Axiata’s ADA bolsters agency partnerships with M&C Saatchi and MullenLowe

Axiata Digital's ADA has brought on board M&C Saatchi and MullenLowe S’ng and partners for their agency partner programme, Fusion by ADA, months after it tied up with VMLY&R. Fusion by ADA is designed for creative agencies and digital independents that are looking to leverage ADA’s data and analytics capabilities to drive integrated data-driven solutions.

Agency partners can enjoy ADA's data-driven solutions and training, including ADA Business Insights, which offers a suite of Business Insights Dashboards (BID) created to aid specific industries in overcoming business challenges. More specifically, the mobile BID helps phone manufacturers uncover when consumers are likely to change devices, while the telco BID helps the telco industry detect who is likely to drop out as a subscriber and what to do to retain them. Also, the retail BID helps the automotive, mall, and petrol industries track their consumers' foot traffic and that of their competitors'.

The retail BID was unveiled last month, alongside its ADA Centre of Excellence. ADA also said then that it plans to invest another RM120 million in the next two years to grow its operations, as well as RM60 million in data and talent to strengthen Malaysia’s data infrastructure.

Mahesh Neelakantan, regional agency partnerships director said Fusion by ADA enables its agency partners to provide integrated services that include digital media planning and buying – turning "integration" not only into a competitive advantage, but also a revenue generating stream.

Lara Hussein, MD and CEO of M&C Saatchi Malaysia, explained that Tourism Malaysia is a long-standing client of the agency, and it believes that ADA’s ability to derive powerful, data-evidenced insights into consumer behaviour will allow it to target effectively and gain more tourist numbers for Tourism Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Adrian S’ng, CEO, MullenLowe S’ng and Partners Malaysia, added that traditionally, it has struggled in the past with limited access to data, often only relying on dip-stick qualitative research.

"But now, with this partnership, the ability to put forth a data-driven strategy solidifies our proposition to our clients and their business. In a world where data is fast becoming more and more important, this partnership signifies the agency’s intent in moving forward with strategic collaborations that will help propel MullenLowe S’ng and Partners along with ADA," he said.

(Read also: ADA unveils regional leads, Mahesh Neelakantan to handle agency partnerships)