SG social media agency Duo Studio expands into Malaysia

Singapore-based social media agency Duo Studio has expanded its operations to Kuala Lumpur, marking its first overseas presence outside Singapore. The Malaysian team will support some of Duo Singapore’s regional clients, as well as its new clients including BreadTalk, Toast Box, ParkRoyal Collection, and Poh Heng Jewellery.

Duo Studio plans to further expand the team in the next quarter to support growing customer needs. Founder Stephanie Phua and key members from the Singapore team will also be travelling to Kuala Lumpur to ensure consistency of services across both its Singapore and Malaysia offices.

According to Phua, Southeast Asia is a vital market for most of Duo Studio's clients. She said having local partnerships and certain similarities between Singapore's and Malaysia's culture, allowed for the market expansion to be a "relatively easy process".

“Social media market maturity across Malaysia is quite uneven. While there are great campaigns, we also see some brands struggling. We see an opportunity to help MNCs stay relevant and upskill mid-sized companies to be able to compete with impactful campaigns, ” Phua added.

The agency has also set up its influencer arm based in Singapore, after seeing an increase in the number of requests from existing and new clients for more cohesive and social media integrated influencer campaigns. Phua said it is vital for brands to look beyond usual seeding and event appearances when it comes to their influencers campaigns.

"Brands need to better integrate influencers into the larger social and digital media brand strategy, and that’s where we come in to bridge the gap. Many influencers Duo Studio worked with are more than just an extended outreach platform, many are creators in their own right with unique collaborative opportunities, which is great for brands,” she added. The company has worked on ongoing and campaign-based influencer engagements for brands including Capella Hotel Group, MINI Singapore, Poh Heng, Tiger Balm, and UNIQLO.

Marketing has reached out to Duo Studio for additional information on the market expansion, account wins, and future plans for its influencer arm.

Founded in 2015, Duo Studio prides itself in creating original bespoke social media content and strategies. The agency has won several accounts over the years. Last year, AMOREPACIFIC Singapore appointed Duo Studio to manage its premium lines – Laneige and Mamonde. In 2017, the agency also won multiple accounts from MINI Singapore, UNIQLO, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, and National Arts Council (NAC). Some of its brands Duo Studio has worked with also include American Express, Capella Hotel Group, Disney Southeast Asia, Tiger Balm, and Certis CISCO.

According to Phua, marketing trends and platforms are constantly changing so it is difficult to stick to one particular way of doing things. "Regardless if it is a social media, social PR, influencer brief, or even if there’s no clear brief, our approach is to tackle it from the brand challenge first, align it with objectives, and then strategise the best approach  and outreach avenues,” she added.

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