Singapore – 3radical is the latest partner of Singapore-based media network Mediacorp, and aims to drive web traffic through loyalty boosting, readership, and consumer data capture.

The latest partnership coincides with Mediacorp’s 20th anniversary of their digital mobile news network TODAY. 3radical’s collaboration entails strategic engagement solutions to allow Mediacorp’s readers to interact more, signaling a more mutually beneficial environment.

“Mediacorp is a great example of how content creators must transform their digital experiences to meet the constantly changing needs of consumers, earn their engagement, and get a better understanding of each reader. We are so excited to be helping Mediacorp address this ever-evolving landscape by creating compelling engagement exchanges that more effectively drive loyal readers now and in the future.”

Michael D. Fisher, CEO at 3radical

Furthermore, 3radical’s Voco gamification software enables Mediacorp to provide digital interactions that incentivize audiences while earning their data on a permissioned basis.

Melbourne, Australia – Supply chain consultancy TM Insight is expanding its executive line by hiring three former e-commerce executives as part of TM Insight’s new e-commerce and digital team.

The executives are namely Nicole Scherholz Cipolla (middle of the banner picture) from the Global Fashion Group, Jan Becker (left of the banner picture) from e-retailer Zalora, and Mitch Bittermann (right of the banner picture) from fashion brand Adidas.

Cipolla and Becker will join TM Insight as executive directors of e-commerce, based in Australia while Bittermann joins the company as the executive vice president of e-commerce for TM Insight Asia, based in Singapore. 

Prior to their key positions at TM Insight, Cipolla had served as the group senior strategy director at Global Fashion Group and Zalora Philippines’ chief commercial officer, while Becker is a former director of brand marketing and consumer strategy at Zalora and also the vice president of marketing at Thai-based retail conglomerate Central Group Online. Meanwhile, Bittermann served as the director of e-commerce at Adidas  Southeast Asia.

“Consumers expect a smooth, frictionless, and convenient digital experience, and if they don’t get it from a retailer they will switch to a competitor in a matter of seconds. I’m excited to bring to TM Insight my extensive experience in developing profitable e-commerce businesses and help our clients reimagine what success looks like in the digital age,” stated Cipolla. 

Asked about his new executive position, Becker said, “Nicole, Mitch and I have built and scaled major e-commerce and omnichannel businesses across Europe and Southeast Asia. We understand best practice and now, as part of TM Insight, we can assist clients with their holistic strategy, commercial offering, digital merchandising and marketing, right through to their supply chain and fulfilment solutions.”

On the other hand, Bittermann stated, “Having e-commerce as a small subsection of your retail strategy doesn’t cut it anymore – retailers need to create a holistic e-commerce, retail, and supply chain strategy. Now with TM Insight’s new e-commerce and digital offering matched with the business’ existing supply chain expertise, we can provide a full end-to-end solution. This will be a gamechanger in the industry, which I’m incredibly excited to be a part of.”

The new executives will lead the company’s e-commerce and digital offering across the Asia-Pacific region, working with TM Insight’s broader supply chain and property consulting business to provide businesses a true end-to-end service offering in their retail and supply chain transformations.

Travis Erridge, CEO of TM Insight said, “Our clients have experienced incredible acceleration in e-commerce growth, with global online retail expected to reach up to US $10 trillion by 2023. With this growth, e-commerce is now a crucial component in a retailer’s business strategy that defines its supply chain and property solutions.”

Singapore – EZ-Link, one of the first to offer prepaid card payment in Singapore, has taken a major rebranding, at the same time, unveils new app enhancements to go in tandem with its new brand identity.

The branding comes as EZ-Link marks its 18th year in the market, having started in 2002. The product now carries the new brand direction “For Life’s Little Wins” to underscore the brand’s mission of “eliminating hassle and enabling possibilities for customers in their ‘little’ daily financial routines.”

For the new direction, the company has adopted a new logo and refreshed both its corporate website and EZ-Link app.

Still sporting the same cool colors of blue and green, the new logo now takes a brighter palette with a cleaner font – breaking off of the old one’s edgy typeface.

EZ-Link’s old (above) and new logo (below)

The more striking and almost neon hue is now adapted to both its website and app. The brand’s app also used to display sharp-edged navigation boxes, whereas, in the new one, edges have been carved and assigned more pastel hues.

The company’s old (left) and new (right) website

The company said the new visual identity “reflects [its] renewed focus on digital transformation, while still maintaining key elements that have become strongly associated with the brand.”

EZ-Link’s old app

For the past 18 years, EZ-Link has been a trusted local brand and an integral part of many Singaporean’s daily lives. However, a lot has changed since we launched the first EZ-Link card almost two decades ago. Consumers’ lifestyles have evolved and the world is set on its path to a digital future

Nicholas Lee, CEO at EZ-Link

To kick off the brand refresh, EZ-Link has launched its enhanced mobile EZ-Link Wallet, which is now integrated with EZ-Link’s Rewards program. 

Introduced at the start of this year, the EZ-Link Wallet can be used at local merchants that accept e-payments via the Singapore Quick Response Code (SGQR), Singapore’s unified QR label.

With the integration, users are offered a new avenue to earn and accumulate points that can be redeemed for benefits from over 200 EZ-Link Rewards merchants. Similar to EZ-Link card transactions, every S$0.10 spent on the EZ-Link Wallet will earn one point.

In addition, Android and iOS users can now top-up their EZ-Link cards anytime and on the go via the EZ-Link Wallet, and receive direct cashback and reward credits in their accounts when they spend with the e-wallet.

With the latest upgrade, EZ-Link said it aims to deliver a more seamless and rewarding experience for users’ transport and retail transactions. 

Lee said, “As we push forward in our digitalization journey, we must always put people at the heart of our innovation. This is in line with our new brand direction, which is rooted in the belief that our everyday life is lived in small moments that can be turned into little wins.”

In accordance with its branding move and to better differentiate its offerings, EZ-Link’s new and existing products will now be housed under three sub-brands: EZ-Link Rewards, EZ-Link Wallet, and former EZ-Pay, EZ-Link Motoring, which is the brand’s upcoming solution for electronic toll and parking payments.

Sydney, Australia – SME marketing company Metigy in Australia has recently concluded its funding round, which the startup will use in expanding its services globally.

The funding, closing at USD 20M, will be initially used to expand its business to the United States and Southeast Asia, specifically in Singapore. Furthermore, the funding will also aid in growing the company’s product and engineering teams in Australia.

We’ve had fantastic growth so far but it’s just the beginning — there’s a massive opportunity to help the nearly 30 million small businesses in the U.S. and 150 million businesses across South East Asia. According to Google, 97% of SEAsian SMEs have no ad tech or martech solutions and also lack the supply of talent to meet that demand. Innovative technology developed with the SME in mind is the only way to solve this problem

David Fairfull (pictured left), CEO and co-founder at Metigy

He also added,“We created Metigy to make digital marketing an effective tool for all types of businesses, not just those with massive marketing budgets. Half of all small businesses fail within the first two years, and marketing — or a lack of effective marketing — is always one of the key reasons. We want to improve those odds and give them a fighting chance.”

The startup is working closely with Google and telecommunications company Optus, and has created strategic partnerships with companies such as Singapore’s SingTel, who co-sell Metigy’s tools to add value to their own business customer relationships.

Speaking about the funding round, Darien Jagger, lead investor at Cygnet Capital, states that Metigy’s fast expansion pushed the venture capital to invest in the startup.

“Cygnet was an early-stage investor in Metigy and after seeing their impressive growth, it absolutely made sense to lead this current raise. Completing the raise 100% oversubscribed in this market with an all Australian investor group is a testament to the solid business the team has built. Strategically, this also places Metigy firmly on the path to remaining Australian based,” Jagger stated.

Singapore – As a way to show its appreciation for healthcare workers’ efforts during the country’s battle against the pandemic, Manulife will be giving away up to four complimentary admission passes to workers to the Manulife Sky Nets – Walking at Jewel Changi Airport. 

The recent campaign is in line with the company’s “Life Goes On, Let’s Move Responsibly”, which focuses on encouraging Singaporeans in embracing life in the new normal.

For Darren Thompson, chief customer officer at Manulife Singapore, the campaign launch is a way of bringing the focus point of gratitude to healthcare workers.

“2020 has been a whirlwind of a year for everyone, but no community has fought and endured the eye of the storm quite as much as healthcare workers. In the thick of the pandemic, these dedicated and resilient individuals not only performed their duties diligently, but also risked their lives to protect public health,” Thompson said.

He also added, “At Manulife, people are at the heart of what we do and we pride ourselves on walking with our customers and ensuring that their needs are upheld in every season. We want to thank these everyday heroes for their spirit of sacrifice, and are humbled to extend to them a window to unwind. We hope that this simple act will be an opportunity for our frontline fighters to take time to put them and their families first, even for just a few moments.”

To redeem their admission tickets, healthcare workers simply need to flash their own vocational passes at the Concierge Counter located at level 5 of Jewel for their admission tickets

The campaign is effective from November 25, 2020 to December 25, 2020, and in support of SG Cares Giving Week 2020.

Singapore – Digital media company Limelight Networks has unveiled a new enhancement for its streaming service Limelight Realtime Streaming – providing sub-second latency for time-sensitive video applications that enable live interaction with viewers.

In a press statement, Limelight Networks said Realtime Streaming is part of the widest range of low latency online streaming solutions in the industry that solve the perpetual challenge of delays in event broadcasts. In addition, Realtime Streaming mobile and HTML software development kits (SDKs) can also provide easy integration of interactive live applications with Limelight’s global private network.

Limelight Networks said the improved platform allows live video applications in areas such as:

  • Live sports—In-event betting allowing fans to bet on in-game outcomes while the game is being played.
  • Live auctions—Remote bidders can participate through a livestream and have a “just like being there” experience along with those on-site.
  • Online gaming—Online casinos can allow all players to instantly see table action and to place bets more quickly, increasing the number of hands that can be played each hour.

“As online video has quickly grown in popularity, performance expectations have increased and new technologies, such as Limelight Realtime Streaming, enable innovative new ways to engage audiences. Now live events are truly live with the lowest possible latency, and it’s possible to create interactive experiences that were never before possible,” stated Nigel Burmeister, vice president at Limelight Networks

Singapore – In a bid to help stem the rising tide of scams, Singapore telecom giant Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) has released a campaign series to educate Singaporeans on identifying scams. 

Titled “Jaga your data!” where “jaga” is a Malay verb and a Singaporean slang for “to guard,” the campaign uses elements of situational comedy such as a comic storyline, theatrical portrayal, and bright settings to pique interest in a rather technical and serious matter.

It comprises a series of short films, each playing out a telco-related ruse that has snared many an unsuspecting victim, driving home the message that everyone needs to do their part and stay watchful to avoid falling prey to scams. 

Scammers are casting their net wider than before, where in Singtel, customers have flagged double the number of instances of telco-related scam calls in the year to date compared to the same period last year. 

In a common variant known as “tech support” scams, featured in one of the films called “This is tech support calling,” a fraudster masquerades as Singtel’s technical support, convincing the victim that her IP address has been hacked. 

Fooled by the urgency of the scammer, the victim downloads software that enables remote control of the desktop to solve the problem, and unwittingly hands over internet banking one-time passwords (OTP) when asked. The scammers then make off with the victim’s money.  

It’s unfortunate that on-going scams using the Singtel name or that of other companies have been so pervasive and that many people have become the targets of tricksters impersonating our technicians and customer service officers

Lian Pek, vice president of Group Strategic Communications and Brand at Singtel.

Pek added, “By serving up anti-scam advice and lessons with a dash of humor with the aim of making the messages stick, we hope to foil some of these scammers’ efforts by encouraging Singaporeans to stay vigilant to protect themselves and their families.”

Featuring local actors Pamela Oei and Shane Mardjuki who take on different personalities of varying ages in each scam scenario, the films are designed to engage viewers of all generations and demonstrate how anyone, regardless of age or gender, is vulnerable. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xu6bY_qfaw

Pek said the current campaign builds on the company’s ongoing efforts to mitigate scams such as issuing regular scam advisories and implementing a proprietary fraud management system that uses analytics to block scam calls.

Since April this year, the company has also worked with the government to add a “+” prefix to international incoming calls spoofed to look like local numbers, making scam calls easier to identify.

Gerald Singham, the chairman of National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), commented, “To prevent these crimes, public awareness is the first line of defense, and I’m heartened that Singtel has taken the initiative to support NCPC in our fight against scams by educating people with these light-hearted but effective videos.”

Conceptualized by Singtel’s brand team and produced in collaboration with Akanga Films, the campaign will run from 20 November to 17 December 2020. 

The first two films in the series have already been released on the telco’s pay television service Singtel TV and its various social media channels, while the third one is slated for 25 November. 

Singapore – As a complementary part of the tourism board’s ongoing “SingapoRediscovers” campaign, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched the “Made With Passion” campaign that puts focus on local lifestyle products in the country.

The campaign, made possible in partnership with the Singapore Brand Office and support from Enterprise Singapore, will feature local products from these categories: beauty & wellness, fashion & accessories, homeware & décor, and packaged food and beverage (F&B).

Initial stages of the marketing campaign will include a new brand mark for the partner local brands, whether in product packaging, in-store, and online. This then ensures brands show a strong connection with the Singaporean local community.

“Passion is at the heart of our Singapore story. We are also home to a host of innovative and iconic brands that have been created with passion.  By sharing the stories behind both established and up-coming brands, we hope that more people will be able to rediscover well-loved brands and be wowed by the myriad of brands that speak of our passion and creativity,” stated Lynette Pang, advisor to the Singapore Brand Office and assistant chief executive (Marketing Group) of STB. 

Local trade association support will also be also seen within this initiative, with support coming from the Association for Small Medium Enterprises (ASME), Restaurant Association of Singapore, Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association, Singapore Furniture Industries Council, Singapore Retailers Association, and Textile and Fashion Federation.

“The Made With Passion initiative is most timely. ASME is very pleased to support this initiative as we recognise that it takes great passion and commitment to build, nurture and grow a brand. The launch of Made With Passion also reflects a maturing of our market in appreciating homegrown brands.  We can be proud of local brands and help them flourish,” said Chew Lee Ching, vice-president for awards and special projects at the (ASME).

Dilys Boey, assistant chief executive officer at enterprise Singapore commented, “The Made With Passion initiative is a gateway for Singaporeans to discover more of our local brands. With greater awareness and interest, Made With Passion will be able to amplify positive brand attributes of our Singapore brands across the wider lifestyle sector. We hope that Made With Passion will elevate Singapore brands collectively and help them achieve greater success.”

The campaign will be amplified online via the campaign’s upcoming website and social media pages.

Singapore – Rewards and discovery platform ShopBack in Singapore has tied up with Spain’s professional football league LaLiga for a joint marketing amplification, which will include giveaway contests within the platform.

At large, the partnership will see a release of an official campaign video of LaLiga, in-app and website pushes, social media engagement, and out-of-home advertisements. A video shoutout by LaLiga ambassador and former football player Gaizka Mendieta will also be released. 

Video, courtesy of ShopBack.

One of the main marketing initiatives within the partnership is a social media contest which will give away a football fan an all-expenses paid trip to Spain for two to catch a LaLiga match live. 

LaLiga spearheads Spain’s two national professional football competitions LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, where both have already started its 2020-21 season on September 12.

In order to participate, ShopBack users must visit the LaLiga page on the platform starting 27 November and click on the “Submit Entry Now” button to be redirected to an Instagram post. In the post, users must comment on why they deserve to watch a Laliga game in Spain, share it to Instagram, and tag their intended travel buddy. Lastly, those interested must make a purchase on any ShopBack selected brands

The competition will run from 27 November to 31 December 2020, in line with ShopFest, ShopBack’s annual mega shopping festival that spans the entire year-end shopping season. 

In a press statement, ShopBack said that through the partnership with the sports association, it aims to “portray its value of togetherness just as football brings people together.”

ShopBack Co-founder Joel Leong said, “We are excited to kick off this partnership with LaLiga to bring football fans and shoppers together. With the sporting world still gradually being reinstated to normalcy, the upcoming football matches in Spain promise to be that rush of adrenaline and the perfect opportunity to bring people together.”

LaLiga’s Managing Director for SEA Ivan Codina commented, “Alongside our fans, we long for the time when we can return to the stadiums and celebrate the passion of live football action of LaLiga in person. In this situation, together with ShopBack, we wish to remind our consumers that we are ‘better together’ despite being physically apart. With the pent-up demand to travel and experience live sports continuing to build, the grand prize is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we know would excite fans.” 

Singapore – French prestige beauty company Sephora in Singapore has now partnered with buy now-pay later service Atome, to allow customers flexible payment options on their e-commerce website, mobile app, and brick & mortar stores.

For Alia Gogi, Sephora Asia’s president, the recent move ensures safer payment options for the consumers.

“The shopping behavior and profile of Sephora customers has evolved in the last few years, but especially so this year. They now not only expect a secure, seamless, and easy payment experience but also flexibility and choice in how they shop and pay for their beauty products online, on mobile, and in-stores.”

She added, ”We’re delighted to partner with Atome in introducing ‘buy now pay later’ flexible payment options to first our Singapore — and later Malaysian — customers, enhancing their shopping experience both online and in our stores.”

Alia Gogi and David Chen
(Left) Alia Gogi, President of Sephora Asia; (Right) David Chen, CEO of Atome

David Chen, CEO of Atome, commented, “We’re really humbled to partner Sephora, a global brand that is not only a leader in beauty and retail, but is also constantly evolving and staying on the forefront of the latest consumer shopping behaviors and payment trends. We’re thrilled to be able to offer Sephora customers in Singapore, and later Malaysia, a safe, easy, and flexible payment experience, especially as we enter the festive end-of-year shopping season.”

Atome is available on the App Store and on Google Play.