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Tai Kam Leong talks to MARKETING magazine on embracing change

Tai Kam Leong, Head of Branding & Partnerships, Maxis

In MARKETING magazine’s mid-February issue 216, Head of Branding & Partnerships at Maxis, Tai Kam Leong speaks on embracing change, taking the initiative to ask questions, choosing one’s battles and lastly millennials. Over the last three and a half years, Tai has taken on the role of Head of Home at Maxis before recently taking over the marketing and branding for the brand.
When asked regarding the agency scene and the shrinking margins in the business, Tai stated that the agencies and the media are not up to speed with the changes that are happening.
“If anybody is afraid of a change, that should be Maxis as a brand. So if we can embrace change, then the industry can too.” Tai emphasised that whether its a brand, industry or economy, there’s no possibility of going anywhere if we do not ask questions.
Tai shared that it’s okay to concede that one’s not going to win or influence conversations by dominating media and controlling messages. “The sooner we accept that, the more we will spend time listening and doing things that matter.”
He added on that he always fancied the thought that Maxis was a big enough company to do anything but was not big enough to do everything. “You can be Manchester United or Chelsea, buy the best players in the world but you can’t buy all the best players in the world.”
Lastly, Tai shared his thoughts on millennials and how the more we don’t know about millennials, the more we try to stereotype them. He adds that we don’t know what makes millennials tick, so we label them as a lazy self-entitled generation.
“In our organisation, the guys who earn the highest appraisals are the youngest ones, the under 30’s.”
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