Shell, SGInnovate and more pick agency in Singapore

GrowthOps has secured a slew of new client appointments in Singapore, adding SGInnovate and Shell Singapore to its roster, alongside a leading insurance provider and a leading bank.

The appointments span creative, performance media, generative engine optimisation (GEO), SEO, social media and digital transformation services across the energy, financial services, enterprise and retail sectors.

The wins come as more brands reassess how they buy marketing services across the region, with procurement teams increasingly prioritising agencies that can balance local market expertise with regional delivery capabilities.

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According to GrowthOps, marketers are moving away from evaluating agencies based solely on a single-market cost structure and are instead seeking partners that can support regional ambitions while maintaining in-market relevance.

"Singapore remains the strategic centre of gravity for regional marketing decisions, but the era of funding a brief entirely out of a Singapore cost base is ending" said Shaad Hamid, general manager, GrowthOps Singapore and regional head of performance marketing.

"Clients are far more sophisticated about where strategic thinking needs to happen versus where execution can be delivered, and they're choosing partners whose model reflects that reality," he added.

GrowthOps Asia currently operates across Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Hong Kong, with senior strategic and client leadership based in Singapore and integrated delivery teams across the region.

Separately, the agency recently launched two digital platforms for semiconductor and electronics manufacturer Kulicke & Soffa. The projects included a multilingual corporate website and a customer software portal covering UI/UX, Sitecore development, analytics and SEO.

Several of the recent wins also point to growing demand for search and discoverability services tailored to AI-assisted consumer behaviour. GrowthOps said it has seen increased interest in GEO as brands prepare for a search environment increasingly influenced by generative AI tools.

"Brands are no longer evaluating creative, media, GEO, SEO and technology as separate line items or separate agency relationships," said Chris Greenough, general manager, GrowthOps Malaysia and regional head of creative services.

"They want integrated partners who can connect the full customer journey and they want that integration delivered at a price point that makes commercial sense across a region, not just in one market," added Greenough. 

Earlier in January this year, Volkswagen Singapore appointed the agency as its lead creative, social media and SEO agency. As the appointed agency, GrowthOps Asia will support the carmaker's always-on brand presence and vehicle launches, with a focus on growing both owned and earned demand in one of Asia's competitive automotive markets. 

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