Tag: Southeast Asia

Jakarta, Indonesia – Online video adtech startup Pancast has officially launched in Southeast Asia, marking it with its first office in Indonesia. In addition, Pancast has also appointed Miranti Herwinda as the startup’s country manager in Indonesia.

Pancast has already started working with some of Indonesia’s online publishers. These include publishing conglomerate Kapanlagi Youniverse, streaming platforms Vidio, WeTV, and True ID, as well as sports platforms ESPN, One Football and Football Co.

Speaking about their services, Alex Prior, CEO at Pancast, said, “Premium video inventory delivers highly-engaged audiences at scale, in a safe and transparent context, offering advertisers targetable and quantifiably real viewers across multiple screens.”

He added, “Our partnerships with leading publishers, scale of premium inventory, audiences and ad impressions, and Miranti’s extensive industry experience and familiarity with the region, puts us in a strong position to meet marketer’s growing digital ad appetite.”

Herwinda, with over 14 years of industry experience, was previously affiliated with Collab Asia as the commercial director for Indonesia. She also had experience as head of digital development and growth for MRA Media, and co-founder and managing director of Glitzmedia.

Speaking about her appointment, she said, “I am excited to join Pancast and take on the challenge of leading the operations in Indonesia. I look forward to introducing the uniqueness of Pancast to publishers and advertisers. I believe this complements the increasing online video viewers in Indonesia. I am delighted to take on this opportunity and play a role in shaping the online video advertising industry.”

Pancast offers a fully transparent marketplace in terms of quality inventory and revenue model, unlocking the true value of video inventory for publishers and delivering access to scalable, targeted audiences for advertisers. With Pancast, advertisers also have access to a wide scale of premium videos from publishers through a single deal.

“The foundations of the Pancast marketplace are privacy first, content and behavioral data strategy. The company’s unique and ever-evolving deep data solution delivers value to publisher partners and advertisers searching for reach and [relevance]. Pancast is continuously expanding its capabilities, working with its tech partners, to offer greater audience identification and in-depth data insights,” the company said in a press statement.

Manila, Philippines – Philippine-based multi-channel commerce platform development startup, ChatGenie, has raised additional capital in its recent fundraising campaign as part of Accelerating Asia’s fifth cohort for its first batch of investments from its US$20m Fund II. 

ChatGenie is an end-to-end web-based platform that lets merchants create an online store via web browsers. It has partnered with a number of big brands and digital wallet platforms, such as GCash, PayMaya, and PayMongo.

The newly secured funding will enable ChatGenie to expand its reach in distributing its product to as many merchants as possible. It will also help ChatGenie to expand its operations by growing its team to cater to more clients and scale its services.

Craig Bristol Dixon, Accelerating Asia’s general partner, commented, “Accelerating Asia is excited to provide support and be an early investor into ChatGenie as it expands across the Philippines and regionally.”

Ragde Falcis, the co-founder, chief executive officer, and chief technology officer of Chat Genie, believes that Accelerating Asia will provide Chat Genie with the tools, network, and mentorship that the firm needs to grow fast.

“So far we have been able to partner with one of the biggest telecommunication companies to upsell our product to its business clients. We are looking for more partnerships like this where we can help their existing merchants grow while increasing the value that our partners provide,” said Falcis. 

ChatGenie said that it is now gearing up for its next online demo day on 16 December 2021 as part of Accelerating Asia’s Accelerator Program, hoping to lure more investors in its next fundraising campaign.

Philippines – Top Filipino loveteam, or the country’s moniker for on-screen pairings, John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo has been seen reunited by none other than top fast-food brand Jollibee via its film studios on YouTube – Jollibee Studios. The two have been recently announced to have been signed on by the country’s largest media network, and before the comeback has been made official on the small screen, the F&B brand gets to revel in bragging rights on being the first one to do so. 

From bringing Filipinos their comfort food, Jollibee has grown its brand to be more than just a food staple. Through the years, it has made itself a platform for human and heartfelt stories via Jollibee studios. Following first-time gold medalist and Filipina athlete Hidilyn Diaz’s story for ‘Kwentong Jollibee’, the brand wows audiences by bringing back one of the biggest loveteams in the Philippines. Cruz and Alonzo’s short film will be tackling a “deeper kind of love.” The two started to team up on-screen in 2005, which was followed by a box-office hit a year after titled ‘All About Love.’ The chemistry and star power of the two cemented them as one of the top love teams in the country.

Titled ‘One True Pair The Movie’, the new short film, which is directed by award-winning director JP Habac and produced by creative agency Publicis JimenezBasic and video production firm Unitel Straight Shooters, features the reconnecting story of Ian del Rosario, who is played by Cruz, and Gela Rosales, who is played by Alonzo, and how their relationship evolved over time despite things changing.

Francis Flores, Jollibee Foods Corporation’s country and regional marketing head for the Philippines, noted that the new film is a heartwarming story about a love that lasts and transcends time and romance.

“It was such a joy being able to work with Bea and John Lloyd for this film. As seasoned and award-winning actors who have also been lifelong friends, they bring maturity to the story that makes it highly relatable and gives weight to the message that when you love someone, you love them forever,” said Habac.

Tats Cruz, Publicis JimenezBasic’s head of agency, said, “When it comes to developing a Jollibee Studios story, the marching orders are always about making it real, universal, and full of hope and that’s what One True Pair surfaces effectively. It’s really a very simple story that tells hard-hitting truths about loving someone.”

Jollibee said that ‘One True Pair The Movie’ is the first in a slew of original entertainment content from the revamped Jollibee Studios YouTube Channel, the brand’s hub for its digital Filipino stories. The film is also one of many that will be starring A-list celebrities, all of which will be exclusively available on Jollibee Studios.

Philippines – Grab has extended GrabGifts, its in-app gifting capability to now allow users to send gifts to loved ones on-demand outside their home country. Users will now be able to send vouchers and gifts to family and friends in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. 

The enhanced gifting experience is powered by two new features, which is Grab’s revamped GrabGifts interface, and a new 100+ Cities Delivery feature, in BETA version, which enables users to order and send food and physical gifts from GrabFood and GrabMart merchant-partners that are available in the recipient’s city within an hour 

Grab said that the enhanced feature is in response to the current travel restrictions that continue to be unstable amid new Covid variants. The platform said its survey among Grab users in Southeast Asia revealed that more than half intend to send gifts on-demand to loved ones in other cities. 

Grab’s CMO Cheryl Goh said that while Grab was primarily marketed to answer to personal needs, the platform has eventually grown to be “a powerful vehicle” for building and maintaining connections between loved ones. 

“But with many countries yet to fully open their borders, we wanted to do more. We are so excited to now be able to bridge even longer distances between loved ones. We hope this will bring a festive cheer to all our users in Southeast Asia,” said Goh. 

The voucher categories under GrabGifts span Grab’s food, mart, express, and transport services. As part of the new interface, users will be able to send their recipients up to three voucher options to choose from. In addition, users will also be able to select from a range of designs and add in a personalized message.

Manila, Philippines – Havas Ortega, the media and communications group of the global Havas group in the Philippines, has appointed Mel Panabi, former vice president of marketing communications at energy tech business WeGen Distributed Energy Philippines, to be the new business director of its global public relations, social and experiential agency micro-network.

Panabi has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, corporate communication, stakeholder relations, and crisis management, as well as political communications, and marketing. He has worked on accounts and brands across industries like fintech, real estate, telecommunications, and entertainment, as well as renewables. 

In his new role, Panabi will now be responsible for developing new products and services that will further strengthen Red Havas’ position in the country’s public relations and brands landscape. 

Panabi believes that PR is building a relationship across different touchpoints in the customer journey. He shared that it is not just a campaign but a conversation with brands that consumers can trust.

“I am particularly looking forward to the new direction we’re going to take – highlighting sustainability as a centerpiece communication strategy as we partner with brands. I am also excited by our plans for 2022, as we align our efforts here in the Philippines with the standards and industry-leading initiatives of the global Red Havas brand,” said Panabi.

Jos Ortega, Havas Ortega’s chairman and CEO, noted that meaningful messages aligned to authentic values are what stakeholders look for, and that the new appointment is great support in achieving this.

“Mel Panabi brings with him a wealth of experience that will help Red Havas navigate through the new role of PR and corporate communication—one that is informed by thoughtful corporate responsibility and governance,” said Ortega.

Today, Red Havas in Australia has also announced the appointment of Lawrence Muskitta to be the head of the agency’s new public affairs offering in the market. The new division spans government relations, stakeholder engagement, patient and consumer advocacy, and public behavior change campaigns, as well as policy monitoring and intelligence gathering, crisis management, and strategic partnerships.

Singapore – Integrated communications agency PRecious Communications has announced a number of key regional appointments aimed at strengthening its presence in the Southeast Asia region. The new appointments are namely Daniel Tan as associate director of PRecious Sparks, John Paul Palileo as creative director, and Georg Ackermann as content lead. 

In his role, Tan counsels a range of startup, VC and accelerator accounts around corporate communications, financial communications and integrated communications initiatives, while lending strategic support to other practices. A former journalist who has written for numerous regional publications, Tan specializes in media relations and strategic communications across APAC.

Meanwhile, Palileo is a strategic brand builder and visual storyteller with a solid background in outcome-driven design across markets. He has more than a decade of experience across various advertising and marketing agencies in Southeast Asia, and has led teams in designing creative solutions and shaping brand personas through visual content.

Ackermann, meanwhile, has worked nearly two decades with leading media organisations in Europe and Asia. Most recently, he has been a managing editor at KrASIA, covering the startup and tech ecosystem in Southeast Asia.

Prayaank Gupta, vice president for growth and innovation at PRecious Communications said, “With more brands trying to get their marketing, communications and content mix right across Southeast Asia, we’re seeing a greater need to tailor our approach and offerings and offer counsel beyond our core offerings. Our investment in hiring and developing talent enables us to not only better seize opportunities, but also provides us with more ways to delight our clients by deepening our collaborative efforts.”

PRecious Communications actively plans and executes client communications programs across Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Philippines – Aimazing, the retail data platform for mall management has recently obtained a partnership with local upper-scale mall destination in Manila, Power Plant Mall, to launch a digital raffle campaign that offers customers opportunities to earn rewards in real-time for their purchases at stores across the entire mall.

Through the new partnership, Aimazing will be allowing Rockwell teams to automate the entire collection process and focus on better user experiences for consumer campaigns while providing tenants with the highest efficiency and data visibility.

To join the lucky draw, customers will have to use their mobile devices and input the alphanumeric code found on their receipt on Rockwell’s loyalty app while shopping on the go. By spending between ₱1,000 to ₱3,000 at selected Rockwell locations and stores from 05 November 2021 to 31 January 2022, the customers can enter the Christmas Raffle by entering their raffle code on Rockwell’s loyalty app to stand a chance to win a Land Rover Defender.

Tracey Castillo, Rockwell Land Corporation’s vice president for marketing, said that with the new tie-up, they wanted to remove any barriers for customers who will participate in their annual raffle.

“Our partnership with Aimazing comes in at a great time of reopening after the worst of the pandemic dropped foot traffic significantly, and we are delighted to be able to do our part to bolster consumer sentiment and welcome our community back in a festive way this season,” said Castillo.

Meanwhile, Jun Ting, Aimazing’s chief executive officer, commented, “Moving forward, we can power any sort of promos, and many more exciting digital experiences in the mall with our technology and mall pioneers like Power Plant Mall.”

The Rockwell team has also announced that it will be launching various digital campaigns, alongside Aimazing, in their different properties outside the metro in the next few months.

Manila, Philippines – Lazada has officially announced the dates of its 12.12 Grand Christmas Sale which will run from 12 to 14 December 2021.

This year’s holiday shopping festival showcases various deals with Lazada Bonus vouchers offering ₱60 off for every ₱600 spend. Brands will also be offering cashback to get a 10% purchase amount added automatically to a consumer’s Lazada Wallet upon item delivery.

In addition, Lazada is also offering installments on users’ purchases through Lazada Loans. Lazada’s trusted loan providers such as TendoPay will be offering 0% interest on purchases from 5 to 15 December 2021, while Plentina will be offering the same from 10 to 14 December 2021, and Billease and Cashalo offering 0% interest on purchases until the end of the year. 

Ahead of 12.12, customers can also apply for monthly installment plans from these financing partners, allowing holiday shoppers to bag the shopping deals and pay later, with no interest.

Neil Trinidad, Lazada’s chief marketing officer for the Philippines, said, “As the go-to platform of Filipinos, Lazada upholds the heart of gift-giving by empowering our shoppers to interact and connect more with their loved ones, helping bring everyone together and spreading love in the most generous way.”

Lazada Gift Cards will also be available again starting 3 December 2021, giving recipients the liberty to choose an item they want. To avail, users will have to tap on the ‘Lazada Gift Card’ icon on the app or search for ‘Lazada Gift Card’ on the search bar of the Lazada app and choose an amount ranging from ₱100 up to ₱5000. 

Users will only need to enter the mobile number, email address, and the name of the recipient, as well as customize and input the message, and click on the ‘Buy Now’ button to proceed to checkout. The recipients will then be notified of the gift card sent via SMS or email. Upon activation of Lazada Wallet, gift card recipients can redeem the amount with the voucher codes they have received.

Moreover, Lazada is also encouraging its users to donate to Lazada donors and its partner organizations, such as UNICEF, Save the Children Foundation, and World Vision, as well as ABS-CBN Foundation, and GMA Foundation. 

To access direct donations to ‘LazadaForGood’, users will have to head on the official ‘LazadaForGood’ site. Users can also access the page via desktop by simply opening the Lazada website, clicking ‘Load & eStore’, followed by clicking the ‘LazadaForGood’ icon, and then selecting an advocacy partner of choice and ‘Add to cart’ to donate. While on mobile, users will have to click on ‘Load, Bills, and Coupon’, tap on the ‘LazadaForGood’ icon, and select an advocacy partner of choice, then ‘Add to cart’ to donate. 

At the core of the e-commerce’s holiday campaign, popular celebrities in the Philippines and local brand ambassadors Bea Alonzo, Alden Richards, Mimiyuuuh, and Maine Mendoza will be gracing the newest Lazada TV commercial, highlighting “the reasons for the season.”

Singapore – A group of independent public relations agencies representing Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, as well as Singapore, and South Korea has joined forces to form the new ‘PerfectPitch Asia PR Network’ in SEA. 

The new network aims to support global companies in strategizing and implementing their business communications programs as they venture into Asian markets. It is composed of female founders who are experts in brand strategy, public relations, and integrated marketing, as well as social media.

PerfectPitch founders include Constance Chao, the founder of Media Plus for Mainland China and Taiwan, Maggie Chen, independent representative for Hong Kong, and Yukiko Harada, TrainTracks’ managing director for Japan, as well as Melinda Ilagan, I.M. SEA Communications’ managing director for Singapore, and June Cha, TwinTracks’ managing director for South Korea.

Harada said, “We have come together combining the depth and breadth of our experiences in various industries, practices, and our respective geographies to provide global clients good counsel and strong execution to help them succeed in Asia’s mega-economy.”

Meanwhile, Ilagan shared that SEA continues to experience brisk growth as global enterprises and disruptive innovators set their eyes on the region’s young, tech-savvy talent and consumers.

“Our experience is that global companies and our counterpart agencies in the western hemisphere seek expert advisors in the most economically vibrant countries like Singapore, Mainland China/Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. They come to us because of our intimate understanding of this diverse region,” said Ilagan.

Chao also noted, “With over 20 decades of media experience in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan via Media Plus and Maggie Cheng, PerfectPitch can provide the total solution for the companies who want to enter into these comprehensive markets.”

As free trade agreements get ratified and borders start to reopen amid COVID-19 PerfectPitch said it is anticipating a fresh burst of business opportunities coming into the region.

Manila, Philippines – Among the three main industries of e-commerce, FMCG, and QSR in the Philippines, e-commerce registered the largest ad spend with US$52m for Q3 of this year. This is according to the latest study by data, insights, and consulting company Kantar.

This was followed by QSR in the country with US$6.4m, and FMCG with US$5.3m. 

Philippines brands’ average monthly ad spend was found to be $15b. 

In terms of what channels brands invest in the most, social display comes out on top with 44% of them spending their budgets on such, while desktop display came in second as a priority channel with 42%. A fraction of brands’ ad expenditure was directed towards desktop video (6%), mobile video (6%), and lastly, mobile display (2%). 

Meanwhile, social platform-wise, Facebook registered the lion’s share of overall ad spend by Filipino brands with US$616.1m. with Instagram as the second most popular platform with US$135.2m This was followed by Youtube (US$98m), and Twitter (US$9.9m). The study also showed the platforms that garnered the biggest impressions among audiences. Facebook still topped the ranks with 134.8 billion, followed by Instagram (40.5 billion), Youtube (14 billion), and Twitter (5.3 billion). 

The same study also revealed the ad spending and impressions of the leading news and lifestyle sites in the Philippines. News sites, such as GMA News Online, ABS-CBN News, Rappler, and Philstar, as well as Manila Bulletin, and Inquirer, have recorded US$12.3m ad spend and three billion impressions for the period, while lifestyle sites, namely PEP, Metro, ClickTheCity, Spot, and Preview, as well as Spin, and Cosmo, clocked in a total of US$1.1m ad spend for the quarter and with 239.2 million impressions overall. 

Kantar’s current Digital Advertising Intelligence was conducted during the period of July to September 2021.