Singapore – BlueFocus, a marketing technology company, has recently welcomed Vicky Xu as its new general manager in Singapore. In a recent interview by MARKETECH APAC, Vicky said that her priority is to strengthen the agency’s offerings by leveraging AI-powered marketing solutions, which are at the core of BlueFocus’s strategy. Said goals are for the agency to drive efficiency, personalisation, and measurable impact for its clients.
“We aim to serve as a strategic bridge—helping Chinese companies expand and succeed in Southeast Asia while also guiding regional and global brands into the China market. With our strong digital DNA, we are building fully integrated offerings that combine advertising, PR, social, and performance marketing,” she said.
Vicky added, “At the same time, we are deepening partnerships with key platforms and technology providers worldwide, ensuring BlueFocus is the go-to partner for brands looking to grow and compete on a global stage.”
Adopting past experiences
She was most recently with Grab, where she first held the role of regional manager for sales strategy and GTM at GrabAds; then later becoming the regional manager for Greater China agency and key commercial accounts. During her time at Grab, she led the GrabAds advertising arm in a strategic partnership with Tomato Interactive, aimed at supporting China’s top brands in gaining a stronger presence in Southeast Asia.
Prior to joining Grab, she was with Criteo as an agency program manager for Hong Kong and Taiwan, where she worked closely with cross-functional teams to develop customised agency programs and enable partners to drive revenue growth.
Reflecting on these past experiences, Vicky explained, “From my experiences at Grab and Criteo, I’ve learned that innovation and ecosystem-building are essential to driving sustainable growth. At Grab, I saw how building a strong ecosystem of partners and localised services can turn a platform into a daily necessity for millions. At Criteo, I deepened my expertise in programmatic and performance marketing, understanding how technology and data can be harnessed to drive precision, personalisation, and measurable business outcomes.”
She added, “These experiences reinforced the importance of blending innovation with integration—using data, technology, and creativity to deliver seamless marketing solutions. At BlueFocus, I intend to bring these learnings to strengthen our AI-powered capabilities, expand our global partnerships, and deliver integrated, end-to-end solutions that empower brands to compete and grow worldwide.”
Navigating Southeast Asia’s complex digital marketing challenges
For Vicky, BlueFocus aims to help clients navigate marketing challenges in Southeast Asia by leveraging their deep understanding of a diverse range of advertisers and industries.
“With extensive data at our disposal, we use AI-powered tools to analyse consumer behaviour and market trends, enabling us to offer tailored, data-driven solutions that maximise impact. Our approach combines integrated marketing solutions to ensure consistent results across channels. By pairing local insights with global expertise and strong ecosystem partnerships, we empower clients to innovate, scale, and thrive in the region’s fast-evolving digital economy,” she explains.
When asked about what insights do she find most relevant in shaping effective digital marketing/advertising strategies, Vicky noted that she had developed a broad overview of media capabilities, allowing her to understand what works across diverse markets and channels.
“From this perspective, three insights are critical for effective digital marketing: understanding diverse audiences, leveraging data for measurable impact, and integrating campaigns across channels. BlueFocus addresses these by combining our deep local market knowledge with global expertise, supported by extensive advertiser data and AI-powered tools,” she explained.
Vicky concluded, “This enables us to deliver highly targeted, adaptive, and integrated marketing solutions while building strong ecosystems and partnerships to maximise impact and innovation.”
