Singapore – Global berry company Driscoll’s has appointed Jiunn Shih as its first-ever global chief marketing officer, marking a significant milestone in the company’s evolution toward becoming a unified global brand with strong local resonance.
In his new role, Jiunn will oversee marketing performance across all 48 markets where Driscoll’s operates, driving strategic alignment across brand, data, and innovation. Speaking exclusively to MARKETECH APAC, he shared his priorities for the first 90 days, his leadership philosophy, and how he plans to deepen the brand’s presence in Asia.
Laying the foundations for growth
Stepping into a newly created global role, Jiunn describes his immediate focus as one of “focus and foundations”.
“As the first Global CMO for Driscoll’s, I will be overseeing marketing performance across all 48 markets that Driscoll’s sells in. My first 90 days are about focus and foundations,” he said.
He outlined three core priorities that will shape his early agenda. First, Jiunn aims to sharpen the brand’s global promise and codify it locally. Banking on Driscoll’s reputation for exceptional berries built on taste, trust, and traceability, he will ensure that the brand’s value proposition remains unmistakably consistent across markets and touchpoints.
He also plans to build the company’s growth engine through a modern marketing stack centered on data, in-store execution, and consumer activation—ensuring every dollar compounds both brand equity and market penetration.
Lastly, Jiunn shared his plans to “design a world-class marketing team.” For him, great marketing starts within. “You can’t build an iconic global brand without outstanding capabilities and ways of working. I want to elevate the already talented Driscoll’s marketing team to achieve greater heights,” he said.
Summing up his mandate, Jiunn noted, “My aim is to build one global brand that is locally fluent. From the flavour people love to a wellness habit people choose.”
From conviction to consistency
With a career spanning leadership roles across global brands, Jiunn brings a deep understanding of end-to-end growth—covering brand, innovation, strategy, and sustainability.
“I’ve led end-to-end growth (i.e., brand, innovation, strategy and sustainability) across global brands. What I learnt is that conviction beats fragmentation. When you’re clear on the few things that truly matter, you scale faster and more effectively,” he reflected.
He further shared three habits that guide his marketing philosophy. First, he believes in a consumer-backed, system-wide approach—beginning with human insight and aligning growers, customers, and colleagues around that shared truth. Second, he emphasises that only growth which benefits people, the planet, and profits can be truly sustainable. Finally, he champions operating as one team, maintaining high standards, fostering rapid learning loops, and focusing on fewer but more impactful choices.
Elevating Driscoll’s in Asia
Based in Hong Kong, Jiunn also outlined how he plans to strengthen Driscoll’s differentiation in the premium berry category—particularly in Hong Kong and Greater China.
Jiunn believes there are at least three opportunities.
- Elevate berries from an occasional treat to a daily wellness ritual: breakfast, snacking, post-workout, etc.
- Make the unmatched Driscoll’s quality even more visible. Bring our new berry development craft, flavour standards, and cold-chain discipline to life with simple messaging and cues.
- The opportunity to make berries more culturally fluent by collaborating with key opinion leaders and retail partners.
When asked about the biggest untapped marketing opportunity for Driscoll’s in the region, Jiunn was clear: driving penetration through habit formation.
“I believe it is still penetration through habit formation. The category grows when berries shift from ‘occasion’ to ‘always on’. Our job is to turn micro-moments into repeatable routines,” he said.
He added, “Focus on the right pack and the right price for the right mission (e.g., single-serve, family share, or gifting). In addition, social commerce and O2O are some of the opportunities ahead. The key is to make Driscoll’s berries the best choice and the easiest one.”
Innovating from flavour to experience
For Jiunn, innovation and engagement are twin engines of long-term growth.
“There are two innovation engines for long-term growth,” he explained. “First, product innovation. From proprietary varietals for taste and texture to effective supply chains and packaging that protects quality while advancing circularity goals. When flavour is unforgettable, loyalty follows.”
“Second is engagement innovation. From agentic, data-driven marketing that serves people to creative messaging that stands out and earns trust, my intent is to move from campaigns to continuous, helpful experiences,” he added.
*****
As Driscoll’s continues to expand its footprint globally, Jiunn’s leadership signals a new phase for the brand—one that blends global consistency with local authenticity. His vision for the company captures both the precision of strategy and the warmth of purpose: building a brand that is not only loved for its flavour but also chosen as a daily act of wellness.
