Tag: Marketing

Manila, Philippines – Global technology company SHAREit has announced its appointment of Chay Mondejar-Saputil as country director for the Philippines.

In line with SHAREit’s growing expansion within the ASEAN region, her appointment seeks to shore up the various offerings and business solutions that the company has to offer within the region.

Prior to her appointment, Mondejar-Saputil has more than a decade of knowledge and experience within the industry, having previously been the vertical lead of the ecommerce and retail side of Meta. While in this role, she has been responsible for managing the team across a mixed portfolio of businesses covering multiple industries, as well as driving product development to include the needs of omnichannel retailers in Southeast Asia.

Apart from the aforementioned roles, she was also the primary external representative of Meta and board member at IMMAP (Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines) – the premier organisation for influencing local industry policies on digital marketing, while also being the primary representative at the Philippine Retailers Association.

Karam Malhotra, partner & VP at SHAREit Group, said, “We are extremely excited to announce the appointment of Chay as the Country Director of Philippines, as we continue to expand our offerings into the various ASEAN markets to meet the growing demand from enterprises.”

“Ranging across our full suite of services, from consumer facing technological solutions to addressing the various needs of businesses and enterprises across the region, we believe that Chay will help grow the Philippines market substantially as the country continues to develop their technology infrastructure,” he added. 

Speaking on her appointment, Mondejar-Saputil commented, “In this new role, our goal is to expand the multitude of services and solutions SHAREit brings together with Xtend, to help bolster our portfolio of services within the Philippines and the ASEAN region as a whole. We are aiming for remarkable growth in the Philippines market as we seize the opportunities presented by the region’s dynamic business environment.”

Notably, SHAREit’s expansion will be featuring its new brand arm called Xtend, which is a game-changing digital advertising optimization solution dedicated to pioneering Android campaigns.

Singapore – Singaporean beverage brand, Yeo Hiap Seng (Yeo’s), has launched an integrated brand campaign, unveiling a new brand platform called ‘Refresh What Matters’, with global agency Forsman and Bodenfors as the rebrand’s creative lead.  

Yeo’s and Forsman and Bodenfors integrated brand campaign features new vibrant packaging, new product films, and the ‘Drinkable Garden’ exhibit, which explores new brews and partnerships, culminating in an eventful brand activation.

The Yeo’s Drinkable Garden installation, in collaboration with Gardens By the Bay, commemorates the brand’s legacy with an experiential brand activation, centred around Yeo’s signature drink– Yeo’s Chrysanthemum Tea.

The exhibit aims to take audiences on a multi-sensorial journey through a contemporary garden, with a motif centred around chrysanthemums and lush foliage. The exhibit is also heavily inspired by three different Yeo’s chrysanthemum brews namely, Yeo’s Chrysanthemum Tea, the newly launched Snow Chrysanthemum Tea and a Rose-Infused Chrysanthemum brew that tell the story of the exceptional quality and craft behind each drink.

Visitors will have the opportunity to gain insights into the unique benefits across a variety of chrysanthemums and get a glimpse into the intricate craftsmanship that goes into making Yeo’s products and what sets them apart from other brands in Asia. 

Also on site will be the special edition Yeo’s signature chrysanthemum tea, that commemorates the centenary of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and to celebrate his legacy as Singapore’s “chief gardener” and his visionary role in transforming Singapore into a green city. The commemorative Yeo’s packs are not for sale, and will be distributed in educational settings around Singapore.

Ong Yuh Hwang, CEO of Yeo Hiap Seng, said, “Our Yeo’s Drinkable Garden is a reflection of the core values of our signature drink – real chrysanthemum flowers filled with aroma and flavour, brewed in its purest form with no compromise on taste – a true celebration of the best of our heritage combined with creativity and innovation.”

Meanwhile, Gary Lim, group creative director at Forsman & Bodenfors Singapore, commented,  “When you think of Chrysanthemum tea, you think of Yeo’s. It’s a flavour from a brand almost all of us in the region have tasted and loved from a young age. We partnered with Yeo’s to ‘Refresh What Matters’ in every sense, bringing audiences on an immersive and inspiring journey to experience the brand in the most refreshing way.”

Singapore – Tiger Beer announced its collaboration with fashion designer Izzy Du to create the ‘TIGER Summer Puffer’, the world’s first puffer jacket with a beer-powered cooling system made specifically to keep its wearer cool in tropical heat.

Developed with Whatever Co., BBH Singapore, and LePub APAC, the jacket’s cooling system is powered by an ice-cold Tiger Beer, chilling the water that is pumped around the wearer’s body via a network of silicone tubes.

In terms of design, Du captured the boldness of Tiger Beer and incorporated a number of design cues inspired by the brand, paying homage to a tiger with design elements like a bold and bright orange hue, tiger ears, a pair of fangs, and a subtle striped pattern.

Talking about the product, Du said, “Making a puffer for the summer is an external expression of how refreshing and cool it feels to drink a Tiger. I started with the feeling of opening an ice-cold can of beer, and playing with the colours of the brand, before imbuing the aesthetics of the puffer with a new function.”

Sean O’Donnell, global brand director at Tiger Beer, also commented, “ This idea is highly innovative and it resonates with our target consumers in a new and exciting way. The puffer jacket is one of fashion’s hottest items amongst Gen Z and millennials across Asia but there’s one challenge: it can’t be worn in the heat of the tropics.”

“At Tiger, we have been defying the odds since 1932 by brewing beer in tropical weather when others said it couldn’t be done. Tiger Crystal refreshes you when you’re on fire, so why not make a puffer jacket with a beer-powered cooling system that does just that?”, he added. 

Meanwhile, Sascha Kuntze, chief creative officer of BBH Singapore, mentioned, “It’s always a joy to work with brands bold enough to play in pop culture. And with refreshment so intrinsic to Tiger Beer, it’s only natural for them to refresh puffer jackets for drinkers in Asia.”  

Lastly, Cyril Louis, regional executive creative director at LePub APAC, added, “At LePub, we believe the only way for brands to win is to resonate in culture at scale, and it is a pleasure to work with the Tiger Beer global team in bringing this piece to APAC and the rest of the world. Izzy has also been an amazing collaborator, uniting the worlds of Tiger Beer and fashion in the most stunning, memorable way.”

The TIGER Summer Puffer follows the brand’s recent ‘Brewed For Your Fire’ campaign for Tiger Crystal which brought to life on-fire moments and crystal-cold refreshment together through a dynamic mash-up of fun live-action footage and Gen-Z-inspired animations. The jacket will also be experienced first-hand during the upcoming Paris Fashion Week.

APAC – Global creative agency Amplify, has announced two new key appointments namely, Sabrina Khong as the new associate creative director and Caitlin Todd as a new business lead.

These appointments follow Amplify’s vision of diversifying and strengthening their offering and expertise across multiple fields as an advertising agency. 

Khong joins from Foxtel, where she was an Art Director working on conceptualisation and creative strategy for Foxtel campaigns. Previously, she was an associate creative director at Section in Singapore where she worked with brands such as Uniqlo, PlayStation, Durex, and Nikon.She was also an art director at Publicis Singapore for three years, where she worked on winning pitches for brands including Tiger Crystal, Samsung, HPB and Disney.

On the other hand, Todd comes from three years at integrated social agency, Ground, in Sydney. Prior to that she was with Hill+Knowlton Strategies in London, starting as a junior consultant and working her way up. Throughout her career Todd has worked with a broad range of clients across the entertainment, tech and lifestyle space including Nike, Activision Blizzard, Huawei, Sennheiser, Intel, Oatley, and Team GB.

On these hires, Gareth Davies, managing partner at Amplify, said, “We’re truly excited to welcome Sabrina and Caitlin to the team. Sabrina’s experience delivering quality creative work across multiple mediums, from social campaigns to TVCs and augmented reality experiences along with Caitlin’s experience  across PR, strategy, social and digital makes them both a perfect fit for Amplify.”

Speaking on her appointment, Khong said, “I am thrilled to be collaborating with so many talented individuals in the Amplify team and I look forward to pushing the boundaries of creativity and contributing to the already impressive list of clientele.”

Meanwhile, Todd also commented, “I’m very excited to have joined Amplify and I’m particularly looking forward to working alongside such a talented team as we continue to grow our exceptional client relationships.”

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.”