Tag: Southeast Asia

Singapore – Following Amazon’s Seller Boot Camp in 2021, the Singapore arm of the e-commerce giant has launched anew its Seller Summit 2022 with new programs and tools to help sellers in Singapore start selling online locally and expand globally.

The free virtual event, which will be held on 14 January 2022 from 9 am to 6:30 pm SGT, aims to educate Singaporean sellers on key e-commerce topics such as shipping and fulfillment, advertising, brand building, and global expansion plans. Attendees will be able to network with Amazon experts, Amazon sellers, and third-party service providers.

Moreover, the virtual event will also feature the ‘Amazon Small Business Awards 2022’, which aims to recognize brands that have expanded globally, grown tremendously, and impacted their communities. Sellers can also look forward to a revamped website with more accessible education online and one-on-one account management support, among others, to be announced at the event.

Eric Broussard, Amazon’s vice president of international seller services, noted that global selling is a significant opportunity for businesses of all sizes.

He further shared that according to the report ‘Local Sellers, Global Consumers: Capturing Singapore’s e-commerce export opportunity’, the annual value of B2C e-commerce exports in Singapore was estimated at S$1.4b in 2021, and it could reach S$3.5b in 2026 if MSMEs accelerate their pace of using e-commerce to sell overseas.

“As such, through the Singapore Seller Summit, Amazon will further empower sellers to discover innovative solutions, leverage selling, and advertising tools, and better understand growth opportunities locally and overseas to take their business to the next level. Our goal is to enable more businesses to expand and reach customers everywhere through our 20 Amazon stores worldwide,” said Broussard.

Singapore – Stellar Ace, the out-of-home advertising arm under retail and advertising space managing firm Stellar Lifestyle, has partnered with advertising agency Singtel Media, aimed at giving advertisers greater value and a more seamless process for media buys. 

The partnership will see Singtel Media engaging Stellar Ace to sell and manage advertising for all its platforms including SMS and SingtelTV. Through this, Singtel Media’s TV, mobile, and digital assets, together with Stellar Ace’s HOME-TRAVEL-EAT-SHOP-PLAY (HTESP) ecosystem, will provide a complete daily touchpoint proposition for advertisers. 

Moreover, the partnership will enable advertisers to easily combine their in-home and out-of-home advertising activation efforts to maximize reach and deliver targeted messages and campaigns to audiences more efficiently and effectively.

Jeslyn Tan, Stellar Ace’s managing director, said, “With the new partnership with Singtel Media, we now represent an authentic and unmatched offline and online network to our advertisers with an expansive suite of solutions that could cater for all needs, regardless of the budget with targeted ROI outcomes.”

Meanwhile, Diana Chen, Singtel’s vice president of home and consumer for Singapore, shared that the collaboration brings together the combined advertising strengths of Singtel inside the home and Stellar Ace outside the home to better serve the needs of advertisers. 

“With the extensive reach and diverse range of our assets, we will be able to help them create even more engagement with consumers by reaching the right audience at the right moment,” said Chen.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Nicorette, the nicotine replacement therapy product brand in Malaysia with gum and transdermal patches, has launched a new anti-smoking campaign, aimed at helping both smokers and non-smokers kickstart the new year with a new habit.

Nicorette cites the national target of the country in tobacco use, where Malaysia is still expected to fall short of the target set under its National Strategic Plan for Non-Communicable Disease 2016-2025. With this in mind, Nicorette’s ‘#SamaSamaStop’ campaign, which in English translates to ‘I Want To Quit’, was born. 

The new campaign, which was developed in collaboration with Malaysia-based agency DreamsKingdoms, prods smokers to share their new habits this new year and will be rewarded with an RM50 Grab voucher. It includes an all-new interactive AR filter on Instagram, which can be used by Malaysians in joining the initiative.

Interested participants will only have to record themselves using the new AR filter, sharing what they want to quit for 2022, and post it with the hashtags ‘#SamaSamaStop’ and ‘#Nicorette’ on their Instagram profiles to get a chance to be one of the 20 lucky weekly winners.

Manila, Philippines – Globe Studios, the Filipino entertainment production company under telecommunications company Globe, has rebranded, to now be called ANIMA.

ANIMA will be under the umbrella of Kroma Entertainment Inc., a new entertainment company backed by the Globe Group of Companies. The former Globe Studios was the one behind the critically-acclaimed Filipino films such as ‘Fangirl’, ‘Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral’, and ‘Dead Kids’, along with series such as ‘Gaya sa Pelikula’ and ‘OTJ: The Missing 8’.

Quark Henares, the head of ANIMA, stated that the new name signifies the changes they will be offering to the public as they venture into a new era of entertainment.

He further shared that it was hard for them to let go of the name Globe Studios because they have done and achieved so much in their five years of existence, but believes they can only go onward and upward with ANIMA.

“We are always on the lookout for how we can tell Filipino stories better – be it through the silver screen, black box, or handheld devices. It’s the stories that matter, and the way we get them to you. We’re doubling down on that with ANIMA, so you can expect more stuff on YouTube, on Spotify, on TikTok,” Henares added.

ANIMA said that viewers can expect more fun and exciting materials. One of the films they can anticipate is ‘Ang Pagbabalik ng Kuwago’, the first Filipino feature film to premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in more than 15 years, and ‘Hintayan ng Langit’ spinoff series ‘Simula sa Gitna’. It is also strengthening collaborations with One Championship, WeTV, and Netflix, as well as HBO Go.

Moreover, the team is raring to experiment with other formats and genres. Content are already visible in the podcasts ‘Nandito Sila’ and ‘Come Home’, while other podcasts started tackling new themes – cryptocurrency, motherhood, and sexual behaviors, among others.

Bangkok, Thailand – As part of SOUR Bangkok’s commitment to empowering women leadership in Thailand, the independent agency has just introduced its four next-generation female creative leaders, aimed at increasing diversity in the Thai advertising industry.

One of the four creative leaders is Warunpon Trithepwijit, the partner and creative director at SOUR Bangkok. She was the leader in content creation for Netflix Original Series that has recently won Asian television Awards, Asia Contents Awards for Best Asian TV Series, and Asian Academy Creative Awards. Another creative leader is the agency’s creative director and head of art, Nopparath Eksuwancharoen, who has recently been announced as the winner of The One Club and The 3% Movement for Next Creative Leaders 2021 Asia Pacific Regional.

Meanwhile, Kusuma Ruchakityanon, SOUR Bangkok’s latest creative director, is known as an award-winning creative leader. She was picked up as BBDO Female Creative Leadership in 2018 and chosen to be the Executive Jury at Ciclope Asia Award and the Grand Jury at Ciclope Festival Berlin 2021, while Warangrat Rattanabumrung, the agency’s associate creative director, is the rising star of Thailand’s advertising industry. She has been recently the representative of Thailand in Young Cannes Lions Competitions 2020.

SOUR Bangkok’s works have successfully involved women’s brand campaigns and expanded its business into entertainment for women, including ‘Girl From Nowhere’, a Netflix Original Series, and freshly launched a Thai Virtual Human that appeared on leading international fashion magazines like L’Officiel, VOGUE, and Harper’s BAZAAR.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – SK Group, the multi-national manufacturing and service conglomerate company based in South Korea with a market capitalization of U$177b, has announced its commitment to further invest in Malaysia, following its recent investment in the country of over US$700m in 2021. 

According to SK Group, in January 2021, SK Nexilis announced a capital expenditure of US$553m (RM2.3b) to set up a copper foil manufacturing facility in Sabah, which will be part of SK Group’s Electric Vehicle (EV) value chain. Meanwhile, SK Group’s car-sharing subsidiary SoCar Malaysia has recently raised more than US$55m from EastBridge Partners and local conglomerate Sime Darby to fuel its expansion and build an EV platform in Malaysia, with plans to deploy hundreds of EVs in the next five years. 

Furthermore, SK Group has announced a strategic investment of up to US$100m into Malaysia’s fintech BigPay in August 2021, which is a testament to the ability of Malaysian fintech companies to grow not just domestically, but also regionally and become a major player in SEA. The fintech has plans to catalyze intra-regional trade between Malaysian SMEs and the region, by initially leveraging the connectivity and network of AirAsia, combined with its logistics arm, Teleport. SK Group has also announced that it will be joining the BigPay consortium to apply for the upcoming digital banking license in Malaysia.

Jung Kyu Kim, SK Group’s chief representative for Malaysia, said, “We are confident that SK’s experience in financial tech services will contribute to the successful digital bank ecosystem in Malaysia and further growth into the ASEAN region.”

SK Group said that as it expands rapidly into new industries globally especially in sectors benefiting the environment and human health, SK Group is looking forward to more investment opportunities in Malaysia. In particular, SK Group is keen to explore with like-minded partners in the growing sectors of EV, digitalization, and environment.

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia – Malaysian-headquartered consumer goods company, Maestro Swiss Group, has partnered with marketing agency Unravel, to revitalize and expand its beverage brand Vico in the digital space.

Maestro produces chocolates and sweets under its brands Vochelle, Vico, and Darry’s that are distributed to over 17,000 outlets across East and West Malaysia, where all products are also exported to more than 20 countries worldwide.

Through the partnership, Unravel will be bolstering Vico’s brand awareness and consideration by utilizing the brand’s digital platforms, as well as other mediums such as radio, print, and even food delivery platforms.

Alwin Yew, Maestro Swiss Group’s director of sales and marketing, shared that the founders of Unravel have put together a terrific brand and leadership team to further accelerate the growth of the Vico brand. 

“Digital marketing has become a crucial component and the pandemic has dramatically accelerated this demand. Partnering with Unravel will enable us to unlock the full potential of digital transformation and further grow Vico’s brand presence in the country,” said Yew.

Matthew Wong, Unravel’s managing director, noted that the partnership is in line with their commitment to pivot their clients’ businesses by leveraging technology to accelerate an end-to-end commerce solution for them. 

“We synergize the best-in-class expertise from e-commerce, media, and communications to create strong end-to-end marketing solutions for Maestro to increase brand awareness and drive higher sales for Vico,” said Wong.

Bangkok, Thailand – Media company Matichon Group in Thailand has partnered with content discovery and native advertising platform, Dable, to drive monetization across its news sites in the country.

Matichon Group is one of the leading publishers in Thailand, with newspaper brands Khaosod Daily, Matichon Daily, Prachachart Business, and Matichon Weekly, as well as Sentangsedtee. 

The partnership will see Dable generating additional revenue for Matchicon Group while maintaining the user’s experience by displaying ads that blend in with the organic content of the website. Through this, the media company will be able to demonstrate high performance by exposing ads that are based on the visitor’s interests.

Chaehyun Lee, Dable’s CEO, shared that by partnering with the Matichon group, Dable is able to expand its premium network, as well as reflect its advancement in both Thailand and the global markets.

“I am confident that this partnership will bring good results. With Dable’s personalized recommendation technology creating a valuable experience, readers seek to consume quality content on Matichon group’s subsidiary sites, increasing page views and dwell time on each site,” said Lee.

Aree Lekhanon, the acting director of Matichon Group, said, “We look forward to providing personalized content that engages our readers and caters to their needs through Dable’s solution. We also hope to expand Matichon’s influence in the media market through various insights and data provided by Dable.”

Manila, Philippines – The travel trend to ‘escape’ to more off-beat destinations dominates Filipinos’ New Year’s Eve (NYE) plans, but the preference to stay in the metro still tops their choice for the celebration.

According to a report by digital travel platform Agoda, Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, came out as the number one destination for Filipinos’ NYE plans. Aside from the vibrant and crowded city of Manila, the report shows that travelers also prefer to celebrate their New Year in the country’s popular tourist attraction Boracay, landing at the second spot. 

Meanwhile, Cebu ranked third for its rich history and proximity to multiple islands, while the fourth spot was nabbed by Tagaytay, which is close to the city center that offers scenic views of the Taal lake volcano. Lastly, Baguio, ended at fifth, with Filipinos’ wanting to make the most out of the ‘sweater’ weather.

Moreover, new joiners Bohol, which is known for its chocolate hills, and the hustle and bustle city of Davao made it to the list of popular destinations for the New Year, knocking off Laguna and Iloilo off the top ten list.

Timothy Hughes, Agoda’s vice president of corporate development, noted that their data shows that in addition to the big city, traditional, celebration destinations, travelers across Asia are showing their ongoing desire to escape the constrictions and controls of pandemic impacted cities.

He further shared that the appeal of Asia’s beaches, stunning scenery, and freedom of open space has people heading for the coast and mountains in droves.

“Data shows that Taiwanese and Thai travelers are booking higher star category hotels compared to last year. Joining travelers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam in the hunt for a luxurious end to a tough 2021,” said Hughes.

The report also found that in Asia, the preference for four to five-star hotels is even stronger with Taiwan and Thailand travelers upgrading from one to three-point-five-star accommodation for New Year’s Eve this year, joining Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Vietnam travelers who continue to choose 4-5 star venues to celebrate the arrival of 2022. Meanwhile, in India, one to three-point-five-star hotels remain popular among travelers, reflective of trends in 2020.

Bangkok, Thailand – International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations agency that promotes social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights, has partnered with Google, as well as its International Training Center (ITCILO) to further expand its program for upskilling women entrepreneurs called ‘ILO’s Rebuilding Better: Fostering Business Resilience Post-COVID-19 Project’. The pilot initiative was hosted last November 2021.

The initiative aims to support women in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and adopt more sustainable and resilient business models, and also works to strengthen women entrepreneurs’ access to vital support services.

Through the expansion of the initiative, ILO has launched three new training programs, which are now available to women entrepreneurs who are seeking new skills for their business and personal growth. It can be accessed in the Google Primer learning app as free, quick, and easy-to-understand lessons on how to manage a business, strengthen its online presence, and create a more supportive workplace which are available in both English and Thai language. 

Dragan Radic, ILO’s head of SME Unit of Enterprises Department, shared that the organization has worked for over 30 years to support SMEs to start, grow, and sustain their businesses, as well as strive to seek new and innovative methods and partnerships to deliver impactful solutions.

“The partnership with Google is a prime example of a collaboration that is enabling us to leverage our own strengths while also benefiting from our partner’s extensive online learning and technology capacity,” said Radic.

Ryan Rahardjo, Google’s head of public affairs for SEA, said, “Through this collaboration and our free Google Primer app, we hope more entrepreneurs in the region will be able to learn new skills, grow and expand their businesses both locally and internationally.”

ILO shared that at least 2,000 women entrepreneurs have been the first beneficiaries of the innovative new pilot to deliver digital training via Google Primer.

Interested learners may access the courses at the ILO Peer Learning Hub for APAC.