Tag: Media

Australia – Following a highly competitive pitch, Initiative has been appointed media agency of record for healthcare company, Aspen Pharmacare Australia, working across its brand portfolio of well-known consumer healthcare brands such as Maltofer, Coloxyl, Ural and Dymadon.

Already considered one of Australia’s largest consumer healthcare companies, Initiative’s remit includes all media buying, planning and strategy, as Aspen Australia seeks to grow its market leading position in a highly competitive and regulated market.

Jo McAlister, CEO at Initiative said Aspen Australia’s entrepreneurial spirit aligns perfectly with Initiative’s culture and people and already the collaboration between the teams is evident.

“Aspen Pharmacare operates with a core mantra to provide all Australians with access to a great range of high-quality healthcare products.  We are motivated to utilise our industry-leading tools to create new thinking and develop effective campaigns that are a cut above their competitors and will help the company achieve its growth goals,” they said.

McAlister continued, “We look forward to elevating the company as it enters a new evolution of growth.”

Meanwhile, Alison Holland, head of consumer OTC at Aspen Pharmacare commented, “We are thrilled to partner with Initiative to enhance our consumer engagement and drive impactful connections in the healthcare space. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to delivering innovative, patient-centric solutions through strategic and data-driven media approaches.”

“We look forward to exciting times ahead as Aspen Pharmacare benefits from the fresh, exciting media thinking Initiative is renowned for,” she concluded.

The transition is already underway with the partnership live from April 1.  The first work will be in market Q3.

India – Madison Media Infinity, a division of Madison World, has been appointed as the media agency of record (AOR) for Samsonite India, overseeing its traditional and digital media strategy.

As part of this mandate, the agency will oversee Samsonite India’s traditional and digital media strategy, covering TV, print, radio, cinema, outdoor, and digital platforms.

Samsonite India, a subsidiary of global luggage company Samsonite International, offers a range of travel products, including luggage, backpacks, and accessories. The company’s portfolio also includes brands such as American Tourister and Kamiliant, which will be part of the agency’s mandate.

Anushree Tainwala, vice president of marketing at Samsonite India, commented, “Samsonite has always been at the forefront of creating high-quality, durable luggage & travel accessories with a strong focus on innovation, continually adapting to evolving consumer needs.”

“This strategic partnership with Madison, known for their impactful & integrated media strategies, is a perfect match to further propel our brand’s leadership in the market. With a shared commitment to innovation and excellence, Madison’s expertise will play a key role in our vision to make Samsonite brands the preferred travel companion in India,” Tainwala added. 

Meanwhile, Abhik Banerjee, COO of Madison Media Infinity, said, “We are excited to partner with Samsonite India and look forward to driving impactful media strategies across both traditional and digital platforms to strengthen their brand presence.”

Indonesia – As part of its expansion in Southeast Asia, Havas has formed a strategic alliance with Indonesia-based independent agency Moonfolks, uniting Havas’ media expertise with Moonfolks’ integrated and digital marketing capabilities. 

Operating as ‘Havas Moonfolks,’ the partnership will offer a range of services, including traditional and digital advertising, social media, programmatic buying, performance marketing, creative development, and brand strategy. The collaboration aims to streamline media and creative efforts, enhancing the effectiveness and relevance of brand campaigns.

The alliance also reflects Havas’ broader strategy of integrating talent, capabilities, and platforms to streamline media and creative services. The partnership aims to enhance brand solutions by leveraging data, media, and creativity.

Additionally, the collaboration will introduce Havas’ proprietary tools and services, including Havas Market (eCommerce), Havas Play (Content & Activation), and CSA (Data & Tech), to the Indonesian market.

Effective January 6, 2025, Havas’ media team has integrated with Moonfolks, officially launching operations under the Havas Moonfolks brand.

Moonfolks will continue to operate as an independent creative and integrated agency under the leadership of its founder, CEO, and president director, Anish Daryani. Through this partnership, media and creative services will be integrated under the Havas Moonfolks umbrella.

Daryani will also assume the role of president director for Havas Moonfolks, bringing his industry expertise and market experience to drive growth and innovation. He will be supported by Stefanus Christofer (Steven) as general manager, working alongside Pankaj Nayak, the newly appointed president of SEA at Havas Media.

Under the guidance of Rana Barua, group CEO for India, SEA, and North Asia, Daryani and his team will have the resources and support needed to drive strategic decisions, align with regional objectives, and strengthen market growth.

Speaking about the alliance, Barua said, “Indonesia is one of Southeast Asia’s largest and fastest-growing markets, making it a strategic priority for us. This strategic alliance with Moonfolks marks a significant milestone in our growth journey and strengthens our position to lead with our Converged strategy, amplifying our ability to deliver impactful solutions for brands in local, regional, and global markets.”

Meanwhile, Daryani explained, “The industry has created significant complexity by separating creative and media functions into different agencies. I’ve witnessed firsthand how disconnected these teams can be, even when working on the same client or within the same holding company.” 

He added, “By uniting creative and media, we are leading the charge in challenging the traditional approach, bringing integrated agency teams together to solve business challenges for our clients. This collaboration provides a proven model that combines creative content, effective distribution, and a higher ROAS for brands. Through this alliance, we have completed our integrated model, allowing us to accelerate commerce for our clients in a way that truly drives results.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dentsu has appointed Bala Pomaleh as CEO of Media at dentsu Malaysia. Effective 3 March 2025, Bala will report to Audrey Chong, CEO, dentsu Malaysia.

A revered media leader in Malaysia with 20 years of management experience under his belt, Bala returns to dentsu after close to nine years at IPG Mediabrands, where he was pivotal in establishing the network as its CEO. Prior to that, he was with Carat Malaysia, part of dentsu media brands, for four years. 

Speaking on his appointment, Bala said, “It is great to be able to come back to the familiar sense of excellence and community that make up the very essence of our dentsu network. This is a winning formula that sets dentsu Malaysia apart as we continue to innovate to impact our clients, our people and our society in an ever-changing landscape. I can’t wait to break new grounds together with our one integrated dentsu team going forward.”

Meanwhile, Chong commented, “There is no better leader to take on this elevated role as CEO of our Media business in Malaysia than Bala. As a well-respected and award-winning industry veteran, Bala combines acute business acumen with a grounded passion for talent development. I am therefore delighted to welcome him back to the dentsu network where he will undoubtedly be a transformational force for our clients and our people.”

She added, “We are building a future-ready agency of tomorrow so that we can be the game-changing partner for our clients today. As we continue to push the boundaries of innovation and excellence, I am excited that we have a reinforced leadership team that will take dentsu Malaysia to new heights for our clients while staying committed to nurturing our talents to be the future of our industry.”

At the intersection of technological innovation and evolving consumer behaviours, 2024 is set to be a dynamic year marked by transformative trends that will shape the retail media and advertising landscape.  From free ad streaming TV’s (FAST) exponential growth to the impact of AI in advertising, Let’s take a look at some strategic shifts poised to define the year ahead in an interview with experts from Nexxen. 

 “FAST” growth

For Tanja Williams, director of client success at Nexxen, as media consumptions continue to evolve we expect to see the momentum of connected TV (CTV) viewership continue. 

“Advertisers will spend more time and resources understanding what their audiences are watching in this fragmented space. We will see increased investment in CTV advertising, especially in the free (and ad-funded) services as the economic situation forces people to evaluate their expenditures and the Hollywood strikes affect new programming being produced,” she says.

She added, “Free Ad streaming TV (FAST) services will continue to grow exponentially as users see the benefits in niche channels, as well as their savings. We expect that these services will also evolve in 2024, engaging users and keeping them coming back. Advertisers will see the benefits by leveraging programmatic and data-driven targeting and converged insights.”

AI to significantly impact the scope of advertising in 2024

Meanwhile, Jay Kim, director of analytics and platform solutions for APAC at Nexxen said that AI will have significant impacts on the scope of advertising in 2024. “But we should specifically focus on AI Modelling, which we’ll be utilising quite heavily next year across our VIDAA ACR data activation and measurement,” he explains. He identifies three key AI trends impacting retail media:

  • Personalisation at Scale: AI algorithms excel at processing large data sets to identify patterns and preferences among consumers. By 2024, these algorithms will have become more sophisticated, allowing for even more granular and personalised advertising experiences without manual segmentation.
  • Predictive Analytics: AI’s predictive capabilities are expected to improve, allowing businesses to anticipate consumer needs and trends more accurately. Advertisers could leverage these insights to target users with the right message at the right time, potentially even before the consumer has fully recognised their own needs.
  • Predictive analysis and AI data modelling are advanced techniques that leverage statistical algorithms and machine learning to identify the likelihood of future outcomes based on historical data. They are critical in various sectors, including digital advertising, where they can forecast trends, user behaviour and the impact of different advertising strategies. 

“Furthermore, attention measurement in digital advertising is a critical aspect of understanding the effectiveness of ads,” he says. “By 2024, the methods and technologies to measure attention are likely to have advanced significantly, incorporating more sophisticated data analytics, biometric measures and AI-driven insights.”

Location-based targeting for retail media

According to Andrew Dixon, vice president of sales for APAC at Nexxen, several key trends are shaping the future of location targeting for retail media.

“As location-targeting technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative and effective ways to reach consumers with relevant advertising. Nexxen Locate helps brands to drive sales by using geo and hyper-local targeting,” he explains.

Below is an example of how Nexxen’s location targeting is being used in retail media:

  • Omnichannel targeting: Location targeting is becoming increasingly integrated with other marketing channels, such as social media and email marketing. This allows brands to create seamless and personalised experiences for their customers across all channels.
  • Increased use of first-party data: Retailers are collecting more and more data about their customers, including their purchase history, location data, and browsing behaviour. This data can be used to target ads with greater precision and relevance.
  • Use of AI: AI is being used to develop more sophisticated location-targeting algorithms that can identify patterns and trends in data. This can help brands target their ads more effectively and reach a wider audience.
  • Geofencing combined with contextual targeting: This powerhouse duo not only refines the precision of advertising but also creates a dynamic interplay between location and consumer context. By seamlessly merging real-time adaptability, hyper-local engagement and insightful foot traffic analytics, a geofencing strategy ensures that each interaction is not just targeted but tailored to the nuanced preferences and behaviours of its audience. It’s more than advertising; it’s about creating personalised, memorable experiences that resonate with customers wherever they are.

Interoperable identity solution 

Janice Chan, director and vice president of platform and client services for APAC at Nexxen reveals ehile the deprecation of third-party cookies is a tired topic, it will remain a significant talking point in the coming year. 

“Google has outlined its plans to migrate 1 per cent of Chrome users to the Privacy Sandbox, disabling the third-party cookies for this segment starting early 2024. The full deprecation is scheduled to conclude in the latter half of 2024, marking a pivotal moment for the industry,” she explains.

“However, thanks to Google extending the cookie deadline multiple times since early 2022, the majority of market players have developed more integrated identity solutions over the past few years, reducing their reliance on third-party cookies.”

In 2024, Chan anticipates there will also be stronger asks in the market for higher interoperability between different identity solutions, on both the demand and supply sides, to enable more seamless audience planning, activation and measurement across different mediums. 

“However, there is still a long way to go for a truly interoperable identity ecosystem, especially with the rise of CTV and walled gardens. As identity solutions gain more traction, advertisers will start demanding a more interoperable identity solution to understand, share, activate and measure audiences in a unified approach, helping to unlock the full benefits of cross-channel advertising,” she adds. 

“Apart from enriching and advancing the use of first-party activation via identity partners, contextual targeting will stay as one of the most popular tactics for brands to engage with audiences on the right content at the right time. Contextual targeting also has a lower activation barrier since it doesn’t rely on cookies and can deliver strong performance with cost efficiency.”

Growing reliance on ACR 

For Josif Zanich, managing director for JAPAC at Nexxen, as 2024 approaches, Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) is poised to become a pivotal tool across the dynamic Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

“ The scarcity of ACR data at scale has made it challenging for brands to truly understand how users interact with their Smart TVs and associated apps. However, ACR technology steps in as a catalyst, providing a wealth of insights that were previously elusive,” he says.

“Furthermore, by leveraging its sophisticated content recognition capabilities, ACR not only bridges the data gap but also adds valuable colour and depth to planning, buying and analysis at scale. As we move forward, we anticipate a growing reliance on ACR in the APAC region, not as a replacement but as a complementary tool that enriches the planning and buying processes.”

The ad server evolution in CTV and BVOD environments

Lastly, Adam Hunt, vice president of partnerships and business development for JAPAC at Nexxen reveals as the gap between streaming and linear audiences closes, publishers are placing increased importance on ensuring their tech stacks are set up to perform with the inevitable demands of a streaming-first future. 

“One of the main areas of focus is ad serving, as the “broadcast quality” experience that BVOD publishers strive for becomes increasingly important to manage effectively with more eyeballs. The ability to monetise these digital audiences through advertising remains a key component for success for all broadcasters, which is expected to grow in importance as streaming audience share continues to shift,” he says.

“Many CTV publishers are choosing to test and onboard secondary ad servers that have been purpose-built with the demands of CTV ad serving at the core of their functionality, best achieving the linear viewing experience for their audiences and maximising programmatic revenue through unified auctions.”

“Unified auctions that allow multiple demand sources to compete simultaneously for the same ad slot, ensure back-to-backs and competitor clashes are avoided, as well as lower page latency, higher inventory yield and increased fill rates. Combined with growing advertiser sentiment towards programmatic and an increase in CTV ad inventory, the role of programmatic is expected to gain a crucial role in monetising CTV and BVOD environments.”

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT 2023-2024. What’s NEXT 2023-2024 is a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year.

It is the year 2023. For a very long time we have been warned about the levels of data that are collected about us online and the consumer becoming more and more identifiable. Yet, we all see ads daily that are absolutely irrelevant to us and what will never turn us into a consumer or even would probe us to consider the advertising brand.

The Challenge Many Brands Face Today

In an era of increasingly targeted marketing and limited budgets, how can brands effectively reduce wastage and improve performance by ensuring that their ads reach the right audience? For example, how can we prevent a consumer with no children from seeing a diaper ad or a vegetarian from being exposed to a burger ad? The key lies in developing personalised marketing strategies at scale that cater to individual preferences and needs, ultimately enhancing both brand image and return on investment.

To achieve this, brands have to understand their core consumer in the best way possible and identify the demand opportunities they want to focus on to enhance ROI. This is then followed by the question of how to target these audiences in the most efficient and effective way in a world that is becoming more complex.

Understanding Your Audience: The First Step to Success

Brands might not know their customers and potential customers well enough to determine the right strategies for engagement and growth. By understanding the audiences in their full granularity, we can identify which segments are more profitable and tailor our communication blueprint. 

The Approach: Applying the Pareto Principle

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, suggests that 80% of a company’s profits come from 20% of its customers (this applies best to leading brands in well-established categories). By targeting these “core customers,” businesses can increase customer retention, boost sales, and drive growth. However, identifying and communicating with these key customers can be a challenge for marketers, particularly during times when budgets are split between brand and performance objectives, and many brands struggle with long-term brand building while chasing short-term sales goals.

Breaking Down Silos for Effective Strategies

Breaking down silos between CRM, Media, Creative, and Data teams is necessary to help build effective strategies that efficiently communicate with these audiences along the funnel. Core customers are those who make repeated purchases, provide feedback, have higher Life Time Value and refer others to the business. Targeting them at scale with high efficiency requires a deep understanding of their characteristics, needs, and behaviours, which can be achieved through data analysis and personalization techniques. While the 80/20 rule may not hold true for every business, analysing data to identify key customers should be crucial for maximising business success for all marketers.

Who needs to be in charge to tackle the challenge?

The simple answer is every team needs to own it and the CMO needs to break down silos between CRM, Media, Creative, Data and Insight teams.

As privacy concerns and data regulations continue to evolve, targeting audiences effectively while remaining compliant is becoming more challenging. However, there are still ways to reach target audiences in a world that is becoming less targetable. Here are some strategies that companies can use:

  1. CRM: The customer relationship management (CRM) team is responsible for managing the customer database and developing strategies to improve customer retention and loyalty. The CRM team can play a critical role in identifying key customers and tailoring marketing strategies to meet their needs. 
  2. Data: The data team is responsible for analysing customer data and developing insights that can inform marketing strategies. By leveraging data analytics tools, the data team can help identify key customers, track their behaviour, and develop personalised marketing strategies.
  3. Media: The media team is responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns across different channels. By tailoring campaigns to key customers, the media team can help increase engagement and drive sales. Experiment with new targeting technologies: As privacy concerns continue to evolve, new targeting technologies are emerging that can help companies reach audiences in a compliant way. For example, contextual targeting based on artificial intelligence (AI) can analyse the meaning of web pages and match ads to the content that users are viewing. Other technologies, such as differential privacy and federated learning, are being developed to help protect user data while still allowing for effective targeting.
  4. Insights: Insight teams in a marketing department gather and analyse data to provide actionable insights that shape marketing strategies and drive business growth. They play a key role in market research, customer segmentation, consumer behaviour analysis, campaign performance analysis, product development, competitive analysis, forecasting, and reporting.
  5. Creative: The creative team is responsible for developing the visual and messaging components of marketing campaigns. By working closely with the other teams, the creative team can develop personalised and effective marketing messages that resonate with key customers.

Ultimately, successful implementation of the 80/20 rule requires a collaborative effort among all these teams that requires support from top-level management. Moreover, collaboration between creative and media teams is essential to turn the segmentation into a reality. Some of those steps to make that possible include:

  1. The magic comes to life when creative and media teams collaborate closely together to develop effective marketing informed by data and rigorously optimise and improve. 
  2. Share data and insights: The media team can provide the creative team with insights about the target audience, such as demographics, interests, and behaviours. This information can help the creative team develop messaging and visuals that are more likely to resonate with the audience.
  3. Develop media-specific creative: The creative team can develop messaging and visuals that are tailored to specific media channels. For example, social media campaigns may require shorter, more attention-grabbing visuals and messaging compared to email campaigns. By tailoring creative to specific media channels, the campaign can be more effective in engaging the target audience. The cookie cutter approach is not going to work anymore. 
  4. Test and optimise creative: The media team can provide data about the performance of the campaign, such as click-through rates, conversions, and engagement rates. The creative team can use this information to optimise the creative, such as testing different visuals or messaging to improve campaign performance.

An example of a clearly defined and carved out demand opportunity that has resulted in a tailored communication is this activation from McDonald’s.

Navigating Privacy Concerns and Data Regulations

As privacy concerns and data regulations continue to evolve globally, targeting audiences effectively while remaining compliant is becoming more challenging. However, there are still ways to reach target audiences in a world that is becoming less targetable. Here are some strategies that companies can use:

  • Focus on first-party data: First-party data refers to data collected directly from customers or prospects. This could include data from website analytics, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, or loyalty programs. By using first-party data, companies can develop more personalized messaging and offers that are tailored to individual customers.
  • Foster partnerships: Building strong relationships with key partners, such as publishers, ad tech vendors, and data management platforms, can help you better understand your audience and leverage their expertise to develop more targeted marketing campaigns. Collaborating with partners can also help you navigate the rapidly changing landscape of privacy regulations and targeting technologies. Start to develop personalized messaging and offers using data collected directly from customers or prospects.
  • Measure success and iterate: Continuously monitoring the success of your marketing campaigns is crucial for refining your strategies and ensuring that you are effectively reaching your key customers. By analyzing the data and adjusting your campaigns based on insights and feedback, you can improve your targeting, messaging, and overall marketing effectiveness over time.
  • Use contextual targeting: Target ads based on the context of the content being viewed and continuously test and experiment with different personalization tactics to find what works

Conclusion

In an age where personalization is king and consumer privacy is a top concern, brands must develop strategies that effectively target their core customers at scale with high efficiency. By breaking down silos between CRM, Media, Creative, Insights and Data teams, leveraging first-party data, experimenting with new targeting technologies, fostering partnerships, and prioritizing customer experience, companies can navigate the complex landscape of privacy regulations while still reaching their target audiences and driving growth. Implementing these strategies will not only help brands reduce wastage and improve performance, but also build trust and foster long-term relationships with their most valuable customers.

This article is written by Jan Harling, chief executive officer at Virtus Asia Consulting

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT 2023. What’s NEXT 2023 is a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year.

Singapore – Called the Knowledge Studio by APRW (KnowS), Singapore-based integrated communications agency APRW has launched a new training arm that aims to bring organisations’ ears to the ground with regard to how well they perform in managing their presence in the media. 

APRW says, “Your brand is not just about your services, your media presence matters too.” 

Ultimately, the training arm will offer customised media training programs to organisations. APRW’s existing integrated communications services, which include public relations, digital marketing, branding, and media relations, are all supplemented by KnowS. 

The agency will be making each engagement expertly designed to meet the needs of individual organisations and will be drawing on its intimate knowledge of the dynamic media landscape and effective strategies to help organisations establish a favourable media presence. 

At the centre of the training program is its proprietary A-PLUS approach which stands for Assessment, Panorama, Low-Down, Understanding and Scenarios. Such framework will help in providing a holistic perspective of the media industry and will equip participants with the essential knowledge and skills required in media relations, branding, and training. 

“The result? Media spokespersons who are able to manage diverse media and public situations, handling questions and delivering information with confidence and poise, never veering from their role of delivering core messages for the organisation,” said APRW. 

Further, the agency emphasised that skills gained can transfer to a diversity of roles such as to speakers, panellists, or content creators on corporate social media platforms.

Knowledge Studio by APRW will be led by Principal Trainer, Ginny-Ann Oh, one of APRW’s directors. An accomplished communications professional with over 20 years of experience in the public relations, branding and marketing industry under her belt, Oh’s expertise will be directed to integrating the organisation’s messaging strategy and intent into the tailored media training offering. 

“The significance of media training cannot be overstated, as it enables organisations to navigate the increasingly complex media landscape and present their brand in the best possible light,” commented Oh. “Knowledge Studio by APRW was established as it recognises the importance of a poised and articulate media presence. Our workshops provide businesses with the tools to amplify their message, cultivate a commanding voice, and narrate their story with conviction – the cornerstone of a thriving brand perception.”

Bangkok, Thailand – Thai media corporation T&B Media Global, in partnership with digital product company Two Bulls/DEPT®, has launched Translucia website, a metaverse project that combines interconnected multiverses to provide a space for users, creators, and businesses in accessing its products and services.

The platform is also built to promote prosperity and equity of access to all digital citizens, regardless of background whilst aiming to make Web3 and metaverse available to the public in an accessible and engaging way. 

The launching also marks the first milestone of the partnership between T&B Media and Two Bulls/DEPT® which was kickstarted last year. 

Jason O’Donnell, managing director at Two Bulls/DEPT® said that they are thrilled to be a part of the collaboration and development of Translucia Metaverse, whilst adding that it has the ability to change the way people engage.

James Kane, founder & CEO at Two Bulls/DEPT® added, “We’re proud to have found a partner in T&B Global that shares both our values and beliefs that with technology, we can create a better tomorrow. There’s immense opportunity to lead in the metaverse space right now, and we’re glad to see that Translucia is taking charge without losing sight of their values and the greater good for society.”

Other international partners for this project include Dogstudio/DEPT® for video creation, Accenture Singapore for copy and translations, Blackflame China for concept art, Sunovatech India for 3D assets, and Pellartech for Blockchain.

India — Dentsu India has recently elevated Anita Kotwani to the CEO position for the Media Division of the South Asia team. Previously, it was solely agency Carat India that was under Kotwani’s leadership, and with the expanded role, she will now move to the helm of all other media outfits under the division. 

The role will be seeing Kotwani leading agencies iProspect, dentsu X, Posterscope, and media investment arm Amplifi, aside from Carat which she oversaw for almost three years since 2020. 

Rob Gilby, the CEO of dentsu for APAC and Interim CEO of India until newly appointed CEO, Harsha Razdan, starts vouches for Kotwani as “a well-loved leader who firmly looks to the future,” bringing her people with her on the journey and someone who is fearless in approach to driving new solutions for clients. 

“The Media opportunity in India is growing exponentially. Anita’s background, coupled with Harsha’s complimentary experience is building a powerful force in our business to drive growth for our clients in this exciting market,” commented Gilby. 

Kotwani is a passionate media expert with over two decades of experience in the industry. She brings with her extensive background in media management for companies in the industries of consumer durables, financial services, FMCG, as well as MNC brands. 

As a seasoned marketer, Kotwani is a regular on the award circuit, chairing juries for various bodies including EMVIEs, Goafest, and Kyoorius. 

Dentsu shared that outgoing South Asia CEO Divya Karani, after building a successful media reputation for dentsu India over the last decade, will be transitioning off the media business to pursue personal interests 

Gilby added, “Over the past 10 years Divya has successfully scaled our business on a market-beating trajectory, evidenced by dentsu becoming the #1 agency in RECMA 2021. We thank her for her years of dedication and wish her the very best for the future. I am looking forward to the next wave of leadership accelerating the solid foundation Divya has built.” 

Meanwhile, Karani expressed her thoughts on the transition, and says she’s proud of what she has accomplished with dentsu and is very much confident with Anita taking over.

“Having worked closely with Anita – a valuable member of my leadership team, I know there is no better candidate for me to hand the reins to lead the media business to new heights. While it’s always a bittersweet moment to leave your ‘baby’, it is time for me to move on and pursue new opportunities,” said Karani. 

Newly appointed Kotwani commented, “I have learned a tremendous amount from Divya and am honoured to be given this baton to carry on the marathon. You don’t just replace three decades of experience overnight – I intend to take this on with my utmost commitment and will look to continually challenge myself and my wonderful team of media specialists to always stay at the forefront of the industry to deliver the world’s best-integrated media strategies.” 

The announcement closely follows last week’s appointment of Harsha Razdan as the new CEO of the overall dentsu network in South Asia. Meanwhile, over at the SEA region, the network has announced the creation of a new cluster for SEA which will include Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Dentsu has bolstered its leadership roster in line with the new arrangement with Sanjay Bhasin, Prakash Kamdar, and Bharti Agarwal being handed new roles as CEO of SEA, CEO of clients and solutions for SEA, and CFO of SEA, respectively.

Manila, Philippines – Local independent agency GIGIL has now announced an expansion to its services, which will now include full public relations and media planning and buying services to the public. 

According to the agency, the launch of these new services will also help boost the performance of clients’ campaigns, as well as complement GIGIL’s campaign ideas.

GIGIL’s PR services include media relations, crisis management, digital PR, KOL/Influencer management, community relations, events management, strategic communications, brand awareness, content management, CSR, and activation. 

Meanwhile, its media planning and buying service will continue to provide comprehensive media strategies and employ creative-driven media tactics. It will offer 360-degree media channel planning, management and execution that cover traditional, digital, and social media.

The agency’s PR arm started two years ago, and has earned over PHP100m in PR values combined from its various projects. The media planning and buying services, on the other hand, started in 2021, and have worked with clients such as Netflix Philippines to create media executions for campaigns.

Jake Yrastorza, managing partner at GIGIL said, “We have always envisioned GIGIL Philippines to be an ‘ideas’ agency, first and foremost. With our full-service PR and media departments, our ideas will have a greater chance to move culture, so our clients can move more products off shelves.”

The agency update comes months after GIGIL has announced its expansion to the United States and Canada, as well as unveiling its metaverse division ‘Metama’.

GIGIL has been known for creating humorous and tongue-in-cheek campaigns for brands such as RC Cola, Orocan, Julie’s Bakeshop, Unioil, and Allianz. They are also responsible for multiple campaign drives for Netflix Philippines, including for shows such as Trese, All of us Are Dead, Red Notice, and Money Heist: Korea.