Campaign360 in Singapore: Highlights

Campaign360 2025 opened on May 26 at Marina Bay Sands with a two-day dive into marketing’s biggest reckonings: Can brands spark real change in a world under pressure? Is AI accelerating progress or eroding creativity? And what’s left of the CMO role in an age of disruption?

Ex-Amazon UX leader and climate activist Maren Costa set the tone with a hard-hitting call for marketers to step up as change agents, not just storytellers. On day two, LinkedIn’s Eric Sim flipped the script on job titles, urging professionals to future-proof themselves with a personal brand that outlasts any employer.

The full agenda is available on Campaign 360 website. 

Campaign Asia-Pacific's editorial team reports on the key takeways as the conference unfolded. 

Watch this space. 

DAY TWO

How to build your personal brand
Opening keynote by Eric Sim, founder, Institute of Life, author & LinkedIn influencer

“Forget your job title. How can you brand yourself? This is what you can do – set your priority on 4Cs”.

1. Combo specialist: Set your core and secondary specialisations. “Make your interests gradually become your core”
2. Content: In our writing for our personal brand, we should show that we are committed, appealing and trustworthy. If you’re not committed you one will care. If you’re not appealing, then we are boring. If we can’be be trusted, we’re dangerous.” 
3. Community: “Online influencers are good at this. We need community to support me when we no longer have a big brand behind us.”
4. Consistency: This can be topical and visual. “When we build your brand, we have to be very mindful of what we show, so we don’t confuse our audience.“

Final advice: “Start your journey to a million followers. Start small. Start now. Stay curious.” 

Innovating the future: Leveraging technology for next-gen marketing strategies in Asia

Nick Seckold, regional vice president, Microsoft Advertising APAC on how to leverage AI in everday work:

"We have a habit in this industry of chasing the shiny new toy. The whole industry buzzes about it. But the first thing I'd say is, sit down and really map out some of the challenges you're facing in the in your day-to-day work. Sit down with your teams and map out what that workflow looks like, and then plot where you think that AI or the generative AI could potentially help you do those tasks more efficiently. And the reality is, gen AI is not going to be relevant every step of that way. I think humans will do a better job than the AI in a lot of places. So it’s incumbent on all of us as leaders in our businesses to figure out where these technologies can help you do what you do better—so you can free up time to focus on other areas like driving growth and efficiency."

Eugene Goh, VP, ecommerce, Etiqa Insurance on whether AI is a reliable part of his team's internal processes:

"For the insurance business, we can’t rely 100% on AI, epscially with life insurance. In terms of our budget shift, AI is still an enabler but until AI is reliable enough to do what humans are capable of doing. And even if gen AI is working on content for us, you still need a human to review the content. AI is just not completely ready yet."

Han Feng, head of marketing, Trip.com on not looking at AI as a saviour:

"AI is not really a purpose. It’s rather a tool. In the end, the problems you're trying to solve as a marketer never actually change. So the most important thing is to identify what the problems are. Is it a problem for the channel to solve, or is it a problem for your product to solve? AI just fits in as something powerful to help you solve those problems with higher efficiency."

Cebu Pacific's marketing support for growth
Speaker: Candice Iyog, chief marketing & customer experience officer, Cebu Pacific Air

On one of the catalysts of their Discover PH campaign: “One of our insights from our GenZ research is about how GenZ’s travel to learn something new when they travel across the Philippines and the world. So the challenge we set for ourselves is around authenticity and relevance. How might we amplify the growing sense of Philippine pride among youth and discover more of the Philipppines.”

From online-only to on-the-ground: Shein’s strategy for creating physical brand moments
Speaker: Charlene Lee, director, global, public relations, Shein 

"Shein works with a lot of real-time insights. We look at how our products are performing in order to inform our decisions of what we sell, how much we produce, where we sell, and to whom we sell. All of this is made possible because we use on-demand production. We're producing 100 to 200 pieces of any product at launch for the entire world. It is because we have such small MOQs that we're able to respond in an agile way and tailor our products to target audiences."

What are my competitors and newer brands doing?

Nikhil Karoo, director, global head of PR and Partnerships, Razer: "Gaming is a very different industry—the competition often comes from within the community itself. So staying in tune with our audience is everything. We constantly ask: what’s the next thing gamers want? Because if they want it, the industry will build it. Most innovations, from keyboard mods to custom setups actually start with the community. We don’t chase trends; we follow the gamers."

Arnaud Frade, president (Commercial), Nielsen: "There’s growing curiosity across more channels than ever before. Yes, entry barriers are lower, and yes, there’s more opportunity—but this also means the role of the brand becomes even more important. Today’s consumers are more informed and more demanding. Their expectations are rising fast, and brands need to evolve to keep up." 

Alin Dobrea, marketing director, Zalora; president, Singapore Chapter, CMO Club: "The explosion of platforms across Asia has lowered the barrier for brands to go online. Just look at TikTok Shop, hundreds of new brands are launching and scaling quickly. In fact, 50–60% of the brands scaling in this region over the past 3–5 years are new entrants. That’s a huge shift, and it’s driving fragmentation across almost every category."

Jacky Mak, brand marketing director, YUU Rewards: "It really depends on the category. Sure, we do price comparisons—but that’s not the only factor. Consumers are also looking at warranty, customer experience, service quality, and brand trust. Some brands may not be the cheapest, but they win because they offer more value across those other touchpoints."

Beyond the event: Designing experiences that continue the conversation

Ananditha Mayasari, AVP head of marketing, Kopi Kenangan

"Visitors must know we are available at the event. Every time there’s an event we have at our booth, we are not only selling beverages but also engaging them with activities, sending KOLs to the booth, creating content. Because if you can create great content you can drive customers. You have to be cohesive in your touchpoints so customers will be looking at you, because will they remember seeing you if they don’t see you elsewhere like on social media after the event? Experiential isn’t only big events or about immersion but it’s every touchpoint you are engaging with the brand. That is the connection you still have to create. So if you create an experience that drive consumers to create content, they will do your promotion. Good content will market itself."

Lydia Chung, director of global market activation, Plaza Premium Group

"We established a global marketing campaign on travel and launched a new product which is a premium product in HK and will also roll out in other locations. To get people to know about it, we organised an event in HK, got people to register on WhatsApp so they can redeem gifts before they leave. We also sent offers to them so they can enjoy free services or discounts after the event. We created this whole experience and also enhanced their recall afterwards."

Tony Ng, founder and creative director, DigiSalad:

"We leverage AI as part of our strategy to analyse user health condition from just their selfies and recommend what they need to do like how many steps to take today, what exercises to do. And in the mobile app we have an AI that can tell you how to do the exercise, how to do the correct postures, for example for sit up or push up, even what kind of food to eat, so they can achieve their various goals through the mobile app."

Guarding against the downside to AI-enabled content
Speaker: Pritika Hemmed, lead client partner, APAC, DoubleVerify

What “Consumers are very very concerned about the impact of AI and the type of content that’s being produced. In 2024 there were more than 7 countries that had their election cycles in our region and outside and we at DoubleVerify saw a massive spike in incidents around misinformation, disinformation, a lot of deepfakes and incidents around inflammatory political content. It’s not a nice experience for consumers looking at all this content and as a brand, imagine having your ads exposed to environments like this.”

“What keeps marketers at night about AI is related to gen-AI, with creative that’s repetitive… The other is fraud schemes and… [landing on]’made for advertising’ sites.”

Who owns what? Decoding the modern marketing ecosystem

Sandeep Raj, chief commercial officer AAPC, AG

"Ownership is shifting fast. We used to focus heavily on aligning KPIs across teams—brand, awareness, conversion—and trying to manage ROI across silos. But now, it’s about real accountability for outcomes. And by outcomes, I mean revenue. Instead of dividing up the funnel, we’re aligning around one shared goal: driving results. That simplifies internal debates and sharpens decision-making."

Brenda Maderazo, deputy director marketing, Healthy lifestyle, Health Promotion Board

"It’s about influence and shifting behaviour—not through nagging, but nudging. Instead of saying “eat your greens” or “go exercise,” we’re using behavioural science to rewire choices. It’s not just about individual change, but shaping the built environment to support long-term habits."

Christopher Young, lead, retail media busines developmet FairPrice

"At FairPrice Group, we listen to one voice: the customer. If the brand team wants a rom-com and sales wants a thriller, our job is to translate both into something our audience actually wants to watch. It’s about filtering internal noise and delivering relevance."

Ian Loon, CEO Media & Digital Singapore, chief transformation officer, SEA Publicis Groupe

"There’s a lot of noise about “who owns what,” but our role is to bring coherence. Ownership today sits between brand, sales, and consumer insights—and in the agency world, it spans creative, PR, and media. Everyone claims proximity to the consumer. The real task is orchestration: bringing the right people into the room, identifying access points, and knowing which data matters."

What are my competitors and newer brands doing? 

Nikhil Karoo, director, global head of PR and partnerships, Razer

"Gaming in general is a very different industry, including the competition in general, it comes from within our own consumer set, we have to really stay in tune with our audience. So one of the things that we always look at is what is the new thing that the gamer wants and if the gamers want it, the industry will come up with that. What we are driven by is what the community is saying. Whatever is coming from the community will be something we’re going for. Most of the innovations come from the community themselves, such as keyboard modifications and all that. We’re really focused on what the community is going for."

Arnaud Frade, president (Commercial) Nielsen

There’s a general curiosity because we have many different channels now. And maybe the challenge for brands is, yes there is more opportunity, yes the barriers to entry are very low but the role that the brand can play is very important to the consumers. Consumers are increasingly far more sophisticated, knowledgeable, but the yard stick, the expectations, are increasingly higher and higher. 

Alin Dobrea, marketing director Zalora; president, Singapore Chapter, CMO Club

"The rise of platforms across the region makes it very easy for brands to go online, the barriers have come down significantly for them to open stores. If we look at TikTok Shop there are hundreds of new brands entering and a lot of new brands that are scaling well, 50-60% have been new entrants in this region in the last 3-5 years, that’s a phenomenal change in terms of new entrants and an increase in fragmentation across all categories."

Jacky Mak, brand marketing director, Yuu Rewards

"It depends on the category, sometimes we do price comparison when shopping but we also look at warranty, customer experience, customer service, and quality, so we don’t always rely on the price factor. A lot of brands may not have the cheapest product but they still have a huge customer base because they offer other factors. "

DAY ONE

The end of business as usual: marketing in the anthropocene
Opening keynote by Maren Costa, climate justice leader, former Amazon insider

“We are at a civilisation-defining crossroads, and staying the course would be suicide. Changing course needs radical coordinated global transformation on an emergency timeline. And maybe that's just so overwhelming, we just want to look away. I did, until I didn’t. So I ask you to consider, how long will you continue with business as usual? What's your tipping point when the risk of staying the course becomes more terrifying than the risk of choosing a radically new path?”

“Radical change saves money and will save your business, not to mention lives. You might think that customers won't go for it. The data says otherwise and demand for ethical brands is rising fast, and products that are marketed as sustainable grow 2.7 times faster. The brands that lead change are the ones that people will remember and reward. You might say ‘It's not our job, it's the government's job’. Governance is moving too slowly when they fail to lead; the burden and opportunity falls on our businesses. Don't wait for the inevitable carbon taxes, plastic bags or producer responsibility regulations. Lead for your cause—that's how reputations are built and how civilisations are staked.”

Read the full story about Costa's suggestions of how brands can lead the climate course. 

Connect or die: A growth playbook in turbulent times
Speakers: Amrita Randhawa, Publicis SEA CEO; Sapna Nemani, chief solutions officer, Publicis APAC

Publicis leaders Amrita Randhawa and Sapana Nemani share how marketers can share a strategy for marketers to build connected ecosystems and power sustainable growth in rising volatility.

Randhawa:

“We analysed thousands of Q1 2025 earnings calls. The single biggest keyword in every marketer or CEO’s earnings call was: Where is growth coming from?

"And the answer is not inflation. Not pricing.

“The traditional marketing playbook isn’t working as well as it used to. It’s not just about doing everything BAU as the opening said, delivering launches, doing customisation, driving penetration, and getting growth. That’s no longer the case. In fact, growth from innovation is lower than marketers expect. Instead, local brands—brands that drive relevance at a national and hyper-local level—are working from a very different playbook.”

Nemani:

"Connected identity is a game-changer because it connects data in a meaningful way for brands. We need to connect capabilities in a way no one else can. And that happens in three ways. 

1. Connect your PESO – paid, earned, shared, owned – across touchpoints with no red lines.
2. Connect with content – smart, relevant, personal content arriving in people’s lives when they need it.
3. Connect to business outcomes – because growth today must be tied to real business impact.”

Is the role of the CMO still relevant in today’s digital-first landscape?

Lisa Ortner Ghouze, global head of marketing, financial markets, Standard Chartered:

“Emotional connection is the biggest untapped opportunity in B2B marketing. And I think about this a lot especially for a regulated entity. People think we’re marketing to very serious people who don’t like making jokes. Even if you’re marketing something very complex, there are still people behind everything. And whether we use gen AI tools to make decisions, ultimately, an emotional connection must be there. We have to challenge ourselves to be brave and more creative.”

Sarah Fox, VP and regional general manager, Disney Cruise Line:

“Obviously we need data. We need data to reinforce our KPIs, to understand if our finances are being spent in the right place, to understand if we're moving the needle appropriately. But it's in balance of creativity, right? It's how we connect emotionally to the consumer. And so, I think sometimes we can also get a little bit paralysed in data. To me, it's how you use data to be effective. Know you're being affected, but also using your gut and doing things in interesting ways. In business, it’s all about curiosity.”

Kenneth Lim, CMO, Singapore Tourism Board:

“It's challenging from the perspective of a tourism board. If you think about it, we don't own the entire consumer journey. I can do all of my other upper funnel marketing and my pre-arrival content, but when it comes to the products, how do consumers actually interact with the products and experiences? That data doesn’t lie with us, and that’s where our partnerships are really important. This is where we have to be agile in our data partnerships with our partners [such as with Sarah Fox’s Disney Cruise Line]. We get little pieces of information from our partners which can help us identify if we’re moving in the right direction. In the tourism borard space, partnerships are definitely critical.”

Amrita Randhawa, CEO, Publicis Groupe SEA:

“There are two things for me that are super important right now. The first is authenticity because there’s been a rejection of overly polished, overly curated [content]. It has to be authentic to the brand. But equally, consumers today have far less patience than ever before. It might sound old-school, but being responsive at the right point in time [is essential] because that one person is a pissed off consumer and they will make it their mission to destroy the brand. So the unforced link between authentic experiences and what those experiences look like are what marketers have to be thinking about.”

“I don't think as agency people we have ever needed empathy and the ability to listen and not sell more than we do now. I was reading a Gartner study about how 37% of CMOs aren’t convinced they have everything in terms of data analytics and ability to understand that they are proving impact. And today, a [CMO’s] pressure to prove impact in their role is immense.”

The AI advantage: More effective multi-channel advertising by StackAdapt
Speaker: Deirdre Chew, director of sales, SEA, StackAdapt

“AI is saving more time for us to work on strategic messaging by focusing on three areas. The first is around the simplifying process. By automating manual tasks, AI is helping to save more time for us to focus on strategic position. The second is targeting the right user. AI is ensuring that we’re reaching the audience most likely to engage [in content]. And the last is optimising in real time. As a campaign runs, AI is ensuring that it's making the adjustments to help you achieve your performance objectives. It's not just about efficiency. It's about making smarter decisions faster.”

Focus groups in action

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How are modern consumers changing the game?

Catherine Chai, marketing director, Sony Pictures Entertaintment

“Going to the cinema is no longer a leisure activity. Consumer behaviour and expectations have been shifted drastically by the [Covid pandemic]. We are now competing with home entertainment and also increasingly sophisticated experiences. I miss the time where I just needed to promote a trailer, buy some random ads, maybe buy some prints on some high-distribution newspaper and my movie would sell. It’s no longer the case. Our challenge now is that we don't market movies, we market relationships. How do we establish a new relationship with our target audience? Therefore, we work hard on positioning [each movie] right. Instead of telling people what's the story about, we try and identify who the movie is for and what experience it can deliver—will it bring collective joy or will it be a social conversation starter? It’s very challenging, but we work harder to engage the modern consumer.”

“Nowadays, people are not only about brands to entertain, they want to respond to a brand that resonates with their personal values. There used to be a time where we invite influencers to our screening and they would just come. But in recent years, I notice that every time we extend a visitation, the questions we might receive from influencers is, ‘What's the political stance of the company?’ or ‘Which side are you at?’ They are very aware. They are more discerning. They no longer just take in what you feed them.” 

Deric Wong, chief business officer, EternityX

“In China, the challenge for marketers when it comes to content is orchestration. There are so many platforms for brand discovery, and we all know the consumer does not make a decision based on exposure. While that is hugely powerful, it’s all about content. Now, imagine in China, if you have to create content for Rednote, you have to create content for your WeChat video programme, and you have to create content for Douyin. And they’re all very, very different. A brand has a very important duty to orchestrate their brand across ecommerce, branding, or product, and making sure the messages are cohesive.”

Sean Loh, content and campaign lead, Audi Singapore

“Buying a car in Singapore is insane. It’s a product that depreciates in value over the next 10 years. So how do get consumers thinking about [buying a car]? Well, many of your childhood memories are built inside a car, or around transport. So with that, we try to create content that’s the most relevant. For example, in some of our newer products right now, we have a visual screen in the passenger area. While the driver is focusing on getting from point A to B, the passenger can enjoy entertainment on the on screen embedded in the dashboard. So, we won’t just talk about our services and our product, we’re also trying to talk about what’s most beneficial to the people around them; and they can support [and win over] the driver about the brand.”

Introducing the Campaign PowerList 2025

Delegates to Campaign360 got an early look at this year’s Power List of top APAC CMOs, which will be published in Campaign Asia on Thursday, May 29th.  Here though, is a sneak peek at the criteria and three members of the list who shared some learnings from their career. 

Nikita Mishra presenting the Top 50 CMO Powerlist

Nikita Mishra, editor, Campaign Asia-Pacific on how the list is chosen: 

"There’s definitely a power factor. The CMOs you see on this list are from some of the brands that have the biggest advertising budgets. But that’s just one of the criteria.  We look for leaders who are risk-takers, who are pushing the boundaries and innovating, not just talking about the future but actively shaping it. Most importantly, it’s how they show up, for their brands and the teams they’ve built.”

Neil Trinidad, chief marketing officer and integration leader, GCash on the big ideas that didn’t happen:

“Marketers are often drawn to the clever, wild and crazy ideas that seem really interesting.  But I realised it should never come at the expense of clarity. And when I look back on the ideas that didn’t make it, they were precisely the clever ideas. On reflection, not all ideas are right for the brand even if they may be a trendy idea for the moment. But if it’s not right for the brand, it’s not relevant for the consumer and it's not going to build the brand over the long term.” 

Stuart Spencer, group chief marketing officer, AIA on a piece of advice to share with a younger version of himself: 

“The power to say no. I look back on my career and I see how dedicated I was to this firm and the sacrifices I made. I probably made too many sacrifices. I took too many calls, went to too many meetings and went on too many business trips. I want all of us to remember our organisations will be here tomorrow. I urge each and every one of us to put our own health and wellness always first before work. I think this has been lost as we want to climb the ladder and do great things...  If I could wind the clock back I’d probably be more humble when younger and say no sooner, knowing it was all going to work out just fine.”

Tu Le-Thanh, chief marketing & sustainability officer, Nestlé Waters Vietnam on adapting to changes:

“To thrive and survive in the changing world, my mantra is ‘be a kid’.  Because if you remember when you were a kid, you weren’t afraid of losing.  You just look forward every day to a lot of opportunities and that’s exactly the kind of culture that I try to build for my team, because all our challenges give us opportunity.” 

False attribution and marketing’s hidden ROI killers
Speaker: Nikki Taylor, Marketing & Communications Director, APAC, Analytic Partners

“I want to challenge you. Stop doing clicks. Clicks do not give you impact. They never have. Start looking at measuring incrementality. Stop relying on last click, first click attribution. Balance your brand and performance. Don’t pick sides in achieving balance. Even just two percent will move you in the right direction. But aim for above thirty [in brand]... Creative drives ROI – it's not just about media. Consistency builds up the brand and stops decay. We have a lot of data that shows consistency builds up the brand. You need to own your own data. Speak commercial, and lead the room.” 

Beyond the brief: Reinventing the agency-brand dynamic for bold results

Sandy Yang, regional director of marketing, Hard Rock International on talent crisis hitting agencies

“Back in the day, we would plan a campaign two years out. But nowadays, that’s a bit risky. If I plan something two years ahead, I don’t know if it will even be relevant. Having a steady, stable team, one that can cultivate the brand and react with current events, is really important.”

“The biggest challenge is the ability of the team at the agency partner side. During the pitch, you get the perfect A-team team, but when the actual work starts, some of them have left or are not on the project. Having to explain and re-explain the brief over and over again to new people can be very draining.”

“As a marketer, bold isn’t necessarily better. I wouldn’t always look for bold campaigns—we know these things can go wrong. My advice to brands will be to hold on to your key values and don’t go away from that.”

SeongEun (Rea) Hyun, senior professional, Global marcom (IMC Strategy), Samsung Electronics on the need for agencies to grasp the business, not just streamline it

"We are seeing a really meaningful shift lately, especially with the rise of AI tools that automate low-value tasks. That gives more space for agencies to take on more of a strategic and oxygen role. Efficiency has become a key driver in the agency-client relationship. And by efficiency I don't mean replacement. Agencies are not getting replaced but need to understand the full spectrum of the business. The retainer model is getting challenged but it won’t disappear. I think a hybrid model is the future."

Sebnem Uner, Head of consumer and market insights, The Heineken Company on deeper collaboration

“We’ve seen the relationship with agencies shift from transactional to more strategic—from being just vendors hired by strategy teams to being true partners.”

“As a consumer company, we need to be agile, and we’re looking for agencies that can understand our consumers, with local nuances and foresight.”

“Relationship with an agency is a two-way street… I’d tell brands to be generous with the background, with the context, data, insights, with your business reality. The more the agency knows about your business, the more they can contribute.”

Elin Sandberg, Head of customer activation and marketing, H&M on why execution is not enough: I agree with Sebnem Uner. Our relationship with our agency moved from executioners to strategic partners. As a brand, we are looking for collaborators.

“Our business model hasn’t changed with the advancements of AI. It’s still a retainer. Retainers matter because deep understanding takes time. We need an agency that is in it for the long term—it is paramount to the business.  However, we do add on project-based work from time to time.”

“We are quite transparent with our agencies on data. That makes all the difference in terms of understanding.”