UM, the global media agency network of Mediabrands, has announced that it has been named Media Agency of Record for Lazada Group, Southeast Asia’s leading eCommerce platform and regional flagship of the Alibaba Group.

UM’s remit which covers Southeast Asia markets Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, and Thailand; will encompass all media duties including strategy, planning, buying, research, and data and analytics for Lazada Group.

The news comes following a competitive pitch review which commenced in March this year, and was held virtually across multiple markets.

“Lazada Group is an exciting company that continue to push boundaries in how they empower brands to connect with consumers”, said Kasper Aakerlund, President UM APAC. “It is a premier retail destination that has redefined the retail experience through world-class technology, and we could not be more thrilled to partner with them on a strategically unified marketing approach that moves beyond conventional media placement.”

Amit Sutha, CEO of Universal McCann Malaysia (picture) commented, “With the shift to shoppable media and the rise of live streaming in the wake of COVID-19, this is a fascinating time in the e-commerce space. The acceleration of growth in the sector presents huge opportunities for media strategy as it allows us to leverage our expertise across data, analytics and storytelling to drive new age end-to-end experiences within e-commerce.”

This regional win closely follows the news of UM winning Energizer Holdings Inc., across seven APAC markets as part of a global pitch which concluded in May this year, in addition to expanding their Asia Pacific remit for leading platforms including foodpanda, Netflix, and Spotify.

“Clients like UM for its application of emerging technologies, its partnership with agencies and publishers, and its data technology strategy” stated The Forrester Wave: Global Media Agencies 2020 Report which ranked UM as a clear leader in the space.

UM’s agency of record duties for Lazada Group Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, are effective immediately.