Tag: Partnership

London, UK – Bidstack, an in-game advertising and video game monetisation platform, and Venatus, a publisher monetisation and advertising platform for gaming and entertainment, have signed an exclusive commercial partnership to leverage both companies global presence and expertise in video game advertising and monetisation. 

The new partnership will give Venatus exclusive access to Bidstack’s extensive video game advertising inventory across six key global markets. Venatus will take sole ownership of direct sales of Bidstack’s in-game inventory across the US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, and South Korea, leveraging its extensive global sales presence of more than 40 gaming specialists. 

The access to Bidstack’s intrinsic in-game network adds another dimension to the Venatus offer, centered on campaigns in-game, next to the game, and around the game, including leading websites such as EA, Futbin, and Rovio, and custom activations on platforms like Roblox. 

Bidstack has pioneered the intrinsic in-game advertising format since 2017 and has amassed a network of more than 400 high-quality video games across mobile and PC, with a total monthly reach of 100 million people. The company works with publishers such as Sports Interactive, Ubisoft, and Miniclip and has delivered award-winning in-game campaigns for brands such as OneFootball, Apple, Samsung, Marriott Bonvoy, Paco Rabanne, and Doritos. 

In 2022, the IAB and MRC released official measurement standards for intrinsic in-game advertising, while DoubleVerify recently announced its support for the format.  

Venatus and Bidstack have previously collaborated to monetise esports properties such as Gfinity through advertising. 

James Draper, founder and CEO at Bidstack, said, “Bidstack and Venatus have a shared history as innovators in the video game advertising space. Now, we’ve identified an opportunity to create massive value for both businesses, our customers, and partners through a major tie-in that combines Venatus’ gaming specialist sales heft with Bidstack’s programmatic technology and carefully nurtured network of games. With the tailwinds behind in-game advertising, the opportunity is crystallising too quickly for Bidstack to capitalise on alone and we’re delighted to have Venatus alongside us.”

Also commenting on the partnership, Rob Gay, co-founder and CEO at Venatus, said, “Venatus offers brands multiple touchpoints with consumers within, next to and around video games. With the rapid growth of intrinsic in-game advertising, we now partner with experts in the format and add another string to our bow on behalf of our customers. This partnership comes at an opportune moment after the expansion of our US leadership team in June and, with Bidstack’s world-class in-game network, we can build richer, more diverse campaigns on behalf of our clients in this incredibly exciting gaming media channel. 

Singapore – IT service and consulting firm SeenThis has announced a global partnership with GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, with the goal of reducing and avoiding unnecessary carbon emissions from digital advertising.

The collaboration will enable GroupM and its agencies to leverage SeenThis’ expertise and proprietary technology to manage and minimize carbon emissions from creative delivery while improving the performance of display advertising campaigns.

Initially, GroupM’s agencies will use the SeenThis emissions dashboard to measure data transfer and create deeper understanding of campaign emissions; ultimately, the data will be integrated directly into GroupM’s tools to enable the planning of display campaigns.

GroupM and SeenThis will also align methodologies on the carbon cost of data transfer, incorporating these into GroupM’s own carbon calculator for use in planning and post-campaign analysis. This will enable GroupM’s agencies to refine and provide more detailed supply-chain decisioning for data transfer within digital channels.

Ed Fanning, global head of partnerships, advertising and retail technology at Group M, commented, “As the world’s leading media investment company, the team at GroupM is on a mission to develop tools and technologies which ensure that carbon emissions are considered a part of the media planning process. This partnership builds on the global framework for media decarbonization we announced in 2022 and is an important step in our commitment to decarbonize our media supply chain.”

Jesper Benon, CEO at SeenThis, also said, “We are excited to extend the benefits of  the SeenThis solution to new and existing GroupM clients, as our proprietary streaming addresses the trade-off that otherwise exists between performance and sustainability in the digital ecosystem. GroupM agencies are able to increase performance while minimizing carbon emissions, and at the same time helping drive attention and unlock creative capabilities. We deliver lightning-fast ad-loading that attains higher attention from users, which translates into fewer wasted impressions and a more efficient use of resources.”

Meanwhile, Thomas Houge, CCO at SeenThis, adds, “We are honored to partner with GroupM globally as it further enhances its commitment to minimizing the carbon impact of digital media campaigns. Knowing that WPP´s clients need to drive towards a more sustainable business through their marketing, we are thrilled to offer our technology to drive sustainability and sustainable business results all in one.”

Singapore – Global media and entertainment company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced its partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to launch ‘Celebrating Every Story’, an island-wide campaign for the company’s 100th year anniversary in Singapore.  

With Singapore being chosen as the key destination for Warner Bros. Studio’s global centennial campaign, the partnership will bring in new initiatives to spotlight the country’s destinations and the global media entertainment company’s beloved characters and stories. 

One of the highlighted activities is ‘WB100 Celebrating Every Story’, a large-scale event in Southeast Asia and in partnership with Sentosa that will feature 100 years of Warner Bros. franchises. The event will feature a host of free and interactive experiences catering to fans of all ages.

Warner Bros. Studios promises a fun and exciting experience as visitors can look forward to entertaining experiences that celebrate beloved franchises from DC’s Batman and Aquaman to Wizarding World and Looney Tunes.

Other characters included in the event are the Singapore-inspired Tom and Jerry, who will star in a brand new series launching later this year on Cartoon Network. The seven-part production represents the franchise’s first ever localised series, with each episode inspired by unique sights, places of interest, and destination highlights of Singapore. Merli, a character inspired by Singapore’s iconic Merlion, will also make a special appearance.

A sneak-peek episode called “What’s that Smell” featuring the iconic durian already aired on August 7 on Cartoon Network in Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, the rest of the series will premiere on Cartoon Network in Asia Pacific and regional streaming service HBO GO in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, before being rolled out globally. 

The global launch of the series will also be complemented by a dedicated line of Tom and Jerry-branded consumer products.

The Singapore-inspired Tom & Jerry series is part of a multi-year partnership that WBD and STB inked in 2022 to collaborate on entertainment and lifestyle content, as well as marketing activities, to spotlight and inspire travel to destination Singapore.

Clement Schwebig, WBD’s president and MD for India, Southeast Asia, and Korea, said,  “We’re building on our partnership with STB with two fantastic new projects which truly demonstrate how we are ‘Celebrating Every Story’ and Warner Bros.’ historic 100-year legacy. Tom and Jerry have been delighting audiences of all ages around the world for generations, and we’re very proud that its first ever localised adaptation will come with a Singapore twist. The WB100 celebration at Sentosa will showcase some of the highlights from a century of Warner Bros. content – and we look forward to welcoming both families from Singapore and those visiting.”

Speaking on the partnership, Melissa Ow, chief executive at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are delighted to partner Warner Bros. Discovery on this milestone celebration. The all-new Tom and Jerry series and the WB100 family festival will showcase Singapore in a fun and creative way, setting Singapore apart as a vibrant and exciting city for both visitors and locals. We invite families to spend some quality time together at the festival while enjoying the antics of Tom and Jerry.”

Singapore – Asian smart living management system Habitap announced a strategic partnership with real estate company JLL to curate a super-app that provides a smart building experience with a range of smart functionalities for JLL’s clients. 

Powered by Habitap, the super app called ‘COMPASS SG’ allows JLL clients access to a wide range of control and management over their smart households, as well as avail other features such as security and building services. 

The COMPASS SG app is fully customisable based on each clients’ individual needs, allowing for a fully integrated, connected tenant experience programme that combines technology, tenant experience and community features. In addition, this app includes a real-time access control management portal that allows tenants to track important building information.

Various visitor access options are also available to allow tenants to manage their visitors more efficiently. For example, they can register through facial recognition, HID Mobile Access or a QR code sent to them before their visit and or via a kiosk powered by Habitap. Other features include wayfinding, electronic lockers, and car park management tools. 

The app further provides access to real-time data, giving greater security and control over their facilities. Tenants can also apply for building and maintenance services as well as send circulars, push notifications, and emergency broadcasts. Furthermore, the smart concierge feature, facility booking, and Building Management System integration feature automates administrative tasks for the clients so that they can focus on running their businesses.

Additionally, the community functions of the app enable tenants to easily offer promotions and news to their customers, as well as a more efficient way for users to sign up for upcoming events and redemption of vouchers, allowing for better capability to drive promotions and to engage the community.

Commenting on the partnership, Franklin Tang, founder and CEO of Habitap, said, “We are thrilled to partner with JLL – a trusted global name in the commercial real estate industry. Habitap’s goal has always been focused on helping organizations transform through vision and technology to ultimately enable people to experience a Smart Living lifestyle.”

Meanwhile, Derek Soh, executive director of JLL, said, “We are excited to be working with Habitap, whose commitment to delivering experiential real estate solutions mirrors our own. Our partnership with Habitap is a testament to our dedication to providing the best-in-class, innovative solutions that drive our clients’ experiences to the next level.”

As part of the partnership, JLL has already rolled out the app in one commercial building in Singapore and will progressively implement it in more buildings by the fourth quarter of 2023.

Australia – Telecommunications company Vodafone joined forces with Live Nation, a live entertainment company, and its joint venture partner Secret Sounds to give customers presale access to upcoming live music shows in Australia. 

Through this new partnership, Vodafone customers will not only get exclusive presale access for tickets to the live music shows, but they will also have the chance to win curated live music experiences like backstage passes, rockstar treatment, or meeting their favourite artists. 

Vodafone will also be supporting the next generation of Australian musicians as they become the presenting partner of Ones to Watch, Live Nation’s discovery platform for emerging artists. Ones to Watch helps artists reach audiences domestically and globally and has played a role in the careers of artists including Dua Lipa, Halsey, LANY, and LÉON, among many others. 

First up, through this new partnership, Vodafone customers will get exclusive presale access for tickets to see The Weeknd on their Australia tour in November 2023. More announcements for local and international superstar artists are also expected as they bring their tours down under. 

Kieren Cooney, group executive at TPG Telecom, said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Live Nation and bring our customers closer to the music acts they love. With live events and experiences in huge demand and fans eager to see their favourite artists more than ever before, we’re offering Vodafone customers first access to tickets and unforgettable experiences with the musicians that they love.” 

Speaking on the partnership, Greg Segal, president brand and marketing partnerships ANZ at Live Nation,  also said, “Our research tells us  that music is the leading passion point for many Australians. Through our partnership, Vodafone will provide unrivaled experiences for its customers by offering them exclusive access to Australia’s most anticipated live acts. It’s a great time for Vodafone to establish a major partnership in music with the  demand for concerts and festivals at record levels.” 

Live Nation and Secret Sounds have recently toured some of the world’s most recognisable artists, including Harry Styles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Gorillaz, The 1975, and Kendrick Lamar.  

Since May, Vodafone customers have been able to purchase pre-sale tickets to the Secret Sounds Festival Sideshows to see artists including Sam Fender, Tove Lo, Noah Cyrus, Loyle Carner, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as well as pre-sale tickets to see Live Nation touring artists Motley Crue + Def Leppard, Blink 182, Post Malone, Louis Tomlinson, and the Jonas Brothers. 

Singapore – GoTo’s on-demand multiservice tech platform Gojek entered into a partnership with yuu Rewards Club and DBS Bank to bring exclusive loyalty rewards and benefits to its users in Singapore. 

This collaboration will allow Gojek users across all service types, including discounted voucher trips, to be rewarded with yuu points when paying for their rides using a DBS yuu card or PAssion POSB debit card. 

DBS yuu card members can now earn up to 37 points or 18.5% cash rebates for every $1 spent on Gojek rides. Meanwhile, PAssion POSB Debit Card members can get as much as 15 yuu points or 7.5% cash rebates for every $1 spent on the same service. On top of this, users of both cards are also eligible for an additional limited-time bonus reward when they complete their first transaction on Gojek. 

Launching exclusively in partnership with DBS Bank, the collaboration will also see Gojek formally enter the loyalty space, providing rewards for users and paving the way for deeper long-term integration with yuu. 

Lien Choong Luen, general manager at Gojek Singapore, said, “Gojek was built with powerful partnerships at its core, and the belief that together we will go far remains fundamental across GoTo. I’m delighted to be collaborating with industry leading partners yuu and DBS to go the extra mile for our customers and passengers – helping them to earn on their everyday spend by turning rides into rewards and rebates.” 

“In 2019, we launched in the Singapore market with DBS as our preferred payments partner and we’re delighted to be further strengthening our partnership to launch loyalty rewards exclusively, initially for DBS yuu Card and PAssion POSB Debit Card holders,” he added. 

Further commenting on the partnership, Sng Ren Yeong, CEO of minden.ai, said, “At yuu, we’re always seeking new ways to help consumers unlock greater value on their everyday spend. With Gojek onboard, yuu members will be able to stretch their dollars, not only across retail, food, and attractions, but also their daily commute. By partnering with a diverse ecosystem of like-minded brands, yuu is able to offer more options for consumers to earn while they spend and accumulate points at a faster pace.” 

“As a leading on-demand ride-hailing service in Singapore, Gojek has always been progressive and highly-attuned, sharing the same customer-first philosophy as yuu, making this partnership a natural fit. We look forward to delivering more value to consumers alongside Gojek and DBS,” he continued. 

Meanwhile, Anthony Seow, head of payments and platforms at DBS Bank Consumer Banking Group, said, “We are happy to deepen our longstanding partnership with Gojek, which has provided our customers more convenience when booking and paying for their Gojek rides via our PayLah! app.” 

He further added, “with Gojek joining the yuu rewards ecosystem, DBS/POSB customers can now use their DBS yuu Card or PAssion POSB Debit Card, two of our most popular cards for everyday spending, to rack up more yuu points which can then be used to offset their Gojek rides, on top of their expenditure on groceries, F&B. Together with our partners, we will continue to explore new avenues to provide our customers with more rewards and privileges and help them to save more.” 

Singapore – TikTok has recently announced the launch of the ‘Scam Prevention Edition’ of its Digital Wellness Hub with the goal of providing users with the resources and knowledge to navigate the digital world safely. 

Introduced in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), and the Singapore Police Force (SPF), this initiative aligns with TikTok’s dedication to creating a reliable and secure digital environment for its platform users.

With the Scam Prevention Edition, TikTok will contribute to local scam education and reinforce MHA’s anti-scam ACT (Add, Check, Tell) framework to translate anti-scam awareness into actions. 

This endeavor merges education and entertainment to facilitate engagement with users of all ages on the platform. TikTok will deploy educational messages on scam prevention through various initiatives such as raising awareness through scam identification and prevention challenges as well as a  ‘Shop Safe’ tab that allows users to access educational videos on identifying scams and how to shop safely.

Teresa Tan, head of public policy at TikTok Southeast Asia and Singapore, said, “TikTok has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of scam-related content on our platform. We have implemented policies to guard against scams and take strict enforcement action upon detection. Through the Scam Prevention Edition of the Hub, we hope to strengthen the resources available and build understanding within the community on how it takes a joint effort to keep our platform safe.”

Meanwhile, Gerald Singham, chairman of the Singaporean National Crime Prevention Council, commented, “We are excited to be part of the Scam Prevention Edition of TikTok’s Digital Wellness Hub, which provides useful scam prevention resources to help Singapore residents protect themselves against scams. Through this partnership, we hope to not only raise awareness but also encourage more individuals to take ACTions against scams.”

These efforts are an extension of educational resources available on the Digital Wellness Hub, which was launched in 2022 and anchors all of TikTok’s initiatives around mental wellbeing, cyber wellness, user safety and more.

Los Angeles, California – Global video game commerce company Xsolla announces a partnership with B2B SaaS and marketing technology company AppsFlyer to streamline cross-platform data-driven insights for game developers.

These collaboration efforts come as part of Xsolla and AppsFlyer’s mission to assist mobile game developers by offering a unified cross-platform (PC, web, and app) solution that enables measurement across all marketing touchpoints and facilitates the analysis of customer journeys and activities.

Xsolla’s integration of AppsFlyer into their Web Shop services will allow for cross-platform measurement that enables developers to gain valuable player insights, estimate webshop and marketing efficiency, and increase the web sales channel’s performance.

Furthermore, this new addition will grant game developers the ability to gather and analyze user behavior and interactions on the web and inside the game, then compare metrics and gain valuable insights, all through easy-to-use dashboards. 

“This partnership with Xsolla promises to elevate measurement precision, enable user segmentation, and foster a deeper comprehension of customer flow, behavior, and engagement,” said Brian Murphy, AppsFlyer head of gaming. 

He further adds that “both AppsFlyer and Xsolla care deeply about delivering the best possible user experience and measurement capabilities to marketers, and this partnership will enable them to have greater control of their monetization strategies, budgets, and campaign insights.”

One prominent feature highlighted in this collaboration is that it not only provides the users of AppsFlyer, primarily utilized for mobile analytics, with the capability to track players’ data on the web but also aims to increase efficiency and provide better control over data for those striving to optimize and understand their digital customer journey. 

Meanwhile, Chris Hewish, CEO of Xsolla, shared that they are excited about the partnership as it marks a crucial step in providing support for mobile game developers. 

“The mobile sector continues to drive global gaming revenue and growth. The combination of Xsolla’s Web Shop solution and AppsFlyer unlocks a wealth of data-driven insights into player behavior and engagement, webshop and marketing effectiveness, and web sales channel performance,” he added. 

Malaysia – Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) has announced their partnership with Visa to kick-start a collaboration focusing on enabling e-commerce for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Through this strategic partnership, BSN and Visa have committed to nurturing micro-SMEs in a digital commerce training program called ‘Accelerate My Business’ (AMB). The training intends to drive the adoption of digital disbursement solutions, which will provide micro-SMEs with better financial literacy to explore more significant financing to boost their businesses.

According to BSN, the AMB training program will be divided into two module workshops aimed at digitizing the knowledge of 750 selected BSN micro-SMEs and empowering them for the next phase of their business journey.

This comprehensive initiative will run from August 2023 until March 2024, incorporating a total of 27 sessions conducted across 13 different locations nationwide, encompassing both the Sabah and Sarawak regions.

During these workshops, micro-SMEs will be equipped with essential entrepreneurial skills, covering diverse areas such as business management, financial literacy, operational efficiency, and digitalization strategies. Additionally, the AMB learning platform will play a crucial role in providing practical guidance to the participants by offering various resources. This includes interactive activities, worksheets, self-assessment tools, glossaries, and supplementary materials to support them throughout their entrepreneurial journey.

The program will also be categorised based on the entrepreneurial expertise of the participants—beginner and seasoned stages—to ensure that their diverse needs will be catered to.

Jay Khairil, chief executive of BSN, stated that by staying true to their vision of ‘No Malaysian Left Behind,’ BSN remains mindful of the community’s needs by diversifying our product and service offerings tailored to various segments.

“We have also integrated financial education resources and programs within our services to ensure our customers can access vital financial insights and practical advice. Hence, the strategic partnership with Visa is timely and coincides with our aim to drive digital transformation among micro-SMEs for enhanced operational efficiency and competitive advantage in today’s dynamic business landscape,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ng Kong Boon, country manager for Malaysia at Visa, shared that Visa sees micro and small businesses as the backbone of the Malaysian economy.

He further emphasised the importance of the partnership, saying that “we are pleased to partner with BSN as we share a common goal in empowering these enterprises with resources and tools to uplift their businesses and livelihoods, ultimately creating a ripple effect throughout their communities. By continuing to build on this foundation with greater financial and business knowledge, we can help them find new growth and thrive.”

Malaysia –Trip.com Group and Penang Global Tourism (PGT) have signed an agreement to expand their current relationship to a global scale. Trip.com Group’s platforms, such as Trip.com and Ctrip, will actively stimulate inbound tourism to Penang through this new MOU for the next three years. 

Penang will now be promoted to travellers from several worldwide markets, including mainland China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and Australia, as a result of this new development.

Trip.com Group and PGT have been collaborating since 2016, with Trip.com Group becoming PGT’s first global partner and PGT becoming Trip.com Group’s first global partner within Malaysia, as well as the first post-pandemic MOU between the two organisations.

Speaking about the renewal of partnership, Bo Sun, Chief marketing officer of Trip.com Group, said, “Trip.com Group and Penang Global Tourism have been longstanding partners. Together, we have weathered the challenges posed by the pandemic and our cooperation has become even closer. We remain committed to developing a diverse range of products and expanding the market for Penang.” 

He added, “With new travel consumption behaviours and trends that have emerged after the pandemic, we hope to leverage our strengthened collaboration to guide the destination’s tourism industry towards a rapid recovery, as well as achieve sustainable growth through innovation.”

Meanwhile, Yab Chow Kon Yeow, chief minister of caretaker Penang, said, “In the heart of Penang’s prosperity, tourism beats as a vital lifeline, invigorating our economy and nurturing our ambitions. As we forge this historic bond with Trip.com Group, the first global partnership after pandemic and first in Malaysia, spanning up to 10 markets, we fortify our commitment to embracing the world with open arms.”

“Tourism remains the driving force that propels Penang forward, fuelling economic growth and enriching lives across the state,” Yeow said.