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Platforms Featured Southeast Asia

Bumble unveils new features to ‘make dating kinder, more fun’ for Singaporeans

Singapore – Bumble, the women-first dating app, has launched a suite of new product features in Singapore designed to make dating ‘kinder and more fun’ for Singaporean singles in 2023.

The first new Bumble feature, Speed Dating, brings retro speed dating events to the online dating experience, allowing members to go in ‘blind’ and prioritise personality over physical attraction. This feature requires people to start conversations without seeing any pictures of the other person, with profile photos hidden for the first three minutes of messaging. 

The experience is available in Bumble’s Date Mode and people on Bumble can RSVP directly within the app each week. Speed Dating pairings are based on location, age and gender preferences.

“Bumble’s new Speed Dating experience in the app brings the fun back to dating in 2023! This feature creates intrigue and anticipation in a low-pressure environment, and allows the Bumble community to build connections based on personality and shared interests, which are much truer indicators of compatibility than looks,” said Lucille McCart, Bumble’s APAC communications director.

Bumble’s new features also include Compliments, which gives Bumble members the opportunity to be even more intentional about starting the conversation in a positive way. Compliments is a message before match feature that allows members to stand out by sending a note before connecting. 

To this, McCart commented, “At Bumble we believe in the power of positivity and kindness, and that when a compliment is the foundation of a conversation, you are setting the stage for the connection to begin in the best possible way. Sending a compliment on Bumble can be as simple as sending a kind message when you come across someone’s profile whom you share a common interest with, such as music taste or favourite movie.”

The final feature in the newly announced product bundle is Recommend to a Friend, which allows the Bumble community to play cupid and help find their friends new connections. If you come across a profile on Bumble that’s not right for you but might be for someone you know, you can now directly share a link to their Bumble profile.

“We all know that feeling when you come across a profile that ticks all the boxes of your bestie. Now you can help your friends find dates by sharing the profile of their perfect match with them,” said McCart.

Bumble has also recently released its ‘Breaking Barriers: Getting Real About Dating During CNY With Mum’ campaign which features a heart-to-heart conversation between mother and daughter, tackling their thoughts on dating.

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

Oat-based milk brand Oatbedient sees mascot ‘Oatdit’ reminding benefits of plant-based products

Singapore – With its vision to provide oat-based products that are good for its consumers and environment, Oat-based milk brand Oatbedient, in collaboration with independent creative agency GOVT Singapore, has launched a new brand film that sees its mascot – the bubbly little oat ‘Oatdit’ – reminding consumers of the health benefits they’ll gain from choosing plant-based products. 

Titled ‘Oat My Goodness’, the 30-second clip is associated with uplifting music and colorful illustrations to present the series of plant-based Oatbedient products that are authentically healthy with no nasty ingredients, junk, or fillers.

The campaign also aims to show that Oatbedient brings ‘goodness’ to life whilst reminding that being healthy can also be delightful.

Elaine Teo, Co-founder of Oatbedient said that consumers are often exposed to a variety of products that have low or no nutritional value. Therefore, their vision for Oatbedient is to create delicious clean labelled products that can feed families.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Neo, group creative director of agency GOVT Singapore, added, “Oatbedient is a fun and quirky brand that is already likable. So our job was to make sure we help paint the journey of Oatdit introducing the products in an entertaining way.”

All works from the campaign will run across multiple channels including social media and digital.

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

Redhill, Geylang International Football Club team up to drive women’s football in SG

Singapore – Global communications agency Redhill has teamed up with the Geylang International Football Club (GIFC) to drive women’s football in Singapore by boosting its visibility in the country and highlighting the players and their achievements, as well as promoting a positive image of the sport. 

Through this partnership, Redhill will provide sponsorship in addition to strategic communications support to help promote the Women’s Premier League team, its talented players within GIFC, and to connect with a wider audience.

Said partnership is expected to bring greater visibility and recognition to women’s football. The Women’s Premier League is an opportunity to showcase the talent, dedication, and hard work of the players within GIFC and other clubs in Singapore.

For Redhill CEO Jacob Puthenparambil, they are proud of supporting the organisation, stating that said partnership will serve as an inspiration for young women to join the team and fuel their commitment to strengthening community outreach efforts.

“We are confident that our partnership will help promote women’s football in Singapore and showcase the exceptional players within the Women’s Premier League.Our shared commitment to excellence and diversity will undoubtedly create a positive impact on women’s football in Singapore and beyond. We are excited to embark on this journey with GIFC and look forward to the upcoming season of the Women’s Premier League,” he said.

Meanwhile, Thomas Gay, chairman of Geylang International, commented, “As a global communications agency, their support towards promoting women’s football in Singapore and showcase our talented athletes within our club will be invaluable. We believe this partnership will help us to raise the profile of women’s football in Singapore and encourage more women to take up the sport.”

Redhill has recently ventured into supporting programmes and strengthening their offerings. In December 2022, the agency launched Redhill Lancers, a programme aimed at supporting early-stage startups. It has also acquired VS Story in September 2022 to bolster the agency’s sustainability offerings.

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

W Communications bags PR remit of Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations

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.

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Marketing Featured APAC

Le Pub adds two new leadership hires for APAC

Singapore After inaugurating its APAC headquarters in Singapore last year, advertising agency Le Pub appointed Hanh Kanssen as its general manager and Cyril Louis as its executive creative director.

Kanssen brings with her experience in connecting brands and consumers. She has worked with brands from Asia, Europe, and North America where she helped in driving their significant growth. 

Meanwhile, Louis brings expertise in designing products, crafting brands and businesses, creating physical and digital experiences and developing humanitarian initiatives. In his last stint, he was with creative company Elephant as global group creative director.

Amrita Randhawa, chief executive officer at Publicis Groupe Singapore and Southeast Asia, said that with Kanssen’s expertise in several Asian markets and latest cultural trends, combined with Louis’ creative hybrid and passion for technology, they will bring something special to the agency.

Kanssen commented that joining Le Pub is extremely refreshing and exciting, given that the agency helps to build brands in culture.

“Personally, I feel very proud of the world-class creative talent we have on the team, all handpicked to focus on building the next generation of brands that have a strong presence at the table of culture,” she added.

Earlier this year, Le Pub crafted a campaign for beer brand Tiger Beer as part of the lunar new year celebration.

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

Canadian coffeehouse Tim Hortons to launch in Singapore

Singapore – Popular Canadian coffeehouse and restaurant chain Tim Hortons has announced its expansion to Southeast Asia, starting off with Singapore, and later on to Malaysia and Indonesia.

The expansion was made possible by Tim Hortons APAC and multinational conglomerate Marubeni Corporation. Whilst the launch ofTim Hortons in Singapore has been already set, the expansion to Malaysia and Indonesia is still subject to regulatory approvals and finalising agreements.

Tim Hortons is operated under the Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which also handles other restaurant brands such as Burger King, Popeye’s, and Firehouse Subs.

Said expansion is part of Marubeni’s ‘Next Generation Corporate Development Division’, its first investment in the region. The new division, launched in 2022, aims to invest in businesses that capture the growth of next-generation consumers in Southeast Asia.

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

SevenRooms launches new email marketing tool to improve hospitality brands’ customer engagement

Singapore To expand its marketing suite for hospitality operators, global guest experience and retention platform for the hospitality industry SevenRooms has launched an e-mail marketing tool that is built with a set of personalised trigger-based emails from operators to customers, aimed to help in continuous engagement with guests.

Working in conjunction with SevenRooms’ automated e-mails, the customers will be able to send one-time, customised marketing emails directly to the SevenRooms platform in order for operators to control the way they use their guest data. 

The platform will also allow operators to build their brand by having direct touchpoints with guests, whilst being provided with insights that matter to their business including the reservations, covers, and revenue attributed to each email. 

In addition, this will support operators with a solution that is connected throughout a restaurant’s tech stack, without using third-party email service providers. It is directly linked to the SevenRooms CRM and operating system so operators have full control over their messaging and its receivers.

Meanwhile, in line with the goal of enhancing the guest experience, this gives updates about their favourite venues, receive targeted messages and promotions, or simply control the venues from which they receive marketing. 

Allison Page, co-founder and chief product officer at SevenRooms said that SevenRooms provides an email marketing product with a functionality that cannot be seen in other traditional email marketing platforms.

“While other email service providers promise revenue, SevenRooms can prove it with accurate data on the revenue generated by each campaign to truly measure email marketing performance,” she added.

Categories
Platforms Featured Southeast Asia

Super apps are here to stay, with half of Singaporeans using them regularly

Singapore – Super apps – mobile applications that can offer multiple services within a single app – are here to stay, with around 51% of Singaporeans reported to have used them at least a couple of times every week. This is according to the latest data from Qualtrics, with support from SAP and Center for Experience Management in Singapore.

According to the data, the most frequent use cases are shopping for general items, buying groceries, ordering food and ride-hail services, paying for items in-store, and arranging for items to be delivered. 

In terms of which super app features are mostly used, digital wallets come out on top. Around 59% of respondents said they have used a digital wallet to make a physical purchase in the last 12 months, and 64% said they intend to use a super app to make a physical purchase in the next six months.

Meanwhile, it is also revealed that consumers have less intent to use a super app for listening to music, messaging friends, playing games, and buying insurance.

When it comes to factors that would increase super app usage, feedback suggests overcoming consumers’ concerns with privacy and security is one of the main areas to address. The study also revealed that consumers are looking for improvements in mobile app ease of use and payment options, across many of the brands and apps that they interact with.

“Equipped with the right customer insights, brands can tailor how they deliver services via super apps to ensure this new channel complements their customer experience for the people that are using them, while maximising the investments they’re making in the space. And simultaneously, by knowing what customers aren’t using super apps, organisations can take important action to ensure no-one is left behind by the change underway,” the research noted.

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

PropertyGuru’s current CTO Manav Kamboj adds new role as MD of fintech business

Singapore – Property technology company PropertyGuru has announced the appointment of Manav Kamboj as the new managing director of its fintech business. Kamboj will retain his role as the chief technology officer of the company.

In his expanded role, Kamboj will lead the business, leveraging technology, data, and analytics to drive further digitisation of the home loan process and operational excellence. He has been working closely with the Fintech team since it was established which also helped him in gathering insights into his new role.

Kamboj has extensive experience in the consumer internet industry across eCommerce, mobile applications and technology consulting. Furthermore, he has led cross-functional teams in retail lending, product management and customer acquisition strategy.

Kamboj started to join the PropertyGuru group as chief technology officer in 2017, leading a distributed team of engineers, software developers and data scientists who deliver technology solutions to address the ever-changing needs of home seekers, real estate agents and property developers across the region. 

He also spearheaded the inauguration of PropertyGuru Group’s technology Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, India, which marks the Group’s sixth country office alongside offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. 

Before joining PropertyGuru, he was with e-commerce platform Snapdeal as vice president of technology where he shaped the product and technology roadmap for buyer platforms.

Hari V Krishnan, chief executive officer and managing director at PropertyGuru Group said that Kamboj’s strong skillset in technology and finance will help the company’s Fintech ambitions, including digitisation of home loan process in Singapore.

Kamboj expressed his excitement as he takes a new role in the company because of new opportunities to help the consumers.

“Our focus will be on developing products and solutions for the mortgage market that guide the home buyers’ financing needs and that are more often than not the biggest hurdle in their home ownership journey,” he added.

Last month, PropertyGuru also appointed Disha Goenka as its new chief marketing officer.

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Marketing Featured Southeast Asia

Singapore Airlines spotlights how ‘world class’ is in everything we do in latest ad campaign

Singapore – Singapore Airlines, the national air carrier of Singapore and the market’s most considered brand, has released its latest global campaign which spotlights the real meaning of world-class. 

In collaboration with agencies TBWA\ and PHD, the latest campaign is presented through the eyes of the airline’s cabin crew who, through travel, encounters people, cultures, and places around the world, reflecting that the airline can bring this kind of exceptional experience to their customers.

Lee Lik Hsin, executive vice president for commercial of Singapore Airlines, said that the airline is committed to giving excellent service, citing that the customer is the ‘heart’ of everything they do. 

Mandy Wong, president of TBWA\ Singapore added, “We needed the new narrative to be futureproof so it could maintain relevancy in the ever evolving travel landscape of consumers’ changing travel motivations. With Welcome to World Class, it wholly captures the Airline’s unparalleled service leadership, and digital experience offerings.”

Other works from the campaign are shared across global and local channels from mainstream broadcast stations to digital and print, and key OOH placements in London, New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. More materials will be released this year such as new innovative media in the pipeline, with key brand assets, and content series starring its cabin crew through an authentic lens.

In 2021, the airline also released a campaign titled ‘Look forward to flying again with Singapore Airlines’, indicating a significant step in its recovery when the borders reopened across the world.