Tag: Partnership

Singapore – FairPrice Group, the cooperative that runs Singapore’s largest supermarket retail chain and cooked food centers, has appointed global marketing agency Lewis, to be its agency partner for public relations.

FairPrice Group is an organization that brings together four social enterprises – namely NTUC  FairPrice, NTUC Foodfare, and Kopitiam, as well as NTUC Link.

Through the partnership, Lewis will be responsible for providing brand, communications, issues consultancy, and media relations, as well as content creation, and issues monitoring. 

In addition, the agency will also be working alongside the group’s corporate communications team to bring the cooperative’s vision to life and strengthen the brand’s relationship with the community as consumer needs evolve.

FairPrice Group’s Director of Corporate Communications Jonas Kor shared that the formation of the group has provided an opportunity to develop a holistic approach to cater to the evolving food needs of consumers. 

“During the pitch process, the Lewis team demonstrated a deep understanding of our brand and the areas where we are keen to strengthen. Since working together in April, the agency has developed and implemented creative communication and media strategies that are designed to serve the Group’s unique services and proposition,” said Kor.

Pamela Tor Das, the managing director at Lewis Singapore, commented that they are excited to have the opportunity to share its story with the people of Singapore and look forward to working closely with the FairPrice Group team.

“The demand for brands today goes beyond delivering great services or products. We’re living in a time where brands increasingly need to act with purpose and meaning – traits that FairPrice Group embodies. It’s a brand that touches many of our lives with a clear vision that is fuelling its growth,” said Das.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – KSK Land, the lifestyle and design property company in Malaysia and the developer of branded residence 8 conlay, has partnered with digital and social marketing agency Kingdom Digital, to launch a digital experience teaser on how one can experience the ‘art of living’ with Kempinski – the world’s tallest twisted twin residential towers.

The teaser aims to showcase the exclusive, five-star services provided by Kempinski to residents of YOO8. It gives users the opportunity to directly experience the hallmarks of Kempinski’s hospitality services from a first-person perspective. In addition, users will also be provided with various scenarios that enable them to interact with these services.

The interactive video campaign features three different chapters focusing on different YOO8 ‘residents’ experiencing the luxury hospitality offered by Kempinski. The first YOO8 ‘resident’ is Mr. Leong, a loving husband who is planning a surprise anniversary celebration for his wife, and how the ‘Lady in Red’ steps in to help him perfectly plan the special occasion. 

Another YOO8 ‘resident’ is Winston, a Malaysian businessman residing in Hong Kong who, through the aid of Kempinski’s services, assists his son Jacob to settle comfortably into his new home at YOO8.

And lastly, the third chapter is about Jillian, a YOO8 resident who was introduced at the end of the previous story. She utilizes Kempinski’s services to plan her trendy social lifestyle that involves deciding between hanging out with her friends after a long week or getting some coffee with her new neighbor.

Joanne Kua, the CEO of KSK Group and the managing director of KSK Land, shared that they have always looked at how they can uniquely provide an opportunity for people to experience what elevated living means by focusing on connecting emotionally with customers through crafted and meaningful experiences.

“This encompasses digital experiences as well which have become very much a part of modern-day life. The next step will be to translate these mini-movies into a physical experience that will take place at the YOO8 branded residences,” said Kua.

Meanwhile, Kingdom Digital’s CEO Ryan Ong commented that they are beyond excited to help KSK Land bring their vision to life through this interactive video campaign. 

“We’ve been working closely with the client and our video production partner to complete the filming in March. Then, we developed a microsite to centralize the campaign and to ensure a seamless experience for viewers. It’s a wondrous feeling seeing the campaign coming to fruition,” said Ong.

KSK Land has also announced that the campaign is supported by monthly teasers for each chapter that will be posted on social media and on the new 8 Conlay mobile app.

Singapore – To celebrate  International Burger Day on 28 May, Heinz has officially launched its first-ever ‘Heinz Tomato Ketchup Burger’, with the aim to elevate the taste of everyday hamburgers.

Done in exclusive partnership with restaurant chain Fatburger, the new ‘Heinz Tomato Ketchup Burger’ uses the brand’s own sun-ripened tomatoes, with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. 

“Every layer of this new extraordinary burger will be bursting with rich flavor and quality that comes from Heinz Tomato Ketchup,” said the brand.

The new burger by Heinz will be running for a limited time only, starting from 28 May to 30 May, and is available in Fatburger branches. It will also come with a small bottle of ketchup to mark the occasion. 

Andita Rasyid, the head of marketing of ASEAN trading at Heinz, shared that they wanted to create the ultimate burger to celebrate one of the best days of the year. 

“In tandem with Fatburger, we’re delighted to bring ketchup lovers in Singapore the world’s first-ever ketchup burger – one they can relish within the safety and comfort of their own homes,” said Rasyid. 

Furthermore, from 28 to 30 May 2021, Heinz will also be hosting a social competition for members of the public to take part and win their own burger kit consisting of a bun, patty, cheese, and bacon, along with a small bottled ketchup 1.5oz. 

Ketchup fans will only have to take a picture or video telling ‘how they are ketchup krazy without telling them they are ketchup krazy’, tag the ketchup brand, and upload it on Instagram.

Singapore – Epillo Health Systems, the digital healthcare start-up based in Estonia, Europe, has appointed Indian media company Krescendo Communications to be its integrated communications and alliance partner for Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, as well as Malaysia, and India.

Epillo Health Systems is a digital healthcare solutions company that introduces revolutionary technology for patient care by incorporating AI, machine learning, and blockchain. It has Patents Pending Innovations with 153 countries through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and 27 countries of the European Union (EU) through the European Patent Office (EPO).

The partnership will see Krescendo Communications leveraging its influence to help Epilo Health Systems meet its business objectives in its key markets in Asia.

Epillo Health Systems’ Chair of Board Bhupinder Singh shared that they have been working on building a robust healthcare application even before the pandemic broke and this technology solution will enable care teams to deliver better, faster, and deeper connected care. 

“We liked Krescendo’s integrated communications approach for brand awareness and are excited to embark on this journey with them,” said Singh.

Meanwhile, Ganesh Somwanshi, the founder of Krescendo Communications, commented that since their inception, they have been servicing the healthcare industry and embrace constant innovations – like Epillo. 

“It is a great opportunity to work with the brand and help them break the silos in the healthcare space in APAC and other parts of the world. Building a category in the changing health technology industry will be full of challenges, and an integrated communications approach will surely work in this case,” said Somwanshi.

In March this year, Krescendo Communications was also tapped by global software company InfoVision Labs (IVL) to be its new 360-degree marketing communications and alliance partner, and was tasked to build brand awareness and engage stakeholders.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Shipping company SiCepat Ekspres in Indonesia has collaborated with Digital Mediatama Maxima (DMMX), the advertising exchange platform that provides end-to-end services, to initiate the development of DMMX’s commercial platform for MSME retail networks.

SiCepat Ekspres is an Indonesian shipping company that answers the needs of e-commerce business people. It offers 8-hour delivery to the Jabodetabek and Bandung areas and one-day delivery to major cities across the country.

The partnership aims to strengthen the strategic capabilities of the company’s digital marketing activities in the future. Through the SiCepat Group’s commerce enabler platform, SiCepat will provide full support in supplying groceries, raw materials, and supplies to MSMEs who are members of the DMMX network. These supply procurement activities will be supported by integrated logistics services from SiCepat Ekspres. 

Furthermore, through DMMX’s platform, MSMEs will be provided with digital commerce and marketplace development as well as the installation of digital marketing and digital cloud advertising at these MSMEs points.

SiCepat Ekspres’ CEO The Kim Hai shared that with various services owned by SiCepat and DMMX increasingly integrated, they are optimistic that they can make a significant contribution to the empowerment program for Indonesian MSMEs, which currently reach 62 million MSMEs to Go Digital. 

“At this time SiCepat has invested 4.5% ownership in DMMX. We plan to increase ownership in DMMX to further strengthen this synergy,” said Hai.

Meanwhile, Budiasto Kusuma, the president director of DMMX, commented that they are delighted to partner with SiCepat to further strengthen their MSME partners in following the fast growth of the digital era. 

“Various solutions have been implemented including e-commerce and marketplaces as well as the installation of digital marketing and digital cloud advertising. There is a potential for tremendous network effect that can be realized from harmonizing the DMMX marketing network with SiCepat’s logistics capabilities,” said Kusuma.

Manila, Philippines – Super-app Grab in the Philippines has partnered with Microsoft to launch the GrabAcademy online platform, with the aim to provide its driver and delivery partners free and equitable access to new learning and development opportunities to enhance their skills and become competitive in the digital-first economy.

The GrabAcademy has three learning pillars, namely ‘Safety across the platform’, ‘Growing within the platform’, and ‘Thriving beyond the platform’. In addition, topics such as taxation and vehicle sanitation will also be migrated online. 

Interested participants can easily register within their Grab Driver app, and will receive a completion certificate upon accomplishing the courses.

Grace Vera Cruz, the country head of Grab Philippines, shared that the super-app’s driver and delivery partners have spent many years providing essential services to all their kababayans (fellow countrymen), and as a community partner, they are committed to supporting their everyday needs and their long-term success. 

“Our GrabAcademy is a clear expression of our long-term commitment to the development and well-being of our partners – both within and beyond our platform, and we are blessed and excited to be with Microsoft on this journey. Through this partnership, we hope to deliver these programs that will provide more holistic training support for our partners to help them become more competitive in a digital-first Philippines,” said Vera Cruz.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Philippines’ Country Manager Andres Ortola commented, “We’re excited to join hands with Grab Philippines in this effort, which will be the first of many more programs to drive positive outcomes and economic recovery for the Philippines.”

Just recently, Grab Philippines has also launched ‘GrabBayanihan Vaccination Support Program’, in an aim to motivate all its consumers, drivers, and delivery partners to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Australia – Creative communications agency Keep Left has launched an innovative brand project for the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO), the largest emissions reduction project ever undertaken by local governments worldwide.

VECO sees 46 local government councils in the state pool their energy contracts into one Power Purchase Agreement via Red Energy, to deliver 100% renewable energy that powers up council-owned infrastructure including public libraries, streetlights, and leisure centers, among others.

As the creative partner on the project, Keep Left was tasked with building the brand from inception, which included concepting the name, brand messaging, and visual identity, as well as launching creatives, such as a brand film, an explainer video, a website, and marketing collateral for all local councils involved. 

In addition, the agency has also provided PR and consultation on the launch communication plan for VECO.

Keep Left’s CEO Caroline Catterall shared that it is always exciting to build a brand from scratch and see it come to life from initial ideas through to the finished work, but even more so when it’s such an important project.

She added, “When it comes to climate change people often wonder what they can do to make a difference. VECO is proof that big changes can happen at a local level through the power of collaboration and cooperation.”

“We are so pleased to have been on this journey with the Darebin City Council as the visionaries behind this initiative and thank them for their partnership in bringing VECO to life,” said Catterall.

Sydney, Australia – Zolo, the profit-for-purpose tech-cycling company in Australia, has appointed measurement-first media agency Agnes Media, to be its media partner.

Zolo is a tech-cycling services provider that supports businesses to properly manage their technology waste. It collects corporate e-waste including laptops, tablets, mobile phones, PCs, cables, and servers. After refurbishment, it donates a portion of the technology to support the education of children around the world.

The partnership will see Agnes Media managing Zolo’s performance media and digital marketing across business-to-business channels, to drive greater brand awareness and engagement with mid to enterprise-level organizations.

Zolo’s Founder Franz Sisat said, “We appointed Agnes Media because of the agency’s experience in working with startups and their ability to scale in order to drive media efficiencies and business growth. We look forward to working closely with Charlotte and the team to tell the Zolo story to new audiences.”  

Meanwhile, Charlotte Ward, the founder and CEO of Agnes Media, shared that Zolo is an innovative startup that addresses the increasing issue of e-waste facing corporate Australia.

“We’re delighted to have been appointed by them to scale their business and drive awareness amongst key decision-makers using performance media channels. I can’t wait to see what 2021 brings for the Zolo brand,” said Ward.

In April this year, Agnes Media made its official launch in Australia, with global payment and shopping service Klarna as a foundation client. The agency specializes in working with clients that have aggressive growth and measurement goals, helping them optimize their digital marketing campaigns and improve return on investment and advertising spend. 

In addition to performance media strategy, planning, and buying, Agnes Media also provides campaign management, analytics, and SEO, as well as creative design services.

Bangkok, Thailand – Thai property developer Ananda Development, together with advertising agency GREYnJ United, has released a short music video ‘Urban Hero’ which aims to send a rush of hope and boost the morale of Thais by acknowledging Thais’ courage during these trying times.

While Thailand is looked to early on as one of the model countries in managing the virus, currently, it is now dealing with the third wave of COVID-19 infections. People are stressed and overwhelmed as the pandemic takes hold once again with the government forced to implement semi-lockdown restrictions. 

The 45-second film features a montage of locals going on about their daily lives trying their best to make sense of a normal routine. 

The song was performed by the country’s aspiring rapper OG Bobby. OG Bobby was born in Thailand but was raised in Florida, United States. He pursued his rapping career by going back to his birth land and joining record label Hype Train. Bobby is known for his song ‘Aye Aye OG’.

‘Urban Hero’ by OG Bobby tells of the current life that while difficult and uncertain, people are still managing the best they can, making them real-life heroes on their own. The song features an upbeat tune with lyrics portraying human resilience, hope, and optimism.

Asawin Phanichwatana, the deputy chief creative officer at GREYnJ United, shared that every story can be inspiring, and it resonates with the concept of an ordinary hero. 

“Everyone is a hero, especially in these times, and we are each the hero for our own story,” said Phanichwatana.

The ‘Urban Hero’ music video has been released across multiple digital platforms.

Mumbai, India – Digital agency Yellophant Digital has won the integrated digital mandate for Mezaya, the authentic Turkish and Lebanese Baklava brand in Mumbai, India.

Mezaya deems to be the first among the few food brands in the country that provide freshly baked handcrafted traditional Mediterranean Baklavas that comes from the traditional recipes. It offers vegetarian desserts and uses ingredients directly sourced from the Mediterranean region.

The partnership will see Yellophant Digital managing and amplifying Mezaya’s 360-degree digital marketing duties, including creative strategy, SEO, and media spends, as well as website maintenance, and social media marketing across digital platforms, among others.

Shazia Ahmed Sheikh and Raies Sheikh, the co-founders of Mezaya, shared that after scouting across various agencies, they have now found the right ROI-driven agency that understands Mezaya’s long-term vision and can justify the spending meticulously.

“Baklavas are something that is new to the audience and we are thrilled to collaborate with Preksha and her team. Yellophant Digital has been brilliant in terms of providing solutions to brand challenges. Mezaya is really excited about this collaboration with Yellophant Digital and looks forward to seeing the brand’s overall performance and increasing ROI in the forthcoming days,“ the co-founders said.

Meanwhile, Yellophant Digital’s Co-Founder Preksha Seth commented that they are delighted to have Mezaya on board and they look forward to strategizing and managing the brand’s digital marketing duties and introducing this Mediterranean delight to the Indian audience on a creative platter.

“Our extensive experience of collaborating with F&B establishments comes in handy at this point. Being an ROI-driven agency, we plan to execute ideas that yield significant results in a brief time,” said Seth.

In April this year, Yellophant Digital has also nabbed the digital marketing mandate of ExpertMFD, India’s collaborative initiative to create financial entrepreneurs for the mutual fund industry. The agency was tasked to bolster the brand’s digital presence.