Tag: USA

Japan – Dentsu Inc. and Dentsu Anime Solutions Inc. have launched a new global brand, “dentsu anime solutions (das),” aimed at driving the overseas expansion and commercial growth of Japanese anime content.

The newly introduced ‘das’ brand is set to support the global growth of Japan’s anime industry and the business strategies of clients across North America, China, and Southeast Asia. It will offer anime-focused marketing solutions tailored to each region, contributing to both the international reach of Japanese companies and the business development of local partners.

The launch comes amid rapid global growth of the Japanese anime market, spurred by the widespread availability of streaming platforms. In response to this trend, dentsu is expanding its presence in the sports and entertainment domain, with the establishment of ‘das’ as a key initiative, alongside the development of regional operating hubs.

Dentsu has previously delivered anime-led marketing services through its Entertainment Business Centre, alongside producing original content and managing anime-related ventures. In 2022, it launched Manga Anime Growth Partners, an internal cross-departmental team to address the growing global demand for Japanese anime and manga. Dentsu Anime Solutions Inc. was later established in 2023 to focus on anime licensing and has worked closely with Dentsu Inc. since.

The ‘das’ brand brings together dentsu’s in-house anime experts and industry partners, drawing from years of marketing and promotional experience both domestically and abroad. This includes collaborations with global players such as Roblox Corporation, known for its immersive social gaming platform.

Through its three overseas hubs, ‘das’ will deliver integrated, anime-centric marketing strategies designed to support the regional promotion of Japanese anime and enhance the overseas visibility of client businesses.

The overseas hubs under the ‘das’ brand include dentsu anime solutions USA in North America, led by Sei Matsumoto, representative director and president of Dentsu Anime Solutions Inc.; dentsu anime solutions China, headed by Meng Xiaoxiao, managing director of DENTSU TEC IMAGINATION (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.; and dentsu anime solutions SEA in Southeast Asia, with leadership details to be announced.

In their official press release, dentsu said, “Going forward, we will work to further enhance and expand the sports and entertainment business domain in cooperation with all hubs and businesses in dentsu’s global network. Through the provision of “das” branded marketing solutions, dentsu will contribute to the global expansion of the anime industry and the growth strategies of its clients.” 

U.S.A – Lee Kum Kee has teamed up with Grey Hong Kong to launch its first-ever U.S. campaign, aiming to build brand awareness and highlight the multilayered flavours of its signature Chili Crisp Oil to American audiences.

Titled ‘Deliciously Complicated,’ the campaign introduces U.S. audiences to the layered flavours of Lee Kum Kee’s Chili Crisp Oil and how it can enhance simple meals.

The campaign video opens with the question, “What’s this?” and answers with, “It’s complicated.” It takes viewers through the product’s layers, from crispy chili to savoury sesame, highlighting its ability to add depth to everyday dishes.

Lee Kum Kee and Grey Hong Kong have focused on platforms like Connected TV, YouTube Pre-roll, and Walmart.com to increase visibility and engagement. Additional visuals and digital banners encourage audiences to share their interpretations of the product’s complex flavour.

Elaine Thai, vice president of marketing at Lee Kum Kee U.S., shared, “For over a century, Lee Kum Kee has brought authentic Asian flavours to kitchens worldwide. Chili Crisp Oil builds on that legacy with a flavour profile that is anything but ordinary. This campaign invites U.S. audiences to discover its layers and elevate their everyday meals.”

This marks Lee Kum Kee and Grey Hong Kong’s first multilayered U.S. campaign. Their collaboration began with successful campaigns in Hong Kong, including the ‘Instant Noodles Launch’ and ‘Yummy Convenience Store’ pop-up, leading to their first U.S. partnership. 

With over 135 years of history and 30 years of experience with Chili Crisp Oil, Lee Kum Kee emphasised that the product’s complexity should be the focus for this new campaign.

“Lee Kum Kee Chili Crisp Oil is all about layers. Each taste adds something unique and brings texture, depth, and surprises with every bite. Like a good wine or highly rated coffee, it has complicated flavours authentic to their heritage, which inspired the campaign’s creative direction,” said Rick Kwan, executive creative director of Grey Hong Kong. 

“Deliciously Complicated’ embraces the idea that some things shouldn’t be simplified. The richness of Chili Crisp Oil isn’t just about good; it’s about creating an experience that encourages curiosity and embraces a taste journey,” added Kwan. 

As part of the campaign, Lee Kum Kee’s Chili Crisp Oil is now available at Walmart, both in over 2,600 stores and online.

San Francisco, USA – Sitecore, a global provider of digital experience software, has appointed Eric Stine as its new chief operating officer. In this capacity, he will be in charge of all customer-facing processes, enabling customers to create captivating digital experiences while unlocking commercial value. Stine will be based in New York City. 

In his new role as chief operating officer, Stine will oversee Sitecore’s pre-sales, sales, customer success, alliances, operations, professional services, support, and ecosystem organisations. 

The most recent position held by Stine was CEO of Elemica. He held the positions of chief revenue officer at Qualtrics and chief commercial officer at Skillsoft before that. Additionally, he has had leadership positions at SAP, Ciber, and Blackboard, among other companies. 

Speaking about the appointment, Dave O’Flanagan, CEO of Sitecore, said, “Eric joins Sitecore at one of the most exciting points in the company’s growth, as we advance an innovative and integrated suite of AI capabilities tailored for marketing teams. We view a tremendous opportunity for our composable DXP to fundamentally transform the way marketing teams create content and digital experiences. As we deliver on our strategy of leveraging AI to innovate across digital content and experiences, Eric will align our customer-facing teams to bring maximum value to our customers and partners globally.” 

Meanwhile, Stine stated, “Sitecore has a multibillion-dollar opportunity as marketing intersects with digital transformation and next-gen AI. Marketing teams at many of the most prominent global brands trust Sitecore to transform the way they work. I look forward to taking our work with customers and partners to new heights, accelerating the next phase of the company’s growth.”

California, USA – Sensor Tower, a data provider for the digital economy, announced today the acquisition of market intelligence platform data.ai. This strategic move allows Sensor Tower to broaden its reach and develop marketing intelligence solutions. 

With the acquisition of data.ai, Sensor Tower has taken a step forward by expanding its clientele to include companies like Microsoft, Sky, and Bandai Namco, all of which make use of data.ai’s mobile app intelligence solutions. This move strengthens Sensor Tower’s standing as a supplier for investors, top brands, agencies, and gaming publishers. It is also a crucial step toward extending its reach throughout the Asia-Pacific area and partnering with more Fortune 500 organisations.

In this transaction, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP provided legal guidance to Sensor Tower, and William Blair & Company, LLC acted as the financial advisor.

Speaking about the acquisition, Oliver Yeh, CEO of Sensor Tower, said, “Today we celebrate the beginning of a new and exciting chapter, not only for Sensor Tower, but for the digital marketing and mobile app intelligence industry. We have long admired data.ai’s stellar product and high-quality team. The acquisition will allow Sensor Tower to broaden its audience and expand its best in class offerings to any company that participates in the digital economy – helping bridge the gap between companies and consumers.” 

Meanwhile, Ted Krantz, CEO at data.ai., stated, “Since 2010, data.ai has helped some of the finest brands and publishers globally to optimise their mobile performance. This evolution offers the best path to innovation, more insights across more channels, and ultimately, more value derived by clients.”

Jeff Parks, co-founder & managing partner, Riverwood Capital and member of Sensor Tower’s board of directors, expressed, “We were excited to invest behind Oliver and the team in 2020 and continue to be impressed by Sensor Tower as they shape the future of how intelligence solutions can be used to make strategic decisions. We believe the combined company is now the gold standard for how data can deliver value to customers seeking to better understand and participate in the digital economy.” 

Ramesh Venugopal, partner at Riverwood Capital and member of Sensor Tower’s board of directors, also added, “The trend of companies actively pursuing a holistic understanding of a consumer’s digital footprint has been a vision we have shared with the Sensor Tower team since day one. It has been incredible to see this pattern continue to emerge as more companies embrace a sophisticated multi-channel market intelligence approach.” 

Furthermore, Chunsoo Kim, managing partner at Paramark Ventures, said, “This merger isn’t just about scaling Sensor Tower’s global presence – it’s about amplifying the impact on the entire marketing industry’s ability to measure the digital economy, which the combination of these two entities now have made possible through deeper insights and improved product experience. We’re especially thrilled to support the team as they delve deeper into the dynamic APAC market, where the digital economy is booming.” 

Lastly, David Healey, director at Bain Capital Credit, commented, “Riverwood and the Sensor Tower team have built an excellent business with unique technology, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them to support the acquisition and the company’s next phase of growth.” 

Illinois, USA – Popular fast food chain McDonald’s has recently unveiled the inauguration of its latest mood-boosting brand spin-off CosMc’s, centred around beverage offerings.

CosMc’s is a beverage-centric concept with avant-garde flavours and mood-boosting treats, featuring unexpected flavour combinations to elevate their customers’ taste buds.

In its limited test phase, the menu ranges from specialty treats like lemonades and teas to indulgent blended beverages and cold coffee such as Sour Cherry Energy Slush, Tropical Spiceade, and S’mores Cold Brew.

Customers can also customise these drinks by adding popping boba, flavour syrups, energy or Vitamin C shots, and so much more.

The food front, on the other hand, encompasses savoury options, including spicy queso sandwiches, savoury hash brown bites, and pretzel bites served with dipping sauces.

Among the sweet choices, customers can also find blueberry lemon cookie sundaes and caramel fudge brownies, to name a few.

CosMc’s is set to open its doors this month in Illinois, USA; blending beverage creations with a selection of food, which includes some McDonald’s favorites.

By the end of 2024, it is anticipated to launch 10 pilot locations across the United States, providing more opportunities for mood-boosting getaways.

California, USA – Instagram launched a new streaming feature for creators, ‘Live Rooms’, which has been upgraded to now enable up to four streamers to run a broadcast session. 

With the update, Instagram aims to provide more creative opportunities for the users, such as starting a talk show, hosting a jam session or co-creating with other artists, or to simply hang out with friends. 

Furthermore, the platform’s Live Room was also recently enhanced to give creators more means to build a business and earn money, as viewers can now purchase badges of their favorite creators and use other interactive features like Shopping and Live Fundraisers. Instagram said that in the coming months, users can expect more interactive tools, such as offering moderator controls and audio features.

To start a Live Room, hosts will have to swipe left and pick the Live Camera option. Afterward, they must add a title and tap the Rooms icon to add the guests. People who have requested to go live with the host will appear. While the hosts can also search for guests to add. Guests’ followers can also be notified to increase the live stream’s reach.

Instagram also assures that the new update was designed with safety in mind. Users that are blocked by any participants in the Live Room will not be able to join the live stream, as well as guests who have had their live access revoked because of violations of the Community Guidelines.

The current available features for Live Room hosts include the ability to report and block comments and apply comment filters.

Instagram said the updated Live Rooms will soon be available globally.

United States – The incumbent chief marketing officer of Facebook, Antonio Lucio took to their own social media platform the announcement of his resignation, which will be effective Sept. 18. 

Lucio said that his decision to step down was due to his desire to refocus his time on advocating for causes of diversity and inclusion, issues which have demanded greater attention in the past few months in the United States. 

“Given the historical inflection point we are in as a country regarding racial justice, I have decided to dedicate 100% of my time to diversity, inclusion, and equity,” wrote Lucio.

In May, a series of protests for racial justice began in the US when African-American George Floyd was killed by a white police officer during an arrest in Minneapolis city. 

Lucio said, “‘Although these issues have been core to my personal purpose for many years, and they were an important element of my work, I want to make them my sole focus.” 

Come September, Lucio will have served a total of two years on Facebook. In his post, he recounted the projects that the company has launched under his leadership and said that although there is “still a lot of work to be done, [there] is a strong foundation from which to build.”

“The work and progress made over the last two years [are] all due and thanks to [the team]: “More Together” for Facebook app, “It’s Between You” for WhatsApp, the Instagram anti-bullying platform, the launch of Messenger Rooms, “Never Alone,” “Born in Quarantine” and the launch of a new identity system for the corporate brand.”

Expressing his confidence to the team ahead, he wrote, “This team is ready to deliver its best work yet.”

Meanwhile, Facebook said that they support Lucio’s decision. 

“Antonio did incredible work telling our story during a transformative period for the company, “ a spokesperson said.

“[Facebook is] grateful for his enormous contributions and wish him well in his next chapter.”