Tag: Southeast Asia

Jakarta, Indonesia – Leverate Group is doubling down on its commitment to innovation and client success with the appointment of Fauza Istighfareva as client partnership officer (CPO) and the promotion of Dylan Setiawan to chief operations officer (COO).

Fauza brings extensive experience in account management and sales excellence, and a renowned name in Leverate Group. Having held key roles at Leverate for more than 7 years, she has grown with the company not only in the business but also in company’s management. 

Prior to coming back to Leverate, she worked in Tokopedia and Tiptip for Sales excellence and business partnership. Known for spearheading large account teams and ensuring consistent revenue growth, she will oversee strategic partnerships and client engagement at Leverate Group. 

In her new role, Fauza will focus on elevating the agency’s offerings and delivering high-impact solutions that address evolving market demands.

Meanwhile, Dylan’s promotion to COO reflects a proven track record in operations, account management, and integrated strategy. He honed his operational expertise at one of Southeast Asia’s largest retail groups (MAP). He also expanded his account and strategy proficiency at agencies managing clients across finance, FMCG, luxury, and pharmaceuticals. 

During the past five years at Leverate Group, Dylan served as head of account strategy and was part of the management team, gaining a holistic view of the agency’s capabilities. This experience equips him to seamlessly oversee Leverate’s operations, drive cross-departmental collaboration, and maintain the agency’s momentum in a competitive market.

These leadership appointments reflect Leverate Group’s continued evolution as a strategic marketing innovation & consultancy partner. Both Fauza and Dylan will work closely with the executive team to maintain Leverate’s momentum in Southeast Asia and beyond. 

Marlina Lim, CEO at Leverate Group, said, “With Fauza’s client-first mindset and Dylan’s operational expertise, we’re confident that Leverate Group will continue to thrive and grow in today’s highly competitive market.”

Singapore – Retail sales during Ramadan 2024 have jumped by 16% in Southeast Asia (SEA), according to a report from commerce media company Criteo.

Malaysia led the retail sales increase in the region at 21%, while Singapore saw a 7% climb.

Despite the overall sales surge in SEA, the report sees a drop of 11% in Indonesia’s online sales, signalling shifting consumer preferences. However, sales in Indonesia boomed by 74% towards the end of the period.

In SEA, the last two weeks of Ramadan witnessed an 8% jump, peaking at a 28% increase on April 4. 

Particularly, religious and ceremonial items had high demand with a 63% sales increase across SEA. Apparel and accessories also saw a 23% climb, which reflects the tradition of buying new clothes for Eid.  Food, beverages, and tobacco sales also increased by 19% amidst the celebrations.

Meanwhile, despite a decrease in travel during the Ramadan period, online travel bookings saw a 29% year-over-year increase.

Additionally, many consumers began seeking products around 20 days before purchasing them, indicating a need for early campaign strategies.

“Ramadan is a crucial shopping period where consumer behaviours change dramatically, offering a golden opportunity for marketers. A well-planned strategy is essential to tap into this heightened consumer intent and drive significant results,” Taranjeet Singh, managing director of venture markets APAC at Criteo, said.

Singapore –MiQ has appointed seasoned programmatic and tech executive Addy Cutts as its new commercial director for Southeast Asia, tasking him with driving regional growth and leading sales and account management teams. 

In this newly created role, Cutts will oversee MiQ’s commercial operations, including sales and account management teams. His responsibilities include driving market expansion in Southeast Asia and strengthening MiQ’s presence in the regional programmatic advertising sector.

Cutts brings over 20 years of experience in tech, programmatic, media, and digital advertising across the UK and Singapore. He has a strong track record of leading commercial and capabilities teams to drive growth for both startups and large enterprises.

Before joining MiQ, Cutts served as regional director for JAPAC at Oracle Advertising, where he oversaw the go-to-market strategy and regional revenue growth across Southeast Asia, India, ANZ, Thailand, and Japan. His approach focused on data-driven solutions tailored to local markets.

In addition to his role at Oracle, Cutts has held executive positions at Visual DNA and Lonely Planet and contributed to the adtech and martech sectors through his work with the angel-backed venture fund First Party Capital. He also served on the board of IAB Southeast Asia and India.

Commenting on his new role, Cutts said, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the team at MiQ, who are certainly not your average programmatic media partner, having pioneered the industry since 2010.” 

He continued, “I was well aware of their reputation for achieving unmatched performance on brand and agency ad campaigns, but what really sets them apart is the tangible commitment to fostering a culture of transparency, trust, and collaboration. I love the fact that the company values are so much more than just statements, and I can’t wait to support the regional team with extending our first-class service to deliver improved outcomes for clients across Southeast Asia.” 

Cutts’ appointment takes effect immediately. It follows a period of growth for MiQ, marked by the recent appointment of Erin Koedam as NSW group account director earlier this month.

Jason Scott, APAC CEO at MiQ, explained, “As the programmatic industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, Addy’s appointment reflects our commitment to attracting the best and brightest minds in the industry. His understanding of the media landscape and ability to navigate emerging technology trends will be paramount to delivering exceptional value to our clients and furthering our tech-enabled growth through Southeast Asia.”

“He brings an established network, strategic insight, and deep passion for innovative solutions. He has a great working knowledge of client needs and adapting to local market nuances, aligning with MiQ’s goal of expanding its technology and solutions in the region to do interesting, exciting business problem-solving solutions for its clients to drive sustainable growth. We’re delighted to welcome him to the team and look forward to the impact he will make in driving our business,” Scott added. 

Singapore – Food manufacturing company Kellogg’s has appointed digital content agency Greenpark as its regional social media partner in Southeast Asia.  The partnership aims to accelerate Kellogg’s presence in the region, specifically in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.

As Kellogg’s partner, Greenpark will execute engagement strategies that blend the brand’s global vision with localisation. While ensuring brand consistency, the agency also considers local preferences and cultural nuances in its approach.

The agency, leveraging market insights and expertise, aims to deliver impactful campaigns for Kellogg’s. Greenpark’s campaign strategies will be aimed at millennial moms and families, highlighting Kellogg’s health benefits alongside its taste.

As part of the partnership, Greenpark will also optimise its data-driven campaigns and integrate the audience’s search behaviour insights.

“Winning key accounts like Kellogg’s is a fantastic start to the year! I’m incredibly proud of the team. This success underscores our deep understanding of the evolving search landscape and our ability to create impactful content that resonates with consumers. We’re committed to delivering value by crafting content that truly matters and drives results for our clients,” Fe Husaint, managing director at Greenpark APAC, commented.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Greenpark team. Despite facing holiday constraints and a tight deadline to launch in 2025, they delivered exceptional work with incredible speed and depth. This account ventured into new territory for Greenpark, yet their insights and understanding were profound. The team grasped our long-term vision for Southeast Asia with remarkable clarity and presented highly relevant solutions—exceeding our expectations,” Jessa Rena, Kellogg’s commercial lead, said.

Philippines – Atome Financial, a digital financial technology platform under Advance Intelligence Group, has secured a US$80m credit facility to fuel its growth in Southeast Asia. The investment comes from a consortium of lenders, with a private credit fund managed by BlackRock and Innoven Capital adding to EvolutionX Debt Capital’s existing tranche.

The expanded funding reflects investor confidence in Atome Financial’s performance following its significant revenue increase in the previous fiscal year. The company also achieved operational efficiency through generative artificial intelligence.

Atome Financial operates the Atome Buy-Now-Pay-Later service and Kredit Pintar, an Indonesian digital lending platform.

Through the investment, Atome Financial is set to strengthen its business in 2025.

Atome Financial has previously partnered with HSBC for a US$200m credit facility, fuelling its initiatives for financial inclusion in the region.

Celia Yan, head of APAC private credit at BlackRock, said, “Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing regions in the world where we see attractive private credit investment opportunities. Atome Financial has established itself as a leading fintech player in Southeast Asia, and we look forward to continuing to support their accelerated expansion.”

Yik Ley Chan, Southeast Asia private credit lead at BlackRock, commented, “Atome Financial has strategically positioned the business over the past few years and achieved a strong track record. We are pleased to be part of this investment and look forward to long-term collaboration with Atome Financial as their business embarks on the next phase of growth.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Atome Financial, one of the leading players in the industry, and look forward to building a strong and successful relationship. This collaboration underscores our unwavering commitment to supporting high-growth companies in the region,” Ben Cheah, partner at Innoven Capital SEA, said.

Andy Tan, chief commercial officer of Atome Financial, said, “We are incredibly excited and honoured to welcome BlackRock and InnoVen Capital as our new lending partners. Their participation is a testament to our continued operational excellence, market leadership and remarkable business momentum, which is expected to accelerate in 2025. This facility will help propel the growth of our expanded product suite, strategic partnerships and profitable regional portfolio to better serve the diverse financial needs of consumers across key Southeast Asia markets including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.”

Indonesia – Oreo’s new campaign with Leo Indonesia highlights the sensory appeal of its iconic cookie, emphasising its irresistible pull through the “twist, lick, and dunk” ritual.

With the tagline ‘Dunk Your Craving,’ Oreo’s latest campaign aims to broaden its appeal beyond families and tap into the universal experience of cravings.

The campaign includes two films directed by Diego N Irigoyen, produced with Stink Films and Prodigious. ‘Cravings Calling’ aims to extend Oreo’s appeal to teens, while ‘Missing Oreos’ captures a light-hearted family moment centered on the cookie’s allure.

Jonathan McCarthy, vice president of marketing for SEA at Mondelez International, explained, “Oreo is an iconic brand, but in Southeast Asia we have built our equity as a brand for families with kids. We see immense potential in expanding our audience base and needed to revitalise the brand’s imagery to feel desirable not only to families but also to young adults.” 

The campaign is supported by outdoor and social media assets designed to reach a wider audience. It will roll out across five countries in Southeast Asia.

“While the cookie has always been at the heart of everything we do, we’ve created an outdoor campaign that truly heroes the ‘twist, lick, dunk’ ritual and puts Oreo at the forefront, reminding audiences that cravings can strike anytime, anywhere. It’s a small yet purposeful visual shift that strengthens the brand’s narrative around taste,” said Ravi Shanker, chief creative officer at Leo Indonesia.

Lucas Levy, senior director of marketing for Southeast Asia at Mondelez International, added, “Oreo is an icon of taste, and ‘twist, lick and dunk’ is a popular ritual around the world. Once you crave an Oreo, who can stop thinking about it? When you buy some, who can resist eating a few on your way home? These fun and real observations inspired us to develop this campaign. And as we always say, don’t forget the best part: twist, lick and dunk! 

Malaysia – Digital marketing agency Lion & Lion has unveiled its new positioning, reflecting its commitment to supporting brands in traversing the hyper-connected marketing industry. 

As the industry becomes more dynamic in the digital-first marketing world, Lion & Lion positions itself as capable of developing impactful brand experiences both offline and online.

Having offices across Southeast Asia, Lion & Lion supports brands in the region through its specialisation in brand strategy, storytelling, consulting, and social media.

Lion & Lion delivers conversion-focused strategies, creatives, and brand experiences spanning digital and physical spaces. The agency executes campaigns, activations and full-scale brand transformation.

“Brands today don’t just compete for attention—they compete for relevance and resonance. Our new positioning leverages our strengths and reflects our dedication to transform brands with creativity, strategy, innovation, and technology, ensuring they deliver impact in today’s hyper-connected world,” Cheelip Ong, group CEO of Lion & Lion, commented.

“Our focus remains on empowering brands to build deeper, more meaningful connections with their audiences across all their interactions. We notice the paradigm shift in how consumers digest information and marketing, and we are equipped to help brands succeed in this new age of decentralised marketing with our borderless thinking and ability to harness strategy, creativity, and technology for brand transformation and business impact,” Ong added.

Philippines – Marketing creatives from the Philippines have set up a new social good agency in Manila. The agency, called ‘Lennon Group,’ aims to direct creativity towards social welfare.

Founded by creatives Raymund Sison, Rizza Garcia, Alan Fontanilla, and Miguel Co, Lennon Group promotes societal consciousness in the creative industry. The marketing creatives aim to harness creativity to be impactful in people, businesses, and communities.

Lennon Group introduces a unique staffing model, selecting the best talents. Combining strategic thinking with innovation, the agency intends to find the intersection between humanity, creativity, and technology.

Sison, who leads the team, brings almost 20 years of experience in creative communications, branding, and digital experience. He has worked with both local and global brands, including start-ups, non-profits, and non-government organisations.

“It’s a dream come true,” Raymund Sison, founder & creative chief of Lennon Group, said.

“We wanted a creative company that is conscious of what’s happening in the real world and cares about how to make it better. All these years, we’ve always tried to find ways for creativity to help inspire and uplift humanity, for ideas that make a real difference in the world. Now we have an opportunity to make it happen every day,” Sison added.

“Our name was inspired by our creative idol, John Lennon, who changed the world through creativity,” Garcia, co-founder & executive creative director, commented.

“We understand that the best of talents don’t want to be tied down to one thing. So we accept and maximize whatever and however way the talent wants to contribute. It’s a new way of contracting that focuses on commitment to talent and their impact, rather than their commitment to time and time-ins. It’s a new way of working that puts the very best for the studio and the talent. We think it’s a win-win,” Garcia added.

“We aim to create initiatives and projects that respect humanity, use creativity to inspire and uplift, and maximize the power of technology in the service of humans,” Co, co-founder, CFO and CTO, said.

“As a social good agency, we are aligning our mission with the UN SDGs, all the way to our local and national development goals, and always, always using creativity to uplift humanity,” Fontanilla, co-founder and COO, said. 

“So we cater to brands and businesses, NGOs and Non-Profits, associations and government organizations — from healthcare to financial literacy to sustainability to wellness and wellbeing to education to food and nutrition to women and gender and rights for all to art and culture, all the way to nation-building and responsible citizenship,” Fontanilla added.

Singapore – Delivery company Deliveroo Singapore and grocery retailer Sheng Siong Group have forged a partnership to simplify grocery shopping for its users.

Through the partnership, Deliveroo and Sheng Siong aim to meet the needs of Singaporean consumers as they offer convenience to grocery shopping.

As part of the partnership, 21 Sheng Siong stores have been launched on the Deliveroo platform, with plans to add more locations in Singapore this month.

The availability of Sheng Siong on the platform provides customers with access to various products such as fresh produce and household items among others.

The move is part of Deliveroo’s effort to expand from its food delivery services to a broader range of delivery services.

Last year, Deliveroo launched Deliveroo Shopping, its online retail arm that offers non-food deliveries.

Lin Zikai, director of customer and operations at Sheng Siong said, “We are delighted to embark on this exclusive partnership with Deliveroo, one that marks a new chapter in bringing Sheng Siong’s trusted grocery offerings closer to our customers. This is our first time partnering with a delivery company, and thanks to Deliveroo’s seamless delivery platform, we are now able to deliver high-quality products at affordable prices straight to our customers’ doorsteps in as quickly as 30 minutes. This collaboration allows us to offer even greater convenience to busy families and individuals, ensuring they can access fresh produce and daily essentials with ease and efficiency.”

“This exclusive partnership with Sheng Siong marks a significant milestone in our mission to bring greater convenience to our customers along with a purpose-built app experience for grocery. While ready-to-eat meals remain at the core of what we do, this collaboration expands our offerings with a diverse range of groceries, competitive prices, and round-the-clock delivery. With a growing segment of consumers expressing interest in using delivery platforms for grocery and non-food items, we’re proud to continuously meet evolving demands and make everyday shopping simpler and more accessible,” Jason Parke, general manager of Deliveroo Singapore, said.

Singapore – Singaporeans are among the heaviest users of social media, ranking fourth globally at 88.2%, according to a report from We Are Social and Meltwater.

The report shows Singaporeans as one of the most engaged in internet use, spending an average of 6 hours and 33 minutes online daily. 

Singaporeans aged 16 and above use approximately 7.24 different platforms each month. Specifically, Reddit sees the highest engagement in the country, with users opening the app an average of 116.9 times monthly. Telegram is also a popular app, with Singaporean users opening it 237 times per month.

Meanwhile, TikTok is also widely used in Singapore as users spend an average of 34 hours and 29 minutes in the app monthly. This number falls nearly 30 minutes less than the global average.

However, a significant 71.4% of Singaporean adults are concerned about discerning real from fake information online. 

Data privacy is also a concern, with 36% of internet users worried about how companies use their personal data. As a result, 39% of Singaporean internet users reject website cookies, more than the global average of 34.5%.

The global report sees an acceleration in the use of artificial intelligence, the importance of social media in brand discovery, and a surge in ad spend.

“With digital ad spend exceeding $790 billion in 2024 and social media ad spend growing more than 15% within that, it’s clear that businesses are investing more than ever in capturing consumer attention. Along with this growing investment comes the growing need to prove ROI and show results based on marketing campaigns. With user behavior on social platforms continuing to shift, teams need data to inform decisions about what platforms to prioritize and create strategies for,” Alexandra Bjertnæs, chief strategy officer at Meltwater, commented.

“Social is where brands can win or lose – it’s central to brand discovery, consumer engagement, and commerce. At the same time, AI is revolutionising how we search, create, and interact, while influencers continue to shape content trends and consumer behaviours. The opportunities for marketers to drive meaningful engagement have never been broader, but the complexity of digital and social media – evident in our 630+ page report – means there’s no single route to success. To create effective work, brands need to understand the cultural nuances of the online world, and create ideas worth talking about. Those who do will make an impact,” Toby Southgate, global group CEO at We Are Social, said.