Tag: media business

Shanghai, China – Omnicom Media Group (OMG) agency PHD China has retained the SAIC Volkswagen media business following a month-long public tender, which also saw local and international 4A agencies vying for the account, which included the Volkswagen and Audi brands.

PHD China has been the media AOR of SAIC Volkswagen since 2020, with the agency continuing to provide media consultancy and planning services, covering media strategy, market insights, data analysis, and media buying for the brand.

Joey Zhao, CEO at PHD China, said, “The decision affirms the successful partnership that PHD and SAIC Volkswagen have built over the past three years, as we have worked together to drive brand growth in an increasingly complex media landscape and consumer marketplace.”

He added, “As SAIC Volkswagen continues to move full throttle into the electric vehicle race, PHD will continue to provide the data-driven insights and innovative solutions that turn marketing complexity into business opportunity.”

Meanwhile, Claudine Kwek, CEO at OMG China, commented, “We are honoured by SAIC Volkswagen’s continued trust in us, and PHD’s challenger mindset and focus on innovation, creativity, and collaboration lends itself to our client’s business ambitions in a dynamic market like China.”

She added, “As we look to drive a more integrated and seamless offering for SAIC Volkswagen, OMG’s Agency as a Platform model, which brings together the various teams across the network’s ecosystem of talent, technology, and capabilities, will be a main force behind this streamlined capability.” 

Tokyo, Japan – Integrated marketing and innovation company Hakuhodo has announced the launch of ‘Hakuhodo International Media Taiwan’ (HIMT), a specialised integrated media business organisation that will mobilise the media solution functions of the Taiwan Hakuhodo Group and the Growww Group.

The launch comes in line after Hakuhodo acquired a majority stake in the Growww Group in 2020, making it a consolidated subsidiary.

The newly launched HIMT, led by chairman Vince Cheng, will bring together the media functions of full-service media agencies with an established track record of excellent client relationships in the market including Hakuhodo Zeta of the Taiwan Hakuhodo Group and 2008 Media of the Growww Group, as well as the media functions of Hakuhodo DY Group digital marketing agencies DAC Taiwan, MESh+, and Unisurf. 

As the newest media organisation in Taiwan, HIMT will offer media-driven solutions for the diverse challenges clients face today, including media planning, media buying, digital marketing, data solutions and marketing technology solutions.

HIMT is also planning to leverage data and new marketing tools that fuse media and technology together in integrated media solution offerings, from systematic and scientific media planning to cross-media integrated solutions, such as TV and digital. 

Hakuhodo has been ramping up its expansion in APAC, with the most recent business move acquiring Malaysian digital creative agency Kingdom Digital.

In an exclusive interview with Shuntaro Ito, senior corporate officer at Hakuhodo and president and CEO at Hakuhodo International, for MARKETECH APAC’s The Inner State, he said that bringing in companies that are passionate about growing together as a group is strategically very important, and this is why they are pursuing the acquisitions of companies that shine across the different markets which share the agency’s partnership philosophy.

“During the acquisition process, we apply our sustainable management thinking and place importance on maintaining sustainable corporate management in a continuous manner. In going forward, based on this thinking, we would like to further expand our network,” Ito said.

Singapore – Global video and CTV programmatic advertising platform Unruly has appointed former head of publisher services at AOL Grant Bingham as its newest vice president for international media business development. He will be leading the media partnerships in Unruly’s international markets across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) regions.

Bingham will focus on identifying and capitalizing on the major opportunities for media companies today, as connected TV and video demand surges in the programmatic marketplace. This is in order to deliver omnichannel advertising solutions and monetization strategies to some of the world’s largest media organizations and brands via Unruly.

He brings 13 years of experience in media and advertising, where he worked closely with the largest broadcasters and publishers across Europe and Asia-Pacific. Aside from AOL, he has launched and led the programmatic strategy for companies Nine Entertainment Co, Seven West Media and, most recently, Are Media in London.

His experience in leading publisher businesses and monetization through programmatic platforms stands him in good stead in driving adoption of Unruly’s programmatic offering, especially in the rapidly growing CTV market.

“I am truly excited to be joining Unruly at this key time in their evolution, as connected TV has risen out of 2020 as one of the fastest-growing channels and key opportunities for publishers and advertisers. As a video-first platform, Unruly has delivered great value in this space for publishers and advertisers across the world, and I look forward to building on this momentum, working alongside Unruly’s clients to unlock growth opportunities and optimize the value of their inventory through Unruly’s tech and data-driven solutions,” Bingham said, regarding his appointment.

Based in Sydney, Bingham will report to Unruly’s Chief Strategy Officer Kenneth Suh.

Suh commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Grant on board our team. His broad experience and expertise in the media and ad tech industry make him a valuable addition to Unruly as we continue our growth as one of the largest CTV/OTT and multi-screen ad platforms in the world. APAC and EMEA are critical focus markets for Unruly, and we believe Grant’s appointment will help accelerate the value and opportunities we bring to publishers and advertisers in these regions.” 

Recently, Unruly’s parent company Tremor International, has entered into a partnership with DoubleVerify to launch an ‘Authentic Brand Suitability’ solution, which creates a centralized set of brand safety and fraud controls.

Sydney, Australia – The global legal software provider based in Australia, LEAP, has added its global performance media business to the existing remit it has for digital marketing agency Tug. According to Tug, the value of the business amounts to US$8m. 

LEAP equips lawyers with cloud-based legal practice management software that lets them take advantage of integrated matter management, document automation, and legal accounting.

LEAP’s paid digital performance strategy and buying in Australia have been in the care of Tug, and with the extended remit, the agency will also now be managing LEAP’s display, social, PPC, SEO, and specialist legal media, as well as software directories, and data and analytics for United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This will be led by Tug’s Sydney team and will be executed in-market by Tug’s local agency teams in Toronto and London.

Richard Hugo-Hamman, LEAP’s executive chairman, said that they need to grow the global visibility of their brand and drive new firms to the platform, so they can run more efficient law firms, and start making more money. 

“Tug has shown how an effective digital strategy for our business is working in Australia, and we look forward to that being replicated in these key countries,” said Hugo-Hamman.

Meanwhile, Charlie Bacon, Tug’s client service director, commented, “We’re delighted to extend our relationship with LEAP which is a recognition of the capabilities and experience that we have in Australia. The Sydney team will continue to oversee LEAP’s digital strategy with the support of Tug’s global office network.”

Alexandra Steadman, the global chief marketing officer at LEAP, shared that since engaging Tug, the agency has demonstrated a strong understanding of not only their business but their target audience. 

“They have a laser focus on lead generation, so they were the obvious choice for our performance media requirements in our other global markets. I look forward to further building on the excellent working relationship we have already forged,” said Steadman.

Singapore – Singapore’s statutory board Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has extended its media remit with UM, the full-service media and marketing solutions agency within Mediabrands.

SDC is responsible for overseeing the development, management, and promotion of the country’s island resort getaway, Sentosa Island.

The extension comes after a competitive pitch review in April this year, where UM showcased its strategic and creative media activation ideas and in-depth understanding of Sentosa’s business.

During UM’s first term as Sentosa’s media agency of record, they have launched the ‘Make Time’ campaign in 2019, which continues to evolve to this day, and SEA’s first-ever ‘Pokémon GO Safari Zone’ in April 2019, which won an award for Best Use of Digital at the Singapore Media Awards.

As part of its second term as SDC’s media partner, UM will continue developing and managing Sentosa’s overall media business.

UM Singapore’s Client Partner Lishan Lim commented that they are extremely excited and also feel very privileged that Sentosa has made the decision to reappoint UM.

“Winning new business in such a competitive landscape is always challenging, and retaining such a desirable and nationally significant client in Singapore even more so. It bears testament to the strong partnership we have in place, one which we treasure and will continue to grow,” said Lim.

Melbourne, Australia – General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV), the newly launched General Motors venture operating within Australia and New Zealand, has appointed media agency Carat Melbourne, to be its media partner.

GMSV is a vehicle business unit that hand-picks the most iconic General Motors cars and brings them to customers.

The appointment comes after a competitive pitch, where Carat won the business based on the depth and experience of its digital and performance media capabilities. The agency showcased a proven track record of creating personalized and seamless customer journeys from media through CX, driving leading-edge business performance.

As part of the partnership, Carat will be supporting GMSV with end-to-end media strategy, planning, implementation, and optimization for its ANZ business. This includes all paid media across its product portfolio such as the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Premium, the new-entry Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss, and all-new Chevrolet Silverado 2500, among many others.

GMSV’s General Manager of Marketing, CX, and Communications Jodie Lennon shared that the pitch was competitive but Carat brought media expertise and diversified business platforms. 

“GMSV is a challenger brand and it’s essential to have partners who will work in harmony to gather customer insights and use them to guide our in-market activities, with a laser focus on efficiency. We are excited to have Carat in our fold as we continue to build awareness of the GMSV brand,” said Lennon.

Meanwhile, Chris Ernst, the managing director at Carat Melbourne, commented that they are thrilled to have the opportunity to assist the GMSV team launch their incredible products here in Australia and New Zealand. 

“I also couldn’t be prouder of the team at Carat. To have been chosen based on our credentials in digital and performance marketing, through to offline strategy, planning and buying is a great reward for the awesome team who were involved in the process,” said Ernst.