For marketing to be more than just a blur of micro-interactions, brands must confront the paradox that speed alone doesn’t guarantee acceptance. If I were starting over, here’s how I’d approach the profession.
Twenty years ago, when I started my career as a brand analyst, marketing moved at a vastly different pace. Back then, a single minute might have sufficed for sending an email, returning a phone call, or preparing the next print campaign. Social media platforms were either nascent or non-existent, and artificial intelligence was little more than an intriguing concept in academic papers.
Today, that same 60 seconds powers an entire marketing ecosystem — 200 million emails sent worldwide, 700 hours of video uploaded to YouTube. And by the time you’ve finished reading this sentence — one minute — it has all happened again.
AI-driven campaigns now personalise messages in real time, contributing to a digital advertising spend of US$700 billion, which now accounts for 73 per cent of total ad revenue. Programmatic advertising — where machines handle auction-based ad placements — dominates 90 per cent of digital display ads.
This is not just a question of scale; it is also one of speed and sophistication. Short-form video platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels claim 70 per cent higher engagement than long-form video, and 73 per cent of Gen Z consumers discover new brands first through social media.
In many ways, marketing has never been more efficient — content marketing can produce three times more leads than traditional outbound approaches like cold calling, often at 62 per cent lower cost. Yet amid these statistical triumphs, a vital question lingers: does greater efficiency translate to true effectiveness? The short answer is, not always.
Acceleration vs acceptance
Metrics of digital trust reveal a more complex reality — only 50 per cent of US consumers trust the brands they engage with online. Meanwhile, traditional media still commands significantly higher credibility, with print advertising at 82 per cent trust, television at 80 per cent, direct mail at 76 per cent, and radio at 71 per cent.
Closer to home, the Edelman Trust Barometer highlights a similar divide. Despite the ubiquity of social media in Singapore, concerns over data privacy and misinformation persist, with trust levels hovering at just 37 per cent. In contrast, traditional media enjoys a far stronger standing, with 67 per cent trust — well above the global average of 62 per cent .
Amid the digital cacophony, brand trust has become a rare quality. For marketing to be more than just a flurry of micro-interactions, brands must confront a crucial paradox: acceleration alone does not guarantee acceptance. In fact, to truly thrive in this era of relentless speed, we may need to slow down — to go far, not just fast.
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Going further with social intelligence, cultural capital and a builder’s mindset
First, no matter how many data points we analyse or channels we leverage, the most sophisticated campaigns can still fall short without one crucial element: social intelligence. This is the ability to read human contexts, empathise with diverse perspectives, and align technology with real, lived experiences.
Ironically, it is exactly this “slower,” more observant approach — listening before broadcasting, observing before optimising — that builds the trust that technology alone cannot supply.
Secondly, if I could rebuild my circle of competence from the ground-up, I would devote more hours to studying history, economics, and linguistics — disciplines that illuminate how societies evolve and interact. Technology does not exist in a vacuum; it is launched into cultures shaped by centuries of tradition, policy decisions, and linguistic conventions.
By studying the broader context into which a product or campaign enters, marketers can better predict how it will be received or why it might fail to resonate. In a digital race for share of voice, context — not just content — truly is king.
Thirdly, marketers are often told, “We don’t make products; we tell stories.” While that may have been true for an earlier era, the democratisation of digital tools now empowers even non-technical marketers to engage directly in design and engineering fundamentals.
Today’s brand custodians must speak the language of wireframes, user journeys, data dashboards and code repositories, enough to collaborate meaningfully with low-code developers and UX designers. When marketers have a hand at building the brand experience from inception, they can ensure brand storytelling truly remains coherent across platforms.
How to think about your career in marketing
Given these reflections, how should you approach your own path as an aspiring marketing professional? Here are three general principles that I subscribe to:
- Long-termism over quick wins
When people ask whether investing in team members is “worth it” if they might leave, I always recall the saying: The greater danger is not training them and having them stay. For young professionals entering the marketing industry, the reverse is also true.
The real challenge isn’t just chasing quick wins, seeking immediate gratification, or job-hopping in pursuit of rapid advancement. It’s about building a reputation and carrying yourself in a way that makes you a worthwhile investment—one that employers like me recognise as invaluable.
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- A purpose larger than self
Man’s search for meaning is ultimately a yearning for significance, not just success. True significance comes from being part of something larger than yourself – whether it’s a cause, a purpose, or a mission. Choose an employer not just as a place to work, but as a platform, a giant on whose shoulders you can stand to contribute to something greater.
I was fortunate to lead communications and public affairs for Asia Pacific at Tableau Software (now part of Salesforce) where we helped more people across the region see and understand data. At PSB Academy, Asia’s leading private education group, we championed greater access to quality education for those overlooked by the mainstream system.
Now, at Temus, a homegrown digital services start-up, I’m part of a leadership team building a tech multinational enterprise that Singapore might proudly call our own, one that also creates digital opportunities for locals with no prior IT background through our novel tech career conversion program, Step IT Up Singapore. Recruitment for the program’s next intake starts later this month. Remember that whatever path you choose, anchor yourself to work that matters.
- Know-who wins
Someone at my parent firm, Temasek Holdings once shared, “Knowledge is great, know-how is better, but know-who is best.” Meritocracy should reward competence, but in reality, relationships extend your professional reach and open new doors. That said, whether it is forging alliances with industry peers or connecting with mentors who have walked your path, recognise that your network is a tangible reflection of your merit – people believe in you enough to partner with you.
“Compete with the Immortals!”
David Ogilvy, a founding father of modern advertising, famously said, “In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.”
In that spirit, bridging the gap between academia and industry comes down to application — build a portfolio, volunteer for causes that matter to you, and pursue internships that stretch your abilities. Surround yourself with people who challenge you — professors, mentors, colleagues — and as Ogilvy himself put it, “compete with the immortals!”
By approaching a career in marketing with social intelligence, cultural capital, and a builder’s mindset, I hope that you’ll position yourself not just to keep pace with change, but to add to a purposeful profession that effectively shapes it.
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