Marketing Connected

From Labubu to Crybaby, POP MART has built a global following around its collectible characters. But sustaining fandom takes more than creating the next viral sensation. It requires understanding what fans value and keeping its intellectual properties relevant.In this episode of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s Marketing Connected podcast, recorded live at Digital Marketing Asia 2026, Rezwana Manjur, editor-in-chief of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, speaks to Jeremy Lee, head of Middle East and South Asia at POP MART, about how the brand builds lasting fandom through artist engagement, social listening and collaborations.Tune in to hear how POP MART turns fan feedback into product innovation and measures fandom beyond sales figures.

Since entering Singapore in 2013, Australian-founded Guzman y Gomez (GYG) has carved out a place in the crowded food scene by balancing its commitment to fresh, clean food with flavours tailored to local tastes.In this episode of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s Marketing Connected podcast, recorded live at Digital Marketing Asia Singapore in partnership with Analytic Partners, Nikki Taylor sits down with Adora Chou, CMO of GYG Singapore, to discuss how the restaurant chain approaches localisation without compromising its brand promise, why its media strategy prioritises the right moments over mass reach, and how turning off delivery during peak periods can help protect the customer experience.Tune in to the full episode to hear how GYG is using Singapore as a market for experimentation, from locally inspired menu innovations to more targeted media investments and operational decisions that put the guest experience first.

As social commerce reshapes the customer journey, the lines between marketing, eCommerce and sales are becoming increasingly blurred.In this episode of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s Marketing Connected podcast, recorded live at Digital Marketing Asia Singapore in partnership with Analytic Partners, Nikki Taylor sits down with Sonal Aggarwal, head of eCommerce at PUMA SEA, to discuss how social commerce is bringing sales and marketing closer together, what happens when online reach begins driving offline sales, and why experimentation matters when consumer behaviour is evolving faster than organisations can adapt.Tune in to the full episode for their conversation on navigating a retail landscape where brand, commerce and customer experience are increasingly interconnected.

In this episode of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s Marketing Connected podcast, recorded live at Digital Marketing Asia Singapore in partnership with Analytic Partners, Nikki Taylor of Analytic Partners sits down with Paulene Ong, marketing director at UNIQLO, to discuss how the retailer balances long-term brand building with weekly commercial performance, uses data to better understand its customers, and makes constant experimentation part of the way it operates. Tune in to the full episode to hear how UNIQLO is navigating growth, relevance and performance in an ever-changing retail landscape.

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.