When a company the size of Unilever presses the freeze button, the ripple is rarely contained to its own corridors. The Dove and Lifebuoy maker has imposed a global hiring freeze “at all levels” for at least three months, citing mounting geopolitical pressures tied to the escalating conflict in the
By Communicate StaffAs geopolitical tensions continue to test the Middle East’s business environment, marketing and media leaders across the GCC are demonstrating how resilience is built not through silence, but through thoughtful communication, operational agility, and people-first leadership. From global networks to regional agencies, the common theme emerging from industry
By Bobby McGill McCann Singapore’s Behavioral Sciences and Insights Manager on how brands are expressing authenticity through humor, play, and joyful imperfection. In an era where brands are trying to connect with audiences on more human terms, how they define and express authenticity is changing. According to McCann’s recent NextUp culture drop, the most
By Robert Klara Brands get off on looking nervy, and social media loves a good fight.Fifteen years ago, McDonald’s delivered Burger King a gut punch in the form of a commercial. It featured a little boy frustrated by his school chums stealing his McDonald’s fries, so he comes up with an ingenious
Shield Insurance Broker partner with VML Thailand turns “After Shit Happens Service” into Thailand’s most addictive micro drama series. In Thailand, hard sell doesn’t get softer. It gets more entertaining. When Shield Insurance Broker briefed a campaign to promote its “After Shit Happens Service”—a comprehensive post-incident support offering packed with
Five years and an estimated US$80 billion investment, Meta is stepping back from one of its boldest bets: Horizon Worlds. The company has confirmed the platform will be removed from the Quest Store by March 31, with a full shutdown set for June 15. A limited mobile version will remain.
For a brief moment, it looked like the future of filmmaking had arrived in a text box. Type a prompt. Get a scene. Add a tweak. Roll credits. Then, just as quickly, it’s over. Sora — the much-hyped AI video tool from OpenAI — is being shut down less than
Developed in collaboration with VML Malaysia, the campaign taps into how younger Malaysians are celebrating Raya today. This Raya, KFC Malaysia is celebrating the season with “Ini Baru Riuh”, a campaign inspired by the lively moments with KFC that make Raya gatherings even more memorable. From laughter filling the room
There are acquisitions that signal scale. And then there are acquisitions that signal intent. Foodie Media’s purchase of an 80% stake in WTM Media for RM250,000 falls squarely into the latter. On paper, it’s a modest deal. In practice, it’s a sharp pivot into a cultural space that many brands
Everyone is counting the bodies. The headlines have done the arithmetic—thousands of roles gone, bonus pools tightened, belts pulled in across the system. WPP ended the year with roughly 9,000 fewer people, depending on how you slice the exits. It reads like a crisis story. But that’s the easy version.
