Guardian Indonesia names new agency of record following competitive pitch

Guardian Indonesia has appointed M+C Saatchi Performance as its agency of record (AOR), marking a significant win for the performance marketing agency as it continues to expand its footprint in one of Southeast Asia's most important consumer markets.

The appointment comes alongside the agency's decision to strengthen its Indonesian leadership team with the hiring of Arya Nugraha as country director. Based in Jakarta and reporting to APAC managing director Roshat Adnani, Nugraha will lead the agency's next phase of growth in the market.

The twin announcements underscore M+C Saatchi Performance's increasing investment in Indonesia, where its Jakarta operation has grown to more than 100 employees, making it one of the agency's fastest-growing offices in the Asia Pacific region.

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Guardian Indonesia selected M+C Saatchi Performance following a competitive review process, with the agency winning the mandate through its full-funnel marketing capabilities and proprietary measurement solutions. The retailer was seeking a partner capable of linking integrated media investments to measurable retail outcomes in Indonesia's fragmented and mobile-first consumer landscape.

Malvin Tarigan, head of marketing at Guardian Indonesia, said the retailer was looking for an agency partner with both regional understanding and local market expertise.

"We conducted a thorough review to find an agency partner that truly understands the complexity of the Southeast Asian and Indonesia market and M+C Saatchi Performance stood out for their data-driven, full-funnel approach and proven ability to connect media investment to real retail outcomes," he said.

"As Guardian continues to expand across the region, growing our presence and driving new business initiatives that bring greater accessibility to health and beauty particularly in Indonesia, we were seeking a partner with both the strategic depth and local expertise to help us reach our customers in a meaningful way. We believe this partnership will support our continued growth and help us deliver greater value to the consumer we serve."

The account win adds to M+C Saatchi Performance's growing regional client roster, which includes major brands such as Grab, and further strengthens its position in Southeast Asia's increasingly competitive performance marketing landscape.

Nugraha joins the agency from Publicis Media, where he worked on regional accounts including Spotify, PepsiCo, Kenvue and SharkNinja. Prior to that, he held senior planning and leadership roles within agencies under WPP, working across Jakarta, Seoul and Tokyo on brands including Procter & Gamble, Unilever and The Coca-Cola Company.

According to Adnani, the Guardian appointment reflects the capabilities the agency has built locally as Indonesia continues to emerge as a strategic growth market.

"Indonesia is our fastest-growing market in APAC and has been for the past few years. The Guardian appointment reflects what our team in Jakarta has built: the capability to answer briefs that require an integrated media approach, in a market that makes that combination technically demanding. Arya's appointment gives us the senior leadership and deep local nuance to continue building on that."

Nugraha said his focus will be on strengthening client partnerships while expanding the agency's capabilities in Indonesia.

"M+C Saatchi Performance has built a serious operation in Indonesia. And my mandate is clear: deepen the agency's client relationships in the market, continue to grow the Jakarta team's capabilities across the board, and make sure the brands we work with here can connect their investment to outcomes they can clearly measure. Indonesia is at an inflection point for brand growth. The timing is right."

Founded in 2006, M+C Saatchi Performance has evolved from a mobile-focused digital agency into a global performance marketing business with more than 400 employees across markets including London, New York, Singapore, Sydney, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Jakarta and Manila.

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