Can-do spirit earns consultancy chief Asian brand award By Alicia Wong
Today
13 Oct 2008
FOR most Singaporeans, eating at roadside
stalls in India would be a big no-no. But when
Mr Wilson Chew (picture) decides it’s time
for a meal, he stops his car along the streets,
and has a meal.
Not one to simply follow the crowd,
Mr Chew’s business sense has taken him
in another direction, away from that of
mainstream brand consulting firms. The
result?
The chief executive and principal consultant
of Singapore-based StrategiCom — a
business-to-business brand consultancy
— has been honoured with the prestigious
Brand Leadership Award at the 17th
Asia Brand Congress in Mumbai — putting
him in the same league as authors Renee
Mauborgne and Joseph Michelli and
Huang Eng Cheng, Singapore Airlines’ vice president
for marketing. Professor
Mauborgne is co-author of Blue Ocean Strategy,
while Dr Michelli wrote The Starbucks
Experience.
“I’m very humbled by it ... I wondered
how on earth this came about. We are
nothing compared to SIA, Starbucks,” said
Mr Chew, who had no inkling he was even
being considered.
The 38-year-old, who has a strong interest
in human behaviour, was given the
award last month for his contributions to
his firm’s successes, and his pioneering efforts
in differentiating and creating strong
Asian brands.
In Singapore, the firm has conducted at
least three national research studies, and is
in the midst of two more.
Mr Chew ,
who is married to
a scientist at the
National University
of Singapore,
has also co-authored
two books
on branding.
After selling
off his first company,
a corporate
events management business
which he started
at 25, Mr Chew went on to do his MBA in
Scotland.
He entered an inter-varsity business
competition with three friends, drawing
up plans for a brand consultancy for small
and medium enterprises (SMEs) — a market
typically ignored by larger brand consultancies.
After dividing the 30,000 pounds
($76,000) in seed funding and another
5,000 pounds in prize money, the four
started StrategiCom in their respective
countries — Singapore, Switzerland, Nigeria
and Scotland — five years ago. It now has offices in 11 countries with 110 consultants
and researchers.
From this year, the company will focus
on its expansion in India.
Mr Chew attributed this decision to
the country’s robust economy and the fact
that there are about a million SMEs in its
six major cities —Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Pune.
