Manfred1Havas Media China announced the appointment of Manfred Tsang as the Managing Director of their Shanghai office.

Manfred joins the agency with 19 years of experience in China’s media industry spread across Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. He has held senior planning roles at MediaCom, OMD and ZenithOptimedia. Most recently he was the General Manager of Optimedia and Equinox at ZenithOptimedia Shanghai.

In his new role, Manfred will lead Havas Media’s fast growing Shanghai operations and will be responsible for delivering the agency’s brands proposition to clients by further assimilating it in planning and buying mechanism. He remit includes P&L delivery, new business and staff development.

Manfred will report to Elizabeth Zhou, GM of Havas Media China and work closely with Thomas Wong, CEO of Havas Media, Greater China to propel the agency’s Shanghai operations in the next stage of its growth.


Omnicom Media Group announced the acquisition of market leading, search engine optimisation (SEO) company Bruce Clay Australasia, which joins the Group’s Resolution global search network. The coming together of the two entities will create a holistic, search and digital marketing business with over 70 employees servicing Omnicom Media Group Australia and existing Bruce Clay Australia clients.

Omnicom Media Group, Asia Pacific completed the consolidation of its search brands under Resolution Media in the region in 2012. The move unified all search operations running under OMD, PHD and the flagship search arm FLOW under the single Resolution Media brand and created a leading global search marketing and optimisation platform to effectively leverage scale, data and knowledge on behalf of clients.

Leigh Terry, CEO of Omnicom Media Group, Australia and New Zealand commented, “Combining Resolution Media’s expertise with Bruce Clay Australia’s achievements is not only exciting from a shared service ethic and cultural alignment perspective but it also complements the overall philosophy of our organization. I am truly excited at the power of the potential of this supercharged Resolution. This will be a flagship operation for us globally and we look forward to welcoming Des Odell and Jeremy Bolt (both co-founders of Bruce Clay Australasia) and their whole team into the wider Omnicom Media Group family.”


OMD_GavinGibsonOMD Australia appointed Gavin Gibson to the role of National Head of Strategy. Gavin is a globally renowned Strategic Director with over 15 years experience across Client and Agency roles in Australia and Asia.

He joins OMD from his current role as Global VP of Marketing at HTC. Prior to that Gavin held a number of roles across OMG including Head of Ignition Factory APAC and Regional Strategic Planning Director OMD. Gavin’s role will encompass oversight of all Strategic product nationally including management of the OMD Insights team. He will join OMD Australia on September 16th and also join the OMD Executive Board.

Gavin will take the reins from former Head of Strategy, Alistair Henderson. Alistair has been with OMD for nine years working previously as Head of Fuse, OMD’s Branded Content and Engagement team. During his time at OMD, Alistair has overseen award winning work including V Raw, The Party Garden for Yates, and 2012’s most awarded campaign for Wrigley 5X, which secured 11 Awards including 2 Cannes Lions and the MFA Grand Prix. Alistair is leaving OMD to pursue other interests and leaves with OMD’s gratitude and best wishes.


ChrisTew3radical, the company behind Radical Realms, has appointed Chris Tew as Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific.

In this role, Chris will lead all sales, marketing and operations in the region, which has been identified as a key market for Radical Realms.

Chris joins as Radical Realms launches globally in Singapore beginning with the Radical Weekend held over 12-14 July 2013 at 313@somerset. Radical Reams is an innovative games platform which combines mobile gaming with offers to benefit both shoppers and retailers. Asia Pacific has been identified as a key market for Radical Realms because mobile gaming, shopping and dining, and social media – all at the core of the 3radical proposition – are extremely popular in many parts of the region.

Through Radical Realms, retailers get to engage in a new and innovative way with shoppers that extends the conversation beyond the store in the form of virtual rewards alongside real world offers. These virtual rewards help their customers succeed in the games and win prizes. Shoppers will find the experience compelling because they can play a range of fun mobile games – alone or together with their friends - and have their favourite brands give them great offers that help them succeed in the game. Top scorers have the opportunity to win great prizes including a top prize of S$5,000 in cash.

Chris previously set up the Australian operations for web content management company Mediasurface, winning key clients such as Westpac. When Mediasurface was acquired by Alterian plc in 2009, Chris led the operations for the combined customer engagement business, relocating to Singapore and building operations across South East Asia, making it the fastest growing region for the company. Following Alterian’s acquisition by SDL in 2011, Chris became Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific for SDL.


Michael_LeeMichael Lee, currently President and COO of Saatchi & Saatchi Greater China, has been promoted to CEO Greater China.

Michael is an industry veteran with more than 20 years agency experience, mostly in China. In this new role he will lead the Saatchi & Saatchi offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Guangzhou with a stellar client roster including P&G, Mondelēz, Coca-Cola, Huawei, Lenovo and Lexus.

Michael, who is based in Shanghai, will report to Chris Foster, Chairman and CEO for Asia-Pacific, based in Singapore.

Current CEO and Chairman of Greater China Justin Billingsley will become Chief Operating Officer for Saatchi & Saatchi across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and will relocate to London in August to take up the role. Justin will work in partnership with EMEA CEO Robert Senior to drive growth in this very challenging region.

The reunification of Saatchi Asia Pacific with Saatchi & Saatchi’s four offices in Greater China will lead to greater integration and synergy with global clients across the region.

Michael has played a key role in growing Saatchi & Saatchi with a range of new business wins and most recently being awarded ‘Creative Agency of the Year’ by China Advertising Magazine and R3.

At the 2013 Cannes Festival of Creativity last week, Saatchi & Saatchi China won the only film Lion awarded to China that has been one of only two film Lions awarded across all Asia.


DavidSilver Peak Systems, the leader in accelerating data over distance, announced that founder and CTO David Hughes has been named CEO. Hughes will build on the company’s rapid growth and market leadership in virtual WAN optimization software, which has propelled Silver Peak to record year-over-year performance and six consecutive years of double-digit revenue growth. Hughes succeeds Rick Tinsley who was hired by Hughes in 2004 to build out the organization.

David Hughes launched Silver Peak Systems in 2004 after a year as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Benchmark Capital. From 2000 to 2002, Hughes was a vice president and general manager at BlueLeaf Networks, where he led a team developing a unique network switching and transmission system. From 1996 to 2000, Hughes held several positions at Cisco Systems, including director of system architecture for the BPX and MGX product lines, and was senior director of product management for the Multi-Service Switching Business Unit. Prior to Cisco, Hughes was a key engineering contributor at StrataCom, an early pioneer in frame relay and ATM equipment which was acquired by Cisco in 1996. Before StrataCom, David worked as an engineer for BNR Japan/Northern Telecom Japan Inc.

Hughes has been awarded more than 40 patents in areas including data acceleration, packet switching, control and scheduling algorithms. He earned his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Wollongong University, Australia, and holds a BE in Electrical Engineering from Auckland University, New Zealand.


IAA_75The International Advertising Association (IAA) Board of Directors and Executive Team gather during the annual Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Under new IAA Chairman and World President, UAE-based Faris Abouhamad, the Association will be announcing a number of new initiatives this week.

To mark the association's 75th anniversary, the IAA is re-launching "The Case for Advertising" - a global pro-bono communications program that last ran in the 1990's. The initial phase of creative from Bucharest based agency GMP will launch with outdoor posters and LED digital displays on the Croisette during the festival.

Faris-AbouhamadIn making the announcement, IAA Chairman and World President Faris Abouhamad stated, "In many markets, the IAA is the "voice of the industry" as we represent the interests of the marketing communications community and, when necessary, we are able to speak out with one voice. In light of recent ad bans and attacks on advertising, the IAA is once again prepared and poised to dare and demonstrate to consumers and governments, the vital role of marketing communications in all economies. Something has to be done, and the IAA will act."

He continued, "As the only global partnership of advertisers, agencies, media and specialized services, the IAA is the sole professional association equipped with the knowledge, experience, perspective and importantly, the membership network, to undertake this formidable challenge. In 2009, the IAA teamed with the United Nations to lead the largest pro-bono initiative in advertising history. The campaign, known as "Hopenhagen," raised awareness for climate change COP 15 Conference and brought the world advertising industry together resulting in some 350+ media partners in over 50 countries donating an estimated US$400M of free advertising on virtually every media channel."

Headquartered in New York and founded in 1938 to champion responsible marketing, the IAA, with its 56 chapters in 76 countries, is a one-of-a-kind global partnership whose members comprise advertisers, media, advertising and public relations agencies, media companies, and academics. The IAA is a platform for industry issues and is dedicated to protecting and advancing freedom of commercial speech, responsible advertising, consumer choice, and the education of marketing professionals. For more information please visit www.iaaglobal.org.


Opera Software announced its further expansion into the Asia Pacific (APAC) region with the opening of a regional head office in Singapore. The new office will be home to Opera's operator and advertising business, technical support, and marketing activities across the region. It will act as a hub for Opera's operations in Asia Pacific, including greater China, Korea and Southeast Asian countries.

Known for bringing innovations to the browser industry for more than 17 years, Opera browsers are now used by over 300 million people in the world each month. The company offers sophisticated browser products that adapt to the needs of different markets and a wide range of connected devices. Opera is also a driver of connecting people to the internet, especially for mobile-only consumers in Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia, India, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The company has partnered with 17 top-tier mobile operators in Asia, rolling out co-branded Opera Mini browsers with competitive data plans to bring more people online through their mobile phones.

sp_caruso_fabrizioThe Opera Singapore office will be led by Fabrizio Caruso, Opera Software's Senior Vice President for Asia. His responsibilities include working with operators and brand advertisers to help them reach more mobile internet users, as well as developing Opera's advertising business in Asian markets.

Opera Software's business has been expanded to the recent launch of its fully-owned subsidiary Opera Mediaworks, the world's largest mobile ad platform that provides end-to-end mobile advertising and monetization services to brands, agencies, publishers and operators across the globe. The company is now able to generate more than 60 billion monthly impressions through 13,000+ sites and apps, reaching more than 300 million mobile consumers. With the opening of the Singapore office, Opera now has a total of 17 offices around the world. The company has over 900 employees worldwide.


Monterosa Buick Encore Mobile App was awarded Bronze at Clio in NYC. The idea behind the campaign was to create the world's largest Hide and Seek game. An Augmented Reality game was released in 16 cities in China. The user had to locate the hidden car, using Augmented Reality, take it and hide it somewhere else. The person keeping it hidden the longest won a brand new Buick Encore car - 16 cars were given away. The game also had its own online TV-show where you could follow the game and get live results.

There were over 480.000 downloads of the App making it on the Top 20 in China for 7 weeks running. The campaign received more than 4 million comments and re-tweets.

"We are delighted to have won this award and are thankful to our intrepid clients here in Asia. It´s the first time we have received recognition in the US award shows for our work in the People's Republic of China." says Carl Norberg, Co-Founder of Monterosa from the Singapore office.

Watch the case video here: http://vimeo.com/64527503

riadiHavas Media Group announced the appointment of Riadi Sugihtani as CEO for Indonesia.

Riadi joins with over two decades of experience in Southeast Asia and China. He has significant experience in FMCG and telecommunication industry, where he has lead marketing and innovation functions.

In his new role, Riadi will spearhead consolidation and expansion of Havas Media Indonesia, ranked # 1 media agency in the country by the latest RECMA Profile Report. In line with Havas Media’s “digital at the core” philosophy, Riadi will also facilitate further integration of the agency structure with an aim to provide clients greater value through digital fluency and a new level of storytelling. He has also been charged with enhancing the capabilities of specialist units in data, sports and entertainment.

Prior to joining Havas Media, Riadi was the Regional Marketing Director of Huawei Device South Pacific. He spent the first 13 years of his career with Unilever working in Indonesia, Thailand and China, where he was promoted to lead the oral care marketing. His success saw him assume the role of Regional Innovation Director at Colgate Palmolive heading innovation centres in China, India, Eurasia and South East Asia. He headed back to Indonesia in 2008 as Marketing Director for Nokia before moving to his most recent assignment at Huawei.

Havas Media Indonesia is a partner to many prominent brands such as Danone, XL telecom, AXA, Reckitt Benckiser and Viva. The agency began 2013 with a major new business momentum having acquired clients like H&M, LPS and Kakao Talk.


Jeremy_HengHavas Media Singapore announced the appointment of Jeremy Heng as Director, Strategy and Content. Based in Singapore, Jeremy will work closely with Melvin Lim, CEO for Singapore and Malaysia, and SK Biswas, Chief Strategy Officer for APAC, to build the integrated strategic planning capabilities of the Singapore hub, as well as service global and national clients. He will also play a pivotal role in shaping Havas Media’s content and creative capabilities to deliver innovative engagement solutions to regional and local clients.

Jeremy comes with over 10 years of experience in Integrated Marketing Communication and Brand Management and has held leadership roles in regional MNCs such as Asia Pacific Breweries and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. He was most recently Associate Director of Communications for the Digital Consumer Group in SingTel.


MOL_logoMOL AccessPortal Sdn. Bhd. (MOL), Asia’s leading e-payment service provider, has entered into a partnership with Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., a premier developer and publisher of some of the most popular games in the world, including World of Warcraft®, Diablo® III, and StarCraft® II, to provide MOLPoints as a payment option on Blizzard’s Battle.net® gaming service.

Gamers can now take advantage of MOL’s network of convenient physical and online payment channels in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines to obtain MOLPoints for their purchases on Battle.net. MOL is one of Asia’s leading e-payment service providers for online games and social payments. The company’s flagship product, MOLPoints, is an online micropayment system used by gamers and online consumers to purchase online games, products and services. Players can from now on benefit from the convenience of the new wallet-to-wallet integration to purchase Blizzard games and other Blizzard products with MOLPoints.


McLaren Automotive, the British manufacturer of high-performance sports cars, marks the official launch of its new global brand website. Offering unparalleled inside access and introducing a new global audience to the iconic British brand, the exclusive content can be viewed at cars.mclaren.com.

In the 50th anniversary year of the McLaren brand, the new website explores the story of its founder Bruce McLaren, his vision and the creation of the company. Detailed insights into the technological and engineering expertise behind the iconic McLaren F1, and ground-breaking 12C, 12C Spider and McLaren P1™ are presented by the engineers and designers integral to their development.

Customers and fans can also explore and interact with McLaren’s range of high performance vehicles, by creating their own bespoke 12C or 12C Spider using the new “customiser” tool. This allows a global audience to enjoy an exclusive luxury experience through rich video and engaging content, while learning about the stories behind the McLaren brand.


HEINEKEN, the world’s most international brewer, has chosen Orange Business Services to unify the majority of its global communications infrastructure connecting 60,000 employees across 1,100-plus sites in 53 countries, under a 5-year, multimillion euro contract.

A secured, flexible network to support HEINEKEN’s global operations and expansion Relying on its direct presence in 166 countries, Orange Business Services will deploy a highly secured and scalable private network to HEINEKEN’s existing locations around the world including a wide range of countries such as: Belarus, Brazil, Ethiopia, La Réunion, Poland, Russia, St. Lucia, and South Korea. The network solution has been designed to support HEINEKEN’s international expansion and will enable rapid deployment to new locations especially in high-growth regions such as Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America where the global brewer has a strong presence.

The network connectivity will provide a robust platform for Orange Business Services to integrate:

• remote access solutions to allow HEINEKEN’s employees to securely access their work environment;

• application and network optimization solutions to ensure communication fluidity and prioritization of business critical applications; and

• audio conferencing and global voice services to enable reliable, enterprise-class call quality for more productive meetings.

Plans are underway to deliver video conferencing and telepresence services in the near future.


Elsevier, from publisher Reed Business Media, has organised an agency pitch for their new brand activation campaign and decided to work with brand activation agency BrandBase that will immediately start on this new campaign for the different products Elsevier carries, visible as from the beginning of July.

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Christine Lim joins Bloomberg Businessweek as Account Manager overseeing advertising sales for Southeast Asia, based in Singapore. Previously, Christine was Senior Advertising Sales Manager for New York Times Global covering Singapore and IndoChina and Senior Account Manager at MediaCorp Radio Singapore. She brings with her over a decade of regional media sales and digital experience. Christine will work closely and report to Lucy Hemming, Bloomberg Businessweek's Asia Managing Director.