Tag: Public relations

Australia – Red Havas in Australia has reshaped its leadership team to reflect local opportunities and its global focus on key growth areas; health and wellness, corporate PR and reputation management, technology and e-commerce, consumer, and lifestyle, automotive and mobility, travel and hospitality and employee engagement.

Simone Gupta, CEO at Havas PR Australia, and leading Red Havas, Havas Blvd, One Green Bean and Organic, will continue in her role and report into James Wright, global CEO at Red Havas, and global chairman of the Havas PR Global Collective.

Meanwhile, current Red Havas Managing Director, Steve Fontanot, will take up a new role, commercial managing director for APAC that will include M&A and commercial partnerships. He will support the Havas APAC leadership team on strengthening the PR offering in the region. Steve will continue his role as managing director of Havas Blvd.

Other promotions include Kate Smailes, current executive director at Havas Blvd promoted to managing partner at Havas Blvd and chief client officer; Alex Bryant, current executive director at Sydney PR promoted to managing partner consumer and brand; and Sue Cook, current practice head of health, is promoted to managing partner of health and wellbeing , supported by Nicole Phillips, executive director.

Furthermore, Matt Thomas, current executive director of corporate and public affairs is promoted to managing partner of corporate and public affairs; and Haylie Marchant, current executive director at Brisbane, is promoted to managing partner.

Wright said, “It is an exciting new phase for Red Havas as we grow our global micro-network of agencies. We have great leaders in place to take us into the next evolution of the business and a superb group of future leaders helping us power the business. These changes enable the business to strengthen our areas of specialisations, as well continue to develop new offerings as clients evolve. Red Havas Australia continues to be one of the strongest performers for Havas in the APAC region.”

Meanwhile, Gupta commented, “Over the past 18 months myself and Steve have taken the Red Havas senior leadership team in Australia through a number of changes, to ensure we are future fit in this transformed world to grow the business and changing needs of clients. The deep expertise and experience of this leadership team reflects key areas of opportunity and growth, and enables us to attract the best talent.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)’s regional office in Singapore has appointed Klareco Communications as its public relations agency in Indonesia for two years. Through the mandate, Klareco Communications and HKTB SG office will work together to promote Hong Kong’s tourism and maintain its destination appeal amongst Indonesians.

In addition, Klareco Communications will work closely with HKTB on three key agendas in Indonesia including ‘Art & Culture Tourism’, ‘Green Tourism’, and ‘Indulge in Hong Kong’, a program specifically to highlight Hong Kong’s luxury offerings and indulgent experiences.

Raymond Chan, regional director for Southeast Asia at HKTB, said, “Hong Kong has had a lot of new tourism developments in the last three years, such as the reopening of Hong Kong Art Museum and the opening of the West Kowloon Cultural District, including M+ and Hong Kong Palace Museum, and many more. We look forward to working with Klareco in promoting these new experiences to Indonesians.” 

He added, “Klareco Communications demonstrated its experience and deep understanding of Indonesian tourism preferences. We are confident that the Klareco Communications Indonesia team will bring on board their creativity and experience to elevate Hong Kong’s overall image in Indonesia.”

Meanwhile, Ang Shih-Huei, CEO and co-founder at Klareco Communications, commented, “We are honoured to be entrusted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board SG Office to introduce authentic Hong Kong stories and new experiences to Indonesian tourists. The revival of the tourism sector is one of the most exciting challenges in the post-pandemic era and we look forward to working with HKTB to promote new offerings in Hong Kong that are waiting for Indonesians to discover and enjoy.”

HKTB SG Office and Klareco will also be working on a series of strategic plans as part of Hong Kong’s tourism revival plan for the Indonesian market. Indonesians can look forward to being inspired and visit Hong Kong when borders reopen.

HKTB recently launched its global campaign, ‘Arts in Hong Kong’, as Hong Kong attempts to showcase the city’s extraordinary and enduring appeal as an arts and cultural hub. As an extension of this campaign, HKTB has collaborated with several Indonesian artists from various genres to create exciting Hong Kong-inspired artworks that Indonesians can look forward to. 

Singapore – HR solutions and recruitment company PERSOLKELLY has appointed SPRG Singapore as its public relations agency of record. Through the mandate, SPRG is tasked to deliver strategic, creative communications to drive awareness and build brand credibility.

SPRG will also engage with the recruitment community as PERSOLKELLY goes deeper and wider to provide solutions to employers and job seekers. Through its communication efforts, SPRG hopes to cement brand leadership for PERSOLKELLY in the HR solutions sector as a top of mind brand in the industry.

Edwin Yeo, general manager at SPRG Singapore, commented, “Following the pandemic, we are seeing significant changes in the recruitment scene, with both mass retrenchments and talent crunch. We are excited to work together with an organisation like PERSOLKELLY, who helps companies overcome their manpower and talent challenges.”

SPRG’s Malaysia branch is also managing the PR duties of PERSOLKELLY in Malaysia.

Auckland, New Zealand – Automotive brand Volkswagen in New Zealand has appointed Mango Communications Aotearoa as its public relations agency. 

Through the appointment, Mango will provide media relations, experiential and ambassador management to Volkswagen NZ, in addition to expertise across the full gamut of marcomms.

Mango Aotearoa Managing Director Sean Brown, says that Volkswagen New Zealand is an exciting addition to Mango’s ever expanding client list and the team is looking forward to going full throttle with an iconic brand.

“We are so excited to be offering an integrated marketing solution for Volkswagen New Zealand, helping to drive more success in Aotearoa by sharing the stories and incredible next generation technology behind Volkswagen. It’s a privilege to be able to work with such an iconic brand and the fantastic people who make up the team, Brown said.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen New Zealand General Manager of Passenger Vehicles Greg Leet, commented that Mango Aotearoa has the ability to deliver the integrated offering they have been looking for, working closely with sister agency DDB. 

“We were so impressed with Mango’s combination of strategic thinking, creativity and quality execution. Already the team has been impressive to deal with and we are really looking forward for what’s to come,” Leet said.

Singapore – Omnichannel F&B technology company Oddle has appointed SPRG Singapore as its B2B public relations agency. Through the mandate, SPRG will be tasked to deliver strategic, creative communications to drive awareness, build brand credibility, and engage the business community as Oddle goes deeper and wider to provide solutions to F&B merchants.

Through its communication efforts, SPRG hopes to cement brand leadership for Oddle in the F&B technology sector as a top of mind brand in the industry. 

Sylvia Ong, chief marketing officer at Oddle, said, “SPRG Singapore has impressed us with their extensive knowledge in strategic communications, investor branding and corporate communications. They clearly showed that they understood our unique business model and clearly outlined a plan on how to communicate it to our target audience regionally. Their past experiences in strengthening the positioning of other startups make us confident that they will be able to help Oddle’s vision and mission reach a wider population.”

Meanwhile, Edwin Yeo, general manager at SPRG Singapore, commented, “One of the best things to happen over the pandemic was our work in the startup field, and we’ve seen venture funds and founders committed to moving towards profit with purpose. Oddle is one such company and they have redefined the Singapore F&B landscape with a sustainable business model and their ‘restaurants first’ mindset.”

He added, “It is very telling that they are moving the needle to future-proof F&B restaurants with their O2O solutions. We are proud to be contributing to the F&B industry in Singapore after the struggles they faced following the pandemic. We look forward to a fruitful relationship with Oddle and are very excited about their growth in the region.”

Sydney, Australia – Marketing communications agency Bastion Asia has announced a strategic partnership with Shanghai-based PR agency, Adventi, to drive greater digital and marketing innovation for Australian brands seeking to engage with Chinese audiences.

Adventi, a marketing and communications agency specialising in luxury brands, is known for bringing some of Europe’s biggest luxury brands to China, including Patek Philippe, Chanel and Gucci. From its Shanghai base, the Adventi team represents some of the biggest brands who are working to target Chinese consumers including Hermes, Chanel, Sephora, Porsche, Tag Heuer, among others.

Bastion Asia CEO Richard Chapman said the strategic alignment was designed to support the many Australian brands targeting Chinese customers, both locally and abroad.

“Adventi is at the cutting edge of marketing innovation in China and has forged a path into the country for some of the world’s biggest brands. We hope by working together we can help more Australian brands expand into China, while rolling out the latest thinking to our clients targeting Chinese customers based in Australia,” he said.

The Adventi partnership builds on Bastion Asia’s global network, which also includes long-held partnerships with local agencies in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and The Philippines. Bastion also has operations in the US and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Adventi Founder and Director Hong Zheng said: “China is an intimidating new market for many global brands, but our experience bringing many of Europe’s biggest luxury brands here demonstrates there is a path forward. We look forward to helping Australian brands speak to Chinese audiences and understand the value in a truly global approach to communications.”

With these partners Bastion Asia services a number of global clients across luxury brands, B2B and horticulture.

Chapman added, “We are on a path to be able to offer our clients an APAC wide and global approach to communications that cherry picks the best independent agencies in each market. This approach makes us nimble and competitive against larger global holding groups and has been well received by many clients.”

Manila, Philippines – Public relations agency Uniquecorn Strategies has announced that it has nabbed new clients across Southeast Asia and in Europe.

They are retained as the agency of online casino M88 Mansion, where they will be providing traditional and digital PR support. In addition, they also secured a year-long retainer partnerships with cybersecurity testing platform Secuna and with the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc.

Uniquecorn Strategies has also signed in ad hoc project-based clients, including Denmark-based virtual collaboration platform Butter and UK-based Tevent, a technology platform for virtual events.

Lastly, the PR agency has also renewed its exclusive year-long contract with Philippine-based global education technology business CloudSwyft Global Systems.

Irene Manansala, public relations manager at Uniquecorn Strategies, said that the team is looking to expand its client partner list continuously while empowering start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through media publicity.

“We are off to a great start this year with these new account wins. Uniquecorn Strategies is always looking for opportunities to empower start-ups and support our clients’ business growth by providing them the right media platform to deliver a cadence of high-quality content– engaging their target customers, business partners, and investors,” Manansala said.

She further added that their approach is a merger of strategy, creativity, and innovation anchored with data and analytics, tailored fit for future unicorns.

“We are extremely grateful to our current clients and prospects who trust us with our best-customised communications solutions in the new normal. Our vision is to be a sounding board for our clients and to build the reputations of the future UNIQUEcorns,” Manansala concluded.

Singapore – Following the conclusion of its ‘Blazing Sapphire’ main event to mark its fifth-year celebration, integrated communications agency COMCO in Southeast Asia has announced the appointment of public relations and communications practitioner Joyce Yu as the agency’s newest deputy account operations director for marketing PR. 

She will be leading the agency’s teams who are managing some of the clients, including Eastern Communications, Jobstreet, Sunlife ASCP, Skechers, Lamoiyan Corporation’s Licealiz Head Lice Treatment Shampoo and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

With more than a decade of experience working in the field, Yu specialises in media relations, copywriting, social media management, event management, and journalism. 

Speaking about her appointment, she said, “Prior to joining COMCO, I’m already familiar with the company, the team, and the projects that they’ve accomplished through common friends in the industry. I’m very excited to be part of an award-winning dynamic team, to learn from the leaders, and hopefully give back through mentoring those who want to learn about the ins and outs of the industry. I’m really thankful to be given this opportunity.”

Aside from Yu, COMCO also welcomes its newest staff members, who are graduates of the Camp COMCO Mentorship Program. They are Louise Macaraeg and Cherry Gajito as brand communications associates, Bea Cabrera as digital and integrated communications associate, and Narah Faigal as digital and multimedia arts associate. 

Ferdinand Bondoy, regional integration and chief executive director at COMCO, commented, “Despite recent challenges and limitations brought by the pandemic, I’m immensely proud to see our COMCO Squadron thrive and grow. Joyce, Louise, Cherry, Bea and Narah joining the team is very exciting as we cap off our Blazing Sapphire anniversary and expand to new horizons this 2022.”

Sydney, Australia – Public relations and brand experience agency Red Havas has announced the appointment of Lawrence Muskitta to be the head of the agency’s new public affairs offering. Said division spans government relations, stakeholder engagement, patient and consumer advocacy, public behavior change campaigns, as well as policy monitoring and intelligence gathering, crisis management and strategic partnerships.

Muskitta joins the agency from Facebook, where he held the role of public policy manager, for stakeholder engagement of EU Affairs, and was formerly based in Brussels. Prior to that, he spent two years at BCW Global in roles including head of marketing. During this stint, he has managed digital campaigns for major clients including the Australian Greens and the Australian Medical Association.

Speaking about his appointment, he commented that he is proud to join the agency in launching this new offering, stating that as the industry and governments grapple with issues such as geopolitics and climate change, public affairs will become essential to not only corporate reputation, but businesses’ bottom line.

“Our public affairs offering gives our clients a competitive advantage by helping them manage external change and take a leading role in shaping public debate. As this debate moves increasingly online, our team takes a digital-first approach to public affairs, seeing digital communities as central, not just an add-on to the political and media conversation,” Muskitta said.

Meanwhile, Simone Gupta, CEO at Havas PR Australia, commented that they are thrilled to have Muskitta launch the Red Havas public affairs offering, adding that his international experience in tech, sustainability and health policy, and his ability to identify trends that are shaping today’s world is a natural extension to Red Havas’ corporate communications expertise.

“The weakening in trust in government, the rapidly shifting global environment, combined with the power of technology and social media means that organisations and corporations need to support traditional stakeholder relations with peer to peer, citizen and community dialogue. Lawrence’s experience combined with Red Havas’ strong social media strategy expertise means we can provide this integrated digital approach to clients,” Gupta said.

He added, “He is already adding immense value to new and existing clients, guiding them through complex issues such as Senate inquiries, ACCC investigations and upcoming proposed regulations.”
Muskitta’s appointment follows the agency’s latest expansion to other markets globally, including China.

Singapore – Scoot, the low-cost airline subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, has named global communications agency BCW as its public relation agency partner in Singapore, following a closed-door competitive presentation process.

Through the mandate win, BCW will work with Scoot to raise awareness of the brand and reputation in the market, along with the safe and gradual resumption of international air travel.

For Cindy Lim, market leader at BCW Singapore, they are excited to work with the airline, noting that Scoot has been a household name and an ‘innovation-driven, youthful’ brand, one that invokes a sense of adventure.

“Singapore is, and will continue to be, a critical hub for both travel and tourism and strategic communications in Asia-Pacific, and our focus will be on leveraging our earned-plus capabilities to reach people wherever they are for Scoot as it enters its next phase of growth,” Lim stated.

Meanwhile, Agatha Yap, director for communication, brand and marketing, market partnerships and loyalty at Scoot, commented that Lim’s team immediately won them over with their understanding of the industry, clarity of thought and creative energy. She further added that they are excited to be partnering with them on their corporate communications efforts in Singapore.

“We believe passengers’ urge to travel is alive and well. Post-pandemic, we are confident Scoot’s strong value proposition, coupled with an innovative, safe and Scootitude-fuelled travel experience, will meet the demands of mass leisure travellers,” Yap stated.

Scoot had recently tapped cross-channel marketing platform Insider to create personalized, multi-channel experiences for customers on its website, therefore improving their online customer experience (CX).