Driven by the global campaign "LET THE RUN BEGIN", the opening ceremony brings together state government representatives and elite runners from Malaysia and Singapore. The space unites elite racing technology, athlete sharing and grassroots programmes to nurture Malaysia's running landscape across Southeast Asia.
JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- XTEP International has officially unveiled its new premium running flagship store at Mid Valley Southkey, Johor Bahru, marking a substantial upgrade of the brand's regional service capacity and localized sports ecosystem in Southeast Asia. Strategically positioned at the key cross-border gateway linking Malaysia and Singapore, the new flagship serves southern Malaysia's over 100,000 local runners with comprehensive race-grade running equipment and professional sports support.
Under the global brand campaign "LET THE RUN BEGIN", the 2-day opening series presented 3 high-impact localized activities, including the elite champion one-day store manager campaign, professional running clinic sharing session, and offline community runner engagement. The grand opening ceremony was graced by YB Teo Nie Ching, Deputy Minister of Communications, YB Puan Nadhirah Afiqah binti Datuk Abdull Rahim, Deputy Chairperson, Johor State Executive Committee for Youth and Sports, Entrepreneur Development & Cooperatives, XTEP senior leadership, core business partners and elite professional runner Feng Peiyou. During the in-store event, Feng Peiyou presented a commemorative handprint keepsake and his signed championship racing shoes, further endorsing XTEP's long-term commitment to developing running culture across Malaysia. The event fully demonstrated XTEP's professional running technology strength and consistent commitment to nurturing local running culture.
Beyond enhancing the retail experience, XTEP further demonstrated its commitment to the local sporting community by donating RM20,000 worth of sports gear to Majlis Sukan Negeri Johor. The contribution aims to support local athlete development and race preparation by providing innovative sportswear and running shoes developed through extensive research to help athletes optimise their performance. This reflects XTEP's broader commitment to establishing strong local roots, empowering Asian runners and contributing to the sustainable development of Southeast Asia's running ecosystem.
The 600m² flagship store houses XTEP's complete premium running product lineup, including the newly launched 160X 8.0 carbon-plate racing series. Validated at the World Marathon Majors in 2026, XTEP's flagship racing footwear has proven dominant global competitive strength. Feng Peiyou, XTEP brand ambassador, set a new Chinese men's marathon national record with a time of 2:05:58 at the Tokyo Marathon wearing XTEP 160X professional racing gear. XTEP sponsored athlete Tebello Ramakongona claimed 3rd place and broke the official track record at the Sydney Marathon in the 160X 8.0 Pro, while fellow XTEP-sponsored athlete Kamohelo Mofolo also took 3rd place at the 2026 New York City Marathon in the same 160X 8.0 Pro — together verifying the series' elite-level performance on international premium race tracks.
Beyond empowering elite athletes, XTEP extends professional running technology to grassroots communities. As running evolves into a mainstream social lifestyle across Malaysia, XTEP adheres to the concept of national fitness, bridging high-end racing innovation with mass running scenarios. In May 2026, XTEP Malaysia established official partnerships with 2 local leading running communities, WIND RUNNER and PACEMAKER MALAYSIA. Leveraging the full product matrix including 260X and 360X series, the brand supports regular community training and offline gatherings, catering to both speed racing and daily jogging demands, and strengthening emotional connection within the local running community.
"Malaysia remains one of XTEP's most important strategic markets in Southeast Asia. Our continuous investment focuses not only on spatial expansion, but more on long-term localized sports empowerment," said Mao Yukang, General Manager of XTEP Malaysia. "The official opening of the 600m² Johor Bahru flagship and the youth sports donation initiative represent our persistent determination to integrate into local culture, activate regional running vitality, and deliver lasting value for Southeast Asia's sports development."
XTEP's localized expansion in Malaysia continues to accelerate. Following the opening of the Johor Bahru flagship, XTEP is set to launch 2 new retail stores at Kuala Lumpur Pavilion and IOI City Mall in the near future, expanding its total operational outlets in Malaysia to 13. By implementing the "retail + community experience" model, XTEP transforms offline stores from pure product retail spaces into localized gathering hubs for equipment selection, technique exchange and community interaction.
Rooted in the cross-border strategic gateway of Johor Bahru, guided by the global vision of "LET THE RUN BEGIN", XTEP unites world-class verified racing technology, localized community operation and long-term public welfare investment. Moving forward, the brand will continue deepening its Southeast Asian layout, empowering every tier of local runners with professional products and systematic community services, and steadily solidifying its leading position in Southeast Asia's professional running ecosystem.
About XTEP International
XTEP International is a global professional running brand focused on technological innovation, community sports development and long-term localized empowerment. Adhering to the brand philosophy "Make it Different", XTEP keeps empowering global runners with professional racing-grade products and sustainable public welfare investment.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
XTEP Establishes a Running Base in Johor Bahru with New Flagship and Youth Sports Empowerment Initiative
XTEP Establishes a Running Base in Johor Bahru with New Flagship and Youth Sports Empowerment Initiative
XTEP Establishes a Running Base in Johor Bahru with New Flagship and Youth Sports Empowerment Initiative
Latest RECMA Diagnostics Report sees OM agency OMD scoring its 12th consecutive #1 ranking, with PHD and Initiative ranked in the top five
NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest edition of the Network Diagnostics report from RECMA (Research Company Evaluating the Media Agency Industry), Omnicom Media, an Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) Connected Capability, has again been named the best performing global media group, topping both the global ranking as well as the regional rankings across North America, EMEA, APAC and LATAM. This marks the second consecutive report in which Omnicom Media has topped the Network Diagnostics report's global and regional rankings.
As RECMA notes in its report, Omnicom Media "is emerging as the new industry powerhouse." The leader in Activity Volume/Billings with approximately 30% industry share, Omnicom Media also leads this Diagnostic Report with just under 35% of quali-share.
Widely considered the most comprehensive report for analyzing media agency performance, the bi-annual RECMA Diagnostics report is based on the evaluation of approximately 700 agencies in 45 markets. Utilizing 19 KPIs to evaluate vitality and structure, the report offers an assessment index that goes beyond typical quantitative metrics such as new business wins or billings volume alone to also consider criteria such as client portfolio and relationship stability; digital, data & content resources; and homogeneity across geographies. Participating agencies are ranked both numerically by "quali-points" and by the following profiles: Dominant, High Profile, Very Good Profile, Good Profile, and Average Profile.
The Dominant profile is awarded in a market where an agency significantly outperforms its competitors across multiple Diagnostic criteria. In the current report, Omnicom Media agency brands were dominant in 19 markets - more than any other media group – encompassing all four regions.
"These results are a powerful validation that our Growth by Design strategy - built on the simple premise of bringing together our singular advantages in scale, data, identity, commerce, and talent to create a competitive advantage for our clients – is working," says Omnicom Media CEO Florian Adamski. "Leading RECMA's global and all four regional rankings for the second consecutive time since the integration of Omnicom and IPG's media groups, and with three agencies among the global top five, demonstrates the strength of our connected capabilities and our ability to consistent translate them into outsize growth for the world's leading brands."
The RECMA ranking lands amidst a winning streak for Omnicom Media, which in October alone won the media business for The Coca-Cola Company in North America; grocery retailer Lidl across Europe; the global assignment for Lavazza coffee; The British Council; and the L'Oréal business in the DACH region. Adding this 30-day sprint to a 2026 global and regional win record that already included Adidas, Aviva, CVS, Delta, Dyson, IBM, Novo Nordisk, Uber, and Xiaomi brings Omnicom Media's YTD total to approximately US$10 billion in billings won or retained through competitive pitches, more than any other holding company.
Omnicom Media Agencies Dominant the Top Five
Three Omnicom Media agencies - OMD, PHD and Initiative - were among the top five best performing global media agencies, with OMD topping the ranking for the 12th consecutive report.
OMD also stood out as the most balanced agency in terms of performance across the 45 countries studied, ranked as Dominant or High Profile in 29 markets (65% of those evaluated); and was ranked #1 globally for both Digiday Data & Content Experts and its Client Portfolio Profile, which shows very good relationship stability across a roster that includes both major international accounts and a strong local client base.
Hearts United - OM's newly launched agency that brought together Hearts & Science and Mediahub – and PHD were both among the agencies that showed the greatest increase in quali-share scores since the last report as well as over a three-year window, with Hearts United topping this ranking and PHD close behind at #3.
Noting the positive impact that Omnicom's acquisition of IPG has had on the OM agency portfolio, RECMA notes, "all of the group's agencies are benefiting from the advantages in this evaluation, particularly the integration of data and digital specialist units."
Says Adamski, "RECMA's findings underscore the value of what we are building together. The integration of our data and digital specialists, combined with the depth of talent and expertise across our agency portfolio, is creating capabilities that are greater than the sum of their parts. We have the scale to shape the marketplace, the intelligence to make better decisions and the talent to turn those advantages into results. That positions Omnicom Media not simply to lead today's industry, but to help define what the next generation of media looks like."
"Ultimately, the value of our combined capabilities is measured by what they make possible for our clients," says Adamski. By connecting data, identity, commerce, technology, and talent across our business, we can give clients a more complete view of their opportunities, make better investment decisions and turn those decisions into stronger business outcomes. The advantage is not simply the scale of what we bring together, but how we put it to work to help our clients grow, compete, and stay ahead in an increasingly complex marketplace."
CONTACT: isabelle.gauvry@omc.com
ABOUT OMNICOM MEDIA
Omnicom Media, an Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) Connected Capability, is the world's largest global media management network. Powered by the Omni Intelligence Platform, Omnicom Media agencies leverage $75.6 billion in billings, 47,000 specialists across 70+ markets, and the industry's most powerful portfolio identity, commerce, and intelligence assets to design dynamic Growth Ecosystems that enable the world's most ambitious businesses to grow faster and smarter. The Omnicom Media portfolio includes global media agency brands OMD, PHD, Initiative, Hearts United, and UM; core Omnicom Integrated Media offerings Acxiom, the world's premier identity solution, and the Flywheel end-to-end commerce solution; and specialty services across the cloud consulting, creator, financial, healthcare, and sports & entertainment categories. For more information visit omnicommedia.com
About RECMA
RECMA was founded in June 1991 in Paris and is the only global research company that evaluates and rates media agencies qualitatively and quantitatively. RECMA is the leading research company producing a wide range of rankings and reports dedicated to the media industry professionals. RECMA collects and analyzes data from more than 1000 media agencies in 70 countries. For more information visit recma.com.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Omnicom Media Again Named Best Performing Global Media Group, Earns #1 Ranking Across All Four Regions
Omnicom Media Again Named Best Performing Global Media Group, Earns #1 Ranking Across All Four Regions
Omnicom Media Again Named Best Performing Global Media Group, Earns #1 Ranking Across All Four Regions
Omnicom Media Again Named Best Performing Global Media Group, Earns #1 Ranking Across All Four Regions
