Tag: Marketing

Lausanne, Switzerland – Footwear company Bata has launched the new campaign ‘Make Your Way,’ reflecting its new stylish, comfortable, and affordable branding. The new positioning aims to target younger audiences who are more conscious of trends. 

The launch coincides with Bata’s 130th anniversary. Its long history and rich heritage contrast with the brand’s aim to attract young customers, yet is not neglected in the campaign. 

While the campaign intends to present Bata shoes as fashionable, it also draws on the brand’s heritage to express authenticity. 

Bata is also set to release women’s ballerina shoes starting in September, a reimagined version of its 1897 Batovka design. The release of the shoes supports women in the dance industry, providing affordability for dancers hindered by economic challenges.

“This campaign is about inspiring self-expression and confidence. At Bata, we make shoes to accompany consumers as they create their own path in life and build their road to the future,” Sandeep Kataria, global chief executive officer of Bata, said. 

The campaign was produced with &Rosàs agency for a global release.

Paris, France – Communications agency Publicis Groupe has acquired commerce marketing company Mars United Commerce to expand its commerce offerings for clients.

Gaining access to Mars’ technology and business offerings, Publicis Groupe enhances its capabilities, allowing end-to-end commerce solutions. 

Through the acquisition, the company provides its clients with a database of consumer behaviour and drives product purchases in digital and physical stores. Clients are also given access to a view of their marketing performance to keep track of their growth.

Mars leverages its 50 years of operations in the industry, with its commerce insights platform and retailer relationships. Through its insights on shoppers, it can motivate changes in shopping behaviours and steer results for businesses.

“Joining Publicis Groupe will help Mars realise our vision of being the preeminent global commerce company faster and more completely. We’re excited to have the support of Publicis to bring new opportunities to our existing clients and also to share our connected commerce solution with new clients around the globe. We look forward to writing the next chapter of commerce together,” Rob Rivenburgh, global chief executive officer of Mars United, said.

“We are delighted to be welcoming Rob and his incredible teams at Mars to Publicis Groupe. Their innovative spirit and proprietary platforms will further connect and complement our existing capabilities, to deliver industry-leading, end-to-end commerce solutions for our clients, both online and offline,” Arthur Sadoun, Publicis Groupe chief executive officer, said.

“With the acquisition of Influential this summer, and now Mars, Publicis is uniquely positioned to help our clients understand both existing consumers and future prospects, and connect that knowledge at an individual level to the new media channels that work hardest for their business: Connected TV, Commerce and Creators. All of this, in clients’ own ecosystems, giving them control over their customer relationships and transparency in their investments and outcomes,” Sadoun added.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Video-sharing platform YouTube has announced its partnership with e-commerce platform Shopee to launch YouTube Shopping in Indonesia. The tie-up will also be released in Thailand and Vietnam in the following weeks.

The collaboration allows people to purchase products displayed on YouTube through links that lead to Shopee. This feature has previously been only available in the United States and South Korea.

YouTube Asia-Pacific director Ajay Vidyasagar explained that the “energy and velocity around online shopping” in Indonesia inspired the move. 

The launch is part of YouTube’s goal of providing creators with a platform for successful businesses. While the launch benefits consumers in Southeast Asia, the collaboration also issues opportunities for content creators through the YouTube Shopping affiliate program.

“We want more of you to be able to share your favourite products with fans and grow your businesses on YouTube. There are now over 250,000 creators in the YouTube Shopping affiliate program, and soon that number will grow,” the company said in its blog. 

The company also announced the launch of gifts on live streams that allow earnings from viewer participation. Audience engagement will also evolve through the ‘Community Hub’ feature, which reflects audience feedback and metrics. 

Billund, Denmark – Toy production company LEGO Group has joined forces with international racing Formula 1 (F1). The partnership is set to launch in 2025 in time for the next F1 season.

The collaboration ensues after F1 has observed a rise in younger fans, ages 8 to 12 years old. Activations from the partnership cater to fans of all ages and are suitable for families to enjoy. 

With the aim of bringing both fanbases together, LEGO will launch F1-inspired products tailored for children, teenagers, and adults. As part of the product line-up, fans will be able to recreate F1 teams and icons in the form of LEGO bricks. 

Audiences can also enjoy in-person and interactive fan zone activations at the Grands Prix.

“At the LEGO Group, we have a proud history of having recreated many F1 cars in LEGO brick form in the past, and we believe this new partnership, through LEGO play and building, will help bring the spectacle of this sport even closer to all fans. It will enable them to celebrate their passion of the sport in more immersive and exciting ways and will see the power of LEGO creativity and imagination further enhance the thrill of F1. We look forward to unveiling all that this exciting partnership has to offer to both lifelong and new Formula 1 and LEGO brand fans alike, at home and on track,” Julia Goldin, chief product and marketing officer of the LEGO Group, said.

Emily Prazer, chief commercial officer of Formula 1, commented, “The LEGO brick has ignited a spark of creativity and passion for building in millions of children and adults around the globe. Through this partnership, fans will be able to recreate and reimagine the world of Formula 1, brick by brick, delving deeper into the intricacies of the mechanics and technology behind the sport through play. We look forward to bringing the drama and excitement of Formula 1 to the LEGO Group’s passionate network of builders and giving our fans another means to enjoy the sport with their friends and family.”

With the 75th anniversary of FIA Formula 1 World Championship coming up in 2025, the LEGO Group will also be part of the celebration, ensuring its presence in key races.

The LEGO Group recently collaborated with Nike, aiming to promote the power of sports.

London, United Kingdom – Multiple instances of short attentive exposure to an advertisement are more effective at driving brand results than having a single exposure with sustained attention, research by Havas Media Network claims.

According to the study, a viewer’s frequency of exposure to an advertisement can result in an aggregate attentive experience. Even if the viewer pays attention for merely one or two seconds, this number can increase over time and is effective at driving brand awareness. 

While sustaining viewers’ attention through a single advertisement exposure has its merits, multiple ones result in capturing ‘good enough’ attention and consequently in consideration and action intent. 

The research combines Lumen Research’s predictive attention models with Brand Metrics’ studies to generate results. 

“We’ve seen significant progress in the prominence of attention since this relatively nascent discipline was first introduced five years ago. However, while there has been an abundance of scholarship in this area, adoption into media planning and buying has lagged. Our new study with Lumen Research and Brand Metrics bridges this gap, providing actionable insights into the specific attention required to achieve brand metrics, allowing us to implement attention into planning and activation tools like never before,” Jon Waite, global managing director of marketing experience at Havas Media Network London, said.

“Brand Metrics was delighted to provide our brand lift research to this pioneering study of attention and brand metrics. By integrating brand questionnaires directly into publishers, we are able to mirror the different stages of the brand funnel and provide the survey consistency and impression-level viewability data necessary to understand the relationship between predicted attention and brand metrics at scale,” Anders Lithner, chief executive officer at Brand Metrics, said.

Singapore – TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp shops are preferred by Southeast Asian (SEA) consumers due to convenience, a new report from martech company Netcore Cloud recently revealed. 

While TikTok shop use is in the lead, Instagram and WhatsApp shops show a rise in consumer preference with 90% of respondents applauding its convenience.

In addition, 70% of chief executive officers plan on augmenting product personalisation through generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) investments. The initiative is in response to the rising demand for personalised shopping experiences. According to the report, consumers want their product recommendations to be more relevant.

“As the Southeast Asian e-commerce market grows, personalisation and innovation remain critical for brands aiming to differentiate themselves. Gen AI is at the forefront of this transformation, empowering brands to create more immersive, tailored consumer experiences. This report outlines essential strategies for marketers to stay competitive and capture the opportunities presented by this dynamic market,” Saket Kumar Jha, chief revenue officer of emerging markets at Netcore Cloud, said.

Australia – Clemenger BBDO, a creative communications agency, has welcomed four new talents to boost its strategy team.

Jon Turton has been named experience strategy director, Vanessa Quincey as senior strategy director, Maya Mausli as head of product, and Brooke Thompson as head of strategy.

Before his post at Clemenger, Turton held the strategy director position at AKQA and consumer insights manager at MYER. His expertise is in enhancing customer experience.

Quincey will work on brand and social strategy for Clemenger’s clients after being the senior strategy director at VaynerMedia and senior strategist at Grey Group.

Having worked with Samsung Australia and McCann Worldgroup among others, Mausli will leverage her skills to develop products and services in her new role at Clemenger.

Meanwhile, Thompson will spearhead the planning and execution of marketing strategies for Clemenger’s clients. Thompson was previously the strategy director at whiteGREY and Mindshare.

Clemenger BBDO chief strategy and experience officer Simon Wassef commented, “Clems has a long history of reframing businesses, behaviours and culture. Now, we are reframing strategy for a new era in culture, marketing, experience and technology with these world-class talents. A company with Clems’ ambition needs strategists of this calibre.”

“Ness is a gun whose grasp of how to build brands in culture is exactly what we need. Maya’s ability to solve really hard business problems is prodigious. JT enables us to drive our renowned brand thinking throughout the customer experience. Brooke’s insight and empathy make her an incredible head of strategy. I’m stoked to round out the strategy department with these legends alongside behavioural scientist Helena Duniec, brand strategist Cecilia Hund and head of cultural design, Rhian Mason,” Wassef added.

Singapore – Viddsee, a short film platform, has announced key appointments to advance its content development and marketing capabilities. Christopher Cumming has been named as  Viddsee’s vice president of commercial and Irsyaduddin Ifwat as associate creative director.

Leveraging his leadership skills, Cumming’s new role requires him to push for the company’s business growth while executing marketing strategies. Meanwhile, Ifwat is at the helm of developing creative solutions for Viddsee’s clients.

Both new team additions have notable experiences in the field. Prior to his appointment at Viddsee, Cumming served as general manager at CUE Group and group business director before that. He also held leadership roles at Wavemaker and Wunderman Thompson. Ifwat was a communications design lead at SATS Ltd. and a senior designer at PropertyGuru Group.

“I am thrilled to join Viddsee at such a pivotal time in its growth journey. I look forward to working with the talented team to enhance our commercial strategies and deliver outstanding value to our clients through innovative content solutions,” Summing said. 

Ho Jia Jian, founder and chief executive officer of Viddsee, commented, “The addition of Christopher and Ifwat, combined with our commitment to growth, reinforces our dedication to creativity and excellence. We eagerly anticipate their contributions to our mission of empowering storytellers and enhancing client experiences.”

Shenzhen, China – Electronics manufacturer OPPO celebrates cultural diversity in its new ‘Culture in a Shot’ global project in collaboration with Discovery Channel. Its launch coincides with the commemoration of Oppo’s 20th anniversary. 

‘Culture in a Shot’ not only showcases tradition in various countries. It also aims to preserve culture through Oppo’s imaging technology, supporting individuals who contribute to the continuity of their tradition.

The theme ‘Portraits of Legacy’ explores rich and vibrant marks of local culture around the world while placing the individuals behind them in the limelight. 

To launch the initiative, photographer Jerome Teo met ethnic minority groups in Thailand to capture their weaving and music traditions. Teo then went to Indonesia to take photographs of artisans in their practice of batik, a painting of intricate patterns. In Spain, flamenco dancers were in the spotlight.

In addition, OPPO also launched the ‘#OPPOMalaysiaThroughTheLens’ initiative in Malaysia, inviting people to showcase their culture through their smartphones.

“As a tech company, OPPO is also exploring innovative ways to revive culture through technology. Using the latest GenAI technology, the OPPO AI Studio launched in the Reno12 series allows users to generate a studio-quality portrait of themselves as a flamenco dancer—an intuitive way to immerse in flamenco culture no matter where you are,” the brand in a press statement.

OPPO and Discovery Channel are set to elevate the ‘Culture in a Shot’ initiative in the next months by using imaging technology to take people on virtual tours in India, Mexico, and more.

Singapore – Beverage company Coca-Cola has collaborated with super application Grab for the Coke&Go initiative, offering convenience to consumers. The initiative allows consumers to purchase Coca-Cola products at smart coolers in Singapore using the Grab application. 

Leveraging Grab’s technology and Coca-Cola’s product range, the initiative supports the digital evolution of the food and beverage industry in Singapore.

The smart coolers which can be found in areas with high foot traffic in Singapore, can be unlocked using a a QR code. The beverages are accounted for through image recognition technology. Once the smart coolers are closed, the Grab application will display the products’ quantity and price. Cashless payment methods are available to complete the purchase.

“Through our partnership with Grab, we’re merging convenience with innovation. By leveraging Grab’s digital capabilities, we’re able to offer unprecedented convenience to our consumers while expanding our own digital footprint. We are excited for consumers to embrace the future with Coke&Go self-serve beverage experience,” Sam Way, vice president of digital acceleration office at Coca-Cola, said.

Ken Mandel, regional head of GrabAds and brand insights, commented, “We’re excited to take our partnership with Coca-Cola a step further with their Coke&G program. The initiative recognises how global brands like Coca-Cola can strategically partner with Grab to reach more consumers across Singapore and the wider Southeast Asian region and deliver an effortless and outstanding experience to them. The collaboration is also a testament to the forward-thinking digital strategy of Coca-Cola, effectively utilising Grab’s robust retail media network capabilities for impactful marketing.”

The collaboration strengthens the goal of Coca-Cola and Grab’s partnership, which is to enhance digitalisation in the consumer market across Southeast Asia. It is also worth noting that the Coke&Go initiative was launched last year through a webapp.