Tag: Partnership

APAC – Aleph, an ecosystem of global digital experts and technology-driven solutions that enable the development of digital marketing, is expanding its partnership with Reddit to support the growth of advertisers and agencies in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Through the expanded partnership, Aleph will be in charge of developing and growing markets for platforms in the digital advertising space. With dedicated sales and support teams who are actively working in many areas, Aleph enables big platforms to expand into new markets and establish connections with regional advertisers. 

The move into the Asia-Pacific (APAC) comes a little over a year after Aleph’s original partnership with Reddit. This focus on the APAC strengthens Aleph and Reddit’s partnership and supports Reddit’s growing global sales staff. 

The partnership includes an Australian team and uses the platform to connect local advertisers in 13 European countries and seven Central Asian countries. 

Speaking about the partnership, Harold Klaje, Reddit chief revenue officer, said, “As Reddit continues to scale internationally, it’s imperative we have the right teams on-the-ground in countries all over the world, who can connect local advertisers with our local audience and drive long term business success. Our Aleph partners are extensions of our Reddit Sales team and our work together strengthens our global footprint, allowing us to reach a more diverse set of advertisers across key regions like Europe, the Middle East and now APAC.”

Meanwhile, Sunny Nagpal, Aleph APAC managing director, expressed, “We are delighted to further expand our partnership with Reddit. Our reputation in the market has enabled the growth of such partnerships and for that, we are grateful. Expanding our work with Reddit into APAC will see our local teams bring decades of experience to drive opportunities for local advertisers and brands across all industries, connecting them with Reddit users in their local market and beyond.” 

India – Gatsby/Gardenia, a lifestyle brand distributor, has announced a strategic relationship with Bidmath, a digital marketing solutions firm. The collaboration intends to strengthen their e-commerce presence and drive significant development across India’s Online market.

This cooperative endeavour, which leverages Bidmath’s expertise in AI-powered programmatic advertising and data-driven marketing techniques, marks a significant turning point in Gatsby/Gardenia’s digital transformation path. 

Through this partnership, Bidmath will be in charge of Gatsby/Gardenia’s marketing initiatives on Amazon, the e-commerce site in India. Later on, it is anticipated that the partnership will develop to include additional major markets, providing a comprehensive plan for boosting online business visibility and encouraging sales growth. 

The team at Bidmath, which consists of digital planners and data scientists, will use AI and machine learning approaches to optimise bids, improve targeting, and customise campaigns to maximise effect and efficiency.

Through the use of data-driven insights and efficient campaign methods, the partnership aims to boost Gatsby/Gardenia’s gross merchandise value (GMV) and overall e-commerce sales. 

Speaking about the partnership, Puneet Motiani, director at Gatsby/Gardenia, said, ”We are excited to partner with Bidmath to unlock the full potential of our online presence. Their innovative solutions and data-driven approach perfectly align with our vision of maximising brand reach and driving sales across Amazon and other major marketplaces. We are confident that this partnership will be instrumental in expanding our customer base and achieving sustainable growth in the Indian ecommerce landscape.” 

Meanwhile, Rakesh Singh, regional managing director at Bidmath, commented, ”We are thrilled to be chosen as Gatsby/Gardenia’s e-commerce marketing partner in India. Their commitment to innovation and excellence resonates with our own values, and we are confident that our expertise in AI and programmatic advertising will deliver exceptional results. We are excited to collaborate with their team to develop data-driven strategies that optimise campaign performance and maximise return on investment.”

Lastly, Pankaj Bhawnani, advisor to the Gardenia Board at Northstar Consultings, stated, “E-commerce marketplaces are completely different environment with immediate impact on ROAS (Return on Advertising Spends) having an international specialized partner like Bidmath who works with Marque brands like Procter and Gamble, Suntory, and many more in the region and now Gatsby male grooming and Nabeel perfumes in India, is a win-win situation.”

Philippines – The Jollibee Group has announced the opening of the first Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR) branch in the Philippines at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City. 

With a mission to promote specialty coffee and all-day brunch, Common Man Coffee Roasters has expanded from Singapore to Malaysia and, more recently, the Philippines. Additionally, the business sells and roasts coffee beans. Besides that, it oversees the Coffee Barista Academy in Singapore and Malaysia, which provides thorough coffee education to both baristas and coffee lovers.

For context, in August 2023, the Jollibee Group disclosed that it was working with Food Collective Pte. Ltd. (FCPL) through FCJB Foods Inc. to manage Common Man Coffee Roasters’ and Tiong Bahru Bakery ownership and management in the Philippines. The Jollibee Group owns 60% of FCJB Foods Inc. in this business partnership. 

The café offers a wide range of specialty coffee options on its menu in the Philippines, with selections like the Nitro Honey Oat Latte and Filter Brew. The brunch menu, the Common Man Full Breakfast—which includes sausage, bacon, portobello mushrooms, hash browns, baked chorizo beans prepared in-house, and greens—also comes with handmade sourdough. Common Man Beef Brisket Benedict, which offers a dish of soft braised beef topped with creamy hollandaise and poached eggs.

Speaking about the launch, Ernesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee Group’s president and CEO, expressed, “We’re excited to bring the Common Man Coffee Roasters in the country and give the community an elevated café experience. Common Man’s consciously sourced coffee and numerous deliciously healthy brunch options contribute to this experience and help fulfil our mission of spreading the joy of eating to everyone. We invite everyone to come visit our first ever Common Man Coffee Roasters café.” 

Meanwhile, Koon Beng Chua, CEO of the Spa Esprit Group, “Having a roastery on site for us to showcase the roasting method will not only help the customers understand the coffee process better, but it will also offer a unique dining and sensory experience for them.” 

Speaking about the partnership, Joseph Tanbuntiong, Jollibee Group chief business officer, said, “This is the first café from our partnership with the Spa Esprit Group and we’re looking forward to expanding the Common Man Coffee Roasters experience to more people. The strong collaboration between the two partners is very evident and is greatly rewarded by the enjoyment we see from people upon entering the café and upon tasting our menu selections. We recognize the increasingly discerning palate of Filipinos and we’re here to delight them.” 

Singapore – Mandai Wildlife Group has just recently announced its appointment of TBWA\Singapore as its new creative agency of record for their next phase of transformation, following the end of Mandai’s seven-year partnership with The Secret Little Agency. 

With TBWA\Singapore acquiring Mandai’s business portfolio, the agency’s responsibilities now extend across all facets of building a destination brand experience which will span the group’s multiple award-winning flagship zoological parks and other offerings in its pipeline.

Talking about this new partnership, Belina Lee, deputy CEO, transformation & growth, Mandai Wildlife Group, said, “TBWA\Singapore’s marketing expertise and passion are compelling and inspirational, and the team demonstrated strong strategic acumen.”

“Our ambition is to anchor our masterbrand, Mandai as a global biodiversity brand, and grow recognition and affinity for the Mandai Wildlife Reserve at home and around the world. We aim to be a meaningful and much desired destination for local residents and global travellers seeking diverse experiences ranging from unique wildlife encounters, immersive dining experiences to inspiring digital engagement and much more,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Mandy Wong, president of TBWA\Singapore, commented, “This is a significant win for the agency and one I’m incredibly proud of. Our ambition as The Disruption Company is to build the world’s strongest brands, and to be given this opportunity to take Mandai to the next level is truly an honour.” 

“With Mandai as a biodiversity brand, it is a treasure trove of endless wonder, and an inspiring canvas for meaningful creativity. I congratulate the entire team who were nothing short of impressive with their synergy and big platform thinking,” she ended.

Singapore – The National Arts Council (NAC) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) have announced a three-year collaboration to increase public engagement with the arts in land transport settings and during public transportation travels. This initiative will comprise commissioned works by Singaporean artists and arts groups.

They present a themed train and stations in honour of Singapore Art Week 2024, marking the beginning of their cooperation. Furthermore, both organisations actively participate in repurposing vacant areas beneath viaducts with locally created art. The ultimate purpose of these initiatives is to bring NAC, LTA, and other stakeholders closer together to collaborate on bringing more artistic elements to public transportation hubs and improving commuter experiences in general.

Low Yen Ling, Minister of State at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth, was present for the introduction of the collaboration.

Until January 28, 2024, seven train stations and a themed train operating on the North East Line will be infused with chosen artworks from Singapore Art Week (SAW), the nation’s main visual arts season. Designed as an art trail, SAW will take place from January 19 to January 28, 2024, giving the public an early chance to view the artworks on display. In-carriage activations and vibrant murals adorning MRT station walls will help to encourage this.

Commuters travelling the North-East Line will soon come upon a piece of art, a train with a theme that features a tapestry of proverbs and inspirational sayings. This piece of art, “My Mother Says,” was created together by SAW and PAssionArts and features about 20 Tampines Changkat locals. Using the creative typographic approach, participants in a three-week program turned the knowledge found in the words of their elders into light installations. 

The public expects the exhibition of a piece of art supported by the Public Art Trust program under a designated overpass in late 2024. The selected artist for this project will work in conjunction with the locals to produce a large-scale piece of art that will capture the distinctive qualities of the surrounding district and revitalise train tunnels.

This partnership expands on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that SMRT and NAC signed in August 2023, with the shared goal of improving commuting spaces via busking, poetry, and music. As part of their continued collaboration, NAC and LTA are dedicated to looking into new projects that leverage artistic expression to bring life to public areas.

Speaking about the partnership, Low Yen Ling, minister of State at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth, said, “This partnership forms a part of our broader vision to transform Singapore into a distinctive city with many accessible spaces for people to enjoy the arts wherever they are. Aligned with Our SG Arts Plan (2023 – 2027), this initiative will bring the arts to commuters on their daily travel. Besides refreshing their journey, the artworks will create a greater appreciation for local talents as commuters enjoy art on the go. The public showcase will enable artists to reach and grow new audiences through a wider platform.” 

“By bringing the arts to commuter spaces, we enhance the vibrancy of these common areas and brighten the quality of travel and daily life for many Singaporeans,” Ling added. 

Meanwhile, Low Eng Teong, chief executive officer, NAC, stated, “Forging strong partnerships is one of the key strategies of Our SG Arts Plan (2023 – 2027). Our partnership with LTA unlocks greater opportunities for the public to encounter and appreciate the arts in familiar yet unconventional spaces. We hope to continue opening up more spaces as creative canvasses to integrate the arts into our everyday lives and surroundings, complementing efforts to create a distinctive city and endearing home for all.” 

Furthermore, Ng Lang, chief executive, LTA, commented, “LTA is pleased to partner NAC in this new initiative to enliven the spaces in our public transport nodes. This will enrich our existing Art in Transit (AIT) programme, bringing artworks closer to commuters and transforming our transport nodes into lively places. With millions of commuters taking public transport daily, our MRT stations and bus interchanges present an ideal canvas for artists to showcase their works, creating vibrant spaces that enhance the commute. We will collaborate with more partners through AIT to foster an even closer public connection with the arts.” 

Singapore – Annalect, Omnicom Media Group’s data and analytics department, collaborated with Meta to implement their advanced analytics (AA) technology. This privacy-focused solution will provide Omnicom Media Group clients with next-generation measuring tools, enabling future-proof insights and maximising campaign efficacy. 

Advertisers are empowered by Meta’s Advanced Analytics (AA) to discover significant synergies. With the help of AA, advertisers’ first-party data and Meta’s own ad insights can be integrated, giving analysts a level of flexibility. By combining the data, insights are produced that allow advertising strategies to be adjusted for results. 

Fully integrated attribution models are given through Omni, Omnicom’s end-to-end marketing operating system used by all its agencies. This improves the marketing process by providing connectivity from measurement to planning and action.

Activation teams can optimise campaigns using real-time external data because of the actionable insights obtained from these models. Scalability is made by secure server-to-server connectivity. With the help of Annalect’s clean room technology, which directly benefits their clientele.

Speaking about the partnership, Paul Shepherd, president of Annalect, Omnicom Media Group Asia Pacific, said, “By enabling next-level visibility in a privacy-safe manner, this collaboration allows our clients to connect data more effectively. It gives them — and our agencies — a significant edge over their competitors in today’s future facing environment.” 

Meanwhile, Carl McLean, head of marketing Science, Meta ANZ, stated, “It’s great to see measurement capabilities that create value for advertisers, whilst also being built with privacy at the forefront. This offering will unlock new ways for the OMG network to understand the levers that truly drive performance and demonstrate where Meta can help to drive growth that lasts for our clients and partners.” 

Sydney, Australia – HubSpot and TikTok have launched a partnership to improve community-based client acquisition for B2B brands. A newly connected tool allows B2B firms to easily gather leads from TikTok right within the HubSpot platform, utilising the benefits of both platforms to improve client engagement. 

Through this partnership, scaling firms can now take advantage of these connections to produce growth in Australia. 

While SMBs are looking into creative ways to generate leads in the face of customer acquisition issues, the partnership is taking place at a time when customers are increasingly turning to local communities for brand and product discovery. TikTok emerges as a tool for businesses to nurture and maintain an actively engaged audience, especially with 8.5 million Australian users, a demographic 1.5 times more likely to make quick purchases based on platform discoveries.

Speaking about the partnership, Kat Warboys, marketing director, APAC, HubSpot, said, “TikTok’s growing influence in the region is undeniable. As its audience base grows, it’s reshaping how consumers discover and interact with their favourite brands. For savvy businesses, TikTok provides a powerful channel to nurture and engage audiences — if done right. That’s why our partnership is so important. The new integration makes it easier for brands to capture, nurture and acquire leads because they can truly understand their customers.” 

She added, “Today’s consumers expect personalisation and by having a complete picture, brands can better engage with their audiences. And, with better engagement comes more loyal customers, which is vital in the current market.”

Meanwhile, Ng Chew Wee, head of business marketing APAC, TikTok, stated, “Asia Pacific is home to a thriving ecosystem of TikTok users, with 90% of the region’s TikTok users consuming content on a daily basis. This presents an opportunity for Asia Pacific’s brands to reach and turn a highly engaged audience into leads, and accelerate business growth.” 

Manila, Philippines – Luxury fashion brand Prada has been recently reported to have entered a joint venture with Philippine luxury retailer SSI Group’s Stores Specialists, Inc., forming a new company in the process for Prada’s expansion in the Philippines. 

Prada’s new company with SSI Group, labelled as Prada Philippines Inc., will own all Prada stores in the Philippines with expectations to accelerate the brand’s growth in the market. 

The joint venture also seeks to enable operating efficiencies, as SSI and Prada transition from a franchisee-franchisor relationship to joint venture partners. The expansion also follows Prada’s higher sales performance seen in its Asian markets. 

Notably, SSI’s initial investment in the joint venture is PHP16.67m, whilst Prada’s initial investment is PHP25m. At completion, SSI’s total investment in Prada Philippines will be PHP152m, while Prada’s total investment in the joint venture will be PHP228m.

In terms of ownership, Prada S.p.A. owns 60% of Prada Philippines Inc., whilst SSI Group owns 40%. 

Prada Philippines Inc. is expected to commence operations on January 1, 2024, effectively taking over operations throughout all Philippine PRADA outlets.

New Zealand – MarketMedia, The Warehouse Group’s retail media network, is teaming up with The Trade Desk to provide a retail media advertising approach suited to New Zealand brands.

More than 70 new partners and channels for programmatic display, programmatic digital out-of-home, connected TV (CTV), audio channels, and more can be added to MarketMedia’s client and brand campaigns. This allows for improved targeting of audiences with the intention of making a purchase on the open internet.

With the help of The Warehouse Group’s first-party data audiences, which number over 4.5 million, and MarketMedia’s self-service platform Zitcha, the alliance provides local companies with a wide range of advertising inventory alternatives through The Trade Desk.

Speaking about the partnership, Blaine Hudson, head of product, platforms, and data at MarketMedia, said, “MarketMedia will now be the only retail media network in New Zealand that lets advertisers buy across 80+ on and off-site channels easily within a single self-service platform. By integrating The Trade Desk to the MarketMedia platform we can offer never-before seen solutions that aims to expand our client’s capabilities.”

He added, “With access to The Trade Desk’s inventory and our first-party data, plus closed-loop reporting through Zitcha, we’re helping transform advertising possibilities in New Zealand.”

Meanwhile, James Bayes, VP Australia and New Zealand, The Trade Desk, said, “Retail media is making brands rethink the way they activate their media investments. Our partnership with The Warehouse Group and MarketMedia can help advertisers reach The Warehouse Group’s customers across the open internet and close the loop between advertising activity and real-world sales.”

“With leaders like The Warehouse Group, we’re driving the industry forward and helping advertisers across New Zealand work towards tangible performance improvements that translate to real business results,” Bayes added. 

Australia – ESPN and Fetch TV have officially announced a multi-year extension of their channel distribution partnership, which includes ESPN and ESPN2. Since 2012, these channels have been available on Fetch.

The channels will continue to provide live sports coverage in the United States, as well as studio commentary shows like SportsCenter, NBA Today, NFL Primetime, and the acclaimed ESPN ’30 for 30′ documentaries and special features.

Sports fans in Australia can enjoy a wide selection of sports content on Fetch, which includes ESPN’s U.S. sports coverage, extensive local and international sports coverage from free To air networks, and additional subscription sports content from beIN Sports, Optus Sport, Stan Sport, Paramount Plus, and Prime Video.

Speaking about the renewal of their partnership, Kylie Watson Wheeler, senior vice president & managing director of The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand, expressed, “We’re excited to extend our long-standing relationship with Fetch TV, which serves Fetch viewers with access to our comprehensive slate of ESPN programming, flagship studio shows and extensive major sport properties.”

He added, “We have a huge summer of programming ahead on ESPN, including the NFL playoffs and 2024 Super Bowl. Combined with the NBA Finals, NHL, MLB, UFC, and every game of the NBL, ESPN has the world’s biggest sporting moments covered for sports fans to enjoy.” 

Meanwhile, Sam Hall, chief content and commercial officer at Fetch TV, said, We are thrilled to announce the extension of our long-running agreement with ESPN for carriage of the ESPN and ESPN2 channels, which remain top performers on the Fetch platform. ESPN is the go-to media outlet for premium US sports including the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, and the ESPN channels are particularly strong during the Aussie summer months.”