Wrapup: 9 things you need to know this week

1. Digital initiatives move to the forefront at Publicis Groupe with its acquisition of Sapient. News of the $3.7 billion mega-deal between Publicis Groupe and Sapient was unsurprisingly the most read story at Campaign Asia-Pacific this week. Campaign’s global editor in chief Claire Beale wrote a piece about what the deal means for those involved.

 

2. Twitter has ramped up its advertising offering in Asia with a self-serve tool targeting small and mid-sized businesses in Singapore. “This is our effort to make our product much more accessible to small businesses,” said Aliza Knox, managing director for Twitter’s online sales in APAC. 

 

3. The advertising business has a problem and it’s called "title-itis." It refers to the proliferation of way too many titles. Causes of this outbreak are unknown, but it’s suggested that mergers and resulting global networks didn’t help.

 

4. Global internet users have now passed the 3 billion mark and it is really important for marketers to follow what the audience is doing, said Simon Kemp, regional managing partner for We Are Social.

 

 

 

5. It’s that time of the year again! No, not Christmas ad season, but Agency of the Year is just around the corner. Entries for this year’s awards hit a record high, a rise of 21 per cent compared with last year.

 

6. It’s THAT time of the year again, too! Christmas ad season has officially kicked and for British retailer John Lewis, their Christmas ads have become something of a cultural institution in the UK. Meet #MontyThePenguin, who’s already racked up well over three million views on YouTube in under 24 hours. (There's also a delightful parody already.)

 

7. Conversation rules, and brands that know how to talk can thrive in Thailand, where the democratisation of smartphones and an innate culture of sharing are driving some of the most creative uses of social media in the region. Get your teeth stuck into this in-depth report on the creative key to success in Thailand.

 

8. Good guys finish last, right? Try telling that to Peter Mead, co-founder of one of the advertising industry’s most respected and highly awarded agencies, AMV BBDO. Discussing his new book, When In Doubt Be Nice: Lessons From A Lifetime in Business, he told us “The truth is, I think the world is full of repressed nice people.”

 

9. McDonald's is preparing a new slogan, and you already hate it. Branding experts are already giving the new tagline the pink-slime treatment.