Tag: Partnership

Thailand – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has tapped creative agency BBDO Bangkok for its latest ‘Meaningful Relationship’ campaign that places Thailand as the ultimate destination for sustainable tourism.

TAT’s new campaign features a breathtaking narrative film that challenges all preconceived notions of Thailand, shifting the spotlight from brief encounters to profound, enduring bonds with the country.

Titled ‘I Have a Relationship in Thailand’, the film created by Cannes Lions Winner Thay Littichai moves beyond the typical tourist experience and unveils the truth that relationships forged in Thailand are far from brief affairs. Rather, they are profound, enduring, and immensely enriching experiences that set the stage for a captivating tale of a lifetime.

The campaign aims to position the country as a top destination for sustainable tourism, targeting a whopping 947,000 visitors from the UK by the end of 2024. It spotlights the vibrant tapestry of Thailand’s diverse and culturally rich landscape and fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it can offer.

TAT aims to provide tourists with an experience that is more than just visiting a destination but also embarking on a transformative journey of discovery and connection, with Thailand as the perfect partner.

Thasorn Boonyanate, chief creative officer at BBDO Bangkok, shared, “When we pitched this project, we knew we weren’t just competing against other agencies; we were up against other countries in the game of capturing love. If travel is a passionate affair, then Thailand is the long-term partner who offers affectionate warmth from the sun, peace with the serene embrace of the sea, and the strength and support of the mountains. We have unwavering confidence that this campaign will play a pivotal role in seducing tourists to fall head over heels for Thailand.”

Nithee Seeprae, deputy governor for marketing communications at TAT, also said, “Our “Meaningful Relationship” film is an integral part of our latest communication campaign, designed to ignite wanderlust in globetrotters worldwide. We want every traveller to indulge in meaningful connections with every aspect of Thailand, be it the locals, the communities, nature, or unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experiences.”

Singapore – Independent data and digital transformation company ADA, has recently forged a partnership with data and AI company Databricks, aiming to provide best-in-class technology solutions to boost the company’s corporate value. 

In this collaborative endeavour, ADA intends to combine its data and AI skills with Databricks, focusing on better ecommerce and marketing analytics. Specifically, they are set to establish a data intelligence platform centred around addressing business challenges across the 12 regions in APAC where ADA operates.

For this particular platform, ADA will use powerful data and AI accelerators which encompass bespoke ecommerce data models. As such, this will provide organisations with essential insights and predictive analytics to help them fine-tune their online operations.

Furthermore, ADA’s dynamic pricing model will enable real-time market adaptation, optimizing revenue potential. It will also enhance data marketplace offerings leveraging its proprietary X-ACT data and integrating services like Composable Customer Data Platform (CDP), demand forecasting, and price optimization. 

This provides a versatile framework for businesses to effectively utilize customer data for personalized engagement, underlining ADA’s commitment to equipping businesses with cutting-edge, data-driven tools on Databricks Platform.

Speaking about this venture, Greg Taylor, vice president, partners, APJ, at Databricks, said, “The ability to uncover actionable insights from data has never been more important as enterprises look to adapt, innovate and better prepare for the future in this AI age. ADA has deep industry experience in creating value for both B2B and B2C organisations by leveraging data for applications such as customer acquisition and customer data clean rooms, to name a few.”

“We’re excited to be working with ADA as they leverage the power of Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to help organizations solve their toughest problems with data,” he added. 

Srinivas Gattamneni, chief executive officer at ADA, also shared his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “We’re excited about our partnership with Databricks, a pivotal step in revolutionizing data and digital transformation in APAC. By integrating our Data and AI solutions with Databricks’ cutting-edge Data Intelligence Platform, we are actively redefining the future of data analytics and transformation. 

“This alliance is a testament to ADA’s dedication not only to advancing AI-driven analytics but also to providing comprehensive data transformation services that enable businesses to navigate and excel in an increasingly digital world, ” he concluded. 

By enhancing the company’s data marketplace offers, this particular initiative spotlights ADA’s commitment to provide companies with modern, data-driven solutions as well as flexible frameworks that leverage customer data for personalised engagement.

Singapore – IPG Mediabrands has announced strategic partnership between IPG Mediabrands Commerce and Stickler, a live commerce enablement technology provider, to produce a flexible end-to-end live commerce solution for brands across the Asia-Pacific region.

The IPG Mediabrands Commerce and Stickler live commerce solution will be launched and available to brands across 15 Asia-Pacific countries this year.

The bespoke solution which offers ‘Live Commerce as a Service’, allows brands to plug into a suite of software and service components to empower their own existing e-commerce operating framework, in addition to the ability to ‘plug and play’ any part of the live commerce stack with a complete end-to-end solution.

Moreover, the partnership between IPG Mediabrands Commerce and Stickler builds out scalable solutions for brands to establish themselves in live commerce, and create sustainable advantage by owning a greater portion of consumer spend in this emerging channel.

Leigh Terry, CEO at IPG Mediabrands, said, “With live commerce now accounting for 30% of ecommerce in China, and 15% globally, platforms across the region are taking note. Many brands understand that Live Commerce is imperative, and want to address the huge growth opportunity, but don’t feel quite ready to embrace the channel. Our unique approach with Stickler is less about trying to be full service, and more focused on giving brands what they need, whether this be full end-to-end or simply fill-in-the-gaps.”

He added, “We have combined software development and service structure to provide Live Commerce as a Service; this is an exciting evolution in our Commerce practice and an important offering for brands across the region.”

Meanwhile, Fionn Hyndman, founder at Stickler, commented, “IPG Mediabrands Commerce expertise combined with their specialised partner technology allows the scale and flexibility for marketers to optimise Live Commerce, regardless of their current structure. What we are building together is a future model, for the most significant growth channel I’ve seen in the last 10 years. We are solely focused on delivering results within our clients operating framework through Live Commerce. Our aim is to empower and enable them to achieve success.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Klook, Asia’s leading platform for experiences and travel services, has recently announced a collaboration with Google Cloud to harness the company’s content production and generation capabilities through an automated language translation and AI chatbot.

In this collaborative endeavour, Klook seeks to understand the intricacies of the local market as well as its distinct brand voice, using Google Cloud’s PaLM 2 to translate its activity content in ten languages. It then extends its capabilities, encompassing content creation and K.AI chatbot.

Said project focused on ensuring that Google Cloud’s generative AI translation activity is accurate, facilitating language proficiency on the materials including Bahasa Melayu and simplified Chinese that were increasingly tailored to the team’s desired outputs.

As a result, the local nuance and efficiency of translations improve with every iteration, giving Klook the confidence to scale its efforts across all activity-related content. It also excelled in preserving the nuanced tones and voices specific to each local market, a success recognised and scored by Klook’s team of linguists and brand marketers specialising in localization. 

Talking about the collaboration, Bernie Xiong, CTO and co-founder at Klook, shared his insights about the collaboration, stating, “We take great pride in being in-destination experts, from the moment our travellers begin their discovery of their dream holiday to the moment they book with Klook and ultimately throughout their in-destination experience. We are committed to make this entire journey seamless, effortless, and in the language that best suits our travellers’ preferences.”

“Our pilot proved that with Google Cloud’s generative AI capabilities, we can deliver this complete brand experience at scale without any compromise on content quality or accuracy. We will continue to innovate, bring new advancements for a more engaging platform, and solidify our standing as the brand of choice for travellers in Asia and beyond,” he added.

Furthermore, Klook aims to extend its use of Google Cloud’s generative AI beyond translation, incorporating the K.AI chatbot to enhance data security and interaction accuracy in diverse customer services.

This is in line with the company’s goal to implement PaLM 2 for content generation, streamlining vendor onboarding by automatically generating concise descriptions and details about activities. These advancements aim to improve overall internal employee productivity and contribute to a more efficient operational workflow at Klook. 

Meanwhile, Kathy Lee, managing director at Google Cloud in North Asia, said, “Klook’s use of generative AI has the potential to significantly boost both internal productivity and customer engagement, enhancing the uniqueness of their brand and value proposition while also strengthening trust and security for their customers.”

“They’ve already gained a crucial first-mover advantage in personalising and localising travel experiences with generative AI, and we look forward to our continued collaboration to further strengthen their digital leadership with cloud and AI across their business,” she concluded.

Melbourne, Australia – Digital agency DEPT Australia has recently announced a significant partnership with Towcha, an Indigenous-owned technology consultancy. This collaboration presents exciting opportunities for both companies while creating a lasting impact.

This partnership with DEPT Australia greatly supports Towcha Technologies’ mission to foster innovation and technological expertise within the indigenous community.

Through this initiative, Towcha provides technology strategy, application development, and support to Australian corporate and government organisations. Towcha’s commitment to innovation and technology is evident through its work for clients like AWS, Coles, and Wesfarmers.

With this in mind, one of the core aspects of this partnership is uplifting the Indigenous community’s tech capabilities, including Cloud Engineering capabilities, system architecture, AI and web and mobile development. 

DEPT and Towcha share a vision for technological excellence and a deep commitment to lifelong learning embodying a collective dedication to nurturing talent and fostering innovation within the Indigenous community. As they embark on this exciting journey together, both organisations look forward to the positive change they can bring to the Australian technology landscape.

Talking about the partnership, Evan Davey, VP growth APAC at DEPT, said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Towcha and look forward to a fruitful partnership, one that fosters growth, diversity, and technological empowerment. We’ve collaborated with the Towcha team on previous engagements and were blown away by their expertise and dedication.”

Meanwhile, Alan Holmes, managing director and founder at Towcha, commented, “We can’t wait to see this partnership reach the next level. Creating a sustainable inclusive economy in Australia entails mentoring and elevating Indigenous talent. We’re excited to bring that vision to life with the DEPT team. We’re ready to roll!”

Singapore – Syncron, a global intelligent service lifecycle management (SLM) SaaS solutions provider for the manufacturing industry, selects global commercial software company SnapLogic, to provide best-in-class integration capabilities to customers.

This partnership with SnapLogic reflects Syncron’s commitment to enhancing its customer’s experiences and delivering tangible benefits, including reduced implementation timelines and improved returns on investment.

Through SnapLogic, Syncron is empowered to better streamline the integration process for its customers. By leveraging SnapLogic, Syncron can now provide customers with a broader range of integration capabilities, saving significant time and costs that would otherwise be incurred if it had to develop these capabilities internally.

Furthermore, Syncron users can now save more time by removing reliance on technical integration specialists, witness substantial cost savings by transferring critical data from legacy systems and retiring them, generate revenue by democratising access to information via SnapLogic’s pioneering natural language prompts, and gain a competitive edge in generating new revenue streams by streamlining processes and accelerating the creation of new products and services.

Talking about the partnership, Cole Sutter, COO of products at Syncron, said, “We’re thrilled to partner with SnapLogic. The leader in generative integration brings more than 10 years of tested and proven integration capabilities to the Syncron CSX Cloud.” 

“It’s allowed us to not only provide best-in-class integration capabilities to our customers but has also given us the ability to better utilise our partners for implementations and support. With SnapLogic, we expect to see decreased implementation time and increased ROI for our customers,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Jeremiah Stone, chief technology officer at SnapLogic, commented, “We are proud to join forces with Syncron to deliver cutting-edge generative integration capabilities that are a game-changer in the face of economic uncertainties.”

“This collaboration isn’t just about providing best-in-class integration capabilities, it’s about future-proofing businesses and enabling them to thrive in a rapidly changing digital environment. We look forward to working closely with Syncron to not only meet but exceed the expectations of their customers, driving increased ROI and decreased implementation time,” he ended. 

Hong Kong – Chinese catering group Fulum Group Holdings has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Sunpark Holdings, an F&B corporation in Japan, to further expand its diversified F&B offerings.

In this new partnership, Fulum Group will introduce multiple of Sunpark’s F&B brands into the Hong Kong food scene. These brands are ‘Takagi Coffee’ that provides specialty coffee and pancakes; ‘Karubi Kazan’ that offers handcrafted barbeque meat rice bowls; and ‘Hachikian’ that specialises in chicken dishes.

The restaurants will be located in the city centre with high foot traffic to attract the younger generation.

With Sunpark already eyeing Hong Kong as its next destination for expansion, its partnership with Fulum will materialise this plan. Meanwhile, Fulum’s cooperation with Sunpark is expected to further diversify the group’s restaurant portfolio.

This strategic agreement is the result of an initiative organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) and InvestHK. The Hong Kong F&B Mission aims to business match and network the F&B corporations in Hong Kong and Japan.

Samuel Yeung, CEO of the Fulum Group, said, “Hong Kong people have always favoured Japanese cuisine. Sunpark offers various specialty F&B brands and has decades of experience and insights of the industry, which is what Fulum is trying to achieve with our diversified restaurant mix. We are very excited about this strategic cooperation. Looking forward, we will continue to closely monitor latest trends and hope to introduce more of Sunpark’s brands in hopes of offering even more gourmet options in Hong Kong.

Ken Takagi, CEO of Sunpark, also shared, “Sunpark is committed to bring quality Japanese food at highest level of hospitality from Japan to the world, one store at a time. We are honoured to partner with a strong partner like Fulum Group. This cements our relationship as family.”

Meanwhile, Leo Tze, acting principal Hong Kong economic and trade representative for Tokyo, commented, “Today I am happy to witness the signing of the first deal resulting from this mission, namely this partnership agreement between Sunpark and Fulum. I wish them every success in their business in Hong Kong. I believe this would be the good start and hope to hear more good news amid ongoing partnership discussion of the participant companies.”

Also speaking on the partnership, Alpha Lau, director-general of investment promotion at Invest Hong Kong, said, “When foreign and local players work together, in a strategic partnership like that of Fulum and Sunpark, I believe the synergy will only mean even more opportunities and growth potential for both sides. This partnership is the result of our collaborated programme with colleagues at Tokyo ETO. Going forward, Invest Hong Kong will continue to work with ETOs around the world to assist more Mainland and foreign companies to set up their base in Hong Kong.”

Beijing, China – Following the company’s commitment to inspire brands with sustainable climate communications solutions, global advertising, marketing, and public relations agency Ogilvy has recently entered into a partnership with Tsinghua University’s Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development (ICCSD).

With this agreement, the two are expected to advance the international image and profile of the institute by putting ICCSD’s valuable academic research and Ogilvy’s global branding expertise at the forefront of the campaign.

At the same time, they also intend to help corporations across industries leverage data-driven insights to inform their strategic decisions in regard to climate change and sustainable transition.

In particular, Ogilvy will serve as a global brand planning and communications partner, assisting in the conceptualization and establishment of ICCSD’s integrated database, which compiles their extensive collection of data and research. Through this platform, the institute sets forth a commitment to support China’s sustainable development and economic transformation objectives.

Zheng Li, president at ICCSD, commented, “Climate change is one of the greatest threats of our time, and requires urgent action. This cooperation between our Institute and Ogilvy aims to accelerate and facilitate the adoption of sustainable solutions by corporations across industries, through a new type of data platform powered by our world-class research resources and Ogilvy’s branding capabilities.”

Chris Reitermann, chief executive officer at Ogilvy APAC and greater China, said, “We are delighted to enter into this partnership with Tsinghua University’s Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, and are grateful for ICCSD’s trust in Ogilvy. We look forward to leveraging our branding expertise to raise awareness around Tsinghua University’s contributions towards global climate governance and are excited about the prospect of collaborating closely on sustainability-related thought leadership and research projects. 

“Most importantly, we see this collaboration as a fantastic opportunity to bring more visibility towards ICCSD’s research assets, and better support our clients with their sustainable transition ambitions, ” he ended.

China – Global travel service provider Trip.com has announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the China International Culture Association (CICA) to promote the country’s inbound tourism.

In this new partnership, Trip.com becomes the official partner of CICA for its newest ‘Nihao! China’ campaign. The MoU covers the strategic framework agreement for the implementation of the campaign, including the filming and production of global promotional videos and the digital communication campaign.

As the official partner, Trip.com Group will promote the campaign on its platforms across various markets. Partnering with Chinese cultural centres, tourism boards, and other organisations, it will curate engaging content to showcase specific offerings and services showcasing the unique attractions, experiences, and beauty of China.

Additionally, the partnership also looks into building a service platform for inbound travel and organising activities agreed upon by both sides. Over the next three years, Trip.com Group plans to invest in platform technology, marketing and promotion, and product integration to accelerate the development of inbound tourism in China.

The partnership agreement between Trip.com and CICA aims to foster and promote cultural exchanges and establish friendships between the country and visitors from around the world. It looks to position China as a unique and welcoming destination rich in history and cultural heritage.

Prior to this MoU, several measures to boost tourism were also announced by the Chinese State Council, which include optimising visa and customs clearance policies and increasing international flight capacity and routes to key destinations. The new partnership is expected to further promote the internationalisation of China’s inbound tourism.

James Liang, co-founder and chairman at Trip.com Group, shared, “With the aim of boosting inbound tourism, Trip.com Group will leverage its technological expertise to enhance the ease of access for incoming visitors. Additionally, we will consolidate resources to foster tourism promotion while highlighting the distinctive tourism attractions of China to draw in global visitors.”

Singapore – Leading multi-attraction pass provider Go City has officially signed a memorandum of understanding with Weixin Pay, a widely recognised payment function in the Weixin app, in an event today at the Capitol Kempinski Hotel, Singapore.

Such first-of-its-kind collaboration marks a significant milestone for the two as it will boost the global tourism sector in the country, allowing Chinese tourists to immerse themselves in a wide variety of visiting places across 30+ cities in Go City’s portfolio.

This also includes a three-year joint marketing plan in which both parties will allocate resources to adopt the usage of both the Go City Weixin mini programme and Weixin Pay.

Neville Doe, group chief financial officer of Go City, shared his enthusiasm for this partnership, stating, “This exciting partnership with Weixin Pay is a testament to Go City’s commitment to revolutionising the travel experiences for our customers. We’re incredibly excited to team up with a world-class leader in digital payment solutions to better serve our Chinese customers.

“Our mini program is already enhancing the purchase and usage experience for these customers, and this partnership takes this incredible proposition to greater heights. Together, we’re set to open up a world of fresh possibilities, such as special deals and unique experiences, for these travellers across Southeast Asia and beyond,” he added.

Following this remarkable feat, Etienne Ng, regional director, Southeast Asia for Weixin Pay, commented, “We are excited to collaborate with Go City, a pioneer in the tourism industry. This partnership aligns with our aim to provide Chinese users with seamless and secure payment options, enriching their travel experience in Singapore and the rest of the region, and represents a significant step towards achieving that vision for our users.”

Meanwhile, Dawn Jeremiah, vice president, marketing and e-commerce at Go City, also said that the establishment of Go City last September has already brought exponential revenue growth from Mainland Chinese consumers month after month.

“We’ve seen a 1.5x growth in September and October versus 2019 and a 2x growth this month versus 2019. exponential growth particularly to Singapore, followed by London, Sydney, Bangkok, Oahu, New York, Barcelona, and Paris. This year’s Golden Week saw our pass volume sales grow to 4x, average basket size grow by 25%, and lower refund rates, all compared to that of 2019,” she ended.

For the next few months, this strategic partnership is expected to revolutionise the exploration of Singapore’s top destinations, ensuring affordability, accessibility, and an authentically enhanced experience.