Tag: Singapore

Singapore – TRIPTK, a brand transformation studio within Havas Group, has expanded its regional expertise and global innovation capabilities through the opening of a new APAC regional hub in Singapore.

TRIPTK Singapore will be led by Louise Newson who joins as Principal for Singapore with 14 years of expertise in innovation, foresight, and growth strategy across Asia and Europe.

Meanwhile, Laura Tan and Alyson Ho join the Singapore team as associate strategy directors. Tan has experience in trends, foresight, and business strategy for clients in APAC whilst Ho brings with him background in brand and innovation consulting for global and regional B2B and B2C brands.

Havas said TRIPTK serves as a transformation partner for brands “in search of bold change and meaningful growth.” It was founded in partnership with Havas in New York in 2017 and has expanded globally, with a data and analytics hub in Amsterdam, a design studio in Mexico City, and a Europe regional hub in London. Its multi-disciplinary global team offers data and insight, strategy, innovation and design capabilities to help brands be more purpose-driven, consumer-centric and culturally magnetic. 

TRIPTK has already been delivering work in the APAC region for blue chip clients and TRIPTK Singapore is seen to deepen TRIPTK’s global innovation expertise for its existing partners, which include Netflix, VF Corporation, Diageo, Estee Lauder Companies and Marriott International. The regional hub will also serve a dynamic and growing market of APAC headquartered clients. 

Speaking about her new role, Newson said, “APAC is amongst the fastest growing and innovative regions in the world; by 2040 it is predicted to top 50% of the world’s GDP and drive 40% of global consumption. As Asia rises as a centre for innovation, brand leaders increasingly need a partner that can decode the market and develop culturally relevant propositions. It’s towards this huge opportunity that I’m thrilled to join such a dynamic and capability-rich firm as TRIPTK. The team in Singapore has a strong working relationship forged over many years and we’re already exploring some fascinating client briefs. We’re excited for the future, and look forward to partnering with brands to drive bold change and meaningful growth.” 

“The appointment of this highly talented and experienced team in APAC is one more step on our journey to being a truly global brand transformation partner. The strategic importance and complexity of the APAC region demands a team with deep local and regional expertise who can decode ever-changing market dynamics and develop new strategies, products and services for our clients. I am thrilled to be welcoming Louise and the team into the business,” said Sam Hornsby, TRIPTK Founder and CEO. 

In September, Havas Group tied up with Malaysia-based comms agency Invictus Blue. The partnership between the two aims to provide media and integrated requirements for Havas clients.

Singapore – Creative agency BLKJ Havas has announced the promotion of Guilherme Machado as its executive creative director to strengthen the agency’s creative offering whilst pursuing more clients and campaigns on a pan-regional level.

In his new role, Machado will work closely with the leadership team to further drive the creative work by combining advertising with authentic storytelling and unique perspectives.

In 2021, Machado joined BLKJ Havas as an associate creative director where he was able to deliver critically acclaimed works for the agency. Before joining BLKJ Havas, he also worked as an associate creative director at agency McCann Australia.

Rowena Bhagchandani, CEO and co-founder at BLKJ Havas said that as the agency expands its regional remit with clients, it will continue to strengthen its position as the APAC Havas creative flagship of the region.

Meanwhile, Machado added, “Creating work that doesn’t look like traditional advertisements has been a key motivator since I started my career, and I can’t think of a better place to continue pushing myself creatively and nurture a team with shared ideals.”

BLKJ Havas is a creative agency that works with brands in culture, entertainment, and media.

Singapore – Months after Hong Kong launched its ‘Hello Hong Kong’ travel campaign, awareness of the campaign’s ads spiked to 25.2% points on March 2 from 6.3% on February 2, the month the campaign was announced before dipping to 24.9% by March 20. This was according to the latest data from YouGov.

As part of Hong Kong’s tourism revival initiative, the local government announced in February that they are giving out 500,000 free airline tickets to their territory. As a result, many airlines in the Asia-Pacific region have reported their websites being swamped by online visitors, with long waits awaiting those who want to get their free tickets processed.

According to the data, consideration of Hong Kong as a travel destination rose by 2.4 percentage points ten days after the campaign’s announcement – from 12.6% on February 2 to 10.2% by February 10 – before declining until late February.

Moreover, Singaporean travel consideration to Hong Kong started on an upward trend, reaching 14.3% on March 2 (start of campaign) – up 4.1 percentage points from when the campaign was first made public. By March 20, when the campaign winners were revealed, consideration of Hong Kong as a travel destination gained another 1.2 percentage points to reach 15.5%.

In terms of what Singaporean travellers think of first when travelling overseas, paying a reasonable price for holidaying at a destination that is easy to reach and safe are the top considerations, followed by transportation availability, and safety measures.

Singapore – Whether navigating a hybrid, virtual, or purely physical work set-up, attaining work-life balance will always be a challenge for employees. This is why beer brand Heineken, which can be considered a mainstay in workers’ happy hours, has launched a simple but true-to-point ad about the struggle of employees to be ‘present’ in their social lives. 

In collaboration with advertising agency Le Pub APAC, the beer brand’s 48-second clip titled ‘The Ghosted Bar’ shows a group of friends having a fun time at a bar. Shortly after, paranormal activities take place where glasses of beer move on their own as well as a chair – with no person on it – sliding from one place to another. Towards the end, it is revealed that the movements are indeed manoeuvres of their friend who is currently stuck at the office but is still present in spirit – as a ghost – amongst them. 

And as if the brief narrative couldn’t get more exciting, it is graced by Heineken ambassador, Korean actor Park Hyung Sik. In the end, the beer brand reminds to don’t ghost your friends and to work responsibly.

Prior to releasing the ad, Park Hyung Sik shared an Instagram video of the said spooky encounters which served as a teaser for the said campaign. It seemed to have piqued fans’ curiosity with it garnering more than 4 million views in 24 hours.

Bram Westenbrink, global head at Heineken Brand, said that Heineken has always encouraged socialisation and healthy human connections where workers have a balanced social and leisure time.

“We’re thrilled to bring this platform to Singapore and Malaysia as a reminder to leave your duties on time and not let your social life fall behind,” Westenbrink added.

Bruno Bertelli, global CEO of Le Pub, added, “Heineken’s Ghosted Bar campaign reminds us to leave the office after an honest day at work to live your social life at its fullest. This is what #WorkResponsibly is all about.”

Park Hyung Sik also expressed his thoughts, saying that employees must enjoy social life and not let work impede their leisure time.

“Through this meaningful project by Heineken, we want to encourage employees to start working responsibly,” said the Korean actor.

‘The Ghosted Bar’ is, in fact, partially attributed to findings by a YouGov study which revealed that almost half of the employees in Singapore and Malaysia are guilty of ‘ghosting’ their friends. 

This latest campaign by the brand is the third ad released under its #WorkResponsibly campaign. It follows the launch of The Closer and The Office Cleaners which were both unveiled in 2022.

Singapore – Changi Airport Group has made its debut to the metaverse by showcasing ‘ChangiVerse’, a metaverse experience created to help audiences connect with Singapore Changi Airport and explore its notable sights through the digital space.

Created with global professional services Accenture, ChangiVerse is the first virtual experience created by an airport that has debuted in Roblox, a global shared experience platform with millions of daily users.

Changi Airport’s debut in the metaverse is also an effort to reach a wider group of digital users and fans who are interested to explore more travel destinations differently.

Moreover, the said platform digitally represents Changi’s physical airport where visitors can access fun activities, social experiences, and interactable spaces such as bustling café or festive glamping tent and minigames whilst earning unique collectibles to give their digital avatar some extra flair.

Hung Jean, group senior vice president of Changi Airport Group’s enterprise digital ecosystem & business division, said that the creation of ChangiVerse aims to strengthen the idea that the airport is more than just a transport node, but it’s also a fun and magical destination to create memories.

“ChangiVerse is also about engaging our customers and serving them better through innovation and experimentation, in line with our belief of customers being at the heart of everything we do,” Jean added.

Wee Wei Ng, Southeast Asia market unit lead for Accenture, added, “We are privileged to collaborate with CAG to drive digital-physical convergence through ChangiVerse. By combining digital and physical worlds, ChangiVerse can simulate the airport environment, creating immersive experiences that elevate human interactivity to new dimensions, enhance customer experiences, and drive innovation.”

In 2022, Changi Airport Group has dealt with Accenture to extend its partnership for the enhancement of travellers’ experience when visiting Changi Airport in Singapore.

Singapore – Mandai Wildlife Group, an organisation that advocates for wildlife conservation, and travel and experiences platform Klook has sealed a three-year strategic partnership to attract more international visitors to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, the integrated wildlife and nature precinct home to Singapore’s wildlife parks.

With Klook’s digital marketing and social content capabilities and strength in Asia-Pacific, this deal will target the growing millennial and gen Z from the markets of Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and South Korea. 

Mandai and Klook will co-develop regional marketing campaigns and curate bundles and activities for discerning international visitors. These efforts will help in making Mandai Wildlife Reserve as a top-of-mind destination in Singapore.

Moreover, the collaboration will focus on raising awareness of wildlife conservation efforts and take actions for sustainable living to benefit the people, wildlife, nature and the entire planet.

Jean Choi, chief sales and marketing officer at Mandai Wildlife Group, said that the group is looking for new ways to engage travellers in the region especially from their top markets. Choi added that they aim to be culturally relevant to working adults and youth who seeks for new experiences.

Meanwhile, Eric Gnock Fah, chief operating officer & co-founder at Klook, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Mandai Wildlife Group, furthering their ambitions of establishing the Mandai Wildlife Reserve as the region’s go-to destination. Our collaboration reflects our shared values and commitment to responsible tourism and protecting the planet and its wildlife.”

The first marquee campaign for the partnership will kick off with the soft opening of Singapore’s new bird park at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Bird Paradise on 8 May, Singapore Zoo’s 50th anniversary or Golden ZOObilee, and a series of mini-events to encourage young couples to go on memorable dates at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

Singapore – Singaporean telecommunications company Singtel has been named the world’s sixth strongest telecoms brand in Brand Finance’s Telecoms 150 list, which ranks the most valuable and strongest telecoms brands globally. 

The placing crowns a year of significant achievements for Singtel, seeing it move up three spots globally from the ninth position last year with an improved score of 88.3 out of 100 while retaining its Triple-A rating from last year. 

Brand Finance attributes Singtel’s stronger brand equity to its fast and robust 5G network, consistent customer experience via its website and apps, and value-for-money products and services for both consumers and enterprises. Singtel also scored well for the familiarity of its brand and brand recall. 

According to the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s latest report on customer handling, Singtel also had the lowest complaint rate for its mobile services among network operators, as well as the lowest complaint rate for fixed broadband services in December 2022.

In terms of brand value, Singtel also grew, climbing up three spots from 40th in 2022 to becoming the world’s 37th most valuable telecoms brand. Brand Finance said this is due to resilient mobile service revenue, the brand’s improved brand strength index and favourable economic factors, such as the lower cost of capital in Singapore.

“Singtel has strengthened its brand leadership significantly in the past year. Its commitment to 5G, consistent customer service and coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has seen it climb the ranks within the global top ten telecoms brands,” said Alex Haigh, Brand Finance’s managing director for Asia Pacific.

Haigh also said that the improved perceptions of Singtel’s 5G capabilities and coverage, good digital offerings, and greater recall of its branding and promotional activities are particularly noteworthy.

Lian Pek, Singtel’s vice president of strategic communications and brand, also said, “It’s very encouraging to be roundly recognised for values that really matter to us as a brand – the quality of our 5G leadership, value for money products and services, strong brand and ad recall and high familiarity scores.”

Pek added, “The goal has always been to empower our customers with the best-in-class technology and services. As the digital landscape and customer expectations keep changing, we will continue to invest and innovate to deliver on our value proposition of creating the best digital experiences that our network and services are capable of.”

Last year, Singtel has also been named Singapore’s strongest brand by Brand Finance’s 2022 ranking of the country’s top 100 brands.

Singapore – As part of its April Fools Day campaign, condom brand Durex in Singapore has unveiled its ‘Happiest Meal’, encouraging its consumers to ‘dig in’.

Known for their April Fools antics, Durex continues to be revered by social media users following their April Fools prank from 2018 where they rolled out different flavours such as Durex Smoked Sausage and Durex Mala HotPot in 2019. This year, the brand took a step further by introducing real food in a box.

The said meal included nuggets, fries and an ‘Invisible’ drink — which incorporated the brand’s products, ‘Invisible Extra Sensitive’, ‘Fetherlite’, and ‘Real Feel’, amongst others. 

‘Happiest Meal’ was also made available for one day only on April 1 at the Guardian Marina Bay Sands and Watsons Bugis Junction in Singapore.

Singapore – Called the Knowledge Studio by APRW (KnowS), Singapore-based integrated communications agency APRW has launched a new training arm that aims to bring organisations’ ears to the ground with regard to how well they perform in managing their presence in the media. 

APRW says, “Your brand is not just about your services, your media presence matters too.” 

Ultimately, the training arm will offer customised media training programs to organisations. APRW’s existing integrated communications services, which include public relations, digital marketing, branding, and media relations, are all supplemented by KnowS. 

The agency will be making each engagement expertly designed to meet the needs of individual organisations and will be drawing on its intimate knowledge of the dynamic media landscape and effective strategies to help organisations establish a favourable media presence. 

At the centre of the training program is its proprietary A-PLUS approach which stands for Assessment, Panorama, Low-Down, Understanding and Scenarios. Such framework will help in providing a holistic perspective of the media industry and will equip participants with the essential knowledge and skills required in media relations, branding, and training. 

“The result? Media spokespersons who are able to manage diverse media and public situations, handling questions and delivering information with confidence and poise, never veering from their role of delivering core messages for the organisation,” said APRW. 

Further, the agency emphasised that skills gained can transfer to a diversity of roles such as to speakers, panellists, or content creators on corporate social media platforms.

Knowledge Studio by APRW will be led by Principal Trainer, Ginny-Ann Oh, one of APRW’s directors. An accomplished communications professional with over 20 years of experience in the public relations, branding and marketing industry under her belt, Oh’s expertise will be directed to integrating the organisation’s messaging strategy and intent into the tailored media training offering. 

“The significance of media training cannot be overstated, as it enables organisations to navigate the increasingly complex media landscape and present their brand in the best possible light,” commented Oh. “Knowledge Studio by APRW was established as it recognises the importance of a poised and articulate media presence. Our workshops provide businesses with the tools to amplify their message, cultivate a commanding voice, and narrate their story with conviction – the cornerstone of a thriving brand perception.”

Singapore – Global automobile brand Audi has unveiled its immersive ‘House of Progress’ showcase in Singapore, which presented Audi’s unique perspectives on the future of sustainable and premium mobility.

The Audi grandsphere concept was showcased for the first time in Singapore, alongside an immersive instalment centred around Audi’s electric vehicle line-up including the new Audi Q8 e-tron and Q4 e-tron. 

The ‘House of Progress’ will also host a series of thought leadership panel discussions featuring industry leaders across STEM, business, and sustainability areas. These sessions will facilitate conversations and uncover insights around effective leadership, breaking corporate barriers, and mainstreaming Greentech, amongst others.

Additionally, in partnership with the ‘House of Progress’, Semi Permanent Festival of Creativity & Design will also host a series of events starting with City Utopia, a capsule edition of its flagship creativity and design festival. The event is expected to bring together leading innovators including designer, director, and BAFTA-nominated producer Liam Young.

“Advancements in electric vehicle and autonomous technology have been transformative for designers, who are no longer limited by traditional constraints. Inspired by a first-class flight, the Audi grandsphere concept combines luxury air travel with Level 4 autonomous driving. It realises a vision where form and function integrate beautifully, presenting an uncompromised ideal for future D-segment vehicles.” said Jason Battersby, exterior designer at Audi AG. 

Marc-Andreas Brinkmann, director of experiential marketing at Audi AG, also commented, “Audi is poised for one of the biggest transformations in recent history around electric vehicles, autonomous driving and shared mobility.”

He also mentioned that the showcase delivers Audi’s unique roadmap for the future of electromobility through a multi-layered and engaging experience.

Markus Schuster, managing director at Audi Singapore also said, “House of Progress demonstrates Audi’s overarching commitment to electrification and premium mobility, and this will cascade across the coming months as we expand our electric vehicle offering in Singapore.” 

Spanning from March 31 to April 6, the showcase will host an extensive series of events in partnership with luxury consumer brands The Hour Glass, Bang & Olufsen, and Bolia. This includes workshops, exclusive customer engagement sessions, panel discussions, product showcases, and VIP networking sessions.

This follows Audi Singapore’s video series called ‘Igniting Conversations with Futurists of Singapore’, a six-part series that celebrated the inspiring stories and aspirations of six local changemakers through conversations.