MAM
Starcom Mediavest bags Singapore Tourism Board Global account
MUMBAI: Starcom Mediavest Group (SMG) has been appointed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to handle communication planning and media buying globally.
The appointment covers both STB’s Consumer and MICE business. The account will be managed from SMG’s Asia Headquarters, located in Singapore, and overseen by Jeffrey Seah, MD for SMG’s Regional Clients Group (SMG RCG) for APAC, who will also act as senior client liaison to the STB management.
Each key office across the SMG network will handle local planning and implementation, working alongside the in-market STB representatives. Global strategy will be set by the SMG Regional Clients Group based out of SMG’s Asia Headquarters in Singapore. Lee Huei Chern, Director of Communication Services at SMG RCG has been tasked with the key role of Global Account Head.
The recent pitch involved took place over a four-month period and also included incumbent agency Maxus (part of WPP’s Group M), Carat, OMD and Universal McCann.
Says Seah, “We are delighted to be appointed as STB’s AOR. This is a landmark win for SMG RCG – our multi-market communications setup, and for SMG Asia’s operation. This is the largest global account to be managed out of Singapore, so we have the enviable task of taking all of our expertise from our other markets, combined with our local knowledge and giving it a distinctly Singaporean flavour.”
“Yet again, this is proof that it is not just about size of operation and ‘black-box’ media planning tools. We believe the most important element we bring to our clients is in marketing communication advisory rather than the might of a traditional bulk media buyer – our people and our expertise are the most important thing we can bring to the table,” he added.
This is the third piece of key new business the SMG units based out of SMG Asia’s RHQ has succeeded in pitches against WPP’s Group M recently, with previous wins including the Diageo Asia-Pacific assignment and Jean Yip.
SMG is part of Publicis Groupe Media (PGM), the largest global media agency network. Singapore hosts the Regional Headquarters for SMG in Asia, having coverage of 26 offices in 18 countries.
MAM
Time brings TIME100 Next franchise to India with Reliance
List to spotlight 100 emerging leaders, gala set for December 2026 in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: It’s about time India’s next wave got a global spotlight and now, it’s on the list. New York-headquartered Time is expanding its TIME100 Next franchise to India, partnering with Reliance Industries Limited to launch TIME100 Next India, its first international extension of the rising leaders platform. The announcement was made at the Time100 Gala in New York by Jessica Sibley and Nita Mukesh Ambani, signalling a strategic push to tap into India’s growing influence across sectors.
The India edition will recognise 100 emerging leaders from the country and the global Indian diaspora, spanning business, science, sports, arts and social impact. The list will be curated by Time’s editorial team and published online, continuing the franchise’s focus on identifying individuals shaping the future.
The initiative will culminate in a gala event scheduled for December 2026 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, anchoring the platform within India’s cultural and business ecosystem.
TIME’s broader Time100 franchise has steadily expanded its global footprint since 2021 through events and impact-led initiatives. Executives noted that India’s growing pool of influential voices and innovators made it a natural next step for the platform’s international ambitions.
For Reliance, the partnership aligns with its broader push to support emerging talent and ideas on a global stage. For Time, it marks a timely bet on India not just as a market, but as a talent engine shaping the next chapter of global leadership.
