Tag: Marketing

Singapore – Changi Airport has recently unveiled ‘The Courage to Dream – The Making of the Changi Airport Story’, an LKY100 commemorative exhibition to be held at Jewel Changi Airport from September 16 to 30.

With various interactive zones, the exhibition commemorates the visionary leadership, boldness and conviction of the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, showcasing how Mr. Lee and his team of leaders made Changi Airport possible and paved the way for its success.

Through untold stories illustrated in engaging displays, with rarely seen archival content, the exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to embark on a nostalgic voyage through time from the 1970s to present day, and even get a glimpse of the future of aviation.

There are six interactive zones in the exhibition, highlighting the journey of Changi Airport alongside Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership. The first zone talks about how Changi Airport was once smaller in scale and called Paya Lebar Airport, as the second and third zones showcase how Lee Kuan Yew made strides to improve the airport, eventually transitioning to Changi Airport in the fourth zone.

Lastly, the fifth and sixth zones focused on the improvements made to the airport which made it grow into the world’s most awarded airport, and even looking towards the airport’s future advancements, which was only made possible by the decisions of the past. 

Talking about the exhibition, Jayson Goh, executive vice president of airport management, Changi Airport Group, said, “Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s bold decision to relocate Singapore’s airport from Paya Lebar to Changi marked a pivotal moment in aviation history.”

“To this day, we continue to be deeply grateful for the vision, courage and conviction demonstrated by Mr. Lee and our pioneering airport leaders, which paved the way for Changi Airport’s growth over the past decades and beyond. We hope to inspire and educate the community through these lesser-told stories, which highlight the values that made Changi Airport possible and still guide how we run the airport today,” he added. 

Japan – McCann Worldgroup Japan announced the appointment of leadership within its agency brands, McCann and Craft. Takashi Aoki will join McCann Erickson Japan Inc. and Craft Worldwide Inc. as representative director and president, taking effect on October 1, 2023. 

Aoki will be under the direct supervision of Ji Watson, the CEO of McCann Worldgroup Japan. He will collaborate closely with the regional and global network to lead the Japanese teams in delivering impactful solutions to help clients expand their businesses.

Aoki brings over two decades of experience as a strategic thinker in the realms of marketing, branding, and customer experience from his previous position as managing director of Media.Monks Tokyo. Throughout his career, Aoki has contributed to a diverse portfolio of global and domestic brands in industries such as FMCG, luxury, cosmetics, tech platforms, automobiles, tourism, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage. He has worked for Dentsu Y&R Tokyo, J. Walter Thompson Japan, J. Walter Thompson Shanghai, Publicis Groupe, and Saatchi & Saatchi Tokyo.

Speaking about the appointment, Watson commented, “I am delighted to welcome Takashi Aoki to our management team. His multi-market knowledge and expertise leading cross-functional teams make him uniquely suited for this role. I very much look forward to working closely with him and our existing leadership team, accelerating our transformation to become the irrefutable leader in the business of creativity.” 

Meanwhile, Aoki expressed, “I am very excited to take on this role leading McCann and Craft in Japan. Both agencies have a unique presence in Japan, being part of a global network, as well as having a deep understanding of the Japanese market and also a strong roster of clients. I look forward to continuing to develop creative and effective solutions that address the challenges our clients face in this rapidly changing world, working closely with the teams in Japan as well as the APAC regional and global teams.”

India – StepOne, a local marketing and events startup, has announced its expansion into Singapore after establishing its presence in India, particularly in HR tech, fintech, and retail sectors. This move marks the company’s strategic entry into the Southeast Asian market.

StepOne’s decision to open an office in Singapore is part of its strategic plan to build a presence across the globe. With this expansion, StepOne will be able to share its knowledge of experiential events with the business community in Singapore and provide convenience to its Indian clients who frequently plan events in South Asian markets.

Speaking about the expansion, Rajat Khaitan, founder of StepOneXP, said, “The Singapore base ensures StepOne is well-positioned to serve the entire Asia Pacific (APAC) region and will add to our credibility. With this strategic expansion, we’ll be able to offer cost-effective solutions to our existing clients who are keen on doing events in Southeast Asia, along with taking our incomparable solutions to Singapore and Southeast Asia-based companies.”

Australia – Online dating app Tinder has launched ‘Dating Dictionary: Consent Edition”, the latest iteration of its dating dictionary, in Australia to help educate Aussies on key consent terms and phrases.

The new dating dictionary is a product of Tinder’s collaboration with Chanel Contos, the founder and CEO of Teach Us Consent, a campaign that was responsible for mandating consent education in Australia.

‘Dating Dictionary: Consent Edition aims to serve as an educational guide and resource to both give and get consent for people navigating the world of dating. 

Within the new edition of the dictionary, people can find definitions of consent terms and examples of incorporating consent checks and phrases into their dating journey. It will provide daters with phrases to help them ask for, give, and revoke consent throughout the different stages of dating.

Tinder’s move to launch the dictionary is rooted in the results of its latest research conducted with YouGov, where it found that only 55% of Gen Z and Millennial dating app users are confident that they’re very knowledgeable about consent. 

The release of ‘Dating Dictionary: Consent Edition’ is a prelude to a much bigger dating guide coming to Australia later this month called School of Swipe.

Tinder first launched School of Swipe in Singapore as the first-ever crash course in online dating. The online resource will offer guidance on the online-to-offline dating journey, including the latest dating terms and all the way through to safety, consent, and creating respectful behaviours with dating.

Commenting on the collaboration, Contos said, “I’m incredibly passionate about advancing consent education here in Australia, and it applies to all adults. I am proud to be part of creating this new consent guide with Tinder for adults exploring the possibilities of dating. I believe that language is one of our most important tools. You can’t understand something, you can’t practise it properly, and you can’t prevent something if you can’t name it. The Consent Edition of Tinder’s Dating Dictionary is a great step in improving the way we talk about consent in Australia, especially for young daters.”

Meanwhile, Kirsty Dunn, spokesperson for Tinder Australia, said, “So many of today’s dating interactions start with a SwipeTM, but we want these to be safe and consensual, above all. Respect has always been at Tinder’s core, starting with mutual matching, which requires both users to express interest before chatting, as well as our suite of trust and safety features. We know that safety is complex and personal and consent is much more than permission and rules, so we hope this guide helps daters navigate dating and foster healthy relationships.” 

Singapore – Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, latest research from YouGov Surveys reveals that more than one in three (36%) Singapore residents follow F1 motor racing.

Data from YouGov’s survey also states that the highest proportion of F1 followers in Singapore are from Gen X, and that men are also more likely to tune in to F1 than women, especially among Gen Z.

When asked about this year’s Singapore Grand Prix, about 32%  of F1 followers in Singapore said that they will be watching the race on-site. Notably, about 18% of attendees are attending the race in-person for the first time.

Talking about reasons for attending physically, 59% of this year’s attendees attribute the opportunity to meet up with friends to watch the race together with attending the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix in person, while on the other hand, 57% say that they just generally enjoy a trackside view of the race.

Furthermore, about half  of race goers also cite being a fan of one or more F1 drivers who will be competing in this year’s edition as one of the reasons they are getting tickets, while 39% will attend since they’re a fan of one or more artists who will be performing at this year’s entertainment lineup. 

On the other hand, 58% of Singaporean F1 followers say that they won’t be attending due to ticket prices being out of their budget this year. Notably, ticketing costs are by far the most common reason among past attendees who are not catching the race on site this year as well.

54% of fans also prefer catching the race via television broadcast, as do almost two-fifths among past attendees. The next most common reasons, following at a distance, are not being able to secure race tickets in time and not being interested in this year’s entertainment lineup.

Lastly, it is also worth mentioning that the survey also revealed Britain’s Lewis Hamilton as the driver with the largest fan base in Singapore, and when it comes to the performing artists, Robbie Williams is the most popular artist performing at this year’s Singapore Grand Prix. 

Singapore – Singaporean digital marketing agency MediaOne Business Group has announced that it will be distilling its strategies and services to cater specifically to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore as a recognized Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) accredited vendor, which helps Singaporean companies improve their productivity and automate existing processes through IT solutions and equipment.

The PSG accreditation demonstrates MediaOne’s commitment to helping businesses become profitable, grow, and achieve self-sustainability in terms of marketing and market share in an accelerated time frame.

With a track record of providing double-digit growth in client traffic, reach, and engagement, as well as thousands of search engine ranking improvements and impressive ROI, MediaOne has enabled SMEs to enhance their online presence, reach a broader audience, and increase their revenue streams.

Recognizing the growing importance of social media in the digital landscape, MediaOne has also recently been awarded accreditation to offer social media marketing and social media advertising services to further support businesses in their marketing endeavors.

In addition to its PSG accreditation, MediaOne also encourages SMEs to act swiftly, as support from the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) grants may see reductions by the middle of next year. By partnering with MediaOne, SMEs can take advantage of PSG-accredited services and SFEC grants to optimize their marketing efforts and drive growth.

Tom Koh, CEO of MediaOne, said, “We are delighted to extend our PSG-accredited services to include social media marketing and advertising. This accreditation is a testament to our dedication to providing top-tier digital marketing solutions. We have witnessed strong and sustained demand for these services, and we are committed to helping SMEs succeed in the ever-evolving digital marketplace.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Creative holding company The Shout Group has secured 15 new business wins this year, including major brands Pepsi, Wonda, Tropicana, Offspring, Mi Sedaap, Febreze, and Mr. DIY.

Headlining the company’s roster of new clients is the beverage manufacturer Etika, with FCB SHOUT assuming the creative responsibilities for three of its key brands: Pepsi, Wonda, and Tropicana.

The ad agency had previously worked on a partnership with Etika for its Chinese New Year campaign “Save the Drama with Pepsi,” which yielded significant success. Along with Etika, the agency has also secured multiple projects from PepsiCo Malaysia for Pepsi during this year’s Hari Raya celebration and design duties on Tropicana.

FCB SHOUT will also be taking on several other major Malaysian brands, such as Mr. DIY and EcoWorld, a homegrown retail chain and renowned property developer, who have assigned the agency several major developments and festive campaigns to handle.

Additionally, FCB SHOUT will be handling former clients Mi Sedaap and GLAD, further underscoring the agency’s reputation in the FMCG marketing scene.

The company has also bolstered its financial services portfolio, with FCB SHOUT taking under its wing a key project from Sun Life Malaysia. Meanwhile, AIG Malaysia selected the group’s boutique creative consultancy, IGNITE, for creative work.

The Shout Group has also been working to strengthen its cross-border capabilities. The company was selected to develop multiple campaigns for the game maker Hasbro in Asia-Pacific, handle key assignments for P&G’s Febreze Malaysia and Singapore, and receive additional market remits from existing clients McCain and premium baby care brand Offspring.

The company’s new business wins show a remarkable two-fold surge from the previous year.

Commenting on FCB SHOUT’s appointment, Amy Gan, vice president of Marketing at Etika, said, “We firmly believe in FCB SHOUT’s unmatched creativity and strategic brilliance. What sets them apart from others is their unwavering commitment to finding solutions even amidst the most challenging circumstances. They excel in collaborating, making every project a true partnership. The respect they show for our opinions and their determination to go the extra mile speaks volumes about their dedication.”

Meanwhile, Syahriza Badron, general manager at FCB SHOUT, shared, “We’ve fortified our creative and brand management team, empowering us to redouble our dedication to seizing new business opportunities. This commitment to growth has been the driving force behind our remarkable series of achievements. We’re also strategically geared towards expanding our client portfolio across all industries. Our aim is to enhance our team’s skills by exposing them to various sectors. This approach not only broadens our expertise but also strengthens our ability to thrive across diverse industries.”

Shaun Tay, co-owner and CEO of The Shout Group, also expressed his unshakable trust in his agency’s people.

He said, “Our successes mean that The Shout Group is on track once again to achieve another record year-end finish. And it’s all thanks to a team that’s been voted time and time again as the best in the business. We’re now laying the foundations for 2024 with key people ready to take on more well-earned responsibilities and our new talents fired up and ready to go. More to come.”

Singapore – Coca-Cola has recently announced the launch of Coca-Cola ‘Y3000 Zero Sugar’, a new limited-edition flavor accompanied by an AI-powered experience from Coca-Cola Creations. This flavor marks the first futuristic flavor co-created with human and artificial intelligence from Coca-Cola, aiming to celebrate an optimistic future.

The unique item offers consumers and fans a refreshing taste and a glimpse of what the future could look like by scanning the can and going through the Coca-Cola Creations Hub, where they can use the customized Y3000 AI lens to imagine what the world could look like in the future. 

Coca-Cola created the Y3000 experience by tapping into human and artificial intelligence to understand how fans envision the future through emotions, aspirations, colors, flavors, and more. Fan’s perspectives from around the world, combined with insights gathered from artificial intelligence, helped inspire Coca-Cola to create the taste of Y3000.

The product features a futuristic packaging design including light and optimistic tones, a Coca-Cola Creations logo composed of effervescent bubbles, and the Coca-Cola Spencerian Script with fluid dot clusters that merge to represent the human connections of our future planet. Co-created with artificial intelligence, the design showcases liquid in a morphing, evolving state, communicated through form and color changes that emphasize a positive future.

Coca-Cola Y3000 Zero Sugar is available in select markets around the world, dropping soon  in ASEAN & South Pacific with Australia rolling the new Creations first. The Coca-Cola Y3000 Zero Sugar drink follows the recently released Coca-Cola Ultimate Zero Sugar created for League of Legends players, which was made available in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia early this year; and is currently available nationwide in the Philippines.

Oana Vlad, senior director, global strategy at The Coca-Cola Company, said, “Inspired by the timelessness of Coca-Cola, we want to celebrate everyone’s idea of what the future might look like. With the help of AI-powered technology, Coca-Cola Y3000 Zero Sugar imagines how a Coca-Cola from the future could taste and introduces innovative experiences to explore the future.”

Meanwhile, Tee Jae Sonza, trademark category head, Coca-Cola ASEAN and South Pacific Operating Unit, commented, “We’re excited to bring to life this latest innovation from our Coca-Cola Creations platform here in ASEAN & South Pacific as we continuously explore new ways to resonate with our consumers. The launch of Coca-Cola Y3000 Zero Sugar opens up the possibility of a world where humanity and technology can collaborate in harmony to create Real Magic.”

Singapore – Ogury, a global personalsed advertising company, has appointed Wilfried Schobeiri as its new chief technology officer. In this role, Schobeiri will work closely with Ogury’s executive team to improve and strengthen the business’s unique technology platform.

In his new role, he will be in charge of the company’s strategic technology vision implementation, improving its cookieless and ID-less solution at an important time in the market. He will be based in Paris, report directly to Ogury CEO Geoffroy Martin, and join the executive committee of the business.

With 20 years of experience in the technology sector, Schobeiri has a track record of managing large-scale, international technology projects and effective product development teams. He was the chief technology officer at Banyan, a fintech and data infrastructure company, before he joined Ogury. Prior to that, he served as senior vice president and chief product officer at Revantage, where he oversaw the creation of the product for Blackstone’s platform for real estate data.

During his time at MediaMath, Schobeiri held the positions of chief technology officer and chief product officer, where he oversaw the company’s global efforts in product strategy and technology development. 

Schobeiri was a board member for the IAB Tech Lab while working for various companies. A key contributor to the creation of the IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework during his tenure, he helped the industry establish a common language for expressing consumer preferences regarding the use of their data for advertising purposes. 

Additionally, he has served as the board chairman for several adtech and data companies, including Ocient, Ergatta, and Truthset. He is still doing this today, continuing to provide his knowledge to help them grow.  

Speaking about his appointment, Schobeiri said, “I’m excited to join Ogury because we are one of the few adtech companies that have fully embraced the technical shifts in the privacy landscape. A true precursor of change, Ogury anticipated market needs to provide advertisers with performance and relevance without collecting personal data, and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

Meanwhile, Martin commented, “We are thrilled to welcome a prominent industry and technology expert such as Wil to Ogury. His experience and knowledge, which lie at the intersection of RTB and privacy while also building and scaling high-performing teams, make him the perfect fit for us.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dating behaviors between Muslims have changed after the pandemic, with dwindling ‘meet-cutes’ and participants between the ages of 25 to 34 years old leaning on utilizing dating and matchmaking platforms, according to global creative agency, TBWA through its audience intelligence arm 65db Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia-based Muslim insights unit, Halal Wave.

Data from the report suggests that Muslim singles in Malaysia are increasingly harnessing the power of technology in their search for love with close to 77.8% of leveraging on matchmaking platforms such as Muzz, Salams, and BaitulJannah to search for potential partners.

However, the report highlights that the quest for marriage among Muslims is not without its challenges. As Muslims live and interact in a culturally diverse background, conversations concerning interfaith marriage are a significant topic of interest. Specifically 62.3% of respondents are concerned about marriage regulations between different faiths as well as conversion to Islam as part of interfaith marriage.

Other challenges presented were 20.6% of respondents citing lack of guidance as the second largest barrier as they are unsure whether their approach in forming an acquaintance is aligned with Islamic teachings, 3.9% of respondents citing language barriers as a challenge, 3.0% of respondents expressing fears of being scammed in online dating and matchmaking realms, and 2.6% of respondents being worried about mismatched intentions when it comes to marriage.

The report also garnered several results through the use of identifiers between Malaysian Muslims using online matchmaking, with the first one being the ‘8 Areas of Marriage Readiness’ which lists out spirituality, character, family consent and blessings, communication, financial and security, health, future home, and finally, the Nikkah/Wedding.”

In the areas of marriage readiness, the study also concurred three distinct personas representing varying levels of commitment. First, ‘Someday, InshaAllah’ individuals seek knowledge for marriage without a fixed timeline. Second, ‘One Day, InshaAllah’ individuals actively plan for a stable future and family. Lastly, ‘Today, InshaAllah’ individuals prioritize marriage with a focus on blessings over extravagance.

Nazirah Ashari, head of 65dB Kuala Lumpur, strategy director at Halal Wave, TBWA\Asia, said, Household management, financial planning, and cost-effective wedding planning are amongst the many services that businesses can offer for all three different segments of the marriage personas. Undeniably, there is a growing need for businesses to empower and support marriage-minded Muslims throughout their journey towards matrimony. Faith-friendly offerings customized to different life stages will certainly do well in this day and era.”

Meanwhile, Hui Tsin, Yee, chief executive officer of TBWA Group Malaysia, commented, This concerted effort to gather data demonstrates our proactive stance in crafting strategies that resonate within this thriving and diverse demographic.”