Tag: Publicis Groupe

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam – Publicis Groupe Vietnam has announced key changes its senior leadership which will aim at boosting the agency’s strategic, creative and growth offerings in the local market. They include Pepper Feraren as its chief strategy officer, elevations of Paolo Garcia as chief creative officer and Julian Brzoska as chief growth officer; and Chandu Rajapreyar as executive creative director.

Feraren joins Publicis Groupe Vietnam to raise the rigour and progressiveness of its strategic planning product and build a strong culture of effectiveness. He comes with two decades of experience that covers multiple planning disciplines from brand to transformational channel strategy. 

He has spent most of his career at BBDO Guerrero Manila with a stint at BBH Singapore, a Publicis Groupe agency. He has led campaigns that have won a variety of strategic and creative awards.

“Vietnam is an extremely dynamic and fast-growing market making it a hotbed for creativity. I’m excited to join Publicis Groupe, which is at the forefront of this with a talented and decorated planning team. Together we will continue to provide human understanding of a rapidly changing consumer and direct this energy into creative business solutions for our clients and their brands,” he said.

Meanwhile, Garcia brings with him 24 years of creative experience and a portfolio of work that has been awarded across international creative festivals. Paolo has also served on the jury at the world’s biggest award shows including Cannes Lions. He has become an influential creative force in the market and continues to be instrumental in placing Vietnam on the global radar for work and talent. 

Prior to his elevation, Paolo was the creative leader for Leo Burnett for over a decade. In his Groupe role, Paolo will continue to raise the creative bar while cultivating the diversity of over 100 creative talents at Publicis Groupe Vietnam. 

He reports directly to Ajay Thrivikraman, chief creative officer for Southeast Asia at Publicis Groupe.

“Paolo stepping up as CCO for the Groupe in Vietnam feels like the most natural thing in the world. It’s a role that he has made his own through over a decade of sleeves-rolled-up commitment not just to the creative product, but to helping build an agency, expanding its capabilities and skillsets, nurturing, and growing talent and consistently delivering fresh and innovative work on our biggest clients, all in one of the fastest-evolving environments in the region,” Thrivikraman said.

Chandu is a multi-awarded creative bringing home wins for Leo Burnett’s key clients Heineken and Samsung. His passionate and perseverant outlook towards life has led him to take up new challenges at Leo Burnett Vietnam over the past five years since joining as creative director.

Lastly, Brzoska started in the digital and innovations unit of Leo Burnett in 2012 and helped establish the Groupe’s bespoke operations for Samsung before setting up Digitas Vietnam in 2019. In his new role, he will continue architecting synergies between the Groupe’s data, tech and commerce solutions to power up creative, media and digital operations and spearhead go-to-market plans that deliver sustainable success and fulfil Publicis Groupe’s promise to help clients thrive in the platform world.

Kate Bayona-Garcia, CEO of Publicis Groupe Vietnam, said, “After our winning streak last year, we need to set the next benchmark. Publicis Groupe has been the vanguard of the industry’s digitalization and transformation in Vietnam and it’s even becoming more crucial to lead its evolution by weaponizing data, commerce and technology fused with human centric experiences that build brands in this modern era.”

She added, “Paolo and Julian have been phenomenal  partners over the last decade pioneering groundbreaking first-in-market work in the country. The  pivotal addition of Pepper to power up strategic thinking is imperative for unlocking the immense opportunities and overcoming the pressing challenges that our clients face today.”

Vietnam – L’Oréal Groupe Vietnam has decided to renew its agreement with Publicis Groupe Vietnam. The Publicis Groupe Vietnam mandate includes digital, commerce, on-site, off-site, D2C activation, and brand-building media services. 

When Starcom won the media mandate previously held by GroupM, Publicis Groupe’s tailored solution, ONEL’ORÉAL powered by Starcom, commenced its relationship with L’Oréal Groupe in 2020. 

The partnership between Publicis Groupe, Vietnam, and L’Oréal Groupe will last three years.

Pierre-Olivier Guy, the chief digital and marketing officer for L’Oréal Groupe Vietnam, said, “We would like to thank agencies taking part in the process. After recently assessing the media agency landscape in Vietnam, it is an honour for L’Oréal Groupe, Vietnam to extend our partnership with Starcom. We were impressed by the level of commitment, passion, and enthusiasm shown throughout the selection process.” 

He added, “This award also recognises the great work done by our respective teams in recent years. Our collaboration delivers superior and award-winning work that helps us connect with our consumers and build a competitive edge in the high-velocity and complex digital landscape of Vietnam.” 

Starcom’s partnership with L’Oréal Groupe, Vietnam has evolved over time, from a media-focused mandate to a comprehensive on-site and off-site workforce dedicated to generating results across several markets. Starcom has served as a strategic accelerator for L’Oréal Groupe, Vietnam, setting up innovative initiatives such as becoming one of the first firms in Vietnam to open a TikTok shop for its products.

Meanwhile, Vineeth Dhruvan, CEO of Publicis Media in Vietnam, stated, “This win is especially dear to us because, as an incumbent, the challenge is often to outweigh, outperform, outsmart oneself. We treated ourselves as the biggest competitive threat to beat, and we are delighted that L’Oréal Groupe has once again placed their trust in us.

Singapore – Publicis Groupe’s Digitas and Razorfish in Singapore have been appointed by SingHealth to revamp its websites and enhance the brand’s digital experience capabilities.

This revamp aims to improve SingHealth’s digital experience for its patients through its group of websites and enhance its digital web infrastructure to enable personalised user experiences. 

Both agencies will work closely with SingHealth to deliver a comprehensive digital strategy supporting the organisation’s aim to provide holistic healthcare services to its patients. 

Through the appointment, Digitas and Razorfish will be responsible for building a new parent website and migrating individual institution websites to the Adobe Experience Manager platform. 

Moreover, both agencies ran this pitch in collaboration with Adobe Consulting Services, and the win strengthens their commitment and capabilities in the platform world. Digitas Singapore was also awarded the UX/UI project. 

For Kathryn Ng, deputy group chief communications officer at SingHealth, they aim to create a more user friendly and personalised digital experience for their patients, caregivers and the public, and thus help make their healthcare journey more easier.

“We are also working to establish our websites as a rich medical information resource, and HealthXchange.sg, an even more engaging and interactive platform, to empower users to take charge of their health and stay well through the ages,” she said.

Meanwhile, Stefanie Liew, general manager at Digitas Singapore, commented, “We are thrilled to take on this important initiative for SingHealth and are dedicated to creating a digital experience that significantly improves patient care and positively impacts their healthcare journey.”

Lastly, Rakesh Bhandari, senior vice president at Razorfish, said, “Healthcare is shifting towards a more user-oriented design, and the combination of these elements has the power to create a seamless, intuitive, and elevated digital experience for SingHealth’s patients. We are excited to be part of this journey and leverage these elements to propel SingHealth forward.” 

Hong Kong – As travel regains momentum, international airline Cathay Pacific has unveiled its campaign made with Publicis Groupe Hong Kong called ‘Let’s Get Moving ;P’, which gives a gentle wink to Hong Kongers’ unique quirk of keepsaking.

To inspire people to ‘get moving’ again, Cathay Pacific celebrates the ‘unshakable bond’ by using actual data taken from Cathay flights to unearth its most popular branded items – and making them the stars of its new campaign. 

“Our research showed that in Hong Kong, many people have some Cathay items tucked away somewhere. We found this encouraging and inspiring as we tend to keep mementos of those things we value and want to remember. So, we decided to build on this and ask all these keepsakes to come to life and encourage us all to ‘Let’s get moving’,” said Edward Bell, general manager, brand, insights, and marketing communications at Cathay Pacific. 

Meanwhile, Natalie Lam, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe APAC and MEA, also commented, “There’s a deep bond between Cathay and Hong Kongers over all the trips taken in the past 70 years. Every pen, deck of cards, cup or eye mask we have at home brings us back to the fond memories of each trip.”

Lam added, “We love the idea of celebrating flying again with this universal truth, telling the story through the lens of these ‘keepsakes’ between the airline and its customers.” 

Some of Hong Kong’s most renowned influencers and celebrities are now coming clean about their favourite Cathay items, while on social channels, Cathay is inviting Hong Kongers to get their own hoarding stories off their chests.

The ‘Let’s Get Moving ;P’ campaign will run in Hong Kong throughout April and May.

Singapore – Advertising and public relations agency Publicis Groupe in Singapore is taking on a unique endeavour to show its commitment to sustainability and conservation. The communications firm has recently announced the symbolic adoption of Simba, a two-and-a-half-year-old African Lion, at the Singapore Zoo. 

The agency has long been championing conservation and sustainability. In 2020, it formed a Space, Sustainability, Cohesion, and Wellness community, and across 2021 and 2022, it achieved the Singapore Environment Council’s Eco-Office certifications for its office spaces. This time, it takes a stride in being an inspiring example for wildlife conservation. 

The choice to adopt a lion goes back to how the animal has always been a key part of Publicis Groupe’s visual identity, with the head of a majestic lion embedded in its Logo. 

“So, when the time came to think about how the team could play a role in wildlife conservation, adopting Simba felt like a natural fit,” said the agency in Singapore. 

During the adoption ceremony at the Singapore Zoo, Publicis Groupe Singapore was presented with a certificate of adoption and unveiled a commemorative plaque. The leadership team were also joined by employees and their families who were part of the adoption ceremony. Further to this, the agency shared how they were engaged through an interactive session with Simba’s keeper, who shared insights into the lion’s birth, personality, and dedication required to care for him.

Following such initiative, Publicis Groupe Singapore will be offering employees more opportunities to visit Singapore Zoo and learn about Simba and other animals that call the wildlife park home. The intent is to help employees and families to gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of wildlife conservation and a sense of pride in being part of a company that values conservation. 

“Our adoption of Simba reflects our shared responsibility to protect the planet’s precious resources and understand the importance of wildlife conservation,” said Amrita Randhawa, CEO of Publicis Groupe Singapore & Southeast Asia. “We are proud to support Mandai Wildlife Group’s conservation efforts and honoured to be part of Simba’s future – he already feels like a part of the team!” 

Publicis Groupe’s Simba is the first lion cub in Singapore that was conceived via assisted reproduction at the Mandai Wildlife Group’s Wildlife Healthcare and Research Centre. As the only offspring of his father, Mufasa, Simba plays an important role in contributing to the genetic diversity and sustainability of African Lion populations in zoological institutions. Publicis Groupe Singapore’s adoption will boost ongoing efforts to ensure its health and well-being.

Sydney, Australia – Advertising agency company Publicis Groupe in APAC has teamed up with martech company Playground xyz to implement attention measurement and optimisation solutions across Publicis Groupe APAC clients’ digital ad campaigns.

The project expands on an ongoing partnership that has seen Playground help Publicis Groupe APAC clients test attention-based solutions and build a clear understanding of the actual levels of consumer attention their digital display advertising receives.

Next stages of the partnership will look to test how Playground’s attention solutions can be applied to other advertising approaches and channels, including contextual targeting and YouTube video ads.

Playground xyz’s ‘Attention Intelligence Platform’ uses real eye-tracking data from an opt-in panel, fused with AI to deliver attention measurement and optimisation.

Sapna Nemani, chief product and solution officer for APAC at Publicis Groupe said, “Brands have always been in the business of capturing and converting attention. Yet, as an industry, we have found it hard to quantify this, until now. The ability to measure attention meaningfully gives us an accurate perspective on effectiveness, and this is a game changer.”

Meanwhile, Rob Hall, CEO of Playground xyz, commented, “We’re continuing to find that attention time is an incredibly reliable and effective predictor of brand outcomes. It’s capable of unearthing hugely beneficial insights that will undoubtedly help brands more effectively formulate their strategies. Attention data is the missing ingredient in advertisers’ quests to secure maximum ROI and we’re incredibly excited to be helping Publicis’ clients realise its potential.”

Singapore – Publicis Groupe in Southeast Asia has partnered with Web3 marketing consultancy Mana Partners to form ‘Publicis Play’, allowing clients to find a single solution to work with from creation, production, and placement to measurement.

Publicis Groupe and Mana see the offering as critical for a generation whose preferred means of social networking, entertainment, and commerce will soon be grounded in Play. The offering does not see gaming and the metaverse as two silo solutions, but as one integrated offer as the content and fandom from gaming are the foundation for metaverse experiences.

In addition, the offering is not just about badging brand presence but a belief that the future’s most successful brands will master Play – behaving authentically and earning attention and love from their communities.

The new offering helps brands discover and define opportunities where they can play in the long term, execute a fan-first strategy by designing purposeful and immersive gaming and Web3 experiences, and establishing robust relationships with key publishers, developers, esports teams, and ad tech partners that ensure an advantage for brands, players, and fans alike.

Publicis Play has already been piloted with several Publicis Groupe clients, including Singapore Tourism Board, McDonald’s, and PepsiCo, among others.

Ian Loon, chief transformation officer at Publicis Groupe SEA, said, “Connecting our Groupe capabilities with Mana Partners, who are intrinsically plugged into this rapidly evolving economy, ensures all our clients are welcomed into the community with access to true expertise. With the launch of Publicis Play, we can immediately deliver new ways to integrate and deliver between Web2 and Web3, provide measurable value, and drive business outcomes for brands.”

Meanwhile, Jamie Lewin, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Mana Partners, commented, “The Play Economy is the new modus operandi. Publicis Play is the gateway for brands keen to explore the full spectrum of opportunities, from gaming, esports, creators, and content, to participative digital experiences underpinned by Web3 philosophies and concepts. Our decision to partner with Publicis Groupe SEA was a real meeting of the minds on how we collectively view the opportunity.”

Lastly, Matthew Zatto, co-founder and chief commercial officer at Mana Partners, said, “In 2021, consumers spent more time watching gaming content on YouTube than the total hours of content watched on Netflix. By the end of 2022, players will have also spent one trillion hours and $200 billion playing games and 25 billion hours watching gaming content. On top of this, ad spends are also forecasted to grow significantly in the coming decade to more than US$214b annually. It is a huge opportunity but one that needs the right partnership between brands, agencies, and fans to create true value.”

Hong Kong – Multinational advertising and public relations company Publicis Groupe has launched L’avenir, a leadership and creative development program tailored for high-potential female creatives across its network in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East and Africa (MEA) regions. 

The program aims to change the gender ratio amongst its creative leaders across the region and to equip high-potential women with the skills needed for creative leadership roles. 

“Globally at Publicis Groupe, more than 50% of our workforce is female and 41% of key leaders are women: we’ve made huge strides when it comes to gender representation overall. Yet industry-wide, the percentage of female Creative Directors remains comparatively low,” said Natalie Lam, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA, who is also the key driver and developer of the L’avenir program.

She added, “To lead the change, we’re launching L’avenir, a tailored creative mentorship program that will nurture high-potential female creatives in two ways: career development, and creativity development.”

Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA will be selecting high-potential mid- and senior-level creatives every year to join the L’avenir program.

“We’ll identify our top female creatives, because true diversity makes the work better. L’avenir is a tailored program that pairs mentees and mentors according to specific skills and potential, backing up their positions as future leaders with a strong portfolio of work,” says Lam.

Fifteen female creatives have already been picked for the program over the last two months. They will be paired with 30+ mentors, including Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA’s Natalie Lam, Chief Strategy Officer Ed Booty, Chief Client Officer Anthony Wong, Head of Creative Technology Laurent Thevenet, and Head of Creativity Jason Williams.

They will be joined by top management and C-Suite leaders from Publicis agencies as mentors such as, Kelly Pon (CCO, BBH China), Sally Anderson (Group CD, MetaDesign China), and Ajay Thrivikraman (CCO, Publicis Groupe, Southeast Asia), amongst others. 

Anna Tomasetti, creative community manager at Publicis Groupe further explains, “L’avenir means ‘the future’, and it is a program where our future creative leaders can reach their full potential through targeted skills development and mentorship. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime career development opportunity for our participants that will contribute directly to Publicis Groupe’s creative and leadership base for years to come.”

The program includes 1:1 monthly mentorship meetings, career growth sessions with chief talent officers, tailored creative training sessions, and leadership masterclasses. Participants will also get to use relevant technology and digital tools. Moreover, they will get to partner with one of Publicis Groupe’s biggest clients in the final three months of the program.

Singapore – Global advertising agency and public relations company Publicis Groupe in SEA has appointed Sujith Rao, former managing director of Reprise Digital, to be its new managing director of Publicis Commerce. This move aims to accelerate the Groupe’s commerce offering in the region and further unlock client growth. 

In his new role, Rao, who will be based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will be working with Publicis Groupe’s network of agencies and practice areas across SEA. He will also be orchestrating a deeper connection between the Groupe’s commerce strategy and solutions with its creative, media, performance, and production capabilities, delivering data-driven end-to-end consumer journeys that are optimised towards sales and business growth for the clients. Rao will be reporting to Ian Loon, who recently expanded his duties as chief transformation officer for Publicis Groupe SEA.

Aside from his previous role at Reprise Digital, Rao also held roles at Travelguru.com, Cbazarr.com, and IPG Mediabrands. He brings a wealth of experience with a proven track record of growing new revenue streams through the launch of innovative products and solutions, rooted in data and analytics. 

Commenting on his appointment, Rao said, “I am excited and honoured by the opportunity to work across multiple markets, brands, and capabilities, driving the evolution of Publicis Groupe’s commerce offering in Southeast Asia. Our global investments, locally relevant solutions, and the Groupe’s Power of One ethos are the perfect framework for crafting bespoke digital commerce innovations, and I am ready to get started on this journey with our clients.”

Meanwhile, Loon shared, “We are delighted to have Sujith captain and grow our highly ambitious Publicis Commerce journey. His credentials as a solutions architect, problem solver, and people connector will enable the Groupe’s ongoing transformation agenda while delivering innovative commerce solutions that marry brand building and conversion for our clients across the region.”

Singapore – Global advertising company Publicis Groupe in Singapore has promoted Joanne Theseira, the current managing director of Publicis Communications, to be its new CEO of Publicis Communications in Singapore, where she will take on executive responsibility for Leo Burnett, Publicis Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Prodigious, and MSL. 

In this new role, Theseira will also champion the continued development of clear and ownable client, business, and employee positionings for the agencies under her stewardship. She will ensure that they are evolving in line with clients’ needs and reflective of the way consumers are engaging with brands today.

Additionally, Theseira will take on the newly created role of chief growth officer for Publicis Groupe SEA, and will report to Amrita Randhawa, CEO of Publicis Groupe Singapore and Southeast Asia. She will be leading Power of One accounts expansion, powering new business development, and managing the profile of Publicis Groupe in SEA. Theseira will also work closely with the Publicis Groupe SEA market CEOs and Practice leadership across APAC to deliver on the growth agenda.

Speaking about her appointment, Theseira shared that she believes that a strong and positive talent-centred culture is integral to the business of creativity, and this opportunity to hone and harness their different creative agencies is one that only Publicis Groupe can offer.

“Driving growth across Southeast Asia gives me an incredible canvas to scale and shape the future of our agency offerings and make a meaningful impact on our industry and our clients. I’m excited to get started,” she said.

Meanwhile, Randhawa said that Theseira’s passion for the creative business is addictive, and the clarity of her vision for their creative communications agencies and her determination to make the Groupe the fastest growing in the market is energising and impressive. 

“Joanne has demonstrated a strong capability to build high-performing teams and attract both clients and outstanding talent into the Groupe which makes her uniquely qualified to make an impact in this role,” she added.