Spikes Asia announces first speakers for its 38th edition

Spikes Asia, APAC’s most prestigious and sought-after award for creativity and marketing effectiveness, has announced its first speakers confirmed to take to the stage this 13 to 14 March. The 2024 event will see a bespoke programme of talent and experts from across the spectrum of creativity including brands such as Diageo, Haleon, L’Oréal and McDonald’s.

Among the agencies and networks represented are Accenture Song, BBDO, FCB, Publicis, S4 Capital and UltraSuperNew.

Creative effectiveness

The role of creativity in driving brand growth and business value will be a core theme throughout the programme. The programme will feature sessions from BBDO’s Andrew Robertson discussing why brands across APAC need to marry humour and purpose; Tanya Malhotra, Brand and Reputation lead, Uber, on how brands can tap into different cultures and audiences successfully and Lex Bradshaw-Zanger, chief marketing and digital officer, L’Oréal SAPMENA, on how short form videos have become the language of expression and connection of the moment.

Cultural shifts: What’s changing?

The cultural landscape has rapidly evolved across APAC, and 2024’s programme will provide delegates with practical tools they can apply to connect with their audiences. Rica Facundo, APAC editor, WARC, will showcase WARC’s first APAC-led global guide that reveals why culture is so important to effective work and how marketers can achieve cross-cultural effectiveness. Ada Lazaro, regional marketing director, McDonald’s Asia Business Unit, will explore how to build scalable relationships with Gen Z across diverse Asian markets. Lazaro commented: “We can’t wait to share our insights into how McDonald’s is building relationships with consumers in Asia by helping them feel connected to the culture they care about. McDonald’s campaigns don’t feel like marketing, they entertain in playful ways to give people ‘a little bubble of happy’.” One of Southeast Asia's most popular TikTok creators, Ming Wei Ng, CEO, Boom Digital Media, will explore the rise of the creator economy and how brands in Asia-Pacific could leverage the influence of the creator economy to be more connected to culture.

The impact of technology

Speakers will explore how creativity and technology can come together to solve business problems and facilitate change. Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman, S4 Capital, will share his insights on a spectrum of converging mega-trends, including the power of AI and technology and the importance of the APAC region to the future of global growth. Dhiren Amin, chief customer officer, NTUC Income, will explore how to unlock creativity through technology and data to revolutionise marketing strategies. Josephine Tan, VP APAC Digital Hub, Diageo, will explore the rise of technology in Asia, commenting: “I am looking forward to the exchange on the impact of creativity in Asia, especially what the constant evolution of technology brings to the table and how it changes the game. Very exciting, never a dull moment.”

Simon Cook, CEO, Lions, said: “We’re delighted to announce the first set of speakers for Spikes Asia 2024 and bring together an exceptional line-up of talent, as we return to a physical event this year. Bringing the APAC community together to inspire, learn and problem-solve is an important part of Spikes Asia, and we look forward to the discussions that will take place this March.”

The full content programme will be finalised soon. Further information on Spikes Asia can be found at www.spikes.asia.