VaynerMedia APAC’s Post

As the new APAC Regional Director for The One Club for Creativity, I’m excited to strengthen collaboration across our region and elevate the ONE Asia Creative Awards. By nurturing talent and building a more connected creative community, I’m committed to pushing boundaries and inspiring the next generation of creative leaders. In my previous roles, I’ve gained diverse perspectives working in numerous global network agencies and contributing to the Asia and Worldwide Creative Councils. Serving as a judge for more than 30 different award shows—from global to local—has given me unique insights into how creativity is interpreted across cultures. These experiences have broadened my view, teaching me to see things differently and collaborate with people from various backgrounds. I’ve learned to identify the common threads that connect us, which is key to fostering creative growth in our industry. As I look to the future, I’m eager to exchange ideas with many of you and explore how we can develop fresh, innovative initiatives that will shape the future of advertising together. Speak to you soon. Thanks, Besteverad, for the coverage. #creativity #leadership #oneclub #APAC #advertising #weekendvibes #APACCreativity #ONEAsiaAwards #CreativeLeadership #InspiringCreatives #GlobalPerspectives #CulturalCreativity #NurturingTalent #PushingBoundaries #InnovativeAdvertising #CreativeCollaboration #FutureOfAdvertising #CreativeCommunity #LeadershipInAdvertising #CrossCulturalCreativity #NextGenCreatives

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗮 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 #𝗡𝗕𝗔 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 🏀 As I sipped baijiu in a #HongKong bistro with marketing legend Renzo Robles, I realized how the National Basketball Association (NBA) scaled overseas differently. With over 1 billion viewers in Asia, they didn’t just expand—they became a part of the culture. The secret? It’s not about copy-pasting a global strategy everywhere. Renzo’s genius was simple yet profound: Think globally, act locally. That’s how you transform a brand into a cultural phenomenon. That’s when it hit me—success isn’t about breaking into a market. It’s about immersing yourself in it, understanding its pulse, and building #partnerships that resonates deeply. Global impact is impressive, but local wins? That’s where the magic happens.

As a final contribution to AdForum’s DE&I conversation, Lobo.cx Managing Partner Luis Ribeiro chimed in to express his opinions on the matter. “The DE&I conversation may have slowed due to waning enthusiasm, the complexities of lasting change, and external factors like economic and political pressures. To keep progress going, we need sustained leadership commitment, continuous education, and training, and to set measurable goals with accountability. Creating open dialogue and safe spaces for discussions, along with celebrating milestones and successes, will also help. By maintaining a proactive and persistent approach, we can ensure DE&I efforts continue to advance and create meaningful change.” Check out Luis’ thoughts, and other industry leaders in the full story from India Fizer here: https://bit.ly/3VVYv9c

Current status: judging The Campaign Big Global Awards. 🏆 🌎 It's always great to see inspiring work - across the industry, across the world. Award shows are always a potent reminder of what creativity can achieve. Creativity opens the mind. It has the power to connect people, broaden our perspectives, overcome prejudices and even change opinions. I still believe creativity has the power to change the world for the better. That's BIG. #creativity #awards Campaign US Campaign UK Campaign Asia-Pacific Campaign Germany Campaign India

🌟 My Post-Cannes Reflections 🌟 I love Cannes. It’s a week of conversation, connection, and collaboration - a ‘creative mecca’ if you will. But now that the dust has settled and everyone is posting their top takeaways, I’ve been doing some reflecting. And I think something was missing from Cannes this year. In amongst all the awards and big name talks, our industry’s ability to do good got lost. So, here are my top takeaways from Cannes 2024: 🤖 Everyone is obsessed with AI. It’s no surprise that AI dominated the conversation again this year. As an industry, we’re still obsessed with chasing the latest shiny thing, especially if it makes us money. Sustainability has been completely deprioritised. A smattering of brands and agencies made nominal gestures in the right direction, and (embarrassingly) few took the train instead of flying. But aside from that, there was barely anything of note on sustainability at all. 😔 Change has arrived, but not on the main stage. The whole festival felt more diverse and inclusive than ever - WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ) had its first real presence in its 101-year history, and lots of interesting conversations took place outside the Palais. But it was a conversation that mainly took place in back streets and small cafés. Meanwhile, the line to watch Elon Musk snaked around the block. 🤑 We need a reframe. AI took centre stage because it has been framed as a driver of growth. Sustainability and D&I remain fringe conversations because they have not. The exception might be women’s sport, which (quite rightly) received a lot of airtime this year because of its demonstrable commercial value. Growth is how you get attention at Cannes.   💚 You can do good and make money. The new Alt Text awards category next year (created by Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in partnership with RNIB and MullenLowe UK) is a great example. The inclusive practice allows brands to target an additional 2.2 billion blind and partially sighted people globally. So next year, let’s make doing good while making money a Cannes priority on and off the main stages. ✊🏼   #CannesLions #Sustainability #DiversityandInclusion #AI #WomenInSport #CreativeIndustry #Advertising

With Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in full swing, check-out my latest PRWeek op-ed on why we need to continue to double down on the importance of #DEI at a time when diversity initiatives are losing steam across our industry. The Sway Effect #SwayEffectCannes #CannesLions2024

The way young generations interact with brands is evolving..and fast! 💭 Gen Z and other emerging generations such as Gen Alpha are more critical and savvy than ever, so how do brands stay relevant? Our CEO Jay Richards was welcomed to Golden Drum International Festival of Creativity and spoke about mitigating the risks of being cancelled in an age where social media can be hard to navigate. 💡 Attendees learned how to avoid these pitfalls and gained the tools to connect meaningfully with the next generation of consumers. Golden Drum International Festival of Creativity brings together creative, marketing and advertising professional communities in Europe to celebrate the ideas, creative teams and individuals within the industry. #GenZ #GenAlpha #Insights #Brands #Business #SocialMedia

In the ever-evolving world of creativity and innovation, it's rare to find moments that truly reshape your perspective. While I may not have been present in the room, listening to the recording of the session with Kevin Koh and Noveri Mandey from MullenLowe Singapore was one of those transformative experiences. Their insights into the art of pitching, honed through years of leading in the advertising industry, offered a treasure trove of wisdom right into my headphones. 🎧✨ Understanding the core problem we aim to solve was highlighted as the cornerstone of a successful pitch. This approach resonates deeply with me, reinforcing the idea that creativity thrives on challenging norms and daring to redefine boundaries. It's about embracing the beautiful complexity of creative work, where there's no definitive right or wrong, but a canvas awaiting our unique strokes. Kevin and Noveri emphasized the critical importance of connecting with our audience on a human level. A reminder that beyond the strategies and pitches, it’s the emotional resonance that truly leaves a mark. This principle is something I aim to embed deeply into my own creative pursuits. Though I absorbed these insights through a screen, the impact was no less significant. It underscores the power of technology in bridging gaps, allowing us to learn and grow, even from afar. A huge thank you to Pei Wen Wong for making these learning opportunities accessible and to Kevin Koh and Noveri Mandey for sharing their invaluable expertise. With the D&AD submission deadline on the horizon, my team—Ashley Koh, Meg-Gayle Dean, and I—are more inspired and motivated than ever to push our creative limits. Let’s bring our ideas to life, break some rules, and make our audience feel something profound. Onward to the finish line! 💪🎨 #CreativeThinking #Pitching #Advertising #TeamWork #DandAD #NTUSG #WKWSCI #MMC

' Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is still the only truly global celebration of the absolute best work that our industry is capable of, and in my view it’s a must-attend for everybody. I coach and advise a number of leaders of small to midsize agencies and holding companies, and for their business development and agency growth goals, I always recommend attending Cannes, even (and especially) if they’ve never been. It’s the one week of the year where you can find pretty much everybody in our industry and everybody on the client side all in the one place, so for biz-dev goals, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Plus, you don’t have to rent a beach to get noticed. Demonstrate precisely what Cannes celebrates -- extremely ingenious strategy + highly creative execution -- and you can impose yourself on the landscape of Cannes to generate buzz, chatter and media coverage to further those goals.' I talk to Barbara Lippert for MediaPost: https://lnkd.in/eBHPavim

I gained fresh inspiration recently after listening to the panel of esteemed speakers at ADPList Singapore Chapter's inaugural event. So I reflected upon my own design journey as well. There are often assumptions that designers and developers would be at odds. But from my own—as well as from 55 Minutes Pte Ltd's team—experience in: ✅ auditing the UX design of existing products ✅ designing, as well as re-vamping and improving entire UX UI of digital platforms ✅ conducting usability tests and prototyping tests Here's what I've uncovered about this critical collaboration: ⭐ Designers and developers are two sides of the same coin ⭐ Although they wear different hats, they have a shared goal — to create a product that works well and resonates with the end-user. But, they often speak different languages and start off with different priorities. 👉 Designers focus on aesthetics, user experience, and visual storytelling. (Yes, we care about alignments down to the pixels.) 👉 Developers, on the other hand, are all about functionality, efficiency, performance and code. This can lead to conflicts. But when they work well together, magic happens. Products that not only look good but also work seamlessly. So, how do we bridge this gap? ❤️🧠 Two things. Communication and trust. Designers and developers need to communicate what their priorities are, seek to understand each other's perspectives and why these matter to them. We need to respect each other's expertise, and keep communicating in ways that builds trust within this collaboration. A shared vocabulary and trust can do wonders. ❌ It's not about winning an argument, nor egos. ✔ It's about coming together to create the best outcomes possible. ✔ It's about involving both designers and developers as equal stakeholders right at the start of a project. ✔ It's about being curious, asking questions, listening to and respecting each other. Let's embrace the reality that complexity is part of creative work, but with a strong commitment to communicating clearly and communicating often, and creating a respectful and trusting collaboration, we can navigate the chaos together to achieve successful product outcomes. What other processes or practices worked for you when it comes to better collaborations between designers and developers? Pls share!