Shopee launches partner program for five media agencies

Shopee has created a partner program in which it will train major media agencies on how to utilise the ecommerce platform's suite of marketing tools.

The Shopee Media Agencies Partner Program (SMAP) involves media agencies from five of the 'big six' major holding groups: Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), Omnicom Media Group, Publicis Groupe, Havas Group and Mediabrands (Reprise). WPP is the only network not represented on the program—interesting given GroupM has been building its ecommerce muscle in the region in recent months with partnerships with Tokopedia and Lazada.

The program will equip the media agencies with ecommerce skills and best practices on Shopee’s suite of marketing solutions and tools, including advertising solutions such as Shopee Ads and online marketing ads to drive traffic to brand stores; in-app marketing products such as Shopee Live and Shopee Games; social media; as well as other value-added services.

Shopee will also share tips on store management, campaign execution and optimisation.

Beyond education, Shopee will provide technical support to the agencies’ media and ad operations teams, and the agencies will have the opportunity to get exclusive access to the platform's new marketing solutions and products.

The ecommerce platform hopes the program will provide the agencies with the tools to help their brand clients scale and succeed in online commerce. It claims the media agency program is the "region’s first and largest of its kind". It will cover all seven markets Shopee operates in across Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

Asked by Campaign if the program will be offered beyond the major agency networks, Shopee said its current focus is to "work closely with the five media agencies". It plans to extend support to more media agency partners and brands "in the future".

Peggy Zhu, head of brand and growth marketing at Shopee, said SMAP builds on the platform's ongoing efforts to "elevate the standards of ecommerce marketing in the long-term, alongside valuable brand and agency partners".

Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific's VP commercials & partnerships, Sunil Naryani, said the timing of the Shopee partnership "could not be more opportune" following the agency's recent launch of a dedicated ecommerce division, Dentsu Commerce.

"Early conversations with large, leaned-in clients have helped chart out some parts of the journey which we are eager to begin with Shopee," Naryani said. "Starting with training of our commerce force and partnerships at multiple levels to unlock client and consumer value, we are excited to see how this partnership pans out and grows."