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4apptSocialbakers, the leading AI-powered social media marketing platform, announced an update to its platform that brings Socialbakers’ technology to Adobe Creative Cloud customers, enabling creative designers to be inspired by top-performing content from social media directly within the Adobe Creative Cloud products at the click of a button.

In order to appeal to demanding audiences, creative designers must stay attuned to the constantly changing preferences of people from different generations, locations and cultural backgrounds. With this addition, creative designers can now eliminate the manual, time-consuming search for ideas, and immediately access, understand and work with top-performing social media content that engages their target audiences. The added functionality is available to creative designers via the Adobe Exchange program.


LazadaLazada Group, Southeast Asia’s leading eCommerce firm, announced that its Executive President Pierre Poignant will succeed Lucy Peng as Chief Executive Officer, with immediate effect, as part of succession planning in the group. Peng will remain Lazada Group Executive Chairwoman.

Poignant, who was appointed Group Executive President in August 2018, will lead the company’s strategic development into new growth pillars, while continuing to manage Lazada’s operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, working closely with country CEOs and regional functional team leaders.

Since Lazada was launched in 2012, Poignant engineered the development and expansion of Lazada’s logistics footprint and built the company’s e-logistics capabilities. Over the years, he assumed other roles with Lazada, such as the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing customer service, supply chain, and content production. Aware of the fact that Lazada has benefitted from the Alibaba ecosystem, from the technological prowess to the logistics network, he is convinced that Lazada’s transformation has just begun.


James McCreadyAdobe announced that James McCready, president of Adobe Japan, is expanding his role to lead the company’s operations in Japan and Asia Pacific (APAC).

McCready has extensive experience leading enterprise and commercial businesses in Asia and the United States. He joined Adobe in April 2018 to lead the company’s Japan business, based in Tokyo. Prior to joining Adobe, McCready was vice president of APAC and Japan at Dell EMC, leading sales strategy and execution, as well as platforms and solutions.

The announcement follows the appointment of Paul Robson as president of Adobe in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who joined Adobe in November 2011 and has held various roles, most recently leading the company’s APAC business. Under Paul’s leadership, Adobe APAC has expanded into new markets and undergone significant growth.


Vincent Jonny StarkMullenLowe Group Asia Pacific has appointed Jonny Stark as Chief Strategy Officer to spearhead a new consultative offering for enterprises across Asia Pacific., which Vincent Digonnet, CEO, MullenLowe Group APAC, describes as a type of ‘Middleware’ for clients to solve business problems.

In the newly formed role, Stark will also be responsible for leading the Group’s regional strategy and driving the hyperbundling approach, in order to combine capabilities and skill sets.

With the recent arrival of new skillsets to the Group - including Jonathan Hart, Head of Data Science and Analytics, Zélia Sakhi, Head of Experience and Kanika Mathur, Executive Vice President, Client Partnerships, a team that blends former in-house and consulting talents - the new offer is about bringing their skillsets to the fore, rather than simply repackaging pre-existing talent.

Stark brings extensive experience across a variety of disciplines to his new role at MullenLowe Group, which spans business transformation, digital strategy, content creation, public relations, comms and brand building. Most recently, Stark was a Partner at business advisory firm Brunswick Group, in Hong Kong, where his responsibilities included leading the firm’s digital offering across Asia. Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President at SapientRazorfish for over six years, during which he led the region’s financial services team, supporting business transformation initiatives.

Having relocated to Singapore, Stark will report into Vincent Digonnet, CEO, MullenLowe Group APAC.


Accenture joins the Data Literacy Project to build a more data literate world.

Data literacy is an essential skill in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, empowering people to ask questions of data and machines, build knowledge, make decisions and communicate its meaning with others. Yet, only 24% of business decision makers are fully confident in their ability to read, work with, analyze and argue with data. The Data Literacy Project, launched this October, is a community dedicated to making society fluent in the language of data, and places data literacy at the heart of individual and organizational success.

The Project will provide individuals and organizations with extensive educational and professional training materials, interactive assessment tools and access to a community of experts. The community will not only support personal skills development, but also promote greater understanding around the importance of creating a data-driven culture within business. The founding partners will drive the Project’s agenda, provide educational resources and training, and ensure it achieves its mission.

For more information on how to get involved in the Data Literacy Project, visit: https://www.thedataliteracyproject.org


Bloomberg Media Group announced the appointment of David Hearn as its Regional Head of Advertising Sales Strategy for Asia-Pacific.

In this new role, David will be responsible for managing product development and planning process as well as developing client strategies in the region across all of Bloomberg Media Group's multi-platform, integrated offerings.

Based in Singapore, Hearn brings his extensive global agency experience to Bloomberg to shape its new strategic marketing services model rolling out in the Asia-Pacific region in the second half of 2019.

Hearn has more than 18 years of experience in the media, advertising and content industry, most recently as APAC Strategy and Product Lead for Dentsu Asia-Pacific, where he managed its products across a number of markets in the region, driving its global brand direction and proposition.

Previously, he was Head of Planning at Universal McCann Worldwide and spent five years in Australia at BWM Melbourne and CARAT.

Under Global Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Benett, Bloomberg Media Group has transformed its commercial model to an integrated marketing services entity, delivering business solutions to brands that are driven “from and for” Bloomberg’s highly influential audience. Hearn will spearhead this new strategic offering in the Asia-Pacific region rolling out next year, positioning Bloomberg Media Group to be a trusted, strategic and creative partner that provides solutions-driven marketing services to leading brands.


GRABIDOOH International has partnered with GrabAds, Grab’s online-to-offline (O2O) advertising platform, to deploy in-vehicle media screens in GrabCars in the Philippines.

The partnership aims to provide passengers and drivers with an enhanced and more rewarding commute experience, and brands with a comprehensive out-of-home (OOH) branding platform.

The fully interactive 10-inch IDOOH display tablets will be integrated into selected GrabCar vehicles, providing passengers with an array of high-quality lifestyle, news, and entertainment as well as e-commerce function while in transit. Grab drivers can look forward to an additional revenue source of monthly incentives and rewards, awarded based on the number of trips completed and duration of screen activation.

As an everyday app, the partnership is part of a broader strategy to provide opportunities for brands to reach Grab’s passengers through integrated online-to-offline branding solutions spanning in-app, in-car and mobile billboards, offered by IDOOH and GrabAds.

To create a customised in-vehicle experience, IDOOH uses proprietary in-vehicle technologies like geo-fencing and day-parting to juxtapose the offered content against specific factors such as vehicle speed, location, weather and traffic conditions. This presents passengers with a new OOH entertainment experience and brands with a new digital platform to engage with their audiences. IDOOH is also testing technologies like presence and facial recognition and augmented reality to provide an even more personalised in-vehicle experience in future.


RubZeno Group signaled its full commitment to China by appointing industry veteran Ruby Fu to the newly-created position of President, Zeno China.

Most recently, Fu was CEO of Burson-Marsteller in China, and she spent seven years with Standard Chartered Bank in Taiwan and Hong Kong before that.

Fu brings more than 30 years of experience in Greater China to her new Zeno role. In her previous corporate and agency positions, she has directed strategic planning and business development, managed a range of cross-border issues, and been instrumental in developing new market entries for clients based in the U.S. and Europe.

Fu will be responsible for establishing and expanding Zeno’s presence in China, both organically and by acquisition, be based in Beijing, and report to Margaret Key, Zeno CEO Asia-Pacific.