January 2024 – R3 attended the Singapore AdMarCom Festival 2024, organised by the Association of Advertising & Marketing Singapore (AAMS). The event showcased the industry’s most daring and innovative minds, bringing together a diverse community under the theme “Spotlighting the Brave.” Esteemed personalities Ho Kwon Ping, Founder and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings and Laguna Resorts and Hotels and Shee Tse Koon, Group Executive and Group Head of Consumer Banking Group and Wealth Management at DBS, shared invaluable insights during fireside chats moderated by Shufen Goh, Co-founder & Principal of R3 and President of AAMS.

Here are three key learnings, from Shufen and Krystal Lim (Growth Manager, APAC).

  1. The Importance of Branding:
    Branding is the CEO’s job – the obsession with what the brand stands for needs to be experienced at every touch point, internally and externally. Genuine brand values and ownership from the top level of the company are critical for brands to be successful. In fact, branding is imperative for success, not a reward for success.
  2. The Importance of Brand Evolution:
    The need for a brand to continually evolve was stressed, advocating for a balance between mainstream elements with edginess to prevent stagnation and ensure relevance.
  3. The Importance of Brand Purpose:
    Remember your brand purpose/north star. Senior management must be guardians of the company’s DNA, culture, and brand promise, to ensure that the same sense of purpose is embedded throughout the organization. The same rule applies to navigating new technology or tools that can be double-edged swords like Gen AI, decisions need to be ultimately guided by brand purpose and values.