They take fun seriously in Singapore, says Edmond Neo, the group commercial director of Asia-Pacific Breweries (APB), with an impish grin.
The amiable 43-year-old Singaporean is referring to APB’s efforts to inject some youthful exuberance back into Tiger Beer, its flagship brand, which not long ago had lost its way in its home market.
Neo has been pegged as the man to restore Tiger to former glories in the city-state, where the famous brew has struggled to live up to its name. “Tiger lost the plot for a while,” he admits. “Singaporeans didn’t know what the brand stood for. The personality of the brand kept changing.”
Countless agencies have toiled in the hope of finding a fitting positioning for Tiger, but have been unable to agree with APB on what is right for a brand that is up there with Singapore Airlines and chilli crab as Singapore’s most famous export. Last April, BBH famously resigned the account four months after winning it. Disagreement arose between the agency, APB’s regional team and APB Singapore over whether Tiger should be positioned as a premium brand (as it is overseas), or whether it should be a beer for the masses.
“BBH was adamant it had found the right idea. But the brand is owned by us, the client. Not the agency. To rely entirely on an agency for a creative idea just isn’t right,” says Neo.
That is what makes Neo so refreshing - despite being a Singaporean working for one of the most bureaucratic companies in the country, he is open and relaxed about where it has gone wrong.
Tiger has found itself outpaced by Heineken, whose owner Heineken International jointly controls APB (the other owner is Fraser & Neave). This does not sit too comfortably with some APB bosses, who want a homegrown brand to fly the flag for the company in Singapore.
Smart marketing has helped Heineken grow by 15 to 20 per cent annually over the past decade. The Dutch brew has struck a chord with young Singaporeans through its associations with music, and the brand is seen as more contemporary and fun than Tiger.
“Heineken is a more aspirational beer than Tiger. But that’s to be expected. The same thing happened to Heineken in Holland. The ‘uncle image’ comes into play in your home market, and you find that the people drinking your beer aren’t the best-looking,” Neo says, with another mischievous smile.
Neo, who has spent the past two decades in alcohol marketing, admits that there is still some way to go to put Tiger back on track, although there has been genuine progress. The brand has acquired a sense of humour, something it had been sorely missing.
The ‘Enjoy winning’ strategy celebrates the beer’s award-winning heritage with ads (by Saatchi & Saatchi) featuring bartenders flashing their bottle-opening skills. Tiger’s ties with English football give it broad appeal while ‘Tiger translate’, a search for Asia’s hottest artistic talent, gives the brand “edge”, says Neo.
Sales have recovered at home, but it is overseas where Tiger is really thriving. APB’s core strategy is to enter emerging markets with large populations, few competitors and where drinking beer is still seen as a desirable lifestyle choice. APB has its firmest footing in Indochina, its key growth region, particularly in Vietnam, Tiger’s biggest market.
A portfolio of more than 40 brands enables Neo to target non-premium segments. Anchor Beer is APB’s low-cost mainstream brew, ABC is its stout, and Baron’s Strong Brew is for the more rugged drinker. Assigning a budget for each is a “balancing act”, he says.
Neo’s job is not made easier by the occasional row between APB’s local and regional marketers. “The ‘not invented here’ syndrome can rear its head. But you can’t police the local markets all the time. You have to know when to be firm and when to give in.”
APB’s marketing budget grew by more than seven per cent in the first half of this year compared to last, mostly to support newly launched brands. Neo hopes that budget will grow again to help sustain a healthy balance sheet.
Of course, an economic downturn may have a say in those plans. But Neo insists that beer is recession-proof. “When times are good people drink to celebrate. When times are bad they drink to forget. Responsibly, I would hope,” he adds with his trademark grin.
Edmond Neo’s CV
2007 Director, group commercial, APB
2005 CEO, Asia-Pacific Brewery (Lanka)
2002 Commercial manager, Cambodian Brewery
2000 Regional marketing manager, mobile phones, Philips Electronics Singapore
1997 Senior marketing manager, group commercial, APB
1996 Senior brand manager, DB Breweries
1991 Senior brand manager, APB Singapore
1989 Corporate bank officer, Overseas Union Bank
1989 Auditor, Price Waterhouse Singapore
The amiable 43-year-old Singaporean is referring to APB’s efforts to inject some youthful exuberance back into Tiger Beer, its flagship brand, which not long ago had lost its way in its home market.
Neo has been pegged as the man to restore Tiger to former glories in the city-state, where the famous brew has struggled to live up to its name. “Tiger lost the plot for a while,” he admits. “Singaporeans didn’t know what the brand stood for. The personality of the brand kept changing.”
Countless agencies have toiled in the hope of finding a fitting positioning for Tiger, but have been unable to agree with APB on what is right for a brand that is up there with Singapore Airlines and chilli crab as Singapore’s most famous export. Last April, BBH famously resigned the account four months after winning it. Disagreement arose between the agency, APB’s regional team and APB Singapore over whether Tiger should be positioned as a premium brand (as it is overseas), or whether it should be a beer for the masses.
“BBH was adamant it had found the right idea. But the brand is owned by us, the client. Not the agency. To rely entirely on an agency for a creative idea just isn’t right,” says Neo.
That is what makes Neo so refreshing - despite being a Singaporean working for one of the most bureaucratic companies in the country, he is open and relaxed about where it has gone wrong.
Tiger has found itself outpaced by Heineken, whose owner Heineken International jointly controls APB (the other owner is Fraser & Neave). This does not sit too comfortably with some APB bosses, who want a homegrown brand to fly the flag for the company in Singapore.
Smart marketing has helped Heineken grow by 15 to 20 per cent annually over the past decade. The Dutch brew has struck a chord with young Singaporeans through its associations with music, and the brand is seen as more contemporary and fun than Tiger.
“Heineken is a more aspirational beer than Tiger. But that’s to be expected. The same thing happened to Heineken in Holland. The ‘uncle image’ comes into play in your home market, and you find that the people drinking your beer aren’t the best-looking,” Neo says, with another mischievous smile.
Neo, who has spent the past two decades in alcohol marketing, admits that there is still some way to go to put Tiger back on track, although there has been genuine progress. The brand has acquired a sense of humour, something it had been sorely missing.
The ‘Enjoy winning’ strategy celebrates the beer’s award-winning heritage with ads (by Saatchi & Saatchi) featuring bartenders flashing their bottle-opening skills. Tiger’s ties with English football give it broad appeal while ‘Tiger translate’, a search for Asia’s hottest artistic talent, gives the brand “edge”, says Neo.
Sales have recovered at home, but it is overseas where Tiger is really thriving. APB’s core strategy is to enter emerging markets with large populations, few competitors and where drinking beer is still seen as a desirable lifestyle choice. APB has its firmest footing in Indochina, its key growth region, particularly in Vietnam, Tiger’s biggest market.
A portfolio of more than 40 brands enables Neo to target non-premium segments. Anchor Beer is APB’s low-cost mainstream brew, ABC is its stout, and Baron’s Strong Brew is for the more rugged drinker. Assigning a budget for each is a “balancing act”, he says.
Neo’s job is not made easier by the occasional row between APB’s local and regional marketers. “The ‘not invented here’ syndrome can rear its head. But you can’t police the local markets all the time. You have to know when to be firm and when to give in.”
APB’s marketing budget grew by more than seven per cent in the first half of this year compared to last, mostly to support newly launched brands. Neo hopes that budget will grow again to help sustain a healthy balance sheet.
Of course, an economic downturn may have a say in those plans. But Neo insists that beer is recession-proof. “When times are good people drink to celebrate. When times are bad they drink to forget. Responsibly, I would hope,” he adds with his trademark grin.
Edmond Neo’s CV
2007 Director, group commercial, APB
2005 CEO, Asia-Pacific Brewery (Lanka)
2002 Commercial manager, Cambodian Brewery
2000 Regional marketing manager, mobile phones, Philips Electronics Singapore
1997 Senior marketing manager, group commercial, APB
1996 Senior brand manager, DB Breweries
1991 Senior brand manager, APB Singapore
1989 Corporate bank officer, Overseas Union Bank
1989 Auditor, Price Waterhouse Singapore
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