brands

news

Optus Cuts Nine Comms Roles as NBN Co Executives Take Over

Optus eliminates nine communications positions and brings in former NBN Co executives to lead corporate affairs. The restructure signals urgent crisis communications overhaul following years of public failures.

news

Why Retailers Are Abandoning Third-Party Retail Media Platforms

Ooh Media's Reo closure signals a market shift: retailers are building in-house retail media operations to own customer data and capture full revenue. Australia's A$850M market is consolidating around owned platforms.

news

AI Engineer Conference Launches Singapore Edition, Backed by OpenAI and Google DeepMind

AI Engineer brings its first Asia edition to Singapore in May 2026, backed by OpenAI and Google DeepMind. The three-day event expects 2,000+ attendees and targets the region's most serious developer communities.

news

Why Brands Are Banking on Athlete-Integrated Content Over Ads

LEGO's partnership with Ronaldo, Mbappé, Messi, and Vinícius Júnior proves athlete-integrated content drives 11.6M engagement versus traditional ads. Why brands are shifting strategy.

news

Media OutReach Newswire Appoints Kitty Lee as Greater China Managing Partner

Media OutReach Newswire names FleishmanHillard veteran Kitty Lee as Managing Partner for Greater China, signaling aggressive expansion into Mainland China and the Greater Bay Area.

news

Why Apple Is Betting Big on Named Artists Over Celebrity Influencers

Apple's Japan App Store campaign partners with 13 international artists instead of celebrity influencers, reflecting a broader industry shift toward creator partnerships over one-off endorsement deals.

news

Publicis Groupe Acquires 160over90 in US$600M Sports Deal

Publicis Groupe's US$600M acquisition of 160over90 signals aggressive consolidation in sports marketing as agencies compete for live audiences and measurable ROI in fragmented digital markets.

news

Dentsu's Kazuhiro Shimura Named Innovation Lions Jury President at Cannes 2026

Dentsu's Kazuhiro Shimura leads Innovation Lions jury at Cannes 2026, marking five APAC jury presidents confirmed for the festival. A win for Asian creative leadership on the global stage.

news

Why OpenAI Is Buying Its Way Into Media Strategy

OpenAI's $100M+ acquisition of TBPN signals a strategic pivot: tech companies are buying media outlets to control narrative around AI. What this means for your comms strategy.

news

Why DBS's US$18.6B Brand Overhaul Signals Banking's AI Reckoning

DBS Bank's US$18.6B creative agency review across six Asia-Pacific markets signals a structural shift: winning agencies must demonstrate generative AI and Agentic AI capabilities, not just traditional brand-building skills.

news

Disney, Mediaocean Launch Prisma Direct to Automate Ad Orders

Disney and Mediaocean launch Prisma Direct to automate insertion orders across Disney's full ad portfolio. The platform eliminates manual paperwork, saving media buyers significant time on order processing.

news

Middle East Independent Agencies Launch First Professional Body

Independent agencies in the Middle East now have formal representation through the Alliance, addressing a structural gap in the region's $8.18 billion marketing market.