XM Gravity appointed as XL Axiata digital agency

April 13 2012, 9:16 am | BY Lynchy | No Comments

XM Asia Pacific’s newly-acquired Indonesian unit, XM Gravity, has been named Digital Agency of Record for PT. XL Axiata Tbk, the country’s third-largest telecommunications company.

This significant business win is the first since JWT’s XM Asia Pacific bought XM Gravity, Indonesia’s largest digital agency, in March. The deal underscores the value of XM Asia Pacific’s push into Indonesia, one of Asia’s hottest digital markets and one of the fastest-growing advertising markets in the world.

“This is an exciting client and a fast-paced, competitive industry. We are thrilled to be working for Axiata,” says Kevin Mintaraga, CEO of XM Gravity. “We look forward to flexing our creative muscle in this very vibrant sector.”

Indonesia is one of the largest social media markets in the world, and is Facebook’s third largest market, after the U.S. and India. While PC ownership is still in the growth phase, millions of Indonesians use their mobile phones to access social media sites. The penetration rate of both mobile phones and 3G in Indonesia is extremely high, and outstrips both China and India. Indonesia is also one of the fastest-growing advertising markets. The country will be the fifth largest contributor of new advertising expenditure in the world this year, according to MindShare.

“XL has full confidence that XM Gravity, together with XL’s Digital Marketing team, will change the marketing landscape in Indonesia, which is fast becoming more digital and more mobile,” Tommy Wattimena, Sr. VP Brand & Marketing PT. XL Axiata Tbk.

XM Gravity, which was founded in 2008 as Magnivate, develops internet, mobile and social media campaigns for a notable roster of clients, including Danone, Unilever, Frisian Flag, Samsung and Indofood. XM Asia Pacific, which is the largest digital agency in Singapore, has operations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong.  

“We are in growth mode, and winning this business so soon after we closed the deal is a real coup for XM.  I’m proud of Kevin’s team, and look forward to working with them,” said Paul Soon, CEO, XM Asia Pacific. “It’s great to be working with such a big client one of Asia’s most dynamic digital ad markets.”