The Special Economic Zone Promotion and Management Office is to improve labor skills and see thousands of Lao people employed by SEZs across the country.
The Emotional Campaign That Aims to Awaken “The Iberian Sense” of 111 Million Chinese Consumers
The influential chef Mario Sandoval (2 Michelin Stars) will be the world ambassador for Iberian Ham
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 25 January 2022 – ASICI, with the support of the EU, launches “Iberian Hams from Spain, Ambassadors of Europe in the World,” the most important international promotional program carried out by the Iberian sector in its history. The historic campaign plans to increase sales by 60% in the Asian giant, bringing the excellence of this cultured product closer to more than 111 million Chinese consumers and 70,000 restaurateurs.
Within the framework of this innovative global project, a battery of sensory, emotional, and spectacular actions will be promoted to show Chinese consumers what it means to enjoy Iberian Ham in all its splendour.
“We need to awaken in Chinese consumers what many already feel with Iberian Ham: the ‘Iberian Sense’. A sense that cannot be described; it can only be lived. Through it you perceive sensations and experiences inherent to our culture, the European one, which lead you to enjoy its sublime flavor. We have a unique product in Europe, with a great story behind it, and we are obliged to share it”. That is how clear and sincere Antonio Prieto, president of ASICI, expresses himself when he talks about Iberian Hams from Spain, Ambassadors of Europe in the World”, the new international promotion campaign with which ASICI seeks to stimulate the entire world to awaken its “Iberian Sense” and enjoy the unmistakable flavor of this cultured food.
A global training, education and information project that aims to consolidate and strengthen the Iberian culture in international markets such as China and encourage companies in the sector to expand worldwide. A vivid concept that invites you to try, to discover, and that marks a new position for the sector.
With this emotional and sensitive initiative, expected to awaken the “Iberian Sense” and conquer more than 300 million consumers in Spain, France, Germany and Mexico, in addition to reaching for the first time a market with enormous potential such as China, where it is expected that the growth rate of marketing is exponential, impacting 111 million consumers and 70,000 restaurateurs.
CHEF MARIO SANDOVAL, TWO MICHELIN STARS, WORLD AMBASSADOR OF IBERIAN HAM
“Because the Iberian Sense is not only about smelling, seeing, hearing, tasting or touching; it is also about feeling, sharing, enjoying, celebrating and toasting.“ In this context, an international network made up of influential chefs will bring the benefits of Iberian Ham closer to consumers and will be led by the Spaniard Mario Sandoval (renowned chef at the head of Coque Restaurant’s cuisine) distinguished with two Michelin stars, three Repsol Suns, in addition to a Michelin green star that rewards sustainability in kitchens. With this distinction, the Guide gives visibility to restaurants that share the commitment and strive to innovate through initiatives that preserve the environment. According to Sandoval: “We support the circular economy, reduce waste and encourage both research and awareness. Most of the products are locally sourced.”
The visionary chef from Madrid began to fall in love with cooking and its secrets at the age of ten in the family restaurant, as part of the third generation of chefs to which he belongs to. In 1999 he took over from his father in the gastronomic direction of Coque, together with his brothers. Since then, he has not stopped innovating and reinventing, placing himself at the most vibrant Spanish culinary avant-garde.
Sandoval will be well accompanied by other ambassador chefs like the German Christian Sturm-Willms (head chef of Yunico restaurant, distinguished with a Michelin star), the French Amandine Chaignot (chef of Pouliche restaurant) and the Mexican Carlos Gaytán (first Mexican to receive a Michelin star) Prescribers/influencers who will be in charge of bringing the excellence of this delicacy closer to the consumer and awaken in them the sensations that it transmits: its pleasant and balanced aroma, its intense flavour, its incomparable texture.
EXPERIENTIAL ACTIONS TO BRING ITS GOODNESS CLOSER
“We want to have more than 1,000 European Ham ambassadors around the world, position the product in the 1,000 most important restaurants on the current scene and train more than 1,000 ham cutters. We want to make the world feel, and more specifically prescribers/influencers, consumers and opinion leaders, what many of us already feel with Iberian Ham,” adds Antonio Prieto, president of ASICI.
Within the framework of this innovative global project, a battery of emotional and sensory actions will be promoted to show Chinese consumers what it means to enjoy Iberian Ham in all of its splendour. Powerful promotional and informative actions such as advertising on different supports and media, an ambitious digital campaign on social media networks with foodie influencers who will become speakers of the messages, a multilingual website, event sponsorships and campaign video spots. In addition, a powerful campaign has been devised in television, digital and magazine media, as well as an ambitious social media plan on WeChat.
This project will be complemented, at a global level, with an important plan of specific PR actions in each market and for each target: “tasting table events”, “trade workshop experience”, promotions at points of sale, gastronomic festival route, and the sponsorship of the San Sebastian International Film Festival and the Cannes Festival, as well as strategic agreements with the Spanish embassies in each of the target countries and alliances with gastronomic organisations, such as industry associations in China.
“CHINA IS THE MARKET WITH THE GREATEST POTENTIAL TO WHICH WE ARE ADDRESSING”
Having become the largest consumer market in the world, changes in consumption trends driven by rising per capita income and the development of the middle classes (in 2030, it is expected that 35% of the population, some 480 million people, are considered middle class) have generated a greater propensity to purchase imported products with higher added value.
In this context, exports to China continue to increase, and proof is that in recent years there has been a growing interest in this country for Ham, reflected in the number of companies authorised to export to the country.
According to the data provided by the Spanish Foreign Trade Institute (ICEX), the growing interest of Chinese consumers in Cured Ham has been witnessed. In 2021, sales of Spanish Cured Hams and Shoulders including Iberian and Serrano, grew more than 32.96% in value to exceed 17.35 million euros, and 80.8% in volume reaching 1,059.72 tons (data until October 2021). For Hong Kong, a total volume of 164.04 tons have been reached in 2021, with a sales of 3.89 million euros. These data reflect the excellent trade relations between both countries. This campaign is expected to increase sales figures by 60% over the next three years.
For more information about the campaign, please visit: https://jamonesibericoseu.eu/en/ and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_lp-b81Ht-Sx4BlefZPng .
About ASICI
The Interprofessional Association of the Iberian Pig (ASICI) is a non-profit Interprofessional Agrifood Organization (OIA) in which more than 95% of the organizations in the production branch (farmers) and more than 95% of the branch of the transformation (industrial) of Iberian pork are represented. Created in 1992, it was recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1999 as an Interprofessional Agrifood Organization for the Iberian Pig Sector.
#ASICI
Laos Confirms 560 New Cases of Covid-19, Two Deaths
Laos has recorded 560 cases of Covid-19 across the country today, with two new deaths.
Thai Consumers Turn to Crocodile Meat As Pork Prices Soar
Consumers in Thailand have turned to crocodile meat in the face of soaring pork prices.
Chubb Commits US$10,000 Grant to Support Dementia Care in Singapore
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 25 January 2022 – The Chubb Charitable Foundation announced today that it has committed a USD10,000 grant to Dementia Singapore – a Social Service Agency specialising in dementia care, caregiver support, training, consultancy, and advocacy.
The grant will support Dementia Singapore’s activities to promote dementia care through CARA – a lifestyle and community digital platform that provides easy access for persons living with dementia and caregivers to connect to an ecosystem of solutions.
CARA, an acronym for Community, Assurance, Rewards, Acceptance – the four main functions of the membership programme, is the first dementia membership programme of its kind in the world. It is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The CARA membership and app download is free.
The key features of the CARA mobile application include:
- Safe Return: An initiative supported by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), CARA serves as a unique identifier for persons with dementia, providing assurance that members can continue to move freely and independently within a safe community, giving caregivers greater peace of mind.
- Connected Care Circle: With CARA, multiple family members in the care circle can link their CARA accounts to their loved ones living with dementia and receive Safe Return notifications.
- Tailored Rewards: CARA members can enjoy benefits suited to their care journey such as discounts and priority privileges from our carefully selected partners.
- Ecosystem of Solutions: Members can access a curated list of solution providers relevant to their needs. They can navigate options at their fingertips and tap on the community platform for further support and resources throughout their dementia journey.
In Singapore, one in 10 people aged 60 and above suffers from dementia and this corresponds to approximately 82,000 people in 2018. This number is also projected to increase to 152,000 by 20301.
“We believe CARA will be a useful digital companion for the dementia community,” said Mr Stanley Ho, Dementia Singapore’s Director of Advocacy & Communications, whose team is leading the development of the CARA app. “With CARA providing a key touchpoint that caters to their various dementia care needs, we hope people impacted by dementia can benefit from using this app and continue to lead fulfilling and enriching lives,” Mr. Ho added.
Chubb Insurance Singapore Limited’s Country President Kevin Bogardus said, “We are delighted to partner with Dementia Singapore to support the development of the CARA app as well as other campaigns towards members’ engagement. Through these efforts, we are doing our part to help make dementia more manageable for all.”
1 https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/74/understanding-dementia
About Chubb Singapore
Chubb is the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer. Chubb Insurance Singapore Limited, via acquisitions by its predecessor companies, has been present in Singapore since 1948. Chubb in Singapore provides underwriting and risk management expertise for all major classes of general insurance. The company’s product offerings include Financial Lines, Casualty, Property, Marine, Industry Practices as well as Group insurance solutions for large corporates, multinationals, small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, to meet the evolving needs of consumers, it also offers a suite of tailored Accident & Health and Personal & Specialty insurance options through a multitude of distribution channels including bancassurance, independent distribution partners and affinity partnerships.
Over the years, Chubb in Singapore has established strong client relationships by delivering responsive service, developing innovative products and providing market leadership built on financial strength.
More information can be found at www.chubb.com/sg.
#Chubb
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
ViLab and Actoplus form partnership to tap China’s booming virtual idol space
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 25 January 2022 – ViLab Limited, a Hong Kong-based metaverse service provider, has formed an exclusive partnership with Actoplus Holding Ltd. to develop virtual idols and other metaverse technology, with the goal of capturing opportunities from the transformation of digital brand marketing in Mainland China.
Over the past year, virtual Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) have become an increasingly popular way for both domestic and global brands to connect with Chinese audience, particularly the younger generation. The collaboration between ViLab and Actoplus, a provider of e-commerce, digital marketing and live streaming services for fashion and lifestyle brands in Greater China and other Asian regions, will see the two companies work together on the creation and maintenance of virtual idols. These characters can be deployed for an array of commercial functions, such as brand endorsement, livestreaming broadcast and both online and offline marketing campaigns.
Fully-developed and powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced animation technology, virtual idols bear close semblance to real human and are now being adopted by a diverse range of industries from fashion to gaming to financial services. The size of the virtual idol market in China reached US$540 million in 2020, a 70% jump from a year earlier and was expected to reach US$17 billion in 2021, according to consultancy iiMedia research.
The latest partnership represents another milestone for ViLab and a significant step towards building brand awareness and access to the world’s largest consumer market. Actoplus is the first Hong Kong company to be certified as a high-quality brand service provider, or “Douyin Partner,” by Douyin, the leading Chinese live-streaming and e-commerce platform.
Since its founding, ViLab and its partners have been developing and upgrading virtual human and background technologies such as face-shifting, lip synchronization and voice cloning. ViLab in November announced a partnership with Gulliver Studios, the special effect creator behind the South Korean drama series Squid Game, to explore collaboration in three-dimensional (3D) and computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology.
Ric Wu, Chairman and Founder of ViLab, said: “We are delighted about this collaboration as virtual idols has been a dominant feature in our metaverse vision since our founding. Access to the world’s biggest consumer market where digital marketing is seen as one of the next frontiers will give us the perfect platform to test and launch many of our ideas and technology.”
Vincent Lau, Chairman of Actoplus, said: “This collaboration with ViLab will make use of Actoplus’s expertise in digital marketing and e-commerce to jointly develop business in Mainland China. At the same time, Actoplus will connect ViLab with existing and potential partners in the metaverse space, to further explore the range of possibilities presented by the new digital era and reinvent business models for the future.”
About ViLab
ViLab Limited is a professional metaverse service provider based in Hong Kong. With a focus on using artificial intelligence to build and upgrade virtual identity and behavior in the metaverse, it strives to provide 360-degree solutions to individuals and corporates in adapting to the latest changes in web experience. Its core mission is to equip clients in their journey to explore the possibility and potential of the metaverse. Through the creation of a parallel universe, they can also search for solutions to real life problems.
About Actoplus
Actoplus Holdings Ltd. provides e-commerce, digital marketing and live streaming services in Greater China and other Asian regions for top lifestyle and fashion brands include Evisu, I.T, Alpha Industries, Geox and 90 Fun. It is the first Hong Kong-based company to be certified as a high-quality brand service provider by Douyin, the leading Chinese ecommerce and live streaming platform.
#ViLab #Actoplus
Vientiane Man Arrested in Possession of 40 Stolen Vehicles
Police in Hatsaifong District, Vientiane Capital, have arrested a man found in possession of 40 stolen vehicles.
Nagarro SE: Nagarro prepares for metaverse with RipeConcepts
MUNICH, GERMANY – EQS Newswire – 24 January 2022 – Nagarro, a global leader in digital engineering, has reached an agreement with the shareholders of RipeConcepts, a leader in global digital creative services, to bring the companies together.
Headquartered in Salt Lake City, USA, with the majority of its employees in Cebu, Philippines, RipeConcepts positions itself as “digital lightning in a bottle” and delivers high quality, multi-channel creative content at scale. The company especially excels in the creative digital disciplines of design, illustration, 3D modelling, animation and marketing. Its clients include Fortune 500 companies as well as Silicon Valley unicorns. It has over 650 full-time employees and 2021 revenues in the region of 10 million Euro. The company has won several design awards.
For Nagarro, the transaction strengthens its design and creative capabilities. These enhanced capabilities could be deployed to improve existing offerings but also to develop new offerings related to a vision of a “metaverse” future. In addition, the transaction provides Nagarro access to the highly educated workforce in the Philippines.
Paul Lyon, founder/CEO at RipeConcepts, and an award-winning entrepreneur, states: “We at RipeConcepts consider ourselves a unique boutique and, like Nagarro, love to solve problems for our Fortune 500 and unicorn clients. After 30 years of successful entrepreneurship and multiple M&A processes, I can say that it’s rare to meet a more ‘authentic’ group of forward-thinking global entrepreneurs than the folks at Nagarro, especially given their corporate design and culture to match. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be partnering with a like-minded team of savvy world-class digital engineers. I am excited about our future together.”
Manas Fuloria, co-founder at Nagarro, states: “Some things are meant to happen! We were lucky to be introduced to RipeConcepts and Paul by a valued client some years ago, and we stayed in touch. Paul’s entrepreneurial vision and entrepreneurial (delete) energy coupled with the execution ability of his colleagues, especially that of President and COO Miles Nepomuceno, have resulted in a truly impressive business. This is a deliberate, strategic acquisition for Nagarro given the direction in which consumer technology is heading. We believe that by putting together our traditional capabilities with those of our friends at RipeConcepts, we will be able to conjure up exciting new possibilities for our clients around the world.”
About Nagarro:
Nagarro, a global digital engineering leader, helps clients become innovative, digital-first companies and thus win in their markets. The company is distinguished by its entrepreneurial, agile, and global character, its CARING mindset, and its approach of thinking breakthroughs. Nagarro employs over 12,000 people in 27 countries.