Singapore publisher alliance adds seven new partners to ramp up programmatic efforts
The Singapore Media Exchange (SMX) has added seven media publishers and marketplace owners to its stable as it looks to open up its programmatic offering.
According to SMX, it's expanded stable will offer advertisers a one-stop selection of programmatic brand-safe options.
The publisher co-op, jointly formed by both Mediacorp and Singapore Press Holdings, has welcomed Hong Kong-based over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service Viu, Malaysia-based marketplace Mudah and Blaze Digital, the digital marketing arm of pay tv operator Astro.
Singapore's second-hand marketplace Carousell, Thailand-based news portal Sanook and marketplace Kaidee, and the Philippines’ GMA New Media complete the raft of new partnerships.
SMX claimed its expanded stable will offer advertisers a one-stop selection of programmatic brand-safe options to reach top-quality audiences across South East Asia, including exclusive access to premium formats.
SMX will also have more opportunities to combine its own first-party data with those of its partners, creating richer audience data for more precise and effective targeting.
It has tapped Rahul Raj, a former programmatic director at Dentsu Aegis Network, as its new programmatic market development director to work with brands and agencies across Singapore to meet their programmatic demand and drive further adoption for premium programmatic as an above-the-line channel.
“SMX was launched in early 2018 with the vision to provide premium, brand-safe programmatic advertising at scale to brands. As we approach our first full year of operations, it gives me a lot of cheer in welcoming our new premium partners in South East Asia,” said Hari Shankar, the chief executive officer of SMX.
“These regional partnerships I believe will propel SMX towards a strong regional offering that reinforces our ability to provide buyers with rich audiences, precision targeting, and innovative ad formats while making the supply accessible with more buying options and across bidders."
Shankar previously outlined to The Drum how SMX differs from other co-ops like the Pangaea Alliance, DELTA Alliance, Kiwi Premium Advertising Exchange (KPEX) and Malaysia Premium Publishers Marketplace.
At a publishers roundtable organised by The Drum in July 2018, Mediacorp and SPH shared their journey to form SMX with Kaidee, Malaysia’s The Star, India’s Times Network and Indonesia-based Kompas Gramedia Group.