EST — Sharing Asian stories to the world
— Services
- Campaign
- Influencer Relations
- Events
- Brand Experience
- Public Relations
- Brand Partnerships & Sponsorship
Play full video
Eastern Standard Times — Trailer
Fostering a borderless global community to launch Asian culture and media company EST to US and Australian markets.
Manifest’s ground-up/top-down response was a blend of influencer relationship building, intimate launch events, global insight reactivity and media outreach.
The Challenge
As a new media outlet championing Eastern stories in the West from those that have lived them, Manifest was appointed as its global creative agency of record to drive awareness of the platform while fostering an engaged global community.
We galvanized the world’s Asian community through a grassroots influencer and community program combined with a global media strategy to share their stories.
Our Approach
Celebrating Asian youth, our microinfluencer program consisted of finding culturally connected Asians from across the globe. Without compensation, we gained followers and community members week after week.
Our media teams tapped into the global Asian news agenda, flagging relevant stories to ensure we were reacting and providing a fresh voice compared with Western-owned monoliths. We hosted intimate dinners with renowned local chefs in New York, Sydney and Melbourne for media and influencers to meet the team and learn more about our mission as well as connect with the Editor-in-Chief Keshia Hannam.
Post-launch our focus turned to securing partnerships in both markets looking for like-minded brands and organisations who we could collaborate with on educational programs, panels, content streaming, sponsorship, and more.
The Results
An exclusive feature with CBS News was secured resulting in multiple syndications across America. In Australia, we landed coverage in major Fairfax media outlets, ABC, SBS, as well as in publishing and marketing trade.
We secured partnerships with universities including Columbia and NYU colleges to support its Asian youth communities. Other partnerships we lined up included Melbourne’s MPavilion architectural space to host a panel on diversity in media, Jetstar Airways screening select Eastern Standard Times content on Australian and Asian flight paths across the busy summer/holiday travel period, and more that are currently under discussion.
