Tag: Partnership

India – Dentsu International’s digital-first end-to-end media agency iProspect in India has recently won the digital mandate for commercial banking company AU Small Finance Bank.

AU Small Finance Bank is an Indian scheduled commercial bank that offers banking services such as personal banking, online banking, internet banking, and business and corporate banking, as well as insurance, and loans, among others.

Through the partnership, iProspect will be responsible for handling the overall digital duties for AU Bank including performance and branding campaigns. The agency will also utilize its proprietary tools and solutions to help the brand achieve its digital marketing objectives through innovative digital campaigns.

Commenting on the new partnership, iProspect India’s CEO Rubeena Singh said that they are delighted that their in-depth domain experience of the BFSI sector won them the digital mandate. 

“We are excited to partner with AU Bank and work towards driving business growth and achieving their brand KPIs. We look forward to delivering our best services to the brand through the intersection of brand, tech, media, and communication,” added Singh.

Meanwhile, Uttam Tibrewal, the executive director of AU Small Finance Bank, shared that over the last few years there has undoubtedly been a fast-track shift towards digital adoption among customers. 

“As a tech-led Bank focused on offering customer-centric solutions, we are continuously working to optimize our customer engagement through digital media. The partnership with iProspect India is an important step in that direction which will strengthen our data-driven approach to digital marketing and media planning,” said Tibrewal.

In April this year, iProspect in the United States has also been selected as the global paid media partner of online employment platform LinkedIn. The partnership will see the agency managing the platform’s digital media strategy and buying across all of its business units.

Singapore – Global digital media agency M&C Saatchi Performance has won the digital mandate for beverage company Beam Suntory for its key markets in the SEA region, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as the Philippines, and Cambodia.

Headquartered in the United States, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Japan’s Suntory Holdings. It deems to be the third-largest producer of distilled beverages globally and is also producing alcoholic beverages.

As per the mandate, M&C Saatchi Performance will be responsible for the digital media planning, buying, and strategy of Beam Suntory brands in SEA such as Jim Beam, Auchentoshan, and Roku, as well as Strong Zero, among others.

Commenting on the partnership, Adeep Gupta, the managing director at Beam Suntory SEA, said, “We’re very happy to bring M&C Saatchi Performance on board as our partners on some of our most prestigious brands. Digitalization is a key theme to reach and engage consumers and we’re thrilled to partner with the team to set a new benchmark in SEA.”

Meanwhile, M&C Saatchi Performance APAC’s Managing Director Kabeer Chaudhary commented that it is an exciting opportunity for the agency to be chosen as Beam Suntory’s digital media agency, and they are looking forward to leveraging their deep market knowledge to drive transformative digital strategies in an industry that has traditionally been focused on offline media. 

“Over the next year, we’ll be working closely with the Beam Suntory team to consolidate their digital presence in Southeast Asia and hope this will be the beginning of a long-lasting relationship,” said Chaudhary.

Christian Gladwell, the CEO at M&C Saatchi Performance, also commented that they are delighted to welcome Beam Suntory to the M&C Saatchi Performance family of clients and look forward to driving their business growth across SEA. 

“I am confident that leveraging the expertise of our team in the region will undoubtedly fasten Beam Suntory’s connection to today’s digital audiences,” said Gladwell.

Mumbai, India – Plumbing and piping manufacturer Astral in India has awarded the digital marketing mandate of its expanded portfolios, namely Astral Pipes, Astral Foundation, and Astral Adhesives, to advertising agency Chimp&z Inc.

Astral is a manufacturer and provider of Chlorinated PolyVinyl Chloride (CPVC) piping, plumbing, and drainage systems in India. It offers piping technologies, quality products, and services to residentials and industrial customers in the country.

As per the mandate, Chimp&z Inc will be responsible for the social media management, SEO, paid media, and website maintenance of Astral’s brands. The agency will also be emphasizing the unique touch-points and employing innovative digital tools of the three Astral entities.

Commenting on the new partnership, Kairav Engineer, the vice president of business development at Astral, said that they look forward to enhancing the brand’s digital presence through the partnership.

“Astral enjoys a great deal of trust and sizable equity in the Indian market. Always a step ahead with innovative products and smart solutions, Astral brands have been trailblazers in their respective industries. Our aim now is to amplify our digital communication with social media strategizing, video marketing, influencer marketing, and all the other upgraded digital tools,” said Engineer.

Meanwhile, Chimp&z Inc’s Vice President of Growth and Operations Ashish Duggal shared, “We are thrilled to be associating with a group of brands that strive to set benchmarks with all their initiatives – the Astral Ltd. Chimp&z Inc’s integrated approach on the digital front clubbed with the brand’s efforts to serve consumers to the best of their abilities can be the inception of a strong alliance that delivers some remarkable work overtime.”

The accounts will be managed by the agency’s Mumbai office.

In April this year, Chimp&z Inc has also nabbed cookware manufacturer Vinod Cookware‘s digital communications duties and was tasked to lead the brand’s social media strategy, creatives, and digital PR, as well as performance marketing.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Cloud service provider Huawei Technologies in Malaysia has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) with marketing agency Vita Media, to accelerate digitalization among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country.

At the center of the partnership is the aim to boost Vita Media’s information review hub, ‘Askpert’, and Huawei will be providing the needed infrastructure to improve the platform. The marketing agency will be carrying out business-to-business (B2B) collaborations in order to get SMEs to take full advantage of ‘Askpert’ in their business transactions.

Through ‘Askpert’, consumers are able to have more access to transparent and accurate information, enabling them to make more informed purchasing decisions by referring to other users’ comments and personal reviews. On the merchant side meanwhile, the review hub will be able to help them address users’ voices through their personal verdict of products and services. 

Vita Media’s CEO Kiro Tan said, “We are grateful to Huawei Cloud for their commitment to bringing affordable, effective, and reliable cloud services through technological innovation. We firmly believe that with the availability of a platform such as ASKPERT, combined with Huawei Cloud’s expertise, we will be able to improve the awareness among SMEs on the latest digital trends, thereby expanding the range of market scopes.”

Meanwhile, Huawei Malaysia’s Cloud and AI Business Group’s vice president Chee Siong Lim thanked Vita Media for choosing Huawei Cloud as its business and industry partner and reiterated the need for businesses, especially SMEs which are more vulnerable to the negative effects of COVID-19, to upskill digitally and adopt technology to give them a competitive advantage in today’s world.

“Huawei remains committed to driving digital growth among SMEs for the benefit of both businesses and consumers while supporting the Malaysian government’s vision to digitally transform the sector. This collaboration with Vita Media will leverage Huawei’s technology to improve accessibility to infotainment content and in doing so, enrich consumers’ lives,” said Lim.

Vita Media has also announced the upcoming launch of its new ‘live broadcast plus e-commerce’, which will be hosted on Huawei Cloud, with the aim to offer interesting live sales content in three languages and guarantees the lowest price for a three-hour broadcast limit throughout the year.

Jakarta, Indonesia – To respond to the increase and significance of the gaming industry in Indonesia, e-commerce company Bukalapak has announced a partnership with itemku, an Indonesian-based online marketplace catered to the gaming industry.

As part of the commitment, both Bukalapak and itemku will work closely in creating greater reach and access for Indonesians in terms of video games, including distribution of products from itemku to gaming customers who are in the country’s rural areas.

In addition, Bukalapak and itemku will develop new projects in the near future to ascertain game accessibility in the country.

“Millions of Indonesians have used my items for years. However, we want to go beyond just making digital entertainment inclusive. I fully agree with Bukalapak’s vision to build an economy that is fair for all, and that’s why we decided to collaborate with them. We want to have a big impact on hundreds of millions of Indonesians, just as they have done. Along with the social impact, I hope this collaboration can bring rapid development in this industry,” Denis Kim, CEO of itemku, said.

Part of the reason the partnership has flourished is due to the increase of game players during the course of the global lockdowns brought by the pandemic. Verizon reports that mobile game usage rose 75% during the first phase of lockdown in 2020, compared to the period before COVID, and there were more than 2.3b mobile game downloads between March 5 and April 5, up 60% at the same time. the previous year period.

Furthermore, a large number of people want to know and try video games for the first time during the pandemic and many of them will continue to play games in the future. This prediction is strengthened by a survey conducted by Google and Savanta in May 2020 of 7,611 people.

For Willix Halim, chief operating officer at Bukalapak, one of their goals as an e-commerce platform has always been to help increase digital penetration in Indonesia, by helping to create a good digital ecosystem. 

“I realize that the need for home entertainment has increased during the pandemic, and itemku is doing a great job of understanding those needs, I hope that with our shared strength, we can help catalyze the need for digital gaming in Indonesia, and make video games more accessible. by every community throughout Indonesia,” Halim stated.

Bukalapak has recently concluded its US$400m funding round, with Swiss investment bank UBS Group AG and Malaysian conglomerate Genting Berhad subsidiary Resorts World being the prime backers of the funding.

Australia – Global beauty brand L’Oréal in Australia has joined marketing board Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO), to support transparency and best practices in influencer marketing.

AiMCO is an industry body that brings together the expertise of a diverse group of industry professionals, marketers, and content creators who are committed to elevating influencer marketing best practice, campaign measurement, and industry knowledge. Its members are the guiding force behind its mission, principles, and industry codes.

Through the partnership, the members of the beauty brand, namely Emma Williamson, director of customer and social media governance, and Jenna Adamson, corporate legal, will be joining the newly formed AiMCO Marketer Advisory Council as the first fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) beauty brand.

According to AiMCO, this move by L’Oréal Australia proves the importance of influencer marketing, as large brands are now getting on board with the council whose members are drawn from influencer marketing tech, social media, and talent agencies, as well as legal specialists, along with influencers and content creators. 

Commenting on the partnership, Williamson said that they are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with AiMCO and other leading Australian influencer marketing businesses to help shape the landscape in an ever-evolving marketplace.

“Influencer marketing is here to stay. We recognize it is a critical lever in how to engage new audiences, reconnect with our existing consumers, and tap into forms of content that drive consumer trial and purchase. As an ever-present component in our media mix, it’s crucial that we get influencer marketing right. Consumers are savvy and if we want them to trust our brands, we need to ensure that the influencers we work with share our values and are authentic and transparent,” said Williamson.

Meanwhile, AiMCO’s chairman Detch Singh shared, “We’re excited to welcome L’Oréal Australia as the first of many brands to be joining AiMCO as a member. Influencer marketing is core to the media mix and it’s natural for leading and innovative brands such as L’Oréal Australia to want to play a role in shaping its future. The newly formed AiMCO Marketer Advisory council will be essential in ensuring we are addressing the needs of brand marketers with our initiatives moving forward.”

New York, United States – Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), the new global content studio by IPG Mediabrands, and Vice Media Group (VMG), the world’s largest independent youth media agency, have announced their global creative and production partnership, effective immediately.

The innovative partnership will focus on creative solutions without committing to any media spend, ad buy, or content placement on VMG’s media properties. Through this, Mediabrands and its clients will now have a full turnkey global production infrastructure that can develop, facilitate, and create a diverse array of brand-owned and controlled content, which can then be placed on clients’ owned-and-operated (O&O) sites and desired media channels.

Meanwhile, VMG will now have direct access to Mediabrands’ comprehensive portfolio of clients around the globe, as the preferred production partner, through which it can directly develop content, support, and engage on production deals.

Mediabrands emerging film and television development practice will also benefit from the deal, allowing VMG’s Pulse Films to co-develop a slate of original entertainment properties with TRAVERSE32 – Mediabrands’ independent development and entertainment company founded by MBCS’s global head of production Brett Henenberg and Mediabrands Global’s chief content officer Brendan Gaul last December.

According to Gaul, “The VMG partnership will allow us to deliver consistent content capabilities across our top markets at the highest level regardless of media commitment. The unbundling of media and content is a gamechanger in the way we can quickly respond to a client’s content need anywhere, for any use with exceptional creativity.”

Henenberg also shared that the power of this partnership is that it allows them to deliver high quality, low cost, and fast and agile production, which reminds him of the old saying ‘you can only choose two between good, fast, and cheap’ that no longer applies as the global scale of this deal allows them to truly deliver all three anywhere in the world.

Meanwhile, Dan Bowen, the senior vice president of global production at VMG, said, “We are thrilled to kick off this partnership. The IPG Mediabrands team understands the best way to tap into our extensive offering at VMG and will bring VMG a level of first-person brand access media companies rarely get. With production across the full spectrum leading and media supporting, together we are positioned for some exciting work and creative collaboration.”

Pulse Films’ Global President of Commercials and Branded Davud Karbassioun commented, “Brendan & Brett have a unique track record for guiding their diverse portfolio of brands to properly create and own entertainment IP in a truly innovative, meaningful, and rewarding way. There is a big opportunity for brands at the heart of this partnership that we are excited to dive into with TRAVERSE32.”

Singapore – Funding Societies, the largest SME digital financing platform in SEA, has partnered with Singapore’s hauler network Haulio, to speed up payments of hauler partners across the country. 

Funding Societies is an SME digital financing platform that offers growth financing solutions to creditworthy SMEs ranging from S$5,000 to S$2M. By leveraging technology, the platform is able to disburse funds in as quick as 24 hours. 

The partnership is the first of its kind across the fintech and haulage sectors, which aims to benefit more than 90% of haulers in Singapore within Haulio’s network. Through this, Funding Societies’ pre-approved credit facilities will now be available on Haulio’s digital platform, allowing Haulio’s partners to enjoy access to early payment services in as quick as seven days, in comparison to the industry standard of 30 days and more.

According to the platform, the partnership comes at the right juncture as the logistics sector remains a key pillar of Singapore’s economy, contributing 1.4% to the nation’s GDP in 2019. 

“The traditional logistics industry is still fragmented by complex and inefficient business processes, which means that payment delays to haulers could go up to 120 days with larger corporates, creating more obstacles to the sector’s pay-per-use model,” said Funding Societies. 

Shrawan Saraogi, the head of partnerships at Funding Societies, said, “We leverage our digital platform to bridge the huge financial gap that small businesses still face today. Southeast Asia is rising to become the next global economic powerhouse and we believe this partnership with Haulio will boost the region’s trade tremendously.”

Meanwhile, Haulio’s Co-founder and CEO Alvin Ea, shared that it has always been Haulio’s mission to uplift the industry by empowering our ecosystem of users with technology. 

“We hope that through this partnership with Funding Societies, our haulers will enjoy improved cash flow and greater flexibility in managing their operations, as well as set the stage for us to scale this value-added service to our fast-growing expansion markets regionally,” said Ea.

Aside from the logistics sector, Funding Societies’ suite of SME growth financing products serves across various industries such as food and beverage, healthcare, and manufacturing, as well as medical supplies.

Manila, Philippines – Shopee in the Philippines has launched anew this year’s National Food Fair, which had been originally introduced to support local businesses, done in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The National Food Fair was first launched in May 2020 and is being relaunched in 2021 to give micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) an online platform to showcase their products during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Following last year’s online set-up, consumers can find products such as jams, pastries, condiments, and more from local sellers starting from 10 to 16 May.

“Now more than ever, it is crucial that we provide our local businesses with opportunities to bounce back and stay afloat. Shopee will continue to ramp up its efforts to plan initiatives that support local MSMEs and help them thrive on our platform. We invite our shoppers to support our local entrepreneurs this 10 to 16 May at the National Food Fair,” said Martin Yu, the director at Shopee Philippines. 

Meanwhile, Marievic M. Bonoan, Director at DTI – Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, shared that they are working towards empowering MSMEs by expanding and increasing their access to economic opportunities. 

“We have partnered with Shopee to further bolster our support for Filipino MSMEs, especially during this pandemic. With the online National Food Fair, local businesses can promote their products on a larger scale and help them grow in the long run,” said Bonoan.

Last February, Shopee also launched #TatakPinoy: Buy Local, Support Local, a campaign that empowered local MSMEs by giving their products a spotlight on the platform, and other Shopee initiatives focused on online sellers to equip them with the necessary tools to monitor their business growth and development while providing them with knowledge on e-commerce and digital marketing.

Jakarta, Indonesia – PT. Bank Commonwealth (PTBC) in Indonesia, the subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, has partnered with lifestyle marketing platform Perx Technologies, to further drive its customer growth and engagement through digitalization.

The partnership comes after the recent launch of PTBC’s new mobile banking app, CommBank Mobile, which was designed to help its users better manage their finances and achieve their goals through features such as an easy-to-use expense tracking function and goal saver product. 

Through the partnership, PTBC will be leveraging Perx Technologies’ lifestyle marketing platform to deliver personalized and gamified engagements that reward customers for specific actions and interactions. Perx Technologies will also enable PTBC to run multiple reward campaigns that appeal to their customers and efficiently meet business objectives.

“The Perx platform was purpose-built for large enterprises, investing in mobile-led and data-driven approaches. The primary driver has been to creatively connect with customers and drive change in customer behavior through dynamic last-mile engagements while boosting revenue and improving customer experience through instant gratification. This has been a key differentiator for us, and we are thrilled to support PTBC in its journey to further improve its engagement with its customers,” said Anna Gong, the founder and CEO of Perx Technologies. 

Meanwhile, PT. Bank Commonwealth’s Director of Digital and Strategy Ming Chen believes that Perx Technologies will help them achieve their customer acquisition targets, and its deep domain expertise in the banking and financial services sector, and end-to-end customer data and engagement platform will be a great match for PTBC’s customer acquisition and retention needs.

“As we demonstrated in the past with our digital innovations, which has included the digital e-Kiosk, and the SmartWealth app – our award-winning wealth management mobile application, PTBC is committed to continuing its digital transformation journey. The CommBank Mobile app is the next evolution of that journey and will ensure Commonwealth Bank continues moving towards its purpose, which is to improve the financial well-being of our customers and communities,” said Chen.