One Faber Group has unveiled a new brand logo. The new logo was created with reference to the two logos it used to promote local attractions such as Singapore Cable Car and Faber Peak Singapore, which it is known for.

The new logo also comes following the launch of the company in April last year, which is an autonomous subsidiary of Sentosa Development Corporation. The new lifestyle brand was created to reflect an expanded suite of leisure and lifestyle services, which includes attractions, guided tours, event venues, souvenir and lifestyle outlets as well as F&B operations. Through the new logo, the group aims to capture the heritage of the group by featuring the elements of a mountain, sea and sun – where its collection of attractions is found. This includes Mount Faber, Wings of Time by the sea, and the Singapore Cable Car in the sky, which has been part of Singapore’s leisure experience for four decades.

(Gallery available on web)

To raise awareness on the new brand, the group developed brand assets including a new brand video to encapsulate its tagline and communicate One Faber Group as a one stop leisure brand. It also unveiled its brand tagline, “One Escapade, Countless Experiences” to capture the brand’s value proposition.

In a conversation with Marketing, a One Faber Group spokesperson said that the assets will be used for reaching its key stakeholders including travel agents and overseas and local guests. When asked about the cost of the brand launch, the spokesperson explained that it was pegged in One Faber Group’s retainer and project fees as part of its overall marketing budget. As such, the group was unable to give an absolute cost.

The company worked with M&C Saatchi to conceptualise and design the key visual and brand guide, Atomz for creative, PHD for media buy and Word of Mouth Communications to manage the PR. It also worked with Pixel Musica to create the One Faber Group video and most recently reappointed Carbon Interactive for digital duties.

To market its attractions, the company will leverage on pre-arrival and post arrival platforms to reach our target audiences, with focus on 360 marketing campaigns that incorporate a combination of digital, mobile, OOH print media and PR activation.

To target locals, it developed a themed calendar of events to celebrate special occasions. This includes Valentine’s Day, National Day and Year-end festivities, with the aims of offering unique guests experiences and drive repeat visitorships. One Faber Group also partnered with key stakeholders such as Resorts World Sentosa and DBS to promote its products on their platforms through joint marketing efforts and promotions.

To reach out to tourists, it added that it would continue to buy into market-specific platforms in line with its top overseas markets with the aim of increasing awareness of its product offerings and brands. These markets are India, Greater China, Philippines, Korea and Vietnam.

“Mount Faber Park, Singapore Cable Car and the Sentosa Merlion hold nostalgic memories for many Singaporeans, many of whom remember family visits from their childhood. One Faber Group aims to reconnect with locals and invite them to return, to recapture and relive their happy moments and create new ones with us,” Lim Suat Jien, managing director, Mount Faber Leisure Group.

https://vimeo.com/252278700

Currently, One Faber Group operates local attractions such as Singapore Cable Car, Wings of Time, Sentosa Merlion and Faber Peak Singapore. It also operates F&B establishments such as Dusk Restaurant & Bar, Spuds & Aprons, Good Old Days and Show Bites, along with retail outlets including FUN Shop, Cable Car Gift Shops.

By communicating useful information with engaging videos, these top ads connected well with locals, especially Gen X viewers (those born within 1960-80s) — whether it's a nostalgic story about HK in the 70s; different looks at retirement and investment fund options for locals; or a classic homemade steamed egg recipe.

The ads’ content-driven themes took full advantage of YouTube viewers’ attention while they are looking for entertainment and inspiration, new hobbies and relaxation, giving them a unique place in the hearts and minds of Hong Kong consumers. Hong Kong viewers are most interested in consuming video content that helps them fulfill their original goal for visiting YouTube.

Let’s look at the ads that made to YouTube Hong Kong ads leaderboard 2017.

1: 強積金「預設投資」已經推出

New MPF policy launched through a local narrative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIPXM087YBI

In sync with introducing its new "default investment strategy scheme", the MPFA launched the “強積金「預設投資」已經推出” ad that spoke directly to its target audience: young people in the city beginning their first jobs and worrying about securing their retirement. A hard-working young guitarist voices this shared concern, while the rest of the ad effectively communicates the new policy and its benefits — all in 30 seconds!

Uploaded by: MPFA
Creative agency: DDB Worldwide Limited
Media: Asia Pac Net Media Limited & OMD Hong Kong

2. 2017 幸福胃的素 : 幫你速效剎停

Common HK issue finds lightness in humorous skit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0So_WmgtE14

With end-of-year work stress a shared experience, Fortune Pharmacal HK released a tongue-in-cheek October ad of one office worker’s antidotes against fatigue-related indigestion in the face of overwhelming requests from her colleagues and clients.

Uploaded by: Fortune Pharmacal HK
Creative agency: Red Rabbit
Media: Zenith

3. 渣打財富管理 憑默契 成就創富大計

Storytelling powers the dream behind an investment-focused ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=556BKogMCNc

Investments wouldn’t be the first area that comes to mind when thinking about creative storytelling, but “渣打財富管理 憑默契 成就創富大計” is a moving ad by Standard Chartered HK that proves otherwise. By taking the audience on a 1-minute journey following one person’s life story — from office worker dreaming about cooking to funding culinary school and opening up his first restaurant and starting his family — the bank taps into the shared local narrative of working hard and, with some help, making your dreams come true.

Uploaded by: Standard Chartered HK
Creative agency: TBWA
Media: Carat

4. 齊齊印 齊齊捉 Pokémon聯萌!

Circle K shows that Pokemon’s here to stay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT2RvGAOSfg

As featured in YouTube Q1 ad leaderboard, Circle K’s 齊齊印 齊齊捉 Pokémon聯萌! has rode the city’s obsession with Pokémon ever since. Local convenience store Circle K encourages Hong Kongers to “catch ‘em all” in this campaign, as would-be Pokemon trainers can use the store’s mobile app to collect and redeem post-purchase stamps, and bring home the full collection of Pokémon dolls.

Uploaded by: Circle K Convenience Stores (HK) Ltd
Creative agency: Uth Creative Group Ltd
Media: PHD Media Limited

5. 全新日立多門變頻環保雪櫃 2017

Locking down on freshness in a fridge demo ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjS6jVQG7KM

How do you add freshness to a run-of-the-mill kitchen appliance ad? By walking the audience through a 3-step demo of its best features, complete with visuals and engaging hosts who can speak to real concerns of viewers looking for a trusty home appliance. A winner from its Q3 leaderboard, Hitachi wins in launching their brand new product in the “全新日立多門變頻環保雪櫃 2017” campaign.

Uploaded by: Hitachi HK

6. 突破一切！零框架限制

The top winner for Q3 leaderboard, China Mobile Hong Kong shows how speedy their 4G network is through creative visuals and WhatsApp - every Hong Konger’s must-have messaging app.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uap9RyIyEeE

Uploaded by: China Mobile Hong Kong
Creative agency: Stunz
Media: Carat

7. Cathay Pacific – Connecting the World to Sevens Fun

Cathay Pacific plays to a major international event on home turf, the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, while showing how connected the airline keeps its Hong Kong fans with the world.

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

Uploaded by: Cathay Pacific
Creative agency: McCann Worldgroup HK - Cathay Pacific Central Team
Media: McCann Worldgroup HK - Cathay Pacific Central Team

8. 抓緊現在，海洋公園40周年微電影！(主演：原島大地)

Ocean Park created a micro movie to go with its 40th Anniversary celebrations which surrounds Hong Kongers’ childhood memories, reminding us to keep creating good moments with friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIBMyGQ9yzY

Uploaded by: Hong Kong Ocean Park
Creative agency: METTA Communications and COT Film Production
Media: dentsu X Hong Kong

9. 史雲生教室 [香滑蒸水蛋]

This short recipe ad by Swanson Broth & Stock is an example of a great execution idea for non-skippable ads, reaching Hong Kong audiences with a well-loved local recipe with their product that’s easy for everyone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67w8i6nE-xc

Uploaded by: Swanson Broth & Stock - Campbell's
Creative agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Hong Kong
Media: Wavemaker Hong Kong Limited

10. 如何慳電慳錢又幫到人？蔣志光為你飛身示範！

A great example from CLP Hong Kong on partnering with local influencers to give local consumers a public service announcement that’s both informative and fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy9lkIMxvCY

Uploaded by: CLP 中電
Creative agency: Bones Communications
Media: Zenith

Formula One teams have agreed to modify the bodywork of sports cars to allow for more space for sponsorship logos.

This comes as sponsorship considerations have become a growing factor in discussions about bodywork recently, according to Motorsport. As such, sponsorship proposals submitted by two Formula One teams out of five were agreed upon and will be adopted for 2019.

Fully acquired by Liberty Media for US$4.4 billion in 2016, the completion of the acquisition saw Formula One renamed to the Formula One Group. Chase Carey was appointed as the new chairman of Formula One and took over from Bernie Ecclestone in 2017.

Recently, Formula One also revealed a new logo as the first step in its rebranding. According to Reuters, the new design reportedly symbolises the look of a Formula One car with a “modern-retro feel”, replacing the previous logo introduced 30 years ago by former Formula One commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.  But the logo ran into trademark issues, as its latest logo is said to contain striking similarities to one used by 3M for its Futuro product line of compression tights.

Read also:
Singapore F1 Grand Prix not just a vanity project, attest marketers
Marketers, think beyond the Grand Prix race weekend

Retailers are increasingly finding it difficult to establish new ways to connect with customers, which strategies are going to get a response today, and what tools and technologies should they employ to win over consumers. What really matters today is taking it back to the consumer and asking what their expectations are today.

To be successful in the retail world today it is crucial to look at what the consumer needs. Where are they being alerted by your marketing efforts – is it through your advertising or your presence of your retail store and once your customer goes to make the transaction what services do they expect?

Join Retail Marketing 2018 on 9 May for all the fresh insights on today’s scene; from why you should be raising the standards of your retail store to how to exceed expectations on your customers’ e-commerce journey.

To investigate these issues and many other retail-related items, Retail Marketing Hong Kong 2018 is back for the fifth consecutive year.

This conference will gather the best industry insights, keep you on track with the latest trends and explore the future of retail with top business and marketing leaders.

Retail Marketing Hong Kong will be held on 9 May 2018 at The Mira, Tsim Sha Tsui.

To find out more about Retail Marketing 2018, please click here.

For sponsorship information, contact Sara Wan at saraw@marketing-interactive.com or call +852 2861 1882.

For the agenda and/or attendance inquiries, contact William Hodson at williamh@marketing-interactive.com or Nicholas Lam at nicholasl@marketing-interactive.com.

Singapore Sports Hub has appointed Oon Jin Teik (pictured) as its new chief executive officer (CEO), with immediate effect. Oon has been the acting CEO of the Singapore Sports Hub since May last year, on top of his responsibilities as chief operating officer (COO).

Oon joined the Singapore Sports Hub as its COO in May 2014, the year it commenced operations. As COO, he was responsible for leading the operational development of the fully integrated sports, entertainment and lifestyle hub. He has successfully seen the Singapore Sports Hub through numerous major events including the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, 2015 ASEAN Para Games, and the National Day Parade 2016, according to the press statement.

Formerly the CEO of Sport Singapore, Oon was part of the team that conceptualised the Singapore Sports Hub project, as well as managed the subsequent awarding of the contract to the Sports Hub consortium.

“Our nation’s largest public-private partnership of its kind has come a long way in establishing itself as the region’s premier sports, entertainment and lifestyle destination. This is due in no small part to the passion and hard work of the Sports Hub Team and our partners, whose commitment towards building an icon of great national pride to Singapore inspires me daily," Oon said. He added that the hub aims to remain fit for its purpose in an ever-changing playing field.

Current CEO of Sport Singapore Lim Teck Yin said the Singapore Sports Hub has an important role to play in Vision 2030 to enable Singaporeans to "live better through sport". He added that the hub is an iconic sports, entertainment and lifestyle destination that must bring "to bear new capabilities and be a source of inspiration and pride for the sport ecosystem and more."

"We look forward to deepening our partnership towards these ends with Oon as CEO,” Lim said.

“The Board is particularly impressed by Oon’s performance when he was acting CEO, where he proved to be a strong, decisive and capable leader. As a Board, we recognise Jin Teik’s passion for the project of which he has been an integral part since its inception. We look forward to witness the Singapore Sports Hub thrive under his leadership," Bryn Jones, chairman of the Singapore Sports Hub, added.

It’s not just about surviving, but also about winning in the digital economy. The challenge is real and competition is stiff. So "How to win?" is a question that marketers would ask. That being said, here are the top six winning ways, where innovation takes centre stage, for marketers to explore and act on this year:

AI-first, not mobile

Mobile will no longer be the focus this year, not because it’s gotten less significant but because it’s already the norm. Campaigns and activities should also by default, already delivered over a first-class mobile experience. This explains, why we are moving on to become AI-first (admittedly, strongly influenced by Google’s stance to make AI a priority with the launch of its home products last year). If bandwidth is not a problem, we are looking at 20.4 billion of connected "things" that will be online by 2020.

Agencies will now need to figure out how to leverage on this intelligent eco-system to ensure effective delivery of marketing intentions. The whole idea of being AI-first is to be able to assist consumers better by helping to facilitate their intentions quicker and more accurately, by leveraging on what we have learned from the user (or many other users) before. It seems like we’re not very far off from having our own Alfred Pennyworth at home, at work and everywhere in between.

E-commerce and automated marketing

Alibaba clocked in US$7 billion sales in the first half hour on Singles Day, while its precious Southeast Asian investment, Lazada did a record sales of US$123 million, up 171% from previous year. Online availability of products and services to the upcoming generations, especially Gen Z will not be a "good to have" but a "must have" instead.

Digital marketing will eventually catch up by being able to automate targeting and buys according to analytics, as well as, warehouse inventories. This analytics capability will run through the marketing division and connect with sales and product planning departments. The "Always-on" will take on a new level of efficiency where advertising will go on bursts, according to either stock or service availability. Automated marketing can direct consumers to idle branches and retailers, improving overall customer experience in chockablock destinations.

Millennial-first products and services

Many marketers talk about targeting and prioritising Millennials in their campaigns, yet still miss the mark because they couldn’t understand that in this day and age, brand and experience can no longer be separated. A missed product cannot be salvaged with brand promises of yesteryears and a hit product, doesn’t need heavy investment support. Air France created Joon and Uber’s partnership with Visa for next-generation flight travel and payment method last year will make way for more product planners to truly consider who they are designing for.

The Millennial generation now has a much greater purchasing power, yet they do not have homes, cars, financial and insurance services or even consumer goods for that matter that are truly catered to them. This generation is also the most time-starved one - 64% of them believe their biggest challenge in life is managing time. They are literally running on 26 hours a day! The first step in attracting them is to understand the entire process of how they interact and experience the whole journey from pre to post-purchase, and find ways to deliver maximum experience at minimum cost. Products and services that make life simpler will serve to attract the Millennials market more.

The reversed-search behaviour and single ID

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is synonymous to performance marketing because search is the strongest evidence of intent. However, search is also just the beginning of this intent. The journey is now chronicled - sometimes it ends beautifully on a check-out site. And the journey will begin again, after sometime when the product needs to be replaced. With the collection and arduous analysis of journeys, marketers will be able to preemptively connect with consumers, by anticipating their need-state. Advertising is most accepted and welcomed, when the messages match the exact need. For instance, a consumer will appreciate advertising on detergent the most, when he or she is looking for a chemical-free option, but not sure which brand to choose.

It is time for marketers to invest on designing a truly integrated customer strategy, that’s really beyond the conventional CRM methodologies. But also one with the aim to be truly single customer-centric, because we believe today’s data technology has finally come up to speed with the vision of Single ID.

Voice activation on interactive platforms

Not all platforms will find this piece of technology relevant but there are the ones where voice-driven activation will be second nature, such as smart home products and location apps (such as Waze). The technology behind is admittedly far from perfect, especially in this part of the world where colloquial language is a huge part of a multilingual culture. But that won’t stop the advancement of expertise in this area.

Social marketing already has one big challenge when social went "dark", from open social platforms to closed chat apps such as Whatsapp. And then comes the preference of sending recorded voice messages rather than typing them, driven by the need for convenience while multi-tasking. When the consumer’s hands are full, then a hands-free solution might be the way to go. Imagine a step-by-step voice guide that can respond to the user when setting up a new appliance, a new car, et cetera. The future is truly an opportunity when there are those who cannot wait.

Clicks and bricks 

Traditional businesses which unsurprisingly include large corporations are going through huge digital transformation, either starting or in mid-stream. Truth be told, digitising operations is a non-option for any company who wishes to continue conducting business in the next decade. This is definitely an opportune time to ponder on enhancing brick and mortar experience and optimising business processes using data and technology.

Smart homes and smart cities are not new, even though, owners and stakeholders might find it either an expensive investment or a daunting task. The value in return may not look like a viable enough carrot to put forth such investment and effort. But due to the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT), the idea of "smart" be it a factory, retail, office, clinic, or dealership will make a lot more sense today.

The writer is Sue-Anne Lim, chief data and strategy officer at Dentsu Aegis Network Malaysia. 

Most of us are, by now, already aware of the drama between UK-based influencer Elle Darby and Paul Stenson, the owner of restaurant and lodge White Moose Café. In the latest twist of events, Stenson has apparently handed the influencer a PR coverage bill worth 5,289,000 Euros for all the free coverage the controversy has gotten her. The hotel has also sneakily worked the publicity to its benefit and created merchandise and organised naming contests on social media for the said merchandise.

The issue first surfaced over the weekend when influencer Darby asked for free accommodation in return for a review of the lodge. Initially, Stenson lambasted the influencer for asking for freebies but made an attempt to conceal her identity and contact details.

(Gallery available on web)

However, the netizen detectives were quick to uncover who the influencer was, which led to her getting flak for the request. In retaliation, she too posted a teary public statement through YouTube to address the issue. In the video statement, Darby criticised not only the hotel, but also members of the "older generation" for not understanding the value influencers bring.

This then led to netizens calling Stenson “unprofessional” and “childish”. In response to Darby’s statement, the hotel later issued follow up statements, stating that it would “ban all bloggers” – a move which caused further controversy.

While entertaining to watch and follow, Gaynor Reid, vice president communications Asia Pacific, AccorHotels deemed the saga as "a bit of a storm in a tea cup”. Given Stenson has been known for courting controversy, Reid added, "I am sure he was aware of what he was doing when he posted his response and  knew it would bring global attention to his hotel, although I am not sure it’s in the most positive light."

When asked if Accor often receives similar demands, Reid said that the hotel is approached almost daily by media and bloggers looking to experience its hotels, and each request should be handled on an individual basis. She added, that if there is a mutually beneficial arrangement that can make sense for both parties at play, the brand might agree, subject to availability of rooms.

“However, when we feel that a blogger or influencer’s audience or work doesn’t match our target nor needs, I would always respond in a respectful way. I am cognisant that influencers are only trying to make a living and there is no need to be rude if you don’t wish to host someone,” Reid explained, she added:

Quite often an influencer’s work doesn’t really fit with our brands, but there is no need to belittle someone or attack them personally.

She added that the best way to reach out would be by email with a full outline of what they can offer the brand and what it can expect from any hosted stay. It would also be good to include examples of previous campaigns with other similar tourism operators.

“Obviously we can’t say yes to every blogger who comes our way as we receive literally thousands of requests each year but we work with some very reputable influencers. We have created some great content from previous partnerships and we greatly value our blogger and influencer friends,” Reid added.

How do local influencers feel about the situation?

To find out, Marketing also spoke to YouTuber content creator Jian Hao Tan, founder of Thejianhao Media Co. Tan is of the view that the influencer community is often “looked down upon especially in Singapore”. Whenever there is drama involving influencers, the “same old” critical comments often appear online.

“Maybe it's the notion of being able to get free stuff or living a luxurious life without seemingly working for it. To be fair, some influencers also come off as privileged kids so I wouldn't say the general public's image of influencers is undeserved,” Tan explained.

He added that it is just unfortunate that all bloggers, vloggers, content creators are just grouped under the category "influencer", and wished that people could understand that there are some influencers some brands are "dying to work with".

In this situation, I think it is crazy that the hotel has banned all bloggers.

When asked if he would have approached the hotel the same way, Tan said yes.

“Honestly, I don't think she said anything wrong. I probably would have phrased it a little differently in a sense where I would ask for the free stay then I would tell the hotel what I could do for it in exchange to see if it is open to the idea.”

Tan explained, adding that he would also send examples of past collaborations and the results garnered if possible. But hotel's being picky about which influencer to work with based on its demographics and target audience as well as the image the influencer portrays, is not uncommon.

“Here's a tip to some influencers while looking for hotels - just search their Instagram page or their hashtag to see if they sponsor other influencers as well. If they do then it's highly likely they will be open to working with you or offering some sort of media discount,” Tan explained. As for the hotel, Tan explained that the hotel could have just replied "no, we're not interested" or not reply at all.

What Stenson did was very unprofessional and it isn't a voice I'd want my brand to have.

“There are many ways to nicely reject someone. Just as there are many influencers, there are many hotels and I'm sure there are other hotels that would have worked with her,” Tan said.

Agreeing with Accor's Reid was blogger and host Jemimah Wei, who added that the hotel owner is known to be quite an “internet troll” and the incident was likely to be a publicity stunt.

“While what he did was quite unkind, as a brand owner, he is free to do whatever he feels is right for his brand. Given
his history, the move to publicly call out the blogger was likely in line with his hotel’s branding,” she explained.

Wei added that while she did not think there was anything wrong with her email, she did understand why people would feel upset or triggered by Darby's actions. By mentioning her collaboration with Orlando Disneyland, Darby placed herself in a position for criticism, especially from people who feel negatively perceived influencers to be living a luxurious life for free. Wei added:

The timing of the post also comes at a time where there is a negative sentiment towards influencers and the industry as a whole.

"This was likely the reason the post took off as quickly as it did because many people might have had bad experiences with entitled influencers, bloggers and YouTube content creators. As such, people are making a bigger deal more so than usual even though it something which happens all the time," Wei explained.

In Singapore, the landscape according to Wei is quite different especially in the hotels industry which sees most brands being quite eager to involve online personalities in their marketing. This is especially towards the influencers who are better established.

"To my knowledge, not only do brands but influencers too receive ridiculous requests pertaining to collaborations. But when that happens, its usually due to mismatched information on either side. Although it is something which can get upsetting, it is not something worth taking personally," Wei said.

The newly renovated IPC Shopping Centre has launched its latest campaign titled, “So Much More” in an effort to showcase its refreshed interior and a renewed brand belief: a retail space that goes beyond just shopping.

The centrepiece of the campaign, "Once upon sight" is a charming spot that depicts the story of a little boy who experienced love at first sight in the shopping centre. The concept of accomplishing "so much more" in IPC Shopping Centre was brought to life by Bonsey Jaden and Directors Think Tank. The spot so far, has garnered over 1.3 million views since it was published on YouTube, on the 7 January 2018. Check out the ad below:

https://youtu.be/L4PYQy7a5fM

“It’s not just about the tenants and services. Here at IPC Shopping Centre, it’s all about the moments - whether you’re experiencing fashion, food or fun for the whole family,” Andrew Yeoh, head of marketing at Shopping Centre, IKEA Southeast Asia said.

Jeremy Ng, creative group head at Bonsey Jaden added, “To me, the biggest highlight of the campaign was working with so many like-minded individuals who truly displayed their hunger for a great piece of storytelling.”

IPC Shopping Centre is now larger than ever before, boasting fittings and decorations in soft pastel hues of pinks, blues and yellows, complementing the simple yet cosy interior. Wooden touches are added for a dash of homeliness to the modern facade.

Alexandre Bompard, chairman and CEO of the Carrefour Group, has highlighted among the group's priorities, the digital transformation and omni-channel strategy that hopes will make it a major international player. This was during the “Carrefour 2022” strategic plan announcement made today.

To drive Carrefour's e-commerce offer, he has also revealed the creation of a unique business platform in every country in which the group operates. In order to achieve this objective, Carrefour Group has chosen Publicis.Sapient to assist it in its e-commerce challenges and deploy an omni-channel system of reference for its customers.

Publicis.Sapient is the digital, technology and consulting platform of Publicis Groupe that helps brands accelerate their transformation and redefine their digital strategy promptly and responsively. Following the appointment, Publicis.Sapient will work closely alongside the Carrefour teams to share its expertise and implement efficient and durable digital and technology solutions.

“The top priority of Carrefour2022 is the construction of an omni-channel system of reference. To achieve this objective, we will invest heavily in and rely on first-class partners, such as Publicis.Sapient, a major international player, which will dedicate its talents and expertise to Carrefour to help us accelerate our digital transformation,” Bompard said.

"The trust placed in our talents and expertise by Carrefour Group and Bompard is a tremendous responsibility. To deeply support the extensive strategic and digital transformation of an international player of this stature is a challenge that the know-how of Publicis.Sapient is prepared to meet," Arthur Sadoun (pictured), chairman and CEO, Publicis Groupe, said.

Liberal arts and science college, Yale-NUS College, has appointed Hakuhodo Singapore as its design agency following a tender called in August 2017. The agency is tasked with developing a fresh Admissions and Financial Aid campaign for Yale-NUS.

The new Yale-NUS Admissions Campaign will be launched in phases within the year and will cover both traditional and online platforms. Previously, the institution worked with Hakuhodo Singapore for in designing the its mascot, “Halcyon” the kingfisher.

“Hakuhodo had a clear understanding of our strengths – and the unique challenges we face as a young learning institution. Strategically and creatively, it addressed our concerns and is working to raise awareness of Yale-NUS College. We are excited to see this project through to fruition,” Laura Severin , dean of Yale-NUS College Admissions & Financial Aid, said.

“We are extremely proud to be able to play our part in giving the college a distinctive edge in its creative communication to prospective local and international students,” Tanner Nagib, regional client service director and digital director at Hakuhodo Singapore, said.

Carrefour Group is making waves in digital as part of its 2022 strategy. With the new strategy, it hopes to reach €5 billion in organic sales in 2022. It also aims to open 2,000 convenience stores in the next five years in major cities, and push for massive investments in digital of €2.8 billion by 2022.

According to the company, "Carrefour 2022" will adopt a customer-centric organisation to better reflect the needs and expectations of its customers. The brand will structure itself more around partnerships, in order to take advantage of innovations and best practices, as well as benefit from the experience of innovative start-ups. It will also be launching a single platform in France this year, Carrefour.fr, and target a €5 billion in turnover in food e-commerce by 2022.

As it looks to conquer the Chinese market, it is partnering up with tech giant Tencent to grow its online visibility, increase the traffic of its offline and online retail activities and benefit from Tencent’s digital and technological expertise to develop new smart retail initiatives. Alexandre Bompard, chairman and CEO of the Carrefour Group, said the digital transformation and omni-channel strategy is amongst the group's priorities to become a major international player.

Tencent will further develop the retail services offered on its social platforms and promote the use of WeChat, WeChat Pay, cloud computing and other services within the Carrefour ecosystem. The scope of cooperation includes key partnership areas such as cooperation on data, smart retail, mobile payment, in-store experience and data analysis to boost Carrefour China’s customer traffic. According to Bloomberg, the brand is investing €2.8 billion over five years.

The company added that the potential acquisition of a stake in Carrefour China by Tencent and the signature of a strategic partnership with Tencent paves the way for opportunities for Carrefour in the country, notably in food e-commerce.

To drive Carrefour's e-commerce offer, the brand would also create a "unique business platform" in every country in which the group operates. Publicis.Sapient has been tapped to assist the brand in its e-commerce challenges and deploy an omni-channel system of reference for its customers. Following the appointment, Publicis.Sapient will work closely alongside the Carrefour teams to share its expertise and implement efficient and durable digital and technology solutions.

"The trust placed in our talents and expertise by Carrefour Group and Bompard is a tremendous responsibility. To deeply support the extensive strategic and digital transformation of an international player of this stature is a challenge that the know-how of Publicis.Sapient is prepared to meet," Arthur Sadoun, chairman and CEO, Publicis Groupe, said.

Unfortunately, its ambitions will see the departure of 2,400 people from the organisation and reduce the number of DIA stores by 273. The group is also looking to cut costs by €2 billion by 2020 on a full-year basis.

The cost reduction plan will focus on four main areas:

1) The optimisation of direct purchasing: Revamp of product offering by reducing assortments by more than 10%, negotiations at an international level to take advantage of the group’s presence in more than 30 countries.
2) The rationalisation of  indirect purchasing: Strict management of expenditure and specifications and policy of systemic renegotiation of historical contracts by dedicated teams at group level.
3) The reduction of logistics costs: Greater focus on operational efficiency of supply chain.
4) The reduction of structural costs: Simplification of headquarters organisations.

Shell has called for a global review of its creative and media accounts.The incumbent agencies on the account are WPP's JWT for creative and MediaCom for media. Marketing understands that the review is being handled by pitch consultancy R3. R3 could not comment at the time of writing.

Marketing has reached out to Shell, JWT and MediaCom for comment. According to an AdAge report, the account is tipped to be valued at more than US$200 million.

JWT has been working on the account for nearly two decades. Last year, JWT London created a spot with Shell, an off grid light funded by Shell, using the power of gravity to create light. Gravity Light generates power without batteries, using only a weight that powers an LED light. Gravity Light was launched in Kenya by visiting off grid communities and telling stories each night under Gravity Light. The campaign claims to have reached 30,000 people across Kenya and created a content driven campaign to engage and inspire global millennials.

Meanwhile, to motivate China truckers, Shell Global and J. Walter Thompson created "Postcards", a social media campaign that allowed long-haul trucker drivers showcase their stories and post a heart-warming message to their families. This was for the Shell Rimula brand. The campaign saw Shell Global working with J. Walter Thompson's Singapore, London and Shanghai offices.

In Malaysia, Shell worked with Edelman to launch its annual #StationStories campaign. The campaign features a series of stories celebrating the journeys of its customers. In July 2017, the station pulled the life-sized cardboard cutouts of a female employee from stations, after offensive images of men “abusing” the cutout went viral online.

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Edelman is ramping up its team with more hires from the creative agency world. Its Singapore office has brought on board Aaron Phua (pictured left) as executive director in a bid to enhance its overall integrated brand, reputation and digital businesses for clients.

Phua was last creative director at Ogilvy and has worked at agencies such as Fallon, Wieden+Kennedy, Johannes Leonardo, McCann, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and TBWA. He has nearly 20 years of advertising and creative experience and has worked in Japan, China and the US. Among the list of brands that Phua has collaborated with include Nike, Under Armour, Bacardi, Converse, Heineken, IBM and Volkswagen.

He will report to CEO of Edelman Singapore Amanda Goh in this newly created role. He will also work closely with Rupen Desai, vice chairman, brand for Edelman Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APACMEA).  Desai too, was previously with Lowe + Partners, now known as MullenLowe, as the APAC regional president and executive vice chairman of APACMEA. He came on board in January 2017. Desai used to lead the global teams on Unilever’s “Dirt is good” campaign across 80 countries.

Last year, Edelman also hired Ranjit Jathanna, chief strategy officer, APACMEA to enhance Singapore's regional creative and planning hub role. Prior to his new role, Jathanna too was with MullenLowe for more than seven years, with his last role being chief strategy officer in Singapore. Over in Malaysia, a shuffle on the MullenLowe Malaysia team saw former managing director Mazuin Zin also heading to Edelman Malaysia as managing director. Mazuin replaced Rob Kay.

Along with Phua's hire, Remona Duquesne (pictured right) has also been brought on board as chief strategy officer, in a bid to enhance its overall integrated brand, reputation and digital businesses for clients. Duquesne will work with Ranjit Jathanna, chief strategy officer, APACMEA to enhance Singapore's regional creative and planning hub role. Like Phua, she will also report to Amanda Goh.

Before joining Edelman, Duquesne was executive director of strategy and innovation at branding and design consultancy Dragon Rouge. She has also held strategy leadership roles at Ogilvy, FutureBrand and MullenLowe, working on brands such as CIMB, Nestle and Omo. She has also led several corporate brand consulting projects with the Singapore government and Malaysian government-linked companies. Duquesne has over 20 years of experience in journalism, advertising and brand consulting.

According to Goh, both Phua's and Duquesne's value and expertise in data, creative content creation, sound strategic planning and storytelling will serve as a catalyst for the agency's vision of becoming a powerhouse of regional earned-centric communications marketing ideation.

“We have seen an increase in clients making a move from the traditional, top down, advertising developed first approach to creating fame and generating headlines, winning trust and attention. Phua and Duquesne joining our growing bench strength across the region will help us partner clients as lead agency," Desai said.

WPP has launched a new global brand agency named Superunion, following the integration of five of its brand consultancies - Brand Union, The Partners, Lambie-Nairn, Addison Group and VBAT.

The integration combines 750 employees in 23 offices and 18 countries including Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Thailand and India. Some of its clients include Diageo, FIFA, Ford and Vodafone. Superunion will be led by global CEO Jim Prior and executive chairman Simon Bolton.

Superunion enables clients to engage with a broader array of specialists and offer a more connected set of services. It is able to work with clients across a broader spectrum of target audiences, including corporate, consumer, customer and talent, according to the press statement. The new brand agency comprises senior level, strategic and creative leaders who will help organisations rethink how they can achieve their goals.

Overseeing Asia Pacific are chairman, Asia Monica Lee and CEO, Asia Benedict Gordon. Head of development, Asia Po Kay Lee and strategy head, Asia Pacific Ambrish Chaudhry are also part of the Asia Pacific operations team. When asked what the new agency’s strategy will be in Asia Pacific, Bolton said in a statement to Marketing last year that it will employ both an inbound and outbound strategy to global brand management.

Lee has worked with brands such as China Mobile, Tencent, Qingdao Beer, ICBC and China Resources on issues ranging from strategic positioning, value propositions and brand management to visual identity systems, package design and communications strategies.

Meanwhile, Gordon is responsible for building Superunion's reputation and business across Asia. Prior to his new role, he worked as the MD of Brand Union in Hong Kong and was part of its strategy team in London. He also worked at brand and marketing consultancy Prophet for more than a year.

As head of development, Asia and MD, Singapore, Po is responsible for growing the next generation of Asian brands and helping global brands excel in new markets. She spent 10 years at Brand Union and has serviced clients including Singapore Stock Exchange, Telekom Malaysia, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Frasers Property, GSK, Go-Jek, ST Engineering, International Table Tennis Federation, RHB Banking Group, Zalora and Facebook.

According to Prior, creativity has to be applied at the heart of the business, where it can affect areas such as innovation, product and service, culture change, people's experience of the brand and the organisation's driving purpose.

"We will offer more integrated services, high level strategic relevancy and closer connections to audiences, building stronger brands that drive our clients’ success," he added.

HSBC has confirmed its estimated US$400 million global media planning and buying business is up for review.

So far it is known that England-based media consulting agency ID Comms will be running the pitch, and agency groups are on notice.

It's been almost six years since HSBC conducted its last global media review, and Group M/WPP's Mindshare retained the business and completed the process in 2013. The agency has handled HSBC's media since 2004.

(Read more: Mindshare keeps HSBC account globally)

"As part of our commitment to the ongoing development of HSBC’s media and marketing arrangements, we periodically evaluate all marketing service suppliers to ensure we maintain the best working relationships to support our strategic goals," said HSBC in a release.

The bank currently uses WPP's J. Walter Thompson and Publicis Media's Saatchi & Saatchi for creative duties.

OMD Hong Kong has appointed Thomas Hebditch as senior digital business director.

In this new role, Hebditch will be responsible for leading the agency’s digital growth strategy, ensuring the constant evolution of its digital product and strengthening its ability to provide clients with digital solutions.

Hebditch joins the Hong Kong office from sister agency Manning Gottlieb OMD in the UK, where he was account director of digital activation.

In his previous role, Hebditch worked across several high profile global and UK brands, including Estee Lauder, British Airways, L’Oréal, O2 and The Economist.

"The digital landscape in Hong Kong has changed and become more dynamic with increased investment and adoption in the areas of advanced audience targeting, data analytics and digital content optimisation technologies," said Deric Wong, OMD Hong Kong’s CEO.

"With his background and experience in digital operations, planning and buying, Thomas will lead us to maximise available opportunities, create new models and deliver competitive advantage for our clients and OMD."

"I am thrilled to be joining OMD Hong Kong, one of the most prolific markets in our network," added Hebditch. "I look forward to immersing myself in the agency’s culture and working with the teams on new and exciting digital opportunities for our clients in Hong Kong."

Links International has released its 2018 Salary Snapshot for marketers and sales professionals for 2018, and found that demand for marketers in Hong Kong has remained steady since Q2 2017, while demand for business development professionals has increased significantly in the same time-frame, particularly in the insurance and IT industries.

Moreover, the shift towards online and e-commerce is continuing at breakneck speed, with added focus on customer experience, loyalty and CRM policies, leading to the demand for digital marketing and e-commerce professionals outpacing the supply in all industries. Those digital marketers looking to move to a different company can expect an average salary increase of a whopping 10-20%.

Interestingly, while Hongkongers still rate salary as the leading factor in career decisions, they are also concerned with company stability and individual fit with the company's vision, value and culture, according to the report.

Here are the average monthly salaries in Hong Kong, Singapore and China, exclusive of bonuses, stock options or other variable incentives:

The figures above, while overall slightly less optimistic, fall roughly in line with a report about salary projections by Robert Walters in November last year.

Pos Malaysia has appointed  Al-Ishsal Ishak (pictured) as its group CEO (GCEO), effective 2 February 2018. Al-Ishsal's appointment comes not long after the resignation of its former Group CEO, Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh in December 2017, who expressed his desire to make a career change after serving at Pos Malaysia for five years.

Al-Ishsal is no stranger to the local marketing and branding scene, holding previous stints as the chief digital officer of McCann Ericsson Worldgroup, Malaysia Airlines' senior vice president of marketing and products as well as, AirAsia's group head ancillary income. His other roles includes the CEO of Baraka Telecom (a Kuwaiti-owned outfit), with various senior positions in Tune Group, according to Pos Malaysia's filing with Bursa Malaysia.

Prior to his new role at Pos Malaysia, Al-Ishsal was the managing director, Southeast Asia of ECO Capacity Exchange (London), as well as, the trainer and consultant for Airbus group's AirBusiness Academy based in Toulouse, France.

Al-Ishsal started his career with Turnaround Managers before embarking into entrepreneurial endeavours mostly in the digital space from 1994 to 2008. He was on the Board of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDeC) and a former council member of National Technology Information Council (NITC).

Meanwhile, Datuk Azlan Shahrim, who had assumed the role of covering group executive officer, will return to his post as group chief operating officer.

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The master developer of Kuala Lumpur Internet City (KLIC), Catcha Group will soon announce "high value investments" that will help boost Malaysia to become "the Silicon Valley of the East", said its founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Patrick Grove (pictured).

When asked for new information, a spokesperson said told A+M that they are unable to disclose any information on it as yet as the details are being finalised. "We will be making an announcement on this in the next couple of months," she added.

Speaking to New Straits Times (NST), Grove said the group is expected to identify KLIC partners that will include government-related entities and international investors, in three months. Grove, who is also the co-founder of iflix, told NST reporters on the sidelines of Invest Malaysia 2018 this week the group hopes to "transform the Klang Valley into the Silicon Valley of Southeast Asia, modelling the KLIC after the famed Silicon Valley in the US”. He added that the KLIC will play a key role in the recently-launched Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ), and praised many local companies such as AirAsia, Grab, CIMB Group and Malayan Banking which had grown to become regional businesses.

Grove said earlier he sees a huge opportunity for Malaysia and ASEAN to expand within the digital space, due to the region having the highest smartphone penetration rate worldwide.

The DFTZ has two key components, Alibaba’s regional logistics hub in Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the KLIC, which is smacked on a 10-acre spot in Bandar Malaysia. KLIC is a lifestyle focused city, with eco-friendly buildings, bike paths and large open spaces for community activities.

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Netflix has revealed plans to increase marketing spend to US$2 billion for this year, up from around US$1.3 billion before, according to a recent quarterly earnings report. In an earnings call, Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings (pictured) revealed that the company is increasing marketing spend faster than it is increasing revenue.

The move also comes on the back of the success from shows such as 13 Reasons Why, Stranger Things and Bright, which the company said had a combination of “great content and great marketing”.

Despite the increase in marketing spend, Hastings admitted in a call to investors that despite the rise in marketing spend, Netflix’s “Holy Grail dream” was to have the service be so good at promoting the new content in relevant ways that it would not have to spend externally.

“And as we are right now, it still is a really good financial investment to increase on the marketing, and that may continue to be so but we're always also trying to improve the product and the organic reach, social and PR of the title marketing, where you end up having to spend less on paid marketing,” Hastings explained. He added:

We want great content, and we want the budget to make the hits we have really big, to drive our membership growth.

Overall, the company saw a growth in streaming revenue by 36% to over US$11 billion, with 24 million new memberships, compared to 19 million in 2016. Internationally, the company also achieved a full-year positive international contribution profit for the first time. The streaming service will also grow its technology and development investment to around US$1.3 billion in 2018.

In the previous quarter of 2017, Netflix unveiled that it would spend approximately US$7 billion and US$8 billion on content in 2018. This followed a revenue growth of US$2,985 million for the third quarter of 2017, a year-on-year (yoy) growth of 30.3% compared to the previous quarter. Before that, Netflix announced in July 2017 that it will spend up to US$750 million on content and global expansion.

The move was a bid to increase its investment in content, especially in its original series, having benefited from its content strategy in the areas of revenue and profit growth.

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