TikTok Names First Southeast Asia Agency Partners
TikTok names WPP Media Regional Branding Agency of the Year and recognizes 10 award categories across Southeast Asia. Commerce and performance marketing agencies lead as region represents 24.4% of ...
TikTok announced winners of its inaugural Southeast Asia Partner Awards 2026 on Tuesday, naming WPP Media Regional Branding Agency of the Year and recognizing commerce specialists across six markets in a ceremony that drew over 200 agency executives.
The awards, presented at the TikTok Partner Summit & Awards under the theme "Strong Ties, Stronger Results," recognized agencies across 10 categories spanning branding, commerce, and performance marketing. The platform's formalization of its agency ecosystem comes as Southeast Asia represents 24.4% of TikTok's global ad audience, making the region a strategic priority for the platform's advertising operations.
Commerce and Performance Winners Lead Regional Recognition
Global Trade secured Commerce Agency of the Year at the regional level, with local commerce winners including Nativex in Singapore and Ecomdy Media in Vietnam. BlueMedia claimed Performance Agency of the Year for non-commerce growth, supported by market-specific partners like Dragonwin in Indonesia and Convert Cake in Thailand.
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Sitthasit & Co. earned Breakout Agency of the Year recognition regionally, with rapid-growth agencies including M+C Saatchi Performance in Singapore and Zafago Digital in Vietnam also recognized. The awards highlighted TikTok Shop integration strategies, with agencies using live-stream selling features to drive GMV (gross merchandise value) across markets.
Helen McRae, CEO of WPP Media SEAPAT, said the recognition reflects changing brand requirements. "In today's hyper-competitive attention economy, brands can't just advertise, they need to lead culture," McRae stated. "Our partnership with TikTok has enabled us to help brands do exactly that."
Holding Companies Sweep Market-Specific Categories
Publicis Media dominated local markets, winning Branding Agency of the Year in the Philippines and Vietnam, plus Performance Agency of the Year in Malaysia. Omnicom Media secured Branding Agency of the Year in Malaysia and Singapore, demonstrating cross-market consistency. Dentsu claimed Branding Agency of the Year in Indonesia and Performance Agency of the Year in Singapore.
Campaign-level awards recognized specific client work, with Publicis Media Thailand winning Best Creator Collaboration for Unilever Knorr and Aleph Thailand honored for a live-driven social commerce campaign. The awards evaluated agencies based on business results achieved in 2025 through strategic collaboration, creative campaigns, and platform alignment.
Platform Formalizes Agency Training and Partnership Structure
The awards follow TikTok's three-month Star Camp 2025 program, which trained agencies on live commerce and ads optimization. SwingUp in the Philippines emerged as a top performer from the program, excelling in live selling and affiliate marketing strategies that contributed to their award wins.
Yuke Hu, General Manager of Global Business Solutions for TikTok in Southeast Asia, emphasized the platform's partnership approach. "We work closely with agencies as true partners to turn creativity into meaningful business impact," Hu said. "Together, we help brands reach new audiences, expand into new markets and unlock growth through new solutions."
The awards covered six Southeast Asian markets: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Categories included Best Consideration Campaign, Best Creator Partnership, Best LIVE Commerce Campaign, Best App Campaign, plus agency-level recognition for branding, commerce, performance, and growth achievements.
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