Tag: Singapore

Singapore – HSBC, alongside its partnership with advertising agency Wunderman Thompson Singapore, has recently unveiled its latest marketing initiative, showcasing the exciting possibilities of wealth creation through the strategic technology use and global wealth expertise.

For this campaign, the company aims to simplify the complexities of investments, encouraging individuals to proactively plan for a comfortable retirement. 

Said initiative also exemplified HSBC’s prowess in easing the challenges of investing by providing personalised wealth solutions, achieved through a blend of advanced technologies and financial expertise.

Notably, the campaign features acclaimed Hong Kong actress Louise Wong, serving as an exemplary figure for empowered clients who can confidently manage their wealth to shape the future they desire with their loved ones.

The integrated marketing campaign is scheduled to run across various platforms, including cinema, out-of-home billboards, digital, print, social channels, and even in-flight screens. Its overarching goal is to inspire people to initiate the journey of wealth creation for their future.

Singapore – After Tim Hortons APAC and multinational conglomerate Marubeni Corporation entered into an expansion partnership back in March this year, popular coffee chain Tim Hortons finally announced its debut in Singapore around November this year, with its first branch opening at VivoCity.

The expansion plays off into a fierce competition to dominate the coffee scene not only in Singapore but also in Southeast Asia. For instance, despite Flash Coffee announcing its exit in Singapore earlier this year, Indonesian coffee startup Kopi Kenangan made its recent debut in Singapore also this year.

Amidst a growing competition in the Singaporean coffee industry, MARKETECH APAC caught up exclusively with Vaibhav Punj, chief executive officer at Tim Hortons and MGCA Café; to learn more about their marketing strategies to flourish in this diverse consumer market.

Respecting the vibrant coffee scene through local offerings

Punj told MARKETECH APAC that knowing Singapore has a vibrant coffee culture, Tim Hortons immediately ‘felt at home’ already, considering that the chain’s 50-year expertise of coffee brewing and responsibly sourced coffee across the world will fit well to the local tastes of the Singaporean consumer.

“We currently have four different signature coffee blends which are expertly crafted by experienced Coffee Masters and roasted carefully in individual batches by Roast Masters who ensure the highest quality and consistency of each Tim Hortons cup. This commitment to quality also extends to our food where all Sourdough Melts, Donuts & Timbits are freshly prepared daily and always served with care,” he stated.

Singapore as a launchpad to expand offerings to SEA

He further added that Singapore presents an exciting opportunity for Tim Hortons’ expansion into Southeast Asia, driven by compelling factors. 

Citing a report by the International Coffee Organization, the surge in global coffee consumption, notably within Southeast Asia, offers a promising avenue for growth. 

“Leveraging Singapore’s esteemed global position, we see it as an ideal launchpad for Tim Hortons’ offerings in the region. Understanding Singaporeans’ deep passion for coffee, seeing it as more than just a drink but a core part of their lifestyle, resonates with our commitment to delivering exceptional coffee experiences beyond the ordinary,” he explained.

What’s next for Tim Hortons in SEA?

Punj notes that aside from its planned expansion to Malaysia and Indonesia next year after regulation processes, Tim Hortons plans to open more outlets in Singapore: NEX in December, Suntec in January 2024 and One Raffles Place in April 2024.

Aside from this, they are also planning to build an innovation pipeline to introduce more iconic favourites including localised flavours into their menu, and many of these inputs have come from their guests who have been an inspiring source of ideas and feedback.

Lastly, they have also launched their app in Singapore which includes a loyalty program that offers exclusive member benefits and rewards as they spend with them. Punj also added that they are working to enable a seamless ordering experience that includes app and web ordering for dine-in, pre-order pickup and delivery.

“Singapore’s strategic location and the local market’s enthusiasm for innovative coffee brands serve as a catalyst for our expansion plans into Malaysia and Indonesia. This strategic alignment combines market appeal, economic viability, and cultural resonance, positioning Tim Hortons for substantial growth within this vibrant Southeast Asian market,” he concluded.

Singapore – Global financial superapp Revolut has officially launched a first-of-its-kind, limited edition 24-karat gold-plated card for its users in Singapore.

Revolut’s new gold card underscores the company’s goal of continuously providing its users with a variety of eye-catching card designs that are not only innovative but also involve the customers in the creative process.

Made through a meticulous design process, the limited edition card is carefully crafted from a single sheet of reinforced steel that is plated in real 24-karat gold. Users who will have the opportunity to have the card must handle it with care and not combine it with sharp objects to avoid any scratches on its soft and real gold plating.

The gold card can be redeemed for free by the app’s top 100 spenders from December 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024. Another set of cards will also be given for free to the top 50 spenders in December 2023 and 50 in January 2024.

Revolut’s luxurious 24k gold card is the newest of its exclusive designs, following its current metal card offering that is available in lavender, rose gold, space grey, and black. The company is also offering personalised cards to customers on paid plans, where they can add emojis or freehand drawings to their cards.

Ashley Thomas, head of strategy and operations at Revolut Singapore, said, “We are always looking to provide our customers with card designs that are unique and reflect their personalities. Our users carry their Revolut card almost everywhere they go, across the world. Why not add some character and flair to each transaction they make? The 24-karat gold-plated card is made for those who are looking to add some luxury to their lives.”

Singapore – Telecommunications company Singtel has recently announced its partnership with television channel Nickelodeon to launch an electronic waste recycling campaign to raise greater awareness of the impact of e-waste on the planet, and how recycling helps in reducing one’s environmental footprint.

Dubbed ‘Go Green with the Turtles’, the integrated campaign features Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, encouraging members of the public to drop off their unwanted electronic devices at designated recycling bins at selected Singtel shops.

With the campaign running from December 1,2023 to February 29, 2024, the items will be refurbished by Engineering Good, Singtel’s non-profit device circularity partner, and distributed to vulnerable communities so that they too can enjoy the benefits of a digital lifestyle. 

The campaign includes a series of animated videos featuring the Turtles rallying viewers to become “eco-ninjas” and join them in their mission to reduce e-waste, or as they call it, ‘technotrash’.

These will be aired on Nickelodeon as well as other English channels on Singtel TV, Singtel TV GO and the CAST app, Singtel and Nickelodeon’s social media channels, as well as four Singtel shops. There will also be a booth at Singapore Comic Con where visitors can meet their favourite Turtle heroes, take part in challenges to win attractive prizes and enjoy event-exclusive freebies. Singtel customers get 10% off tickets to the convention.

Talking about the campaign, Diana Chen, managing director, customer management at Singtel Singapore, said, “Singtel is committed to playing its part to bring about a greener future. In keeping with our goal of achieving net zero by 2045, we’ve been taking active steps to improve our energy efficiency across our mobile base stations, increase the use of renewable energy sources and reduce packaging to minimise our environmental impact.”

“We’re pleased to partner like-minded organisations such as Nickelodeon and Engineering Good to raise greater awareness of climate change and device circularity among the public. We want to inspire more people, especially families with kids, to take steps, no matter how small, to fight the effects of the climate crisis,” she added.

Singapore – With over 40% of consumers making purchases, the latest data from market research company YouGov revealed that Facebook emerged as the top social media platform for online shopping in Singapore.

Among the platforms, TikTok and Instagram are tied next at the same level, each securing an average of 26%, followed by YouTube at 20%. Notably, 40% of the respondents reported not having made any purchases through social media platforms.

In terms of purchase frequency, 52% of Singaporean consumers are classified as occasional buyers, shopping less than once a month, while 36% are frequent buyers, shopping more than once a month. Meanwhile, 11% are not sure about their shopping frequency.

Interestingly, a greater usage among Singaporean millennial buyers was also indicated, compared to Generation Z. In particular, millennials lead as frequent buyers (44%), and Singaporean Generation Z leans towards occasional buying (63%).

Furthermore, Facebook also ranked first as the most frequently used app for purchases, with 74% in favor, followed by TikTok at 58% and YouTube at 51%. On the other hand, the usage distribution shifts slightly among occasional buyers, with 61% using Facebook, 41% favouring Instagram, and 38% opting for TikTok.

Meanwhile, the data also revealed the factors affecting consumers buying via social media. This includes the risk of scams (70%), lack of trust (67%), and unclear return and exchange policies (49%). Many are likely to be hindered by poor customer service (42%), technical issues (36%), and unsuccessful payment methods (31%).

When asked what aspects may improve their social media purchasing experience, greater customer service came out on top (79%), followed by faster and more reliable delivery (74%), and secure payment methods (73%). 62% of shoppers prefer enhanced product search and filtering features.

Lastly, the integration of augmented reality (AR) for virtual product try-ons marks a promising frontier in the evolution of social commerce, with 36% of consumers saying this will enhance their overall shopping experience on social media.

Singapore – Popeyes in Singapore has announced the launch of its first-ever dating show, which invites daters to crank up the heat with spicy questions based on the levels of spiciness of their menu items.

This campaign, conceptualised alongside Happiness Saigon, challenges contestants with 3 levels of spicy questions mimicking the intensity of 3 levels of Smoky Sriracha menu items. Just like Popeyes is making their normal menu items spicier with the Smoky Sriracha sauce, their spicy questions are adding some heat to normal conversations.

This dating show stint is also made in line with promoting Popeyes’ new Smoky Sriracha collection.

Moreover, the campaign–titled ‘Spice Up That Love’–succeeds not only in presenting the product in a fun and engaging way but also in building brand love for Popeyes as an entertaining and creative brand. 

Lien Sterkens, head of content at Happiness Saigon, said, “Audiences nowadays want to be entertained. Instead of competing in a saturated market of promoting new menu items, we let Popeyes create their own category: a dating show. The shift from brand to content creator is an important one for Popeyes in 2023.”

This is Happiness Saigon’s recent work with Popeyes Singapore, the previous one being related to launching a hotline to allow the customer to vent out their woes in exchange for chicken.

Singapore – Independent public relations and communications firm Blue Totem Communications has announced the promotion of Clement Foo to senior account director and Jolyn Mo to account director as it works to expand its client base and offerings. 

Foo brings with him an expanded portfolio of experience having worked with Blue Totem since 2017, where he managed and led clients such as Yahoo, SMART, Jebsen & Jessen, and MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore. He also played an integral role in charting the agency’s expansion into B2B marketing, content marketing, video production, and website development. 

Meanwhile, Mo served as the Blue Totem’s consumer client head, working with brands such as 7-Eleven, General Assembly, True Group, and Eu Yan Sang International. She is also deeply involved in growing the agency’s influencer marketing and engagement capabilities and delivering campaign-winning initiatives.

Foo and Mo’s promotions follow the elevation of Gavin Choo to the consultant role and Mahima Gupta and Glenn Tan as associate consultants earlier this year. The agency also welcomed new account executives, Eileen Kang, Mariam De La Zilwa, and Sheila Lim, all of whom bring with them experiences relevant to the job.

As the agency solidifies its leadership ranks, it ensures that its teams and individuals’ success is celebrated and recognised through a bi-annual review cycle. With this, Blue Totem can provide the necessary opportunities for their employees to be innovative and grow.

Andrew Wong, managing director at Blue Totem, said, “Clement and Jolyn have demonstrated clear leadership qualities essential in delivering award-winning campaigns and shaping our unique agency culture, growth, and success. Our culture is our winning strength and is the foundation upon which our success is built. Clement and Jolyn both live the Blue Totem values and have created an inclusive, supportive, and high-performance environment for the team.”

Singapore – Independent data and digital transformation company ADA, has recently forged a partnership with data and AI company Databricks, aiming to provide best-in-class technology solutions to boost the company’s corporate value. 

In this collaborative endeavour, ADA intends to combine its data and AI skills with Databricks, focusing on better ecommerce and marketing analytics. Specifically, they are set to establish a data intelligence platform centred around addressing business challenges across the 12 regions in APAC where ADA operates.

For this particular platform, ADA will use powerful data and AI accelerators which encompass bespoke ecommerce data models. As such, this will provide organisations with essential insights and predictive analytics to help them fine-tune their online operations.

Furthermore, ADA’s dynamic pricing model will enable real-time market adaptation, optimizing revenue potential. It will also enhance data marketplace offerings leveraging its proprietary X-ACT data and integrating services like Composable Customer Data Platform (CDP), demand forecasting, and price optimization. 

This provides a versatile framework for businesses to effectively utilize customer data for personalized engagement, underlining ADA’s commitment to equipping businesses with cutting-edge, data-driven tools on Databricks Platform.

Speaking about this venture, Greg Taylor, vice president, partners, APJ, at Databricks, said, “The ability to uncover actionable insights from data has never been more important as enterprises look to adapt, innovate and better prepare for the future in this AI age. ADA has deep industry experience in creating value for both B2B and B2C organisations by leveraging data for applications such as customer acquisition and customer data clean rooms, to name a few.”

“We’re excited to be working with ADA as they leverage the power of Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to help organizations solve their toughest problems with data,” he added. 

Srinivas Gattamneni, chief executive officer at ADA, also shared his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “We’re excited about our partnership with Databricks, a pivotal step in revolutionizing data and digital transformation in APAC. By integrating our Data and AI solutions with Databricks’ cutting-edge Data Intelligence Platform, we are actively redefining the future of data analytics and transformation. 

“This alliance is a testament to ADA’s dedication not only to advancing AI-driven analytics but also to providing comprehensive data transformation services that enable businesses to navigate and excel in an increasingly digital world, ” he concluded. 

By enhancing the company’s data marketplace offers, this particular initiative spotlights ADA’s commitment to provide companies with modern, data-driven solutions as well as flexible frameworks that leverage customer data for personalised engagement.

Singapore – As a key to further advancing the leadership across the region, S4Capital’s digital operating arm, Media.Monks, has appointed Matthew Godfrey as the new executive vice president and head of content for the APAC region.

Having more than 15 years of experience, Godfrey has an extensive background in innovation and creative business management, bringing together the company’s entrepreneurial drive as well as the capacity to develop its aspirations.

For this role, he aspires to position the company towards a new era, introducing “We Are Now” mission, an initiative aimed at driving industries forward, charting a course toward ambitious outcomes, and enabling clients and individuals to unlock their complete growth potential.

He also intends to leverage creative innovation and cutting-edge technology for a more efficient delivery scale, impact, and among APAC’s leading and fast-moving brands. 

Initial plans for his term include the company’s expansion into key markets such as China, Australia, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, which will be supported by content excellence hub offices in Malaysia and India.

Following this remarkable feat, Matthew shared his enthusiasm about this role, stating, “The content industry is now at a very dynamic time. As global leaders in AI, social media, and all digital platforms, Media.Monks is ideally placed to help APAC brands create and orchestrate powerful and efficient communication solutions. The opportunity for innovation has never been greater, and I’m excited to help APAC clients gain a competitive advantage by accessing our incredible talent.”

On the other hand, Bruno Lambertini, co-CEO, content, at Media.Monks, also stressed the importance of Matthew’s appointment, saying, “Matt has everything we are looking for as we reshape our leadership structure at Media.Monks in APAC. With an extensive background in the region and a wealth of knowledge based on his experience in the market, we are confident Matt is the right person to drive the business forward, fostering our client relations.

“He will add a lot of value to our vision, especially when it comes to the single P&L and single brand, along with our mission to shift industries forward by reshaping how businesses interact with the world,” Lambertini concluded.

With this appointment, Godfrey will work with Kenny Griffiths, the managing director of APAC of data, digital, and media, in which they will connect a single global P&L model to the next level in APAC.

Singapore – The World Wide Fund for Nature-Singapore (WWF-Singapore) has announced that Vivek Kumar will take over the role of the organisation’s chief executive officer role from R. Raghunathan, who held the role for more than three and a half years. The transition officially takes happen on January 1, 2024.

Kumar brings a wealth of diverse leadership experience spanning over two decades, including notable tenures at multinational corporations, and in Singapore’s public sector. Vivek was previously an assistant director-general at the National Trades Union Congress and a board member of Labour Movement entities such as NTUC Link. 

He has also served as a board member at Enterprise Singapore, Infocomm Media, Development Authority and Assurity Trusted Solutions (a wholly owned subsidiary of GovTech Singapore).

Kumar joined WWF-Singapore back in 2021 as its chief marketing and communications officer and was promoted to the role of chief marketing, communications and fundraising officer in February this year. He is also the architect of the inaugural WWF Global Earth Hour Summit 2023.

Speaking on his new role, he said, “WWF-Singapore strives to bring people together to act for nature and our shared well-being. This purpose is more relevant for our planet today than perhaps ever before. It is an honour to be designated to lead a team of talented and dedicated fellow Pandas at WWF-Singapore. We will work with our donors, supporters, corporate partners, and policymakers to create a sustainable future for all of us.”

Meanwhile, Hsieh Fu Hua, chairman of the WWF-Singapore board, commented, “The Board appreciates Raghu’s dedicated service to the organisation. Under Raghu’s leadership, the organisation navigated the challenges posed by the pandemic and achieved growth in local conservation efforts and community engagements. We are confident that the organisation is poised to achieve an even greater impact under his successor, Vivek, and his team.”