Tag: Partnership

Cyberjaya, Malaysia – Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the alliance between the two government agencies, aimed at further catalysing the growth of technology companies in the country, ensuring maximum reach and impact.

As part of the MoU, MDEC and MTDC will co-develop technology-based entrepreneur development programmes, as well as in the promotion of digital technologies, and their adoption amongst startups, MSMEs, and SMEs. It will also seek to open up more funding facilitation and opportunities for tech companies.

Mahadhir Aziz, MDEC’s CEO, said that leveraging each organisations’ platforms and expertise in support of meeting its objectives will be the key thrust of the collaboration.

“With this MoU, we will be able to ensure further reach, efficiency and impact on our tech ecosystem and increase Malaysia’s competitiveness in the digital economy. The race to produce successful global champions is a shared responsibility and this MoU is evident of Malaysia’s holistic approach. Through this initiative we are able to move as one nation to drive forward the MyDIGITAL core objectives,” added Aziz.

Meanwhile, Norhalim Yunus, MTDC’s CEO, noted that the MoU will be a platform for their partners in MTDC’s Centre of 9 Pillars (Co9P) to collaborate with the companies and partners under MDEC. 

He further shared that MTDC’s Co9P community members will assist the companies in the areas of Industry 4.0 and digitalisation.

“This opportunity to work with the companies under MDEC will be part of expanding our Co9P into other regions in Malaysia and an opportunity to build linkages with its global partners by providing advisory business with MDEC as our strategic partner,” said Yunus.

Manila, Philippines – Sports network Cignal TV has partnered with PDAX, the digital asset exchange in the Philippines, to be its brand partner for University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Games Season 84, a collegiate basketball tournament in the country, which will run until May 2022. 

Through the partnership, PDAX becomes the first-ever crypto company to support a national sporting event. It will be supporting the basketball tournament, while promoting crypto and financial literacy in the country.

Moreover, the crypto company will be featured in in-game premiums and other marketing campaigns of Cignal for the duration of the UAAP Season 84.

Nichel Gaba, PDAX’s founder and CEO, commented, “We are excited to partner with Cignal TV in bringing the UAAP Games for Season 84. We fully support investing in sports development, which is one of the best ways to promote positive values among the youth.”

Meanwhile, Sienna Olaso, Cignal TV’s vice president of channels and content, lauded the partnership as another step to promote youth development in the Philippines. 

“Together with PDAX, we hope to engage young Filipinos in the popular sport of basketball and keep them motivated even with the ongoing challenges brought about by the pandemic. We also hope to bring financial literacy and innovative digital financial solutions closer to the youth,” said Olaso.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Media investment company GroupM and global outdoor advertising technology provider Moving Walls have partnered to bring automation and accountability to digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising in Malaysia.

The partnership enables clients of GroupM agencies, namely Mindshare, m/Six, MediaCom, and Wavemaker, to leverage Moving Audiences Plus, an audience data-driven planning, buying, measurement, and ad-play verification solution that can activate all connected DOOH screens across the country.

Moving Walls has developed a comprehensive technology stack including a DOOH planning tool that predicts audiences based on the most recent movement trends, a demand-side platform that activates against these plans, and an in-campaign analytics tool that measures actual campaign performance that can then be compared against the predictions.

The inventory is connected to this ecosystem by Location Media Xchange (LMX), the supply-focused subsidiary of the Moving Walls group and a variety of advertisers including Chevron, Dell, Lancome, and Shell have already run outcome-based outdoor advertising campaigns powered by the new solution. Through this new solution, clients will now be able to estimate and measure audience delivery down to specific ad plays rather than relying on historical vehicle traffic numbers. 

Anne Leow, GroupM Malaysia’s head of GroupM Outdoor, shared that as outdoor advertising embraces digital efficiencies, it is important to first streamline and legitimise the delivery of the advertising in a manner that is verifiable by all parties – the media owner, media buyer, and the tech providers. 

“This partnership enables us to apply market-leading DOOH technology to optimise media spends across thousands of screens that are present in different venues, both indoor and outdoor locations,” said Leow.

Meanwhile, Srikanth Ramachandran, Moving Walls Group’s founder and CEO, commented that they are excited to launch this with GroupM Malaysia in a market that has some of the region’s most iconic DOOH sites and where many static sites continue to convert to digital panels. 

“Verification of ad plays and campaign performance will improve confidence amongst brands to extend their digital video campaigns to the big screens,” said Ramachandran.

Singapore – Scoot, Singapore Airlines Group’s low-cost arm, has tapped brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R Singapore to help the airline’s creative strategies. Alongside this, Omnicom Advertising Group-owned network PHD has been appointed to handle global media planning and buying. 

The 2-year appointment follows a closed-door pitch. The mandate entails the creative partners to support Scoot’s aim to be a low-cost carrier that emphasises quality flying services at pocket-friendly pricing while maintaining stringent health and safety standards. On a global scale, integrated brand work will include digital, social, outdoor, and above-the-line media.

Named the World’s Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline by Skytrax in 2021, Scoot’s network encompasses 72  destinations across 16 countries and territories.

Agatha Yap, director of communications for brand and marketing of market partnerships and loyalty at Scoot, said that with the easing of border restrictions in many parts of the world, the future looks exciting for the airline. “It is therefore timely for us to fortify our strategies and efforts to rebuild travel confidence, strengthen our brand, and step up our role in enabling physical human connections, especially given the fact that we celebrate a decade of flights in June 2022,” Yap said

Yap added, “We look forward to working with VMLY&R and PHD as partners to build our brand narrative and creative pieces using the most relevant media channels to speak to our customers in key markets around the world.”  

Commenting on the win, Preethi Sanjeevi, managing director, VMLY&R Singapore, said that it’s always exciting to start working with a new client, but this feels amplified now that they’re seeing the resumption of air travel with restrictions being eased globally. 

“Being deprived of foreign travel means many people are eager to explore new and exciting destinations. Scoot is the perfect choice for people looking to pursue their travel dreams, and we’re really enjoying working together to help these travellers follow their wanderlust,” Sanjeevi said.

Meanwhile, Chloe Neo, chief operating officer of Omnicom Media Group Singapore commented, “The resumption of leisure travel presents new opportunities for us to tap on meaningful use of data to connect with travellers with greater empathy. Coupled with the calibre and passion of the team, we look forward to leveraging our network capabilities to build brand love and measurable business impact for Scoot.”

Singapore – Data AI company, data.ai, and global digital advertising technical standards-setting body, IAB Tech Lab, have partnered to improve transparency and prevent fraud in the digital advertising industry. 

This partnership aims to provide the digital advertising industry with a list of Authorized Digital Sellers for Apps (app-ads.txt) and is now made available as part of IAB Tech Lab’s Transparency Center initiative. 

Through this partnership, IAB Tech Lab and data.ai are taking a proactive role in making authorized seller listings more easily accessible for mobile apps. data.ai has built an integration with IAB Tech Lab to share its data on app store listings to expand the coverage of app-ads.txt data available within the Tech Lab’s Transparency Center. Advertisers will see wider coverage of app-ads.txt data from both Google Play and Apple’s App Store. 

Ketaki Rao, data.ai’s chief product officer, commented, “We are excited to work with the IAB Tech Lab to establish a standard of trust across the mobile advertising landscape. data.ai sets the example for transparency and trust in the alternative data space and this partnership is a testament to that commitment.” 

Meanwhile, Shailley Singh, IAB Tech Lab’s SVP of product, shared this integration with data.ai has enabled them to expand their coverage of app-ads.txt data in the ‘Authorized Sellers for Apps’ list, which is made available to the industry through the Transparency Center. 

“We are thrilled to partner with data.ai, and look forward to bringing more transparency to the Mobile in-app space through this partnership,” said Singh.

Mumbai, India – Digital marketing agency Yellophant Digital, which is an alliance of Merge Infinity Global, has been awarded a 360-degree digital mandate by Oxemberg, a men’s fashion clothing brand from the house of Siyaram. 

As part of the remit, Yellophant Digital will be responsible for Oxemberg’s website planning and social media marketing, amplifying the brand’s presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. It will also strive toward developing creative social media strategies, harping on influencer and PR activities in the future, along with the overall management of the brand’s digital presence.

Prashant Awasthi, Siyaram Silk Mills’ marketing head, commented that they were most impressed by the vision Yellophant Digital had for their brand. 

“They are masters of their craft and know how to make brands stand out from the rest. We are thrilled to kickstart the project and our entire team is looking forward to a successful collaboration with Yellophant Digital,” said Awasthi.

Meanwhile, Preksha Seth, Yellophant Digital’s co-founder, shared that coming from the Siyaram group of family, the team is more than pumped to get started and work with the Oxemberg team. 

“The enthusiastic response from the entire Oxemberg team during our pitch gave me an insight that this partnership will bear fruit in the coming months, and we are excited to put our strategy into action and create something exciting across all platforms,” said Seth.

In February this year, Yellophant Digital has also won the digital mandate for 1Rivet India, a tech-based consultancy firm headquartered in the USA. Through this, the brand’s entire social media responsibilities, from ideation to execution will be tasked to Yellophant.

Sydney, Australia – Out-of-home (OOH) media company JCDecaux has announced that it has been awarded an extended tender by the North Sydney Council to be its exclusive street furniture provider. The contract is inked for a term of nine years.

The expanded partnership, which includes street furniture, large format screens, and community information panels including interactive touch screens, will see JCDecaux grow its network from four to 60 digital panels across Sydney’s second-largest business district and throughout the affluent Lower North Shore including residential suburbs spanning from Cremorne to St Leonards. 

As part of the expansion and upgrade, JCDecaux will deliver more than 35 new state-of-the-art digital street furniture screens and 19 new digital community information panels, which are reserved for community messaging such as maps, transport information, and other messaging to enable connectivity.

Aside from retaining the street furniture network, JCDecaux has won the North Sydney Large Format contract, to develop high-quality, sustainable digital screens on the Greenwood Bridge. These sustainable screens are currently in development and have been designed by architect Tzannes to ensure they complement the existing bridge design and enhance the surrounding area. Positioned in the heart of North Sydney, these highly visible sites impact traffic travelling along the Pacific Highway.

Steve O’Connor, JCDecaux’s CEO, commented that retaining the North Sydney contract is another triumphant win for JCDecaux following their recent successes with the Sydney Trains and Adelaide Railway Station contracts. 

He further shared that they have ambitious plans to enhance the presence, scale, and utility of the network, and this contract represents a powerful opportunity for brands to connect with affluent professionals, Lower North Shore residents, and tourists alike with a range of creative opportunities, while also strengthening their programmatic offering for clients.

“We’re in a fantastic position going into 2022; demand for out-of-home advertising is accelerating and audience mobility is bouncing back rapidly from last year. We have an incredibly strong portfolio to offer advertisers wanting to reconnect with Sydney-siders across our large format, street furniture, airport, rail, and transit network,” said O’Connor. 

In March this year, JCDecaux has also announced the run of its first digital roadside programmatic campaign with TVNZ, New Zealand’s state-owned commercially funded broadcaster. The campaign is running via dentsu, Hivestack, and VIOOH.

Singapore – Accor, a global hospitality operator has announced a new distribution partnership with Traveloka, Southeast Asia’s lifestyle superapp. The announcement was held at Raffles Jakarta, one of Accor’s luxury properties, in the presence of Accor’s CEO Southeast Asia, Japan & South Korea, Garth Simmons, and Traveloka’s COO, Alfan Hendro.

Accor and Traveloka’s connectivity partnership will allow visitors to access Accor properties in 13 countries via Traveloka’s platform. This is projected to increase as Traveloka expands its international business into Europe, where Accor is the dominant hotel group.

The partnership will also be supported by dedicated marketing initiatives such as In-app Exposure, Traveloka LIVE, and social media collaborations, which will help promote travel recovery throughout Southeast Asia. Travelers will be able to book a wide range of Accor hotels through this distribution network, with access to real-time availability, special deals, dedicated mobile pricing, and the convenience of payment for any transactions completed on the app.

Kerry Healy, chief commercial officer of  Southeast Asia, Japan & South Korea at Accor, shared that this is the perfect time to launch their distribution partnership with Traveloka, as they will be a key distributor and partner to support their growing pace across Indonesia and drive outbound travellers to other markets in Southeast Asia and beyond.

“This partnership will allow us to increase the value proposition for our guests across the region, allowing great booking options and flexibility for avid travellers. We believe Traveloka is our ideal partner to strengthen our visibility on the Indonesian market thanks to our complementary expertise in lifestyle and travel,” Healy said.

Alfan Hendro, chief operating officer at Traveloka, commented, “With its extensive and diverse accommodation network, we are thrilled to welcome Accor into our comprehensive portfolio of offerings, bringing convenience even closer to our customers. Our strategic partnership with Accor will continue to cement Traveloka’s commitment in providing the best, seamless travel experience for our customers and accelerate stronger business growth in Southeast Asia. 

Hendro added, “As a lifestyle superapp, we are revolutionizing lifestyle services for millions of consumers, redefining how they live, play, and discover new adventures in their very own backyards and across the world.”

Manila, Philippines – UNO Digital Bank, the digital bank regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Digital Banking License framework, has partnered with payment solutions company Mastercard, to issue digital and physical Debit Mastercard cards in the Philippines. 

The virtual cards aim to make it easy for customers to transact online, and the physical card can be used at points of sale at retail outlets or any Mastercard, Maestro, or Cirrus ATMs worldwide. Moreover, the new physical Debit Mastercard will have exciting security features that are designed to mitigate fraud and empower cardholders to prevent the misuse of their card. Cardholders will also have access to Mastercard’s curated selection of Priceless experiences and everyday merchant offers that will allow them to stretch their money further. 

Manish Bhai, UNO Digital Bank’s CEO, shared that Filipinos are embracing digital payments, and their partnership with Mastercard honours their promise to deliver simple solutions to the customers.

“Moreover, as a credit-led bank, we are also building a payments ecosystem. In our business partners, such as with Mastercard, we seek those with a similar mindset to our own: a mission to deliver innovation with simplicity. Stay tuned as to how we innovate the debit Mastercard card for our launch in Q2,” said Bhai.

Meanwhile, Simon Calasanz, Mastercard’s country manager for the Philippines, commented, “Mastercard is honoured to work with innovative partners like UNO Digital Bank who are paving the way to financial inclusion in the Philippines. Mastercard debit cards are designed to meet evolving consumer needs, and make everyday payments safe, simple, smart, and accessible.”

Vivek Kumar, UNO Digital Bank’s head of loans, payments and ecosystems, noted, “We are building in features that will elevate the banking experience for UNO Digital Bank customers, and take our commitment to cardholder convenience and innovation to the next level.”

The bank will announce the debit card attributes when it launches later this year. 

Most recently, UNO Digital Bank has just rebranded from its former name UNObank Inc. The rebrand reiterates the digital nature of the bank’s business. It also comes with a new visual identity for the company, which includes a new logo, an updated colour palette, and new iconography.

Manila, Philippines – In a historic deal in the Philippine media and entertainment landscape, the country’s largest media conglomerates ABS-CBN and GMA Network have signed a deal where ABS-CBN’s movies from its film and studio catalogue Star Cinema are now licensed by GMA Network for viewing on their channel.

Said deal is significant in the context of the country’s current mediascape, as the two media conglomerates have been neck-and-neck over the past few decades as the leading network in the country. 

Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., president and chief operating officer at GMA Network, said that the partnership is mutually beneficial for both companies.

“To us, we are very pleased because the significance of our partnership today ushers in the possibility of a far broader set of conversations, potential partnerships and cooperation that will have the benefit not only mutually to GMA and ABS-CBN but as importantly, if not perhaps more importantly, to the benefit of the public we both serve – the Filipino viewer.” 

He added that looking forward, since they have, as they say, broken the ice, there is great optimism that these conversations will start and continue, and that they look forward to the possibility of this type of opportunity again moving forward.

Meanwhile, Jose Mari R. Abacan, first vice president for program management department at GMA Network, commented, “During my time programming the network and buying the film, I am very happy that after having a lot of relationships with other majors, we will be able to add another group that I have been looking forward to since the beginning. Many thanks, Star Cinema and ABS-CBN. And I am inviting everyone to witness this momentous affair.”

Lastly, Carlo L. Katigbak, president and chief executive officer at ABS-CBN, commented, “Every storyteller’s dream is to have as many people as possible experience their creations. Now, because of the kindness of our friends at GMA, we have the special opportunity to bring our Kapamilya stories to a new audience. We hope the Kapusos find joy and inspiration in viewing our Star Cinema movies and we also look forward to a new era of friendship and cooperation within our small industry.”