Mediabrands rolls out content studio in MY with Stanley Clement as CEO

IPG Mediabrands has expanded its Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) in Malaysia with Stanley Clement (pictured) as CEO, reporting to Bala Pomaleh, CEO of Mediabrands Malaysia. Reprise Creative, SpringCreek and Initiative Studio Malaysia will integrate as one entity under the MBCS banner which will act as the parent creative network, with Ensemble Worldwide remaining as a standalone brand.

Clement was formerly MD of Reprise Digital overseeing the creative and content business. He will be supported by Phang Mei Jeng (pictured below left) as MD of MBCS and Didi Pirinyuang (pictured below right) as ECD of MBCS, while they continue leading the Ensemble Worldwide business.

MBCS Malaysia will focus on the development of short – and long – form original, branded, performance and campaign content. As well, MBCS will provide a suite of entertainment solutions including the development of media, talent, influencer strategies, and production partnerships designed to powerfully grow clients’ brands. It will also support Mediabrands agencies including UM, Initiative, and Reprise.

While Mediabrands did not specify why it chose to keep Ensemble as a standalone brand, its spokesperson told A+M that the goal is to fuel advanced creative stories with its media and audience knowledge. "This closes the gap between expectation and experience for our audiences by co-creating and integrating our strategic partners into our product, delivering creativity across the whole funnel," the spokesperson added.

Nonetheless, with Malaysia having a very robust practice and presence, the agency believes that the opportunity becomes better for clients and brands to leverage the solutions that are built by MBCS.

When asked what are the key trends the team is keeping an eye on, Clement told A+M that a key reality in this area is the democratisation of creativity, especially in this fast growing creator economy. "At MBCS, we believe it is imperative to build a culture of partnership. This requires a deeply integrated approach where creators, media and data work intrinsically together," he said.

Meanwhile, Pomaleh explained that the launch of MBCS in Malaysia reinforces the agency's commitment to continuous evolution in its offerings, by integrating new and innovative content models more tightly into client solutions. "By bringing together the best of Mediabrands creativity through the power of our data and media expertise, we will be able to create content experiences that build our brands in more exciting ways than ever before," he added.

MBCS’s launch in Malaysia is part of MBCS’s larger international growth strategy, which plans to expand the global agency from 12 to 20 territories by the end of 2022. The move signifies a deeper commitment by IPG Mediabrands to broaden the scale and scope of content offerings for clients across the network.

MBCS was rolled out in 2020 and Brendan Gaul was appointed global chief content officer back then. Months later, Amit Sutha, former CEO of UM Malaysia and Ensemble Malaysia, was appointed EVP, executive director global business of MBCS. Based in New York, he now oversees the development and deployment of specialised content capabilities and teams across Mediabrands’ top markets.

Alfonso Marian, global chief creative officer and global CEO of MBCS, said Malaysia has always been very strong creatively, so formalising its content offerings by way of launching MBCS in the market was a natural next step for the agency. "We’re excited to see the work Malaysia will produce with the added support of MBCS’s global network," he added.

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