Tag: Singapore

Manila, Philippines – Ant Group, the owner and operator of Alipay, has expanded its partnership with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to make cross-border travel to Singapore more seamless and convenient. The partnership builds on the collaboration forged in 2019 and is focused on driving tourism growth in Singapore through a series of digital and marketing initiatives over the next two years. 

To strengthen Singapore’s destination appeal among travellers from Asia, including key markets like Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand, Ant Group launched the ‘SingapoReimagine with Alipay+’ campaign with STB. As part of SingapoReimagine, STB’s international recovery campaign, it will offer fresh and innovative experiences to travellers from the said markets, whilst allowing transactions in Singapore through mobile wallets that consumers are familiar with. 

The joint campaign will also highlight exclusive offers to users of the six Alipay+ partner mobile wallets when they travel to Singapore. In addition, Ant Group will progressively expand the ‘Passion Made Possible Privileges’ (PMPP), a mini programme co-branded with STB to serve tourists to Singapore – previously available only on Alipay – to other Alipay+ mobile wallets. These initiatives aim to help Singapore businesses reach and engage a new pool of customers, increasing the visibility and awareness of Singapore’s tourism offerings for visitors before and during their trips to Singapore. 

As part of the partnership, STB and Alipay+ will also explore piloting digital solutions with local businesses in areas such as digitalisation of service operations, digital marketing efficiency and enhancing customer experience. 

The new mobile wallets accepted in Singapore are GCash from the Philippines, TrueMoney from Thailand, and AlipayHK from Hong Kong SAR, China, adding to existing partners Kakao Pay from South Korea, Touch ’n Go eWallet from Malaysia and Alipay from the Chinese Mainland. 

Angel Zhao, president of international business at Ant Group, said, “We deeply believe that the benefits of digital innovations can be amplified through open collaborations in the ecosystem. Ant Group is always open to join hands with partners such as STB to provide businesses, especially small and micro enterprises the best digital services, including payments and marketing solutions and we are committed to contributing to the digital transformation of industries and create greater value for societies.” 

“Amid the fast recovery of the tourism industry, we are excited to play a part in promoting Singapore as a top destination of choice for travellers and making travel safe, seamless and efficient through digital solutions like Alipay+,” she added. 

STB Chief Executive Keith Tan said, “Singapore has seen strong travel demand from Asia since our reopening and we hope our joint initiatives can grow and sustain that demand. The next phase of our exciting partnership with Ant Group will also offer a seamless experience when travellers visit Singapore, build affinity for our destination, and drive the digitalisation of our tourism sector.”

Based on STB’s data, Hong Kong SAR, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Chinese Mainland were among Singapore’s top 15 markets in 2022. Prior to the pandemic, approximately a third of Singapore’s visitors were from Southeast Asia, and another third from the Chinese Mainland and the rest of Northeast Asia. 

Singapore – Singapore-based social platform for sustainability, abillion, has appointed Laura Kantor, former marketing and sustainability director at foodpanda Singapore, to step into newly created role as vice president of marketing and growth. 

In her new role, Kantor will be responsible for abillion’s all brand marketing, creative, planning, strategy and growth activities. She will also be reporting directly into Vikas Garg, CEO and founder of abillion.

Kantor has over 13 years in marketing and strategy. During her six years at foodpanda Singapore, she grew the business over 100x, launched six business units, and grew the marketing team from 3 to 32 professionals. Passionate about driving change, Kantor is also well-known for spearheading foodpanda’s sustainability strategy across APAC, launching several initiatives which have transformed the Food & Beverage industry; saving billions of sets of cutlery; and becoming the first delivery company to ban the sale of shark fin.

Commenting on her new appointment, Kantor said, “I’m so excited to join Vikas and his incredible team at abillion and be part of such an exciting movement to mobilise communities to get together to save the world.”

Meanwhile, Garg noted, “Our goal is to become the world’s most impactful ecosystem for sustainability, helping consumers and entrepreneurs make choosing sustainably second nature for everyone. Whether you’re buying or selling on abillion’s marketplace, every transaction creates impact, saving lives, feeding the hungry and preserving nature. It’s a completely new blueprint for e-commerce, one that will allow all of us to eat, shop and live our way to a brighter future.”

Singapore – Shopping and rewards platform ShopBack has partnered with BeLive Technology, a Singapore-based live streaming solutions provider, to power its video-first commerce efforts. This marks a significant step forward for the live commerce industry in Singapore and Southeast Asia. 

The new solution allows ShopBack live viewers to access exclusive promotions, creative video content, and interactive video features powered by BeLive Technology. It aims to maximise interaction between its hosts and the community, to deliver an entertaining shopping experience.

BeLive Technology said that the first live stream saw its vouchers sold out within minutes of going live. Merchant partners will get access to ShopBack’s live campaigns which are curated specially for them. The immersive experience and interaction between merchant partners and viewers will help build customer loyalty and a stronger community.

Currently, the collaboration is only available to ShopBack’s Singapore users however plans are in place to expand into all of ShopBack’s territories across Asia in the near future. It also marks BeLive Technology’s expansion across Asia as well as the opportunity to explore additional Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) markets.

Kenneth Tan, CEO and co-founder of BeLive Technology, commented that they are delighted to partner with ShopBack and power video-first commerce for one of Asia’s most loved brands. 

“Live video’s authenticity and descriptive nature have great alignment with ShopBack’s ability to help shoppers make smarter purchase decisions. We are incredibly excited to allow help ShopBack’s users discover, research and shop better with our interactive video solutions,” said Tan.

Meanwhile, Fern Nannaphat, country manager of ShopBack Singapore, noted, “We will continue adopting new solutions to win our users over with the best deals and most engaging content. This live stream feature has proven to be a vital addition to the ShopBack ecosystem, where we deepen the engagement with our users and offer our merchants an immersive way to promote their products.”

Singapore – SEA-focused proptech PropertyGuru has announced that it has acquired Sendhelper, a Singapore home services technology company. With this acquisition, PropertyGuru enters the home services industry with an aim to provide easy and reliable access to home management and maintenance services. 

The acquisition is in line with the group’s growth strategy of expanding into adjacencies of fintech and data while investing in its core marketplaces business towards the creation of a digital property ecosystem for all its stakeholders in Southeast Asia. 

Sendhelper is a start-up that allows homeowners and tenants in Singapore to easily search and book home services for their daily needs through an app that connects them to verified service providers. The services include cleaning, air conditioner maintenance, and handyman and repair services, amongst other necessities. Sendhelper’s network includes over 2,000 trained and verified freelancers in Singapore. 

With the addition of Sendhelper, PropertyGuru in Singapore will become the one-stop destination for property seekers to not only find, finance, and own their dream home but also manage and maintain it. PropertyGuru’s partners, the real estate agents, will also be able to offer home services to their clients, property seekers and landlords alike and cater to all their property needs with PropertyGuru. 

Shyn Yee Ho-Strangas, MD of Data and Software Solutions at PropertyGuru Group, said, “Our entry into home services is an important step as we create solutions that provide guidance and make each step of the property journey more efficient, transparent, and trusted for everyone in the ecosystem – homeowners, buyers, agents, and developers. 

Rupam Biswas, co-founder and GM of Sendhelper, also commented, “PropertyGuru’s vision to meet consumers’ end-to-end property needs resonates deeply with us. Our vision at Sendhelper is to become the one-stop platform for consumers seeking help with property maintenance and home care. 

He added, “Post-COVID, as more people continue to use online solutions for their daily needs, with PropertyGuru, we aim to effectively digitise the customer journey for home needs. We look forward to co-creating tech solutions that will further ease the home services booking experience and increase users’ access to organised help as opposed to informal or ad-hoc sources.”

Meanwhile, Sendhelper Co-Founder Bogdan Metehoui, also said, “We are excited about joining forces with PropertyGuru and are looking forward to the synergies that we will create as a result of the two teams coming together. Our strong network of reliable suppliers and freelancers coupled with our focus on service quality, complement PropertyGuru’s customer orientation. We are determined to continue providing our customers with access to home services through a safe and reliable platform.” 

The proptech has recently unveiled a new brand positioning which emphasises its role as a helping hand to the home buyer’s journey. Encapsulated in the messaging, ‘Where every step of your journey will be guided by Guru’, the proptech said it’s meant to reflect its continued vision to be a trusted advisor.

Singapore – Baozun Inc., an e-commerce service partner that helps brands execute their e-commerce strategies in China, has announced its new regional headquarters in Singapore, as it seeks to drive e-commerce innovation and bring a competitive advantage to brands in SEA.

Following its expansion into Hong Kong and Taiwan in 2013, Baozun identified Singapore and Malaysia as key markets in SEA to expand its footprint. The company is also in the midst of setting up its Philippines office and plans to expand to Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand by the end of 2023. 

Moreover, the company plans to continue nurturing a robust team of local experts with first-hand e-commerce experience to support business expansion and growth in the region.

“With 15 years of experience in the most advanced e-commerce market, we’re confident that Baozun Asia’s advanced technologies and infrastructure will give brands in the region a competitive advantage. Having said that, we’re acutely aware that SEA is a highly diverse region, so we look forward to prioritising a localised approach and creating custom solutions that help brands grow sustainably through a long-term relationship,” said Thomas Yeoh, board member of Baozun Asia. 

Baozun said that the demand for strong e-commerce technological capabilities and infrastructure is only increasing, and its entry into the region means that brands will have access to custom end-to-end omnichannel services, tailored to the fast-changing needs of brands in SEA. This encompasses the entire e-commerce value chain covering IT solutions, store operations, digital marketing, customer services, and warehousing and logistics.

Singapore – Global design consultancy Elmwood has made a number of major hires as it establishes its Singapore offer as one of the region’s leading design shops. They include Lisa Balm as creative director, Rachel Goh as head of insights, Kedar Karippail as client services director.

The new appointments mark a major refresh of the agency following Elmwood’s merger with Holmes & Marchant in the region in November 2021.

Goh will be responsible for using data and strategic thinking to help brands craft compelling stories and produce more culturally relevant work. She was previously a partner at Innate Motion, where she delivered insights and empathy-powered strategies for global and local brands across FMCG, beauty, fashion, technology and e-commerce brands. 

Meanwhile, Balm has worked on brands including Citibank, Singtel, Diageo, LVMH and PepsiCo. In her role at Elmwood, she will work alongside fellow creative director Jason Braddy to lead a creative team of more than 25 designers, visualisers and production specialists. 

Lastly, Karippail has over 20 years international brand and advertising experience working across India, New Zealand, Malaysia, Netherlands and the UK, for DDB, Geometry Global, Ogilvy & Mather and Y&R amongst others. She will work closely with Elmwood Singapore’s managing director Celeste Cheong on developing the agency’s overall growth and client strategy, building and maintaining relationships.

Cheong said, “It’s a hugely pivotal time for Elmwood Singapore and design consultancies in general. So I’m delighted that we’ve found the very best talent to help take Elmwood Singapore to the next stage in our journey. I’m really excited to work alongside Rachel, Lisa, Kedar and the existing leadership team to be an invaluable partner to all our clients.”

Meanwhile, Paul Galesloot, global CEO at Elmwood, commented, “Elmwood was created to design meaningful & memorable brands in the multi-platform age. And to do that, you need a team of experienced, truly global, diverse thinkers with an in-depth understanding of insight, idea and iconicity, as well as a broad business and industry acumen.” 

He added, “I’m delighted we’ve put together such a strong, new-look team for Elmwood Singapore, who collectively offer all the expertise required to produce distinctive, dynamic brand experiences that can succeed now and in the future.”

Singapore – Advertising company GREY has announced that Irene Wong, current CEO of GREY Malaysia, and Graham Drew, current chief creative officer at GREY Malaysia, will be taking on full commercial and creative responsibility across the Malaysia and Singapore studios.

GREY Singapore will join GREY Malaysia to become one unit under the new joint leadership structure. After eight years at GREY Singapore and thirty years in the industry, Konstantin Popovic, CEO at GREY Singapore will leave the agency at the end of the year to refocus his career on his deep passion for sustainability.

Wong and Popovic and their respective leadership teams will work closely over the next three months to ensure a seamless transition

As CEO of GREY Malaysia & Singapore and CCO of GREY Malaysia & Singapore, Wong and Drew will have equal responsibility across the two offices, taking full advantage of the greater pool of resources and talent.

A high-profile member of the Malaysian ad scene, Wong previously held posts at Leo Burnett and Naga DDB before coming to Grey. Rising to CEO in 2015, she honed her craft by working on a balance of both local and multinational brands such as Telekom Malaysia, Ministry of Finance, The National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, SEA Games 2017, P&G, Lenovo, Volvo, HSBC, Hong Leong Bank and Coway. Under her stewardship, the business has continued to grow year-on-year, with a healthy and stable mix of local and international clients.

Originally from the UK, Drew arrived at Grey in 2014 and is widely recognised for shaping the creative reputation of the Malaysia studio. As CCO, he has led the team to unparalleled creative success and noteworthy pitch wins, including Carlsberg, Tesco, Telekom Malaysia and WWF. Over the past four years, he has successfully led borderless work across the network for clients such as SK-II, Enfagrow, Hong Kong Tourism Board and multiple projects as global ECD for Carlsberg. Drew is also the chairman of the APAC Creative Council and a member of the Grey Global Creative Board.

Wong said, “This is such an exciting opportunity for us and the teams and a chance for synergy. The truth is every studio has things that they are great and not so great at, being able to fill each other’s gaps and becoming a stronger unit across the board is what this is all about.”

Meanwhile, Drew commented, “One of the better things we learnt over the past few years is that utilising talent shouldn’t be dependent on geography. Exposing the Singapore team to the creative talent of Malaysia and vice versa will be inspirational on all fronts and will be reflected in the work.”

Singapore – Online travel agency Booking.com was revealed as the best-perceived travel brand amongst responsible travellers in Singapore with 21.3 scores, according to market research company YouGov.

The report also found that the fellow travel booking platforms Agoda with 18.7 scores, Expedia with 17.6 scores, and Klook with 17.6 scores were closely behind the top spot.

Meanwhile, hospitality companies Shangri-La and Marriott ranked fifth and sixth, with consideration scores of 17.0 and 15.3 respectively. This was followed by online travel agency Trip.com with 14.2 scores, accommodation booking platform Hotels.com with 14.0 scores, and Airbnb with 13.5 scores. And lastly, the Luxury hotel Grand Hyatt rounded off the top ten with a consideration score of 12.8.

“The YouGov Travel Brand Rankings 2022 is aimed at understanding how travel brands differentiate in the eyes of responsible travellers – defined as those who self-identify as being wellness-focused, culturally minded, and caring about environmental impact. The rankings spotlight the brands that score higher in terms of consideration amongst this audience group, based on YouGov BrandIndex Consideration scores from July 2021 to June 2022,” said YouGov.

Singapore – CUE Group, a Singapore-headquartered digital technology group, has appointed two key executive roles to its Singapore hub, as part of its continued expansion across SEA. The appointees include Zainudin Nordin, the new executive director of CUE Group SEA, and Daniel Posavac, the new managing director of CUE Group SEA.

In his new role, Nordin will be focusing on driving strategic developments across the region and exploring growth opportunities for the company. At the start of his career, Nordin served as an engineer, lecturer, and manager at the IC Design Centre in Nanyang Polytechnic for 15 years. He later moved into various roles in Singapore Parliament and other governmental bodies. His modern business prowess has been made evident over the past two years with the digital transformation of the food and beverage group Iron Chef F&B, where he occupied the post of Chief Strategy Officer. 

Meanwhile, Posavac will be doubling down on his new post while retaining his position as group CEO of Bonsey Jaden, CUE Group’s digital agency. Prior to the acquisition, he had driven the growth of the Singapore-headquartered agency for almost a decade and will continue to be hands-on in leading and expanding their client portfolio globally. 

CUE Group said that these major internal developments come at a time of exciting talent search that is constantly gaining speed in Singapore. The expansion spells not only growth for CUE and Bonsey Jaden, but also exciting potential opportunities for the job market throughout the region.

Posavac commented, “I’m thrilled to be opening another chapter in what has been an amazing journey so far, and I am confident in the vision and strategy we have for CUE in Southeast Asia.“

Meanwhile, Nordin said, “We see a huge talent opportunity in Singapore and across Southeast Asia, and we feel the timing is right for our next stage of growth!”

Shi Kan, group CEO of CUE, said, “We are bullish on the economic potential in Southeast Asia and I believe with the business network we have built; as an international team with a global vision, we are in a strong position to drive growth for our clients and partners.”

Singapore – Global advertising company Publicis Groupe in Singapore has promoted Joanne Theseira, the current managing director of Publicis Communications, to be its new CEO of Publicis Communications in Singapore, where she will take on executive responsibility for Leo Burnett, Publicis Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Prodigious, and MSL. 

In this new role, Theseira will also champion the continued development of clear and ownable client, business, and employee positionings for the agencies under her stewardship. She will ensure that they are evolving in line with clients’ needs and reflective of the way consumers are engaging with brands today.

Additionally, Theseira will take on the newly created role of chief growth officer for Publicis Groupe SEA, and will report to Amrita Randhawa, CEO of Publicis Groupe Singapore and Southeast Asia. She will be leading Power of One accounts expansion, powering new business development, and managing the profile of Publicis Groupe in SEA. Theseira will also work closely with the Publicis Groupe SEA market CEOs and Practice leadership across APAC to deliver on the growth agenda.

Speaking about her appointment, Theseira shared that she believes that a strong and positive talent-centred culture is integral to the business of creativity, and this opportunity to hone and harness their different creative agencies is one that only Publicis Groupe can offer.

“Driving growth across Southeast Asia gives me an incredible canvas to scale and shape the future of our agency offerings and make a meaningful impact on our industry and our clients. I’m excited to get started,” she said.

Meanwhile, Randhawa said that Theseira’s passion for the creative business is addictive, and the clarity of her vision for their creative communications agencies and her determination to make the Groupe the fastest growing in the market is energising and impressive. 

“Joanne has demonstrated a strong capability to build high-performing teams and attract both clients and outstanding talent into the Groupe which makes her uniquely qualified to make an impact in this role,” she added.