Singapore – UK-based fintech company Revolut is expanding its Singapore regional team by adding two more key persons to the company’s local growth team.
Sam Chui is Revolut Singapore’s new senior marketing manager, wherein she will be responsible for leading new marketing initiatives and exploring new creative ways to engage with potential customers. Prior to her current position, she has worked previously with marketing brands for UOB, Singtel, and Eu Yan Sang.
“Revolut has been sinking its roots deep into the local market and the opportunity to help drive its growth in the years to come greatly excites me,” Chui says.
Meanwhile, Deborah Tan-Pink, former CEO of edtech startup SmartUp, joins the company’s local rank as senior communications manager, where she will be responsible for brand awareness, media, and public/private organization connections.
“I’m excited to see what wonderful stories we can build around Revolut and its services,” she says. “We mustn’t forget that, ultimately, a customer needs to see how a service fits into their lifestyle and personal aspirations,” Pink stated.
Both of the two new hires will report to Pam Chuang, Revolut Singapore’s head of growth.
With the regional branch of Revolut reaching its first anniversary, Revolut Junior, an app for teaching kids on financial management and Revolut Business, an app for opening business bank accounts, are some of the upcoming services the company will offer this year.
Singapore – With consumers homebound during the pandemic, online video has been gaining popularity among Singaporeans, with streaming reaching an average of eight hours and 42 minutes per week, according to a study by tech company Limelight Networks. This is higher than the global average of seven hours and 44 minutes per week, a 14% increase from the past year.
The report also showed that four in 10 have subscribed to additional streaming services in the last six months. The longer hours spent at home came out as the top reason for the increase (36%), with the availability of new content emerging as a driver for subscriptions (22%).
Being price cautious, Singaporeans have also resorted to actions to become more economical. More than half, or 55%, of consumers, will cancel a streaming subscription due to high prices, higher than the global average of 47%. Meanwhile, almost three in 10 Singaporeans, or 29%, admit to sharing login information or using someone else’s account. Furthermore, the report also found that for most Singaporeans, delays are a dealbreaker, with 66% stating that they would be more likely to stream an undelayed live event.
In terms of the type of content, TV shows and movies are the most popular, with both being watched by Singaporeans for an average of four hours and 24 minutes weekly.
Globally,watching user-generated content has doubled over the past year to an average of four hours per week. In Singapore, YouTube dominates as the most preferred platform for watching user-generated content (68%), followed by Facebook (12%).
Edwin Koh, director of Southeast Asia at Limelight Networks said “Online video demand has clearly accelerated in Singapore this year, especially with so many people turning to video for entertainment, information, and communication as they spend more time at home due to COVID-19. Our research shows that with the rise in viewers and subscriptions, it is critical that content providers have the right combination of the content consumers want, the infrastructure to scale to meet demand and technology to give them the best possible viewing experiences.”
Singapore – Consumers within the Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) and Singapore markets have shown mixed consumer behaviors with the upcoming holiday seasons, a report from advertising analytics company Blis showed.
The study focused on three indicators that reported greater impact on consumer behavior during the global pandemic crisis. These include geographical location, modifications to mobility, and the psychological need for interaction.
ANZ showed contrasting consumer behavior in going out of their homes. Australia tallied 41% of the respondents that showed caution during June this year, albeit the rate has since then changed to 26% in September. On the other hand, New Zealand carried greater confidence at going outside, with a 54% rate in June, albeit slightly dropping to 49% in September due to resurgence of new cases in the country.
About 41% of the respondents in Singapore, on the other hand, wanted to leave their houses with 21% stating that they are cautious.
In terms of mobility behavior, Singapore demonstrated greater confidence for public transport mobility, with 32% showing positive notes, while ANZ clocked 21% and 26% respectively in terms of mobility confidence. The study noted that effective lockdown measures are a prime cause of these consumer markets showing greater confidence in going outside.
When it comes to psychological behavior, New Zealanders reflected a higher percentage of taking the risk to visit food-related establishments, such as restaurants and bars, which tallied a 46% response rate. On the other hand, Australia and Singapore had less confidence to eat outside, with a 35% and 31% response rate respectively.
As the holiday season is fastly approaching, the ANZ market reported greater interest in spending their festive shopping at a physical store (AU, 33%; NZ 36%) yet have mixed views on spending limit (NZ: same amount as last year, AU: less spending). On the other hand, Singapore showed uncertainty whether they will shop in-store or online, yet showed behavior of shopping earlier for the festivities.
Singapore – With a goal towards a larger ad market target, Singapore-based ad-tech company Adzymic has joined hands with branding and ad-tech firms in Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan to bring its full suite of dynamic creative solutions to advertisers. This comes after the company’s expansion to Australia and India in 2019.
One of the company’s flagship advertisement solutions is the ‘Dynamic Creative Management Platform’ which functions as advertising transformation of physical to digital media, such as banners, carousel ads and social display ads, allowing advertisers to create ads without the need for coding experience. The company also offers a ‘Smart Tag’ technology, which enables advertisers to create personal ads through behavior tracking, machine learning algorithms, and updates.
For Hong Kong and Thailand, the company has officially tied up with Maadtech Global, a programming integrator solutions company, while also partnering with another Thai firm Spikebrand, a branding solutions company. Meanwhile for its Japan expansion, a collaboration has been forged with Atlas Associates, a local-based ad-tech startup focused on social networking site (SNS) management tools.
“Asia is expected to surpass North America as the biggest ad spender globally by 2021. 4 Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand are very exciting for us, both from a creative and growth perspective. They are known for their incredibly creative ads, and together with our partners’ local knowledge and network, we will deliver high impact campaigns with brands and agencies,” said Kenniess Wong, co-founder and executive director of Adzymic.
Adzymic, since its founding, has been involved with large brand partnerships, including DBS, Sony Pictures, Toyota and Esplanade Singapore.
Singapore – Singapore Airlines (SIA) has rolled out Kris+, an all-new app that brings payment, lifestyle, and rewards services together in one platform for its customers.
Building on the strengths and popularity of the existing KrisPay app, the app is not just a loyalty wallet but a platform that will provide dining, retail, and entertainment discounts. It will also be offering customers the option to earn miles from everyday spending or pay for purchases and experiences with these miles.
SIA shared that the investment into Kris+ is part of the company’s ongoing strategy to drive non-airline revenue streams in the coming years.
With an updated interface and user experience, Kris+ will allow Singapore Airlines to personalize offers for its global customer base via location-based or interest-based recommendations, offer discounts, miles-back, instant rewards, and exclusive birthday and pay per sale privileges,
Currently, Kris+ has more than 150 partners with over 650 outlets in Singapore providing customized deals with privileges for customers. In addition, Singapore residents who travel abroad will be able to enjoy special offers and rewards in January 2021 when Kris+ brings on board overseas partners and merchants in selected destinations to the platform.
Meanwhile, KrisPay has been integrated into Kris+, and will soon be enhanced with other in-app payment options to allow users to simultaneously earn more miles with each purchase.
Acting Senior Vice President Marketing Planning JoAnn Tan said, “Our vision is to create a comprehensive and updated lifestyle and payments ecosystem with Kris+. This will offer even more and better options and benefits for our global customer base, and bring additional value to our partners around the world.”
To celebrate the much-anticipated launch of Kris+, SIA will be offering a slew of promotions for users including 30% instant miles-back on purchases redeemed with miles until 26 October 2020. Other deals over October and November include bonus miles earn campaigns and more mile-back campaigns in addition to S$1 and S$2 deals from selected partners, one-for-one dining deals, and discounts at selected retail partners in Singapore.
Singapore – P&G-owned skincare brand Olay has launched a brand new campaign – Adult Fearlessly – and it has partnered with Shopee to exclusively run it on its platform ahead of Olay’s special sale event Brand Day. The event will be held on October 14 to 16.
The campaign seeks to reach and engage with millennial women around Southeast Asia to bring a message of empowerment that they can #adultfearlessly, and overcome the perceived challenges of “adulting,” such as that with investing in their skincare needs.
Together with Shopee, Olay has conceptualized and co-created content such as a video called “Fearless with your choices,” which aims to shift the mindsets of millennials as they confront their fears of turning 30. It is also said to highlight the positive aspects of the journey leading up to such age.
The campaign will be rolled out in phases across six markets including Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Lucy Moran, Senior eCommerce Director of Olay for APAC shared that the brand wants to focus on how consumers are integrating their lifestyle with their skin needs.
“As one of the top facial skincare brands in the world, we are continually innovating and advancing the way we connect with our consumers. With e-commerce driving a major shift from offline to online sales, there is potential to achieve further growth in this segment,” said Moran.
“Riding on this momentum to broaden our reach in Southeast Asia, we are partnering with Shopee once again to bring more engaging and convenient experiences online, where consumers are able to access Olay products– all at the click of a button,” she added.
Meanwhile, Shopee’s Regional Managing Director Ian Ho said that the Health & Beauty category is one of the top-performing on the platform as the new normal has driven even more consumers to browse and buy skin care products online.
“We are proud to be able to support Olay in their e-commerce growth through this campaign. Our shared consumer insights and widening base of millennial users have enabled a hyperlocal strategy for Olay to deliver the best online shopping experience. We are confident in supporting Olay to achieve another successful campaign with us,” said Ho.
This will be the second collaboration between the two brands. In April, Olay’s regional campaign for its Retinol 24 product line was also run by the partnership with Shopee.
Singapore – Fintech Revolut in Singapore has tied up with micro-insurance provider SNACK to offer its products to its customers.
Developed by direct insurer NTUC Income, SNACK’s main value proposition is “bite-sized” lifestyle insurance products that can be availed through small premium contributions starting at S$0.30. It offers three main types of policies, namely, life, critical illness, and personal accident protection.
The “lifestyle-based” in their products refers to the unique way in which SNACK enables individuals to purchase a policy whenever they perform a daily activity or its so-called “lifestyle trigger.” These activities include petrol top-ups, groceries, and dining out. Whenever an activity is completed, a micro-insurance policy will be issued and the premium will be charged to the selected payment mode on SNACK. The coverage grows each time the person completes a trigger, and the sum of all effective policies at that point in time becomes the total coverage amount.
In celebration of the partnership, SNACK will be offering a one-time free S$500 insurance coverage to all Revolut customers who will successfully register on SNACK.
On a LinkedIn post, Revolut’s Head of Growth Pam Chuang said that the partnership allows the company to create a better connected digital ecosystem that leverages the strengths of each other’s platform.
“SNACK’s modular approach to bite-sized microinsurance fitted to lifestyle needs complements Revolut’s all-in-one personal financial super app, optimizing the customer experience to drive greater empowerment with today’s digital-first lifestyle, where convenience, customization, and flexibility are key,” wrote Chuang.
Revolut was first launched in the UK in 2015. It offers services such as money transfer and exchanges as well as budget planning.
Singapore – The Singaporean branch of Philippines-grown restaurant brand Jollibee has decided to spruce up its menu, by bringing its local take of the dish Nasi Lemak.
Nasi Lemak, which has its origins in Malay cuisine, consists of fragrant rice that has been soaked in coconut milk and cooked with Pandan leaf that gives it its distinct flavor. It is a staple favorite in neighboring countries Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and even Philippines; each having its unique take on the dish.
The Nasi Lemak dish is a variant to Jollibee’s signature meal consisting of “Chickenjoy.” Instead of the usual rice, the new dish will be served with traditional Nasi Lemak sides: coconut rice, hot spicy sauce Sambal, small fried anchoviescalled Ikan Bilis, and cucumber slices.
As per usual, customers can order the chicken either in original or spicy flavor. The meal’s starting price is at S$5 and can be ordered via in-store or food delivery apps.
This month, MARKETECH APAC truly lived up to its name. For the top 5 stories this September, we saw a diverse set of newsmakers hailing from around the APAC region.
The top stories were identified based on Google Analytics from August 17 to September 15. In the list, two great brands from Southeast Asia and East Asia flexed their creative prowess to showcase novel brand marketing moves. Marketing leaders also continue to dominate the list; a marketing executive from South Asia recounted her almost two-decade marketing journey, another one, an APAC business director filled us in on a growing buying trend that no one saw coming amid the pandemic, while a significant appointment from ANZ also grabbed people’s attention this month.
Top 5: Shopee gets fictional character Phua Chu Kang as new face of the brand
Ever since eCommerce platform Shopee was launched, it has only been putting its trust to big, international names to represent its brand – that would be Kpop girl band Blackpink and professional footballer Cristian Ronaldo. During its 9.9 super sale, the brand decided to show what hyper localization really means by getting not just any local personality, but a deeply rooted cultural icon – sitcom character Phua Chu Kang.
Phua Chu Kang, played by actor Gurmit Singh, is the title character of the longest-running sitcom by network Mediacorp, which revolves around the misadventures of the Phu family.
The show ran from 1996-2007, and within that time, Singaporeans grew to love the eccentric, overly confident, and yellow-boots wearing contractor. So what has truly made the Shopee team go for this rather unconventional stint?
Speaking to MARKETECH APAC, Head of Marketing Tiger Wang said, “The [appointment] marks another milestone for us as we continue to build on the hyper-localized approach and deepen our engagement with the local audiences. Phua Chu Kang is a household name and a celebrity, [and] local icon. His ability to resonate with and unite local communities aligns with Shopee’s vision, making him the best choice for us.”
Top 4: Hong Kong-based Towngas cooking academy extends its expertise to YouTube
Amid in-person limitations during the ongoing pandemic, many brands and businesses alike have turned to the virtual side of things. Take Hong Kong-based cooking school Towngas Cooking Centre as an example. The culinary academy which has flame cooking at the core of its program, has gotten things rolling this September as it forayed to YouTube this month, and it doesn’t stop at that. It has a bunch of high-caliber celebrity chefs to boot, tapped to showcase the school’s virtual sessions.
Healthy Monday, French Wednesday, Culinary Tips4U, and Star Chef Weekend and Sunday Mom & Dad are just some of the quirky-titled lessons that are slated for its YouTube viewers.
General Manager for Retail Marketing & Sales Catherine Wong said that the occurrence of COVID has definitely pushed Hong Kongers to prefer home-cooked meals to dining out, and this is what ultimately brought the brand to make the most out of the situation.
Jasrita’s marketing expertise expands almost two decades, where she’s worked with a list of well-known brands such as consumer product giant Procter & Gamble, hospitality brand Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, and television media company NDTV before having focused entirely on brand and marketing for healthcare services.
Currently, she is the assistant vice president for healthcare provider Fortis Healthcare in India. When we sat down with Jasrita during her #MARKETECHMondays episode, she shared some very helpful advice that could be very well treated as a guiding light to budding marketers.
“I just have two things to say to [marketers]; the first is, please never forget why you decided to become a marketer. There would be times in your journey when you’re feeling low, but constantly remind yourself [your why], [which is] because you want to be your consumer’s voice inside your organization,” said Jasrita.
‘The second is keep upgrading; it’s nobody else’s responsibility to upgrade your skills. Because your consumer is going to keep changing; there are new avenues, [mediums], [and] new platforms. You have to have their pulse,” added Jasrita.
Top 2: Stella Berry’s take on a new phenomenon in shopping amid the pandemic
Have you heard of revenge shopping? We bet not, but we too are sure that it would be a term soon to ring bells. In a nutshell, revenge shopping goes hand in hand with luxury shopping. It is a phenomenon that sees luxury stores opening their doors to shopping-starved consumers looking to avenge their months spent holed up at home during the lockdown.
This month, Regional Business Director of mobile advertising solutions Adludio, Stella Berry dedicated a full thought leadership article on the buying trend.
Stella said that it is a testament to the unique relationship consumers have with luxury.
“No one could have predicted that after months of lockdown, the need for luxury goods has resulted in long queues outside of boutiques. This phenomenon is the result of brands, really making the effort in continuing to engage with people even during the lockdown,’ shared Stella.
All looking positive for brands and consumers, but Stella also puts out a caution.
“Returning to business as usual at this [rapidly] accelerated pace could bring about a negative impact [on] the environment, and consequences on sustainability. So luxury marketers need to find their balance to ensure the brand continues to remain sustainable, but also well-loved,” said Stella.
Top 1: Cognizant ANZ ropes in former PwC executive Jane Livesey
Livesey breathes and lives IT. At PwC, she led over 800 IT professionals for the company’s technology consulting practice team in Australia; while for 12 years, she served as tech managing director for Accenture. With a seasoned IT experience under her belt, Livesey has also become an active advocate for women in the field of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, or STEAM.
It hasn’t been very long since Jane settled into the role, and as we checked up on her, she shared with us, “It’s been great to join Cognizant and hit the ground running in Australia and New Zealand. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had conversations with both our clients and our teams. At Cognizant, we are focused on how to enable organizations in ANZ to keep on top of era-defining innovations and drive growth in the face of continuous technological and market changes. As CEO of ANZ, my priority is to provide local enterprises and governments with high-quality, market-leading digital transformation capabilities that enhance the lives of people and support digital-first.”
Watch the MARKETECH APAC REPORTS of these top five stories, with exclusive appearance and commentary from the newsmakers themselves.
If you have interesting stories, thought-leadership pieces, and case studies in the area of marketing, technology, media platforms, and SME, please send us an email at [email protected]. Who knows your story could be part of our top 5 next month.
Singapore – Amazon has announced that its annual deal event Prime Day will be running on its official dates, October 13 and 14. The event will be a first for Amazon Singapore since it launched last year.
Aside from the discounts and savings in store for shoppers, Amazon will be launching e-Gift Cards on the event. Amazon.sg’s e-Gift cards can be redeemed on an extensive selection of products and during Prime Day, members who purchase at least S$50 e-Gift card in a single transaction will be able to receive a bonus e-Gift card of S$10.
Amazon will also be introducing 10 new categories of products on Amazon.sg during the event. These will be musical instruments, gardening, furniture, jewelry, and watches, as well as luggage, business industrial, scientific supplies, and also video DVD, music, and software.
Starting October 1, customers can already shop early exclusive offers and deals on Amazon.sg leading up to Prime Day. Each day from October 1 to 12, items from one of Amazon’s category will be up for a 30 – 45% discount.
“This year’s Prime Day is an amazing opportunity for Prime members to enjoy savings with thousands of deals, explore our new expanded selection and get their holiday shopping done early, all from the comfort of their homes. In the midst of an unprecedented year, we’re excited for Prime members in Singapore and worldwide to discover new ways to support local retailers and save big on everything they need and love,” said Henry Low, country manager of Amazon Singapore.
In an effort to build on the momentum of the event, Amazon Singapore has also partnered with digital media Mothership to launch a shopper personality quiz on the site to help shoppers discover their shopper persona.
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