I'm a communicator and I'm currently obsessed with the idea that...

"At the heart of every great product is a behavioral secret."

- Nir Eyal

Trends come and go, but insight-driven communication will always be integral to communication that has the power to inspire, connect, and incite behavioral change.

As someone who started her career in the 2010s, today's world with its speed of change can feel like a series of runaway trains hurtling full speed in every direction. But on the flip side of this uncertainty and whelm lie endless possibilities to grow even closer to consumers and build lasting relationships that transcend beyond transaction—focusing instead on value co-creation.

How? By delving into human complexities: listening, observing, personalising, adapting. By working with technology. By collaborating across disciplines and supply chains. Because communication is not a siloed function but a collective willingness.

The most wonderful thing about creating content is how, when taking different perspectives into consideration, they often elevate what you initially set out to do to new heights.

A big passion of mine because it presents so many opportunities to delight, inspire, and improve how people feel about 'work'—an activity that significantly impacts how we feel about our lives.

Having budgetary control can feel a bit like having a magic wand. I absolutely enjoyed masterminding, conceptualising, executing, and even emceeing events for Alfa Laval.

A brand is not what you say it is; it's what they say it is. And to influence that, the work never ends with just 'branding'.

In 2020, SG Support embarked on a rebranding journey to modernise its identity to better reflect the company’s evolving offerings.

Done entirely in-house over eight (lockdown) months, it included a full suite of deliverables designed to ensure brand consistency across all platforms: website, business stationery, decks, social media assets, physical space branding, and more.

Start with a brand audit: Without first understanding the existing brand inside and out, we risk creating a disjointed and diluted identity that loses its essence. Cosmetic changes are easy to make, but hard to reverse.

Spend time on getting the brand heart right: Purpose, values, and mission are what drive a brand and its people forward. They underpin everything the brand does, from what the leadership communicate to its content strategy. There was a mixed message about what the brand stands for and who it’s for, making it difficult to communicate both internally and externally.

Prioritize function, not just fashion: Beautiful things are only beautiful when they are also viscerally, behaviorally, and meaningfully sustainable. Every design element must be thoughtfully considered and rigorously tested to earn a place in the brand's ecosystem.

Implementation must not be an afterthought: Ensuring company-wide compliance and implementation requires not just reinforcement but also a shift in mindset over time. It’s a process that must be designed, not merely communicated.

The materials may be old, but the takeaways are timeless.

Driving the campaign from A to Z (focus group, ATL, BTL, celebrity management, social media, multilingual website) felt like a coming-of-age project as an account manager.

While working on the accessories launch campaign, I couldn't help but wonder, 'Why would anyone pay 10x more for accessories that can simply be bought aftermarket?' My client's answered stuck with me till today.

Car launches meant late nights, adrenaline (and cortisol), but also witnessing the magic of people coming together with different areas of expertise to contribute to a grand, expensive project that excites the nation.

Gone are the days when brands can simply go out and 'do something' to delight their customers and earn brand love and talkability. Today’s brands need to establish what they stand for and stick to it in order to build a community of supporters.

Stepping out of our comfort zone to see how consumers (across geographies and segments) interact with our products should be part of every brand manager's KPI.

I didn't understand why the client would spend millions celebrating the 10th birthday of the Myvi, or why anyone would travel all the way to the middle of nowhere to attend and celebrate the occasion. The massive turn out taught me to see beyond my own bubble.

So I did a mini audit to let them know. 

As a non-profit doing incredible work for marginalised communities, their current messaging and communication do not do their service justice.

There is a need to focus more on high-level communication, emphasising vision and strategy, especially with the corporate sector being a major source of their revenue.

Often, it's due to a lack of groundwork and understanding of both the brand and the business, which leads to convoluted content and a never-ending chase for 'What else can I post?'

There is also little differentiation between the brand’s social media and the distributors’ social media, which defeats the purpose of having a master brand page. 

[This deck was created using Gamma, an AI-powered slide-making app.

"Sharmayne champions customer interests within the business and takes great ownership on her work, producing high quality results. A solution-oriented person who's resourceful and quick to act. Working with her makes work feel a lot easier."

- Chow Tuck Sing, Service Development Manager, Alfa Laval

"It is not common to come across real talent who stand out as Sharmayne. I had the pleasure of having Sharmayne work closely with me and lead our SEA Marine division communication for the last one year, bringing it up to a new high. Her capability to be extremely diligent and attention to details for the tasks be it a customer seminar or content for supporting our online strategy within a very short time has been quite impressive particularly to me."

- Rajiv Sarin, MD, OceanGlide Rotterdam

"Sharmayne is an excellent, thoughtful and high contributing hire. Her work was very good, meaningful and made a difference. The business needs good and talented people and she certainly meet that criteria."

- Richard Prentice, Entrepreneur (ex CEO of SG Support)

"Sharmayne just 'gets' me. I'm impressed with the level of service we received since she's joined SG Support."

- Farahida Mohd Farid, GM of MAKNA (National Cancer Council) 

"Sharmayne and her team made us ‘FEEL’ visible. We feel more appreciated with all the internal communication initiatives from her. It was far different from the time I started in SG. She has influenced me so much and helped me regain my purpose of why I chose to stay here in SG."

- Jenah Guevarra, Senior Customer Service, SG Support

"Shar is a very good personal brand manager. Easy to communicate with. She goes the extra mile for her clients. Her expertise in brand building is great and will definitely help me to grow my newsletter. Looking forward to work with her for longer time."

- Thomas Symann, Web Analyst Consultant (Fiverr Client)

"Professional, perfectionist and dedicated - Sharmayne taught me a lot in handling corporate events. She is also an excellent writer and knows how attract her readers. Personally, she is very insightful, motivating and inspiring. She is someone that I trust and look to for advice."

- Masturina Osman, Marketing Insight, Alfa Laval