MEDIA

Hong Kong - Next Media's boss Jimmy Lai tells Marketing his plans to turn his free newspapers into shopping platforms with the help of smartphones and group buying.

Singapore – Scoot, Singapore’s new budget carrier under Singapore Airlines has launched an inflight magazine and appointed global travel media company Ink Publishing to produce the title.

India – Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific has decided to cease business operations of its Hindi general entertainment channel 'Imagine TV'.

Global – US$1 billion for a company that has yet to celebrate its second birthday is an awful lot of money. Or is it? Paul Frampton, MD of MPG Media Contacts, thinks out loud.

Hong Kong - City Telecom has upped the ante in the free TV market, selling its telco assets including Hong Kong Broadband Network for HK$5 billion to focus on its multimedia business.

Global - Shortly after culling 2000 jobs, Yahoo has said it will take steps to reshape its corporate structure for the future in order to stay competitive and profitable in the market.

Hong Kong - OMD Hong Kong has picked up the media planning and buying duties for Schwarzkopf - a hair care brand from Henkel - after a pitch.

Singapore – Traditional Chinese medicine specialist Eu Yan Sang has released a quarterly natural wellness and lifestyle magazine Natura, targeting locals seeking information on health and well being.

Global – Facebook has acquired popular mobile photo-sharing application Instagram for US$1 billion, marking the social network's largest acquisition ever.

Singapore - Bold Ink Magazines has launched Run Singapore, the country's first magazine dedicated to local running enthusiasts and marathoners, whilst targeting advertisers from the F&B, nutrition and healthcare segments.

Hong Kong - TVB has set up a joint venture with the state-owned Shanghai Media Group to reinforce its business in China and may be appointing a government official to lead the new company.

Global - Yahoo has confirmed that it would begin laying off roughly 2,000 employees as part of an effort to build a company that is "smaller, nimbler, more profitable and better equipped to innovate".

Beijing - China's e-commerce giant Alibaba has taken the Pinterest idea to the next level with the launch of Fa Xian, a photo-centric social shopping platform that let users pin, share and shop on Taobao.

Global - After snagging a swag of new global business, PHD Worldwide has appointed Malcolm Devoy as international strategy director.

Japan - Japan's commercial broadcaster Fuji Television Network and FremantleMedia Asia have formed a strategic partnership to supply new television formats to Asia.

Beijing - E-commerce sales in China could more than triple to RMB18 trillion by 2015, offering brands major opportunities to dip into the world's most populous country.

India - US-based social networking site for entrepreneurs EFactor is all set to launch its India operations in April this year.

Hong Kong - SCMP Group reported a HK$371 million profit for 2011, thanks to stronger advertising sales, growth in digital advertising and its marketing services business.

ATV’s major shareholder Wong Ching and executive director James Shing Pan Yu may bow out after the station misreporting the death of former PRC president Jiang Zeimin last year.

Shanghai - Mindshare China has restructured its Invention team to challenge the whole agency in creating brand activations for clients such as branded content, sponsorship and social media.

Hong Kong - Online ad network Adsfactor has launched a parenting channel and expanded its rich media ad offering with advertisers such as Volkswagen and Sony already signed up.

Regional - Microsoft has formed a strategic alliance with online video platform Movideo to migrate its integrated online video platform to Windows Azure and tap into the explosive online video growth.

Singapore - Marketing welcomes Damien Cummings, online director - Asia Pacific & Japan for Dell, to the all client-marketer jury on the Agency of the Year Awards 2012 judging panel.

Canada – Media giant Bell Canada Enterprices has acquired Quebec’s leading media agency Astral Media to strengthen its competitive media position.

Regional - BPA Worldwide has expelled AP Energy Business Publications claiming non-payment but the publisher says it gave up the membership of its own volition.

Singapore - Retailers in Singapore are leveraging traditional media such as print and out of home to generate sales, thanks to M-commerce.

Regional - Aegis Media recorded a revenue jump of more than 87% across its Asia business in 2011, driven by strong wins from Wyeth, Woolworths, Panasonic and Clarins.

UK – In another case of media owners adding in-house marketing/communications capabilities, The Economist Group has acquired London-based marketing communications agency TVC Group.