Finnair picks new media agency for APAC region

Finland's full-service legacy airline Finnair has named IPG Mediabrands' Initiative as its media agency of record after a pitch review that concluded in September this year.

Initiative’s appointed remit which initially covers four markets in Asia-Pacific including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong; will encompass media strategy, planning, and buying across all digital channels.

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“In our centenarian year, Finnair is thrilled to embark on a new chapter, sharing the rich story of our brand and exceptional product with travelers from APAC who aspire to explore Europe and beyond," said Lara Allan, team lead of growth marketing and technology at Finnair.  "We are proud to announce our strategic partnership with Initiative, whose strategic insights, local expertise, and expansive media network perfectly align with our vision."

She added that the airline is eager to continue expanding its presence in Asia. According to Finnair, the agency will support its marketing activities in Asia with their local insights and media network expertise.

“We are very excited to add Finnair to our client roster,” said Initiative APAC president James Smyllie. “We see this new partnership as an opportunity to help Finnair build their brand fame and delivering flow-centric solutions that will elevate Finnair’s position as global trailblazer in aviation.”

The appointment is effective immediately.

The news comes shortly after global food company General Mills named IPG's media agency UM as its global media agency of record. UM will now handle all strategy, planning, buying, analytics, performance and commerce efforts across 35-plus markets for General Mills’ suite of brands. These include Cheerios, Nature Valley and Pillsbury, the agency said in a statement.

“We are looking forward to working with IPG's UM as our global media agency, which includes the support of our customer marketing and retail media efforts,” said Jay Picconatto, vice president of advanced marketing solutions, General Mills. “We’re confident that UM is the right partner to continue to build our iconic brands and deliver remarkable experiences for consumers.”

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