Idealista and Casa.it.

Hari Krishnan, chief executive officer at PropertyGuru Group, said, “We are pleased to announce the successful completion of this transaction and we welcome EQT to PropertyGuru. Over the past seventeen years, our growth has been enabled by strong partnerships with our shareholders, led by TPG and KKR. On behalf of everyone at PropertyGuru, I want to thank them for their support and I am proud that we have delivered a solid financial exit for our long-term investors.”

“On behalf of our group leadership team, I thank our Gurus for their hard work and the wonderful business we have built together, and our customers and partners for their continued trust and partnership. EQT shares our commitment to our continued sustainable growth, and we look forward to working with them towards our Group’s vision to power, communities to live, work and thrive in tomorrow’s cities,” Krishnan added.

Janice Leow, partner in the EQT Private Capital Asia advisory team and head of EQT Private Capital Southeast Asia, said, “PropertyGuru has redefined the property technology landscape in Southeast Asia, standing out for its innovation and leadership in delivering solutions that empower millions across the region. Drawing on EQT’s expertise in technology-driven businesses, with a strong focus on marketplace and classifieds platforms, we look forward to supporting PropertyGuru in exploring new opportunities, enhancing its offerings, and driving its next phase of growth while contributing to the evolution of the property market in Southeast Asia.”

Singapore – German insurance company Allianz has scrapped its bid to acquire insurance company Income Insurance Limited after the government intervened to hinder the transaction.

While Allianz continues to see the merger as beneficial to Singaporeans, the insurance company cites its ‘financial discipline’ as the reason behind withdrawing the acquisition in a press release.

Since the Singapore government expressed its concerns over the merger deal on October 14, Allianz says it has held comprehensive discussions with Income Insurance that have strengthened the two companies’ shared values.

Allianz originally offered to acquire at least 51% of shares from Income Insurance on July 17 this year but was hindered by public concerns on how it might affect a brand trusted by Singaporeans. The government intervened on behalf of public interest.

Meanwhile, the Monetary Authority of Singapore released a statement regarding the merger, expressing satisfaction with Income Insurance’s processes to address conflicts of interest.

Nonetheless, Allianz maintains its commitment to Singapore and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region as important markets for growth.

“We respect the Singapore Government’s decision. We still believe the combination of Allianz and Income Insurance would result in two strong businesses being brought together for the benefit of Income Insurance’s policyholders and a growing portion of Singapore’s customers. We regret having to make this decision but we will, without question, carry on supporting the Singapore insurance market’s continued growth and success,” Renate Wagner, member of the board of management of Allianz SE and responsible for APAC, said.

“We have full confidence in the future strength and potential of our existing operations across the region, and we look forward to continuing to deliver exceptional value to our customers and partners across Asia-Pacific,” Wagner added. 

Singapore – BeLive Technology, a live commerce and shoppable short video provider, is collaborating with DigiLive, a technology and media player in Vietnam. The partnership aims to create interactive content for consumers and brands in Vietnam.

As part of the partnership, DigiLive and BeLive Technology are set to integrate retail into content, producing shoppable and curated content that elevates shopping experiences.

Being interactive in nature, the video content brought by the collaboration aims to transition from passive shopping to e-commerce that blends engagement and entertainment.

Through shoppable video content, viewers can check and purchase items conveniently. Live streams also allow consumers to ask questions about the products and receive answers in real-time.

Brands can also benefit from the partnership, enabling them to boost engagement and sales while encouraging loyalty.

With the demands brought by the dynamic digital economy in Vietnam, BeLive and DigiLive are introducing a line-up of products and services that address the needs of both brands and consumers. These offerings include live-stream shopping, AI-powered content moderation, and performance analytics.

“Vietnam is an exciting market with immense potential. The team is committed to helping businesses in Vietnam harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), interactive live and video solutions to build deeper connections with their customers and drive tangible results,” Kenneth Tan, chief executive officer of BeLive Technology, said.

“We’re thrilled to join forces with BeLive to bring a new dimension to interactive marketing and commerce in Vietnam. By combining with BeLive’s cutting-edge streaming technology, we’re set to create an unparalleled shopping experience that is as entertaining as it is effective. This partnership marks a significant step forward in how we connect brands with consumers, making shopping more interactive, engaging, and accessible. We’re excited about the potential this collaboration holds to redefine the e-commerce landscape in Vietnam and beyond,” Chi Tran, founder of DigiLive, said.

Singapore – Klook, a travel services and experiences platform, is promoting travel security in its latest campaign for its insurance arm Klook Protect with creative agency The Secret Little Agency (TSLA).

The campaign aims to encourage travellers to ensure protection during their journeys and experiences, introducing the Klook Protection Agency. It reinforces Klook’s objective to insure travellers’ good experiences in light of risks.

As part of the campaign, Klook is releasing a series of videos featuring Singaporean content creator Simonboy traversing usual travel setbacks, such as bad weather and accidentally oversleeping.

Klook’s campaign highlights Klook protect’s features, including the Satisfaction Guarantee and No-Show Refund that can help save a traveller’s journey despite unexpected incidents.

Klook Protect’s recent study backs the campaign, which found that 48% of millennials and Gen Z travellers are facing more risks with their preference for experiential adventures, solo trips, and budget-friendly experiences.

“At Klook, experiences are the core of what we do. With the holiday season in full swing, this campaign is all about showing travelers how they can enjoy their year-end adventures worry-free. Insurance can be often seen as something to check off a travel list, so we’re flipping the script to inject some light-hearted humour to show how it empowers travelers to embrace the joy of their adventures,” Marcus Yong, vice president of global marketing at Klook, said.

“We loved the challenge of helping Klook craft a campaign that communicates safety, trust, and assurance. Klook Protect addresses the real needs of today’s travelers, and we’re proud to be able to bring it to life in a way that resonates and inspires through the K.P.A.,” Mavis Neo and Nicholas Ye, chief creative officers at The Secret Little Agency, commented.