Move and win roundup: Week of March 22, 2021

IWG (International Workspace Group), a provider of flexible workspaces, appointed Sinclair to lead its corporate communications strategy across Mainland China. Sinclair’s hub in Shanghai will work with IWG to strengthen the company’s corporate brand reputation amongst business leaders, consumers and media across the Mainland China market. By leveraging a mix of integrated strategies that includes media relations, content creation and executive profiling, Sinclair will highlight IWG’s thought leadership in the workspace sector. 

Following a pitch, PepsiCo Malaysia appointed FCB Malaysia to handle a festive campaign for its Quaker Qats brand later this year. PepsiCo's Melinda Ong, marketing manager, said FCB’s idea stood out for its "sharp, insightful strategy that enabled us to deliver a clear, structured on-brand message via an engaging content that’s contextual to the needs of our intended audience". The scope of work originally consisted of advertising, social media and content creation but the remit was further expanded with FCB bringing onboard Go Communications as a specialist PR partner.

Chimp&z has won the digital mandate for Vinod Cookware. The mandate covers the scope of social media strategy, creatives, digital PR & performance marketing for increasing the brand's digital footprints. The account will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office. 

DDB Group Hong Kong launched a local branch of DDB’s global gaming agency, FTW (For The Win), to provide local and regional gaming solutions for clients, as well as marketing and advertising support for gaming brands. DDB Group has secured an exclusive partnership arrangement with Esports Association Hong Kong (ESAHK) and CGA Entertainment Limited (CGA), an esports event organiser in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The partners will work to jointly develop, promote and popularise the esports culture in Hong Kong and the wider region. DDB FTW will be run by DDB Group’s chief business officer Leo Tsui, group account director Felix Fong, and group strategy director Adrian Tso.

Marketing veteran Andrew Holt, former CEO of VCCP and MD of Clemenger BBDO Wellington and Sydney, has launched The Whole Picture, a marketing consultancy. Holt says he has started teh consultancy to challenge the marketing myopia that has seen the industry become increasingly tactical and communication centric. The Whole Picture is currently working with Adelaide-headquartered BusTech Group, which is working on Australia’s transition to zero-emission mass transit, and Brabham Automotive, manufacturer of Australia’s first supercar.

ASEAN communications agency Vero appointed Vu-Quan Nguyen-Masse as regional culture lead, and has gathered a team of experienced specialists to support him. Nguyen-Masse has worked in a variety of communications roles since he moved to Vietnam from France seven years ago. The agency said his experience as a hybrid creative strategist will enable him to study, plan, and develop projects that address Vero’s culture and how the agency can make it compelling to stakeholders. Vero began in Bangkok in 2007 and now has 130 consultants in full-service offices in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, and Yangon. The new culture team will create frameworks in which these individuals and offices can better learn from each other’s practices, attitudes, and methodologies, it said.

Publicis Groupe appointed Lawrence Yang as CEO of Publicis Media Hong Kong, effective June 1. Yang was previously CEO of the media line of business at Dentsu International Hong Kong, where he spent seven years. (Full story)

AI-driven creative automation platform Ad-Lib.io has expanded into Hong Kong, as it focuses on the Greater China region to unlock growth. The firm has also hired two additional regional leaders: Randal Foo as RVP of sales APAC and Rishima Mohindru as client partner for Hong Kong and Greater China. Foo brings nearly 15 years of sales and digital marketing experience in the region at companies including Adobe, IBM, and Tealium. He will be based in Singapore. Mohindru joins from PHD HK and brings experience in digital marketing working with brands including Disney, DSBC and CordLife, and also worked on the client side at SBI Life Insurance. Ad-Lib.io has a total of around 70 staff across the region. The announcement follows a recent Series A investment round that brings Ad-Lib.io’s total funding to US$12 million.

Impact, a company which provides partnership automation, has completed the acquisition of supply-side platform Trackonomics. London-headquatered Trackonomics offers automation of affiliate marketing for publishers. Impact has made several acquisitions in the past few years to bolster its platform offerings, including Mediarails, a partnerships-based CRM platform, and Activate, an influencer marketing platform. 

Senior media executive James Sawyer is joining TotallyAwesome as managing director of Australia and New Zealand operations. He will lead the businesses’ media and content teams, helping clients and media agencies connect with kids, teens and their families via the TotallyAwesome digital platform. TotallyAwesome is a forum for kids, teens, co-viewing families and brands to safely interact across thousands of apps, games and websites. Sawyer has a 20-year career in Australian media and prior to joining TotallyAwesome he was managing partner of media agency IKON and a member of the agency’s national leadership team. Sawyer is the latest senior appointment to TotallyAwesome APAC in the first quarter of 2021, with additional positions to be announced soon. In January, the business engaged paediatric psychologist Amanda Abel to aid brand and audience connectivity and Alice Almeida joined to develop TotallyAwesome’s APAC data, research and insights portfolio.

Dentsu has been appointed as agency partner for William Grant & Sons, an independent, family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch whiskys Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, as well as other spirits like Hendrick's Gin. The appointment is the result of an APAC business consolidation which concluded at the end of 2020 and will be managed out of Singapore, the network stated. (Full story)

Livewire, a new global company focused on gametech, entertainment and marketing has launched across APAC. Founded by programmatic leader Indy Khabra and gaming expert Brad Manuel this venture will focus on in-game and around game marketing and Programmatic Marketing in Gaming. Livewire will also benefit from the global relationships and experience of its founders, with the pair previously working with the likes of Microsoft, Disney, American Express, L’Oreal, Universal Pictures, Epic Games, Samsung, Intel, McDonalds and a range of sporting organisations and bodies.

Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has promoted Daler Kendzhaev to head of Annalect, the group’s data tech and analytics division, in Malaysia. In his new role, Kendzhaev will be responsible for Annalect’s growth in the market as well as building the division’s new capabilities in Malaysia by overseeing the increased adoption of Omni, OMG’s people based marketing & insights platform, across OMG Malaysia and its agency brands. He will also spearhead advanced tech initiatives and build on global and regional partnerships while unlocking new local opportunities.

Buro. Singapore has appointed Rahat Kapur as publisher and editorial director. With over a decade of experience spanning management consulting and public relations across Australia and Asia-Pacific, Kapur joins Buro. after her most recent role as head of Public Relations for Iris in Singapore. In her role, she will continue developing content and brand initiatives for the platform alongside the Buro. team while also focusing on a regional expansion of Buro. under Media Publishares or under license agreement and partnerships.

Animation, visual effects, and production house Heckler has appointed Vanessa Thomas as executive producer to the Singapore studio. Thomas joins with over 15 years of local and international experience, having worked with global advertising agencies and production houses including BBH Singapore, Freeflow Productions, and Sweetshop. Having worked on brands such as Coca-Cola, Ikea, Samsung, Starhub, UOB, Thomas will focus on an clients including SK-II and Riot Games. 

Green Park Content, which describes itself as an SEO-driven brand publishing agency and is part of the Unilever Foundry start-up ecosystem, appointed Lesley Renton as head of new business for APAC. She was previously general manager and director of marketing for Clearwater Communications in Singapore, a role she took up about a year ago. Renton has over 20 years of experience in Asia, working in a variety of leadership roles in global brand marketing, agencies and events, for startups and MNCs, including Travelodge Hotels Asia, Pico, Freeman, Harry’s, Sampoerna, InFocus, Rothmans and British American Tobacco. She will be responsible for managing a growing new business team, reporting to MD Marcelo Bittencourt. Headquarted in London, the company has offices in Jakarta and Singapore, opened in 2017 and 2018, respectively. It now has 65 digital experts in APAC. 

EVOS Esports announced Azrul 'J Hunter' Anwar and Fattah 'FattahZie' Zakaria as new brand ambassadors, with Aaron 'Qontra' Chan joining the company as its new head of talent for the Malaysia and Singapore market. Anwar has close to a decade of experience in the esports scene, beginning as a professional Street Fight V player who represented Malaysia in regional and international tournaments. He regularly produces podcasts and gaming livestreams about the Malaysian esports scene. He has over 208,000 followers on his Facebook Gaming page. Zakaria streams daily, playing games such as PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and a variety of PC titles. He has over 550,000 followers on his Facebook Gaming page and over 230,000 subscribers on YouTube. Chan was formerly operations manager of RSG and has worked in companies such as Astro, Battle Arena Malaysia and Convergys. He also has four years of experience as a shoutcaster in multiple game titles for regional and global tournaments.

Sweetshop signed the directing duo known as Christian & Patrick (Christian McKenzie and Patrick Chen) for representation across all markets. The pair has directed work major brands and have won recognition at Cannes Lions, D&AD, British Arrows, Ciclope and ADC. They have also directed music videos for Incubus, FC Kahuna and Bjork, with whom they have collaborated several times, including her 2004 Olympic Games opening ceremony performance.