Marketing Connected

In this week's Weekly Roundup, we discuss why 'Kudasai' girl Devin Halbal is such a global phenomenon as AirAsia becomes the latest brand out of Asia to onboard her as a part of its influencer content strategy. What makes her so special? Tune in to find out.Top stories of the week:'Kudasai' girl Devin Halbal for dummies: 101 on her virality formulaChagee Singapore nabs ex-foodpanda head as new CEO So Drama! Entertainment nabs ex-BBDO CEO Melvin Kuek as executive director

In today's world where budgets and purse strings are being tightened, marketers can no longer waste their marketing budgets. Media veteran Phin Wong, who currently heads content marketing and lifestyle media at SPH, debunks some of the myths around content marketing. He will also be speaking live at Content360 Singapore. Check out the agenda here: https://conferences.marketing-interactive.com/content360-sg/

Last July, Singaporean hip hop artist and rapper Yung Raja received a shoutout from American TV show host Jimmy Fallon in the “Do Not Play” segment of The Tonight Show. Fallon usually roasts songs in that segment and he happened to play a snippet of Raja's single “Mami”, which was released last March. As a result, Yung Raja's stream numbers jumped nearly 4,000 overnight to more than 583k. His MV views also jumped by more than 11,000 to 170k overnight. What did it feel like to be roasted by Fallon? In this episode, Yung Raja also shares the importance of authenticity in hip-hop and content creation.Follow us:Telegram - https://t.me/marketinginteractive_seaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/marketinginteractive_asiaFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/marketingmagazine.groupLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/4859773Twitter - https://twitter.com/marketingeds

NFTs can be seen as a game changer for creators, allowing them to now reach out directly to their loyal fans as well as a wider global audience. So how will NFT transform the creator and influencer marketing landscape? Hear from Jeffrey Hau, co-founder and director of PRIZM Group Hong Kong; Avery Akkineni, president of Vayner3; Shannon Dix, CMO of Virtually Human; and Robby Yung, CEO of Animoca Brands on this matter.Follow us:Telegram - https://t.me/marketinginteractive_seaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/marketinginteractive_asiaFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/marketingmagazine.groupLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/4859773Twitter - https://twitter.com/marketingeds

NFTs are all the rage these days. UK-based consultancy Juniper Research said the number of NFT transactions globally will grow from 24 million in 2022 to 40 million by 2027. Brands that have yet to enter this space would definitely find it exciting. But what about those that have already made the daring leap into NFTs? What's next for brands that have entered the scene?  Leaders from Animoca Brands, Vayner3 and Virtually Human give us the low down!Follow us:Telegram - https://t.me/marketinginteractive_seaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/marketinginteractive_asiaFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/marketingmagazine.groupLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/4859773Twitter - https://twitter.com/marketingeds

Malaysia Airlines put a twist to its in-flight safety video earlier this year by turning it into a star-studded musical. While some consumers praised it for its creativity, others found the seven-minute video too long and distracting. Nonetheless, the airline is proud to have produced something different and eye catching.Group chief marketing and customer experience officer, Lau Yin May, shares what went into the creation of the new video and what makes for good marketing these days.Malaysia Airlines launches new in-flight safety video: https://www.marketing-interactive.com/malaysia-airlines-new-in-flight-safety-video

Brands these days are under scrutiny to produce timely and engaging content, especially when everyone is fighting for a piece of the consumers' attention. Beyond just jumping on trending social media platforms, brands need to really think about the type of content they produce and how it can fulfil consumers' needs and wants. Aisha Speirs, creative director and executive editor, APAC, The Trust, WSJ Barron's Group, shares how her team helps brands figure out the best ways to engage their audiences, and the types of content that works for consumers.To learn more about The Trust, visit: https://thetrust.wsjbarrons.com/

Four years ago, DBS told customers it wanted them to "Live more, bank less". Today, the bank seeks to continue defying the status quo and makes it clear in its latest brand campaign that it is more like a startup, a technie, an eco-warrior and less like a traditional bank.Karen Ngui, MD and DBS head of group strategic marketing and communications, shares how the new positioning will play into the "Live more, bank less" tagline and how the bank plans to bring the new positioning to life.

The pandemic has upended how events and work gets done. Where work is done is no longer a one size fits all; and when work gets done is also debatable since companies have shifted to remote working. Cathy Novelli, CMO at Hubilo, shares how the industry can rethink what events can and should look like in this new landscape.

Last year, Zenyum launched its first-ever pop up experiences in Singapore and Hong Kong as part of its aim to create more extraordinary and unexpected retail experiences. Right off the bat, consumers might associate Zenyum with the dental industry which might not be as exciting as other B2C brands in general. SVP of marketing, Bassam Abdel-Rahman, shares how the team is making the brand fun and relatable with its marketing.

With companies battling screen fatigue, production values of events have gone up significantly. Organisations were also sent scrambling by COVID-19 to put together non-traditional event planners such as internal communications departments, HR groups, and DEI councils. However, do-it-yourself events may still not be enough, and Hubilo's VP of corporate marketing, Liesl Leary-Perez, shares why.

Being an entrepreneur was never on Yvonne Low's list, but her goals changed when she encountered two very inspirational mothers who became entrepreneurs themselves. Find out how the former OCBC and McDonald's marketer entered the fitness category with her own resistance band brand, Band of Sisters.

Fly entertainment founder and entrepreneur Irene Ang talks about her new global casting platform called TADAA! Casting and bringing Asian talents to the global scene.

Social commerce is the new hot topic. But can brands actually sell well on social? Varun Sharma, Emplifi's VP, Asia Pacific and Japan, gives us the break down on how brands in Asia can come out on top in this space. 

Just today, the South China Morning Post announced that it will spin-off its blockchain-based NFT business to form a new company called ‘Artifact Labs'. At launch, SCMP CEO Gary Liu will take on the responsibility to oversee the expansion of Artifact Labs.He tells MARKETING-INTERACTIVE why this decision came about and the potential synergies between the NFT business and a 119-year-old company. 

 Shopee's regional marketing lead Pan Hui Yan shares what the future of eCommerce is going to be like and how Shopee is helping brand partners with their full-funnel journey. 

What is marketing like for tattoo parlours? Jade Quinton, also known as Jade Sparkle, is the owner and founder of tattoo parlour Potato Parlour. She is well-known for specialising in realism tattoos in Singapore and has more than 11,000 followers on Instagram. She is among the list of tattoo artists that have taken to social media to raise awareness about her brand and promote her business. Find out how Jade stands out from the crowd with her marketing.

Museums are generally thought of as places fit for cultural connoisseurs that feature antiquities. But the Asian Civilisations Museum has been pushing the boundaries of its marketing to draw the younger crowd. This included a partnership with  ESSEC Business School to promote the Life in Edo x Russel Wong in Kyoto exhibition. Find out how the museum is switching up its marketing and what the future of museums would be like.

It is common to hear about marketing from brands in the FMCG, F&B, and eCommerce sectors. But what does marketing mean in industries that we don't often hear about? In the first episode of this new series, we have a no holds barred conversation with Cecile Gasnault, brand director at Ramblin' Brands which is also the creator of female sexual wellness brand Smile Makers. Find out how Smile Makers is using marketing to normalise conversations around sexuality.

Founded in 2012, NOC mainly focused on influencer-driven content and worked with brands such as Grab, Sony and AirAsia. Last October, CEO and founder Sylvia Chan was accused of using slurs and bullying employees. Shortly after this incident, Sylvia took time to rethink NOC's direction and decided to pivot to become a content-led company. Find out why in this episode!

Shopee's regional marketing lead, Pan Huiyan, and Microsoft's online and eCommerce head for Southeast Asia, Korea and India, Ashima Chetan, discuss how merchants and brands can make the most of shopping festivals, and the perks of being part of these festivals. 

Edelman CEO, Richard Edelman, explains in a fireside chat at PR Asia 2021 why PR agencies and professionals should "fight back hard" against ad agencies and business consultancies. He also talks about the future of PR agencies in the age of the shrinking publisher landscape.

Raushida Vasaiwala, general manager at Celtra Asia Pacific, shares how brands can power creative transformation, the pressures creative teams face and what role technology plays in setting a creative team up for success.This episode is powered by Celtra. To find out more about Celtra, check out the link here: https://celtra.com/.

AirAsia's group CEO Tony Fernandes explains during a recent fireside chat session at Digital Marketing Asia on the company's transformation journey from a budget carrier to a digital lifestyle company, and how the pandemic gave it time to rethink its strategy and pivot.

Ken Mandel joined Grab in 2018 as regional MD and head of GrabAds and brand insights. He has come a long way in his advertising career, having worked at Bates & 141, XM-JWT and Ogilvy. While Ken went over to the client side to work with Yahoo, Salesforce and Hootsuite, he still found himself getting drawn back into the adland. Let's find out why!

Treasure Data was founded in 2011 and aims to simplify customer data management and help brands transform customer experiences. In this episode, APAC marketing lead, Sean Valencia, shares the various hurdles companies face when it comes to customer experience and the takeaways SMEs can learn from Treasure Data's enterprise customers. This episode is powered by Treasure Data. To find out more about Treasure Data, check out the link here: https://www.treasuredata.com/

In the hot seat are host, comedian and actor, Rishi Budhrani and VaynerMedia Asia Pacific's managing partner and head of creative, VJ Anand, who share the importance of having a good hashtag strategy and why there is no need to wait until you are perfect to start social media.

S4 Capital chairman Martin Sorrell shares in a fireside chat how the tech wars will impact Southeast Asia,  why he thinks pitching is artificial and why S4 Capital believes in "landing and expanding" instead.

Omar Marks, founder of Maki-San and former ad man, launched Singapore-based sushi place Wooshi last year in the midst of a pandemic. He shares how the pandemic has impacted the company's plans, what it is doing to stand out in the crowded sushi space, and the role he plays in marketing Wooshi Sushi.

Geoff Tan spent 34 years at Singapore Press Holdings before joining Really Singapore as chief ideas officer. Before entering the media scene, Geoff spent about five years in the adland. His entry into the ad world, however, was an accidental one. He shares how that transpired.

Lynette's latest venture, The Scent Apothecary, came unexpectedly after four years as Sentosa's CMO. She shares what prompted her to pursue her passion and what it was like marketing a tourist destination during the pandemic.

While Marc is widely known for being the founder of private members' club 1880, he also spent time in the adland. One of his defining experiences was his time as owner of a now defunct agency named Rocket X Media.

With 18 years of experience in marketing and advertising under his belt, Adrie Basuki decided it was time to pursue his passion for fashion instead, starting his own fashion brand in 2014. Basuki shares how he got started on his journey.

In a fireside chat, Lim discusses the rise of Asian influencers in the West, the importance of giving back to the community, and why authenticity matters. Bling Empire is a Netflix reality series that follows the glitz and glamour of the lives led by wealthy Asian Americans in Los Angeles.

Last year, influencer Wendy Cheng, also known as Xiaxue, was thrusted into the spotlight for some comments she made around 10 years ago regarding the transgender community and migrant workers, which saw the ignition of the “cancel culture” towards her and the brands she worked with. This led to many brands, at least in the public eye, distancing themselves from Wendy. 

In 2019, influencer Preeti Nair, also known as Preetipls, landed in a bit of hot water when the Singapore government accused her of making "blatantly racist rap video". As a result, she had to apologise for it.  We hear from Preeti, more than a year later, where she stands on the matter.

Need help getting noticed when you aren't yet a unicorn? Find out how.

Comedian Sharul Channa recently made headlines for speaking out against an inappropriate remark made to her during an interview. While Channa saw women's advocy group AWARE stand by her side, she also had to deal with online trolls and backlash. In this interview, done prior to the incident, Channa shares with us her views on comedy, working with brands and the need for boundaries. 

A look at how the crisis has catapulted internal communications into the front seat.

Is anything ever off the record?

Creative content is not necessarily the first thing people associate with eCommerce in the marketing world. Celtra's APAC GM Raushida Vasaiwala shares why content creation is crucial to eCommerce and challenges brands face in creating content that drives eCommerce sales. She also touches on whether creativity and personalised experiences are two sides of the same coin.Sign up for the conference here: https://conferences.marketing-interactive.com/digital-marketing-asia/To learn more about Celtra, head to: https://www.celtra.com/

While OTT ad revenue currently lags behind mobile and desktop, it is still a significant source of programmatic video advertising income. In this episode, Elaine Tan, head of sales at iQIYI, and Marcus Pousette, country manager for Southeast Asia, Greater China and Korea at PubMatic, discuss the benefits of OTT, and how it can be a sound investment for brands and advertisers.This episode is powered by PubMatic. To learn more about PubMatic, head to: https://pubmatic.com/. 

The concept of supply path optimisation might not be new but as the adtech scene evolved, so have SPO decisions and mechanics. Sudipto Das, VP, advertising solutions, APAC at Pubmatic and June Oh, regional director, account and partnership development at Mediamath break down the science behind SPO and how marketers can be more aware if their dollars and cents are not being optimised.This episode is powered by PubMatic. To learn more about PubMatic, head to: https://pubmatic.com/. 

What is header bidding and what are its benefits? In this episode, Ashish Thomas, CEO of Summit Media and Khin Mu Yar Soe, associate director, customer success at PubMatic, share the options available for publishers when it comes to header bidding, and the benefits surrounding it.This episode is powered by PubMatic. To learn more about PubMatic, head to: https://pubmatic.com/. 

In the latest episode of Unboxed, Cyrion Wang, head of programmatic at Meitu, and Lashanne Phang, associate director, publisher development for APAC at PubMatic, speak to our regional editor Rezwana Manjur on some of the developments in the space in-app advertising space and what we can expect in the future. This episode is powered by PubMatic. To learn more about PubMatic, head to: https://pubmatic.com/. 

Treasure Data's VP of global marketing Tom Treanor and APAC marketing specialist Sean Valencia discuss the types of companies that are acing the game during the pandemic, and how to kickstart the journey to build on technology despite the uncertain future. They also share areas to take note of when it comes to data adoption and implementation in a diverse market like Southeast Asia. Sign up for the conference here: https://conferences.marketing-interactive.com/digital-marketing-asia/To learn more about Treasure Data, head to: https://www.treasuredata.com/

In this new series, PubMatic's chief revenue officer of APAC, Jason Barnes, unboxes the supposedly murky world of adtech, and dishes out advice for brands that are new to the adtech space and are unsure about how to get started.To learn more about PubMatic, head to: https://pubmatic.com/. 

What is a network effect and what are the key aspects that go into creating a successful one? Aiken Digital's chief commercial officer Joseph Chua and regional planning lead Mark Bellamy give our regional editor Rezwana Manjur the low down on how marketers can avoid cannibalising the brand DNA when creating the network effect, as well as the role of creativity  in today's tech-focused economy.Sign up for the conference here: https://conferences.marketing-interactive.com/digital-marketing-asia/To learn more about Aiken Digital, head to: https://www.aikendigital.com/en

Shopify Plus was launched in 2014 with the aim of giving hyper-growth businesses a customisable enterprise solution, without the high cost of time, money and development. In this episode, its head of marketing for Asia Pacific, Robin Marchant, shares his COVID-19 learnings, the changing retail customer experience, and what is stopping brands from taking the next step to create their own new channels.This episode is powered by Shopify Plus. To find out more about Shopify Plus, check out the link here: https://www.shopify.com.sg/plus 

Selling Simplified's VP of sales, Asia Pacific, Wayne Wong, discusses the data-related trends and challenges clients in the region face, as well as how the pandemic has changed B2B marketing mindsets and budgets. Selling Simplified is a Platinum Sponsor for Marketing's Digital Marketing Asia conference held from 10-26 November 2020. Wayne will be speaking on “Predictive & Embedded Analytics: Extracting the right information to tailor the best content for customers” as a panelist on 19 November 2020.Sign up for the conference here: https://conferences.marketing-interactive.com/digital-marketing-asia/ To learn more about Selling Simplified, head to: https://sellingsimplified.com/

Matthew Gain, SVP, head of Audible, APAC, Japan and India gives us the low down on why marketers should not forget the importance of creatives despite data playing a crucial role in marketing nowadays. He also shares tips to ensure marketing and finance speak the same language and his pet peeves when it comes to brand executions on mobile.Sign up for the conference here: https://conferences.marketing-interactive.com/digital-marketing-asia/