Advertise on podcast: Marketing Connected

It’s clear that while the way we market is becoming more intelligent, the core of great marketing remains undeniably human. This Content360 Malaysia panel explores how to lead with heart in an age dominated by data and automated content.  Hear from leaders who balance cutting-edge innovation with a deep commitment to empathy, purpose, and meaningful connection.  Catch the full conversation right here.

For a while, Mamee Double-Decker felt like it was doing everything right. The company was launching campaigns, rolling out SKUs and pushing limited-edition products. Yet despite staying visible, something was missing. “Our problem was not really the attention or media - but meaning,” said How Yuan Yi during a recent case study presentation at the Content360 Malaysia conference. Catch the full conversation right here.

In this episode of “In Conversation,” Karl Mak, co-founder of HEPMIL Media Group, shares how a failed regional expansion and the rise of TikTok led them to pivot into the creator economy, culminating in HEPMIL’s acquisition by Publicis Groupe.  He discusses maintaining their cheeky brand identity, nurturing Southeast Asian creators, and why the future of media, commerce, and culture will be shaped by the creator economy. HEPMIL houses SGAG, MGAG, HEPMIL Creators’ Network.

In this episode of Marketing Connected's "In Conversation", Melvin Kuek, executive director of So Drama Entertainment, unpacks his journey from agency leader to digital-first content maker.  Kuek shares how success metrics have shifted from pure profit to community signals and trust, explains the difference between traditional advertising and branded entertainment, and dives into bold projects like Singapore’s first action drama movie and the Kaki lifestyle app. He also discusses elevating local talent and what it really means to market national pride.

Artificial intelligence chatbots have quickly become part of our everyday routines—from answering questions and drafting emails to planning trips and summarising long documents.   But as these tools become more convenient, they also become more deeply embedded in our digital lives, quietly collecting and processing vast amounts of personal information in the background. This raises pressing questions about what we trade away in exchange for AI-powered convenience - and how aware we really are of those trade-offs. As AI chatbots ramp up data collection, a familiar pattern appears to be reemerging: the creation of another walled garden—this time built not from clicks, but from users’ thought processes. This article was written by Karen Wong.

Born into the digital era rather than retrofitted for it, CHAGEE is betting that technology-led localisation - not simply aggressive expansion - will define whether global lifestyle brands can truly resonate in culturally nuanced markets such as the Philippines.  Speaking at the 2026 Content360 Conference in a fireside chat marking International Tea Day, Oliver Rabatan, deputy general manager and head of marketing and user operations at CHAGEE Philippines, outlined how the tea chain is approaching localisation not as a campaign layer, but as a structural business strategy.

In this episode of “In Conversation”, Astro Malaysia chief sales and marketing officer Tai Kam Leong reflects on navigating rapid media disruption, balancing analytics with creativity, and why Astro is betting on experiential fandom and Malaysian content.  He also shares insights into audience fragmentation, digital channels, OTT partnerships and the future of media consumption in Malaysia’s evolving entertainment landscape.

In this episode of Marketing Connected’s “In Conversation”, APRW managing director Cho Pei Lin shares how she transitioned from practising law into PR and became an early advocate for litigation and disputes communications in Singapore.  She discusses crisis management, reputation strategy, public trust and why legal, operational and communications teams must work together from the very beginning of a crisis.

For Bryan Loo, founder and CEO of Loob Holding, the future of marketing is not just about dashboards and data points, it is about instinct, storytelling and understanding what everyday Malaysians truly connect with. Loob Holding is well known for bringing Taiwanese bubble tea chain Chatime to Malaysia, and subsequently relaunched as Tealive in 2017. The holding company now operates several other F&B brands such as Bask Bear Coffee and WonderBrew. Speaking during a fireside chat with A+M’s editor-in-chief Rezwana Manjur at Content360 Malaysia, Loo reflected on how Tealive grew from a small bubble tea outlet into one of Malaysia’s most recognisable lifestyle brands by staying culturally relatable and community-driven.

The long‑standing narrative of Hong Kong and Singapore as close rivals, locked in a zero‑sum battle for Asia’s top financial and tourism hub, is being challenged by a new reality.  While Hong Kong and Singapore are often seen as competitors, they are more akin to non‑identical twins—remarkably similar in DNA, yet each with its own distinct personality and strengths. Beyond their shared strengths, the two cities each have their own distinctives. Singapore offers polished modernity with a clean, green, master-planned city with a strong multicultural food scene and integrated casino resorts, while Hong Kong leans into high-energy urban density and cultural immersion, from Cantonese cuisine to harbour skylines backed by mountains and hiking trails. This article was written by Vanessa Yuen.

How does a global retail giant stay relevant in a mature market such as Singapore? In this episode of In Conversation, we sit down with Michael la Cour to discuss why IKEA believes it must “consistently deserve” consumer awareness.  From experiential retail and eCommerce competition to sustainability, localisation and the future of home living, la Cour shares how IKEA Singapore is evolving to meet changing consumer expectations while staying rooted in its Swedish identity.

On this episode of Marketing Connected’s In Conversation, Lynette Pang shares how Singapore is reshaping perceptions of itself as more than just a business hub, by making the arts part of everyday life.  From public performances and audience-first strategies to the SG Arts Plan and support for artists, Pang discusses how the National Arts Council is building a more connected, creative and culturally vibrant Singapore, while offering lessons for how cities across Southeast Asia can grow and sustain their own arts ecosystems.

In this episode of In Conversation, Jon Stona, VP of global marketing at Airwallex, shares how challenger brands can rethink B2B marketing.  Drawing from his experience at Google and Stripe, he unpacks why fundamentals still matter, how to build trust at a human level, and why bold, non-traditional moves such as sports partnerships can accelerate brand growth.  The conversation also explores balancing global consistency with local relevance, and making B2B marketing more engaging, strategic, and impactful.

Once the backbone of content discovery, hashtags have been quietly pushed to the margins as platforms evolve into systems that understand content without needing to be told what it is.   What’s replacing them isn’t another tactic, it’s a move away from how content is interpreted, distributed and discovered. Original article written by Matthew Eaton, Australia editor.

Lex Bradshaw-Zanger, chief marketing and digital officer, SAPMENA at L'Oréal Groupe, joins Marketing Connected to unpack what it really takes to lead across 13 timezones. In this "In Conversation" episode, Lex shares why Southeast Asia sits at the centre of innovation, how global brands balance consistency with local nuance, and why “digital marketing” no longer exists as a separate discipline. From creativity and commerce to beauty tech and AI, he offers a clear-eyed take on what’s changing, and what isn’t.