Tag: Partnership

Singapore – Marketing and advertising agency BBDO India, has been appointed by Milkbasket, India’s first subscription-based micro-delivery service, to handle its brand strategy and creative output mandates.

Milkbasket, a unit of Reliance Retail, launched in 2015, and is one of the fastest-growing start-ups in the daily essentials delivery sector. Milkbasket has seen a positive preference in the consumer market and online groceries. Currently, the company is present in several cities and regions in the country namely NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

Yatish Talvadia, founder and CEO of Milkbasket, commented on the partnership, saying, “On this exciting growth journey of Milkbasket, we are super thrilled to onboard BBDO. The plan is to leverage their creative strength to make Milkbasket a household name in Pan India by the end of the year.”

In 2022, Milkbasket said it aims to take its services to the top 50 cities in India. At this crucial point of expansion, BBDO will facilitate this growth by creating a pan India voice and brand positioning for Milkbasket.

Nikhil Mahajan, chief growth officer and GM of BBDO, said that the daily essential delivery space has seen a lot of action lately, and believes that feel Milkbasket, with its robust business model, is poised to win mindshare and market share.

“They have a unique proposition that sets them apart from any other player, and I’m very excited to bring that alive as we create a brand to reckon with in the coming times. The leadership team’s vision of not only winning the future but shaping it too is what makes this partnership so special and exciting,” said Mahajan.

Australia – Out-of-Home (OOH) media company JCDecaux has partnered with research firm IPSOS, to create a new customer feedback program called ‘JCDecaux VOICE’. 

‘JCDecaux VOICE’ allows the media company to implement strategic changes, act on any immediate issues, and help client partners achieve success. Through the program, three one-minute surveys will be sent to clients throughout their campaign, providing a holistic overview of the end-to-end campaign experience. The first survey is sent when the campaign is booked, the second just before the campaign live date, and the final four weeks after the campaign has ended.

Max Eburne, JCDecaux’s chief commercial officer, noted that JCDecaux VOICE has been developed to ultimately improve the customer experience in the long term.

He further shared that the new program delivers regular, ongoing customer feedback at key points throughout the JCDecaux campaign journey, to drive tactical and strategic change.

“Customer feedback is an essential part of what makes our service the best in the business and, through our partnership with leading research company IPSOS, we will now be able to measure client satisfaction at every step of the customer journey,” said Eburne. 

JCDecaux said that the latest program follows the 2020 launch of JCDecaux CONSULT, a biannual survey implemented to capture feedback about JCDecaux’s performance to understand client needs and identify areas of growth.

New Delhi, India – India’s communications agency Adgcraft has won the communications mandate for Primathon, which will be managed and supervised by its Noida office.

Primathon is a Gurgaon-based company that creates scalable software solutions. It also produces customised software solutions for its customers and can also give full-time contracts to its qualified developers.

As part of the mandate, Adgcraft will be in charge of planning, implementing, and managing Primathon’s strategic and creative solutions. It will also be expanding Primathon’s market reach, facilitating market engagement via print and digital media, managing external communication, and establishing media relations. Moreover, Adgcraft will be helping Primathon to reach out to more people and invite them to adopt their software solutions.

Sagar Patidar, Primathon’s founder and director, shared that they require a fresh approach to enhance their brand’s reach amongst their customers today, and they believe that partnering with Adgcraft will help them achieve that. 

“We are happy to have a leading PR and creative agency such as Adgcraft on board with us to help us drive the right communication strategies, backed by their expertise, insightful industry knowledge, and strong media connections,” said Patidar.

Meanwhile, Abhinay Kumar Singh, Adgcraft’s founder and managing director, said, “Software and technology have become a core part of our lives, and we believe in Primathon’s missions and goals, and we are here to craft their communications through that journey. We are looking forward to this association.”

Indonesia – Indonesia’s Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform Kredivo has partnered with lifestyle retailer Mitra Adiperkasa (MAP) to enable customers to shop for high-quality products from global brands, while maintaining healthy cash flow by paying them over time with low-interest rates.

MAP, which has been operating in Indonesia for more than 27 years, fulfils customers’ demand in lifestyle and food and beverages through its omnichannel chains across the country. 

Through the new partnership, Kredivo can now be used as a payment method at MAP retailers, including Zara, Pandora, Bershka, Mango, and Calvin Klein, as well as Lacoste, and Marks & Spencer, amongst many others. 

Lily Suriani, Kredivo’s general manager, shared that the partnership with MAP is an important step for them to accommodate users’ needs and to realize their commitment to making it easier for them to shop at the best retailers with a fast, convenient, and affordable payment option.

“We are very pleased to offer this new access point to our customers and we are excited to partner with MAP, Indonesia’s number one and largest lifestyle company that has 2,600 outlets in 81 cities across Indonesia,” said Suriani.

The integration between Kredivo and MAP is now live as of 25 January 2022. Kredivo said that it is set to expand its services and collaborate with other MAP brands in the future.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia — The Chiefs Esports, a subsidiary of SQID Technologies, has renewed its sponsorship agreement with popular energy drink brand Red Bull for a further 12 months with an extension option available for another 12 months. The two entities have been partnering since 2016, with this renewal it marks the longest standing team-based major esports sponsorship in Australian & New Zealand history.

The Chiefs team and Red Bull will continue to work together with the members sustaining their responsibility as brand ambassadors alongside the catalogue of other significant traditional sports athletes and professional teams under Red Bull. This portfolio includes more than 90 disciplines, and some notable stars namely Max Verstappen, Neymar, Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, RB Leipzig, New York Red Bulls and many more.

Red Bull has been an active supporter of the esports scene for more than a decade, with their first signing of an ambassador in 2006. Since then, they sponsor top teams and the largest events in each region as well as operating their own tournaments ranging between grassroots initiatives and the largest events in the world like the Red Bull Kumite, Red Bull Player One, Red Bull Guardians, Red Bull Campus Clutch, Red Bull Flick and more.

Nick Bobir, chief executive officer of The Chiefs, commented, “Red Bull has been a major supporter 6 years now and we’re extremely proud that they have again put their faith in us to continue to deliver Championships and represent the brand on the world stage. It’s no secret the Red Bull media machine is one of the most influential in the sports world and we can’t wait to produce more content to showcase our team’s journey to a wider audience.”

Red Bull will feature prominently across The Chiefs’ branding, including major jersey placement, as they strive to add to their 22x National Championship trophy cabinet. The Chiefs will be competing in the League of Legends LCO, Rainbow Six | Siege: APAC Pro League, and the Halo Championship Series where the team currently sits at 1st place. The contract will provide a 33.33% increase in Red Bull contract revenue, plus the opportunity for performance bonuses.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Taco Bell, international Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant brand under Yum Brands Incorporated, has selected GrowthOps Asia, a growth services partner, as its marketing partner in Malaysia. GrowthOps is tasked to build Taco Bell’s brand voice on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, and to underscore the #ISeeATaco global campaign’s relevance to Malaysians.

GrowthOps has established itself as a valuable end-to-end digital marketing growth partner for customers across various industries namely banking, retail, telco, and manufacturing, among others. The company holds extensive expertise in tech consultancy services to support businesses capitalize on avenues for innovation.

Harris Beh, franchise operator at Taco Bell Malaysia, commented, “GrowthOps exhibited a strong degree of digital creativity and performance media experience that matched our ambition for the future of the brand. Today, an integrated communications approach to building a brand is a critical component for business success; it is as important for Taco Bell to grow its digital reputation as it is to offer a superior food experience to our customers.”

Meanwhile, Chris Greenough, general manager of GrowthOps Malaysia, said, “We are absolutely delighted that Taco Bell has entrusted us with building their online visibility and engagement in Malaysia. They are an iconic brand that has much potential to grow in this market.”

Last November, GrowthOps joined the partner network of total experience management company, Alida, to deliver an elevated customer experience to organizations in APAC.

Maldives – Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the national tourism office responsible for carrying out promotional activities for the Maldives, has partnered with British mass media firm News UK, to launch a new campaign that aims to drive brand awareness for the country as a holiday destination.

News UK distributes news of all beats via newspapers, websites, and radio broadcasting. It is the current publishers of The Times, The Sunday Times, and The Sun newspapers. The partnership seeks to promote Maldives as a safe haven, prepared to welcome tourists from all over the world. It will focus on promoting the resorts, hotels, guesthouses, and liveaboards, as well as the unique experiences available in the country, and the geography of the scattered islands which provide the ultimate natural social distance for tourists.

Through the partnership, News UK will be releasing articles with the latest information on the Maldives and the most up-to-date travel guidelines across its different news distribution platforms, which would reach the travel trade and potential travellers from the United Kingdom.

According to MMPRC, a total of 1,312,706 tourists arrived in the Maldives in 2021, and the top five markets during this period were India, Russia, Germany, and the UK, as well as the USA. During this period, a total of 62,188 arrived from the UK to the Maldives, about 4.7% of the total arrivals.

“MMPRC has conducted several marketing activities in the UK market during last year. This includes webinars, joint marketing campaigns, media interviews, familiarisation trips, roadshows, and participation in major travel trade fairs and exhibitions. Ongoing activities for this market include joint marketing campaign with British Airways and digital campaigns with tour operators and travel agents,” said MMPRC.

The campaign will be conducted for one month, starting January to February.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Tokocrypto, a local-based crypto asset digital exchange, has announced that it will be joining with BRI Ventures, an Indonesian venture capital firm backed by government bank Bank BRI. The collaboration, known as the ‘Tokocrypto Sembrani Blockchain Accelerator (TSBA)’, is set to help emerging blockchain projects and startups scale up with the support of technology, community networks, and also allow them gain access to funding opportunities.

Participants and startups will be provided with the necessary tools on fundraising, team culture, blockchain development, listing advisory and tokenomics to develop the skills required to make a mark within the blockchain industry. 

The program seeks to onboard 8-10 emerging Indonesian blockchain startups into the first cohort. Registration closes on 10 February, and the program will kick off on the 21st of February.

Pang Xue Kai, chief executive officer at Tokocrypto, said, “Southeast Asian enterprises today are leveraging the power of blockchain technology and are looking for ways to disrupt industries. We are launching this partnership with the goal to put Indonesia in the centre of the blockchain map and give the Indonesian blockchain communities the opportunity to grow with the catalyst of collaboration.”

Tokocrypto Sembrani Blockchain Accelerator will incubate projects and elevate them across 4 primary pillars: branding and marketing, investment strategies, investment landscape tactics and access to fundraising opportunities. The central nexus of TSBA which connects the 4 pillars of the accelerator program is the networking and mentoring support of mentors from the local blockchain scene such as Nicko Widjaja, chief executive officer at BRI Ventures); Pang Xue Kai, CEO at Tokocrypto; Teguh Kurniawan Harmanda, COO at Tokocrypto; Lai Chung Ying, CSO at Tokocrypto) and Nanda Ivens, CMO at Tokocrypto; as well as mentors from the global blockchain scene.

Hong Kong – ViLab Limited, a Hong Kong-based metaverse service provider, has formed an exclusive partnership with Actoplus Holding to develop virtual idols and other metaverse technology, with the goal of capturing opportunities from the transformation of digital brand marketing in Mainland China.

According to consultancy iiMedia research, the size of the virtual idol market in China has reached US$540m in 2020, a 70% jump from a year earlier and was expected to reach US$17b in 2021.

Since the founding of ViLab, the company and its partners have been developing and upgrading virtual human and background technologies such as face-shifting, lip synchronization, and voice cloning.

Through the new collaboration, ViLab and Actoplus will be working together on the creation and maintenance of virtual idols. These characters can be deployed for an array of commercial functions, such as brand endorsement, live-streaming broadcasts, and both online and offline marketing campaigns.

Ric Wu, ViLab’s chairman and founder, commented that they are delighted about this collaboration as virtual idols have been a dominant feature in their metaverse vision since the company’s founding. 

“Access to the world’s biggest consumer market where digital marketing is seen as one of the next frontiers will give us the perfect platform to test and launch many of our ideas and technology,” said Wu.

Meanwhile, Vincent Lau, Actoplus’ chairman, shared that the collaboration with ViLab will make use of Actoplus’s expertise in digital marketing and e-commerce to jointly develop business in Mainland China. 

“At the same time, Actoplus will connect ViLab with existing and potential partners in the metaverse space, to further explore the range of possibilities presented by the new digital era and reinvent business models for the future,” said Lau.

Bangalore, India – HiveMinds Innovative Market Solutions, the full-service digital marketing and consultancy firm by Madison World, has recently bagged the digital mandate of insurance firm Max Life Insurance to manage its paid marketing portfolio. 

Max Life Insurance Company is a joint venture between Indian multi-business corporation Max Group’s Max Financial Services and Axis Bank. As part of the mandate, HiveMinds will be responsible for carrying out digital marketing activities across all publishers and platforms for Max Life Insurance including Google, Facebook, and Taboola, as well as Outbrain, amongst others. This will in turn enable new customer acquisition for the insurance firm. The account will be serviced by HiveMinds’ newly opened north branch.

Aditya Satpute, Max Life Insurance’s corporate vice president of e-commerce and digital marketing, shared that today’s consumers are evolved and very digital-savvy, so the success of insurance companies is increasingly dependent upon their ability to innovate and engage with customers on digital platforms. 

“We are pleased to partner with HiveMinds in the next phase of our digital growth, where they will manage the entire paid marketing portfolio for the e-commerce business,” said Satpute.

Meanwhile, Jyothirmayee JT, HiveMinds’ founder and CEO, commented, “We are proud of winning this highly contested mandate. There is a massive transformation happening in the Insurance sector powered by digital expansion. Bringing the right digital integrations and innovation will be key to our success.”

Deepti Bhadauria, HiveMinds’ chief strategy officer, said, “Max Life Insurance is one of those companies that have the vision, the clarity of thought, and the right team to ride the digital wave in the country. We are confident that together we’ll create new benchmarks in digital marketing.”

Most recently, HiveMinds has appointed Saurabh Tyagi, former vice president of Madison World’s media agency Madison Media, to be its new chief client officer, where he will be leading the agency’s enterprise clients.