5 Inspiring Insights from The CMO Office Podcast (So Far…) 💡
Whether you're already a CMO or a CMO in the making, this list of insights will inspire you to greatness in 2026!
Five episodes in, The CMO Office Podcast has already delivered a Chinese buffet of big ideas, bold experiments and career-changing lessons. Whether you're already a CMO or a CMO in the making, this list of insights will inspire you to greatness in 2026!
1. PropertyGuru’s Reality TV Gamble (Alex de Leon & Quark Henares)
Insight: PropertyGuru didn’t just make ads; they made a reality TV show. Home Run Singapore put entertainment first, branding second and pulled in over 5 million views. The real surprise? When they paused all performance marketing, organic leads actually went up 3%.
Why listen back: Hear how Alex sold this moonshot to the business, and how Quark turned a property portal into prime-time viewing. It’s a rare case study in brand bravery paying off and proof that customers will binge good content, even if it’s technically “marketing.”
🎙️ Podcast: Betting Big on Brand - PropertyGuru’s Reality TV Gamble That Paid Off 🎰
In Episode 5 of The CMO Office podcast, I sit down with Alex De Leon, Group VP of Marketing at PropertyGuru, and Quark Henares, award-winning filmmaker and director of Home Run Singapore, to talk about one of the boldest brand moves we've seen.
2. Chocolate Finance’s Overnight Fame (Anushka Yadav & Andy Greenaway)
Insight: Launching a new fintech in Singapore isn’t for the faint-hearted, yet Chocolate Finance made themselves impossible to miss. From celebrity ambassador Henry Golding to faux-out-of-home stunts, they doubled growth targets in months and redefined the joy of “happy money”.
Why listen back: Anushka and Andy reveal how to go from zero awareness to overnight credibility. Expect lessons on wit, colour psychology, and why financial advertising doesn’t need to be a sea of blues and greens. Spoiler: you’ll never look at a billboard in the same way again.
PODCAST: How Chocolate Finance Disrupted Bank Brands
Is it really time for Episode #2 already? Yup and this time we tidied up the studio and broke out the fancy glassware because we had guests!
3. How Zespri Made Kiwi Fruit Kool (Jiunn Shih, Zespri International)
Insight: Kiwi fruit used to be a commodity. Now it’s a lifestyle. Zespri’s pillbox-style packaging nudged consumers into daily fruit habits, while their cheeky Kiwi Brothers mascots built global recognition. They’ve even dabbled in drone deliveries.
Why listen back: Jiunn explains how to turn the humblest product into an emotional brand. From habit-forming packaging to cartoon mascots with superstar status, this episode shows how “brand plus performance” really can multiply results.
🎧 Podcast: Rewiring Consumer Habits - How Zespri Turned Kiwi Fruit Into a Daily Ritual 🥝
This month in The CMO Office, we're joined by Jiunn Shih, Global Chief Marketing, Innovation, and Sustainability Officer at Zespri International - one of the most beloved (and surprising) brands in the fruit bowl.
4. Redefining the Modern CMO (Debra Soon, Singlife)
Insight: Debra’s definition of the role? A CMO’s job is simply to “help sales sell.” At Singlife, that’s meant overseeing brand, PR, CX, digital, data, an in-house content studio and even experiments with AI all in the service of growing revenue.
Why listen back: If you’ve ever wondered how to stretch the CMO remit without snapping, this is the playbook. Debra talks candidly about managing left- and right-brained teams, letting campaigns wear in (instead of constantly chopping and changing), and mentoring creatives and analysts alike.
PODCAST: The New CMO Playbook: Brand, Data, CX, and Beyond with Debra Soon, CMO, Singlife
They say good things comes in threes and it must be true because the third episode of The CMO Office podcast is a ripper (Australian slang for ‘very good indeed’ - Ed)!
5. Distinctive Assets Drive Distinctive Growth (Paul Sinkinson, Analytic Partners)
Insight: Paul brings our ROI Genome to life with some jaw-dropping stats e.g. on average, every $1 invested with Analytic Partners generates $70 in incremental revenue. Our study of 50,000 creative executions found only 14 that had truly worn out financially - suggesting most campaigns don’t fade, they get better with age. And when brands invest in consistent brand messaging, performance ROI jumps by around 35%.
Why listen back: This one’s for the data-curious and sceptics alike. Paul shows how measurement myths like “creative wear out” often don’t hold up, and why brand + performance is the magic multiplier. You’ll come away with numbers you can use to win over even the most hard-nosed CFO.
PODCAST: How Last Click Attribution is Killing Your Brand
C'mon, it was inevitable we would launch a podcast and here it is, our imaginatively titled 'The CMO Office Podcast'! Good for us, but why would you listen (or watch - it's on YouTube as well!)?
The Bottom Line
From reality TV experiments to mascots with more fame than some influencers, our first five episodes prove marketing is equal parts creativity, courage and commercial smarts.
🎧 Catch up on The CMO Office Podcast to hear the full stories, unfiltered advice and a fair bit of laughter along the way. Because sometimes the best way to sharpen your CMO skills is simply to listen to those who’ve already claimed their seat at the table.
Ready to make bolder marketing decisions?
At Analytic Partners, we help CMOs cut through noisy dashboards and partial metrics to uncover what truly drives growth. Our ROI Genome and commercial analytics show you where every marketing dollar delivers the most impact across channels, markets and customer journeys.
👉 Come and meet our modellers to see how better data can lead to bolder, smarter decisions.