Tag: Marketing

Indonesia – Unilever’s oral care brand Pepsodent, together with creative firm MullenLowe Lintas Indonesia, has launched its latest campaign, “Behind Every Smile of Indonesia,” which emphasises the transformational potential of a smile amid difficult circumstances. It reflects Pepsodent’s long-standing dedication to reducing health diseases and promoting universal dental access.

The campaign highlights authentic portrayals of Indonesians’ tenacity and fortitude, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak and difficult economic times. These tales demonstrate how smiles, which are a symbol of oral health, can bring people together to overcome challenges and share happiness. 

In one tale, an old woman overcame hardships to maintain her little shop open, motivated by the kind gestures and cheery smiles of youngsters. The arrival of the Pepsodent team, who were providing free dental check-ups and oral care protection, and the encouragement they received from the community also feature in another story about a fisherman in a distant place. 

In Indonesia, Pepsodent has taught almost 25 million kids about dental health. In order to improve the dental and oral health of two million schoolchildren and students nationwide, Pepsodent carried out its “Healthy Smile Indonesia” campaign in 2024. The program included tele-dentistry services and instruction on dental care during fasting. 

Speaking about the campaign, Distya Tarworo Endri, head of marketing oral care & professional marketing at Unilever Indonesia, said, “Pepsodent firmly believes in the significance of every smile and the essential role it plays in our lives. Regardless of challenges like poor oral health or tough times, we remain dedicated to enabling smiles that radiate health and hope. For 90 years, Pepsodent has been at the forefront, championing healthier smiles and empowering communities. It’s our privilege to continue this journey of making dental health accessible to all.” 

Meanwhile, Bellamia Agustina, growth director, MullenLowe Lintas Indonesia, stated, “For 90 years, Pepsodent has stood by Indonesians, enriching their lives and fostering genuine connections. These stories of community solidarity underscore the brand’s commitment to uplifting communities and promoting oral health for all. Through Behind Every Smile of Indonesia campaign, we celebrate Pepsodent’s legacy of making a meaningful difference in the lives of ordinary Indonesians, empowering them to face challenges with confidence and a bright smile.” 

Paris, France – Publicis Groupe has named Nannette LaFond-Dufour as chief impact officer. She will directly report to Arthur Sadoun, the head of Publicis Groupe’s management board. 

In this newly created global role, LaFond-Dufour will be in charge of all of the group’s ESG commitments, including Publicis’ ambitious SBTi-approved climate targets and concrete action plans for diversity, equality, and inclusion. She will also be in charge of major initiatives, including Working with Cancer and the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society. 

Lafond-Dufour will oversee a dedicated team tasked with connecting the group’s ESG professionals around the world. They will work together to develop and implement a coherent impact strategy with clear and specific performance metrics. Their goal is to improve and grow existing Publicis programs while also integrating new ones, which will benefit both teams and clients.

As a new member of the management committee, LaFond-Dufour will answer directly to Arthur Sadoun, the head of Publicis Groupe’s management board. She will work closely with Agathe Bousquet, who is the president of Publicis France and the management board’s guarantor of ESG obligations. 

LaFond-Dufour most recently held the positions of chief sustainability officer and chief client officer at McCann Worldgroup. 

Speaking about the appointment, Sadoun said, “With the Directory+ we are delighted to welcome Nannette to the Group.Through our transformation, we have outperformed the industry on all key business and financial metrics over the past four years. But we know that for our growth to be truly sustainable, at all levels, it must also be responsible. That’s why we’ve also worked to lead the way with our best-in-class ESG initiatives. With Nannette at our side and her proven expertise in implementing concrete changes at the heart of some of the world’s largest companies, we are convinced that we can go further and faster in our ESG agenda, for the good of our employees , our customers, and our planet.” 

Meanwhile, LaFond-Dufour expressed, “I am very admiring of the transformation carried out by Publicis, demonstrating both its ability to anticipate the future but also to prepare for it by making social and environmental commitments. At a time when evolution is more necessary than ever, I am delighted to join a visionary, courageous and agile team.” 

Singapore – Multi-channel advertising platform StackAdapt has announced the appointment of Ryan Nelsen as chief marketing officer.

In his role at StackAdapt, Nelsen will lead a world-class team and take responsibility for all aspects of marketing, including product marketing, brand growth, digital strategies, communications, public relations, experiential marketing, and design.

Nelsen brings 17 years of strategic marketing expertise and leadership to his role in support of StackAdapt’s mission and remarkable client and company growth. His impressive leadership journey spans four key posts, including strategic marketing leadership roles at both Qualtrics and MX. 

At Qualtrics, he served in product marketing, ABM, field marketing, and enterprise marketing. While there, he was instrumental in launching the Qualtrics Customer Experience business, which quickly became the fastest-growing product line and contributed to the company’s first $1 Billion US in revenue. In his role as executive vice president of marketing for MX, Nelsen built a world-class team and led all aspects of marketing and brand, including product marketing, demand, communications, field marketing, and creative.

Nelsen’s move comes at a time when StackAdapt is experiencing rapid global expansion and its recognition as a leader in AI and machine learning within the advertising industry. His role will be crucial in leveraging this momentum, positioning Nelsen perfectly to further innovate and scale the company’s global impact, competing against established tech giants.

Speaking on his own appointment, Nelsen said, “StackAdapt is setting the pace in AI-powered advertising technology. I’ve been incredibly impressed with the team, the technology, and the value StackAdapt is delivering to clients and brands. With a perfect product-market fit and our unmatched speed of innovation, I’m excited to build as we serve the best agencies and brands around the world.”

Meanwhile, Vitaly Pecherskiy, co-founder and CEO of StackAdapt, said, “We are excited to add Ryan to our leadership team as we continue to deliver on massive client demand around the world and scale StackAdapt. He is a proven winner with the strategic experience and record of success we need to further round out our executive team and hit our growth goals.”

Singapore – Marina Bay Sands, UOB, and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise their commitment to raising awareness and increasing visitor numbers in the Marina Bay area. This deal demonstrates the trio’s commitment to turning the area into a major leisure and economic hub, drawing both locals and tourists.

First announced in January, the cooperation featured a number of activities, including the captivating “The Legend of the Dragon Gate – Drone Show by the Bay” drone spectacular and the “Masterpieces.. Made in Singapore” marketing campaign. This expanded cooperation is the result of a remarkable pilot relationship that involved 26 local partners offering over 50 exclusive events for UOB cardholders across several nations. 

The campaign was based on the marketing initiatives of the three companies: UOB’s plan to grant special access to the greatest travel, shop, dine, and entertainment events in ASEAN; STB’s global Made in Singapore brand campaign; and Marina Bay Sands’ Bay Precinct Strategy. 

In the future, the partners hope to present Marina Bay as a dynamic place offering a wide range of experiences. Together, they will develop exciting programming for future holiday seasons and keep bringing top-notch activities and attractions to the precinct. Through the utilisation of the combined abilities of companies surrounding the Bay, their goal is to establish Marina Bay Sands as a top location for holding global events and providing exclusive experiences. 

The MoU signing ceremony, which was attended by Minister Grace Fu, saw representatives from Marina Bay Sands, UOB, and STB reaffirm their commitment. This landmark event, conducted concurrently with STB’s Tourism Industry Conference at Sands Expo and Convention Centre, demonstrated the community’s desire to enhance the Marina Bay precinct.

Speaking about the partnership, Irene Lin, Marina Bay Sands, said, “The Marina Bay precinct was enlivened in the first quarter of the year, with multiple partners coming together to bring greater vibrancy to the area and create a stellar experience for guests. This next partnership recognises that the precinct has limitless potential to compete on the world stage as a leading lifestyle and business destination. Our ongoing efforts to elevate Marina Bay Sands signal our commitment to enhance the Bay, and we look forward to working with our partners to create more compelling experiences over the long term.”

Meanwhile, Jacquelyn Tan, UOB said, “We are excited to extend this unique partnership to make the iconic Marina Bay precinct a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists. This unprecedented partnership is the latest in our array of innovative and pioneering entertainment propositions we have acquired for our eight million customers across ASEAN, who have over the past months enjoyed exclusive ticketing access to concerts and festivals featuring internationally-renowned artists across different genres.” 

She added, “We will further leverage our leadership position in the lifestyle space and our unparalleled footprint across the region, to bring more unforgettable retail, dining, travel and entertainment experiences to the precinct for our local and regional cardholders. We look forward to the next partnership with great anticipation, as the possibilities for the period ahead are truly endless.”

Lastly, Kenneth Lim, STB, said, “We are excited to be embarking on the next Marina Bay precinct partnership with Marina Bay Sands and UOB. Building on the success of the pilot partnership, we look forward to collaborating with the wider Marina Bay precinct partners to curate exciting experiences for both locals and overseas visitors to enjoy. Through this partnership, we aim to inspire exploration of Singapore by promoting unique offerings and programming in the Marina Bay precinct, demonstrating our continued appeal as an attractive and vibrant destination.”

Philippines – McDonald’s Philippines has launched “Ride the Arches,” a pedal-powered project that will turn McDonald’s outlets into cycling refuelling stops. The movement started when McDonald’s observed that more and more of its 700+ locations in the Philippines were turning into bikers’ favourite places to stop.

In 2021, the firm started investing in Bike & Dine infrastructure as a response to McDonald’s Philippines innovation. Bike & Dine amenities include integrated bike racks, dining ledges, bicycle-safe “Ride-Thrus,” and stations for repairing and charging e-bikes.

In a nation where four people own bicycles for every car, these facilities contribute to the lack of infrastructure that is bike-friendly. It can be difficult for cyclists to find secure locations for repairs, maintenance, and breaks, especially for e-bikes. 

McDonald’s then challenged Leo Burnett Manila to urge the nation to cycle by making McDonald’s establishments mandatory stops on any bike route. With stores in scenic locations such as Tagaytay, which offers views of Taal Volcano, Boracay, known for its white-sand beaches, and Intramuros, a historic walled city in Manila, Leo Burnett Manila launched “Ride the Arches.” This program encourages cyclists to visit some of the world’s best-known McDonald’s restaurants, particularly those equipped with Bike & Dine facilities. 

To launch “Ride the Arches,” McDonald’s challenged cycling organisations around the country to create routes that loop from arch to arch, with McDonald’s serving as both the beginning and finishing point. Additionally, the company enlisted cycling influencers to build and share their routes, which were then promoted on major cycling applications such as Strava and Komoot. 

McDonald’s organised a number of #TourDeMcDo bike rides for the community. Free food, special meals for cyclists, and merchandise for those who shared pictures or rode the most kilometres served as the fuel for these tours. 

With more than 100 routes and 51,000 kilometres of riding completed thus far, “Ride the Arches” plans to work with cycling organisations in cities that have McDonald’s Bike & Dine locations through 2024. The initiative will promote bicycle safety by planning and funding rides. In an effort to position McDonald’s restaurants as refuelling stations for riding communities—a place to rest, enjoy bike repair services, and eat their favourite McDonald’s foods—events are scheduled for World Bike Day on June 3 and National Bicycle Month in November.

Speaking about the campaign, Kenneth S. Yang, CEO and president of McDonald’s Philippines, said, “McDonald’s launched Bike & Dine facilities during the pandemic after seeing a surge in bike usage across the country. We saw an opportunity to improve the customer experience for our two-wheeled customers, and be an advocate for sustainable mobility— encouraging more customers to ride.” 

Meanwhile, Raoul Panes, chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Group Manila and Publicis Groupe Philippines, stated, “We loved the idea of using McDonald’s scale, infrastructure and operations to support a vast community of bike enthusiasts, adding value with rewards, and creating an always-growing network of routes that lead across our stunning country. By incentivising cyclists to ‘Ride the Arches’, McDonald’s has become the gateway to discovering some of the most beautiful places in the Philippines.”

Singapore – More than half of APAC businesses (55%) see artificial intelligence as important to their social media programme – a notably higher percentage than their global counterparts (44%), according to a report by social and media intelligence firm Meltwater. 

Data from Meltwater’s study also suggests that with the prominence of AI usage in marketing, 64% of the respondents in APAC leverage AI tools to save time on writing, with 36% utilising it to improve their copy.

However, though almost half (48%) of APAC teams surveyed said that social media will play a more important role in their company this year, many teams are struggling to maximise their social programs due to reduced resources.

The survey showed that even respondents from large companies with more than 1,000 employees operate in small social media teams of 2 to 5 members. Additionally, many social media teams find strategy and execution a challenge, with 34% of respondents saying that they are still working on defining a strategy, whilst a quarter are in a tougher spot of having a strategy but lacking the resources to execute it.

For other notable findings from the report, it stated that Instagram is the highest channel of interest (45%) for APAC teams, closely followed by TikTok (43%). Additionally, teams in APAC are more likely to dedicate the same budget to social media that they did in 2023, unlike teams globally who are increasing social media budgets. Lastly, 64% of respondents in APAC agree that social listening is a key component in strategic planning.

Talking about the findings, Mimrah Mahmood, vice president – enterprise (APAC) and partner at Meltwater Asia-Pacific, said,  “Social media teams are in an unenviable position of doing a lot more for their organisations this year with limited resources and budget. Concerningly, not having a defined social media strategy is a more prominent challenge in APAC than other regions.”

“With the typical social media user using 6.7 platforms each month, brands need to understand the usage intent of their target audience for their platform of choice. With bandwidth being a major concern, it is crucial that teams identify which are priority channels and customise content accordingly,” he added.

Singapore – MoneyHero Limited (“MoneyHero” or the “Company”), a Southeast Asia-based personal finance and digital insurance aggregation and comparison platform, has announced two significant additions to its senior corporate team. Liru Chan has been appointed as the company’s new group head of marketing, and Francois Picard has been named as MoneyHero’s new group head of operations, effective May 6, 2024. 

Chan and Picard will be based in the company’s Singaporean headquarters. 

Chan has taken on the role of group head of marketing, where she will be in charge of managing brand development and consumer marketing across MoneyHero’s operational regions and portfolio. Furthermore, she is positioned to make a substantial contribution to the company’s overall sales and customer engagement initiatives. 

Chan joins MoneyHero from Google (APAC), where she was responsible for strategy and growth for owned direct acquisition and sales enablement since 2021 as head of growth (owned user experience). Prior to working at Google, Chan had senior positions at PayPal, Edelman, and Visa, where she was head of marketing (Singapore). 

Picard’s new role as Group Head of Operations includes developing and improving the company’s operations across the organisation to support MoneyHero’s upcoming phase of growth as a publicly traded entity. 

Picard comes to MoneyHero from ShopBack, where he was the vice president of operations since 2017. In this role, Picard oversaw the advancement of ShopBack’s operational frameworks and customer service operations, leading a team of over 130 people and developing the platform in accordance with a growth strategy across 11 markets. Picard held leadership positions at Honestbee and Schneider Electric before joining ShopBack. 

Speaking about the appointments, Rohith Murthy, chief executive officer of MoneyHero, said, “On behalf of everyone at MoneyHero, I want to welcome Liru and Francois to the company. To build and support a world-class organisation, you need to attract and hire the best talent. The addition of Liru and Francois is reflective of MoneyHero’s consistent ability to do this, which is a critical component of our success and further differentiates us from our peers. With Liru spearheading our marketing strategies and Francois optimising our operations, we have strengthened two key departments with seasoned executives who will enable us to execute on our aggressive growth plans and drive shareholder value more effectively.”

Meanwhile, Chan, group head of marketing with MoneyHero, expressed, “I am thrilled to join MoneyHero at such an exciting time in the company’s history, as well as to join such an incredible team of driven, like-minded individuals. I want to thank Rohith, his leadership team, and the company’s Board of Directors for this fantastic opportunity. I am proud to represent MoneyHero’s mission to empower consumers across Greater Southeast Asia to take better control of their personal finance decisions, and I look forward to helping take this purpose-driven business to the next level.”

Speaking about his appointment, Picard stated, “It is an honour and privilege to serve as MoneyHero’s new Group Head of Operations. Rohith and his team have built an impressive organisation with a proven business model, strong growth drivers, and an impeccable reputation in the marketplace. This curated platform will play a major role in shaping the future of the digital economy in Greater Southeast Asia, and I am excited to be a valuable part of this journey.”

Singapore – VaynerMedia has announced the appointment of Melanie Cook as its new head of strategy and insights for the Asia Pacific region.

In her new role, Cook will be leveraging her extensive expertise to spearhead the regional strategy team, drawing on cultural insights, emerging trends, and evolving formats to help brands shape their narrative in a way that connects with audiences.

Cook joins with a deep, intuitive understanding of VaynerMedia’s approach, marking a pivotal moment in its commitment to helping clients find and build relevance in today’s rapidly changing advertising landscape, and guiding brands through dynamic “consumer-up” strategies that prioritise relevance and business outcomes over the traditional “brand-down” approach.

Prior to her appointment, Cook was the regional head of strategy at MRM MENAT, where she led her team to drive some of the most significant marketing transformations in the region, working at the intersection of brand, digital technology, and customer experience.

She has also worked with leading agencies such as Saatchi& Saatchi, Publicis Sapient and BBDO Proximity across Europe, MENAT and APAC markets, working with clients across several industries including L’Oreal, Unilever, Visa, Neom and LVMH.

Beyond traditional agency roles, Melanie has driven numerous consulting engagements with diverse clients from MetLife to Jardine Matheson, driving programmes that deliver real business outcomes.

Speaking on her own appointment, Cook said, “In the age of generative AI and gate-keeping algorithms, brands risk commoditising creativity and losing the relevance and ingenuity that sets them apart. I want to work with and learn from a disruptive team that values human insight and creativity as critical to a brand’s distinction, and I found this with VaynerMedia.”

“By leveraging human insight, AI and scaled data, we can evolve the art and science of storytelling in underpriced attention channels so we move closer to a consumer’s interests and needs,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Tim Lindley, managing director at VaynerMedia Asia Pacific, commented, “Melanie had an affinity to our mission from the very first conversation; the world needs to change and she’s clearly up for the challenge. She brings a depth of strategic, creative and media experience that is hard to find. Her track record of building high-performing teams that are equally obsessed with consumers as they are with their own internal culture fills me with confidence. Melanie brings an energy that exudes curiosity, courage, and kindness, and we can’t ask for much more than that.”

United States – Gatorade, the iconic sports drink from PepsiCo, is expanding its ‘Fuel Tomorrow’ sport platform globally in a bid to address equity in sport. What started as a US-based initiative will roll out globally in a series of initiatives within this year.

For Gatorade, they are committed to help 2,500,000 teens across the world access the life-changing power of sport by 2030. Moreover, it promises to continue its mission to increase participation and to inspire future generations to get active.

Kicking off in May, the brand’s renowned grassroots football tournament for teens aged 14-16, 5v5, will take place in Bilbao with an all-female tournament and in London with both male and female tournaments. Designed to promote and showcase equal opportunities for young talent, the tournament – now in its seventh year – has been delivering positive formative sporting experiences to thousands of young amateur athletes from all over the world, providing over 151,000 young adults from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to excel to date.

May will also see an extension of the brand’s ‘Confidence Coach’ initiative following the successful launch with Rachel Yankey and Andriy Shevchenko in 2023. Fuelled by the finding that a lack of confidence within teens has a huge impact on the drop-out rate of sport, this innovative programme aims to inspire future generations by partnering with some of the world’s most iconic football players as Confidence Coaches to share their experience first-hand and motivate aspiring players.

The final programme coming later this year will be the ‘Fuel Tomorrow Fund’. Created to encourage community integration to cover the cost of equipment and spaces to play sport in low-income areas in key markets.

Bart LaCount, vice president of marketing at Gatorade, said, “Gatorade’s Fuel Tomorrow platform embodies our core mission – that is to ignite the potential that is inside each one of us, that can be unleashed through sport and being active. Unfortunately, not everyone has equal access to those opportunities – but at Gatorade, we believe everyone should be able to access sports and we firmly believe that barriers to participation should not exist. Gatorade looks forward to a future in which everyone, everywhere, can unlock the life-changing power of sport.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Omnicom Media Group (OMG) agency PHD has won the OPPO media business in several Asian markets, specifically Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh – following a competitive pitch.

Effective April 1, PHD’s appointment covers OPPO’s online and offline media planning, as well as its strategy and thought leadership processes.

These duties will then be managed out of Malaysia, which is OPPO’s APAC hub, and includes working with the OPPO HQ team in China and other OMG offices to roll out various initiatives and strategies for global markets.

Talking about the appointment, David Soo, managing director, PHD Malaysia, said, “We are proud to have won the OPPO business and this marks a great opportunity for us to work on a leading global technology brand that mirrors PHD’s pursuit of innovation, excellence, and creating work that delights consumers. A crucial part of the win stemmed from the team’s thorough response to the brief as well as the chemistry internally and with the client teams at all levels.”

“Given the broad remit, the win is a huge step up for the team, elevating their exposure and further boosting PHD Malaysia’s quality and ability to take on similar roles in the future,” he added.

Meanwhile, Elly Huang, head of media at OPPO, commented, “We commend PHD Malaysia for their exceptional track record, expertise, and passion for innovation. We are excited to embark on this journey together and push the boundaries of what is possible in this dynamic industry.”

It is also worth noting that this appointment comes shortly after PHD won the OPPO media business in India.