Tag: Leadership

Tokyo, Japan – Creative innovation company R/GA has promoted Anthony Baker to the role of managing director of R/GA Japan. In his new role, he will focus on expanding long-term strategic partnerships to deliver creative solutions for clients that drive business growth in new ways. 

This strategy centres on intersecting expertise in strategy, brand, design, communications, and technology in unique and effective ways. 

In the past year under Baker’s leadership as general manager, R/GA Japan has achieved double-digit profit growth, while expanding its workforce by 30%. R/GA will continue working with Japanese brands to compete locally and internationally, while helping global clients expand in the Japanese market and reach new audiences. 

Some of the company’s recent collaborations include a disruptive Black Friday activation with gaming company PONOS, leading to an expanded partnership across the US, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea and earning international recognition at D&AD. R/GA has also strengthened relationships with long-term partners Nike and Google and brands including Shiseido, Fujitsu and Sapporo focusing on digital transformation, product activations and loyalty initiatives.

Speaking on his promotion, Baker said, “It’s rare to find strategic agency partners who grasp Japan’s distinct culture and bring together diverse, global teams, and network capabilities. R/GA stands out in offering exceptional talent and applying network accelerator tools in AI, cloud computing, search intelligence, and data in both Japanese and English. I deeply appreciate R/GA’s trust in me and my team’s support, as we take our work and operations to new heights.”

Meanwhile, Michael Titshall, chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific at R/GA, commented, “Anthony has driven R/GA Japan to achieve new levels of success, delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients. Our collaboration with PONOS, and global brands like Google, Nike and Fujitsu in groundbreaking work, underscore Anthony’s exceptional leadership. We look forward to continued impact under his guidance as R/GA enters its next phase in North Asia.”

With more than 25 years of global experience as a digital lead and technologist, Baker co-founded R/GA Japan, establishing key client relationships and strategic partnerships across APAC, driving business growth and securing international accolades. Anthony moved to Japan in 2017 from R/GA London having expanded the London office from 30 to 350 members in six years with clients like Nokia, Microsoft, Google, and Nike. 

California, USA – Global financial services company PayPal has announced a new roster of new leadership appointment following the company’s goal of creating an advertising platform as well as strengthening the company’s consumer value proposition. The new leadership appointments include Mark Grether as SVP and general manager at PayPal Ads and John Anderson has joined as SVP and general manager fo consumer group.

Both Grether and Anderson will report to Diego Scotti, EVP and general manager fo consumer group and global marketing & communications at PayPal.

Grether has been a leader in the advertising industry for more than 20 years. He joins PayPal from Uber, where he was recently the vice president and general manager of Uber Advertising. Prior to Uber, he led the product strategy for Amazon’s advertising business, and he served as CEO of Sizmek, one of the largest independent advertising platforms globally, which was sold to Amazon in 2019. He was also the co-founder and global COO of WPP’s Xaxis, which became a leading programmatic media company.

“Commerce and advertising are deeply connected, and we believe that the advertising platform we are building at PayPal will become a must-use marketing channel for merchants big and small. I’m thrilled to have Mark join our team and lead this important work,” Scotti said.

Meanwhile, Anderson has spent over 20 years at the intersection of technology platforms and payments. He will be accountable for PayPal’s consumer business, including product strategy for PayPal and Venmo globally. Anderson joins PayPal from Plaid, where he was head of product and payments. Prior to Plaid, he spent a decade at Meta in numerous product and leadership roles, including head of product for Oculus, head of Facebook Japan, and head of product and operations teams for payments, commerce, and risk.

“John brings strong experience in developing groundbreaking, personalized consumer experiences to PayPal, which will drive relevance of our brands, fuel our innovation pipeline, and give more reasons for consumers and merchants to choose PayPal,” Scotti said.

The advertising business, which will include PayPal’s advanced offers platform, will use customer insights to build a dynamic, truly personalised platform that will drive better advertising spend performance for merchants while delighting consumers with compelling offers.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad (DLMI), a part of FrieslandCampina in the Netherlands, the multinational dairy company, has appointed Xing Jun Khoo as its head of digital, media, and insights in Malaysia. In this role, Khoo’s main responsibility will focus on leveraging the wealth of data and information available within the organisation.

In an exclusive conversation with MARKETECH APAC, Khoo also added that by leveraging the company’s data, he will be able to create cohesive and actionable strategies in line with FrieslandCampina’s current business strategy, as well as being able to drive effective decision-making across the organisation.

“I am looking forward to leveraging the wealth of data and information we have within the organisation, particularly from the consumer front. My goal is to integrate this data into actionable strategies that will enable us to craft even more effective digital and media approaches. By doing so, we can identify methods that align more closely with consumer needs and market trends,” Khoo told MARKETECH APAC.

Prior to this new role, he was recently with Accenture Song, where he served as its manager for brand and communication strategy. Prior to this, he was also with Entropia where he held various media roles until Accenture Interactive’s acquisition of said agency in June 2021.

“During my time at Accenture Song, I had the privilege of collaborating with various teams and analysing diverse forms of data to craft comprehensive strategies for our clients. This experience honed my ability to create integrated solutions that align with business objectives. I plan to bring this skill set to DLMI, ensuring that our strategies are data-driven and effectively address the needs of our consumers and stakeholders.” he stated.

When asked what particular challenges and opportunities digital and media strategies are having this year, he noted that with changing consumer behaviours and economic conditions, there is a challenge in adapting to these changes whilst maintaining cost-effectiveness.

“However, this also presents an opportunity for us to craft more effective and efficient strategies. By leveraging data analytics and AI technologies, we can better understand and engage with our audience, ensuring that our digital and media investments are both smart and impactful,” he explained.

For Khoo, it is also worth noting that two trends will help shape marketing strategies and that is the integration of generative AI tools to improve current marketing strategies, as well as having sustainability initiatives being on the top of mind for brands this year.

“At DLMI, we are committed to staying ahead by incorporating advanced AI technologies into our marketing strategies, allowing us to create more personalised and efficient campaigns. Additionally, we are dedicated to enhancing our sustainability initiatives, ensuring that we continue to prioritise our purpose of ‘Nourishing Our Nation,’ while ensuring that our practices remain socially and environmentally responsible. By focusing on these areas, we aim to lead the industry in both innovation and sustainability,” he concluded

At the heart of entrepreneurial success lies a keen, observant eye and an unwavering passion for bridging gaps in the market. For one visionary entrepreneur, his journey began with a profound realisation born from contrasting market trends across diverse regions. 

For MARKETECH APAC’s latest Milestone Series, we spoke with Rajiv Lamba, CEO and founder of SurveySensum and global managing director of NeuroSensum, to talk about one of his greatest milestones — creating an innovative AI-powered solutions platform to uncover deep consumer insights and democratise market research. 

In this piece, Lamba shares the inspiration behind the inception of SurveySensum and his journey in understanding consumer behaviour through technology and data-driven insights.

A vision realised through data 

Lamba’s journey began when he started observing contrasting market trends across different regions. Early in his career, he had some profound realisations, having noticed a stark difference in how consumers in the West versus those in Southeast Asia approached sharing feedback and preferences with brands.

“In Southeast Asian cultures, consumers would rarely provide direct, critical feedback in quantitative surveys, often claiming they liked a product or advertisement even if they didn’t,” Lamba explained. 

The observations Lamba made sparked his passion for bringing neuroscience principles into the market research realm through NeuroSensum, a neuroscience and AI-technology-based market research company. By leveraging tools like electroencephalography (EEG), facial coding, and eye-tracking, Lamba and his team could finally unveil the unspoken truths lingering in the subconscious minds of consumers. For him, it was an exhilarating experience to be able to unlock profound insights for their clients. 

However, as he delved deeper into the market research landscape, another glaring issue became apparent to him. Lamba identified that there is still a lack of fast, affordable, and accessible solutions for enterprises of all sizes. A staggering number of businesses couldn’t regularly leverage research consultancies due to the exorbitant costs and lengthy timelines involved.

Recognising the need for affordable and accessible market research solutions, Lamba founded SurveySensum under the Neurosensum umbrella. SurveySensum is an AI-powered customer experience platform that could democratise real-time customer feedback, making it a reality for mid-sized and large enterprises alike. 

“I envisioned a future where companies could rapidly build and share omnichannel surveys, gaining invaluable consumer insights at a fraction of research agencies’ cost, and enterprises could do more consumer research and make data-backed decisions,” Lamba shared. 

Building the vision, one piece of data at a time 

While the idea of launching SurveySensum holds a lot of promise for the industry, pioneering a disruptive technology is never without its challenges. Sceptics doubted the shift from traditional methods to a DIY customer feedback SaaS (software-as-a-service) solution.

However, no amount of doubt made Lamba let go of his vision, a strong belief that would soon pay him off tremendously. SurveySensum has grown into a platform that now serves over 170 large and mid-sized enterprises globally, spanning sectors as diverse as FMCG, telecommunications, banking, insurance, e-commerce, healthcare, retail, and automotive. 

What started as a vision has finally materialised into a platform that has helped clients save a remarkable 70–80% on their market research spending and up to 90% in overall time invested. 

Commenting on those challenges, Lamba stated, “My team and I persevered, fueled by our profound conviction that AI would inevitably reshape this industry. We doubled down on defining our target personas, educating them on the immense value SurveySensum could unlock, and demonstrating our real-world impact through our work.” 

It is interesting to note that while he’s working on SurveySensum, Lamba also serves as the global managing director at NeuroSensum, which means he was juggling both responsibilities across both entities. 

He revealed that his primary goals have been to generate consistent cash flow through a blend of internal profitability and external funding, while also exploring new avenues for growth, differentiation, and expansion beyond their current operations in Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Manila, and their client base spanning over 25 countries worldwide.

“It’s a delicate balancing act, but one that I’ve approached with a steadfast focus on building an exceptional leadership team and empowering them to execute our innovative strategies. It’s a lofty endeavour, but one that has only strengthened my resolve and leadership capabilities over time,” Lamba stated. 

Shaping the future of market research 

Lamba believes SurveySensum has revolutionised how businesses approach data-driven decision-making.

Whereas such in-depth analysis once took weeks or months of arduous manual coding, SurveySensum has condensed that process to minutes. Companies can finally respond with agility to the rapidly evolving needs and sentiments of their customers, pivoting strategies and staying ahead of the competition like never before.

“Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of how SurveySensum has indelibly transformed the way businesses approach data-driven decision-making. By harnessing the power of AI and machine learning, we’ve made it possible to derive real-time insights from open-ended customer feedback across a multitude of languages, including Asian native languages,” he added. 

Lamba also shared that he is incredibly excited about the future that awaits customer feedback platforms like SurveySensum, as the accelerating advancements in AI and machine learning will undoubtedly continue shaping this domain in profound ways.

“At SurveySensum, we’re already at the forefront of these trends with our cutting-edge text analytics capabilities. Our proprietary algorithms are continuously trained and refined across verticals, geographies, and data sets, ensuring our ability to extract accurate, actionable insights from even the most nuanced customer verbatim grows more potent by the day,” he explained. 

On the idea of future trends and technology shaping customer feedback platforms, Lamba believes that SurveySensum is positioned well enough to capitalise on these trends. The brand is already working to launch an AI summary and insights on our platform, where a client doesn’t need to analyse the data or information from the surveys, but the platform itself will be able to provide a textual summary and actionable insights. This will again save hours of analysis time and reduce dependency on research agencies and consultants for consumer research needs.

“Moreover, our omnichannel approach has perfectly positioned us to thrive in today’s ecosystem, where consumers are engaging with brands across a myriad of digital and physical touchpoints. Whether it’s email, WhatsApp, SMS, QR codes, chatbots, or social media, SurveySensum empowers companies to connect with their audiences wherever they are,” Lamba added. 

Personal and career reflections

Reflecting on SurveySensum’s milestones, including four successful funding rounds and achieving profitability, Lamba takes pride in the journey of disruptive innovation. 

“I can’t help but swell with immense pride and gratitude. This journey has been an exhilarating testament to the power of disruptive innovation and the tireless efforts of my passionate and highly talented team,” he shared. 

As he reached his fifth year on SurveySensum, he shared that some of his most profound learnings have stemmed from the setbacks and course corrections they’ve had to navigate along the way. The team faced some major mistakes early on, getting too caught up in the competitive landscape and over-engineering their initial product far beyond the basics of a true ‘minimum viable product’ (MVP).

It wasn’t until they took that first iteration to market that Lamba and his team realised it wasn’t aligned with what their clients truly needed. That, for him, was a wake-up call that taught him a lesson he will never forget: the paramount importance of deeply understanding your market from the outset.

“Knowing your target personas inside and out, grasping the nuances of their pain points and the true market size, and talking to them directly are the crucial first steps before investing significant time and resources into product development. Getting a lean MVP into the market rapidly, absorbing feedback, and iterating from that stable base is the smartest path to sustainable growth,” Lamba further explained. 

For Lamba, if there’s one piece of advice he could impart to aspiring entrepreneurs, it would be to make understanding your market deeply a priority from day one. Define your target personas with granularity, validate the scale of the opportunity, and start leaning with an MVP before overinvesting prematurely. Then, embrace an evolution mindset—continue evolving that initial solution based on real user inputs and consumption patterns.

“This approach has become the bedrock of my own entrepreneurial philosophy and leadership mindset. While the path has been arduous, it has also been immensely rewarding, constantly propelling me to new heights of personal growth, strategic thinking, and passionate determination,” he said. 

Another piece of advice from him is to closely monitor profitability and cash flow from operations and align your management team so that the company is self-reliant and self-sustainable. In spite of having two offerings—neuroscience-based consulting and SurveySensum SAAS solutions—we became profitable in our fourth year, and at the same time, we were able to get business from more than 25 countries across the globe and have a physical presence in four countries.

Lamba’s journey with Neurosensum and SurveySensum exemplifies the impact of innovative thinking and technological integration in market research. As he continues to lead with passion and vision, the future of market research promises to be more insightful and accessible than ever before.

“As I look to the future, I’m filled with excitement for what lies ahead for SurveySensum and the market research industry as a whole. The key is to keep evolving, keep rapidly iterating, keep shattering paradigms, and never lose sight of the deepest needs of your clients and the value they expect you to provide them,” Lamba concluded. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Ravi Shankar Mallavarapu, most recently with Carsome, has been recently appointed as the chief marketing officer of AirAsia MOVE, airasia’s travel and lifestyle app–and formerly known as airasia Digital.

In an exclusive conversation with MARKETECH APAC, Ravi said, “I am entrusted with shaping and implementing our comprehensive branding and marketing strategy. This strategy is designed to enhance brand recognition and become a top-of-mind travel companion for ASEAN travelers, aligning with our business objectives.”

He also noted his particular interest in adopting AI strategies to AirAsia MOVE’s marketing strategies, stating, “I am particularly keen on leveraging AI in our marketing strategies. This includes leveraging AI across multiple marketing functions to increase productivity; prioritising the adoption of AI will help us stay competitive and relevant in the rapidly evolving travel market. The other priority is to build a community of creators who are loyal to the brand and keep generating content for us.”

Prior to this new role, Ravi was recently the chief marketing officer at Carsome for over two years, where he handled the brand’s marketing, digital, social media, public relations, growth, market research and customer experience. He also worked closely with Derek Tan, chief brand officer at Carsome, on brand, creative, production and sponsorships.

It is also worth mentioning that this marks Ravi’s return to the airasia ecosystem. He was with AirAsia for five years, where he had served various leadership roles that included group head of digital marketing and chief growth officer.

“My tenure as CMO at Carsome taught me how difficult it is to build a brand and that it is not just a marketing responsibility. I’m looking forward to working with the fantastic team [at AirAsia MOVE] and working on the vast amounts of data,” he stated.

When asked about challenges and opportunities related to AI-integrated marketing strategies, Ravi said that adapting strategies in Gen AI presents both opportunities and challenges, and it depends on how fast the industry leverages and implements them in daily work.

“In 2024 and beyond, I foresee a continued emphasis on personalised travel experiences. At AirAsia MOVE, aligning with these trends involves adopting more sustainable practices in our operations and marketing and utilising technology to tailor unique travel experiences that meet evolving consumer expectations,” he concluded.

Singapore – The LEGO Group has unveiled two new additions to its Asia Pacific leadership team with the appointment of Cedric Roose as general manager for India and Emerging Asia and Nina Patricia Da Costa as general manager for Singapore, Malaysia, and Travel Retail. 

The appointments underscore the company’s commitment to expanding its presence and driving growth in the region by establishing strong leadership for the recently created business units of Singapore, Malaysia, and Travel Retail (SMTR), and India and Emerging Asia (IEA).

In his new role as general manager for the IEA business unit, Roose will leverage his strong and experienced leadership track record to drive sustainable commercial growth and regional expansion in IEA, with a strategic focus on India and Indonesia.

Prior to his promotion, he served as the LEGO Group’s country manager for New Zealand. A LEGO Group veteran, Roose has spent the last 15 years gaining a wealth of experience in sales, regional commercial development, and general management across Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand. Under his leadership, the LEGO Group’s New Zealand business unit achieved double-digit growth over the last six years. 

Meanwhile, Da Costa, as the new general manager for the SMTR business unit, brings over 17 years of invaluable experience in marketing, sales, and general management across blue-chip multinational organisations.

Her extensive track record as a strategic leader, adept at navigating both local and regional roles in diverse multi-channel environments and categories, positions her as a catalyst for innovation and growth within the business unit. She previously worked at LVMH, serving as the travel retail sales director for Moet Hennessy Travel Retail Asia Pacific Team. 

Da Costa’s appointment underscores the company’s commitment to fostering talent and driving forward-thinking initiatives, including spearheading our expansion efforts in the vibrant and dynamic travel retail category in Asia Pacific.

Speaking on her appointment, Da Costa shared, “I am thrilled to begin this new journey with the LEGO Group, leveraging my expertise in steering the Singapore, Malaysia, and Travel Retail business units and in contributing to the group’s ongoing success in this lively and rapidly evolving region. I am eager to embark on this new and exciting phase of my career, cultivating collaborative synergy within our teams and our esteemed partners as we collectively advance our mission of empowering individuals through the transformative power of play.”

In his appointment, Roose also said, “I am truly honoured and humbled to spearhead the newly established India and Emerging Asia business unit. The potential across India, Indonesia, and other countries in this part of the world is boundless, and I am eager to work closely with the team and our distributor partners to continue championing the LEGO® brand and foster immersive, high-quality play experiences for both children and adults alike.”

Both Roose and Da Costa will report directly to Claus Kristensen, senior vice president of APAC at The LEGO Group. 

Kristensen shared, “Cedric and Nina joining our APAC leadership team opens an exciting new chapter for us in Asia Pacific. Their expertise, coupled with their proven track records in driving innovation and fostering growth, support our ambition to remain at the forefront of the toy industry in the region. I am confident in their ability to lead their newly created business units as we inspire creativity, shape the future of play, and propel the LEGO Group forward in Asia Pacific.”

Singapore – DoubleVerify, the software platform for digital media measurement, data, and analytics, has announced a robust lineup of new strategic leadership appointments in the Asia-Pacific region to support its growing market presence and handle its entry into Hong Kong and Thailand. 

Conrad Tallariti, previously regional vice president of sales, will assume the role of managing director for APAC. With nearly two decades of experience in programmatic sales and marketing, he will spearhead operations across the APAC region, driving growth and business momentum. Having held leadership roles in the APAC and EMEA regions, Tallariti has worked with some of the world’s leading businesses.

Meanwhile, with DoubleVerify completing its acquisition of Scibids AI, Rahul Vasudev will take on the role of regional vice president for APAC. Vasudev, who has been instrumental in overseeing commercial efforts for Scibids in APAC, will continue to focus on Scibids go-to-market in his new role. He will leverage his expertise to expand the influence of AI-powered ad technology across the region.

Also part of the new appointments is Marty Buragay, who will join as the new global director of global client and agency partnerships for APAC. Bringing over a decade of specialised experience in solutions strategy and management, Buragay will enhance DV’s work with global brands across the region. He was previously with Uber, Meta, and Diageo before joining DoubleVerify. 

As sales director for Thailand, Jantra Khonrangde (Joy) will accelerate momentum and strengthen DV’s in-market presence. A seasoned digital marketing strategist who contributed to the growth of companies like Innity, Khonrangde will accelerate DV’s expansion in Thailand, leveraging her strong capabilities to develop lasting partnerships. 

Lastly, Junny Yiu, serving as the senior business director for North Asia, will be responsible for expanding and solidifying DV’s business in key North Asia markets. This will include Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea.

With a digital advertising career spanning over a decade, Yiu has developed proficiency in a diverse range of digital advertising verticals, from search engine marketing to programmatic advertising. She previously drove SSP adoption at Hivestack and also counts Verizon and Yahoo as earlier associations.

Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify, said, “The digital advertising landscape in APAC is dynamic and growing. The unique needs of our customers in the APAC region require a leadership team with significant market insight and expertise. This new team will drive enduring growth in APAC and will help us advance our mission of making the internet stronger, safer, and more secure.”

Singapore – Mediacorp, the Singaporean state-owned media network, has named Jacqui Lim as its new chief commercial officer to drive revenue growth and unlock new business opportunities for the company. 

With extensive experience in the media and advertising space, Lim will be instrumental in charting a roadmap for boosting revenue streams and developing a commercial strategy aligned with Mediacorp’s efforts to constantly innovate and augment its offerings for audiences and advertisers.

As the new CCO, she will lead the Commercial Group in revenue generation and client engagement, collaborating with business units and partners to provide targeted solutions across Mediacorp’s wide range of IPs and platforms.

Lim spent two decades of her career working in management and directorial roles for a number of media agency networks, like Publicis Media and Omnicom Media Group. She was most recently with Havas, where she served as the CEO of Havas Media Group and regional chief growth officer of Havas Group. 

During her tenure, the agency brands in Havas Media Group received accolades and recognition across various industry award shows.

Lim’s appointment will be effective on June 3, 2024.

Tham Loke Kheng, CEO of Mediacorp, said, “Partnerships are key to unlocking new commercial success. I believe Jacqui will bring her business and creative acumen to continue delivering innovative and targeted solutions for our clients across our wide range of content, talent, and platforms.”

Commenting on her appointment, Lim also said, “I am thrilled to join a forward-thinking company that is focused on securing its position as a leading integrated player in the competitive media landscape. I look forward to working with Team Mediacorp to deliver synergistic business results and provide the most effective, complete, and targeted solutions for our clients.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Daler Kendzhaev, most recently the head of Annalect Malaysia, has been promoted to managing director for investment and specialist solutions at Omnicom Media Group (OMG) Malaysia. In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Kendzhaev said the new role will see him work with partners and vendors on the investment and partnerships front and manage OMG’s specialist solutions – Annalect, TransAct, and Digital Performance.

Kendzhaev’s newly created role comes as OMG believes it can unlock better solutions for clients through centring the capabilities of investment partnership, specialist solutions, and data under one leadership. 

He added that the role is about continuing the momentum OMG has already built by enhancing the agency network’s current relationship with partners through a connected and collaborative strategy, with a singular focus on delivering holistic and innovative products. This will be done while continuing in the area of future-facing data and tech solutions.

As OMG has great ambitions to drive momentum for clients and partners, Kendzhaev said the goal for the next six to 12 months is to improve the synergy between the investment and partnership teams and to meet clients’ needs in the rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.

“At Omnicom Media Group, we are poised to take an active role in developing and delivering the incremental value to our clients through these investment solutions, and also advancing our performance value for our clients,” he added.

Kendzhaev spent nearly four years as head of Annalect Malaysia during which he oversaw the increased adoption of Omni, Omnicom’s industry-leading marketing orchestration and insights platform, across OMG Malaysia and its agency brands. 

Under his leadership, Annalect was hungry for growth and adopted a first-mover mindset. “We treated Annalect in Malaysia like a start-up within a large organisation. We had great support from our regional teams that allowed us to achieve really great results in various areas within the group,” Kendzhaev explained.

Some of the initiatives Annalect have worked on include solutions around data automation and visualisation, as well as consulting and enabling marketing tech for brands. OMG also obtained Google Analytics (GA) partner status in Malaysia with certified specialist team to assist clients in their GA4 migration journey.

Understanding industry challenges and opportunities in media investments

When asked about the challenges and opportunities in the media investment space, Kendzhaev said one thing that stands out is the complexity of the measurement metrics in the industry today, which leads to other growth areas.

“In Malaysia, we don’t really have an aligned way of measuring media investments both in the offline world with different methodologies for mediums like TV, especially when it comes to the return on investment. Moreover, there is also a complete lack of measurement in digital, which leads to lot of dysfunctions in decision-making for advertisers,” he explained.

He added, “The upcoming changes in the digital ecosystem without [third-party] cookies is going to add complexity when it comes to digital measurement. Marketers and businesses, are urged to focus on understanding the true impact of media investments on brand equity, sales or other business metrics that are important.”

OMG believes that the cookieless future is one part of where the industry is headed in a privacy-first world. Effective advertising is powered by a variety of signals, with traditional signals like cookies being one of them. With traditional signals deprecating soon due to high privacy concerns, the industry needs to consider new developments like Google PAIR and The Trade Desk’s Unified ID 2.0.

“Let’s take advantage of it. With this connected role, we can move at a faster pace with our clients,” Kendzhaev added.

He also noted that industry collaboration would be ideal in forming strategies and ideas and getting consensus in measurement approach. Nonetheless, OMG has been working on different solutions surrounding connected measurement, future signals, and the digital ecosystem. 

“[These solutions] focus on solving measurement issues for various levels such as strategic management decisions down to the day-to-day operational tactics as well. That’s one of the key elements we are focused on in our business” he said.

Considering yet another delay from Google on phasing out third-party cookies, Kendzhaev explained that the whole idea behind the deprecation is to have a privacy-safe environment for advertising and not solely rely on traditional signals like third-party cookies. Given the news, he said marketers should continue progressing towards a privacy-centric approach to advertising.

“We are taking a comprehensive approach, which has been ongoing for a couple of years. Our approach starts with an audit, understanding where the clients are and the goals, they would like to achieve leveraging marketing tech. With that audit, we recommend solutions that are bespoke to the brand, that go across different elements: starting from having the right measurement framework in place, data collection and storage in the privacy-compliant way, to derive insights and improve consumer relationship,” Kendzhaev explained.

This ties in with building a privacy-safe environment and creating a unified view of the customer through UIDs. “Some of the clients that we work with have already started this journey. The delay also means advertisers have additional time to prepare for the change” he added.

T-shaped skill sets and optimism about the future

Talent is another key area Kendzhaev believes is crucial to the industry’s growth and it is important to have T-shaped skillsets in data and tech. “You want to understand how media works so you can bring value to what we do on a day-to-day basis and create solutions that will be more relevant to businesses today. Whether it’s the brands or advertisers or agencies or even vendors, we need to pay attention and invest more in terms of the talent, as well as upskilling them in understanding of what’s happening in the ecosystem that’s going to be critical,” he explained. 

Despite all these challenges, he remains optimistic about the ever-changing media landscape.

“At OMG, we are constantly on the lookout for new partnerships driving that unique proposition and incremental value for our clients. Everything that we do within our partnerships has always had elements of how we can create unique value for our clients and that’s something that we’ve been central to our approach,” he concluded.

Singapore – Multinational pizza restaurant chain Pizza Hut has recently appointed Michelle Wong as its newest marketing director for South Asia to drive growth and elevate brand visibility across all channels. 

In her new role, Wong’s main responsibility will be to provide strategic direction to franchise marketing teams, with a focus on building sustainable plans that drive sales and enhance brand presence across all channels over time. 

In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Wong delved into the factors that attracted her to Pizza Hut, the significance of her past experiences in shaping her new role, and her strategic vision for bolstering the brand’s presence and market dominance across South Asia.

Leveraging past experiences for future success

Prior to joining Pizza Hut, Wong served as McDonald’s director of market activation, working with marketing teams in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and LATAM markets to create robust martech, CRM, customer segmentation, and loyalty strategies. 

In her nine-year tenure at McDonald’s, she had the privilege of contributing to a global and beloved brand, giving her valuable experiences that she believes will be instrumental in her new role at Pizza Hut. 

Amongst these invaluable assets is her ‘outside-in’ perspective, which allows her to leapfrog traditional learning curves in crafting exceptional brand experiences and nurturing enduring fan connections. Additionally, she had also learned to embrace a mindset of experimentation, characterised by rapid learning and acceptance of failure, especially in adopting new technologies and harnessing the power of data.

Strategies for market dominance and navigating the future of F&B marketing

As the newly appointed marketing director, Wong’s main aim is to invigorate Pizza Hut’s presence and market dominance in South Asia through a multi-faceted approach.

Wong emphasised her commitment to continuously refining their delivery, dine-in, and takeaway experiences to exceed customer expectations. Additionally, she will also prioritise active engagement with their audience, amplifying Pizza Hut South Asia’s presence in conversations and listening intently to their feedback. 

Furthermore, Wong plans to introduce more exciting innovations to their menu, offering fresh interpretations of beloved classics to delight Pizza Hut’s loyal fans and attract new patrons alike. 

When asked what she thinks lies ahead for F&B marketing, Wong believes that the future is poised for hyper-personalisation, where real-time data and self-learning algorithms enable highly customised experiences on an individual level.

For her, Pizza Hut is primed to navigate this landscape by embracing exploration and experimentation. By continuously testing and uncovering the key drivers of meaningful customer experiences throughout their journey, they can stay ahead of the curve and ensure that their offerings resonate deeply with their audience.

Embracing the iconic legacy of Pizza Hut 

Speaking on what drew her to join Pizza Hut, Wong explained that it was the opportunity to spearhead the next transformative chapter of such an iconic brand. 

She understands that Pizza Hut is a brand that generation X and older audiences remember fondly for bringing people together, for hot pizza delivery delivered to the door, for the iconic Pizza Hut jingle, and of course, for the great taste of pan and stuffed crust. 

Wong acknowledges the brand’s nostalgic appeal and aims to channel it in a fresh and innovative direction.

“I was drawn to the opportunity of taking this iconic brand into its next transformative journey—modernisation and engaging younger fans. Pizza Hut evokes fond childhood memories for me, and I’m thrilled to be given this opportunity at Pizza Hut South Asia to work with a stellar cast,” she concluded.