Lazada Singapore picks head of branding and social

Lazada Singapore has appointed Pablo Amate (pictured) as SVP, head of branding and social. In a statement to Marketing, a spokesperson said the role is newly-created and based in Singapore.

Amate reports into CMO for Lazada Singapore Michelle Yip, who recently joined shortly after Jean Thomas left to join Pomelo. Leading a team to ensure brand consistency across multiple platforms, he is tasked to drive top-of-mind awareness for Lazada in Singapore, and to develop and drive social strategy across various touchpoints with a focus on engagement and community management.

Amate was most recently the marketing and partnerships director, Asia for Invigor, a retail technology company focused on data analytics, insights and loyalty. For over three and a half years, he helped to shift marketing strategy from outbound to inbound to increase pipeline conversion rate and reduce cost per lead. He was also responsible for generating key WeChat partnerships to accelerate the adoption of WeChat Pay in the region, working closely with WeChat team.

Prior to that, Amate accumulated about a decade of experience in Spain holding various marketing, digital and PR roles. Companies include Zinkia Entertainment and Groupon. Amate's background in retail technology and eCommerce, according to the Lazada Singapore spokesperson, brings the "perfect skillset combination" to help the company solidify its positioning as a "shoppertainment" platform that uplifts shopping experiences and empower merchants to transform into "Super eBusinesses". He will also help with ongoing efforts with local community segments.

Amate joins Lazada just after it rolled out a refreshed customer-centric brand identity, "Go Where Your Heart Beats". He said: "When Lazada Singapore CEO James Chang explained to me what Lazada is trying to achieve, I knew I was joining a great team with a great purpose. Today's marketing is not just about understanding shopping behaviour, but also about providing customers and sellers with the experiences and products they love." Moving forward, Amate said he would be helping the company follow through on its strategy and fulfill its vision.

On the PR front, Lazada Group recently hired former partner at Klareco Communications, Chelsea Phua as vice president of public relations earlier this month. It also recruited Julia Wei from creative agency TSLA to head up the integrated communications. She was previously the GM of TSLA’s Singapore office and also spent close to 10 years with Edelman Singapore.

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