SINGAPORE - Media OutReach^[1] - 6 January 2022 - As small enterprises and prominent businesses alike are embracing the future of work, Influential Brands®^[2] conferred recognition on brands and employers who stood strong in their commitment to excellence.

Backed by a robust market survey in Asia with the participation of 15,000 consumers and an anonymous survey of more than 10,000 employees, 32 companies are named the "2021 Asia's Top Influential Brands", 5 companies are named "2021 Thailand's Outstanding Brands" and 5 companies are crowned "2021 & 2022 Asia's Top Employer Brands".

A strong brand equity and company culture have been proven to be the key which enables businesses to weather through a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. The 32 companies cited by consumers as their preferred choices are AOX, Bangchak, Beijing Tong Ren Tang, Bio-Home, Canadian 2for1 Pizza, Central Department Store, Chow Tai Fook, CP, EB Foods, Ecovacs Robotics, Eu Yan Sang, Family Mart, Holistic Way, IG, Krispy Kreme, Siam Makro, MindChamps, Muang Thai Life Assurance, Naturel, NTUC FairPrice, NTUC LearningHub, Pigeon, Pokka, PropertyGuru Group, Rajdhevee Clinic, Refresh, SparSha, SUU Balm, True Corporation, Thai Life Insurance, The Mall Group, Tops Market.

Based on their branding efforts to engage customers and provide an excellence experience, 5 companies from Thailand were recognised as Outstanding brands. Those are: FWD Insurance, Major Cineplex Group, Winner Group Enterprise, Techno Medical and Lamina Films.

Finally, 5 companies were awarded with the title "2021 & 2022 Asia's Top Employers" for their outstanding achievements engaging their employees and building a healthy and meaningful company culture. Those are: Siemens, PropertyGuru Group, Watsons Singapore, The National University Health System (NUHS) and JustCo.

Mr. Jorge Rodriguez, Managing Director of Influential Brands® said, "To emerge top in consumers' minds during such a time is a testament that extends beyond a commendable or well-thought out crisis response. The common thread among the Top Brands is their emphasis on innovation, consistency in promise delivery and many faithful years of serving market needs. Such efforts are valued by consumers and are in turn reflected in the market sentiment. I would like to congratulate all Top Brand Winners for their well-deserved win, especially during this exceptional time."

BRAND LEADERS ARE GLAD TO WIN THE HEARTS OF CONSUMERS

"FairPrice is privileged to be entrusted with this prestigious award for the seventh consecutive year. This is only possible because of the trust accorded to us by consumers," said Mr. Seah Kian Peng, Group CEO, FairPrice Group.

"We are excited and humbled to be voted a 3rd-time winner of this award. PropertyGuru is on a mission to help Southeast Asians make confident property decisions and aspires to be a brand of trust, supporting people to find, finance, and own their homes. Being recognised as the most influential brand gives us the confidence to keep raising the bar and deliver towards higher aspirations," said Mr. Bjorn Sprengers, Chief Marketing Officer & Head of FinTech of PropertyGuru Group.

"MindChamps started out as an idea with a passion to fill the gaps in education. To be able to bring that idea to fruition and make a positive difference to the next generation is an honour and we are grateful to be accorded this award for 7 years running. This is a testament to the trust our students and parents have in our research-backed curriculum and delivery," said Mr. David Chiem, MindChamps Founder CEO and Executive Chairman.

"We are honoured to be conferred the title of Top Influential Brand under the categories of Health & Wellness TCM Retailer, Bird's Nest and Essence of Chicken, based on a nation-wide study on consumer preferences by a leading research agency. We are truly humbled by the continued support we received from our valued consumers and partners as the Influential Brands awards recognise brands that have achieved a great standing with consumers in addition to the brand's continuous drive towards brand excellence. Staying true to our value of 'Caring for Mankind', we stay focused on empowering our consumers with the best health and wellness solutions to lead an active and healthy lifestyle,"said Ms. Serene Seow, Managing Director of Eu Yan Sang Singapore.

TOP EMPLOYERS ARE RECOGNISED BY THEIR VERY OWN EMPLOYEES

Besides customers, employees are also primary stakeholders of an organisation and how they are managed is consequential on how well organisations can neutralise external threats or capture market opportunities.

At a time where the labour market is faced with great uncertainty and employee morale is at an all-time low, Siemens, PropertyGuru Group, Watsons Singapore, The National University Health System (NUHS) and JustCo are lauded by their own employees through anonymous surveys as excellent employers.

These five companies were awarded with the title "2021 & 2022 Asia's Top Employers" for scoring above international benchmarks. They surpassed industry standards in having meaningful employee engagement, strong alignment between employee & company culture and relevant HR practices in this digital age. The company culture and employee engagement assessment were conducted in collaboration with aAdvantage Consulting firm, Influential Brands' research partner.

Dr. Thai Lai Pham, CEO of Siemens ASEAN, shared, "Behind such recognition is the unwavering commitment from our team to support the industries that form the backbone of our economies, making it more resilient, productive, and sustainable. Congratulations Team Siemens! I'm proud to work with all of you in transforming the everyday lives of billions of people across Asia by creating technology with purpose."

When asked about what has been Siemen's approach in ensuring productivity, Dr. Lai shared, "I see team empowerment as a top priority. Empowerment doesn't mean delegating everything and only showing up for ribbon-cutting ceremonies. It means being there when it matters most, while creating a self-sufficient, accountable team that can handle everything else. You trust the team to do the work, and the team trusts you to be there when they need you".

Ms. Priscilla Teo, Group Chief Human Resource Officer of NUHS shared "The National University Health System (NUHS) is a dynamic organisation with professionals from diverse backgrounds. Across our institutions, our employees are dedicated to delivering leading-edge patient care, research, and education. The award affirms our effort and commitment to providing a work environment that is conducive and engaging for our 15,000 staff. Be part of the OneNUHS family and explore a purposeful career with ample opportunities for personal growth and development!"

Speaking on how NUHS has been adapting their engagement strategy to suit the evolving needs of NUHS employees during this COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Teo added, "COVID-19 has been stressful for our healthcare professionals. Recognising the critical need to focus on employee well-being especially during this period, NUHS has set up a dedicated Well-Being Office in 2021 to drive cultural and systemic change to enhance our staff's health and mental well-being. In addition, all our institution leaders have stepped up their effort to communicate extensively to all our staff, keeping them abreast of key updates, and rallying everyone to come together as oneNUHS to hold the defence line for Singapore."

Mr. Wan Sing Kong, Chief Executive Officer of JustCo shared, "JustCo is honoured to be recognised by Influential Brands as Asia's Top Employer (Co-working Category). We dedicate this award to the entire JustCo team across Asia-Pacific. You are truly the greatest bunch that makes work better for everyone!"

Summing the critical factors that drove success in employee engagement at JustCo, Mr. Kong commented, "Overall, I would say that it is the trust that employees have in the leaders and our strong 'family' culture where people genuinely care for and support one another, and the ability to put the right people in the right job so they enjoy what they do. Our leaders in JustCo are purpose driven, care for and support their team members. We do so by providing opportunities for them to grow professionally and learn new skills, recognizing the contributions of good performers, and showing our appreciation to long service staff and those who go the extra mile to get things done".

Ms. Irene Lau, Managing Director of Watsons said, "Watsons Singapore is honoured to be recognised as 2021-2022 Singapore's Top Employer in Health & Beauty Retailer category. We recognise that people are our greatest assets and we are committed to providing a safe, healthy, supportive, and discrimination-free environment for all employees. We believe in fostering a culture of people development where employees receive the right tools and training to optimise their performance and growth within our company. The pandemic might have disrupted how we work, but we are determined to overcome the odds and stay connected via digital innovations. Together, we can achieve more through synergy and collaboration!"

"When employees are engaged, the workplace is filled with positive vibes and employees will be happier, more productive and in turn, work cohesively together to lead the business to successful outcomes. We believe that a consistent effort to engage our staff is more than introducing new benefits; it requires a relentless commitment to the cause. In all our actions, we focus on our people and organisational culture ensuring that their actions align with our business strategy," she added.

Ms. Genevieve Godwin, Chief People Officer of PropertyGuru Group shared "I am delighted to accept this award as Asia's Top Employer in the Technology industry. We believe every employee can make a real difference at PropertyGuru Group. On our journey to help people make confident property decisions, we will stay true to our culture and values and continue to focus on the engagement, wellbeing, and development of our employees across Asia."

GALA EVENT TO MARK THE CELEBRATION WITH AWARDEES IN THAILAND

The secret to success is often said to be good leadership.

As part of the recognition of the Champions of Business Excellence, Influential Brands and its Thailand partner, Neo Target, a leader in the corporate reputation field in Thailand recognised Thailand Business Leaders at the 2021 CEO Asia Summit.  100 Thailand C-suite executives came together in Bangkok on Monday, 20th December, to recognise the top achievers among their peers, including the Top CEOs and Outstanding Leaders of the Year.

The Guest-of-Honour for the CEO Summit was Mr. Supattanapong Punmeechaow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, The Kingdom of Thailand.

He said "I would like to thank Influential Brands and Neo Target Company Limited for organising the "2021 Asia's CEO Summit & Award Ceremony" to honour all the top leading brands in Asia who are with us tonight. Covid-19 pandemic has been making everything more challenging than ever. Given the pandemic, I still believe that strong leadership in an organization is important. People are the key to every challenge and success. I urge us all to take this opportunity to empower our team and community to be ready to cope with all new coming challenges which may surpass the current pandemic and transform your organization post-covid together. Congratulations to all the promising awardees once again."

A total of 8 Business leaders took the honours:

2021 Thailand Top CEOs: Mr. Chatchai Sirilai, President of GH Bank, Dr. Narong Thasnanipan, President and CEO of Seafco, Mr. Sara Lamsam, CEO of Muang Thai Life Assurance, Mr. Sithi Panupattanapong, Chairman of Synphaet and Mr. Somchai Lertsutiwong, CEO of Advanced Info Services.

2021 Thailand Outstanding Leaders: Dr. Ausanee Mahagitsiri Leonio, President of King Food Group, Ms. Kanlayanee Kongsomjit, President of TKK Corporation and Mr. Oliver Kittipong Veerataecha, Chief Brand and Communication Officer of True Corporation.

The business leaders were chosen based on a mix of factors, including leadership, innovative mindset, reputation as well as the company's financial performance.

Mr. Jorge Rodriguez, Managing Director of Influential Brands, said: "This year, we are delighted to honour C-suite winners from Thailand. I would like to congratulate all the winners for their exceptional and exemplary leadership in their respective companies, industries and communities."

Mrs. Vannee Leelavechbutr, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Neo Target, added: "The 2021 CEO Summit & Award Ceremony is more than just an event for celebration. We aim to make it a platform for prominent executives and brand owners across Asia to collaborate and grow beyond national levels."

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} Influential Brands® (www.influentialbrands.com)