MediaCorp sets up first native advertising unit

MediaCorp has created a native advertising unit offering its customers the opportunity to tell more "compelling brand stories" across multiple platforms, focusing on content that is useful to users, said the company.Called Brand Studio, the unit will collaborate with advertisers to create high-quality original multimedia content that engages their target audience across MediaCorp’s digital products, and extending that reach across the full range of the company’s media platforms, social media and celebrity influencers.The new unit will be helmed by Phin Wong, previously executive editor at Today newspaper.With this move, Wong will be reporting to chief commercial officer Jack Lim, who added: “The creation of Brand Studio dovetailed perfectly with our major re-organisation, moving away from traditional media platforms like TV, radio and publishing, towards a focus on consumers and their preferences. This new initiative shows the importance of customer-centricity and our commitment to continually evolve and improve.”Earlier, MediaCorp saw a major reorganisation in its ranks. (Read: MediaCorp makes major reorganisation). It also let 33 of its staff go and moved others to new divisions. Meanwhile, MediaCorp appointed its chief commercial officer Jack Lim earlier this year.As for Wong, he spent almost eight years overseeing the newspaper's entertainment and lifestyle section T, as well as the Special Projects unit.He said: “I am thoroughly excited to be leading MediaCorp’s journey into native advertising. I have always believed what the audience wants, above all, is good content. Content they want to receive and want to share, whether that content informs, educates or simply entertains. Brand Studio will provide our clients the opportunity to engage and speak directly to their target audience by offering 360 content that goes beyond any single media platform.”Wong brings with him 18 years of editorial experience, including two years as assistant editor at MediaCorp Publishing’s 8 DAYS magazine. On television, he was the host of Channel NewsAsia’s talk show Blog TV for five seasons. The appointment will take effect from 1 April 2015 and his role as executive editor at Today will be relinquished.