Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – DPE Global Services Centre in Malaysia–Domino’s administrative and support services arm–has tapped Salihah Noh to the role of digital & marketing tower lead. It is worth noting that while the company is based in Malaysia, it also supports Domino’s operations across Asia-Pacific and Europe across 12 markets. 

In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Salihah stated that her role entails working with the local markets to increase brand awareness, engage customers, and drive sales through digital channels together with the markets.

“Our mission is to create a world-class marketing function that drives growth and enhances the Domino’s brand. We focus on streamlining marketing processes, sharing best practices across markets, and building a world-class global services centre. By leveraging data insights and digital channels, we aim to deliver exceptional marketing services that support Domino’s overall business objectives,” she said.

Salihah added, “My team is responsible for a wide range of marketing activities, including developing digital products, managing customer relationships, enhancing customer experiences, and leveraging data insights to make informed decisions.”

What to prioritise on new role

When asked about what she aims to achieve in her digital and marketing services leadership role, Salihah stated that she will spearhead the development and execution of a world-class marketing function within Domino’s Pizza Enterprise Global Services Center.

“We’re committed to driving growth and enhancing brand value across our Asia Pacific and European markets. To achieve this, we’re building a centralised team of digital marketing experts who can share best practices and collaborate seamlessly,” she said.

She also highlighted five key attributes that she aims to prioritise: building a centre of excellence, standardisation and optimisation, talent development, data-driven decision-making, and global collaboration.

For her, improvement of the company’s tools and processes relies on establishing a shared service centre that becomes a hub for digital and marketing expertise, identifying and nurturing top talent across the organisation. Moreover, there should be also implementation of standardised processes, tools, and metrics to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. 

“By benchmarking against industry best practices, we can optimise our operations and deliver superior results,” she noted.

Salihah also remarked on how the company will continue leveraging data analytics to identify trends, measure performance, and optimise marketing campaigns, and that by harnessing the power of data, they can make informed decisions and deliver greater ROI.

People-wise, she stated that investing in their team’s growth through providing opportunities for skill development, training, and exposure to emerging technologies, will foster a culture of innovation and enable us to stay ahead of industry trends. Lastly, by fostering collaboration among different markets to share knowledge, best practices, and insights–said cross-functional approach will drive innovation and accelerate their time-to-market.

“A core focus is establishing a robust shared service centre that provides efficient and scalable marketing & digital solutions. By standardising processes, leveraging data analytics, and investing in our team’s development, we aim to optimise performance and deliver exceptional results. We’re also dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, enabling us to stay ahead of industry trends and meet the evolving needs of our customers,” she explained.

Bringing recent leadership learnings to new role

Prior to joining DPE Global Services Centre Malaysia, Salihah was most recently the group head of marketing for digital, performance and CRM at Boost where she oversaw the overall drive of the company’s E2E strategy, planning and growth of the marketing activity across the digital marketing team, performance campaign management, CRM team as well as financial services vertical. Prior to Boost, she was Astro’s senior assistant vice president of digital innovations and customer experience.

Looking back, Salihah said that her previous roles at Astro and Boost have provided her with a strong foundation for the new leadership role at Domino’s Global Shared Service Center.

“At Astro, I honed my ability to innovate and deliver exceptional customer experiences. This deep understanding of customer needs and behaviours is invaluable in developing effective marketing strategies and digital touchpoints for Domino’s,” she said.

Salihah added, “My tenure at Boost equipped me with a robust skill set in digital marketing and performance optimisation. I successfully drove digital growth and achieved measurable results through data-driven campaigns. These experiences are directly transferable to Domino’s, where I can leverage digital channels to increase brand awareness, drive sales, and enhance customer engagement.”

She further explained that while she hasn’t held a traditional shared services role, her experience in managing cross-functional teams and optimising processes at both Astro and Boost has prepared her to build and lead a high-performing shared service centre for Domino’s.

“While the food industry presents unique challenges, I believe my ability to understand customer behaviour, leverage digital platforms, and drive operational excellence will be instrumental in achieving Domino’s business objectives,” she said.

Tackling F&B’s complex challenges in new role

When asked about the marketing challenges in the F&B industry, she notes that said industry is currently facing a complex set of challenges, including economic uncertainty, characterised by rising inflation and economic downturns, and has significantly impacted consumer spending habits. 

“Simultaneously, maintaining affordability without compromising product quality is a delicate balancing act as costs continue to rise. The industry must also adapt to evolving consumer preferences, which lean towards healthier, sustainable, and personalised food options,” she stated.

On another note, Salihah said that the rapid pace of technological advancement necessitates substantial investments in digital platforms, data analytics, and delivery infrastructure to stay competitive. Moreover, the intense competition within the F&B market requires strong brand differentiation, exceptional customer experiences, and effective loyalty programs to thrive.

For the people’s side, she stated that the ongoing talent shortage across various roles presents significant hurdles in acquiring and retaining skilled employees, demanding innovative recruitment and retention strategies. For her, these challenges collectively impact the industry’s profitability and growth, necessitating strategic and adaptive responses.

To overcome these challenges, Salihah believes that the future of F&B lies in creating deeply connected relationships with customers and that authenticity is key. 

“People crave real connections. We’ll focus on creating content that is genuine, relatable, and inspiring. By sharing our story and the stories of our customers, we can build a loyal and passionate community,” she said.

She added, “We believe in a world where every interaction with Domino’s feels personal and meaningful. By harnessing the power of data, we can tailor experiences to individual preferences, from the moment a customer visits our website to the moment they enjoy their pizza.”

Salihah also stresses the importance of innovation in the F&B space, a key objective for DPE Global Services Centre Malaysia to improve Domino’s operations in APAC and Europe.

“Innovation is at the heart of what we do. We’re constantly exploring new ways to delight our customers, whether it’s through cutting-edge technology, unique product offerings, or unforgettable in-store experiences. We’re committed to creating moments that go beyond just delivering a pizza; we want to create memories,” she concluded.