Tag: Media Mandate

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Advertising Agency OMD Malaysia has been appointed by telecommunications company CelcomDigi to handle media duties for three years following a pitch called in August.

OMD Malaysia’s appointment follows their futuristic pitch which impressed CelcomDigi and aligned with the telco’s strategic priorities. Additionally, the agency imprinted themselves on the client by highlighting the power of Omnicom Media Group’s agile and bespoke service model and the use of Omni, a proprietary people-based precision marketing and insights platform.

Prior to this win, OMD worked with CelcomDigi to execute a brand launch campaign in October that is running for a quarter. The telco was formed last December following a merger between Celcom and Digi and recently unveiled its new brand spirit “Create a world inspired by you” along with a new logo.

Through this, OMD wanted to show how the union signified more possibilities and opportunities that could reimagine a new era for the country. The team also understood the need to communicate that CelcomDigi’s combined strength helps consumers reimagine their life and gives them power to do more.

Using this insight, CelcomDigi leveraged OMD’s innovative thinking to execute market-first initiatives on TV, radio, and social media. These included brand integrations within Malaysian news programmes and shows, and branded likes and hashtags on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Speaking on the appointment, Mayank Bhatnagar, managing director at OMD Malaysia, said, “We are chuffed to have secured the trust of CelcomDigi with our innovative media planning approach. This was one of the key pitches in Malaysia, and it was satisfying to see our team develop great chemistry with CelcomDigi over the past few months. With our knowledge and expertise in the field, we are confident that we can help CelcomDigi establish themselves as the nation’s trusted partner in innovation and digitalisation.”

Meanwhile, Eileen Ooi, chief executive officer, Omnicom Media Group Malaysia, commented, “It has been an absolute honour and an exciting journey to work with the CelcomDigi team to kick-off the brand launch campaign. We are absolutely thrilled about this new partnership, and look forward to continue creating innovations that inspire Malaysians every day.”

Sydney, Australia – Australian value furniture and bedding retailer Fantastic Furniture has appointed Initiative as its media agency of record.

Through this appointment,  Initiative is tasked with all of Fantastic Furniture’s national and local broadcast media planning & buying, print, outdoor, radio, press, magazines, cinema, and BVOD. 

Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Incubeta, Fantastic Furniture’s Digital agency was not part of the review.

Initiative’s immediate remit will begin on October 1, wherein it will undertake an in-depth analysis of the business to understand its brand identity, target audience and long-term business objectives, to ensure that all media efforts are aligned with the company’s ambition and vision.

Commenting on the partnership, Jo McAlister, managing director of Initiative Sydney, said, “We are confident our strategic approach and quest to hone our craft to create brave, but sustainable campaigns will deliver exceptional results for Fantastic, and will ultimately enhance its brand presence, drive customer engagement and boost sales.”

“Initiative works with clients who have similar cultures and ambitions. We are fearless in our approach to deliver best in class outcomes; we always put our people, clients and partners front and centre in everything we do. It was clear from the start that Fantastic shares the same philosophies, so there is no doubt we will make an undeniably formidable client/agency partnership,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Laurie Lai, chief marketing officer of Fantastic Furniture, commented,  “We are excited to work with a team who is uncompromising in its ambition to provide unbeatable value, smart thinking and pride in their craft, creating the highest quality client outcome possible.

“Initiative presented an excellent understanding of different ways to approach screens and demonstrated they have the right tools to deliver. Their team challenged our thinking from the start, developing a strategy which will ensure we get the best results from our media investment. We look forward to building a strong relationship with Initiative and feel confident our new partnership will deliver continued growth for Fantastic Furniture,” she concluded. 

India- The media agency from Dentsu India, Dentsu X, has been chosen as the media partner by Berger Paints, a paint company in India and in the global paints and coatings sector. The media mandate was chosen through a competitive selection process involving many agencies. Berger Paints has selected Dentsu X for its advertising requirements. The account will be handled from the Densu X office in Kolkata.

The team at Dentsu, led by Anita Kotwani, CEO of media for South Asia at dentsu, will collaborate to develop strategies that will contribute to the brand. In order to increase brand value through traditional offline media channels, including print, television, and radio, on a national level, the agency will be in charge of managing media strategy, planning, purchasing, and implementation.

Regarding the achievement, Kotwani said, “The inclusion of Berger Paints to our portfolio holds massive significance. It represents a new chapter in dentsu India’s journey, characterized by a renewed sense of purpose and a clear direction. Our network has been actively engaging in competitive pitches, with an intrinsic focus on securing remarkable victories that propel us toward an exciting future. We firmly believe in driving meaningful transformations, embracing change, and nurturing our talented workforce to deliver client-centric solutions and exceptional services.”

Kotwani added, “Dentsu has played a pivotal role in propelling numerous brands towards a growth trajectory, leveraging our distinctive data-driven, consumer-centric design thinking, and strategic expertise. We have been at the forefront of deploying innovative media and content concepts to establish brand equity, ensuring sustained brand growth. However, efficiency and effectiveness remain paramount in our approach. The win of Berger Paints symbolizes the recognition of our strategic approach, and we are privileged to form a partnership with such a formidable brand.”

Meanwhile, KK Sai, senior vice president, and head of the decorative division at Berger Paints, said, “The insights that the dentsu X team brought to the table as well as their integrated media approach promises to give an innovative and bright spark to the media campaigns of Berger.”

Singapore – Havas Media has announced that it has won the media mandate of sporting goods retailer Decathlon in Singapore. Through the mandate, the agency will be handling a slew of works, including integrated media planning and buying duties across traditional and digital channels. 

The mandate took effect immediately as of this writing.

Speaking on winning the mandate, Russell Lai, chief commercial officer at Havas Media Group Singapore, said, “Sports has become such an integral part of our lives, especially since the pandemic. As an agency who believes in the benefits of physical wellness, we are truly excited to help Decathlon in its mission to provide Singaporeans with more affordable sporting goods options. Increasing brand awareness and a focus on driving physical and e-store traffic will be key priorities.”

Meanwhile, Kieran O’Shea, marketing director at Decathlon Singapore, commented, “End of 2022 saw us going through a pitch process for the new media agency for Decathlon here in Singapore. Havas Media demonstrated innovative thinking in strategically breaking through this highly competitive landscape and proved strong performance for Decathlon already around the world. Therefore, we are looking forward to this new partnership together in 2023.”

Singapore – Asia’s home services brand, Urban Company, has handed its media mandate for Singapore to Havas Media, the media arm of the global marketing and communications group Havas. The mandate includes brand and performance marketing management. 

Urban Company is an all-in-one platform that helps users hire professionals for premium home services, from beauticians and masseurs to sofa cleaners, carpenters and technicians. All the professionals, though experienced and skilled, undergo intensive training modules before being allowed to list their services on the platform. Once on the platform, its match-making algorithm identifies professionals who are closest to the users’ requirements and available at the requested time and date. 

Joon Ming Yeo, Urban Company’s head of marketing, said, “Havas Media impressed us with their technical expertise as well as their commitment to understanding our business goals. We look forward to working together to improve Urban Company’s brand and performance activities to further grow the on-demand home services category in Singapore.”

Meanwhile, Louise Koh, Havas Media’s executive director for Singapore, commented that they are delighted to embrace the opportunity to help Urban Company further grow its penetration of millennial homeowners in Singapore. 

“We look forward to leveraging our full-funnel expertise to drive meaningful interactions for Urban Company’s consumers across all touchpoints as well as deliver a frictionless digital experience,” said Koh.

Mumbai, India – India’s deemed-to-be university, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies ((NMIMS), has appointed independent media agency Madison Media to be its new media agency of record. This account will be handled by the agency’s business unit Madison Media Alpha based out of Mumbai.

As part of the mandate, Madison Media will be scaling up NMIMS’ media presence, and generating a higher reach for the institute across the country. It will also handle the University’s traditional and digital media services including visibility in print media and radio.

Burzeen Bhathena, NMIMS’ director of marketing and PR, said, “I’m confident that Madison Media will help us establish an impactful media presence and build a strong brand with its innovative approach. I look forward to working with them.”

Meanwhile, Chintan Soni, Madison Digital’s vice president, commented that they are looking forward to this exciting opportunity with NMIMS, which is one of the few universities in the country to have established a global footprint. 

“By leveraging our digital-first and outcome-driven approach, we are confident that NMIMS will achieve its goals and surpass industry expectations. Madison is committed to further NMIMS media presence with strategic planning at all levels,” said Soni.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dentsu Malaysia’s digital-first end-to-end media agency iProspect has won the regional media mandate of hotel and flight booking platform Traveloka.

The remit, which will take effect in April 2022, will see iProspect as a key partner in Traveloka’s plan in becoming a lifestyle superapp. iProspect will also be responsible for all above the line media planning and buying across the platform’s key markets, which are Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. 

Moreover, iProspect will be setting up a regional media strategy hub based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ensuring that the brand delivers a unified strategy with local nuances across the said SEA markets. 

Dheeraj Raina, the CEO of dentsu Media for Malaysia, shared that the travel industry has gone through very challenging times, to say the least, and so have the consumers. 

“As the world begins to open up, we want yearning travellers to pick Traveloka as their first choice, for fulfilling experiences and we believe the media has a strong role to play in building that trust and optimism,” said Raina.

Meanwhile, Shirley Lesmana, Traveloka’s CMO, noted that they have marked their presence in six countries across SEA, helping millions of people enrich their lives on a daily basis, as they are on an accelerated mission to fulfil the end-to-end lifestyle needs of consumers in the region. 

“In addition, we found synergy in the strategy crafted by iProspect in these markets, to deliver our brand promise,” said Lesmana.

Perth, Australia – West Australian energy provider Kleenheat has appointed Initiative Perth to be its new media agency partner. This partnership will see Initiative providing services for Kleenheat’s media requirements including strategy and buying across non-digital media, digital, search, social, and programmatic, as well as analytics.

The mandate, which will commence on 1 May 2022, will also see Initiative leveraging its media landscape to deliver positive results for Kleenheat.

David Burger, Initiative’s managing director for Perth, said that the brief was very specific requiring a holistic approach to the integration and use of digital and non-digital media to showcase Initiative’s capabilities.

He further shared that they are thrilled Kleenheat chose Initiative from a strong media agency pitch roster, and it’s a great privilege to work with a brand that is synonymous with providing local support and ongoing value for WA households and businesses.

“We felt we were a perfect match to fulfil Kleenheat’s brief and we’re excited to be part of the team to drive success by integrating the use of digital and non-digital media and build a powerful, long-term partnership with Deb and her team. We can’t wait to get started; it’s an exciting time to help deliver Kleenheat’s vision and be part of the brand’s growth journey,” added Burger.

Meanwhile, Debra Packer, Kleenheat’s marketing manager, said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Initiative to further strengthen our brand position and bring awareness to our goal of making life easier for our customers.”

Earlier this month, Initiative has launched a new national program called ‘Maternity Masterclass’, to help parents return to work with more experience than when they left for parental leave.

Shanghai, China – Media communications agency OMD in China has won the media mandate of global denim brand Levi’s, which will drive media strategy, planning and buying for the iconic denim brand. 

Through the agency’s empathy planning workflow – OMD Design & E2E data platform – OMNI, OMD China delves into the Chinese Gen-Z’s behavior and identified opportunities to accelerate growth for Levi’s with an innovative integrated media solution. 

A spokesperson for Levi’s commented that they were deeply impressed by OMD China’s advanced strategic thinking, strong data capabilities and excellent innovation. The spokesperson also added that the agency’s youthful and dynamic team has shown great passion for the brand and the denim culture.

“They were able to resonate with our consumers and translate this youthful energy into a strong integrated communication blueprint that is rooted in Levi’s heritage and DNA. This year, we will collaborate with OMD to embark on a new journey and explore more innovative marketing possibilities in the Chinese market to bring accelerated growth to the Levi’s brand,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Connie Chan, CEO at OMD China, commented, “We are excited to be working with an iconic brand who appreciates our vision and insights on the market’s Gen-Z consumers. OMD brings together a unique combination of expertise and strategic approach which taps on our network’s capabilities to deliver impactful and innovative solutions to our clients. We look forward to [supporting] Levi’s in achieving their growth targets.”