Profile... Candid Singaporean out to revive ailing Tiger
Beer marketing veteran Edmond Neo is charged with restoring the city's famous brew to its former glory.
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BBDO Singapore hires L'Oréal marketer King
SINGAPORE - BBDO Singapore has hired L'Oréal marketer Jason King (pictured) as planning director.
Payne departs regional PHD post
SINGAPORE - Paul Payne (pictured), the Asia-Pacific managing director of PHD, is leaving the company to return home to Australia, where he is expected to take on another position within Omnicom Media Group.
The Talent Business appoints Y&R's Khoo to run China business
BEIJING - Recruitment consultancy The Talent Business has hired the general manager of Y&R, Linda Khoo (pictured), as the managing director of its Greater China operation.
TBWA and Formul8 vie for global Standard Chartered web brief
SINGAPORE - Standard Chartered Private Bank is pitching a brief for the revamp of its global web presence, with agency-of-record TBWA\Tequila fighting it out with independent agency Formul8 in the final round.
Incumbents tussle for Carlsberg Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR - Carlsberg, Malaysia's best-selling beer, has narrowed the review of its Green Label brand to two agencies, with Euro RSCG and Naga DDB, both incumbents, left in contention.
Guinness turns to BBDO in Asia
Asia-Pacific - After a long, hard-fought pitch, Diageo has handed Asia-Pacific creative duties for Guinness to BBDO as the alcoholic drinks giant looks to revive the fortunes of its iconic beer in the region.
Sentosa embarks on media agency review
SINGAPORE - Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), the Government-linked company which manages and promotes Singapore's most popular tourist destination, has initiated a review of its media agency arrangements.
SIA in web-based telephony first
SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines has become the first company to place advertising on MediaRing Talk, a new medium for targeting web-based phone users.
PHD chief Payne to leave for Australia
SINGAPORE - Paul Payne (pictured), the Asia-Pacific managing director of PHD, is leaving the company to return home to Australia where he is expected to take on another position within Omnicom Media Group.
Holcim appoints Leo Burnett in Indonesia
JAKARTA - Global cement maker Holcim has awarded its estimated US$6 million Indonesian creative account to Leo Burnett Kreasindo after a four-way final-round shoot-out.
GE selects Weber Shandwick in Thailand
BANGKOK - General Electric is understood to have awarded its Thai public relations account to McCann Worldgroup's Weber Shandwick, displacing incumbent Bangkok PR.
MEC Malaysia hires Ho as GM
KUALA LUMPUR - MEC Malaysia has hired former Carat executive James Ho (pictured) as the media agency's general manager.
Live Issue... Battered Batey looks for new role in changing times
As Alan Fairnington (pictured) points out, most articles about Batey these days end up being negative.
Profile... National doctor finds shock is the best medicine
The head of Singapore's Health Promotion Board is unapologetic about employing some gruesome tactics.
Profile... Low aims to make mio TV the market leader
Mio TV chief Low Ka Hoe intends to turn SingTel into a world-class integrated multimedia firm.
Y&R regional ECD departs agency abruptly
SINGAPORE - Y&R's regional ECD Rowan Chanen is leaving the network without a job to go to after the abrupt appointment of ex-TBWA\Singapore art director Marcus Rebeschini as chief creative officer for Asia.
Golden Communications makes senior hire
HO CHI MINH CITY - Vietnamese agency Golden Communications, which has been subject to takeover speculation, has appointed industry veteran Hoang Anh Ng as VP of Golden Communications Group and MD of Golden Advertising.
New-look Straits Times gets lukewarm reception
SINGAPORE - Media agencies and advertisers have given a lukewarm reception to the redesigned The Straits Times that launches tomorrow (Friday 8 August) amid fears of further ratecard hikes from Singapore's flagship national broadsheet.
IRDA escapes pitch fees
KUALA LUMPUR - A disagreement between the Iskandar Region Development Authority (IRDA) and the 4As has moved towards a resolution after the advertising industry body conceded that IRDA does not have to pay a pitch fee now mandatory for large advertisers in Malaysia.
Lee steps down at OgilvyOne Malaysia, Ang promoted to new role
KUALA LUMPUR - OgilvyOne Malaysia MD Alex Lee is stepping down after three years running the agency, a shift that sees ECD Selina Ang (pictured) take on a new role as executive director.
Siva takes top job at Grey Group PR Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR - Grey Group has promoted head of corporate practice Raymond Siva (pictured) to the role of acting head. He replaces Chong Wei-Hsiang who left the agency to join Naga DDB's PR arm earlier this month (Media 4 July).
Adspend drops ahead of Cambodian poll
PHNOM PENH - Advertising spend in Cambodia has fallen considerably since the beginning of the year, as marketers took a cautious approach in the run-up to the recent parliamentary election.
Y&R acquisition talks with The Upper Storey fall through
SINGAPORE - Lengthy acquisition negotiations between WPP network Y&R and Singaporean digital agency The Upper Storey have fallen through.
Kelly quits TBWA\Singapore
SINGAPORE - TBWA\Tequila Singapore's creative integrator Graham Kelly (pictured) has resigned from his post a little over a year and a half after joining the agency.
Bates141 confirms 10AM acquisition
SINGAPORE - WPP agency network Bates141 has announced the acquisition of Singaporean creative hotshop 10AM Communications, confirming the news broken by Media earlier this year (Media 17 March).
Zenith rolls out search and mobile marketing tools
SINGAPORE - ZenithOptimedia is rolling out a new search tool across the region which the agency claims gives its clients a competitive edge in search marketing on Chinese-language websites.
Coke China trumpets ethical marketing
BEIJING - In the same week that Greenpeace issued a critique of the environmental footprint of Olympic sponsors, Coca-Cola has released a report trumpeting its sustainability commitments in China.
APP sponsors Indonesian Idol as Paseo pitches stall
JAKARTA - Controversial Indonesian company Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has moved to raise its profile through the sponsorship of one of the country's most popular shows, Indonesian Idol.
Greenpeace hits back in Olympic sponsors row
BEIJING - Olympic sponsors Lenovo and Panasonic have drawn further criticism from Greenpeace, which is unsatisfied with the companies' environmental commitment in the run-up to the Games.
Greenpeace scrutinises 'greenness' of Olympic sponsors
BEIJING - Ahead of what has been billed as a 'green Olympics', Greenpeace has slammed a number of key sponsors of the Games for their environmental commitment.
Singapore Tourism refuses to blame advertising for fall in visitor numbers
SINGAPORE - The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has refused to place any blame for a slowdown in the growth of visitor numbers on the performance of its 'Uniquely Singapore' campaign.
Audi Singapore and Batey negotiate new contract
SINGAPORE - Audi is renegotiating a new contract with Batey, its creative partner in Singapore, amid rumours of unease between client and agency.
Sponsors hit back over Greenpeace report
BEIJING - Olympic sponsors have responded vehemently to a report from Greenpeace released yesterday that scrutinises their environmental credentials.
OMD International launches in Singapore
SINGAPORE - Omnicom's OMD has rolled out its multinational client unit OMD International in Singapore.
Malaysian 4As waives IRDA's pitch fee
KUALA LUMPUR - A disagreement between the Iskandar Region Development Authority (IRDA) and the 4As has moved towards a resolution after the advertising industry body conceded that IRDA does not have to pay a pitch fee now mandatory for large advertisers in Malaysia.
Lowe appoints Mishra to run regional Wall's business
BANGKOK - Lowe Worldwide has appointed Sabyasachi Mishra (pictured), the MD of its Vietnam operation, as regional business director for its recently won Unilever ice cream business.
OCBC creative pitch leaves agencies sour
SINGAPORE - OCBC's regional creative review has turned sour after complaints by agencies that the pitch has been unprofessionally run.
Y&R fortunes up despite setbacks in the region
SINGAPORE - Y&R may be underweight in China and suffering mixed fortunes in Asia, but the WPP network looks set to meet its global revenue targets, Hamish McLennan (pictured), the agency's global chairman and CEO has told Media.
Singapore Police renews Dentsu contract
SINGAPORE - The Singapore Police Force has renewed its S$1 million (US$700,000) advertising contract with Dentsu as the force looks to attract a higher calibre of recruits.
River Orchid hires M&C Saatchi talent
BANGKOK - River Orchid Group has hired four ex-members of the now defunct M&C Saatchi Thailand, including its erstwhile managing director David Howell (pictured).
BBH hires JWT planning head Walawalkar
SINGAPORE - BBH Singapore has appointed JWT planning director Ayesha Walawalkar (pictured) to oversee planning for Unilever's Vaseline brand across the region.
BBH Asia-Pacific restructures creative department as Waldron departs
SINGAPORE - BBH Asia-Pacific has restructured its creative department in Singapore in response to new business growth and the departure of executive creative director Todd Waldron (pictured).
HP kicks off regional retail review
SINGAPORE - Hewlett-Packard, the world's largest computer supplier, has initiated a search for an agency to handle its retail marketing business across Asia-Pacific, an account divided among a number of agencies.
Y&R and Bates141 compete for OCBC Bank's BTL
SINGAPORE - Two shortlisted agencies are in contention for the below-the-line portion of OCBC Bank's regional creative review.
VW draws up Singapore shortlist
SINGAPORE - Volkswagen has narrowed its search for an advertising agency in Singapore ahead of the imminent closure of its current agency M&C Saatchi.
Vietnam government hires Ogilvy in anti-bureaucracy drive
HO CHI MINH CITY - Vietnam's Office of Government (OOG) has hired Ogilvy & Mather to communicate its efforts to tackle bureaucracy in the country.
Buxton-Leow departs MediaCorp Publishing
SINGAPORE - Media industry veteran Joanne Buxton-Leow (pictured), VP of marketing for MediaCorp Publishing, has left the company after a five-year tenure.
Malaysia's Ministry of Health issues tender
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's Ministry of Health has issued a tender for a four-month advertising campaign to raise awareness of the hereditary blood disorder thalassaemia.
Malaysia's ad industry issues new code of conduct
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's advertising industry has released a new code of conduct for print and outdoor advertisers to cover controversial areas such as green claims in advertising.
Profile... The man to turn South Johor into a metropolis
Razaleigh Zainal has ambitous plans to turn a tired manufacturing zone in Malaysia into an investment hub.
River Orchid signs ex-M&C Saatchi MD Howell
BANGKOK - River Orchid Group has hired four ex-members of the now defunct M&C Saatchi Thailand, including its erstwhile managing director David Howell.
MEC expands regional digital
SINGAPORE - MEC Interaction has expanded its Singapore-based regional digital team to eight people with the appointments of Rachna Julka from GroupM Interaction India and Shreedharan Raman from MindShare India.
IRDA in pitch fees dispute with Malaysian 4As
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's Iskandar Region Development Authority (IRDA) has become embroiled in a dispute over pitch fees with the Malaysian 4As.
Affin Bank seeks agency ahead of marketing drive
KUALA LUMPUR - Affin Bank has invited agencies to present credentials ahead of a marketing offensive to boost the company's lowly standing in Malaysia's financial services market.
Adspend falls as elections approach in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH - Advertising spend in Cambodia has fallen considerably since the beginning of the year, as marketers take a cautious approach in the run-up to the parliamentary elections next week.
Live Issue... Isaac prepares to fill big shoes at Ogilvy Asia-Pacific
The Englishman was not everyone's favourite to succeed Miles Young (pictured) as Ogilvy's chairman in the region.
Adidas appoints Iris for global running duties
LONDON - Sportswear giant adidas has appointed integrated agency Iris to handle strategy, advertising, retail and experiential marketing for its running category globally.
Feature... Preparing for the downturn
As the global economy continues to slow, is Asia immune from the bust and, if not, can marketers adapt?
Guinness set to bring 'Rise together' to Asia
ASIA-PACIFIC -Diageo will introduce to Asia its global 'Rise together' positioning for Guinness as part of a plan to revive the fortunes of the iconic stout in the region.
Windsor looks for new markets
ASIA-PACIFIC - Diageo has awarded regional advertising duties for its Windsor premium whisky brand to McCann Worldgroup as the drinks giant looks to expand the beverage beyond its core market in Korea.
Y&R Asia appoints Rebeschini as chief creative officer
ASIA-PACIFIC - Y&R has appointed former TBWA\Singapore art director Marcus Rebeschini (pictured) as chief creative officer for Asia, a move which leaves regional ECD Rowan Chanen without a job to go to.
Publishers voice copyright concerns over mygazines.com
ASIA-PACIFIC - Magazine publishers in Asia have reacted cautiously to the launch of mygazines.com, a website that allows people to upload magazines and share content without approval from media owners.
Profile... Tortoise and hare plot a race-winning strategy
They may have little in common, but Starcom's new leaders share a common vision.
Profile... Thompson toasts brave new era for Guinness
The head of marketing for Diageo Asia-Pacific has his work cut out to revive flagging sales in the region.
GroupM Philippines hires ex-actor as digital consultant
MANILA - GroupM has hired ex-actor, product developer and graphic designer Ricky Baizas (pictured) as a digital consultant to all of GroupM's agency brands in the Philippines.
Singapore Customs pitches creative
SINGAPORE - Singapore Customs is searching for an advertising agency as the government body looks to promote its role in clamping down on duty-unpaid cigarettes and other border-related offences.
Standard Chartered to revamp web presence
SINGAPORE - Standard Chartered Private Bank is looking for an agency to help it revamp its global web presence.
Yahoo eyes Philippine online advertising market
MANILA - Yahoo has appointed three online resellers to handle its advertising sales in the Philippines, a country it has earmarked for its long-term market potential.
Maybank reviews advertising in Singapore
SINGAPORE - Maybank, Malaysia's largest financial services group, is reviewing its advertising activity in Singapore as the company searches for a long-term strategic partner to improve its standing in the market.
NTUC FairPrice appoints Euro RSCG as lead agency
SINGAPORE - NTUC FairPrice, Singapore's largest supermarket chain, has appointed Euro RSCG as its lead agency in the city-state after a six-way creative review.
GroupM Thailand unveils new management structure
BANGKOK - GroupM has unveiled a new leadership team in Thailand, with MindShare's head of strategy Paul Gibbons promoted to managing director and current MindShare MD Stephanie Bell (pictured) rising to CEO and chairman of GroupM Thailand.
OCBC confronts claims of unprofessionalism, Euro and Y&R make shortlist
SINGAPORE - OCBC Bank has challenged accusations that its regional creative review has been beset by withdrawals and unprofessionally run.
Publicis Modem launches in Korea with Portfolio acquisition
SEOUL - Publicis Groupe has acquired the 11 year-old Korean interactive marketing agency Portfolio, a move that establishes fledgling digital network Publicis Modem in the Northeast Asian country.
MEC hires Francia-Munar to run Philippine operation
MANILA - WPP media agency MEC has hired Achie Francia-Munar to run its Philippines operation as managing director.
Ogilvy and Leo Burnett face off for Chevy
SINGAPORE - Competition for General Motors' regional creative pitch for Chevrolet has thinned to two agencies, with Ogilvy Advertising understood to be contesting a final round with Leo Burnett, the incumbent.
Yellow Pages turns to Religion in Singapore
SINGAPORE - Yellow Pages has appointed independent agency Religion to handle its advertising in Singapore as the directory attempts to communicate its relevance in the face of increasing competition online.
Yahoo appoints online resellers in the Philippines
MANILA - Yahoo has appointed three online reselling houses - AdMax Network, Yehey and Havoc Digital Media - to handle its advertising sales in the Philippines.
Publicis Groupe India hires marketing journalist Balakrishnan
MUMBAI - Publicis Groupe India has appointed marketing journalist Ravi Balakrishnan (pictured) to the management team of its small town and rural marketing division Xpanse.
Coke hires Ogilvy to lead sustainability drive
SINGAPORE - Coca-Cola has awarded a regional marketing brief to Ogilvy as the soft drinks giant looks to push its sustainability credentials in Asia-Pacific.
M1 hires Nokia Singapore marketer Ramalingam
SINGAPORE - MobileOne has recruited Nokia marketer Ramalingam Shanmugam following the exit of director of marketing services Sharon Tan (Media 17 July).
Golden hires new MD and CD
HO CHI MINH CITY - Golden Communications, one of Vietnam's largest full-service agencies, has appointed former Bates, BBDO and Storm Eye executive Hoang Anh Ng as VP of Golden Communications Group and MD of Golden Advertising.
Tan ends a 12-year spell with M1
SINGAPORE - Sharon Tan (pictured), the head of marketing of Singaporean telco MobileOne, is leaving after 12 years with the company.
Nokia hires Cuyegkeng for SE Asia mobile
SINGAPORE - Nokia has expanded its Asia-Pacific mobile advertising sales team with the appointment of Vinchi Cuyegkeng as sales head for Southeast Asia and Pacific.
Astro's Syron fills head of content role at StarHub
SINGAPORE - StarHub has filled its long-vacant head of content position with Kathleen Syron, the programming head at Malaysian media giant Astro.
Thai PR firm restructures in line with CSR trend
BANGKOK - Thai public relations firm DC Consultants has restructured its management line-up in response to growing demand for PR based around corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the Kingdom.
Singapore Institute of Management pitches creative
SINGAPORE - The Singapore Institute of Management is searching for an agency to handle its above- and below-the-line advertising business as M&C Saatchi, SIM's incumbent agency, prepares to shut up shop in Singapore.
Diageo appoints BBDO to handle Guinness in Asia
GLOBAL - It has proved a case of good things come to those who wait for BBDO, which has triumphed after a protracted creative review for Diageo's Guinness brand in Asia.
Pertamina tasks agencies to improve dire image
JAKARTA - Five agencies are contesting a Pertamina brief geared towards improving the Indonesian oil giant's woeful image among Indonesians.
McCann restructures creative in Southeast Asia
BANGKOK - McCann Worldgroup Thailand has hired former Y&R regional creative director Martin Lee to oversee the agency's creative output across all disciplines, as chief creative officer.
GroupM Singapore promotes Wong and Ramesh
SINGAPORE - GroupM has made two senior management changes in Singapore, promoting Maxus MD Sony Wong (pictured) to a dual role running Maxus and MindShare, and head of trading Bharad Ramesh to deputy MD of MindShare.
Jollibee hires Bates for Vietnam push
HO CHI MINH CITY - Jollibee has appointed Bates141 as its advertising agency as part of a push to expand in the Southeast Asian country.
Sentosa kicks off media review in Singapore
SINGAPORE - Sentosa Development Corporation, the government-linked company which manages and promotes Singapore's most popular tourist destination, has initiated a review of its media agency arrangements.
Troubled Proton's review hit by agency exits
KUALA LUMPUR - The RM45 million (US$14 million) global advertising review for embattled Malaysian carmaker Proton has been hit by two agency withdrawals, with Black Pencil and Ogilvy & Mather pulling out.
Tribal DDB lands Singapore Air Show
SINGAPORE - Singapore Airshow and Events has appointed Tribal DDB to handle its communications for the next Singapore Airshow.
Pertamina: only "serious" agencies can pitch for $15m project
JAKARTA - Pertamina, Indonesia's state-owned oil giant, has initiated a screening process to ensure only agencies of a certain size pitch for a US$15 million public information campaign to persuade Indonesians to switch from kerosene to gas.
Tribal DDB Singapore GM Eriksson quits for HK-based regional role
SINGAPORE - Tribal DDB Singapore general manager Christer Eriksson (pictured) is leaving the agency to take on a regional creative and strategic role for the Omnicom network based in Hong Kong.
MindShare Singapore lands NETS
SINGAPORE - Network for Electronic Transfers Singapore, better known as NETS, has awarded its media account to MindShare as the company looks to take on rising competition in the city-state's e-payment sector.
Arla picks Bates141 to spearhead Vietnam expansion
HO CHI MINH CITY - Scandinavian dairy producer Arla Foods has hired Bates141 to drive its advertising efforts in Vietnam as the company looks to expand in the country's highly competitive milk category.
Live Issue... Number portability unsettles telcos
Transferable numbers may shake up the mobile sector in Singapore and Malaysia.