Lazada Malaysia adds new PR partner to cart after evaluating 5

Lazada Malaysia has appointed Alpha Access PR to manage PR duties for 24 months following a pitch which saw five agencies vying for the account. The agency is responsible for strategic communications, media relations, content development, brand marketing, media partnerships, event management, stakeholder management, eCommerce communications, creative development and conceptualisation and corporate communications. Lazada declined to comment on A+M's queries.

MD of Alpha Access PR, Dalveen Kaur, told A+M that the agency was chosen because it has a 15-year track record and a dedicated team with more than 30 years of combined experiences. The team is also adept at client retention and media relations, and are creative storytellers working on strong portfolios of clientele from multiple sectors ranging from global brands, listed entities, government-linked companies, and multinational brands, Kaur added. 

Alpha Access was established in 2009 and its practice areas comprise PR, social media, creative design, web development, and editorial support. According to its website, among the list of brands it has worked with include Axiata Digital, Airbnb, Lexus, Hong Leong Bank, Boost, Bosch, and Qatar.

Incumbent Be Strategic, which was first appointed in 2019 ahead of its annual 11.11 and 12.12 shopping festivals, did not pitch for the account. Its chief strategist Ashvin Anamalai told A+M that all good things come to an end. "A huge sense of satisfaction and pride remains in Be Strategic after a shared joy of record-setting achievements, industry award wins and countless dedicated hours to Lazada Malaysia and its wonderful team," he said.

According to him, it has been an exhilarating experience for Be Strategic to be a part of Lazada's brand building and communications journey for the past years. The account lent the agency an incredible opportunity to traverse the realm of eCommerce through the lens of one of its most prominent players. Lazada Malaysia was recently crowned Marketer of the Year at A+M's Marketing Excellence Awards.

"In our time working with them, we further understood Lazada’s vision and what they stood for as well as the efficacy of their breakthrough ideas such as shoppertainment and the introduction of the chief discount officer. It was most definitely an eye-opening experience for all of us who worked on that account and we are truly grateful to have been a part of this exciting voyage," he said. Anamalai added that as Lazada charts its new course in the future, Be Strategic wishes the team the very best and looks forward to its successes to come.

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