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Tag: VW

  • FM Schmidt joins WPP as president in Germany

    FM Schmidt joins WPP as president in Germany

    Mumbai: WPP has announced the appointment of Frank-Michael ‘FM’ Schmidt, who is Scholz & Friends Family CEO, as the first president of its German business.

    In leading WPP’s third largest market, FM will be instrumental in shaping the company’s business in Germany, supporting agency leadership teams, and promoting a strong WPP culture. From 1 January 2023, when he officially steps into the role, he will be responsible for bringing together the best talent and resources from across the company and connecting the capabilities of WPP’s 7,000 people in the market to deliver transformational growth for clients.

    Alongside his new position at WPP, FM will remain in post as Scholz & Friends Family CEO, which is part of the VMLY&R network and whose clients include VW, McDonald’s, Sparkasse, and the Federal Republic of Germany. He will also continue to serve on VMLY&R’s global leadership team, a role he has held since 2021.

    FM joined the WPP network in 1998 at J. Walter Thompson, later becoming the chief strategy officer of its German business. In 2003, he joined Scholz & Friends as CEO in Germany, and in 2008, he was named CEO of the Scholz & Friends Family, which operates across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Originally from Berlin, FM studied political science, philosophy, and communication science at the Freie Universität Berlin and began his career as a journalist before moving into marketing and communications.

    Schmidt said, “I am delighted to become president of WPP in Germany, and I see this first-ever appointment as a strong signal of the increasing importance of the German market. It is an exciting task to find common interests and to create common ground between our strong agency brands to unlock the full potential of WPP’s capabilities for the benefit of both our clients and our people. I am very much looking forward to opening a new chapter for WPP in Germany, together with some of the brightest minds in our industry.”

    WPP CEO Mark Read said, “FM’s exceptional track record at Scholz & Friends Family, his valuable contribution to the WPP network over the last 24 years, and his extensive knowledge of the German market make him the natural fit for this important role in our third largest market.”

    WPP COO Andrew Scott added, “Having worked with FM for a number of years, I am certain that under his leadership, our people and agencies will be supported in continuing to deliver outstanding creative work. I look forward to working with him in his new role as we further drive growth opportunities for our clients and for WPP in Germany.”

  • Unilever partner Big Sync Music opens Singapore office

    Unilever partner Big Sync Music opens Singapore office

    MUMBAI: On the eve of Asia’s premier music conference, Music Matters, which kicks off in Singapore this week, specialist music agency and global Unilever partner, Big Sync Music, has officially opened its new Asian regional office in Singapore.

     

    The company has appointed Angel Lee as country manager and Marine Cremer as music supervisor.

     

    Lee, who comes from the Singapore Economic Development Board, is now responsible for overseeing all of Big Sync’s work across Asia – supported by Cremer.

     

    Big Sync, with current offices in London and New York, works with brands and creative agencies on global and regional advertising campaigns. It recently announced a global partnership with Unilever, making Big Sync the single supplier for its music services across all 400 plus brands in all territories covering music strategy, licensing, creative music search and amplification.

     

    In her previous role, Lee was responsible for charting and driving growth in Singapore’s music and entertainment industry by successfully establishing music businesses in Singapore for Asia. In her new role at Big Sync, she will drive the company’s business development strategy in the region as well as work with creative agencies on advertising campaigns for some of Unilever’s biggest brands such as Cornetto, Ponds and Lux.

     

    Lee said, “It is a privilege to be joining a young, fast growing, creative and energetic company that is both passionate about music and highly strategic in branded partnerships. It is an exciting time to be joining the company as there is tremendous growth in viewing music as a key building block of brand owners’ content strategy across Asia. I’m looking forward to leading a dynamic team to help different clients across Asia find the best sonic strategies for their brands, the right music solutions for local campaigns and being able to tap into Big Sync’s huge global network of music providers to do that.”

     

    Lee has over ten years’ experience in strategy, marketing and management roles across a range of music companies including digital roles at Interscope Records in Santa Monica and Sony Music in Los Angeles.

     

    Cremer was in-house music supervisor and audio producer at DDB Paris for 12 years and a creative at JWT before that, working on global campaigns from VW and Audi to Neutrogena and Nike.

     

    Big Sync Music CEO Dominic Caisley said, “Angel and Marine form the ideal team to help build on our successful first 18 months in business. Their combined talents in the music and advertising industries and also their local knowledge enhance the overall Big Sync Music offering and with a team firmly on the ground in Singapore. We look forward to helping more brands with their music strategy and also building even better relationships with local music providers. I’m taking part in a panel discussion at Music Matters Live in Singapore on Wednesday 20 May discussing how music is licensed in advertisements and look forward to learning more about the music industry in this region.”

  • TechShastra wins Blaupunkt India’s social media duties

    MUMBAI: New-Age software and digital marketing company TechShastra has won the social media mandate for German car infotainment and sound maker and marketer Blaupunkt.

    The agency will manage social media interaction on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and other collaborative media on the digital platform.

    Balupunkt India director Pankaj Jagwani said, “We are happy to partner with TechShastra as our digital agency. Having recently announced our re-entry in India, we are looking at launching several products in the near future. With TechShastra‘s expertise and knowledge on our side, we are sure we will be able to understand the minds of our customers and communicate with them effectively.”

    TechShastra CEO Nishith Shah said, “Blaupunkt has always been known for their high levels of consumer connect. By using the digital platform we would be able to further enhance that and build brand recall and engagement.”

    Germany based Blaupunkt has a nationwide presence in aftermarket (accessories retail and OE dealership) segments. An infotainment partner to passenger car OEs including VW, Audi, Bentley, GM, Proton, Hyundai, Kia, Tata, Mahindra as well as a number of commercial vehicle providers including Fuso, Isuzu, Fendt, Lada, Claas CAT etc, Blaupunkt provides a range of high-end infotainment, multimedia and navigation solutions.

    Other clients in TechShastra‘s kitty include Unilever, Nestle and HDFC bank. The agency is the force behind campaigns such as the Nestle Morning Band, Surf Excel-Fulfill A Wish and Maggi Guess the Taste.