Singapore – Global marketing agency TEAM LEWIS has announced the promotion of several key team members within the Greater China region namely Kate Kwan as managing director for Greater China, Miranda Xie as general manager for Hong Kong, and Stella He as director for Beijing

These promotions come as the agency continues to pursue the range of opportunities emerging from across the Greater China region with a more integrated team structure across the market bringing together the Beijing and Hong Kong offices under a singular umbrella.

For her new role as managing director, Kwan would be leading the growth and expansion of TEAM LEWIS within the Greater China region. She bears 3 years of experience as a former general manager for TEAM LEWIS Greater China. 

On the other hand, Xie would be taking up the role of general manager after her term as an associate director for TEAM LEWIS Hong Kong. Her new responsibilities will carry over from her experience and background in tech and corporate sectors.

Meanwhile, He would be taking up the position of Director for TEAM LEWIS Beijing from her former role as an Associate Director. She has 11 years of experience in PR and marketing communication in B2B and B2C brands.

These promotions follow a run of new multi-market client wins for the agency in the past 6- months, including companies such as Endowus, GoGoX and Wharf Hotels.

Keso Kendall, SVP of TEAM LEWIS says that she is thrilled to announce these promotions within the Greater China region.

“We have seen great growth from our Hong Kong office this financial year and the signs are positive that China will follow suit as the market continues to open up post-COVID. I am very excited to see the impact that these promotions will bring to the region and delighted that we are able to continue to support the growth of our highly talented team,” she added. 

Singapore – Keso Kendall, most recently the head of regional strategic accounts for Asia-Pacific, has been promoted by TEAM LEWIS as its newest senior vice president for Asia-Pacific. In her new role, she will be leading the agency’s business in the region following a slew of business wins such as Pizza Hut, Circles.Life, and the Singapore National Youth Council

Kendall will play a vital part in driving the agency’s overall strategy – expanding its client base, and leading cross-functional teams to deliver results. She will also work closely with the global and regional executive team to further solidify the agency’s position in the market.

She replaces Fairil Yeo, who will be leaving the business for a new role after being at TEAM LEWIS for 8 years. Kendall’s promotion took effect in 1 June this year, and will report to Yvonne van Bokhoven, executive vice president for EMEA and APAC at TEAM LEWIS.

Kendall brings 12 years of experience in PR, marketing, public affairs, branding and communications to the role. With a background covering both B2B and B2C marketing, she has worked with brands across APAC to deliver local, regional and global campaigns that drive business impact.

Commenting on her new role, she said, “I am extremely excited and energised to be stepping up to lead our fantastic APAC team. As the marketing landscape continues to evolve and face new challenges, I know the team will continue to deliver exceptional, impactful and creative work.”

Meanwhile, van Bokhoven commented, “Her extensive experience, industry knowledge, and leadership skills make her the ideal candidate to take our agency to new heights. I have no doubt that Keso will play a key role in driving our continued success and helping us achieve our ambitious goals. We thank Fairil Yeo for his excellent contribution to our business and wish him well for the future.”

Singapore – Circles.Life, Singapore’s fully digital telco, has appointed global marketing agency, TEAM LEWIS, as its agency partner for public relations and influencer engagement.

Taking effect last April 2023, TEAM LEWIS will support Circles.Life in conceptualising, developing, and implementing PR strategies and activities in Singapore. In addition to providing consultancy services, the agency will also be responsible for the creation of relevant and impactful mainstream, online and social media coverage for Circles.Life to further bolster the positioning and messaging the brand has to offer.

The fully digital telco company continues to be a key player in disrupting the traditional notions of a telco service provider, with offerings such as unlimited data, rollover data, and its new travel plan, JetPac, allowing users to roam anytime, anywhere with added features such as airport lounge access.

One of the founders of Circles.Life, Rameez Ansar, commented on the appointment, “As the fourth largest telco in Singapore, we are constantly revolutionising our digital service experience, while continuously reinventing ourselves to stay relevant for our ever-changing customers’ needs. TEAM LEWIS has demonstrated an understanding of the brand and provided a strategic direction in line with our brand messaging.” 

Pamela Tor Das, managing director of TEAM LEWIS Singapore, said, “Circles.Life is known for its making innovative and bold moves that have made waves across Singapore’s telco industry. We are thrilled to be its partner of choice for integrated communications in Singapore and can’t wait to showcase what else the brand has to offer.” 

The appointment followed a competitive pitch for the account last December, with the appointment being finalised in March 2023.

Singapore – Popular pizza chain Pizza Hut Singapore has teamed up with recently-appointed integrated communications agency TEAM LEWIS in launching a new campaign that uses generative AI to produce visuals depicting Pizza Hut’s price promos.

Titled ‘Takeaway Pocket Pleasers’, the key visual highlights the brand’s commitment to deliver simple, delicious pizzas that continue to be accessible for everyone. 

By prompting the AI program, Midjourney, to create a visual that showcases the unmistakable DNA of the Pizza Hut brand, the campaign reduces advertising and creative costs to ultimately pass on more value to their customers — with pocket pleaser pizzas starting from SG$3.

Some of the flavours being offered include ‘Very Beefy’, ‘Cheese ‘N’ Chic’, ‘Just Cheese’, and ‘Chicky Ham ‘N’ Corn’. 

In addition, the campaign will also represent a new category of different value deals that customers can look out for in the coming months to take even more advantage of Pizza Hut Singapore’s offerings.

Jayss Rajoo, director of marketing and food innovation at Pizza Hut Singapore said, “We are always thinking of new, creative ways to bring more value to our customers, while ensuring they get the same delicious product no matter the occasion. As a customer-first brand, this AI-driven campaign allows us to disrupt the way we present our offerings and drive more savings for our customers. As a brand many people have grown up with, such campaigns allows us to demonstrate our growth with our customers in terms of progressive, tech-driven ideas.”

Singapore – Global marketing consultancy TEAM LEWIS is launching VIVID, a new global reputation and impact practice. The new practice aims to change the traditional reputation management theatre of operations which will weave together brand consultancy with creative engineering and real-time reputation management. 

Commenting on the new milestone, Yvonne van Bokhoven, EVP for Europe and APAC, said, “VIVID is designed to engineer new creative approaches to reputational content, engagement and brand experiences. This approach is built on the understanding brands are an emotional experience, rooted in what stakeholders can feel and understand.”

She added, “Real impact is made by understanding how audiences want to engage and connecting on the causes that matter most to them.” 

The global consultancy has developed the practice to respond to the rapidly changing digital-first world which now puts a premium on the metaverse, immersive augmented reality brand experiences, and emotional video-based storytelling.

“VIVID will inject pace, emotion, creativity, and visual thinking into reputation management and purpose campaigns,” shared TEAM LEWIS. 

According to the consultancy, VIVID was inspired and influenced by the work done around the world by the TEAM LEWIS Foundation. Story-telling skills and millions of dollars have been shared with important community causes, each nominated by a TEAM LEWIS staff; such has provided VIVID with a unique experience of purpose-driven causes and charities which represents a diverse global community. 

Tapping into the skills and knowledge from across 24 offices and 600 staff, VIVID will assemble bespoke teams for each client. Cross-discipline, geography, and specialist consultants will work together to aim to deliver impactful and creative outcomes at speed. 

The VIVID practice will be led by Helen Ellis, the agency’s global sustainability lead and reputation expert. 

To date, VIVID has already delivered work for clients including Schneider Electric, SkyScanner, and OKX. 

Singapore – Pizza Hut in Singapore has appointed global marketing agency TEAM LEWIS as its agency of record for integrated communications, including public relations as well as social media content creation and management.

The mandate, which started in January this year, will aid Pizza Hut Singapore in amplifying its brand story and bring its passion and celebration of pizzas to life. The agency is also responsible for providing consultancy and handling media relations, as well as content creation for social media while maintaining a prominent and consistent identity across communication channels. 

Jayss Rajoo, director of marketing and food innovation at Pizza Hut Singapore, commented on the appointment, “As the largest pizza chain in Singapore, we remain dedicated to continuously reinventing ourselves to stay relevant to our ever-changing customers’ needs. TEAM LEWIS won by a mile – having demonstrated a strategic understanding of the nuances of the Pizza Hut brand, our customers, and the Singapore market.” 

Rajoo added, “The team delivered creative strategies that embody our needs holistically, and we look forward to working with TEAM LEWIS to weave our brand identity into narratives that will boost our position as a thought leader in the F&B industry and a leading brand in the QSR space.” 

Meanwhile, Pamela Tor Das, managing director at TEAM LEWIS Singapore said, “The food and beverage industry is constantly changing in the face of ever-increasing food options. We are thrilled to partner with Pizza Hut Singapore and look forward to further cementing its position as Singapore’s favourite pizza QSR brand through creative campaigns and storytelling.”

TEAM LEWIS has also handled mandates for HMD Global and Singapore’s National Youth Council.

Singapore – National Youth Council (NYC), a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and a co-ordinating body by the government for youth affairs in Singapore, has appointed marketing agency TEAM LEWIS, to be its agency partner for social and digital content creation, management, and optimisation for Somerset Belt, a key project under the SG Youth Action Plan.

The Somerset Belt – a stretch that extends from *SCAPE to the junction of Somerset and Killiney roads – aims to be an entrepreneurial, creative, and incubation space for youths. It is designed to be a precinct where they can have a direct hand in contributing ideas on programming and infrastructural changes; working with one another, the communities, businesses, and the Government.

Joseph Prakash, assistant director of the Somerset Belt Office, shared that to inspire youths from all walks of life to work with us to shape Somerset Belt, it is important that the agency they work with not only has digital capabilities at its core, but also understands the identity they are building to stay connected with youths. 

“TEAM LEWIS has demonstrated creative and bold thinking in its storytelling to help youths connect with one another, while celebrating their collective ideas, interests, and aspirations,” said Prakash.

Meanwhile, Mark Tay, head of content for Singapore at TEAM LEWIS, commented that they are excited to partner with National Youth Council and look forward to demonstrating how incorporating youth-centric sentiments in the heart of storytelling can help band a community of diverse audiences together. 

“This is an incredible opportunity for us to build a distinct identity for Somerset Belt while positioning the space as a place for youths to appreciate, participate and create programmes,” said Tay.

Singapore – The nation of Singapore is about to celebrate its birthday – the country’s National Day – on 9 August and brands are already mounting their share of the tribute. 

In a very interesting and unique manner, TEAM LEWIS, the global marketing agency, jumps into the celebration and showcases what makes Singaporeans distinct and one-of-a-kind as they are through a microsite that honours their unique traits and behaviours.

Called ‘The Singapore Pattern’, the first instalment of the interactive microsite by the agency will be its ‘Good Morning Edition’, which features live polls that seek to uncover what the quintessential morning routine looks like for the average Singaporean.

“In a nation as diverse as Singapore, there are just as many things that set citizens apart that bring them together,” said the agency. 

In its entirety, ‘The Singapore Pattern’ will be a series of fun, interactive campaigns that celebrate the little and interesting vignettes of everyday moments that make them uniquely Singapore.

TEAM LEWIS, which dabbles in social media management, content marketing, and public relations, prides itself on weaving in local insights and nuances to create bold campaigns that appeal to a wider audience. 

Mark Tay, the agency’s head of content, said, “Creating great content is at the heart of many things we do at TEAM LEWIS, and we’ve always [been] keenly aware that the right insights are essential for us to do just that. We hope that this Singapore Pattern campaign can be a fun and creative way for us to pay tribute to some of the things that make us Singapore while also providing a peek into how many of us kickstart our workday.”

The microsite is now live (www.singaporepattern.com). The morning edition poll closes on 31 August, and results will be showcased on Team Lewis’ site thereafter. 

Singapore – With many brands going more digital, amplified during the pandemic, brands need to understand that they need to be innovative and creative in their upcoming business strategies and endeavours to further reel in potential customers, a report by global marketing agency TEAM LEWIS and audience insights company GWI showed.

According to the trends guide, screen time continues to grow in most countries, with the exception of Malaysia and Singapore, furthermore, Hong Kongers & Malaysians prefer to spend more time on their mobile devices compared to PCs, laptops, and tablets. In terms of device ownership, audiences own at least three devices, Malaysians on average own fewer than three devices but spend the most time on the internet globally.

The report notes that the top concern amongst consumers is how companies use their personal data online, with 39%, followed by a preference to maintain anonymity online, with 34%.

The marketing landscape was also highlighted, with the website serving as a leading channel with 56% of audiences visiting a brand’s websites in the last month. Newsletters and emails were also still proven to be effective with 26% of the audience reporting to reading them. In line with the theme of ending monotony to avoid marketing immunity, consumers unanimously wanted brands to be innovative, authentic, and reliable.

In the last three years, there has been an increase in consumption of music streaming services and podcasts with Singapore seeing the most growth year-on-year.

Finally, only 23% of consumers globally think social media is good for society with Malaysians being the most positive about social media, with 40% seeing it as a force for good.

Simon Billington, executive creative director at TEAM LEWIS, said, “It’s no longer as simple as getting in front of your audience with a single message as many times as possible. Consumer expectations of a brand’s interaction with them are clear. They want unique, attention-grabbing creativity delivered in a personalized way. The complexity of the message and the vehicle the message is delivered in is paramount to success.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Marketing agency TEAM LEWIS has recently won the account of the Malaysian arm of global mobile phone company HMD Global to be its agency partner to drive its social and public relations campaigns in Malaysia.

Through the appointment, TEAM LEWIS will provide brand, communications and issues consultancy, as well as media relations, content creation and monitoring for Nokia mobile within Malaysia. 

Furthermore, The agency will work alongside HMD Global’s marketing team to bring the brand’s vision to life and strengthen Nokia mobile’s presence within the community as the relationship of consumers with their smartphones and technology continues to evolve. 

HMD Global designs and markets a range of smartphones and feature phones and an expanding portfolio of innovative service offerings. HMD Global is known for the smartphone brand Nokia and targets to bolster its re-entry in the Malaysian market as Nokia mobile has been committed to bringing a range of sophisticated and future-proof devices. Along with the latest features in smartphone photography and entertainment, Nokia mobile’s impressive range of smartphones and feature phones will also boost its legacy in quality and durability. 

With the consumer technology industry continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, HMD Global is looking to build a positive brand reputation and increase focus on marketing efforts to further expand its footprint in Malaysia.

Goh Doh Hau, country manager at HMD Global Malaysia, said, “Moving ahead, we want to continue to delight our existing and future customers with operating system upgrades and highly secured products that are built to last. While building our technology, we also want to draw focus around our sustainable business practices. As such, we look forward to creating breakthrough campaigns with TEAM LEWIS that drive our key messages forward.”

Meanwhile, Liew Huey-Ling, head of marketing for Pan Asia at HMD Global, commented that as a leading player in this industry, they wanted to work with an agency partner who is able to offer deep industry insights, understand their marketing requirements and go beyond conventional tactics to deliver creative solutions that increase their brand penetration in the market.

“We were impressed with the consumer technology experience that TEAM LEWIS brings to the table. As such, we look forward to working with TEAM LEWIS to bring the brand to greater heights,” Huey-Ling stated.

Ann Chong, managing director at TEAM LEWIS Malaysia, meanwhile noted that the current status quo of consumer technology, including the smartphone industry, has seen a lot of innovation in the last couple of years. Chong added that the introduction of Nokia mobile’s latest portfolio of devices that consumers will be loved, trusted and wanted to keep embodies the brand’s spirit of innovation, along with delivering great customer experiences and durability.

“On that note, we are excited to have the opportunity to work with a progressive brand like Nokia mobile and look forward to effectively translating the brand’s vision into reality with our creative storytelling,” Chong said.

TEAM LEWIS had recently bagged this year the digital agency account of photography brand Nikon for APAC, as well as being the PR agency partner of FairPrice Group.