Saxon Shirley

Another gong for ServiceNow's CX Campaign! 🥳🏆 Planning, building, and nurturing the campaign has been a real career highlight. It's also reinforced some critical lessons about how brands can influence audiences that matter. To celebrate the campaign's fifth recognition from the likes of the PRCA, Mumbrella, and PRovoke Media, here are five things I've learned since launch: 1. Deeper intergration = better results When we launched the campaign in 2021, our primary distribution channels were media and social. Since then, every year we've collaborated with more internal teams, partners, and customers, like marketing, sales, digital media, government relations, executive briefings, internal comms, implementation partners, and key customers, to get the content into the hands of more people, so they can put it into the hands of more customers and prospects. Yes, more teams means more coordination, but it's also meant the research is now widely embedded across the business and everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. Each team brought into the fold has served as a force multiplier, delivering more and better results. 2. Local content wins Content that's rooted in the countries and culture where it's being shared is more relevant and relatable than anything that takes too broad a view. As we've expanded the campaign across APAC (and going global next year!), finding the local hook and angle to make it resonate has been a critical factor in its continued success. 3. B2B marcomms doesn't have to be boring Historically, ServiceNow research focused on our business decision-maker target audience, not the end-users who ultimately feel the effects of our software. By tapping into the frustrations and emotions of everyday people, we were able to show relatable and easy to understand customer pain points. Rather than selling the features of our products, the campaign showed the issues businesses need to solve (like disjointed internal systems), which perfectly set up our platform as the solution. As the cliche goes "B2B buyers are people too", and the CX campaign's first test is always - 'would my mates find this interesting?' If the answer is no, our audience won't either. 4. Consistency builds brand PR and marketing love shiny new things, and we get bored of content and campaigns FAR quicker than our audience. Incrementally adding to the core foundation every year kept content fresh, while building something recognisable. Media now come to us every year for the research, because they know what to expect. 5. Teamwork makes the dream work Big things only work if you have a big team of dedicated people bringing their a-game, fresh ideas, and critical analysis. By my calculation more than 50 people have been involved over the past few years, each adding fresh perspectives and challenging everyone to do more, and better Penny Simon Weber Shandwick Australia Kimberley Daniel Stephy Pegah Caroline Stephen Melanie Jim

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In TechTrade Asia's latest article, Ajay Patel explains how 2026 will require more CFO-CIO teamwork to combat rising #AI and #cloud costs, while Kai Wombacher predicts that cloud cost tools will become easier to use. Check it out here:

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Rebuilding Influence in the Age of AI: How #PR can stay credible and trusted At the recent #PRAsia2025 event in #Singapore by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE I shared why communicators must rethink influence. If AI does not quote you, you do not exist. Editors once shaped reputation. Today, algorithms and generative AI decide what is credible, visible and trusted. Key takeaways: 1) From SEO to GEO: SEO gets you found, GEO gets you quoted. 2) E-E-A-T is non negotiable: Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. 3) Freshness and relevance drive visibility, not past coverage. The future of PR is about building authority that humans and machines both recognise. Brands that adapt will lead. 👉 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gP6tvi59 Now is the time to audit your visibility signals and build credibility designed for both people and algorithms. At PRecious Communications, we help brands cut through the noise with #AdaptiveCommunications. #AI #PublicRelations #GEO #Influence #ThoughtLeadership #PRAsia #webePRecious Aniket Gupta Gopal K. Anuroopa Pereira Shravan Rajan Hannah Grace

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I am proud to share a recent interview I had with Marketech. Below are some of the important points I shared. Have a good read. In PR, efficiency isn’t about posting more — it’s about sounding the same truthfully everywhere. You can’t manage what you don’t measure — and you can’t claim credibility if you don’t track trust. Effectiveness isn’t about how loud you are, but how you change minds and behavior. You can’t communicate what you don’t understand, and you can’t understand if you’re not sitting at the same table. The best campaigns happen when data and creativity meet halfway—when the client shares real numbers and the agency crafts honest stories around them. When agencies are given full visibility, such as raw data, operational updates, and even crisis reports, they are capable of crafting messages that are aspirational but still grounded in truth. That’s where efficiency meets authenticity. Collaboration between client and agency is not optional, but rather is mission-critical. In today’s environment, credibility is the new currency. You don’t buy it with ads — you earn it with truth. Every statement, every post, every number must say one thing: ‘We mean what we claim.’ That’s how brands build trust that sticks

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Had a good time sharing at the session at the TravMedia Summit in Singapore, so much so that I even showed a project by my 8-year-old son! He used Canva, combining his own sketch with an AI tool to create an animated image. Watching him experiment reminded me how natural it’s becoming for the next generation to play, learn, and create with AI. AI has been such a hot topic lately, honestly, sometimes it feels like we’ve heard it all before. But the truth is, we’re only at the beginning. The risks and challenges are real: from hallucinations to the “black box” problem, yet there’s also incredible potential. One thing I’ve learned is that AI can refine your ideas, but it can’t replace the human elements: our judgment, experience, and intuition. (Well, at least not yet). 🙃 If you ask AI for a PR or go-to-market strategy without understanding the fundamentals yourself, you’ll likely end up with something generic. Or if you let AI write a press release, it might miss the emotional nuance that makes a story resonate. During a recent university talk, a student asked me: “What should we focus on to prepare ourselves professionally for the future?” My answer: the most basic thing you can do is sharpen your human skills - empathy, communication, and psychology. Because behind every business, every decision, and every piece of technology, there’s still a human being. #AI #GenerativeAI #PublicRelations #Marketing #FutureOfWork #HumanIntelligence #IMMAsia

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In this exclusive interview with APB+, Matt Williams, Chief of Consumer Business Group, StarHub, shares how the company has redefined its role in Singapore’s media ecosystem, the impact of tech like 5G and cloud infrastructure, and what it means to truly connect with audiences in an era of rapid change. Read more: https://bit.ly/4kNZCBO #APB+ #StarHub #5G #broadcast_cloud #OTT #4K #8K #AI #broadcast #broadcasting

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QQ: What is the PR equivalent for this? You're handling a media inquiry. Journalist keeps CC'ing your CEO on every reply — even after you remove them. Who's been there? What is this called? Can we name it? It's Friday. Let's try.

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Chinese New Year is usually a good moment to pause and take stock. Across Asia Pacific, the tech ecosystem feels different this year. Growth hasn’t slowed, but the conversation has shifted. Less about scale at all costs, more about capability, focus, and building sustainably. The bar is simply higher. The recent APAC Future @ Work piece this week makes a similar point, highlighting how organisations are expanding while still running into real gaps, particularly around digital and emerging technologies. It mirrors what many of us see across founders and teams: strong ambition, but a much sharper emphasis on depth and execution. What’s changed most, in my view, is the maturity of the ecosystem itself. Talent is more mobile, teams more international, and startups increasingly deliberate about how they grow. As we move into the Year of the Horse, it feels like a good time to reflect on how quickly the region has evolved, and where the next wave of innovation will come from. https://lnkd.in/gr5BJdnV

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Here are some of the highlights from our "Human Sustainability" Communications Trend Report! It includes case studies of major companies, including Grab, Singapore Airlines, Temasek Foundation, interviews with key industry leaders and opinions from leading academic voices from Qatar to Australia. Published just a few days ago, our report explores how organisations are responding to the new reality of multiple disruptions through a stronger focus on human sustainability, culture and communication. Built on conversations 💬 with multiple organisations, key industry leaders, and in-depth case studies, the report also captures what over 20 leading corporations and industry thinkers across the region are experiencing in real terms, not just in theory. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to our truly knowledgeable Supervisory Board Members, from some of the most prestigious universities and institutions throughout the region, including The University of Melbourne, Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU), Institute of Public Relations Singapore, Republic Polytechnic, Northwestern University in Qatar, The Marketing Society and Singapore Management University (SMU) - Suwichit (Sean) Chaidaroon, Dr. Felix TAN Thiam Kim (PhD) Vanessa Wan Dr Chitra Rajaram, Nisar Keshvani, AMIPRS Siew Ting Foo, Samantha T., for their guidance and stewardship throughout the development of this report. 🌟 A huge thank you to all the communication and HR leaders from major companies including Debra Soon from Singlife, Aditi Singh from Booking.com, Ross G., who generously contributed their perspectives, experiences and insights to make this report both rigorous and grounded in reality. My deepest gratitude as well to our valued partners, European Chamber of Commerce, Singapore (EuroCham Singapore), IPRS (Institute of Public Relations of Singapore) and PRCA APAC, for championing responsible and future-focused communications across the region. 💪🏻 My thanks go to innovative industry figures who kindly shared their insights, including Celine Ventalon, Cody Roberts Kelvin Koh Farrell Tan Dr. Tuong-Minh Ly-Le, MPRCA Craig Badings . 🫶🏼 Thank you to our Official Media Partner, HRM Asia, for amplifying the conversation on human sustainability and the evolving role of business communication. Thank you! Last but not least, I extend my heartfelt thanks to my team at Rothman & Roman Group including Tashan Kassey Kalleichelven Diana Estella Peter @bernadett meszaros Robert Romai Miklos Hargitai Fruzsina Balogh-Kurucz for undertaking this massive task 🔗 Download the Rothman & Roman Group Communication Trend Report 2025 here or scan the QR code in the image to explore the full findings and perspectives: https://lnkd.in/gCuewTwa #WinningWithPurpose

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This low-res screen grab was from around 2022, iirc, and it was the first time I spoke on stage about AI in comms. Back then, my go-to refrain was “you probably won’t lose your job to AI, but you might lose it to someone who understands AI better than you.” And that’s exactly what happened. Since then, the realms of PR, marketing, content and social have been rocked by tens of thousands of layoffs. CEOs do understand AI – that is, they understand it is a permission structure to shed payroll via layoffs (never mind that the technology alone cannot replace the job of the person being fired). Because it’s not actually about replacing a person with a machine that can do their job well. It’s about turning your salary into margin. If I could amend my old refrain at all, I’d say, “you might also lose your job to a craven CEO using the promise of AI to cut your salary from the books.” Next Tuesday, I’ll be outlining a vision for the future of our profession on stage at the Ragan Social Media Conference. Ragan Communications and PR Daily Alyssa Smith Jess Zafarris https://lnkd.in/eqvx9afb

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Once again, Nitin Mantri and Daryl H. deliver cutting-edge insights on where communications in APAC is headed. In their new MARKETING-INTERACTIVE op-ed, Nitin and Daryl discuss what they saw at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—and how the most powerful work embraced complexity with cultural grounding, emotional intelligence and data-backed storytelling. A great read. 

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Having stepped out from my comfort zone of internal communications to social media, every day I look out for new things to learn that can help me hone my craft. Earlier this week, our social media team had a learning exchange with Workforce Singapore’s (coincidentally, this organisation champions the upskilling of professionals into growth areas) and it was the highlight for me this month 💙 We had a meaningful sharing on what’s working, needs refining, what’s challenging, and lessons we picked up along the way. Three reminders stood out for me: 1️⃣ Experience counts and sharpens our intuition on what might fly with our target audiences, but the best social media practitioners go a step further to ground ideas in data. This way, we can give our audience what they really want or need, not just what we assume they like. 2️⃣ Assess if we are producing/pushing content to certain channels that “looks good on paper to please the bosses”, or to be relevant to our audience? To keep the audience at the centre and provide alternative solutions to manage stakeholders when necessary. 3️⃣ Develop an open culture which enables us to try new things, to embrace failures as learnings, and to move on safely. Having said that, to stay mindful of trendjacking and when in doubt, skip the trend and protect your integrity. Trust is for the long term compared with viral moments. Thanks Joshua Tan Juliana Khoo Nazrana Zainuddin Alina Tan Wen Qing Lum Neo Yi Hui for this fruitful session; Ho Ying Ying for connecting us; and Kelvin Lee for empowering us to organise these monthly learnings! #LifeAtUOB #WorkforceSingapore #careerhealth

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I’ve spent most of my career writing for other people. A hired pen, so to speak. My background as a journalist taught me early on to listen, observe and ask clarifying questions to be effective at my job. I, like many who do this, am at my best when I have open, direct dialogue with the person I’m channeling. My first speech-writing experience was with former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro. I was still very green in that role, but what helped me grow was simple – access. Whether I was traveling with him to events, walking with him from the office to the Statehouse or just sitting in on meetings with him, I was able to pick up his rhythms, his favorite phrases and his priorities. Since then, I’ve written for dozens of C-suite leaders — some I got to know well, others I connected with just long enough to catch their voice and, believe it or not, many I never actually met. In the latter cases, you’re often left relying on someone else’s interpretation of what the person wants or, worse yet, third- or forth-hand information. It’s like taking a black-and-white picture of a rainbow. Sure, you capture the moment, but you miss out on all the vibrant color. Every situation’s a little different, but one thing never changes: The closer the connection, the truer the story rings. If you’re going to invest in a professional writer, whether for yourself or for your boss, invest in the relationship, too. Give your writer the access, the time and the trust to really get to know the person for whom they hold the pen. The payoff? Words that resonate and messages that move people. #Leadership #Communications #Ghostwriting #Storytelling

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AI is changing what visibility really means. It’s no longer just about rankings, reach or impressions. It’s about whether your brand shows up in answers. That’s exactly why I’m very happy to welcome Erica Wong as Editor-at-Large for PIABO Communications Asia Pacific. 🇸🇬 Erica brings nearly two decades of editorial and content leadership experience, including her role as Asian Editor-in-Chief of Think with Google. She knows how to turn complex topics into narratives that travel across cultures – and, increasingly, across generative systems. Why this matters now: Large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity are becoming a primary interface for discovery, decision-making and trust. Brands are no longer just competing for attention – they’re competing for inclusion, citation and recommendation. At PIABO Communications, this shift is exactly why we launched GEO – Generative Engine Optimization. Not as a buzzword, but as a response to a real business challenge: visibility gaps in AI answers quickly turn into revenue gaps. Editorial excellence is no longer a “nice to have”. It’s infrastructure. With Erica Wong joining our APAC team around Sara Pereira in Singapore, we’re doubling down on content that earns trust – with humans and with machines. Welcome to PIABO Communications, Erica. Excited to build what’s next together. #GEO #AIVisibility #OwnTheAnswer #Storytelling #Leadership #PIABO

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How can we ensure that the benefits of AI reach everyone in our communities? Here's one answer: Google.org's new $10 million commitment to help nonprofits across APAC apply AI to solve real-world problems in health, agriculture, and energy. A great example of targeted funding to empower local innovators. Looking forward to following the stories of these innovators! #CommunityImpact #Sustainability #HealthTech #AgriTech #APAC

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I’m honoured to be featured in Mediacorp Channel 8, Budget & You (点算预算案) show, where I shared how technology—especially AI—is shaping business transformation and our everyday lives. Grateful to IMDA for the opportunity to spotlight how an AI-powered Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can drive real impact. From my experience, it has helped us improve productivity, better understand customer needs, and ultimately boost sales performance. While there are concerns that AI may replace jobs, I’ve seen a different reality. When implemented thoughtfully, AI doesn’t replace people—it empowers them. Automating repetitive tasks and providing smarter insights allow teams to focus on higher-value work such as building relationships, strategic thinking, and creativity. In fact, this makes roles more meaningful and can strengthen job security, as employees become more effective and adaptable in an evolving landscape. For businesses exploring digital transformation, there is strong support available. You can tap on government initiatives and explore pre-approved solutions via the SMEs Go Digital portal: https://lnkd.in/gZE7P8Pu If you’re interested to learn more about my sharing, you can catch the full episode here (from 24:33): https://lnkd.in/gWxfCQG7 I’d also love to hear your thoughts—how has technology or AI transformed your work or business? #crm #ai #sgbudget #tech #business #productivity

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