Tag: Public relations

Taipei,Taiwan – Interpublic Group agency DeVries Global has announced its appointment as low-cost carrier Scoot’s public relations agency for Taiwan.

In this partnership, DeVries Global is tasked with strengthening Scoot’s local resonance with consumers following the pandemic. 

Fortified by the agency’s extensive industry experience and data capabilities, the agency’s scope focuses on building media relations to strengthen demand for inbound and outbound flights, as well as consumer initiatives to create awareness and to reiterate the airline’s position as an innovative and relatable low-cost carrier.

Commenting on the partnership, Vivian Liu, managing director at DeVries Global Taipei, said, “We are proud to partner with such a well-loved brand – a future-forward leader that operates with fun, value and discovery at its core. Our team has crafted inspired, innovative programs to bring about a new chapter for Scoot”.

Meanwhile, Agatha Yap, director of marketing and new revenue at Scoot, mentioned, “At Scoot, we believe that travel connects people, destinations, and cultures. We look forward to our partnership with DeVries Global, especially as we ramp up awareness by creatively telling the Scoot story to local audiences in Taiwan.”

This appointment follows Scoot’s partnerships with other agencies, with global communications agency BCW being tapped as Scoot’s PR partner in their home base of Singapore, as well as brand and customer agency VMLY&R and Omnicom Advertising Group-owned network PHD being appointed to conceive creative strategies for the airline and to handle global media planning and buying respectively.

Singapore – Eastwest PR has been appointed by cybersecurity company Tenable as its strategic partner in Southeast Asia. Eastwest was appointed after a competitive request for proposal that saw participation from three other notable Singapore-based agencies.

Under the regional remit, Eastwest will work with Tenable to build the cybersecurity firm’s brand presence and expand its media share of voice in Singapore and SEA.

The agency will also leverage its proven track record of acting as a strategic advisor to client-partners to shape and grow Tenable’s PR programme in the region. 

Pamela Philip, principal PR manager for APJ at Tenable, said, “Eastwest impressed us with comprehensive knowledge of the cybersecurity industry and deep understanding of the media landscape in the region.”

She added, “Their audacious yet pragmatic approach to building Tenable’s media presence in the region, supported by

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Electric car brand Tesla has tapped PR and digital communication agency GO Communications as part of the brand’s recent expansion into the Malaysian market.

According to the agency, the appointment of GO Communications by Tesla to spearhead this colossal launch signifies a grand milestone for them, underscoring its position as an industry leader in crafting compelling and innovative campaigns and strategies. 

Moreover, the collaboration marks not only a significant milestone for the electric vehicle (EV) brand, but also an achievement for GO Communications and the nation as a whole. The Malaysian debut of Tesla heralds a new era for the nation’s automotive landscape.

Peter de Kretser, CEO of GO Communications, expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity, stating, “Being selected as Tesla’s official agency for the brand’s entry into Malaysia is certainly a monumental landmark for GO Communications. We are humbled by the trust and confidence that Tesla has bestowed upon us.”

He added, “As they say, first impressions are everything, and nobody understands that better than us. My colleagues and I are delighted to have had this opportunity to introduce Tesla to Malaysia and give this truly remarkable brand the prominence and due recognition it deserves.”

The launch of the Tesla Y at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur last Thursday followed months of eager anticipation by the media, industry and government leaders, and motoring and EV enthusiasts alike. 

GO Communications was also recently tapped by ANGKASA-X to be its PR agency related to the launch of its A-SEANSAT-PG1 satellite, developed in Malaysia. The satellite was successfully deployed on 27th June at the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Singapore – South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air is placing its regional communications in the hands of independent regional communications agency, Francis & Low (F&L). F&L will now be its official public relations agency for Southeast Asia to help the premium full-service carrier capitalise on growth in the region. 

F&L will be working with Korean Air across all of Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The Singapore-headquartered PR agency will be providing strategic counsel and doing media relations. 

Southeast Asia is an important outbound market for Korean Air as well as an important inbound market with Korea being a popular leisure destination. Korean Air also serves more destinations in North America than any other Asian carrier, making the airline a popular choice for transit travellers. 

In a trans-Pacific Joint Venture with Delta Air Lines, a SkyTeam partner, the two airlines also offer 18 peak day departures between Seoul-Incheon and the U.S., connecting more than 290 destinations in the Americas and over 80 destinations in Asia in 44 countries. 

“Korean Air is a premium full-service carrier that is a market leader and an innovator in the aviation industry,” says F&L managing director, Leithen Francis. “The airline has a premium inflight service and we look forward to promoting this through our work with the media.” 

“Korean Air first became familiar with F&L through the work we have been doing in Korea for our other clients. They could see first-hand the quality of the work we do, and our expertise in the aviation industry, and decided to have us work for them in Southeast Asia,” furthered Francis. 

Southeast Asia is an important and growing market for Korean Air, which serves 22 destinations in Southeast Asia.

“We had long recognized Francis & Low’s industry expertise, insight and global network,” said Jill Chung, head of global communications team at Korean Air. “We are excited to work closely with the team to tap into this very important market to further promote the Korean brand.” 

“We are honoured that Korean Air has selected us to be the airline’s PR agency of record in Southeast Asia,” added F&L’s Francis.

Singapore – Keso Kendall, most recently the head of regional strategic accounts for Asia-Pacific, has been promoted by TEAM LEWIS as its newest senior vice president for Asia-Pacific. In her new role, she will be leading the agency’s business in the region following a slew of business wins such as Pizza Hut, Circles.Life, and the Singapore National Youth Council. 

Kendall will play a vital part in driving the agency’s overall strategy – expanding its client base, and leading cross-functional teams to deliver results. She will also work closely with the global and regional executive team to further solidify the agency’s position in the market.

She replaces Fairil Yeo, who will be leaving the business for a new role after being at TEAM LEWIS for 8 years. Kendall’s promotion took effect in 1 June this year, and will report to Yvonne van Bokhoven, executive vice president for EMEA and APAC at TEAM LEWIS.

Kendall brings 12 years of experience in PR, marketing, public affairs, branding and communications to the role. With a background covering both B2B and B2C marketing, she has worked with brands across APAC to deliver local, regional and global campaigns that drive business impact.

Commenting on her new role, she said, “I am extremely excited and energised to be stepping up to lead our fantastic APAC team. As the marketing landscape continues to evolve and face new challenges, I know the team will continue to deliver exceptional, impactful and creative work.”

Meanwhile, van Bokhoven commented, “Her extensive experience, industry knowledge, and leadership skills make her the ideal candidate to take our agency to new heights. I have no doubt that Keso will play a key role in driving our continued success and helping us achieve our ambitious goals. We thank Fairil Yeo for his excellent contribution to our business and wish him well for the future.”

Singapore – Circles.Life, Singapore’s fully digital telco, has appointed global marketing agency, TEAM LEWIS, as its agency partner for public relations and influencer engagement.

Taking effect last April 2023, TEAM LEWIS will support Circles.Life in conceptualising, developing, and implementing PR strategies and activities in Singapore. In addition to providing consultancy services, the agency will also be responsible for the creation of relevant and impactful mainstream, online and social media coverage for Circles.Life to further bolster the positioning and messaging the brand has to offer.

The fully digital telco company continues to be a key player in disrupting the traditional notions of a telco service provider, with offerings such as unlimited data, rollover data, and its new travel plan, JetPac, allowing users to roam anytime, anywhere with added features such as airport lounge access.

One of the founders of Circles.Life, Rameez Ansar, commented on the appointment, “As the fourth largest telco in Singapore, we are constantly revolutionising our digital service experience, while continuously reinventing ourselves to stay relevant for our ever-changing customers’ needs. TEAM LEWIS has demonstrated an understanding of the brand and provided a strategic direction in line with our brand messaging.” 

Pamela Tor Das, managing director of TEAM LEWIS Singapore, said, “Circles.Life is known for its making innovative and bold moves that have made waves across Singapore’s telco industry. We are thrilled to be its partner of choice for integrated communications in Singapore and can’t wait to showcase what else the brand has to offer.” 

The appointment followed a competitive pitch for the account last December, with the appointment being finalised in March 2023.

Singapore – The Singapore-headquartered integrated global communications agency, Redhill, has entered strategic partnerships with PR Wire, a public relations consultancy in Sri Lanka, and Aroca Consulting Group (ACG), a full-service public affairs and business advisory firm from Singapore.

According to the release, these collaborations will enable Redhill to strengthen its market presence and capabilities in Sri Lanka, as well as broaden its offerings in government relations and public affairs. On the other hand, both PR Wire and ACG will gain access to Redhill’s extensive portfolio of communications and storytelling services, along with international expertise and reach from its global network.

“Expanding and strengthening our market presence and service offerings have always been a priority for Redhill, and we are excited to be partnering with PR Wire and ACG. Sri Lanka has always been an important market for Redhill, especially as our Studio team is on the ground there,” said Jacob Puthenparambil, CEO at Redhill.

He added, “Similarly, with our existing relationships within the government sector, it is a natural next step to deepen our expertise in public affairs and policy. Through our partnerships with PR Wire and ACG, who are both leaders in their respective sectors and markets, we are confident to deliver broader, more dynamic services to our collective clients.”

Meanwhile, Ashan Kumar, founder and managing director at PR Wire said that the partnership with Redhill will create opportunities across various markets in the Asia-Pacific to serve clients with a fully integrated communication strategy, focusing on traditional and digital public relations.

“Together, we can solidify our service offerings through a strong global footprint within Singapore, Sri Lanka, and other APAC offices. It is increasingly important to have a globalised approach to PR and communications while maintaining on-ground, local intelligence including buyer behaviour, business and communication strategy and strong media landscape expertise with an authentic network. This partnership offers exactly that, and we are excited to hit the ground running with Redhill,” Kumar added.

Ozan Ibrisim, managing director for Singapore at Aroca Consulting Group, also shared his excitement over the partnership as it will diversify ACG’s service offerings through Redhill’s integrated communications approach and its specialisation in public affairs and government relations.

“Through our collaboration, we look forward to providing clients with the most effective combination of strategies to build a strong social, economic and sustainability case for them to achieve their business objectives. Public affairs and government relations have evolved to require a more collaborative approach with integrated communications, and we are excited to strengthen our capabilities to provide the best service to clients,” he said.

Previously, Redhill has also entered a partnership with Geylang International Football Club (GIFC) to drive women’s football in Singapore.

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Global PR network Public Relations Boutiques International (PRBI) will be gathering its member agencies and industry professionals in Milan for its Annual General Meeting from 3 to 6 May 2023. Member agencies of the network to grace the said industry event will be coming from the markets of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Australia. 

PRBI, which was founded in 2008, boasts a global network of more than 35 independent public relations firms. The principals of each agency are experienced practitioners who have held senior positions in large public relations agencies and/or corporations and now provide hands-on service working directly with clients. 

According to PRBI, the General Meeting for this year will be used as a platform for strategic planning discussions, networking, best practice sharing, and giving the stage to guest speakers who will address issues impacting the communications industry. 

“PRBI’s annual general meeting is a forum where experienced public relations agency principals engage in an energizing exchange of ideas and create stronger relationships among peers,” said Juris Petersons, PRBI president and founder of PR consultancy JazzComm, located in Riga, Latvia. 

Amongst the topics the organisation will take on is the presence of disinformation amongst businesses globally today. Speaking on this subject is Janis Rungulis, an expert in developing awareness-raising campaigns to strengthen societal resilience and respond better to disinformation attacks in the EU and Eastern Neighborhood countries.

One of the leader attendees, Tarunjeet Rattan, managing partner of India-based Nucleus PR, commented, “The PRBI annual meets are a treasure trove [of] knowledge that enable independent boutique agencies get an edge and stay ahead of the curve. I am looking forward to all the sessions. I will also be moderating the discussion on disinformation campaigns and gain an insight on how PR teams from different countries handle it on a local and global level.”

During the Annual General Meeting, Taru Nikulainen of the Finish agency Brunnen Communications will be delivering an update on the PRBI ™ Barometer, an annual survey of agency owners across the globe to help determine what decision-makers are expecting from their agency partners thereby helping PRBI members gain a better understanding of trending PR Service needs that clients are planning to invest in. 

PRBI members that will also be speaking during the event include Serap Durak of Pozitif PR (Istanbul, Turkey) who will be discussing challenges and trends for PR in Turkey; Ester Riisapp of PR Partner (Tallinn, Estonia) to present on the risk assessment cards for clients; and David Ball of Ball Consulting Group (Boston, MA, USA) to discuss crisis communication in the modern world. 

Auckland, New Zealand – Public relations agency Mango Aotearoa has announced four new hires across its PR team namely Jo Martin as public relations account director, and account managers Braxton Dinnan, Ellen Pye and Clea Kanning.

Martin joined at the start of the year after a number of years running Brand New You, a personal branding organisation first established in Australia before setting up in New Zealand in 2020. Dinnan was also with Martin at Brand New You, and brings experience across PR, marketing and e-commerce.

Meanwhile, Pye was previously from Showroom 22 and brings her knowledge of fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands to Mango clients including Specsavers and Lion Beverages, as well as campaigns such as Correct the Internet for Team Heroine.

Lastly, Kanning, who hails from the UK, brings strong PR and social expertise, and is working with the team on Samsung, Booking.com and The Warehouse Group.

Managing Director Sean Brown says Mango Aotearoa is excited to expand the team and welcome such a variety of skilled people to the agency.

“As our business continues to grow, we are pleased to bolster our offering so that we can continue to provide top end integrated marcomms work for our fantastic clients. It’s particularly pleasing that Mango continues to attract the best talent, and we are delighted to welcome our four new recruits,” Brown said.

Some of the client accounts Mango Aotearoa has handled includes Cannabis Clinic, Volkswagen New Zealand, and Bendon Lingerie.

Singapore – Immersive media company Vividthree Holdings has announced that it has entered into a definitive conditional sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with one of the leading PR agencies in Singapore and Malaysia, Elliot Communications 

The group will invest S$775,393 in cash for new and vendor shares, acquiring a 30% stake in Elliot & Co. The SPA is expected to be completed by 30 April this year. 

The SPA also details a call option agreement with Elliot & Co., allowing the group to acquire another 21% stake for at least S$1.98m should Elliot & Co. achieve a net profit of not less than S$0.90mbetween FY2023 and FY2025, bringing the latter’s share to 51%.

With the acquisition, Elliot & Co. will help broaden Vividthree’s service portfolio and bolster value for customers. It will likewise complement Vividthree’s core business of digital content production and is in line with its ambition to expand its footprint in the communications industry. 

Moreover, the partnership will enable Vividthree to leverage Elliot Communications’ network and expertise to enter new markets and capitalise on emerging opportunities in Southeast Asia.

“Our partnership with Elliot & Co. will broaden our portfolio of services and reinforce our presence in the APAC region. With this acquisition, we are well positioned to enhance our reputation and build stronger relationships with stakeholders, which will drive value for our shareholders and enable us to better serve our clients,” said Jonathan Zhang, chief executive officer of Vividthree.

Zhang also added that the decision to partner with Elliot & Co. was based on the latter’s commitment to customer satisfaction, remarkable growth trajectory, and shared values.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Foo, founder of Elliot & Co., shared his excitement over further integrating the firm’s services and offering their clients new ways to thrive in the digital era through the acquisition.

“By combining our expertise in media engagement with Vividthree’s proven leadership in content production, we are now able to offer our customers with a comprehensive suite of content management and communications services, providing us with a competitive edge as we move into 2023 and beyond,” he concluded.