In this weekly segment, ExchangeWire sums up key industry updates on ad tech from around the Asia-Pacific region – and in this edition: China leads mobile ad growth; SPH invests in Australia's Brand New Media; Eyeota data powers Rocket Fuel; Rokkan opens shop in Singapore; and Innovid gets new APAC head.

China leads mobile ad growth

Eight of the top 10 highest growing global mobile ad markets are from Asia; with China clocking a 1,246% year-on-year climb in mobile ad spend for the fourth quarter of 2015.

According to Smaato's Global Trends in Mobile Advertising Report for the quarter, China's "staggering" growth was the highest recorded on the ad tech vendor's mobile ad platform.

With the exception of China's four-figure increase, several countries also saw healthy triple-digit growth rates, with Hong Kong registering a 279% climb, New Zealand a 171% growth, Singapore at 116%, and Indonesia and Bangladesh each clocking 110% growth rate.

In terms of mobile impressions growth for the quarter, China also led the pack globally at 203%; with seven other Asian markets ranked from fourth to 10th positions, including the Philippines, which placed fourth at 105%, followed by Indonesia's 101%, and Bangladesh at 87%. Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Japan rounded up the top 10 list. Venezuela and Canada were second and third with a growth rate of 191% and 127%, respectively.

Based on quarterly ad spend and growth rates, Smaato forecasted that China would rise further to be on par with the US as the biggest ad market on its platform in 2018, not considering currency fluctuations.

"This prediction is intended as a wakeup call for advertisers and publishers unfamiliar with China's unique mobile market", Smaato said, noting that four of the top five smartphone vendors in the country were domestic players, with leader Huawei accounting for 15.2% of the market.

The ad tech firm added that apps dominated mobile websites in terms of global ad spend at 77%, up from 64% in the fourth quarter of 2014. Apps also accounted for a bigger share of the mobile web in both the Asia-Pacific and EMEA regions.

SPH invests in Australia's Brand New Media

Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) says it has invested SGD$6.8m (£3.5m) in Brand New Media Singapore (BNMS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Australia-based video content marketing platform, Brand New Media.

The Singapore publisher said the investment would enable advertisers to tap its media assets with BNMS's capabilities in video marketing, including the latter's channelPLAY content management platform. The Australian company also runs a network of lifestyle video channels and can offer insights to help improve video ad experience.

"By offering advertisers effective video solutions for their integrated marketing campaigns across multiple touchpoints, they will be able to enjoy a stronger holistic solution for content creation and targeted distribution across print, digital, and radio", SPH said, adding that the investment would drive the company's growth in the online video market.

SPH digital division head, Julian Tan, added: "In recent years, consumption of online videos has seen a steady rise in Singapore. This highlights the relevance of videos not just to consumers, but also as a key marketing tool for brands and advertisers. SPH's strategic investment into BNMS comes at an opportune time as we strive to complement and enhance our video storytelling capabilities."

Eyeota data powers Rocket Fuel

The Singapore-based ad tech vendor has announced a new global partnership that will see its datasets made available on Rocket Fuel's programmatic buying platform.

This will allow online ads to be targeted to specific audience groups via the programmatic platform, which also features Rocket Fuel's Moment Scoring technology, according to the companies' joint statement. Powered by big data analytics, the software carries out real-time calculation of ad opportunities based on the campaign's objectives and uses the algorithm to determine the likelihood consumers will participate in a particular action.

Rocket Fuel's EMA vice president of product and operations, David Nelson, said: "Enhancing our Moment Scoring [technology] with the addition of further qualified data enables us to better meet our clients' needs, which is why Eyeota is intrinsically linked to our strategy."

Rokkan opens shop in Singapore

The creative and media agency this week marked its expansion into Asia-Pacific with a new office in Singapore.

Part of the Publicis Groupe, Rokkan in Singapore is led by Publicis Communications CEO Lou Dela Pena.

The agency had begun work with Mikimoto in the US in 2013, when it relaunched the US brand, managing digital marketing, media strategy, and planning. With this development, Rokkan took over the responsibility of driving Mikimoto's global digital initiatives, which would revolve around the agency's Singapore outfit.

Rokkan CEO and co-founder John Noe said: "Redefining what digital means for us has been a core part of our journey since [the Publicis] acquisition. We spent the better part of our time blurring the edges, pushing into broader brand and creative duties, media planning, PR, and so on. And, now, a truly global expansion helps bring a model we're beginning to crack into brand new territories."

The agency's expansion across the region would be spearheaded by its CXO and co-founder, Chung Ng, who added: "We have been looking at the Asia-Pacific region for quite some time. There is huge opportunity in this market to apply Rokkan's experience and expertise in building customer-centric experiences for travel, CPG, and luxury."

Carolyn Bollaci

Innovid gets new APAC head

The video marketing platform has appointed Carolyn Bollaci as its managing director in Asia-Pacific, where she will support the company's growth across the region, including Southeast Asia, India, China, Australia, and Japan.

Prior to her new appointment, Bollaci was Australia and New Zealand vice president for Sizmek, having spent almost seven years with the ad tech company.

Innovid co-founder and CEO Zvika Netter said: "This is a pivotal time for Innovid, as we see a growing demand around the globe for marketing platforms that can help brands and agencies reach audiences with video on every device. Carolyn brings a unique blend of experience in media, advertising, sales, and Asia-Pacific culture; which will be a major asset for Innovid as we continue to substantially expand our operations across the region."

Bollaci, who has more than 12 years of industry experience spanning Australia and the US, added: "As mobile continues to boom and OTT (over-the-top) services become more readily available throughout Asia-Pacific, digital video will remain the number one way for marketers in the region to engage consumers in our increasingly connected world."