Tag: Vpon

Japan – Vpon has appointed Yoshitaka Shinohara as its new chief executive officer, following the resignation of founder and former CEO Victor Wu, who stepped down from his roles as chairman of the board and CEO on October 1st.

Shinohara, currently serving as Vpon’s group chief strategy officer (CSO) and general manager of Vpon Japan since 2014, will take on the CEO role with a focus on advancing the company’s expansion in the Japanese market and accelerating the cross-border growth strategy, “Cool Japan & Nations.”

As CEO, Shinohara brings extensive expertise in big data and cross-border market expansion. He will focus on strengthening Vpon’s presence in the Japanese market while actively pursuing new opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region. Centred around the “Cool Japan & Nations” concept, Vpon will leverage AI and big data technologies to deliver unique value to clients and partners.

In an official press release, Vpon wrote, “Our strategy is built on the foundation of data-driven and DX approaches, cultural exchange, and cross-industry cooperation, aiming to achieve business success while promoting global development.”

“We hope that through this approach we can facilitate international cultural exchange and assist other countries in shaping and realising their respective ‘Cool Nations’ visions, serving as an important driving force for showcasing their unique charm on the global stage!” the company added. 

Shinohara, on behalf of the company and the board of directors, also expressed gratitude for Victor Wu’s leadership in steering the group through key milestones and extended best wishes for his future endeavours.

Victor Wu founded Vpon in 2008 with the vision of “Data Drives Transactions.” Under his vision and leadership, the company expanded from Taiwan to major Asian markets, including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand, gaining the trust of the Japanese government, top financial institutions, and leading retail giants across the region.

Vpon has also forged strong partnerships with major institutions and brands, including the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), Tokyo and Osaka Convention & Visitors Bureaus, JR East, JR West, CTBC Bank, and ABC Mart. These collaborations highlight Vpon’s industry recognition and solidify its position as a leader in the AI data sector.

In a detailed LinkedIn post, Wu reflected on his journey with Vpon, from its founding and expansion to navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. He announced his resignation, thanked investors for their trust, and shared plans to take a break with family. Wu also hinted at starting a new business while remaining open to joining another company or organisation.

Hong Kong – Big data company Vpon has partnered with Miaozhen Systems, the third-party data service provider in China, to advance data-driven marketing strategies across APAC.

The strategic partnership seeks to accelerate healthy data development and seize new third-party tracking business opportunities in key Asia markets, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, as well as Thailand. Through this, Vpon will be enhancing data dimensions and user profiles, to deliver a more precise and effective digital strategy.

Vpon’s Chief Operating Officer Arthur Chan shared that Asia has always been a key area for their data research and business development. 

“Miaozhen Systems being a China leading third-party technology provider, our partnership not only optimizes market targeting strategies but also provides customers in Southeast Asia with highly efficient marketing solutions, growing more confidence to tap into the booming Asia market,” said Chan.

In addition, Vpon and Miaozhen Systems announced that they are looking to deepen and strengthen their partnership to provide customers with highly effective data solutions for diverse market needs. They will be organizing joint data seminars and events to help professions achieve successful data-driven marketing strategies.

Miaozhen Systems’ Vice President Haojie Xuan, noted that data will always be crucial as it determines companies’ future marketing strategies and direction. 

“This partnership gathers two Asia leading data experts to facilitate a more sophisticated data development, and opens up regional market opportunities to attract potential customers, fostering overseas business for both Vpon and Miaozhen Systems,” said Xuan.

Just recently, Vpon has also announced a partnership with global adtech company Hivestack, with the aim to amplify data-driven digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising across the markets of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Taipei, Taiwan – Asia-centric big data company Vpon has announced a new partnership with global adtech company Hivestack to amplify data-driven digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising across the markets of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Said partnership merges Vpon’s extensive mobile location data enables precise audience targeting X Hivestack’s programmatic digital out-of-home technology. Furthermore, said partnership brings together Vpon’s extensive location data with the targeting and measurement capabilities of Hivestack’s demand-side platform (DSP).

This then allows Hivestack’s advertising clients to deliver contextually relevant out-of-home messaging to different segments of consumers in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Hivestack’s DSP creates accurate custom segments by geofencing places of interest frequented by a brand’s target audience. The data will be leveraged to build hourly device concentration scores for each DOOH asset and activate screens where a high concentration of devices has been previously observed. Hivestack’s platform uses market-leading technology to activate the right DOOH screens at the right time, using billions of anonymous data points from mobile location ID’s. 

Arthur Chan, COO of Vpon, comments that their company’s effective and customizable data products are the ‘perfect accompaniment’ to Hivestack’s unique programmatic technology, which uses location data to activate digital screens in real-time based on behavioral patterns and movement.

“The partnership presents an exciting opportunity for marketers in Hong Kong and Taiwan to combine our far-reaching data sets and expert analytics with Hivestack’s market leading DSP to identify and reach the most relevant audience for their campaigns with high impact out-of-home advertising,” Chan stated.

Meanwhile, Troy Yang, MD for North Asia at Hivestack, describes that Hong Kong and Taiwan are key markets for Hivestack and they are excited to partner with an innovative big-data company that is prominent in these countries.

“Vpon’s unrivaled mobile location data and capabilities will be a valuable addition to the Hivestack offering, enabling marketers to serve timely and compelling advertising to the right audiences at the right moment and in the right place, as well as to continually measure and optimize their out of home campaigns to maximize conversions,” Yang stated.

Hong Kong – With the rise in popularity of virtual banks such as Ant Bank, ZA Bank, and Mox Bank in Hong Kong, data company Vpon has recently published a report on the current state of virtual banks in Hong Kong, how they strategize their marketing strategies, and what traditional financial institutions can learn from them.

In the report, Vpon noted that virtual banks have a greater tendency to spark immediate gimmicks to promote their services through promotional campaigns. ZA Bank was the first to offer a promotional package upon Government’s Cash Payout Scheme to attract users, which resulted in a 500% growth rate of new installs. 

Fusion Bank, on the other hand, collaborated with a TV channel by sponsoring digital red packets and cash coupons worth over HK$20M that has resulted in an 1800% increase in growth. Meanwhile, Mox Bank leveraged strategic cooperation and became the first virtual bank in Hong Kong to launch credit on card service, aiming to turn loss into profit as a mid-to-long-term market strategy.

In addition, Vpon also noted that virtual banks have a pattern of ‘go viral, go deep’ in their marketing strategy, wherein they maintain a sustainable install rate and retain loyal users, and then mastering Big Data to understand their current customers and uncover their potential customers.

Demographic-wise, the report noted that the larger demographic of virtual bank users in Hong Kong are 69% male and 31% female, and are prevalent in Hong Kong’s residential areas such as the Southern District and Tai Po District.

Virtual banks tend to be more popular among the younger generation. Zealous Youth and ‘digital learners’ ranked first and second respectively, as they can be seen as more digitized and keen on exploring new technology. Meanwhile, traditional bank users are usually retail lovers and automotive enthusiasts, and their consumption hinges more on life utilities. Besides, they also tend to be more finance-oriented and show interest in other banking and finance services.

With the large majority of virtual bank users being tech-savvy, they mainly engage in toys and games and electronic gadgets ads. In addition, they show interest in food and drinks. Traditional bank users, meanwhile, are more interested in retail and automotive-related ads. They also engage in house care products and tend to fall in cosmetics-related ads. 

In terms of mobile usage, virtual bank users are mainly concentrated in morning to lunch hours during weekdays. Not surprisingly, 24/7 operation hours are also a possible reason for the midnight activeness of virtual bank users. On the other hand, traditional bank users are generally more active in the early morning till the end of the lunch hours during weekdays. Comparatively, the usage rate is lower during weekends due to limited office hours for offline customer service.

Despite the challenging business environment, the report projected an impressive growth of the virtual banking sector over the past year by launching various initiatives for brand building to lure potential customers. Some of them have acted in concert with different market pre-conditions and government benefits to formulate specific offerings, such as account opening rewards, high deposit interest rate and maximum cashback to attract new customers.

Singapore – Data company Vpon has announced two new senior hires in line with the company’s continuous Asia expansion, namely Joe Nguyen (left) and Basil Chua (right) as its new senior consultants.

Through the new appointments, Vpon will seek to develop its presence in the Southeast Asia market in terms of developing e-commerce business growth in the region. Statistics from a recent Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company report show that in post-COVID-19, Southeast Asia’s e-commerce is expected to hit USD 172 billion and online media USD 35 billion by 2025.

Prior to joining Vpon, Nguyen is an APAC board member of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Southeast Asia and India’s ex-chair for IAB. He has also worked for Millennium Copthorne Hotels Group as director of global e-commerce. Joe is currently serving on the board of directors of online travel marketing firm, eMarketingEye, and has led media company Comscore as APAC senior vice president.

“It has been exciting to watch Vpon growing in the past few years. They have excelled in big data marketing and advertising solutions, especially in the travel sector. Vpon has played a crucial role in helping the National Tourism Organizations (NTOs), including Japan’s JNTO, use advanced data and analytics to formulate effective marketing and recovery strategies. I am looking forward to bringing Vpon’s proven solutions to the travel and tourism organizations in Southeast Asia,” Nguyen commented regarding his appointment.

Meanwhile, Chua has worked with various media companies such as Fox International Channels, National Geographic Channel, StarHub, Singtel, and Pacific Internet. He is also the founder and managing director of business management consultancy Multiverse Partners.

“Data is the lifeblood of the digital media and advertising ecosystem. Vpon’s high-quality audience data and mobile advertising inventory will provide improved accuracy in targeting. Further, Vpon’s solution has proven to deliver vastly enhanced marketing performance by combining advanced data science and artificial intelligence. We will be engaging with partners, marketing agencies, and brands in the coming weeks,” Chua said.

Vpon founder and CEO Victor Wu commented, “I am excited to have Joe and Basil joining the Vpon team. I am confident that Joe and Basil will bring significant value in expanding our Southeast Asia’s business. With their diverse expertise from business development, to strategic partnerships and digital innovation, they will support us to establish our leading market position.”