Skype Experience Comes to Brands in Southeast Asia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 20, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Microsoft Advertising today announced the availability of Skype advertising inventory in Singapore and Indonesia. Additionally, Catcha Digital finalized a deal with Microsoft Advertising to be the exclusive advertising representative of Skype in Malaysia. Advertising on Skype provides brands access to a platform that has broad global reach and engagement – with more than 200 million connected users per month – while also supporting large-format, rich and interactive ads.

This expansion represents Skype’s strategy to become a global communications provider that billions of people depend on every day for sharing experiences. Skype advertising provides brands with an intimate and social platform that has broad reach and engagement across a global peer-to-peer network. Skype calls total more than 300 billion minutes annually, with approximately 50 percent of these minutes in video calls and 40 million concurrent users.

Today, Skype is one of the world’s most valuable communication tools and sits at the heart of daily life for millions of people. Skype advertising gives brands a unique opportunity to be part of the Skype experience, which enables people around the world to connect when they are apart through voice and video calling, instant messaging, conferencing, file and screen sharing and more. It is a pioneer in creating rich, meaningful real-time video and voice communications and is widely used by individuals and businesses.

Bruno Fiorentini Junior, General Manager for Asia-Pacific, Microsoft Advertising & Online, said, “Our aspiration is to reach a billion users every day through Skype. We understand that the Skype experience is paramount to this success, and as such, our focus remains on using the platform to engaging consumers and brands. Our advertising offerings will continue to support the Skype business while taking advantage of their significant growth and reach in Asia.”

In conjunction with the availability of Skype inventory in Singapore and Malaysia, Catcha Digital announced an agreement with GroupM Interaction to allow exclusive use of Skype’s premium rich media ads for Maxis Home, a home internet multiple-play service. With its track-record as a ‘first-mover’ in the technology space, Maxis’ goal with the Skype campaign is to showcase the innovative fibre connectivity solutions the company provides Malaysian consumers.

"We are very excited to exclusively partner with Skype in Malaysia and also have GroupM Interaction and Maxis on-board as launch advertisers," said Damon Rielly, Chief Operating Officer of Catcha Media Berhad. “With Skype, Catcha Digital lets advertisers reach out to a unique audience in a personal and captive connected environment where they are more likely to share what they see, hear and experience.”

Joni Leimala, Head of Interaction of GroupM Malaysia said, “We are delighted to be Catcha Digital’s launch partner on Skype and are looking forward to work closely together to introduce new, interactive rich media advertising opportunities to our clients.”

Catcha Digital, a subsidiary of ACE market listed Catcha Media Berhad, is the strategic partner for Microsoft Advertising in Malaysia, covering MSN Malaysia (MSN.com.my), Windows Live and now Skype, and exclusive advertising partner for Lowyat.net and Carlist.my.