Vitagen has copped flak for a not-so-subtle chart its influencers shared online which compares its sugar level against competitor products.

The chart, titled “Vitagen Less Sugar”, compares the percentage of sugar content per 100ml contained in Vitagen as opposed to other cultured milk drinks in the market. The post was also shared by influencers Kate Pang and Cheryl Tay.

Despite competitor names being removed, netizens were quick to identify the products, and called out Vitagen for its “low blow” and “cheap” marketing tactics. The most prominent competitor product identified was Yakult, which came in at 16.8% in terms of sugar level.

According to the online comments, the main issue netizens took with the chart was the lack of fair comparison with the low sugar alternatives. A quick check by Marketing also found the products the chart referenced most similar to products from Meiji and YoyiCi.

(Gallery available on web)

The move follows a recent pledge made by several brands to cooperate in reducing the amount of sugar in its sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), one of which is Malaysia Dairy Industries. The pledge was in response to a national day rally speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who urged consumers to cut their sugar intake to reduce risk of diabetes.

Marketing has reached out to Malaysia Dairy Industries, which owns the Vitagen brand.

According to the guidelines seen on the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice, all advertisements should conform to the principles of fair competition generally accepted in business. This includes non-denigration, which explains that advertisements should not “unfairly attack of discredit other products, organisations or professions directly or by implication”.

While in Singapore we haven’t seen blatant swings taken by brands at their competitors, a recent ad from FWD Singapore also took the approach of a comparison chart to push its endowment plans. Taking a similar approach to Vitagen, FWD compared existing endowment plans in the market to competitors named “Insurer G” and “Insurer A”.

(Gallery available on web)

On a global level, taking jibes at competitors via ads is not a new tactic. This is especially for brands such as McDonalds’ and Burger King which has a long-famed rivalry. Just last year, McDonald’s France took a jab at Burger King which had fewer drive-thru locations in France.

Meanwhile, brands such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola have also taken cheeky jabs at each other through their ads. For example, Pepsi ran an ad for its “Pepsi Pass” loyalty programme, which took a double shot at Coca-Cola’s signature polar bear mascot and its Share-a-Coke campaign.

In 2014, Samsung also took a swipe at competitor Apple with not just one but six hilarious videos on its YouTube channel. The commercials made a jibe at the screen size of the then-new iPhone, the streaming lag the public saw during #AppleLive, the Apple Watch, the low battery life and much more.

Mandai Park Development has appointed The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) as its lead creative agency. The initial length of appointment is for two years, starting in September 2017. Together with TSLA Design, the agency’s branding and design practice, the move sees TSLA undertaking duties for the company’s global brand identity development and communications.

Marketing understands the appointment follows a recent pitch which saw agencies such as manghamgaxiola mcgarrybowen, iris Singapore, BLK J and Publicis Singapore vying for the account. The pitch was managed by The Observatory International.

In a statement to Marketing, Suzanne Ho, vice president, Mandai Park Development, added that the agency will develop the brand identity for an upcoming integrated nature and wildlife destination in Mandai. Mandai Park Development, which is the development arm of Mandai Park Holdings’, has plans to rejuvenate the Mandai Precinct into an integrated nature and wildlife destination from 2020 onwards.

Before then, existing operations of destinations under the company will continue as usual. This includes Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and Jurong Bird Park. In March this year, Havas Media was appointed to handle media duties for the four attractions following a pitch that was launched in September last year.

“We would like to thank all the agencies who responded to our request for proposals, and made the last 20 weeks intensely competitive and thought provoking,” Ho said.

“We’re thrilled to help the loved Singapore wildlife brands we grew up with go through an important transformation, by reconnecting humans with nature and wildlife, and injecting conservation back into the conversation,” Hanyi Lee, chief creative officer, TSLA, added.

Betake Marketing took home five impressive testaments at Marketing's annual PR Awards 2017 last Friday night.

The agency scored one gold, two silver, and two bronze in the categories of Best PR Campaign - Public Services, Best PR Campaign - Corporate Social Responsibility, Best Experiential PR Campaign, Best PR-Led Integrated Communication and Best Engagement - Targeted Community.

Gold: Best PR Campaign - Public Services: Construction Industry Council & Hong Kong Green Building Council, Hong Kong Green Building Week 2016-2017.

Silver: Best PR Campaign - Corporate Social Responsibility: Construction Industry Council & Hong Kong Green Building Council, Hong Kong Green Building Week 2016-2017. Best PR-Led Integrated Communication: Construction Industry Council & Hong Kong Green Building Council, Hong Kong Green Building Week 2016-2017.

Bronze: Best Experiential PR Campaign: Construction Industry Council & Hong Kong Green Building Council, Hong Kong Green Building Week 2016-2017. Best Engagement - Targeted Community: Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency, Landmark North “Art of World Sports 2016”.

These awards recognised the success of its campaign for Hong Kong Green Building Week 2016-2017 of Construction Industry Council & Hong Kong Green Building Council and Landmark North “Art of World Sports 2016” of Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency.

Club Méditerranée, commonly known as Club Med has picked Spark Foundry to lead its media business in mainland China.

The win covers integrated media in SEM, SEO, programmatic and social with estimated billings of US$10 million.

There were eight agencies in the pitch, including OMD, iClick, Netbooster and Altima.

"Club Med is well positioned to capitalise on the increasing interest of Chinese couples and families who are increasingly looking for high quality all-inclusive resorts domestically. Spark Foundry have impressed us with their in depth knowledge and expertise in understanding of these consumers and the travel sector," said Olivia Chen, VP Marketing and Digital of Greater China, Club Med.

"Spark Foundry won the business due to our holistic approach to media, the specialised and experienced team in each channel and the strong and deep relationships we have with key players in China – all of which Club Med wanted to consolidate in its business partner," said Linda Wang, general manager at Spark Foundry Shanghai.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore (MTI) has unveiled plans to merge International Enterprise Singapore (IE Singapore) and SPRING Singapore. The new entity will be called Enterprise Singapore and aims to help local businesses grow and go international.

According to a press statement, the move looks to integrate resources and capabilities of both agencies, and will be effective in the second quarter of 2018. This is also to better address the needs of Singapore companies, and strengthen their competitiveness in a rapidly changing global economic landscape.

Meanwhile, Png Cheong Boon, second permanent secretary for MTI, will be concurrently appointed as the CEO designate of the new entity. Currently, both agencies have a common focus in growing local businesses. While IE Singapore works to bring local companies global, SPRING focuses on building the capabilities of startups and SMEs.

SPRING also develops standards for Singapore products and services, and is responsible for consumer protection. Following the merger, the Competition Commission of Singapore will take over SPRING’s existing role of consumer protection.

In a report by TODAY, an MTI spokesperson said that a total of 960 employees will be affected by the move, but no lay-offs will be expected. Additionally, there will be new roles, job scopes and opportunities for staff.

Marketing has reached out to MTI for additional comment.

Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S Iswaran said during a speech that it is important for the ministry to create a vibrant enterprise ecosystem where Singapore companies can thrive. This includes having the dexterity to respond nimbly to technological and business model disruptions.

“As a key enabler, government agencies must also evolve and reorganise as needed, to better support our businesses and prepare them for the future economy,” Iswaran explained.

He added that the decision to establish Enterprise Singapore now will enable a faster response to the changes in the external environment. It also looks to provide better, more seamless and effective support to local companies and industries, as well as grow stronger Singapore enterprises.

Moving forward, Enterprise Singapore and the Economic Development Board (EDB) will be two critical and complementary pillars driving and implementing development strategies for Singapore’s future economy. According to the statement, both entities will “work closely together” to drive more collaboration between MNCs, innovative start-ups, as well as large and small enterprises. This is to enhance the competitiveness of varying industries and develop Singapore into a global trading hub.

This is not the first time the Singapore government has consolidated its agencies into new divisions. Earlier last year, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) reorganised the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and Media Development Authority (MDA) into two new agencies. These agencies are the Government Technology agency (GovTech) and the Infocommunications and Media Development Authority (IMDA).

The restructuring followed the launch of the Infocomm Media 2025 plan in August 2015, the first integrated industry development plan for the info-communications and media sectors. As a result of the re-organisation, Goodfellas Consultancy was appointed to develop the corporate brand identity for IMDA, a campaign which was eventually launched in October 2016.

Dentsu Aegis Network's media agency Vizeum Malaysia has named Chinar Joshi (pictured) its general manager of strategy, effective 5 September 2017 onwards.

In the new role, he will be leading and driving more integrated marketing solutions and strategic deliverables for Vizeum’s clients such as Abbott, Huawei, Mamee Double-Decker, IKEA, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Uniqlo. Also holding the GM role is Sim Beng Geok. Both report to Wong Siew Wai, chief executive officer of Vizeum Malaysia.

Joshi joins from IPG Mediabrands Malaysia, where he spent four and a half years with Universal McCann on a strategy and planning role. He was promoted within IPG as general manager in April 2016 to lead its media agency BPN during the agency’s transition phase last year. During his stint at IPG, Joshi was tasked to manage high-billings portfolios such as Johnson & Johnson, CIMB, U-Mobile and Suntory & Cerebos.

Joshi’s 10 years’ industry experience also includes insights gained from his time in global creative shops such as Wieden+Kennedy and Ogilvy & Mather.

“We intend to keep Vizeum’s growth on an upward trajectory and that means continuously improving our deliverables to existing clients while exploring new revenue streams. Joshi brings a creative and fresh perspective to the business - his insights on strategy and track record of pioneering commercial initiatives for both clients and agencies are aligned with Vizeum’s long-term game plan,” Wong said.

“With Vizeum operating on a ‘one market, one profit and loss’ collective business model under Dentsu Aegis Network, I’m excited at the opportunities to activate more collaboration across the network,” Joshi added.

Christopher Slaughter, CASBAA's 5-years-serving chief executive officer, will step down from his position, effective December 31.

Meanwhile, the Asia Pacific's non-profit media association is in search of Slaughter's successor.

Slaughter was appointed CEO of CASBAA in October 2012, and had previously served as Convention Director in 2004. Before joining CASBAA, Slaughter held leadership roles in global and regional production, research, and news organisations including APV, The Yankee Group, CNBC, as well as Asia Business News.

Joe Welch, chairman of CASBAA’s board of directors, celebrated Slaughter's contribution and time spent with the association.

"He has spearheaded structural reform of the organisation, created new events, and delivered on CASBAA’s aim to represent, inform, and connect its membership. We are grateful for his service to the membership and the industry," he said.

Slaughter added in the release that his time at CASBAA had given him a unique perspective on what has been "a transformational period" in the industry.

"It has been a tremendous privilege to work so closely with some of the most inspiring leaders of Asia’s multi-channel TV industry, both on the Board and among CASBAA’s members. In addition, it has been an honour to serve alongside the passionate and dedicated staff in the executive office," he said.

In the past 5 years, the Hong Kong media industry has seen the rise of over-the-top broadcasting players, such Netflix and LeEco, the uncertainties of digital broadcasting channels, and the introduction of new broadcasters like ViuTV and Fantastic TV.

Publicis.Sapient's DigitasLBi has hired Ralf Fuss as head of strategy for Hong Kong.

Prior to joining DigitasLBi, Fuss was strategic planning director at DDB Shanghai where he worked on the SAIC Volkswagen business, but also worked with Grey on Borgward in Beijing as well as with Jung von Matt Shanghai on Swiss luxury appliance brand V-Zug.

Fuss will be responsible for managing the strategic output for the Hong Kong office and will be working with some of their key clients including Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Asia Miles and Electrolux.

Originally from Berlin, he previously worked with agencies including TBWA, MRM Worldwide, DDB and Razorfish, Fuss has more than two decades of experience in planning, design and creative strategy.

Justin Peyton, chief strategy officer, APAC said: “Ralf’s a seasoned strategist with a broad experience across brand and agency disciplines. His expertise will be invaluable and will help accelerate the DigitasLBi mission to support our clients in their marketing transformation.”

Damien Tew, MD of Hong Kong said: “Ralf is a talented and experienced strategist with immense global IQ which will be a great asset to the multi-market needs of our clients.”

Leica has appointed DeVries Global as its communications agency to spearhead the advocacy and public relations programme in Taiwan.

The new partnership will see DeVries Global help bring Leica’s image creation experiences to the growing number of photography enthusiasts in Taiwan.

“We are honoured to be working with Leica, a pioneering brand with an unrelenting passion to innovate, and unleash the creative potential of today’s photographer. Taiwan has a thriving creative community, and through culturally connected communication, we look forward to helping Leica engage and inspire the joy of picture taking in this dynamic market.” Andres Vejarano, regional managing director, Asia, DeVries Global said.

Gardens by the Bay has appointed Tribal Worldwide as its Adobe marketing partner to manage and enhance its digital platforms. The scope of work covers content management, personalised user experience and customer engagement programme, in a bid to drive a unified brand experience. Marketing understands the appointment is for two years and the incumbent is Mirum.

Currently, the agency has a long standing partnership with Adobe in delivering Adobe Marketing Cloud Solutions for clients such as Japan National Tourism Organisation, Keppel Land and StarHub portal, for the last five years. This includes planning, developing and delivering integrated digital marketing and content solutions for a personalised brand experience that engages consumers across each channel.

“We are excited to work on an iconic brand that believes in the power of digital marketing. Beyond our business technology consulting team, our newly formed film and content offering can bring to life the attractions and events,” Leslie Goh, managing partner of Tribal Worldwide Singapore, said.

Last year, Gardens by the Bay re-appointed creative agency Blak Labs, following a pitch. The appointment is for two years with the option for the client to extend for 12 months. It also picked Havas Media Singapore as its media agency.

A number of protesters gathered outside the Communications Authority on Monday to summit a complaint to the watchdog, demanding thorough investigations on an ad that promotes the city's controversial cross-border high-speed rail link.

Activists from the Co-location Concern Group, who protested outside the Communications Authority, called the advertisement "misleading" as it claimed that rail passengers could reach Guangzhou from Hong Kong in 48 minutes.

In the commercial by the MTR Corporations, two office workers, Kim and Ching attend the same business meeting in Guangzhou, with Kim taking the high-speed rail and Ching using traditional ways to cross the border. At the end, Kim arrives in Guangzhou comfortably after 48 minutes, while Ching is forced to rush to the meeting. The subtitles, however, read that Kim arrives in "Guangzhou South", a location that is 40 minutes to an hour of subway transit time away from downtown Guangzhou.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLzoQPiu2Ig

The concern group, which included localist activist as well as former and current Hong Kong lawmakers, said the commercial breaks the Communications Authority’s generic code of practice on television advertising standards, which states that information "must be accurate and not misleading by concealing or failing to make clear significant facts", and that TVB, which has been broadcasting the advertisement, has also breached the TV code of practise.

They demanded CA to "investigate and pull down the ad" as it's deliberately misleading the audience.

As of yesterday, the authority has received 318 complaints against the commercial since it first aired around two weeks ago. It said it would look into the complaints in accordance with established procedures.

MediaCom has appointed Peter Diermayr as regional director. In his new role, he will report to Mark Heap, MediaCom APAC CEO, and take on the role as regional APAC lead for MediaCom’s DELL account. This will see him taking on duties such as communication strategy and media delivery across Asia Pacific. The agency confirmed the move to Marketing. 

Prior to his appointment, Diermayr was head of marketing at property investment and development company CFLD, where he led the marketing practice for all international business. This includes marketing strategy, branding, PR, events, advertising and content. Most recently, Dominic Chew was appointed as CMO at CFLD International.

Before that, Diermayr was with Mindshare from 2008 to 2016, where he was APAC managing partner. He was responsible for strategic leadership and integrated media and marketing of a portfolio of International clients such as IBM Growth Markets (GMU), American Express (AMEX) and Boehringer-Ingelheim.

He has also held the roles of managing director of Mindshare Singapore and client leader at Mindshare’s Asia Pacific operations. With nearly two decades of experience in integrated marketing across Europe and Asia Pacific, Diermayr has worked on both client and agency side. He arrived in Singapore in the year 2000 and has held various management roles in WPP companies such as Wunderman/Y&R and BLUE.

Facebook has plans in the works to cash in on the continuing popularity of WhatsApp, according to the Wall Street Journal.

(Read more: Say goodbye to these 17 ad formats on Facebook)

The social media giant will eventually charge companies to use some of the tools it has started testing on Whatsapp this summer, WhatsApp's chief operating officer Matt Idema said in an interview.

The new tools are currently free, letting businesses 'verify' their profile to indicate they are a legitimate business, or provide customers with notifications like flight times, delivery confirmations, and other updates.

WhatsApp's blog post said that the features target not only small companies, but its enterprise solution will also help bigger companies that are operating at a large scale with a global base of customers, like airlines, e-commerce sites, and banks.

"We want to put a basic foundation in place to allow people to message businesses and for them to get the responses that they want," Matt Idema told the Wall Street Journal. "We do intend on charging businesses in the future."

It is not clear how much WhatsApp will charge for the feature or when it will start to charge businesses.

WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for US$19 billion in 2014. Last year, WhatsApp started connecting users' accounts to Facebook to share data.

(Read more: WhatsApp to share more user data with parent company Facebook)

Publicis Singapore’s head of social Avtar Ram Singh has departed from the role. Prior to the exit, he was with the agency for approximately three years as a business lead for its social media practice in Singapore.

In a statement to Marketing confirming the move, Joanne Theseira, MD, Publicis Singapore, said that until a replacement is announced, the social business will be led by Sharim Gubbels, creative director, social.

"Singh has been with the agency for the last three years and he has made a huge contribution to our agency culture and business. We wish him the very best of luck in his next chapter, where he will be pursuing opportunities outside advertising,” Theseira added.

During his tenure, Singh was also in charge of operations, delivery, client relationship management, hiring and staffing, business development and overall financial health. According to his LinkedIn, he was also responsible for leading the social media team to ensure high quality agency deliverables that meet and exceed the client brief and social strategy. He also provided strategic insight and intelligence to clients to help better their digital and social presence, among other duties.

Prior to his role, Singh was senior manager, social media and content at Publicis Singapore, and has also held stints at Circus Social for Ogilvy Mather, Rocket Internet and the International Data Corporation.

"I've had a great journey of learning and growing at Publicis, and my time at the agency has taught me how I can lead the next chapter of change in my own career. I'm very grateful for the support, trust and friendships made,” Singh said.

Digital communications agency Dog has struck a joint venture with creative digital agency RHAD in Singapore. The move brings together individuals from both agencies to form a team of around 40 employees across Singapore, Jakarta, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Gerry McCusker, Dog's CEO, will take on the position of chairman, while RHAD is led by Murtaza Topiwalla (pictured), Dog's former technical director in Singapore. The move enables both agencies to tap into extended skill sets and draw on their respective strengths, experience and capabilities to gain competitive market advantage. This is to better serve existing clients across Southeast Asia. According to the press statement, the partnership is focused on delivering "exceptional" customer experiences through strategic planning, intelligent platforms, intuitive user experience, and creative data-driven marketing.

Among the list of clients Dog and RHAD have include Borneo Motors, Tourism New Zealand and Royal Brunei Airlines. Both agencies offer intelligent digital solutions including technical development, creative strategy and design and multi-channel digital marketing services.

“This partnership marks a significant moment in Dog’s history. Having made considerable progress over the past five years, it makes complete sense to enter into a mutually beneficial partnership as we work to achieve sustainable growth in the region. RHAD is the perfect partner for Dog, a great cultural fit sharing our core values and ambitions for our clients and for our own future," Gerry McCusker, CEO at Dog and chairman of RHAD, said.

“Together with the new team in Singapore, I am excited about the next chapter. Working with creative director, Brian Chia (pictured) and the rest of the team, this is an opportunity to combine talent, experience and capabilities to offer the market a truly compelling proposition," Topiwalla said.

AccorHotels and CNN International have launched a new editorial segment. The segment, titled Staying Informed, is sponsored by AccorHotels and will run on all of CNN's feeds in Asia Pacific. This is to provide audiences, especially business travellers, quick and easy access to the latest stories of the day.

Staying Informed also features 30-second headline summaries that will be updated in real-time throughout morning and evening prime time hours. The highlights will cover all topics, including current affairs, business, finance, lifestyle and sports.

According to the press statement, sponsoring CNN's multi-platform campaign will enable AccorHotels to better engage with its affluent business traveller customer base. The statement added that the new editorial segment shows CNN's dedication to bringing "trusted, transparent and reliable news to the world", and aligns AccorHotels' commitment to the region with CNN's. The on-air sponsorship of Staying Informed will also be supported by a high-impact digital component.

“We are delighted to be partnering with AccorHotels, who cater to the same affluent and globally minded travellers who rely on CNN for the news. Through Staying Informed, we showcase CNN’s best-in-class multi-platform offerings by combining the scale of our TV network’s reach with the precision and targeting enabled by digital and data,” Sunita Rajan, SVP, advertising sales, Asia Pacific, CNN International Commercial, said.

“We know our guests are very busy and want to get the latest news delivered quickly and efficiently when they are on the road and this allows us to deliver that service to them," Michael Parsons, VP marketing and strategic partnerships AccorHotels Asia Pacific, said.

CNN has made a few senior hires over the past few months, with Karen Vera most recently named creative lead for CNN’s in-house brand studio Create, Asia Pacific. Earlier this year, the company made two new appointments in the Asia Pacific region. Zab Ali came on board as digital director, North Asia and Delilah Chan as sales director, Southeast Asia. It also named Kimmy Ho as director of content sales and partnerships of North Asia.

Many primarily associate the benefits of life insurance with the passing of a loved one; however, individuals can actually enjoy the benefits of life insurance during their prime. Through investment-linked plans, they can leverage life insurance as a way to build toward both near and long term financial goals. Building on this insight, Manulife Philippines rolls out a TV commercial, along with three digital films on its Facebook page that pose the question: “What if insurance could mean better things for you?”

Ring: What if insurance helps you prepare for a trip that will change your life?

This romantic comedy follows a young man, as he travels to meet the woman of his dreams.

Manulife products like Affluence Gold, an affordable one-time investment, allow individuals to grow their money and help make life-changing trips possible. Affluence Gold policyholders can choose to invest in Manulife’s professionally-managed funds, such as the Peso Growth Fund, which seeks to achieve long-term capital growth by investing in stocks listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange and in government securities and/or pooled funds.

Rockstar: What if insurance means helping your child reach greater heights?

This lighthearted film introduces us to a musician couple and the true star in their family—their gifted child.

As the cost of tuition continues to rise every year, Manulife helps parents build funds for their child's future with its Education Builder product. Education Builder allows customers to choose their desired premium payment period and define how often they want the Annual Education Benefit to be paid out once their child turns 18. Education Builder likewise provides the extra protection of guaranteed payouts and waived premiums, in case of the parent’s death or disability.

Ride: What if insurance allows you to live off your passions?

The film shows how a rising executive risks everything he has worked for to pursue his true passion.

Products like Manulife Affluence Builder Plus, a life insurance plan that is tied to an investment, can help customers achieve their financial goals and fund their passions. Affluence Builder Plus allows customers to make additional investments anytime, easily withdraw their funds when they need it, and choose investment options depending on their goals and appetite for risk.

These videos can be viewed on Manulife Philippines’ Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ManulifePH).

While the future of the Hong Kong Observation Wheel is uncertain at best, with some inidications it might get removed altogether, InvestHK, the government's foreign investment arm, has removed the ferris wheel's former operator Swiss AEX from its "case studies" section amid the sudden shutdown fiasco.

InvestHK endorsed Swiss AEX as one of its “case studies” back in 2015. Titled Wheel of fortune, the article interviewed Leon Snep, CEO, Swiss AEX Group and Snep said he "appreciates the government support for this project, especially in granting a prime location along the Central waterfront, testifying to its commitment to enhance this area."

However, the webpage vanished this week but cached versions of the webpage were still accessible through search engines.

Some netizens bashed InvestHK for removing the article, and added that it's a PR disaster for the authority as it "pulled away the plank after using it as a bridge". Another user said it is "not helping with damage control". Some even suggested the article should even be renamed "wheel of misfortune".

It's not the first time InvestHK has removed a case study. In 2015, the government body took down car-hailing app Uber and distanced itself from the company explaining "Uber is now being investigated for allegedly operating outside of the legal ambit, as a standard procedure InvestHK has removed the case study from its website".

Marketing has reached out to InvestHK for comments.

World famous toymaker LEGO is slated to cut its global workforce by 8% to simplify its business model, the Danish firm announced. The global toy giant currently employs some 18,200 people, and is expected to cut 1,400 jobs before the end of 2017.

In Singapore, the company has an estimated 300 employees. Meanwhile it has a small team of about less than 50 staff in Malaysia. Marketing has reached out to both LEGO Singapore and Malaysia for further comments on how this latest announcement would affect the regional staff movement. Sources close to Marketing said the job cuts are going to roll out in phases, in a bid to simplify the business and is a part of a global alignment.

In fact, most recently, LEGO moved its chief commercial officer Loren I. Shuster from its Asia Pacific (APAC) office in Singapore to London. Shuster (pictured) will take on a whole new role as LEGO's chief people officer from November 2017 onwards. Prior to LEGO, Shuster was Google's managing director of brand solutions for APAC. He was also the country director for Google Singapore and emerging markets since 2011.

With Shuster's new role well underway, each of the regional head from APAC, China, United States and European markets will also now report directly to its new CEO Niels B. Christiansen. According to the group, this latest management shake-up is largely aimed at streamlining and reducing red tapes on reporting lines, as well as regaining momentum within the company.

Meanwhile, in a press statement LEGO said it would also provide the affected staff members with redundancy packages which reflect their service to the organisation, including support in transitioning to new positions or new opportunities outside of the group.

“We are very sorry to make changes which may interfere with the lives of many of our colleagues. Our colleagues put so much passion into their work every day and we are deeply grateful for that. Unfortunately, it is essential for us to make these tough decisions,” LEGO group chairman Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, said.

The news of the job cuts come as the toymaker reported a 5% decline to DKK$14.9 billion (US$2.38 billion) in revenue on-year for the first half of 2017, also its first sales drop in more than a decade. Operating profit was DKK$4.4 billion, down 6% compared with the same period in 2016. This was due to lower revenue and increased costs associated with investments in production capacity and organisational capabilities made to support higher expectations of revenue which failed to materialise, LEGO said in a press statement.

Banking on the rising Chinese and Asian toy markets

Despite the revenue decline in its established markets such as the US and in parts of Europe, revenue of its growing markets such as China has grown by double digits.

"We are disappointed by the decline in revenue in our established markets, and we have taken steps to address this [...] We are working closely with our partners and we are confident that we have the long-term potential of reaching more children in our well-established markets in Europe and the US. We also see strong growth opportunities in growing markets such as China,” Knudstorp said.

During the first half of the year, some of its best-performing themes were homegrown classics such as LEGO City, LEGO Friends, LEGO DUPLO and LEGO Technic, while the LEGO Batman movie products also saw a great response from consumers.

Meanwhile, a latest report by Euromonitor International published in June 2017 also pointed out that Asia Pacific overtook Western Europe in 2014 to become the second largest region for traditional toys and games sales globally. This was spurred on largely by China, which has seen a rapid increase in traditional toy purchases as incomes have risen, and parents have started to view traditional toys as an important tool in child development.

Its report also cites that China will continue to lead the region's toy growth, as the recent end to the one child policy increases child population growth and toy demand. Interestingly, it also points out that the top players within traditional toys and games are generally gaining market share in the region, in particular Mattel and LEGO.

Hitting the reset button

Meanwhile LEGO said it now recognises the increasingly complex organisation has "made it harder" for the group to grow.

"As a result, we have now pressed the reset-button for the entire group. This means we will build a smaller and less complex organisation than we have today, which will simplify our business model in order to reach more children. It will also impact our costs," Knudstorp said. In some markets, the reset entails addressing a clean-up of inventories across the entire value chain, and the work is well in progress.

The group also said that "pressing the reset button is one of two elements". The second element is how to return to growth. Thus, it is doing this by exploring adjustments to its successful formula for product development and marketing, in order to achieve its ambition to reach more children around the world with LEGO play experiences that stimulate playful learning.

Knudstorp said: “We believe our most important contribution to society is through creative LEGO play experiences, as play is critical for children’s learning and development [...] We will find more opportunities to engage with kids and parents including innovative ways to blend physical building and digital experiences, such as our successful LEGO Life social platform and LEGO Boost building and coding set. We have a powerful and loved global brand, a strong business and are confident we can reach more children around the world.”

Natasha Skin Clinic Center has appointed Grey Malaysia to handle its creative and digital duties for a year, as it looks to expand into the country. This comes after a pitch was called for the account was held in July, which saw several other agencies vying for the account.

Director Dody Budiarso, who has been with the company since 2006, will be leading the team in Malaysia.

Founded in 1999 by Fredi Setyawan, Natasha offers a range of treatments for teenagers, men and women such as hair removal, collagen remodeling and anti-aging services, as well as scalp treatments and treatment shampoos. Its treatments combine herbal ingredients together with comprehensive laser equipment and other beauty tools.

Earlier this year, Grey Malaysia collaborated with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to launch “Finding Home” – a smartphone application that allows users to experience a refugee’s journey of survival through an interactive experience. The application aims to increase awareness and empathy among the public on the refugee issue, through the story of a Rohingya refugee child as she is forced to flee her homeland.

(Read also: Meet the CEOs: Grey Group Malaysia's Irene Wong)