Author: jezzabellemente

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Yantai, situated in Shandong Peninsula, has given top priority to ecological protection in recent years as measures have been strengthened to manage marine resources and restore ecological environment, laying the foundation for sustainable development and improving people’s living environment.

Recently, a total of 875 tons of waste in 125 locations were cleaned up thus far, in December since Yantai launched the ‘Clean Beach’ campaign, according to Xinhua (Qingdao) International Ocean Information Center.

The campaign is to engage all the coastal districts and county-level cities in cleaning up floating garbage and domestic waste from rivers, mudflats and the coastal zone.

According to a statement, the coastal zone stretching nearly 10,000 metres that used to be messy has taken on a clean and fresh look.

Facing both the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea, Yantai has a sea area of 26,000 square kilometres, ranking among the top in China based on the marine economy.

Yantai, as a seaside city and home to the largest number of national-level marine ranch, deems marine ranch development as an important way to grow fishery resources, protect biodiversity and develop marine culture.

It encourages and supports relevant enterprises to build circular culture workshops and efficiently treat the waste water which has realised comprehensive waste utilisation and regional water use circulation.

Yantai is also committed to coastal zone restoration. It has enacted a series of new regulations such as the Regulations on Coastal Zone Protection of Yantai, and implemented the eco-protection and restoration project for Changdao Island.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — The Chiba Prefectural Government has introduced popular tourist spots for viewing colourful autumn leaves on its official mascot character CHI-BA+KUN’s Facebook page.

Since Chiba Prefecture is close to Tokyo, not only is enjoying autumn leaves convenient, but visitors can also appreciate fall foliage at various spots such as gorges, temples, and parks, according to a statement.

The Chiba Prefectural Government is also introducing various attractions such as tourist spots and delicious foods to the people of Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam as part of its efforts to let them know about Chiba Prefecture.

Relevant information is available on the Facebook pages. The Facebook pages are Taiwan: CHI-BA+KUN; Thailand: Chibakun Japan; Malaysia: Chibakun Japan for Malaysia; Singapore: Chibakun Japan for Singapore; and, Vietnam: Chibakun Japan for Vietnam.

CHI-BA+KUN is a curious creature born and living in Chiba Prefecture. Its side profile represents the shape of Chiba Prefecture.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — The ‘Cross the Sea – Gather in Haikou on the New Year’s Eve’ Carnival Festival runs until February-end next year, according to the Haikou Tourism Development Commission.

With numerous international connections, visitors are drawn to Hainan for the scenery and the sunshine, some of China’s finest hotels are set along its miles of palm-fringed sand beaches and in its waterside capital Haikou, fondly known as the Coconut City.

Not only is Haikou the gateway to Hainan, it also has its own charm, with many pretty historic neighbourhoods known as Qilou, characterised by pedestrianised streets and white-washed, porticoed arcades of cafes, shops and handicraft markets.

Encompassing more than 200 cultural and entertainment events during the festive season – the ‘Cross the Sea’ festival will see Haikou’s streets, parks and beaches transformed with music, theatre, art and sporting events, according to a statement.

The hip Haikou Bay Bund will be the setting for street art performances, while duty-free shops will be offering discounts for the duration of the festival – a nod to newly unveiled plans to transform the island into Hainan Free Trade Port – China’s largest free-trade zone.

This Carnival Festival is planned to make ‘Gather in Haikou’ a brand of Haikou and ‘the city of New Year’s Eve’ more established as Haikou’s urban symbol.

This will be of great significance for Haikou to deepen integration between culture and tourism, build an international tourism consumption centre and support the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port.|

— BERNAMA

73 percent expect to maintain or increase streaming viewership after the Covid pandemic

89 percent of Southeast Asian viewers will watch ads in exchange for free programming

SINGAPORE, Dec 8 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Today, The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) announced new, first-of-its-kind research in the Southeast Asia market, showing that 180 million consumers stream eight billion hours of over-the-top (OTT) content per month across Southeast Asia – making OTT one of the fastest growing media channels in the region. OTT services enable viewers to stream professionally-produced video content over the internet on demand, from any device including smart TVs, personal computers or mobile devices.

The study, which surveyed usage and viewing habits on OTT platforms in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, showed that COVID-19 has accelerated OTT adoption. More than half (57 percent) of OTT users say they’re streaming more OTT content during the pandemic. These habits are likely to continue even after COVID-19 with 73 percent planning to maintain or increase OTT consumption after the pandemic ends.

“The pandemic has ushered in an accelerated shift to OTT, and there’s no turning back. This is not surprising, given that many consumers have been spending more time at home, and OTT content is more convenient and more accessible than ever,” said Mitch Waters, SVP of Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, The Trade Desk. “Our research shows, however, that this shift is only going in one direction. Advertisers understand this. They want to move their campaigns to reach consumers where they are, and so they can apply data to video campaigns in ways that are simply not possible via traditional channels, such as linear TV.”

Underscoring this point, the study also showed that OTT has the potential to seriously disrupt traditional primetime TV. The majority of OTT viewers (70 percent) prefer to tune in between the hours of 8PM-12AM, bringing streaming into direct competition with traditional TV for valuable primetime audiences. Moreover, nearly one in five OTT viewers hadn’t watched any traditional TV at all in the three months prior to the survey. Southeast Asian viewers are also looking to OTT for their favorite content, with 58 percent tuning in to OTT to watch their favorite programming versus just 48 percent on traditional broadcast.

As part of this shift, Southeast Asian viewers are willing to embrace ads for free content. Regionally, more than 100 million people use ad-supported OTT platforms, with the vast majority of viewers (89 percent) willing to watch ads in exchange for free programming.

“As streaming services continue to provide more and richer streaming content to fulfill growing demand for OTT content, brands can create engaging advertising experiences that Southeast Asian viewers are willing to consume,” said Waters. “And with OTT, advertisers have the opportunity to invest in data-driven advertising approaches and platforms that will help them succeed in this new future of TV.”

Key findings from the research include:

• 180 million Southeast Asians use OTT streaming services.
• Viewers stream eight billion hours of OTT per month across Southeast Asia, with three billion hours in Indonesia alone. Other top markets include the Philippines (2.2 billion hours streamed/month), Thailand (1.41 billion hours/month) and Vietnam (1 billion hours/month).
• 57 percent of OTT viewers have increased streaming during COVID and 73 percent plan to maintain or increase OTT consumption even after the pandemic. Streaming uptake during COVID has been fastest in Indonesia, with 66 percent streaming more, 59 percent in Vietnam and 58 percent in Malaysia.
• Regionally, 17 percent of OTT viewers haven’t watched any traditional TV in the three months prior to responding to the survey. That number is higher in the Philippines (22 percent) and Malaysia (23 percent).
• 89 percent of Southeast Asian viewers will watch ads in exchange for free streaming content. Indonesia and Philippines are especially ad tolerant, with the number of viewers willing to watch four or more ads per hour of free content at 38 percent and 42 percent respectively.
• Advertisers can reach more than 100 million consumers in Southeast Asia on ad-supported platforms. Ad-supported streaming is especially popular in Thailand, where advertisers can reach 7 out of 10 Thai OTT viewers.

Methodology

This report was commissioned by The Trade Desk and carried out by the world’s leading marketing data, insight, and consultancy, Kantar. Kantar conducted a survey among 4,500 consumers, ages 16+ in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia in September 2020.

About The Trade Desk

The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201207006003/en/

Contact

Jennie Johnson
The Trade Desk
jennie.johnson@thetradedesk.com

Source : The Trade Desk

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 2 (Bernama) — Judges of the Maybank Foundation – Perdana Leadership Foundation ‘Empowering Youth for a Better ASEAN’ Writing and Photo Contest 2020 are in for a tough time as the contest, themed “Climate Action”, attracted over 7,000 written and photographic submissions from young Malaysians as of its closing date of 30 November 2020.

Open to all Malaysians between the age of 13 and 23, the contest invited works of short fiction, essays, as well as photographs. Written entries range from dystopian sci-fi to serious reflections on environmental issues, while Instagram entries with the theme “Save the Environment” depict images that ranged from lush landscapes in need of protection to endangered wildlife. This year’s contest judges include fiction authors Tunku Halim, Hanna Alkaf, Arman Jazee, and Tina Isaacs, non-fiction authors Khairul Abdullah, Lydia Teh, Alexandra Wong, and Johan Irwan, professional photographers Che Ahmad Azhar, Trisha Toh, and Mahen Bala, academics Dr Salinah Ja’afar and Dr Hasmidar, teacher Cikgu Hailmi, as well as TV talk show host Terrence Dass. With the many creative entries submitted by our young leaders, they now face the daunting task of determining the contest winners!

Tan Sri Nik Mohamed Nik Yaacob, Executive Director, Perdana Leadership Foundation, said, “Given the challenges of Covid-19 and multiple movement restrictions, we are delighted by the response of the contest, especially from secondary school students. Through this contest, we hope to encourage critical thinking on the very pressing issue of the environment, as well as emphasise the continued importance of communication skills to good leadership. We thank all entrants for their submission and thank also the parents, teachers, and lecturers who encouraged their students to take part.”

With more than RM150,000 in cash and prizes such as iPads and e-book readers up for grabs, the contest offers Malaysian youth the chance to articulate their visions of the future whether through stories, essays, or photos. This is the third Perdana Leadership Foundation and Maybank Foundation collaboration and the second time that we are inviting fiction and photo submissions, making it one of the few contests for young fiction writers and photographers in Malaysia.

“Despite the many challenges we have faced this year, we are pleased that many young Malaysians were able to express their ideas concerning the issue of climate change which will impact the future of our planet. Maybank Foundation is a strong supporter of initiatives that encourage creativity and empowerment of the youth. We believe that this writing and photo contest will inspire our young leaders to contribute and be a part of the change-makers for a better nation. We look forward to meeting the winners soon!” said Encik Shahril Azuar Jimin, the CEO of Maybank Foundation.

The contest ran from April to November 2020. Throughout the contest period, numerous articles and videos were produced as part of its initiatives in raising awareness on the Climate Action as well as guiding young participants on the principles of good writing and photography via various digital platforms.

The results of the contest will be announced in February 2021 and a prize giving ceremony will be organized in March. For more information, visit

www.empoweringaseanyouth.com.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38842