Digital happenings this week from ESPN, Shangri-La, Reckitt Benckiser and more

Consumer packaged goods giant Reckitt Benckiser has appointed social media management platform Syncapse to manage the company's global social-media presence. Syncapse will help the brand manage its social media marketing programmes for over 20 brands including Clearasil, Durex and Lysol on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ in multiple languages. Simon Moutzouris, head of global digital marketing and social media at Reckitt Benckiser, said that Syncapse was selected based on its leadership position in social performance marketing.  

ESPN has launched a multi-platform, ESPNFC, which succeeds ESPNsoccernet as the sports media company's multi-language global football brand. It covers all major leagues and competitions worldwide and expands to TV and mobile.  Via the new brand, ESPN aims to provide unique, customisable digital opportunities for marketers thanks to its ability to detect the location in which its content is being accessed.

AKQA Shanghai has added five planners in its strategic planning department in the last two months, with Edward Wang heading up the team as planning director. The additional four strategic planners are Steven Ma from MediaCom, Paris Yang and Ben Zheng from Wieden + Kennedy, and Lynn Lin from La Miu. General manager David Hunt said that AKQA Shanghai has seen headcount increase from 40 to 70 this year thanks to an increase in work for existing clients including Unilever, Calvin Klein and Uniqlo.

MRM Manila has appointed Sherwin Sowy as deputy MD to drive the agency’s technology innovation. Sowy has more than 10 years of experience in the fields of technology consulting and project management. Reporting to Donald Lim, managing director of MRM Manila, Sowy will drive digital product excellence across the agency’s capabilities in account management, creative, media, production and planning.

Maxus will deploy Effective Measure's campaign measurement and impact research studies for users of its dashboard across Asia-Pacific. The tools will be available to users of Maxus' media-planning dashboard, called Enable. Campaign Measurement allows agencies to optimise and enhance client campaigns as they are running, based on analysis of demographic data and sentiment, according to the companies. Campaign Impact is an evaluation tool that will help evaluate the messaging, creative and environment of online campaigns.

Malaysian broadband provider TIME dotCom (TIME) has selected Upfront Media to bring its update its website. TIME’s website will be architected to meet customers’ demand for more real-time information and allow them to better manage their network useage. It will also see the development of a new user interface for TIME’s customer portal. The overall aim is to ease navigation of the website and improve user-friendliness.

Initiative Australia has appointed Olia Krivtchoun as head of digital in its Sydney office to beef up its digital capabilities there. Krivtchoun has been director of client strategy at Isobar North America in New York for the past two years. Her key roles there have been to drive innovation in multi-channel client strategy, management and planning across key accounts as well as lead creative teams across the US.

Aegis Group's iProspect Hong Kong has been chosen to handle Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts' global SEM (search engine marketing) and SEO (search engine optimisation) activities at both the corporate and individual hotel levels following a competitive pitch. Digital marketing agency AsiaPac Net Media confirmed with Campaign Asia-Pacific that the agency still worked with Shangri-La, but only on its paid-per-click business and is unfamiliar with the hotelier's other digital agencies.

Section 114A, a revised law enacted by policymakers in Malaysia, shackles the freedom of brands to interact with consumers online and potentially leaves brands vulnerable to legal action for comments made by consumers on social-media sites. This also means brands will have to spend more time and resources on digital campaigns and websites they and their business partners run, for end-to-end monitoring. Malaysian activists and bloggers staged an "Internet Blackout Day" on Tuesday 14 Aug to protest the law. Prime Minister Najib Razak later instructed the cabinet to review the law.