Tag: Public relations

Singapore – Just right on time for International Women’s Day, global PR and social media agency W Communications has announced that it has sealed a partnership with Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO), the national coordinating body of women’s organisations in Singapore, to manage its corporate communications, community outreach, and engagement programmes.

The agency’s mandate will also include supporting SCWO in redefining its core narratives to further introduce itself as the national coordinating body of women’s organisations in the country.

Moreover, the said partnership goes under the agency’s efforts to boost its portfolio of clients in the social impact sector.

Jolin Ng, general manager at W in Singapore, said that the agency gives importance to equity, therefore, it works with organisations like SCWO to fulfill its commitment towards such causes and support the organisation’s plan of impacting the lives of women and society.

Koh Yan Ping, chief executive officer at SCWO, commented, “We wanted a PR partner who truly understood the intent behind the impact we are making towards the cause and enables us to better engage stakeholders from all walks of life. W stood out with their understanding of our objectives, excellent media relations and of course, strength in corporate storytelling.”

Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations boasts more than 60 member organisations representing over 600,000 women in the country. It provides opportunities, platforms, and services to empower and support Singaporean women. 

Earlier this year, W Communications has also been tapped by food company Deliveroo to manage its corporate and consumer communications.

Hong Kong – Hong Kong’s association for public relations and communications professionals, PRHK, has announced the launch of its 2023 PR Young Lions Competition. The competition is open to young professionals in Hong Kong aged 30 and below.

The competition will select a winning team of two to represent Hong Kong at the Global Young Lions Competition which will take place during the Cannes International Festival of Creativity in June. This will be the first competition to take place in person at Cannes in 3 years. 

PR Young Lions Competition will occur from 14 to 15 April this year. The format will follow that of the global Young Lions competition, where entrants will be asked to devise a campaign in response to a brief in 24 hours using their creative and strategic thinking. 

The competition brief will be set in partnership with a local NGO to be revealed at the competition. Criteria include creativity (40%), strategy and insight (30%), tactics and execution (20%), and relevance to the brief (10%)

The winning team will be granted their Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity experience that includes sponsorship on travel, accommodations and passes in-person in June 2023.

Previously, the association launched a 27-page toolkit to help promote work-life balance amongst industry teams.

Manila, Philippines – Local independent agency GIGIL has now announced an expansion to its services, which will now include full public relations and media planning and buying services to the public. 

According to the agency, the launch of these new services will also help boost the performance of clients’ campaigns, as well as complement GIGIL’s campaign ideas.

GIGIL’s PR services include media relations, crisis management, digital PR, KOL/Influencer management, community relations, events management, strategic communications, brand awareness, content management, CSR, and activation. 

Meanwhile, its media planning and buying service will continue to provide comprehensive media strategies and employ creative-driven media tactics. It will offer 360-degree media channel planning, management and execution that cover traditional, digital, and social media.

The agency’s PR arm started two years ago, and has earned over PHP100m in PR values combined from its various projects. The media planning and buying services, on the other hand, started in 2021, and have worked with clients such as Netflix Philippines to create media executions for campaigns.

Jake Yrastorza, managing partner at GIGIL said, “We have always envisioned GIGIL Philippines to be an ‘ideas’ agency, first and foremost. With our full-service PR and media departments, our ideas will have a greater chance to move culture, so our clients can move more products off shelves.”

The agency update comes months after GIGIL has announced its expansion to the United States and Canada, as well as unveiling its metaverse division ‘Metama’.

GIGIL has been known for creating humorous and tongue-in-cheek campaigns for brands such as RC Cola, Orocan, Julie’s Bakeshop, Unioil, and Allianz. They are also responsible for multiple campaign drives for Netflix Philippines, including for shows such as Trese, All of us Are Dead, Red Notice, and Money Heist: Korea.

Singapore – Global marketing consultancy TEAM LEWIS is launching VIVID, a new global reputation and impact practice. The new practice aims to change the traditional reputation management theatre of operations which will weave together brand consultancy with creative engineering and real-time reputation management. 

Commenting on the new milestone, Yvonne van Bokhoven, EVP for Europe and APAC, said, “VIVID is designed to engineer new creative approaches to reputational content, engagement and brand experiences. This approach is built on the understanding brands are an emotional experience, rooted in what stakeholders can feel and understand.”

She added, “Real impact is made by understanding how audiences want to engage and connecting on the causes that matter most to them.” 

The global consultancy has developed the practice to respond to the rapidly changing digital-first world which now puts a premium on the metaverse, immersive augmented reality brand experiences, and emotional video-based storytelling.

“VIVID will inject pace, emotion, creativity, and visual thinking into reputation management and purpose campaigns,” shared TEAM LEWIS. 

According to the consultancy, VIVID was inspired and influenced by the work done around the world by the TEAM LEWIS Foundation. Story-telling skills and millions of dollars have been shared with important community causes, each nominated by a TEAM LEWIS staff; such has provided VIVID with a unique experience of purpose-driven causes and charities which represents a diverse global community. 

Tapping into the skills and knowledge from across 24 offices and 600 staff, VIVID will assemble bespoke teams for each client. Cross-discipline, geography, and specialist consultants will work together to aim to deliver impactful and creative outcomes at speed. 

The VIVID practice will be led by Helen Ellis, the agency’s global sustainability lead and reputation expert. 

To date, VIVID has already delivered work for clients including Schneider Electric, SkyScanner, and OKX. 

Hong Kong – Taking overtime at the workplace is sometimes inevitable, most especially now that the work-from-home set up has blurred the lines between work and rest – this practice can be a challenge for most. PRHK, an industry organisation for public relations and communications professionals in Hong Kong, has come up with a solution to this problem by launching a toolkit called ‘Working Smarter for the Future’ which aims to help industry leaders and working teams to practice better workflow processes and combat overtime. 

Initiated by the next-gen sub-committee of PRHK, the 27-page toolkit gives ample recommendations on planning tools, policy updates, and working tips that industry leaders can use to facilitate a healthy working environment amongst team members, whilst making the work-life balance possible. Meanwhile, resource planning and additional support are also presented for individuals and working teams.

The committee that initiated the toolkit includes Karolis Adomaitis of Fleishman Hillard, Carol Yeung of Golin, Penn Leung and Jesa Amparo of Creative Consulting Group and Sara Cheung of Edelman. 

The said toolkit is also an answer to PRHK’s latest research data which revealed that the top three causes of overtime are tight deadlines and last-minute requests, lack of manpower, and various meetings. The same survey also showed that 75% of respondents from the industry perceive overtime as normal with another 70% having experienced physical or mental health issues, considering overtime as a factor.

Carol Yeung, co-chair of the PRHK’s next gen sub-committee said, “The launch of our ‘Working Smarter for the Future’ toolkit is another step in moving towards making work-life balance a reality for Hong Kong PR and communications professionals. We especially want the profession to overcome its inertia on the issue of unreasonable overtime.” 

Meanwhile, Carbo Yu, chairperson of PRHK added, “PRHK’s mission is to represent, champion, promote and grow the PR and communications profession in Hong Kong. This project has achieved just that, gaining significant positive response from professionals across the industry. PRHK will continue to be an enabler for working smarter as we help people navigate Hong Kong’s dynamic communications landscape.”

With the toolkit launch, PRHK said it commits to delivering more resources such as conducting workshops to help in drawing boundaries, managing hybrid work, and time management. 

Singapore – Elliot & Co., the public relations consultancy with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, has announced today that Vividthree Holdings, a diversified and Catalist-listed entertainment company, will be acquiring up to 51% stake in the former. Vividthree is a company that specialises in the production of immersive experiences with mixed technologies. 

Elliot & Co. is focused on the Southeast Asia region and mainly serves start-ups and SMEs. Since its inception in 2017, the PR consultancy firm has grown to establish offices in three markets, serving more than 1,000 clients. 

Its founder, Jeremy Foo, said, “It is an exciting time for Elliot & Co. as this announcement heralds a new level of opportunity and breakthrough that we foresee will come. Vividthree’s expertise will be invaluable to us as we seek to establish ourselves as a leader in our industry, and despite the uncertain economic situation as we enter 2023, the best is yet to come.” 

Elliot & Co. was previously called Prospr Communications before rebranding in 2020. 

Manila, Philippines – Local Manila-based public relations agency Brandcomm Asia has appointed Paulus Soriano as its new managing director. The agency has been focused on providing PR services for startups, SMEs, and other new business ventures in the Philippines.

In his new role, Soriano will be responsible for the successful leadership and management of the business, supervising and stirring the company’s operations, people, and ventures in order to maintain its growth. 

His vision for the company is to help build the next giants of the industry by sharing his PR and media expertise to support the marketing and communications needs of venture-backed start-ups, SMEs, and underserved brands in the Philippines. 

Soriano is a seasoned, motivated, and solutions-driven public relations professional with more than ten years of industry experience. Since 2012, he has worked with local and global brands in the industries of consumer and enterprise technology, finance, travel and tourism, FMCG, and a lot of other sectors, including government agencies. 

Speaking on his vision for Brandcomm Asia, he said, “We strongly believe that startups and SMEs in the Philippines, especially those that are homegrown, are globally competitive but lacks the opportunity to be noticed and heard. If they could only be given a chance to tell their story of innovation and passion, there is no doubt that they would have a lot of potential to succeed and become the next giants of their industries.”

He added, “As a company, we consider ourselves a startup, too, and we understand the challenges of fellow entrepreneurs. BrandComm Asia aims to help their business grow and grab the attention of more mentors and investors through strategic and creative storytelling. We are committed to our mission of helping promote these startups to their industries and target audiences, in the best way possible, to both local and international markets.”

Mumbai, India – Public relations consultancy Stories.PR.Digital (SPRD) has bagged the PR mandate of Wubba Lubba Dub Dub (WLDD), a local meme and experiential marketing company, where they will manage the company’s industry alliances and help the client in building thought leadership in addition to public relations. 

Founded in 2018, by Arihant Jain, Jaidev Kesti, and Vivekanand Kilari, three college friends from Belgaum, WLDD have envisioned reaching greater heights with new-age meme and experiential marketing. This indicates the tremendous growth opportunity for the meme companies which would benefit from this trend.

WLDD has helped several businesses to break through the clutter via snackable and entertaining communication models. With relatable content, they’ve introduced meme marketing to over 100 brands so far, and have expanded their horizon as a leader in digital assets.

Arihant Jain, CEO at WLDD, said, “Everything your audience sees online leaves an imprint on them, and through an extension of tech products, our aim is to showcase how this industry can continue to be profitable, number-driven, and accessible for all. We’re committed to solidifying our impressions and communications with this partnership.”

Meanwhile, Asif Upadhye, director at SPRD, commented, “In a world full of routines, people seek solace in ‘memes’. It’s a fun as well as challenging way to accomplish customer retention strategies by deepening the connection with your audiences. We are definitely looking forward to unfolding what this collaboration beholds.”

Indonesia – Public relations and content marketing agency Mutant has appointed Tanya Tresnasari, former general manager of Golin and Weber Shandwick, to be its new country manager for Indonesia.

In her new role, Tresnasari will be leading, running, and delivering strategic and results-driven campaigns across PR, content, social media, and branding.

Tresnasari brings more than 20 years of experience in the communications industry, spanning advertising, activation, and public relations. At Golin and Weber Shandwick, she was instrumental in driving cross-practice collaboration and helped to diversify the agency’s roster with key clients, including Sanofi, MSD, Clubhouse, Linktree, Carousell, Shell, and Hyundai, as well as Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines, amongst others. 

Mutant said that expanding to Indonesia was the next logical step for the agency after a successful decade in Singapore and robust growth in Malaysia since its launch in 2019.

Commenting on her appointment, Tresnasari said, “Just as the name suggests, Mutant is constantly evolving. I’m excited to bring the agency’s blended PR, content, social and branding approach and adapt it for clients locally. With the addition of new hires, Mutant Indonesia has already hit the ground running, and I look forward to welcoming and driving real business outcomes for clients.”

Meanwhile, Joseph Barratt, founder and CEO of Mutant, noted, “It’s an exciting time to enter the market, with a differentiated offering that combines PR, content, social media, and branding to help businesses succeed. I can’t think of anyone better than Tanya to lead us through this, and pave the way for Mutant’s next chapter.”

In addition, Gabriela Gunawan also joins Mutant Indonesia as a PR Manager. Previously from Golin Jakarta and Weber Shandwick, Gunawan has worked with a variety of clients, including Morgan Stanley, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, and SK-II, as well as Mastercard.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global public relations and marketing consultancy firm Edelman in Indonesia has appointed Melvin Goo as its new chief operating officer. Through the new appointment, Goo will drive the next chapter of the firm’s growth in Indonesia, and realise Edelman’s ambitions of delivering integrated marketing communications solutions for local, regional and global clients serving the market.

Goo was previously the marketing director of tech start-up Cashbac, driving both its revenue and reputation mandates. A seasoned business leader with over 16 years’ experience, he has worked across some of the most recognised PR and media agencies in Jakarta, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.

He will report to Adrian Warr, CEO for Southeast Asia at Edelman.

Speaking on his new role, Goo said, “I’ve been admiring the transformation that has been underway at Edelman Indonesia from a distance. Given its pedigree and its proven track record I’m extremely confident of the value we can achieve for our client partners, especially in these uncertain times. I really look forward to leveraging the company’s unique ability to combine and leverage the best of both brand marketing and brand reputation.”

Meanwhile, Wart commented, “Melvin’s going to be a game-changer for us. His experience is multi-country, multi-category and multi-faceted, who better to steer our ever-growing business operations here in Indonesia. Having worked on both sides of the client-agency spectrum, Melvin is also the perfect person to advance our unique approach to earned-paid-owned with our client partners.” 

He added, “I’m over the moon to have him onboard and confident that under his leadership we will fortify our market position and excel as trusted advisors to all our client partners.”