Jackson Ong joins Elmwood’s Singapore studio as Strategy Director

Global brand design consultancy Elmwood has announced the appointment of Jackson Ong as Strategy Director for its Singapore studio.

Previously a senior strategist at agencies including Superunion and Cowan, Ong brings near to a decade of experience helping ambitious clients evolve their brands for long-term business impact. His expertise spans FMCG giants such as Coca-Cola, Danone and Shiseido; local icons like Julie’s, MyRepublic and EZ-Link; as well as tech disruptors like Lazada, Garena and Trust Bank. He is also an adjunct lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic (School of Design), where he imparts knowledge under the discipline of customer segmentation to both industry aspirants and mid-career switchers.

In his new role, Ong will drive Elmwood Singapore’s strategy offer across its global and regional portfolio of clients — working with them to harness brand potential as a tangible driver of long-term value. He will report into Elmwood’s Singapore award-winning Managing Director, Celeste Cheong, and work alongside the senior leadership team.

Ong said: “I’m extremely excited to join Elmwood and be part of the MSQ global network, which is a testament to the agency’s commitment to evidence-backed strategy in navigating cultural tension for brand impact.

“Living in an age of disruption means the rules of branding have changed — and will continue to evolve as we speak. Clients are realising tried-and-trusted methods may no longer be as relevant moving forward. At the same time, the ones that have demonstrated the appetite and capacity for inducting audiences into dynamic brand worlds are also the ones that continue to stay top-of-mind. As an agency, there’s never been a more opportune time to power client ambitions with strategic brand-out thinking and unlock the next creative wave”.

Ong’s appointment comes a few months after Elmwood made a trio of senior leadership hires – naming Lisa Balm as its Creative Director, Rachel Goh as its Head of Insights, and Kedar Karippail as its Client Services Director.

“As part of the senior team leading the change across blue-chip FMCG and next-gen service brands, I look forward to leveraging my cross-category, multi-market experience with Elmwood’s clients — all in the spirit of provoking world-beating creative work that facilitates long-term business growth”, affirms Ong.

In the past months, the brand design consultancy has been consistently building upon its success across its global stable of clients, which includes the likes of Unilever, Heineken, and Kimberly-Clark.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Jackson into our ever-growing family. From a strong academic background and versatile industry experience to his passion for evidence-based marketing, Jackson’s experience & bright personality was exactly what we’re looking for in the talents we onboard at Elmwood. He will play a strategic role in building distinctive, meaningful, and memorable brand experiences for our clients.” says Celeste Cheong, Managing Director of Elmwood Singapore.