VaynerMedia Archives - MARKETECH APAC

Sydney, Australia – VaynerMedia Asia Pacific, an integrated creative and media agency, has appointed Karen Coleman as its new country manager in Australia, tasking her to drive the company’s growth in the country.

As country manager, Coleman is expected to maintain the company’s momentum in expanding its portfolio in Australia while continuing its social-at-the-centre approach. VaynerMedia Australia leverages her leadership for the development and success of the company in the region.

Coleman brings more than 20 years of experience in the field of business-to-business and business-to-consumer sectors. Before her post at VaynerMedia Australia, she served as the managing director at 303 MullenLowe Sydney. She also held the same role in Archetype and Text100.

“I’m proud to welcome Karen as our new Country Manager in Australia. She brings a remarkable energy and passion for the future of our industry, as well as a powerful combination of experience and curiosity,” Tim Lindley, managing director in APAC, said.

“She’s full of new ideas to meet the needs of modern consumers and has a sharp commercial mind that will deliver business impact for our clients. She has a keen eye for talent, and her commitment to nurturing younger generations is truly inspiring. I have no doubt that under her leadership, VaynerMedia Australia will continue to thrive and grow,” Lindley added.

“Having worked in PR, social and advertising agencies, I was really drawn to VaynerMedia’s social-at-the-centre thinking, as it’s very much my heritage in PR and Comms –– audience-first thinking, fast-moving, and always on the pulse of culture. The teams consist of consumer-centric storytellers and modern media teams that work collaboratively to evolve communication and media strategies based on real-time in-market signals and performance. The Australian team has already achieved huge success in the past three years, and I couldn’t be joining at a better time. I look forward to leading the agency through its next phase of growth,” Coleman commented.

VaynerMedia Australia has been working with a range of brands in the region for the past three years. It has worked with PepsiCo ANZ, SharkNinja, Carlton & United Breweries, Dabble, and more.

Singapore – VaynerMedia has welcomed Jon Kee as its new head of client partnership for the Asia Pacific region, aiming to strengthen and enhance the agency’s client relationships.

In his new role, Kee will be pivotal in strengthening and building key partnerships for VaynerMedia, further driving the agency’s integrated offerings and ‘social-at-the-centre’ approach across the region.

With over two decades of experience in the digital, advertising, media, and entertainment industries, Kee is a seasoned business leader renowned for forging strategic C-level partnerships and spearheading successful sales, business development, and marketing initiatives.

His professional journey took him through dynamic companies such as Disney, Meta, and Yahoo, spanning growth markets across Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Tim Lindley, managing director of VaynerMedia Asia Pacific, said, “Jon is a rare find—a seasoned marketer and business leader with a futuristic vision and remarkable humility. He will be a crucial bridge between us and our client partners. These relationships are frequently tested; driving change requires bravery and commitment from our clients and empathy and hard work from our team.”

He continued, “I am particularly excited about his non-traditional background, as it means that he hasn’t been shaped by conventional advertising agency norms. This allows him to approach the future unencumbered by outdated preconceptions. I have no doubt that Jon’s unique perspective will propel VaynerMedia to new heights across the region.”

Jon assumes his role with immediate effect and reports to Lindley. He will succeed Shrey Khetarpal, who recently took on a new role as head of consulting for Asia Pacific at VaynerMedia.

“I also want to take a moment to thank Shrey, who has built a brilliant foundation for Jon to build upon. Shrey moves to lead our consulting division and will be a key partner to Jon as we embark on the next stage of our journey,” Lindley added.

Talking about his appointment, Kee shared, “My two-decade career has always been aligned around digital; it made perfect sense to join a culture that is trailblazing and rewriting marketing with social at its core. The agency’s authentic, people-centric focus and Gary’s visionary leadership in driving accountable business results are truly game-changing. The exciting growth in APAC under the leadership of Tim has been particularly exciting, and I am thrilled to join VaynerMedia Asia Pacific and continue being part of that evolution.”

New Delhi, India – VaynerMedia has announced that it has officially launched in India, marking the agency’s sixth office in the Asia-Pacific region and 13th globally. The agency has been working closely with Fortune 500 clients in India for two years and operated in strategic partnership with local agency Step1.

Through the official launch, VaynerMedia India will be led by Salman Moin as its country manager, and he will be reporting to Tim Lindley, managing director for Asia-Pacific at VaynerMedia. Step1 will also seamlessly integrate into the overall VaynerMedia family following the launch.

Speaking on the official launch, Lindley said, “India’s entrepreneurial spirit, rapid economic growth, and thriving pop culture make it one of the most exciting markets in the world right now. It brings together deep-rooted tradition and fast-paced innovation –– the ideal conditions for dynamic brands to thrive.”

He added, “Modern brands the world over have leveraged the power of social media to disrupt goliath incumbents; Indian businesses leverage social media on a whole new level to disrupt global dynamics, making it the perfect place for us to deploy our ‘social at the centre’ marketing model.”

Meanwhile, Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO and co-founder at VaynerMedia, commented, “India’s deeply diverse cultural heritage combined with its rapidly growing economy and exploding social media landscape presents a truly unique and exciting opportunity for brands. The country’s entrepreneurial spirit and diverse culture coupled with our team’s passion, expertise, and VaynerMedia’s attention-first philosophy –– now this is a recipe for explosive growth.”

He added, “I have zero doubt that Tim and Salman will lead the team to an incredibly exciting future, and I’m excited to show the Fortune 500 brands in the region how to actually build brand in the new marketing world.”

Singapore – VaynerMedia has announced the appointment of Melanie Cook as its new head of strategy and insights for the Asia Pacific region.

In her new role, Cook will be leveraging her extensive expertise to spearhead the regional strategy team, drawing on cultural insights, emerging trends, and evolving formats to help brands shape their narrative in a way that connects with audiences.

Cook joins with a deep, intuitive understanding of VaynerMedia’s approach, marking a pivotal moment in its commitment to helping clients find and build relevance in today’s rapidly changing advertising landscape, and guiding brands through dynamic “consumer-up” strategies that prioritise relevance and business outcomes over the traditional “brand-down” approach.

Prior to her appointment, Cook was the regional head of strategy at MRM MENAT, where she led her team to drive some of the most significant marketing transformations in the region, working at the intersection of brand, digital technology, and customer experience.

She has also worked with leading agencies such as Saatchi& Saatchi, Publicis Sapient and BBDO Proximity across Europe, MENAT and APAC markets, working with clients across several industries including L’Oreal, Unilever, Visa, Neom and LVMH.

Beyond traditional agency roles, Melanie has driven numerous consulting engagements with diverse clients from MetLife to Jardine Matheson, driving programmes that deliver real business outcomes.

Speaking on her own appointment, Cook said, “In the age of generative AI and gate-keeping algorithms, brands risk commoditising creativity and losing the relevance and ingenuity that sets them apart. I want to work with and learn from a disruptive team that values human insight and creativity as critical to a brand’s distinction, and I found this with VaynerMedia.”

“By leveraging human insight, AI and scaled data, we can evolve the art and science of storytelling in underpriced attention channels so we move closer to a consumer’s interests and needs,” she added.

Meanwhile, Tim Lindley, managing director at VaynerMedia Asia Pacific, commented, “Melanie had an affinity to our mission from the very first conversation; the world needs to change and she’s clearly up for the challenge. She brings a depth of strategic, creative and media experience that is hard to find. Her track record of building high-performing teams that are equally obsessed with consumers as they are with their own internal culture fills me with confidence. Melanie brings an energy that exudes curiosity, courage, and kindness, and we can’t ask for much more than that.”

Singapore – Contemporary global creative and media agency VaynerMedia has announced the launch of its consulting products in the Asia Pacific region, designed to bring social to the centre of marketing.

VaynerMedia Consulting, first launched in 2020 in the US, is a modern-day offering designed to help brands bring social (i.e., the consumer) to the centre of their marketing organisation. These innovative offerings tap into the agency’s disruptive thinking and profound cultural insights to revolutionise the way their clients market their brands.

From immediate audits and rapid workshops to in-depth accelerators, modern marketing sprints, and full white-glove support, VaynerMedia’s offerings are designed to suit the varied needs of the marketplace to suit all timelines and budgets.

The consulting products are tailored to meet the dynamic needs of the marketplace, making VaynerMedia’s pioneering approach more accessible than ever. VaynerMedia Consulting is set to complement its existing professional services.

The products to be launched in APAC will focus on four core pillars: ‘social at the centre’, ‘platforms and culture’, ‘modern comms planning’, and ‘holistic commerce’.

VaynerMedia’s consulting products are the latest in a series of innovations from Gary’s communications group, VaynerX, of which the former is part.

Shrey Khetarpal, head of client partnership and growth for Asia Pacific at VaynerMedia, will spearhead the Asia Pacific consulting offering. Khetarpal successfully led the client partnership for the agency in the region over the past 3 years. He will continue to report to Tim Lindley, managing director of VaynerMedia Asia Pacific, in addition to Kaylen McNamara, global chief business officer of VaynerX.

The consulting team will be based across VaynerMedia’s Asia Pacific offices and will tap into the agency’s global consulting practice to deliver world-class expertise to clients.

Gary Vaynerchuk, chairman of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia, said, “At VaynerMedia, our goal is to drive business results for our clients. As the industry continues to evolve, so will VaynerMedia provide the utmost value.”

He added, “Over the past 18 months, we’ve received an enormous amount of inquiries in APAC from organisations looking to work with us. Our social at the centre of marketing approach, which puts the consumer first, is resonating. We also understand the political dynamics of agency life and contracts, and I am always looking to eliminate friction to give people the opportunity to work with us. With consulting, our goal with every engagement is to provide more value than you paid for, leaving you with a volume of strategic insights, solutions, and ideas, as well as a practical plan to make it real and sustainable.”

Bangkok, Thailand – Pepsi Thailand is bringing to life its fizziest activations to celebrate Pepsi’s entry into its new era, with a brand takeover that aims to reshape the brand’s image as well as give fans a good time with interactive installations and a campaign that features their exciting new ambassadors.

Conceptualised with VaynerMedia, Pepsi introduced its new logo and positioning in Thailand dubbed ‘Thirsty for More’ (‘ซ่าหน่อยมั้ย?’), with a massive on-ground, social and OTT takeover alongside Kpop girl group Babymonster.

At the core of the Pepsi’s interactive experience in Thailand lies a colossal interactive dome that saw visitors lining up to participate in the immersive experience during the opening. Attendees were transported into a world that brought Pepsi’s new concept to life through exhilarating zones.

From plunging into ‘New Era, Same Great Taste’ where a pulsing sphere bursts into a refreshing, panoramic spectacle of ice cubes, water, bubbles, and sparkling lights, to dancing in the ‘Pepsi Globe’, a massive digital playground where visitors are invited to move and create visual art within an interactive 360º dome, the experience left visitors thirsting for more. The experience will continue to unfold across many other provinces in Thailand after its Bangkok run.

Talking about the campaign, Anawat Sangkhasap, chief marketing officer, Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand) Company Limited, said, “This year, Pepsi is gearing up to bring fresh excitement by reshaping the brand’s image with a unique and era-relevant style, giving it a cooler, more modern, fun, and playful vibe. We’re stepping into a new era with a stronger and bolder Pepsi vibe, launching this at PEPSI: INTO THE NEW ERA.”

Meanwhile, Chan Woei Hern, head of creative at VaynerMedia APAC, commented, “PEPSI: INTO THE NEW ERA is so much more than an introduction to Pepsi’s new logo. It’s an immersive brand experience with social at the centre, culture at its core, and a platform for Zs to share that thirst-for-more energy with everyone around them. We are grateful, thrilled, and proud of this partnership with PepsiCo Thailand.”

Japan – Global creative and media agency VaynerMedia has recently announced its appointment of Kota Murakami as its new country manager for Japan.

In his new role, Murakami will be responsible for shaping the footprint and business expansion for VaynerMedia in the Japanese market, with a focus on growing the agency’s portfolio and ensuring the delivery of business solutions that build clients’ brands while fuelling maximum business impact and cost advantage.

Kota’s expertise lies in seamlessly integrating global innovation with local market insights, holding a proven track record of propelling business growth in the realm of advertising and digital media. Recognised as a trusted advisor to leading brands worldwide, Kota is also adept at steering clients and organisations to challenge industry norms while driving impactful changes.

Prior to joining VaynerMedia, Murakami was with Essencemediacom for over seven years, with his most previous role being the managing director for Japan, wherein he co-led the agency and played a pivotal role in winning key pitches for clients such as Uber and Tiffany & Co. during his tenure.

He also holds a remarkable track record of successful engagements including leading the Google account at Essence Japan, serving as Global Account Director at Tag in New York, and partnering with renowned brands like Uniqlo, Bayer, and DIAGEO.

Speaking on his own appointment, Murakami said, “I’m really excited about joining the team during this period of growth. VaynerMedia is truly a one-of-a-kind agency; our talented people, empathetic culture and independent mindset allow us to continue our relentless pursuit of consumer attention. This allows us to help marketers deliver unwavering relevance through our modern approach to creative, media, and analytics, or all of the above as a full-service solution.”

“I just know that this will be a game changer for brands in Japan to evolve their marketing, and succeed in the social-first era and beyond. I am looking forward to solidifying VaynerMedia as a key partner for businesses in Japan, enabling them to achieve relevance with consumers, and to meet their business goals for both the present and the future,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tim Lindley, managing director at VaynerMedia Asia Pacific, commented, “Kota is a fantastic business leader. His unique accomplishments, ambition, and empathetic leadership style excited me from the first moment we met. He possesses amazing insight into the Japanese market, a sharp, global perspective, and a holistic marketing approach that will take us from strength to strength as we continue to bring media, creative, and analytics back together to drive real business impact for our clients.“

“He has an incredible passion for innovation, a track record for nurturing world-class talent, and an unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional results. He’ll definitely be a catalyst for our growth in Japan and an exceptional business partner for our growing clientele there. I’m looking forward to building with him, and learning from him, as we continue to grow in Japan and across the Asia Pacific region,” he concluded.

Murakami will be assuming his role effective immediately and will be reporting to Lindley.

Australia – Popular soft drink brand Mountain Dew has launched a game show activation called ‘Major Melon’s Mayhem Mountain’, which is inspired by the hyper-stimulatory sensation that is a taste of its new Watermelon-flavoured drink.

Conceptualised alongside VaynerMedia, the game takes cues from the likes of ‘Wipeout’ and ‘Takeshi’s Castle’, the brand game show showcases challenges such as the ‘Watermelon Ski’, where contestants, including ‘Dom Littrich’ of ‘Inspired Unemployed’ fame, attempt to slide as far as they can down the very slippery, watermelon-scattered, pink-tarped runway.

Another inspired game is ‘Hill Dash’, where they race across a steep slippery hill while being pelted by inflatable watermelons. Narrated by the eponymous host, each content piece features challenges broadcast as takes from the show, featuring influencers taking on various extreme challenges.

Built on the insight that Mountain Dew’s Gen Z audience is continuously searching for newer, faster, hyper-stimulatory highs and challenges both in-feed and IRL, VaynerMedia eschewed the traditional product launch campaign to develop Mayhem Mountain as a content-first play created with social audiences in mind.

Vandita Pandey, chief marketing officer for ANZ at PepsiCo, said, “We know Dew fans have been waiting a long time for a new flavour, so we wanted to make a real splash in letting them know Major Melon is finally here. ‘Mayhem Mountain’ is just such a fun and relevant way to bring the new flavour to life, I am confident the legions of Aussie Dew fans out there will love it as much as we do.”

Meanwhile, Yash Murthy, head of creative and consulting at VaynerMedia Australia, commented, “A drink and brand persona as out there as Major Melon warranted a campaign that ratcheted up the intensity. Mayhem Mountain was the perfect vehicle to showcase this, allowing us to build equity in the Major Melon character whilst tapping into the extreme stunts, challenges and fail comps we know our audience cohorts love. Plus it was just a lot of fun to make.”

Singapore – To further build its creative strengths in the Asia-Pacific region, global creative and media agency VaynerMedia has appointed Yash Murthy as its group creative director for Australia to lead the creative vision for the agency amidst its growing team in the country.

Murthy brings with him a wide range of creative, strategy and social experience. He previously served as head of creative and strategy for the restaurant Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen in Australia, where he built and led the in-house strategy and creative agency team.

He has also assumed several positions at design and innovation company AKQA including being the social media and creative director; director of brand strategy, social and creative for APAC; and executive strategy and creative director. Furthermore, he stood as group account director for social and content at advertising agency M&C Saatchi in Australia.

In his new role, he will work closely with Amy Bradshaw, agency’s head in Australia.

Bradshaw said, “With his hybrid background as a business and creative leader, Yash truly understands our integrated approach and is well positioned to drive real impact for our clients and VaynerMedia’s growth.”

Meanwhile, Murthy strongly believes that in the midst of the fundamental reimagination of how brands are built, consumed and cultivated, VaynerMedia is equipped enough to deliver.

He added, “Partnering with our clients here in Australia to create this future in big, bold and impactful ways is a prospect I’m incredibly excited about.”

VaynerMedia has also recently announced other appointments in the region including Chan Woei Hern who assumes the position of head of creative for Asia-Pacific.

Singapore – Global creative and media agency VaynerMedia has appointed Chan Woei Hern as the head of creative for Asia-Pacific, where he will further strengthen its credentials as an integrated consumer-centric agency in the region.

The seasoned creative brings with him an experience in the advertising world across the creative, media, content and film segments. He previously served as the executive creative director of VMLY&R Commerce for Malaysia and Southeast Asia, where he integrated and accelerated growth in the areas of creative commerce.

Woei Hern has also led the creative teams at advertising agencies Naga DDB, dentsu, and Ensemble and has worked with brands such as Grab, Nippon Paint, Maxis Communications, Petronas and Munchy’s.

In his new role, he will be reporting to Tim Lindley, managing director of VaynerMedia APAC.

Lindley said that when they started to find a successor for VJ Anand, who was recently promoted to the ECD position for the EMEA region, Woei Hern was on the top of their list.

Lindley added, “His excitement for our attention-first model, his curiosity across platforms, and his passion to develop great people make us even more excited about the next phase of our growth. Woei Hern is an exceptional creative talent, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the team.”

Meanwhile, Woei Hern commented on how inspiring the energy is in the media agency.

He added, “I can’t wait to see what an amazing adventure this will be to bring the culture to life through the work we do together as a team.”-

Last November 2022, one of the leaders of VaynerMedia APAC, Jonathan Gerard, who is its head of production, joined MARKETECH APAC as one of the speakers at the webinar, What’s NEXT 2023: Influencer Marketing in APAC. As part of the panel discussion, Gerard shared his insights on how brands should best engage with influencers as their content creator partners.