Increasingly people live their lives on social media; communicating with friends, keeping up with current events and even shopping via a broad range of social networks. This is fantastic news for brands, which now have more consumer data and more opportunities to connect with those consumers than ever before. In fact, more than nine in 10 brands are now using two or more social media channels.

However, when it comes to getting the most value from social, brands are still missing out on the big picture for one reason – dark social. Private channels such as email and messaging apps, known as dark social because they are invisible to brands,  are now responsible for estimated 84% of all social sharing. The result? Brands struggle to capitalise on opportunities to monitor, measure and engage with their target audiences.

Brands concerned about the implications of dark social can bring audiences back into the light by defining, observing and inspiring specific tribes across a range of channels. Indeed, with social messaging apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger demonstrating some of the fastest growth in the Asia-Pacific region, identifying and engaging with tribes is one of brands’ most powerful tools to stay relevant when dark social obscures data.

There are macro and micro tribes, and the best advertising solutions take a long-term view to building strong relationships with both. Working with the right partners is key. For example, National Geographic brings together a macro tribe of people who are interested in pursuits connected to nature, travel and photography. Brands can reach this broad tribe of science and exploration lovers by connecting their own brand narrative to National Geographic storytelling – via creative collaborations, relevant product placement, or multi-channel content that engages tribe members across their favourite platforms.

While a micro tribe is smaller than a macro tribe and made up of people with more pointed, specific, similar interests, brands can plot their engagement strategies in much the same way. Asia’s Next Top Model, for example, has brought together a micro tribe of fashion lovers. They not only tune in to episodes of the TV show, but also seek out associated content on digital platforms such as YouTube and Facebook. In Singapore, beauty brand Neutrogena connected with this ready-made micro tribe via customised content created in partnership with Asia’s Next Top Model. Social videos and brand integration within the TV show itself put Neutrogena at the heart of the fashion and beauty story; demonstrating a real, relevant benefit to the Asia’s Next Top Model micro tribe.

Ready-built macro and micro tribes enable brands to reach audience segments at multiple touch points. The key is recognising that people within these tribes live broad and diverse lives; and brands need an equally broad strategy to engage with them. Rather than pouring digital ad budget into just one channel, brands will get more mileage from their marketing budget by developing a layered communications strategy that meets consumers wherever they are and delivers a multiplying effect. This might comprise linear TV, social media, and on-the-ground events and points of sale.

While building relationships with relevant tribes can help brands overcome some of the pitfalls of dark social by building a base of loyal consumers, brands still need a way to prevent online monitoring from becoming obscured by the prevalence of private messaging. It’s essential to use a broad range of metrics to deeply understand a tribe’s behaviour and engagement. Click-through rate isn’t enough; instead, brands must take a holistic approach. While many players use data to learn what viewers watch, it’s important to invest in new analytics capabilities that help brands and content platforms understand the broader story behind why some content shines above the rest. Through such data and analytics, marketers gain insights necessary for strategy and creative ideation in the age of dark social.

With a strategy of engagement that taps into macro and micro tribes, plus the right analytic tools, brands can thrive even as dark social puts some data out of reach. Dark social will only continue to grow off the back of increasingly popular messaging apps like Kik and Viber – so now is the time to creatively connect with consumers through bespoke content that speaks to what they and their tribes care about most.

Source: Mike Rich, EVP, sales and content partnerships, FOX Networks Group Asia

2017 was a mixed bag of sweets for the PR agency sector. There were plenty of brands that needed us. Hell, even the entire male gender needed us! Yet, taking the global view, the year wasn’t the kindest, particularly for the PR divisions of the big holding groups where results stumbled. And then a major international agency player was red carded, publically, globally, and sank into oblivion. Not the best poster child for what we do.

So, assuming the survivors are all upholding ethical practices, what do agencies need to do to be successful in 2018?

It’s now 10 years since the global financial crisis struck. In the final months of 2017, stock markets from New York to Hong Kong are going stratospheric, but actual economic growth (outside of emerging markets) is still asthmatic, including here in Hong Kong.

In those 10 years the communications environment over which we purport to hold sway has changed dramatically. In the last 24 months alone my social media feed has gone from ice bucket challenge to the 20 press up challenge to reposts of anti-Trump editorial to “mark yourself as safe” to #metoo. The connections between the social and traditional media environments get tighter and tighter with every iOS software upgrade. And, unlike our industry, consumers are platform blind.

The trinkets in our agency jewellery box that we put out for display have certainly changed over this time. But have these baubles distracted even agency leaders from spotting that the norms of how our businesses run have shifted too?

Earlier this year I presented the results of the Council of PR Firms of Hong Kong’s annual benchmarking survey; our regular barometer of how our industry is working. The results showed that the outlook in Hong Kong was largely positive. But, unlike in previous years, the number of people that held that positive outlook was smaller than in previous years. An indicator, perhaps, of the global headwinds recorded by the world’s biggest holding companies influencing the local climate.

The most significant finding from the research for me was the decline in retainer business and the increase in project-based business recorded by survey respondents. The fact that I’d heard this echoed among colleagues overseas makes me believe it is a “thing.”

Retainer business is good business because it is predictable business. It’s the platform upon which we invest in talent, resources and service offerings to keep ourselves competitive. Short-term business means higher new business costs, a much elevated need for flexibility – to scale up and scale down (rather than just up, up, up) – and a prophetic ability to plan at least two steps ahead that borders on the divine.

If I were to make a prediction it would be that 2018 should be "the year of the freelancer". Which is hugely ironic in a market where virtually none exist and has never been accepting of them. I pity the young communications graduate trying to explain to her parents that she’d read somewhere that going freelance would be a shrewd and lucrative move!

One thing for certain is that in 2018 we all must learn new ways of working and managing our businesses. To navigate short term seas more effectively we need to assess new business leads more critically, upskill through hiring, build loyalty in our client base, flexibility in our workforce, and be bold in our investments. Short term business doesn’t negate the need for a long term plan. Only then can we build some predictability into an unpredictable world.

Simeon Mellalieu is partner client development, Asia Pacific at Ketchum, and on the Board of the Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong.

Newly-founded independent agency GPB (Good People, Basically) announces five client wins in China, including Dr Jart+, Haagen Dazs, V-ZUG, Do The Right Thing and Mercedes me.

The Shanghai-based agency was launched on 1st September 2017, and its four founders, creative chairman Alvin Lim, managing director and chief content producer Catherine Law, principal of art Gary Li, chief editor Andrew June, were executives in Cheil Shanghai before they headed to a new start.

Their background also includes leadership roles in Ogilvy & Mather, Grey, JWT and FCB.

According to Lim, the firm won five out of five pitches, and it is now responsible to handle integrated strategic and creative duties for the five International brands in China or Greater China respectively.

"It all started with Prismverse, a reactive retail experience for Dr Jart+ that practically exploded onto design and fashion blogs. It even got picked up by CNN Style similar major media outlets from
around the world," Lim said.

The firm also announces key new hires, including senior content creator Chris Petersen-Clausen(pictured), a native of Germany who has been working in China for more than five years with brands such as Oreo, Adidas, Volkswagen and Lincoln.

Also joining the team are Miley Yan(pictured) and Sammi Yao(pictured). Yan is a former client-side planner who is a producer with fifteen years experience. She previously worked at TBWA Shanghai, producing campaigns for Adidas and Michelin.

The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) has penalised four electronics manufacturers, at a record breaking SG$19.5 million, for engaging in anti-competitive agreements. The manufacturers are Rubycon Singapore, ELNA Electronics, Nichicon Singapore, Singapore Chemi-con (SCC).

Investigations followed after the Competition Commission of Singapore received an application for immunity under its leniency programme from Panasonic. As such, only Panasonic was the only listed manufacturer in its press statement to have not been fined.

The anti-competitive agreements included price-fixing and exchange of confidential sales, distribution and pricing information for aluminium electrolytic capacitors (AECs), in relation to Singapore customers. AECs are electrical components used in electronic devices such as computers and domestic appliances.

This led to the discussion and agreement on sales prices, including various price increases and the agreement to collectively reject customers’ requests for reduction in prices of AECs sold to them.  Without the cartel activity, the manufacturers would have had to draw customers with better prices or quality of products.

“The long-running cartel sheltered the parties’ profitability and market shares from competition, to the detriment of their customers. Without the agreements, the parties would have been under greater competitive pressure,” the statement read.

The move affected customers such as original equipment manufacturers and electronic manufacturing services providers and distributors that resell capacitors to other end-user customers. It also affected international procurement offices based in Singapore in charge of procuring and supplying capacitors to customers and affiliates located in and outside Singapore.

The fine, which is CCS’ highest one to date, was meted out considering all parties held more than two-thirds of the share of the market for the sale of AECs in Singapore, coupled with the long duration of the cartel.

According to CCS, ELNA, Rubycon and SCC were also awarded a discount further to their application for leniency under CCS’s leniency programme. The programme accords lenient treatment to companies that come forward to CCS with information on their cartel activities. Here are the fines met out for each company:

Company
Financial Penalty

ELNA
SG$853,227

Nichicon
SG$6,987,262

Panasonic
NIL

Rubycon
SG$4,718,170

SCC
SG$6,993,805

Total
SG$19,552,464

CCS investigations also revealed that the parties involved “held regular meetings” in Singapore and saw the exchange of confidential and commercially sensitive business information.

This included customer quotations, sales volumes, production capacities, business plans and pricing strategies. Cartel activity started as far back as 1997, with senior level employees of each company attending the meetings in Singapore with “unfailing regularity”. The statement added that this was on an almost monthly basis until 2013.

“Cartels among suppliers cause serious harm to competition in the market, leaving businesses and end-consumers in a poorer bargaining position and facing less competitive prices. This is CCS’s third case involving a global cartel and Singapore being such an open market, can be impacted by such cross-border cartels,” Toh Han Li, chief executive, CCS said.

Toh added that CCS will continue to take strong enforcement action to ensure that cartels do not negatively impact Singapore markets   and its competitiveness.

Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC) has appointed Kingsmen Ooh-media as its exclusive OOH media and advertising agency with effect from 1 February 2018. Kingsmen’s contract will cover media and advertising at SCC’s terminals at HarbourFront, Tanah Merah and Pasir Panjang.

SCC said Kingsmen’s appointment will enable it to use the latest digital technologies to reach out to and engage terminal users and also carry out integrated marketing programmes for its advertisers.

Christina Siaw, CEO of SCC, said: “Advertising has evolved considerably over the past years from traditional advertising such as billboards, light boxes and other forms of static advertising to digital technology with experiential marketing techniques. We believe Kingsmen’s creative use of technology to deliver integrated media solutions to marketing campaigns, events and other media activities, will help maximise our advertisers’ effectiveness in engaging their audience across our platforms.”

Siaw added that Kingsmen plans to deploy technologies such as augmented/virtual reality, sound domes, customised mobile applications and photo booths, which will be launched progressively to improve the aesthetic of advertisement displays at its premises.

Kingsmen will also combine marketing and media strategies with events that focuses not only on brand activation, interactive media, social media engagement, but also out-of-home assets such as LED screens, ambient network and transit bus network.

SCC said the innovative advertising platforms from Kingsmen will help its advertisers to enhance brand visibility to the millions of passengers that pass through its terminals each year. It will also provide a new and interesting visual experience for passengers.

Danny Lim, managing director of Kingsmen Ooh-Media said:

“The OOH industry is growing rapidly in Singapore and advertisers recognise the need to utilise creative platforms to engage and connect with their audiences. We are confident that our innovative OOH platforms via Singapore Cruise Centre will create endless possibilities of interaction and enhancing the traveller’s experience. By employing comprehensive advertising solutions, this will ultimately create more e-commerce opportunities and optimising visibility for both advertisers and their brands."

Online property company PropertyGuru Group has hired Manav Kamboj as chief technology officer (CTO). Kamboj brings to PropertyGuru extensive experience in the eCommerce, mobile, finance technology and software sectors, and will be responsible for the Group’s technology and engineering functions across offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Kamboj leads a regional organisation of over 60 engineers, software developers and data scientists who deliver technology solutions to address the ever-changing needs of home seekers, real estate agents and property developers across Asia.

Kamboj will partner with the product management team to drive PropertyGuru’s industry-leading initiatives in artificial intelligence and augmented reality. His team will also be responsible for further developing the automation, scalability and security capabilities for the Group’s platforms and operations.

Prior to joining PropertyGuru, Kamboj served as vice president and head of buyer product and technology at Snapdeal, one of the largest eCommerce players in India. At Snapdeal, he led the improvement of user experience for the buyers by revamping platforms, including apps and mobile websites, and spearheaded data-driven product development. Kamboj also co-founded and was the CEO of LetsGoMo Labs, a leading mobile app development studio with operations in India and the United States.

Kamboj said, “I look forward to contributing to Asia’s largest online property group, and being part of the Guru family that has transformed the company from a start up to the high-growth proptech company it is today. I am excited to use technology as a key enabler to bring to consumers and business partners an enhanced experience in property search across the region.”

Hari V. Krishnan, chief executive officer of PropertyGuru Group, said, “I am delighted to welcome Manav to PropertyGuru. His impressive leadership experience in the technology sector will be an invaluable asset to our tech and product initiatives. I look forward to him helping us build a strong engineering culture here, to inspire our wonderful team of engineers. We share the same belief in the power of technological innovation to enhance consumer experiences, solve real customer problems and drive business growth.”

China's second largest e-commerce giant, JD.com, has opened its first offline fresh-food supermarket in Beijing last week, following Alibaba Group Holding Limited into the physical retail market.

Dubbed 7fresh, the new store is located in Yizhuang district near JD.com's headquarters. It occupies a space of 4,000-square meters and put a focus on technologies by supplying solutions such as smart carts that can help guide shoppers to desired aisles, screens that display information on items that shoppers pick up, etc.

Like Alibaba's Hema, the store provides a range of food categories that cater to middle-class tastes, including cooked-food to fresh fruit and meat that are imported from New Zealand and Australia. It also offers delivery services within a five-kilometre radius, and promises shoppers to get their groceries in about 30 minutes.

According to a social media post from Richard Liu, the founder and chief executive of JD.com, the stores' transactions have surpassed 10,000 a day during the trial operating period.

WPP’s Kantar has merged four of its brands, Kantar Added Value, Kantar Futures, Kantar Vermeer and Kantar Retail, to form Kantar Consulting. The new entity will function as a specialist sales and marketing consultancy which aims to boost growth for brand owners and retailers.

Prior to the move, Kantar Added Value specialised in cultural understanding, brand purpose and positioning, while Kantar Futures focused on consumer foresight and trends. Meanwhile, Kantar Retail functioned as Kantar’s retail, sales ecommerce and shopper specialist and Kantar Vermeer as brand, organisational excellence in marketing ROI.

At launch, Kantar Consulting’s client base includes major multinationals including Unilever, Pepsi, Tata, Bayer, Amazon, Walmart and major regional clients such as JBS, Pladis, Alibaba and RBS.

It will look to combine retail, sales, ecommerce and marketing expertise, along with having a deep understanding of how consumers think, live, behave and buy, along with proprietary data. It will also aim to develop strategies, execute them and embed capabilities within client organisations.

“We are creating Kantar Consulting to fulfil our ambition of bringing a deeper, more rounded consulting offer to our clients. Alone and in combination with other capabilities, Kantar Consulting will be a core part of Kantar and WPP’s success in the future,” Eric Salama, CEO, Kantar added.

“We live in a new era of consumption. Growth can no longer be assumed, yet there are more, not fewer, opportunities to build breakout brands and new lines of business. Future growth exists, but beyond the comfort zone of most organisations; it is more granular, less siloed and more opportunistic,” Phil Smiley (pictured), CEO, Kantar Consulting, said.

Marketing has reached out to WPP for comment.

Imagine you are a small business owner selling coffee at an office building with thousands of employees. Day in, day out, they get their morning coffee or afternoon fix from your store, but you wonder if there is a better way to expand the reach and awareness of your brand.

Whether it is to let everyone in the building know about your cream cheese bagels and the home-made iced teas, to offering discounts to the loyal fan base you have amassed, there must be a better way than leaflets and word of mouth. This is what keeps you up at night.

Today’s mobile-first customers are spoilt for choice. The wide array of options does nothing to help anyone make up their minds, and consumers are typically faced with too many choices and too little time.  Loyalty is no longer about a plastic card anymore. It is worth noting though that even as rewards programmes evolve, the fundamentals driving success in customer loyalty remain the same.

Firstly, offers and rewards need to be relevant to customers, because even in a digital age, there is no point pushing out baby diaper offers to a single 24-year-old male. Offers need to be pushed out fast enough, and as such, speed is essential. Always remember that retention is not loyalty, so building brand love in the meantime is also important.

Now that we have established the fundamentals, what else should you look out for if you are looking to crack the customer loyalty code, just like the small coffee shop owner? Here are some trends that we believe will change the face of rewards programmes:

The rise of micro-level loyalty with location-based rewards

Location, location, location: Mobile-first consumers lead different lives, have different habits, preferences and pet peeves. For brands to cut through the clutter and make a real difference, tapping into the rise of vicinity-driven rewards can reap you the most returns on investment.

Contrary to popular belief, these insights do not necessarily require a major spend. For the small business owner, a targeted micro-level loyalty programme could be the key to seeing the best returns and real engagement with potential customers.

As a merchant, consider tying up with platforms such as Facebook and Grab, which offer you access to deep troves of location data and vast pools of users, allowing you to be smarter and more strategic when it comes to targeting the right rewards to the right people at the right time – which is when they are around the corner from you.

The platform you partner with should be able to do a few things for you – generate traffic to your business, and allow you to have real-time visibility of transactions in order for you to ascertain which offers are working best. Most importantly, they should enable your micro spend to go a long way.

What these platforms have in common is a vast user base, location data and communications channels, so they can push notifications out on your behalf.

Consider this example – Pizza Hut worked with O2 in the UK to push out targeted offers. Half-mile geofences were designated around approximately 340 Pizza Hut locations across the UK, and SMS messages were sent to the target audience with deals for Happy Hour, Lunch Buffet and specials like unlimited salads or Kids Eat Free. Each SMS message was dynamically created in real-time using the location for the Pizza Hut closest to the subscriber, where the price of the deal was set relative to the location.

The result? Over 301,000 text messages were sent to O2 subscribers during the mobile campaign. Mobile was found to be the most effective channel as compared against TV, Radio, Facebook, Digital, Out of Home and ATM – it was 142% more efficient in delivering incremental sales revenue than the measured campaign average.

Surprise and delight your most valuable customers

One of the biggest challenges for any brand today is to harness the customer insights from digital technology while maintaining the intimacy of a mom-and-pop shop. Social media and rewards platforms offer a lot of data about your consumer’s spending behaviour and preferences, but the difference-maker is how you leverage the data to deliver a personalised experience and make people feel cherished.

In our coffee shop example, the traditional way of delivering delightful micro customer experiences might have included knowing which specific coffee regular customers order every morning and at what time – is it a skinny flat white at 8.30am or is it an Americano with eggs to-go at 9? (And having it ready as they walk through your doors.)

These little things matter, as you build brand love through insights into what customers care about and love.

Today, brands use data and experiential marketing to provide insight and intimacy, but with a twist. Take Carnival Cruises, which has leveraged AI and machine learning to introduce its Ocean Medallion technology, a small wearable that provides a truly seamless and delightful experience at sea. The Medallion not only gives you exactly what you want, but also anticipates your needs based on your past behaviours and orders on board the cruise.

Medallions work in conjunction with something Carnival calls the Ocean Compass, a network of 55-inch high-res screens—4,000 in all—that provide personalised recommendations as you pass through the ship.

Another example of data-driven personalisation is how beauty brand Sephora uses data from its social media and e-commerce platform to identify top tier customers and offer them emotional experiences through exclusive events with previews of new products.  For the coffee boss, this could translate into using check-in and transaction data from its rewards platform to offer a “Free Breakfast Day” redemption for customers who have hit their 100th cup of coffee, or other meaningful and customised experiences.

Find the right partner

While you may not have big budgets to produce wearables for your customers (who may just be ordering the same coffee at the same time every day), what you can do is to choose the right rewards platform partner who can give you access to location data and a captive audience, which then allows you to push out relevant offers at amazing speed, and build brand love all in one go.

People may be fickle in this age of abundant choices, but if you ensure your customers are delighted with a personalised experience, they will always know who to go back to. That’s what drives loyalty.

The writer is Jason Thompson, managing director, GrabPay Southeast Asia.

Michael Lee has been elevated from vice president, FMCG and retail verticals, Nielsen Hong Kong to managing director of Nielsen Hong Kong & Macau.

Lee joined the global marketing research firm in 2006, according to his LinkedIn. During his tenure as vice president of FMCG and retail verticals, he oversaw a team of 80 individuals, with 10 direct reports at director level where he was responsible to garner new solutions from other regions to drive Hong Kong's business.

He took up the top job in last October but the company didn't make an official announcement. However, Nielsen revealed his movement in its latest news featuring his remarks.

The MD position was previously held by Angel Young, who joined the company on 4 January, 2016.

The Coca-Cola Company has launched its own font known as TCCC Unity.

According to the comapny's VP of global design, James Sommerville the new font encapsulates elements from the company's past and its American Modernist heritage. Revealing the news on Instagram, the post also showcased different versions of TCCC Unity, including the light, bold and condensed versions.

Marketing has reached out to Coca-Cola for comment. Among the list of brands that have also created their own font include Intel, Nokia and General Electric.

The launch of the new font comes after the company unveiled its global "One Brand" strategy in Singapore and Malaysia last April. For the first time ever, the entire Coke range in the region will be marketed under one brand design, unifying all of Coca-Cola’s varieties under the one design using the iconic Red Disc.

Last August, the company worked with one of Malaysia’s top artists Reggie Lee to launch a set of “The Merdeka” limited edition cans in commemorating the country’s 60 years of independence. Coca-Cola also collaborated with Chinese singer Lu Han and McCann Worldgroup Shanghai in June 2017, to release a new label design for its annual "Share a Coke" summer campaign.

Netflix has launched its first local original comedy production from Southeast Asia (SEA) with prominent Malaysian comedian, Harith Iskander (pictured).

In Harith Iskander’s stand-up comedy special “I Told You So”, the Malaysian comedian takes the stage with his distinctly SEA blend of humor, tackling everything from family drama, awkward dating experiences, to social and cultural issues that a lot of Malaysians and Singaporeans encounter on a daily basis. In addition to Harith Iskander, Netflix is also bringing Singaporean comedian Fakkah Fuzz and Malaysian stand-up artist Kavin Jay to global screens in early 2018.

The three comedy specials will premiere in all Netflix territories around the world on the following dates: Harith Iskander’s “I Told You So” on 19 January, Fakkah Fuzz’s “Almost Banned” on 26 January, and Kavin Jay’s “Everybody Calm Down!” on 2 February.

The news comes amid rising competition in the local video streaming space with the likes of iflix and dimsum. In August last year, iflix completed a US$133 million funding round, in which proceeds will be used to invest in its local content strategy. Around the same time, iflix unveiled its first exclusive original and local production, Oi Jaga Mulut, an audacious, uncensored, no holds barred stand-up comedy series.

In Indonesia, it partnered with TVOne to launch live premiere football streaming, available for the first time in the country. In Philippines, iflix partnered with the Philippines’ Queen of All Media, Kris Aquino, to commission an original drama series. Meanwhile, in August 2017, Star Media Group which owns dimsum also collaborated with Shanghai Media Group (SMG), to provide a series of A-list and exclusive Chinese content produced by SMG. The deal finalised an initial cooperation term of two years of exchange of content on each other’s digital distribution platforms.

Erika North, head of international originals for Asia, at Netflix said, “Ultimately, we believe in compelling stories and story-tellers that transcend borders, and we are giving them the creative freedom and the global distribution platform to bring that vision to life.”

Since its global launch in 190 countries in early 2016, Netflix's spokesperson said it has been rapidly growing its footprint in Asia, and "expanding its content library to encompass more international content in its catalog, including new, original, quality storytelling from Asia." The company currently has originals in production or in discussion in over 15 countries and regions this year including Japan, Korea, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan.

Harith Iskander, who is the first comedian from Malaysia to be a part of Netflix’s original production, added, "We chose to work with Netflix not only because of its vast reach to audiences around the world, but also because of how open they are in embracing our unique flavor of humor that’s so different from mainstream comedies you normally see on TV.”

LEWIS Global Communications (LEWIS) has promoted its associate director Ann Chong (pictured) to general manager (GM), effective January 2018.

Chong reports directly to Emma Jenkins, the newly-minted regional vice president who is now based in Singapore. The former Hong Kong managing director was appointed to her current role in July last year, and is now spearheading key LEWIS accounts across Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

Speaking to A+M, Jenkins said Chong will oversee all client and operations of the office, as the head of LEWIS Malaysia. Similar to her earlier role, she is tasked to lead the Malaysian team in planning and executing integrated PR campaigns, ensuring that the team delivers on its KPIs; generating solid key messages and creative PR content that will help clients achieve the desired positioning.

Chong joined the agency in April 2013 as the account director. Prior to the agency, her stints include handling PR at INTI University and Colleges as well as, the PR consultant at Selangor-based essence Burson-Marsteller.

Chong has worked over 10 years in communications and advertising. She has experience in a broad spectrum of industries ranging from international corporations to start-up companies in Malaysia. She also has experience in crisis communications and government relations, connecting clients with the relevant ministries for product and project approvals and launches.

LEWIS is an independent global communications agency specialising in integrated global PR, advertising, marketing and digital services. Clients of the global agency which also has operations in Singapore, include Pure Fitness, Hitachi, Honeywell China, Yota and Altera.

A+M has reached out to LEWIS for a statement.

Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) is tipped to have reappointed incumbent BBDO Singapore as its creative agency for the Tiger Beer brand. Marketing understands that the move follows a review and has reached out to APB and BBDO for comment.

The agency was first appointed in 2014 without a pitch, following Tiger Beer’s takeover by Heineken. According to APB’s Rene Monchy, the agency was appointed to leverage on its strength in generating local content. This came as the beer brand looked to “reinvent itself radically, from internal to external″. Prior to that, the account was held by DDB Singapore since 2011.

Last year, in a profile interview with Marketing, Venus Teoh, head of marketing at Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Singapore, shared unique challenges for the Tiger Beer brand and explained that the past few years had also been tough for the Tiger brand, with its engagement rate with consumers not always being the strongest.

She explained that largely, the brand serviced an older generation of consumers who are used to a certain image of the brand. But at the same time, the team also recognised the need to target a younger group of drinkers to “make the brand cool again”.  As such, to turn the tide, Teoh and her team took to the streets to change the perceptions Singaporeans had about the brand – with a focus on being real and genuine. This saw BBDO Singapore coming back with raw and real hawker stories, said Teoh at the time, which allowed the brand to reach both young and older consumers through its campaign.

Read also: Tiger Beer’s street food campaign promotes unity in diversity

Overall, 2017 was also an eventful one for the company. It launched a packaging refresh with a new look rolling out regionally across cans, bottles and multipacks. The redesign, handled by Singapore-based Jones Knowles Ritchie (jkr), was aimed at consolidating the brand’s position as “Asia’s beer” through the introduction of a more heroic and premium identity.

Tiger Beer also signed a six-year partnership with WWF to fight illegal tiger trade via 3890Tigers. This was through a digitally-led campaign that uses art and creativity to raise global awareness of the plight of wild tigers. In addition, it collaborated with sneaker customiser and artist Mark Ong of men’s contemporary fashion brand SBTG Surplus & Co., to launch a limited edition commemorative t-shirt in celebration of 50 years of National Service.

Geometry Global has appointed Indonesia managing director Mike Forster (pictured) as MD for Korea, taking over from Will MacKenzie. Following the appointment, Forster will be based in Seoul and lead new business, client services and be responsible for management. He reports to Diana Cawley, CEO of Geometry Global Asia Pacific.

In a press statement confirming the move, Forster’s experience centres on building brands and client relationships, with specific focus on brand activation and shopper marketing. This saw him working in markets such as UK, Netherlands and Russia, to Hong Kong and Malaysia. Clients he has worked with include Unilever, Diageo, Philips and Coca-Cola, to name a few.

“It’s an exciting time to be in South Korea and I believe the dynamic online to offline offer Geometry Global Korea has, with our focus on driving behavior change, uniquely positions us for success with international clients here. Whist the strength of the chaebols is a challenge, recent developments are opening new opportunities for foreign companies,” Forster said.

“Given that Korea is a digitally-savvy market and its consumers have good appetite for products, he is the right leader to serve our clients’ sophisticated needs. Potential for Geometry Global in Korea is very high, based on its dynamic economy and sophisticated technology. I am confident that Forster will take our team in Korea to the next level and fine-tune our approach to inspire people to buy well,” Cawley said.

Scoot has partnered with Untitled Project for a 3D virtual tour experience of Scoot’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner. According to a release from Scoot, the VR experience, which will be activated in pop-up showcases in nine countries across the Asia Pacific, is designed to give prospective customers a very unconventional tour of Scoot’s flagship aircraft.

The roll-out is taking place across nine territories including China, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia.  The VR experience will showcase a mixture of real footage and animation, combined with a tongue-and-cheek approach, to challenge the conventional notion that low-cost means low expectations. The animated personalities are based on the portfolio of illustrated characters that the airline has created for marketing purposes.

The experience has been created to support the airline’s new campaign ‘Permitted on Board’ and the launch of the Scoot brand in new cities across Asia. The interactive VR experience invites the viewer on board one of Scoot’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which has been shot in 360. Viewers can select ‘Scoot Economy’, ‘ScootBiz’ or ‘ScootinSilence’ for a guided tour of the respective cabins. In addition, an array of 360 videos in different languages have been created for use on social media.

Jacqueline Loh, VP marketing, Scoot; “People have low expectations when it comes to low cost travel, and what better way to change perceptions than to let them experience Scoot for themselves? Thanks to the creativity and technical skills of the team at Untitled Project, we have created a very impactful experience."

"The immersive VR content has enabled us to communicate the rational benefits of flying Scoot such as Wi-Fi, in-flight entertainment, extra leg-room and meal options, while also connecting with potential customers on an emotional level by demonstrating how Scoot gives you the freedom to tailor your flight experience according to your needs, all at an accessible price. This was our first foray into VR and we are delighted with the results,” she said.

https://youtu.be/yEHKbTkOHoU

Warren Mackenzie, founder & creative director, Untitled Project said: “This is the type of brief that Untitled Project thrives on – a VR project that enabled us to fuse 360 footage, 3D animation, motion capture and mobile app development. VR has unrivalled power to take consumers straight to the heart of the action. The result is that viewers will walk away with a sense that Scoot gives them complete control over their flight experience, without taking itself too seriously. Thanks to our brave and forward-thinking client, we can’t wait for people across the region to take part.”

Did you find an ang bao (red packets) stuck to your car windscreen? Well some Singaporeans woke up this morning to find lucky ang baos on their car windscreens and motorcycles, courtesy of online insurer, Budget Direct Insurance.

Teams were being deployed in the middle of the night to deliver the red packets. Throughout the week, the red packets from Budget Direct Insurance will be delivered to approximately 2,000 carparks right across the island. Singapore motorists are being urged to keep a look-out.

This is the latest guerilla marketing campaign from the ambitious online insurer and includes millions of dollars of cash up for grabs. To redeem their $10 cash "ang bao", motorists must register their vehicle details with the online insurer. "But they don't need to buy anything," said the insurer.

The marketing drive includes a refer-a-friend offer for anyone, vehicle owner or not, being eligible to receive a cash ang bao of up to $88 if they refer people who successfully register their vehicles under this campaign. It is a move that the insurance company hopes will give it direct access to more motorists in Singapore.

The initiative comes hot on the heels of the insurer's previous marketing stunts which includes a flyer inspired by a "parking summon" that went viral. This was followed by a campaign in which "NETS FlashPay cards" were delivered to more than half a million vehicles in carparks across the island.

Simon Birch, CEO of Budget Direct Insurance, said the company’s cash offerings are a real draw to Singaporeans. While at the same time, he says, the insurer's stunts have captured the imagination of the motoring community.

Birch said: "We're an insurer that likes to do things differently. From our stunts to our promotions, what we do isn't being done anywhere else in Singapore on such a scale. We are keen to shake up the insurance industry here. Not just in terms of our marketing but in terms of how we do insurance [...] Our marketing campaigns are helping us to get the word out."

During registration for the free ang bao campaign, motorists can receive a quick quote on their car and motorcycle insurance.  And for car owners, this means yet another opportunity to claim some extra cash. If a motorist's car insurance renewal quote from their current insurer is cheaper than a quote from Budget Direct Insurance for the same level of cover, they'll get SG$100. And there's no need to buy anything from them. Terms and conditions apply, of course.

Co:Horts Communications is the creative company supporting Budget Direct Insurance.

H&M has apologised for an image on its UK online store featuring a black child in a green hoodie, with the phrase "Coolest Monkey in the Jungle" printed on the hoodie. The apology comes after the Swedish retailer copped flak for the loaded term, as the monkey is often being used in racial and ethnic slurs, especially against the black community.

Meanwhile, H&M also engaged a white child to model two other versions of the garment, with one featuring the phrase "Mangrove Jungle Survival Expert" while the other showcasing jungle animal prints, Adweek reported. 

According to multiple media reports on news sites such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and Forbes, H&M said it was "deeply sorry" that the picture was taken.The company added that its "routines have not been followed properly" and it will "thoroughly investigate" the cause of this to prevent similar mistakes from occurring in future. It also removed the image from its channels, and the green hoodie from its global product offering. But the product will still be available on the UK site, it said.

A quick check by Marketing found that the garment is still available on H&M's UK online store, even though the image with the black child has been removed. Marketing has reached out to H&M for comment.

Following the news, Canadian singer The Weeknd tweeted that he was "deeply shocked and embarrassed" by the image. As such, he will no longer be working with the company. The Weeknd previously collaborated with H&M for its "Spring Icons" campaign and "THE WEEKND COLLECTION".

woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm anymore... pic.twitter.com/P3023iYzAb

— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) January 8, 2018

Twitter users have also demanded the brand explain itself, with one writing "In the year 2018, there’s no way brands/art directors can be this negligent and lack awareness". Others added that the brand is clueless about racial and cultural issues in various markets. Some also called for consumers to boycott the brand.

In the year 2018 there’s no way brands/art directors can be this negligent and lack awareness. If look at other sweaters in same category they have white kids. We have to do better. pic.twitter.com/Av4bS4t6yn — alex medina (@mrmedina) January 8, 2018

No one told H&M this was a bad idea? pic.twitter.com/qqmHOetyNc — SPM (@JTJ24) January 8, 2018

I’d say yes. In 2018 there’s no way a group of art directors looked at this and didn’t fully grasp what they were doing. Bad press is still press. That’s what they’re banking on.

— Steph (@StephPhotoGeek) January 8, 2018

I worked for them for years and they’re clueless sometimes. The head office in Sweden is very disconnected to issues of racism, cultural & social challenges. They seriously probably think this is cute. — Hasanilove⭐️ (@HasaniReyes) January 8, 2018

That was my first thought. Europeans are so clueless about what is offensive in different markets. Time for some PR fast talking and apologies. — Steph (3bagsfull) (@3bagsfull) January 8, 2018

but wait for it...there’s also the loaded message on the orange hoodie...the junior tour guide & jungle official survivor expert...the entire narrative is a fail for 2018. pic.twitter.com/8hpHQPxOgQ — paisley (@alwayspaisley) January 8, 2018

H&M is not the only brand to have come under fire for being release racially insensitive ads. Last October, Dove was criticised for its racist body wash ad. The ad featured a black woman removing her shirt to miraculously become a white woman, who then removes her shirt and turns into an Asian woman.

Meanwhile, Watsons Malaysia’s “Legenda Cun Raya” campaign also sparked online debate last June, after an ad nearly 15 minutes long portrayed a “blackface” lady as unattractive. In China, an ad by Qiaobi, a laundry detergent brand, also copped flak for its blatantly racist ad featuring a woman doing her laundry when a black man splattered with paint appeared. She then proceeded to stuff a laundry detergent capsule in his mouth before shoving him into the washing machine. When the load of laundry was done, a young fair Asian man with a clean shirt climbed out of the machine.

Read also:
Pepsi pulls Kendall Jenner ad, apologises for 'missing the mark'
Bata Malaysia faces heat for unintentional “racist” promo
The Body Shop Malaysia called out for racist job ad, says it was 'unsanctioned'

Grab has appointed Ooi Huey Tyng (pictured) as managing director, GrabPay Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines. Based in Singapore, Ooi brings on board more than 25 years of experience in senior positions at global banks and leading payments providers.

Ooi joins Grab from Visa, where she was the country manager for Singapore and Brunei. During her time, Ooi drove the company’s innovation and digital roadmap as well as the strategic engagement of regional banks headquartered in Singapore. Prior to that, she held leadership roles at DBS, UOB, and Citi among others, where she was responsible for managing retail cards businesses, co-branding and rewards partnerships, as well as engagement with merchants.

She reports to Jason Thompson, managing director, GrabPay Southeast Asia, in this newly created role.

“Ooi brings deep leadership expertise from some of the region’s premier banks and payments providers. Her experience with our current and potential payments partners will be invaluable as GrabPay moves into its next phase of growth. Millions of people in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines are still heavily dependent on cash. Ooi’s skills in forging business partnerships across each country will enable us to bring more merchants and consumers into the cashless future faster,” Thompson said.

Ooi added, “It’s an exciting moment to join Grab. There are unique opportunities and challenges in the payment space for each country in Southeast Asia. For instance, even in highly-developed Singapore, more than 20,000 merchants remain primarily cash-based. With GrabPay, we can complement the work of our partners and offer millions of consumers in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines the opportunity to go cashless.”

To close out 2017, GrabPay onboarded a total of 1,000 merchants in Singapore, reaching its target a mere two months after launching its in-store and in-restaurant payments service. For 2018, the payments platform will continue to focus on Singapore’s more than 20,000 local, cash-based merchants who will see the most immediate benefits from adopting cashless.

In Malaysia, GrabPay was granted the e-money licence by Bank Negara Malaysia, Malaysia’s central monetary authority. As a result, consumers in Malaysia will be able to pay with Grab in restaurants, shops and online, starting in the first half of 2018.

End of December, Grab also moved beyond transport in the Philippines to launch its peer-to-peer (P2P) fund transfer feature. In the cash-heavy Philippines, this feature enables Grab consumers to send GrabPay Credits to one another in an instantaneous, simple and secure way.

It's a not-so-classic story - you fall in love, but she does not, because she is a robot. A number of Chinese dating apps have been shut down after an investigation on dating apps fraud discovered that women on their platforms were actually AI computer programs, it's reported.

According to Modern Newspaper, the mobile apps involve 21 companies. Police in southern Guangdong province said they have arrested more than 600 suspects operating across 13 provinces, including Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Shenzhen, after finding out that some messages and answers from some "sexy women", which customers will have to pay extra to chat with, were from AI computer programs instead. The programs usually targeted newly registered users and generated greeting messages or compliments to them from fake accounts.

Other scams involved fraudulently charging customers to watch pornographic videos that were unable to load.

Police report said the platforms solicited gifts and posted messages to lure users into spending money, thus illegally generating profit. With hundreds of users falling for the robots, the fraud amounted to more than RMB$1 billion.

One of the apps, identified as Moucheng, defrauded over a million users who paid a total of 340 million yuan, the report added.