ITV

Tag: Southeast Asia

  • Digital media veteran climbs WPP ladder in Indonesia’s booming ad market

    Digital media veteran climbs WPP ladder in Indonesia’s booming ad market

    JAKARTA: WPP Media has promoted Mohit Sharma to president of client solutions, elevating a digital media specialist who has spent nearly three years navigating Indonesia’s rapidly evolving advertising landscape.

    Sharma’s ascent reflects the growing strategic importance of southeast Asia’s largest economy for global advertising conglomerates. Indonesia’s digital advertising market has exploded in recent years, driven by rising smartphone penetration and the dominance of platforms like TikTok and Instagram among the country’s 270m inhabitants.

    Since joining WPP Media in October 2022, Sharma has led the Beauty Tech Labs unit, overseeing a 120-person team delivering integrated media solutions spanning traditional planning, performance marketing, e-commerce and influencer communications. His primary client has been L’Oréal, the French cosmetics giant that has made Indonesia a key battleground in its Asian expansion strategy.

    The appointment caps a career trajectory that mirrors Indonesia’s digital transformation. Sharma spent nearly eight years at MEC (now part of GroupM) in India before moving to Essence and then MediaCom, where he served as partner and head of digital and e-commerce for the Indonesian operation.

    His promotion comes as western advertising agencies grapple with shifting client demands and the rise of local competitors across southeast Asia. Traditional agencies have struggled to adapt to the region’s unique social commerce ecosystems, where platforms like Shopee and TikTok Shop blur the lines between entertainment, social networking and retail.

    Sharma’s expertise in e-commerce integration may prove crucial as brands increasingly demand seamless pathways from awareness to purchase. Indonesia’s social commerce market is projected to reach $43 billion by 2025, according to consulting firm Bain & Company, making it a critical testing ground for advertising strategies.

    The move also signals WPP’s confidence in its Indonesian operations at a time when many multinational corporations are reassessing their Southeast Asian strategies amid economic uncertainties and regulatory changes. Indonesia’s advertising market, worth approximately $4.2 billion annually, remains one of the region’s most attractive despite periodic challenges from currency volatility and political shifts.

    For Sharma, the promotion represents validation of a bet on Indonesia’s long-term growth potential. His focus on data-driven strategies and digital-first approaches has aligned with local market dynamics, where mobile-first consumers have largely bypassed traditional desktop experiences.

    Whether his success can be replicated across WPP’s broader southeast Asian operations remains to be seen. The region’s fragmented markets, diverse regulatory environments and varying levels of digital maturity present ongoing challenges for global agencies seeking scalable solutions.

    Yet Indonesia’s importance to WPP’s Asian growth strategy seems assured. With the country’s advertising market expected to grow by 8-10 per cent annually over the next three years, elevating local expertise makes strategic sense—even if it means promoting from within rather than importing talent from established markets.

  • Warner Bros. Discovery consolidates India’s business; appoints Arjun Nohwar as GM, India

    Warner Bros. Discovery consolidates India’s business; appoints Arjun Nohwar as GM, India

    Mumbai: Warner Bros. Discovery has announced its regional leadership team across India, Southeast Asia and Korea (INSEAK). Arjun Nohwar has been elevated to the role of general manager, India. Discovery managing director – South Asia Megha Tata will be leaving the company.

    In a staff email, Warner Bros. Discovery president and managing director – India, Southeast Asia and Korea Clement Schwebig stated, “Arjun Nohwar will be general manager India. Previously responsible for the launch of HBO Max in India, he brings a digital experience that will help prepare the company for our next phase of growth.”

    “I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Megha Tata who will be leaving the company,” he said. “She has done an incredible job over the years leading the success of Discovery’s portfolio and brands in India including the launch of the discovery+ streaming service.”

    The new media organisation in India is now significantly larger bringing together several lines of business. It combines all of Warner Bros. Discovery’s India-based TV networks with streaming, games, consumer products, film/content production, home entertainment and TV distribution (syndication) and theatrical movie distribution.

    The company announced Jeeyoung Lee as the general manager Korea. “In her tenure at Discovery, she helped build a strong production unit that will be a fundamental pillar of our strategy in Korea,” said Schwebig.

    Schwebig further announced the regional leadership in the Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong markets. Shonali Bedi will lead affiliate distribution and digital partnerships for Southeast Asia, while she continues to head business development and insights regionwide.

    Cindy Ma will lead the affiliate distribution and advertising sales for Taiwan.

    Yasmin Zahid, who has been with HBO/WarnerMedia affiliate distribution for the past three decades, will be leaving the company following a transition period. “It has been a true privilege to work with Yasmin and she deserves all the credit for our fantastic affiliate relationships.”

    On the content (programming, original productions and acquisitions) side, the Warner Bros. Discovery team will operate across three verticals. Magdalene Ew will continue to head Entertainment. Christopher Ho will head Kids. Lynn Ng will head factual and lifestyle whilst she continues her current role for content ops for the wider region.

    Leslie Lee will move on from WarnerMedia Kids APAC. “With our Kids portfolio being a leader in the region, Leslie leaves the company with a distinguished tenure that includes the recent launch of Cartoonito and numerous Asian originals including the International Emmy nominated ‘Lamput’,” highlighted Schwebig. 

    In the regional teams, Kurt Rieder will continue to lead theatrical distribution as well as being a part of the international theatrical operations headed by Andrew Cripps. Jae Chang will continue to lead TV distribution and home entertainment.

    Vikram Sharma will lead consumer products licensing, while he continues to oversee advertising sales for Southeast Asia.

    Jason Monteiro will lead an integrated marketing team across INSEAK in addition to his coordination role for our streaming services. He will manage marketing and creative services across all lines of business, while working closely with the D2C (direct-to-consumer) marketing team.

    Athreyan ‘Auto’ Sundararajan will be departing the company. “He has been outstanding in uniting and leading the marketing & creative teams of the legacy WarnerMedia businesses,” remarked Schewebig. 

  • InMobi expands partnership with Microsoft Advertising into Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa

    InMobi expands partnership with Microsoft Advertising into Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa

    MUMBAI: The leading provider of content, marketing, and monetization technologies InMobi on Tuesday announced an expansion of its partnership with Microsoft Advertising to support enterprise and strategic advertisers in southeast Asia, middle east, and Africa. They will offer marketers an integrated solution to power their campaigns built on the search and native display capabilities of Microsoft Advertising and the mobile ad tech capability of InMobi’s advertising platforms.

    InMobi and Microsoft have been in a strategic partnership since July 2018 to help enterprises accelerate their digital transformation by providing them with insights, audience, and engagement platforms for a connected world. The partnership was expanded in 2019 as InMobi added the Microsoft Advertising products and solutions to its offerings in India.

    Speaking of this association, Microsoft Advertising APAC vice president Nick Seckold said, “Over the last two and a half years InMobi has done a wonderful job establishing Microsoft Advertising’s Indian footprint while doubling revenue over the same period. InMobi’s extensive knowledge and expertise of the digital advertising ecosystem in India combined with their trusted client relationships has delivered significant growth despite the effects of the pandemic. InMobi’s successful track record in India has led Microsoft Advertising to extend their coverage across southeast Asia where they will be tasked with building close relationships with advertisers and agencies to grow the business in the region.”

    Microsoft Advertising’s EMEA and LATAM vice president Mark Richardson said, “Microsoft Advertising are thrilled that InMobi will further expand their representation of our full suite of advertising offerings to strategic and enterprise clients in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa as part of our continuation to expand our sales and marketing efforts into this region. Microsoft Advertising offers advertising solutions that reach people across Microsoft properties including Bing, Microsoft News, Edge, and Outlook as well as on partner sites like AOL and Yahoo.”

    As part of the expansion, the Microsoft Advertising business at InMobi general manager Rohit Dosi will take up additional responsibilities for growing the Microsoft Advertising business across southeast Asia, middle east, and African markets and leading the global relationship with Microsoft.

    “The extended partnership between Microsoft Advertising and InMobi will enable marketers to deliver a unified brand experience to customers by bringing together the best of search and native display platforms across both organisations,” he said.

    “We are positioned uniquely to bring Microsoft Advertising to marketers in southeast Asia, middle east, and Africa through our deep appreciation of marketers’ needs, a keen understanding of the markets, and a customer-obsessed team,” Dosi added.

    Talking about the benefits of this partnership, Angara vice president of marketing Ankit Maheswari said “The InMobi team is pivotal to the success that Angara witnesses with Microsoft Advertising. Their proactive approach has time and again enhanced campaign efficiency, driven innovation, and delivered healthy returns for the brand. We are looking forward to replicating this success across multiple geographies and markets and going from strength to strength with InMobi as a partner.”

    On the promise of the expansion, Commerce Pundit digital marketing head Anand Mistry shared, “In the last two years, the partnership with the InMobi team has consistently enabled us to grow business and maximise ROI for our clients on the Microsoft Advertising platform. The strategic inputs and executional excellence from InMobi have not only added value to our client’s business but also deepened Commerce Pundit’s relationship with them. The comprehensive insights shared by the InMobi team on search, shopping and native display have been pivotal in exploring and scaling our business across new locations globally. We are excited to see the partnership reach new heights in the future!”

  • Jason Monteiro joins HBO Max as GM for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan

    Jason Monteiro joins HBO Max as GM for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan

    Mumbai: WarnerMedia has appointed Jason Monteiro as general manager of HBO Max for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He will temporarily report to HBO Max international head Johannes Larcher until a new managing director for the broader INSEAK region (India, Southeast Asia and Korea) is appointed.

    Monteiro will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer business leading content experience, brand, marketing, subscriber management and digital partnerships. He will oversee the existing HBO Go streaming service and the eventual launch of HBO Max in APAC and the Middle East region, said the statement.

    “Jason arrives at HBO Max with a proven track record of building and growing subscription services across Asia and other important global markets,” said Johannes Larcher. “He is a passionate leader known for building and inspiring high-performing teams, and I am eager to see his leadership in action as he steps into his new role today.”

    “I could not be more excited to be joining this amazing organisation and in particular to lead the charge for HBO Max,” said Monteiro. “It’s going to be such a thrill to work with the people across WarnerMedia to bring the likes of Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, DC, Warner Bros, HBO favorites, new Max Originals and many more, to the viewers in Southeast Asia.”

    Moneteiro was previously associated with Arabic streaming service Shahid as director of advertising video-on-demand (AVOD). He was responsible for P&L for the free ad-supported tier offered by the service, ensuring that it had the widest user reach, user engagement, unique content offering and best digital video advertising solution for brands in the Middle East.

    Prior to that, he was associated with Southeast Asian streaming service iflix as chief marketing officer and general manager of Indonesia and Malaysia. He has also worked at telco majors such as Indosat Ooredoo and Vodafone.

  • Local language content drives higher audience engagement: Netflix’ Patrick Fleming

    Local language content drives higher audience engagement: Netflix’ Patrick Fleming

    Mumbai: Southeast Asia users consume two times more Netflix content than the global average, and India leads the charts, said Netflix, director of product innovation, Patrick Fleming at the ongoing virtual APOS summit on media, telecoms, and entertainment.

    The streaming giant currently has over 209 million paid subscribers globally out of which 27 million subscribers are from APAC markets. While that is a fraction of the total user base, it should be noted that two-third of its paid subscriber growth was driven by the APAC market in 2020. “We know that a substantial part of future subscriber growth is going to come from outside of the US,” said Fleming.

    Talking about the mobile-only plan, Fleming said, it has not been a success in all markets. The plan was first launched in India followed by Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand, followed by markets across Asia and Africa. “We introduced the mobile plan in markets only after experimenting with the right entry price and discerning the demand for video content on mobile,” he added.

    Fleming said, “It is important for Netflix to speak more languages to cater to the APAC market. We now offer our content along with subs and dubs across 30 languages, so that a great show may travel anywhere in the world. For example, Thailand prefers dubbed content while South Korea prefers subs.”

    While a show like “Money Heist”, “Bridgerton” and “Emily in Paris” has done well in markets like India and Southeast Asia, local language content consistently outperforms in terms of audience engagement, he observed. In India, that means local language films and, in South Korea and Japan that means K-dramas and anime. Launching more payment modes has also increased adoption. Netflix recently enabled autopay via unified payments interface (UPI) in India and GoPay in Indonesia.

    The streaming giant has introduced a slew of nifty features that individually may seem like marginal improvements but are incredibly important to a mobile customer. The ideas first came in India and were then tested globally, noted Fleming.

    These features include a native brightness, playback speed and lock screen functionality. Currently, the OTT giant is experimenting with a function that plays a short vertical video clip when the user hovers above a title. “The idea is to capture the shorter moments of consumption on mobile devices. The user may not sample the content immediately but may put it in his watch list for later consumption,” said Fleming.

    Not just mobile, Netflix can be streamed across 1700 devices and Android and iOS operating systems (OS). Coding efficiency is vital when it comes to mobile customer experience. It was important that the Netflix mobile app was always in a ‘ready to watch’ mode, emphasised Fleming. Features like ‘smart downloads’ and ‘downloads for you’ were introduced to minimize memory usage and ensure that customers transitioned to the next piece of content seamlessly.

    Netflix has also partnered with over thousand local internet service providers (ISPs) to join their open connect network so that it may deliver a high-quality video viewing experience. It has purpose-built boxes called open connect appliances that have been deployed at interconnection locations to localise substantial amounts of traffic by ISPs.

    “Technology has come a long way in ten years,” said Fleming. “A decade ago you could transmit 1.5 hours of content with 1 Gb of data, in 2015 you could transmit 2.5 hours of content or an entire movie in 1 Gb, today you can transmit 6.5 hours of content or the entire first season of “Stranger Things” in the same amount. The same quality, fewer bits.”

    In terms of product innovation, Fleming is bullish about interactivity and branching narratives. “Audiences have loved our interactive content like “Puss in Book” and “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch”. We’re working on an interactive mindfulness series with Headspace and there is the expansion into gaming” noted Fleming.

    Netflix has launched two mobile games based on the “Stranger Things” franchise in Poland.

    “Mobile audiences are wonderfully impatient,” remarked Fleming when speaking about the need to deliver top notch customer experience on mobile. “We’re not just competing with other long form content platforms but any platform that offers a unique mobile experience.”

  • Nike launches app to accelerate its digital run in SE Asia & India

    Nike launches app to accelerate its digital run in SE Asia & India

    MUMBAI: Global sportswear brand, Nike announced the launch of its app in a continued bid to accelerate its digital transformation in Southeast Asia and India (SEA&I). The app deemed to be ‘the company’s fastest-growing platform’ provides members with personalised access to the best products & offerings of the sports brand. Apart from India, the free app launches Thursday in Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

    The Nike App connects its members to product, guidance, rewards, and experiences, all tailored to their individual preferences. Akin to a digital Nike hub, members receive product recommendations based on what they love, with fast and secure checkout, the brand shared.

    “The launch of the Nike App marks a critical expansion of Nike’s digital ecosystem in SEA&I,” says Nike SEA&I VP Sanjay Gangopadhyay. “Through this launch, we are creating meaningful relationships with our local members, and inspiring and equipping them to move.”

    Apart from member benefits like ‘exclusive access’ and ‘member rewards’ the app offers ‘Inspirational content’ with access to stories, guidance, and other inspirational content available only through the Nike App.

    With this, the brand’s consumers can now shop offline at Nike stores and partner stores, as well as online through the Nike App, Nike.com, SNKRS Web.

    “A key focus with developing the Nike App for SEA&I was ensuring that the content, experiences, services, and product offers are customized based on what we know Nike members in SEA&I want most from us,” says APLA Nike direct digital commerce VP Xia Ding. “Over time, this focus becomes even sharper as we learn from member behavior and engagement, so we are able to personalize the Nike App experience to an even greater extent.”
     

  • Amit Malhotra appointed managing director for HBO Max in Southeast Asia, India

    Amit Malhotra appointed managing director for HBO Max in Southeast Asia, India

    New Delhi: WarnerMedia on Friday announced the appointment of Amit Malhotra as managing director for HBO Max in Southeast Asia and India. 

    Malhotra most recently served as regional lead for Disney+ in Southeast Asia, where he was responsible for overseeing the launch and operations of Disney’s streaming services in the region, including Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar and Hotstar.

    He will join WarnerMedia later this month and report to HBO Max International head, Johannes Larcher. Malhotra will be responsible for the rollout and management of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer platform in Southeast Asia. He will immediately assume responsibility for the management of HBO GO, WarnerMedia’s existing OTT streaming service available in eight territories across Southeast Asia. In the future, he will spearhead the introduction of HBO Max in these territories and will lead WarnerMedia’s exploration of future opportunities to launch the streaming platform in additional markets, as well as a potential future launch in India, said the company on Friday.

    At Disney, Malhotra also led the content sales and distribution division as part of The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to Consumer & International (DTCI) business in South APAC and Middle East, pivoting Disney’s linear business in the region to streaming by working closely with local telcos and MVPDs, creating localized payment strategies and developing deep content studio relationships throughout Southeast Asia. 

    Johannes Larcher said, “With our upcoming launch across Latin America on 29 June and our plans for Europe on the horizon, we turn our sights toward Asia, where we have an incredible opportunity to bring HBO Max to millions of new fans who are just as excited about streaming as our audiences in the U.S. Amit’s experience launching streaming services in both mature and emerging markets across Southeast Asia and the surrounding region make him the ideal leader to plan and oversee the rollout of HBO Max and its expanded content offering and platform experience.” 

    David Simonsen, who has played an important role in the growth of HBO GO in Southeast Asia to date, will continue to make a significant contribution to WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer efforts in the region, and will work closely with Amit as part of his executive leadership team.

    Amit Malhotra said, “I am delighted to be part of the incredible team at WarnerMedia in Asia as we look at bringing HBO Max to this region. WarnerMedia’s brands including DC Universe, HBO and Cartoon Network are extremely popular with passionate fans and audiences across this region. With a focus on consumers our goal will be to bring all of these brands and content together in an exciting new world class streaming experience as we move into the future with HBO Max.” 

    Under Malhotra’s leadership, WarnerMedia expects to launch HBO Max in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam in the future, including an expanded content offering for the entire family and a premium new platform that would be hosted on HBO Max’s tech stack, providing a more stable and consistent streaming experience than HBO GO. Malhotra will also be responsible for exploring possible opportunities to launch HBO Max in new and fast-growing Asian streaming markets such as India.

    HBO Max has witnessed significant success since launching in May last year, adding 11.1 million HBO/HBO Max subscribers in the U.S. as of the end of Q1 2021. The platform will roll out in 39 territories across Latin America and the Caribbean on 29 June, and HBO’s existing OTT services in Europe are scheduled to be upgraded to HBO Max later this year. By the end of 2021, HBO Max is expected to be available in 61 global markets, said the company.

  • Havas Health & You elevates leaders in India, Southeast Asia, and Middle East

    Havas Health & You elevates leaders in India, Southeast Asia, and Middle East

    Mumbai: Havas Health & You has elevated Susan Josi as managing director (MD) of the agency’s southeast Asia & Middle East division, and Sangeeta Barde as MD of Havas Life Sorento, with immediate effect.

    Both professionals have been at the helm of Havas Health & You’s APAC-based agency since the network’s acquisition of Sorento in 2017.

    “I am thrilled to witness as Sangeeta and Susan further showcase their immense talents and know-how, both regionally and globally. They have certainly made Havas Life Sorento a proof point for value addition in the area and will continue to lead with strategic vision," said Havas Health & You LATAM APAC partner & CEO Charles Houdoux.

    Southeast Asia (SEA) and the Middle East together make up 14.6 per cent of the world’s total population, and the 2021 projection of GDP growth in India alone is expected to rise from 2.59 trillion to 3.96 trillion by 2025. These growth trends coupled with a societal focus on health create an ideal environment for growth in SEA and Middle Eastern countries, and global health brands are prioritising accordingly, said the company in a statement.

    Josi is also known for driving the Havas Village model in India and for her development of the agency’s global client roster in the SEA and the Middle East regions. “The landscapes are changing dynamically and there is an intensified importance being placed on health and wellness. Our capabilities in these areas have grown to a point where it makes sense to have consistent regional leadership as health brands prioritise their presence in these markets,” she said.

    At Sorento, Barde will drive the success model for offshoring and achieving strategic and impactful globalisation initiatives. “I am looking forward to leaning into the vast digitisation opportunities in our data and media centres and working to perfect new and simplified content creation models,” said Barde.

  • Cisco ups Prerna Suri to Asean communications head

    Cisco ups Prerna Suri to Asean communications head

    MUMBAI: IT and  networking major Cisco has promoted Prerna Suri as head of communications, southeast Asia as of August 2020. She joined Cisco from Facebook as communications manager APJC in March 2020, and in six months she has been pushed up the ladder and will be based in Singapore.

    Her job profile consists of leading Cisco’s communications efforts in Asean (south east Asia), a diverse region, with unique perspectives and opportunities. Her work includes collaborating with senior leaders, crafting strategic messaging, managing media relations, responding to crises and helping teams with their communications’ needs across Asean.

    Prerna has previously worked for organisations such as the UN in information roles, and in news outlets such as Channel News Asia, NDTV, and Al-Jazeera as a journalist.

    She holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor of arts in journalism from India's prestigious Lady Shri Ram College for Women.

  • Criteo appoints Taranjeet Singh as MD for Southeast Asia, India

    Criteo appoints Taranjeet Singh as MD for Southeast Asia, India

    MUMBAI: Criteo, the global technology company powering the world’s marketers with trusted and impactful advertising, has appointed Taranjeet Singh, as managing director, Southeast Asia (SEA) and India, to lead this critical market for the company. Singh will steer Criteo’s business strategy for the region, driving continued growth and building on the company’s current portfolio of customers which include Love, Bonito, Shopback, K&K Fashion, Tugo.vn, Tata CLIQ, and NYKAA.

    Starting in New Delhi, Singh will oversee Criteo’s operations in SEA and India. He will work closely with the company’s regional leadership to strengthen Criteo’s current advertiser and partner relationships and spearhead new business development.

    “Taranjeet brings a rich experience of more than 17 years of leadership experience within the media and technology industry in Asia Pacific,” said Kenneth Pao, executive managing director for Asia Pacific, Criteo. “This pandemic has transformed many businesses. It has caused brands big and small to quickly pivot their marketing strategies to adapt to this new normal and social distancing economy. We are fortunate to be able to add Taranjeet to our leadership bench as we help our customers and partners provide as much value to their customers as possible during this time. We are also excited to have him on board to help propel the company’s vision to power marketers globally with trusted and impactful advertising.”

    “Online commerce is now the lifeblood for consumers. Online retail sales in SEA are experiencing a higher uplift in 2020 compared to last year, with peak sales growth of 141 per cent seen the week of 23 March. According to a consumer survey conducted by Criteo, the India report shows that half of consumers say they’ll purchase more online because of COVID-19 especially the millennials.  The need for the internet is more pronounced than ever during this period. As brands adapt their marketing strategies to meet the current online demand, they need to continue to be customer-centric and focus on providing solutions for consumer concerns and pain points,” added Singh. “I look forward to working with some of the best talents in the industry to leverage Criteo’s scale and expertise to help our customers and partners be trusted brands to their consumers.”

    Singh joins Criteo after nearly two years at ZEE5 India, an online video-on-demand platform. He was Chief Revenue Officer and Business Head, where he helped establish the revenue and business operations in the company. Prior to ZEE5, Singh’s leadership roles included serving as India Country Director for Twitter and Sales Director for BBC News, where he was responsible for commercial operations.

    Criteo ended the first quarter 2020 with over 20,000 commerce and brand customers, adding close to 1,000 new clients (net) compared to Q1 2019, while maintaining close to 90 per cent client retention rate. Criteo’s header-bidding technology now connects to over 4,600 publishers across the Web and App and reaches about 40 per cent of all its publishers via Criteo Direct Bidder.

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment