Tag: Partnership

Manila, Philippines – SME-centric financial platform Investree and banking-as-a-service company Netbank have recently announced a collaboration, targeted at supporting the development of SMEs across the Philippines. Through the partnership, Netbank allocated funds for Investree clients to support the initiatives that will be carried out in 2022 to contribute towards the Philippines’ economic growth, provision of new jobs, and paving the way for scaling up businesses.

In addition, Investree is awaiting its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permit to operate in Visayas and Mindanao which will allow the service to reach nationwide after being able to serve SMEs in Luzon Area providing convenient access to funds and marketplace platforms connecting SMEs and institutional investors.

The collaboration between Netbank and Investree aims to fill in the gap of local SME lending, which at the moment is very underserved in the Philippines. SME loans as a percentage of GDP is approximately 3%, compared to 37% in Thailand and other countries in the region. As a result, SMEs struggle to grow, slowing job creation and economic development.

According to Kok Chuan Lim, co-founder and CEO of Investree Philippines, they have been working with the team at Netbank since they obtained their license earlier this year to jointly develop services that will improve ease of use for their SME issuers and reduce credit risks for their note investors. 

Lim also added that they are confident that their partnership will further enhance the adoption of crowdfunding as a viable working capital source for their SME clients.

“The COVID-19 crisis has taken a huge toll on small companies in the Philippines, businesses have been affected by lower sales and difficulty accessing inputs to reduced logistics services and clients not paying bills. To help SMEs bounce back from this, Investree and Netbank are collaborating to expand the loans to this critical sector,” Lim stated.

He added, “Providing account opening services and investing in crowdfunding services will allow Investree clients to finance their trade receivables, giving SMEs vital cash to accelerate their growth. This partnership also allows Investree to accelerate its growth and ultimately serve the underserved SME market.”

The collaboration between Investree and Netbank would also contribute to accelerating financial inclusion within the country.

Meanwhile, Jaymar G. Mendoza, co-founder and head of operations at Netbank, commented that they hope to support the efforts in increasing financial inclusion within the country.

“We aim to combine both expertise and flexibility that banking and fintech has to offer to create more impact for the market. The partnership between a regulated bank and an alternative lender is very powerful wherein the Banks bring balance sheet management experience and processes and the alternative lenders bring a deep understanding of their clients,” Mendoza added.

Lim further added, “With the support from Netbank, Investree Philippines will be harnessing the expertise and power of technology to give SMEs vital cash to accelerate their growth to increase financial inclusion and ultimately help the Philippines’ economy. Also, we would like to equally serve all the SMEs in the nation, therefore, inquiring about the permit to operate Visayas and Mindanao will allow us to do that. We would like to keep innovating and include more businesses in the Philippines.”

Mumbai, India – India’s sports league, VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (VIVO PKL), has appointed financial and healthcare super app, Dhani, to be its strategic timeout partner in the sporting event. This is in collaboration with sports management firm Professional Management Group (PMG) and independent media agency Madison Media Ace, who shared the announcement.

The appointment will see VIVO PKL providing customers the opportunity to take a ‘timeout’ from making full payments by dividing their payments into three parts through Dhani’s flagship financial offering ‘OneFreedom Card’. The Strategic Timeout, which is 90 seconds in length, also fits with Dhani’s proposition of providing its financial card to customers in under two minutes.

Through the partnership, the association will also help Dhani with differentiated, clutter-breaking, and strong visibility during the live matches of the PKL. The strategic timeout is taken twice in a game, at the 10th and 15th minute of the second half of the game.

Ankit Banga, Dhani’s chief marketing officer, believes that the partnership is a great fit for them, as the majority of their customers stem from the heartland and other smaller pockets of India.

“Also, it resonates fantastically with our product proposition of giving our customers a timeout from making full payments by splitting their transaction into 3 interest-free parts,” said Banga.

Vandana Ramkrishna, Madison Media Ace’s chief operating officer, said that the OneFreedom card is the first kind of a product and needed a unique way to drive benefits of the product beyond standard inventory buys. 

“We leveraged PMG’s expertise to get the STO created for the first time ever on Kabaddi for Dhani to help bring out the brand benefits seamlessly. Kabaddi as a sport, has significant unique viewers, and driving visibility through both on-air and on-ground will not only help Dhani garner incremental audiences but would also drive significant business results,” said Ramkrishna.

Melroy D’Souza, the chief operating officer of Professional Management Group, said, “Both the Vivo PKL and Dhani are only growing bigger and better, in terms of stature and popularity. We have no doubt that the relationship between these two institutions will go the same way, in the weeks and months to come.”

Bangkok, Thailand – International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations agency that promotes social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights, has partnered with Google, as well as its International Training Center (ITCILO) to further expand its program for upskilling women entrepreneurs called ‘ILO’s Rebuilding Better: Fostering Business Resilience Post-COVID-19 Project’. The pilot initiative was hosted last November 2021.

The initiative aims to support women in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and adopt more sustainable and resilient business models, and also works to strengthen women entrepreneurs’ access to vital support services.

Through the expansion of the initiative, ILO has launched three new training programs, which are now available to women entrepreneurs who are seeking new skills for their business and personal growth. It can be accessed in the Google Primer learning app as free, quick, and easy-to-understand lessons on how to manage a business, strengthen its online presence, and create a more supportive workplace which are available in both English and Thai language. 

Dragan Radic, ILO’s head of SME Unit of Enterprises Department, shared that the organization has worked for over 30 years to support SMEs to start, grow, and sustain their businesses, as well as strive to seek new and innovative methods and partnerships to deliver impactful solutions.

“The partnership with Google is a prime example of a collaboration that is enabling us to leverage our own strengths while also benefiting from our partner’s extensive online learning and technology capacity,” said Radic.

Ryan Rahardjo, Google’s head of public affairs for SEA, said, “Through this collaboration and our free Google Primer app, we hope more entrepreneurs in the region will be able to learn new skills, grow and expand their businesses both locally and internationally.”

ILO shared that at least 2,000 women entrepreneurs have been the first beneficiaries of the innovative new pilot to deliver digital training via Google Primer.

Interested learners may access the courses at the ILO Peer Learning Hub for APAC.

Australia – Google has appointed independent creative agency Emotive to be its new creative agency for Google TV, the tech company’s fully-fledged operating system for set-top boxes, streaming devices, and smart TVs.

Google TV offers users new ways to stream, grouping television shows and films from the myriad of different streaming services into one menu. It also provides easy access to users’ favorite titles and content.

The partnership commences with a content series ‘Watch With Me’, which is made specifically for the Google TV interface, featuring Australian film critic Margaret Pomeranz and former Australian football player Adam Goodes. It showcases watchlists of the top film and TV picks via Google TV, and runs alongside the global 30” TVC executions showcasing the vast array of content from the different streaming services conveniently available and organized via Google TV.

Cameron Luby, Google’s marketing director, said, “Google TV has been incredibly well received in Australia and we see this partnership as the beginning of a much larger effort”

Meanwhile, Simon Joyce, the CEO and founder of Emotive, shared that they are building a wonderful relationship with the Google team and are absolutely thrilled to be working with them on Google TV.

“As we’ve come to expect, the product is truly innovative, and we are looking forward to pushing the boundaries creatively as we bring Google TV to the mainstream,” said Joyce.

Singapore – Omnichannel customer engagement platform, Vizury, has partnered with Kaleyra, the API-based platform that engages clients with personalized messages, chatbots, programmable voice service, to enable global brands with cross-platform mobile messaging app WhatsApp’s commerce abilities.

The partnership will see Vizury leveraging Kaleyra’s platform in its conversational commerce infrastructure to give its customers the complete stack to build their brand’s sales and engagement on WhatsApp. Through this, brands will be able to use the complete collection of WhatsApp Business features built for shopping, such as unique business numbers, WhatsApp AI chatbots, and powerful product recommendations, as well as advanced behavioral analytics, among others. 

Mauro Carobene, Kaleyra’s chief business officer, commented that they are looking forward to improving their business communication with WhatsApp Business API integration. 

“We believe this channel can increase the speed of response, enhance customer experiences and reduce the cost of engagement for Vizury,” said Carobene.

Australia – DDB Group’s communications agency Mango has snared the account of intimate apparel and sleep brand Bendon Lingerie to be its PR agency for home markets Australia and New Zealand. 

Bendon Lingerie, which is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, is available globally in three continents through over 300 retail and partner doors. In ANZ, the brand has 59 company-owned retail and outlet stores with e-commerce via its website and social media. The company is composed of various brands such as Pleasure State, Fayreform, Lovable, and Bendon Man, as well as Davenport, among others.

As part of the remit, Mango will be supporting the brand’s return to its origins – “making comfortable underwear for women”. Mango Aotearoa and Mango Sydney will work in tandem to lead Bendon’s communications, handling seasonal launches and innovations, such as the recent Conscious Simplicity Collection – the brand’s first foray into a sustainable range. 

Furthermore, Mango Aotearoa will be working on the brand’s first-ever New Zealand Fashion Week Show, which takes place next year.

Sonya Wilkinson, Bendon’s general manager of marketing, shared that the brand was impressed by the strategic and creative thinking of both teams in New Zealand and Australia. 

“It’s an exciting time at Bendon Group, and we’re looking forward to Mango helping us grow our profile and business,” said Wilkinson.

Meanwhile, Tabitha Fairbairn, Mango’s managing director for Sydney, commented, “Being appointed by the smart and entrepreneurial team at Bendon sees Mango continue to bolster its list of trans-Tasman client partners. The brand’s history and future plans set it up for a huge year in 2022.”

Sean Brown, Mango Aotearoa’s general manager, commented “We are so pleased to be working with such an iconic New Zealand brand. The appointment is fantastic for the Mango teams in New Zealand and Australia. We’ve already hit the ground running and are looking forward to receiving plenty of great briefs and delivering some amazing results for Bendon.”

Sydney, Australia – Digital marketing agency Tug has been appointed by Australia-based boutique law firm LawConnect, to be its new digital marketing partner.

LawConnect helps users find a lawyer and connect with them online. It also features secure sharing of documents, and the ability to upload, sign, and comment on documents from anywhere.

As part of the remit, Tug will be responsible for driving LawConnect’s consumer awareness across digital channels, including content creation, organic and paid social strategy, and creative, as well as the relaunch of LawConnect across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, as well as Pay Per Click (PPC).

Alexandra Steadman, the global CMO of LawConnect and LEAP Group, believes that the agency is best placed to lead the digital marketing for LawConnect as they look to drive consumer awareness and education. 

“They have demonstrated a strong understanding of our business, its objectives, and how to realize them, and I look forward to partnering with them once more,” said Steadman.

Meanwhile, Charlie Bacon, Tug’s client service director, commented, “We look forward to ensuring the brand features prominently across social media during the Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht race and have already developed some innovative content concepts that we can’t wait to bring to life.”

In October this year, Tug has also announced its acquired mandate for similarly Singapore-based firm Budget Direct Insurance and its sister Thai brand EasyCompare, with an expanded partnership to include content and UX.

Sydney, Australia – Independent advertising agency The Hallway has been appointed by vehicle manufacturer GWM in Australia as its agency of record.

GWM has a presence in over 60 countries and offers level design and equipment usually only found in performance and luxury vehicles for a fraction of the price.

As part of the remit, The Hallway will be managing GWM’s brand strategy, advertising, and digital, as well as social, and CRM.

Steve Maciver, GWM’s head of marketing and communications, said The Hallway’s depth of automotive experience shone through as did their practical knowledge of digital transformations. 

“GWM is a brand that seeks innovation as a means to improve the customer experience and The Hallway’s record in this space made them the right partner for our next phase of growth,” said Maciver.

Meanwhile, Jules Hall, The Hallway’s CEO, said, “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with GWM. It’s a unique opportunity to be joining forces with such an impressive organization at this stage of its growth curve.”

The appointment is effective from 1 January 2022 and covers GWM’s Australian and New Zealand businesses.

Just recently, The Hallway has announced the launch of its newest performance marketing division called The Hallway Performance Digital (THPD), focusing on creative content optimized for direct response digital channels.

Mumbai, India – Digital agency Yellophant Digital has acquired the digital marketing mandate for CarBoli, the online portal for selling pre-owned cars. 

CarBoli is an online platform where people can bid on their new and used passenger motor vehicles, lorries, and trailers, as well as semi-trailers. It provides sellers and buyers the best price for their cars in just three easy steps.

The partnership will see Yellophant Digital managing CarBoli’s 360-degree digital presence, spanning from social media creatives, digital campaigns, media, and innovations.

Gaurav Grover, CarBoli’s founder, commented, “We are excited to see the 360-degree strategy that the agency has in store for us and we plan on making CarBoli a pan India brand with such a successful agency onboard. It shall be an exciting collaboration.”

Meanwhile, Preksha Seth, Yellophant Digital’s co-founder, commented that the automobile sector, which deals with selling pre-owned cars, has a huge potential, as more and more people are gradually making the shift towards an online-first approach. 

“What separates CarBoli from the rest is its easy navigation and user interface which makes the customer process convenient. We look forward to a long partnership with the entire team of CarBoli,” said Seth.

Australia – In a bid to fill the gap in the market for a more complete service, brand experience agency GHO Sydney has joined a partnership with mid-scale business planning and financial advisory, PKF Sydney/Newcastle, to provide Australian start-ups uniquely designed programs in the areas of both business and creatives. 

The new alliance aims to help new businesses avoid conflicting advice or the steep cost of working with multiple partners. As part of the partnership, PKF and GHO Sydney will be offering start-ups with proven processes and the balance of advice and experience, to enable them to access diverse talent across business, finance, creative, and product, as well as marketing through either a full sweat-equity or part cash/part equity deal. 

James Legge, GHO Sydney’s strategy partner, shared that they have known there is an opportunity to change the model for supporting start-ups and to help them scale rapidly and with a clear purpose.

“By developing our design thinking offering and service-for-equity commercial models, together with PKF, we’re in a position to help deliver a clearer path to profit and growth,” said Legge.

Steve Meyn, PKF Sydney/Newcastle’s managing director, shared, “With existing clients like Grub Lab and AirCamp, PKF has been supporting start-ups for some time, but together with GHO, this new venture enables us to provide a more holistic offering and reduce the risk for the start-ups we back as they go to market and scale.”