DDB bolsters film and content division with new hires

DDB's film and content division, Telling Stories, has expanded its team with the addition of two journalists for its editorial arm. Benjamin Lim was previously the contributing editor at pop culture website Rice Media and multimedia journalist Edward Teo, who was at The Straits Times video for four years.Both Lim and Teo join Natasha Ann Zachariah, senior writer from Tribal Worldwide Singapore, who was previously from The Straits Times life, and art director Nigel Tan. Operating similar to a modern, tech-driven newsroom, the team offers new services including editorial content, short- and long-form stories and visual stories which are tailored for various platforms.Telling Stories' currently has a team of directors, producers, social media strategists and scriptwriters to form a content ecosystem that provides strategic planning, idea generation, writing, editing, art direction, publication and analysis. The division was launched in December 2017, and this year it aims to form a content platform on local pop culture. It will feature in-depth opinion pieces, a live feedback video response on trending issues and have its first AI Storyteller - an automated broadcast service that uses neuro marketing and automation to create targeted content with speed.Jeff Cheong, deputy president at DDB Group Singapore and head of Tribal Worldwide Asia, said that content marketing has found its place in the menu of advertising solutions. According to Cheong, gone are the days where you can create a film and expect people to watch it or use media money to block the user experience.“Many of our clients have benefited from our bespoke curation of content from artificial intelligence, in-depth journalistic stories, entertainment content, rapid brand-jacking and original film content. They yield higher engagement, deeper influence and drives conversion," he said.