ADFEST 2013: Tribal DDB's Patrick Rona and Jeff Cheong to co-host a speaker session

ADFEST has announced that Patrick Rona and Jeff Cheong of Tribal DDB Asia Pacific are co-hosting a Speaker Session at ADFEST 2013 titled Tribal DDB Asia Pacific Presents: ‘Making Brands Brand New Again’.

“We know all the stats. We know what all the pundits – like us – are talking about. Old brands, and ways of building brands through above-the-line and paid media, are dying. We don't necessarily agree,” says Cheong.

Cheong and Rona have been fortunate enough to work with some of the biggest brands in the world to help them reinvent their brands. They claim the secret is designing and architecting honest, open experiences and conversations:

“We start from the ground up – with real people addressing real problems – to build brand advocacy; we develop new products and services in partnership with consumers; we invite creative ideas and content from our consumers. We use all communications channels – old and new, off line and on, above the line and below. And it's working,” says Rona.

Cheong wears multiple hats at Tribal DDB Singapore as Managing Director and Executive Creative Director.

In just five years, he has grown the local team from four people to a 90-strong team, which today provides digital and integrated communication consultation for Unilever, DBS Bank, Changi Airport Group, McDonald’s, Uniqlo, Tourism Australia, Fonterra, Johnson and Johnson, Exxon, Marriage Central (MCYS) and SIM.

Rona is President of Tribal DDB Asia Pacific and Chief Digital Officer at DDB Group Asia Pacific. He joined Tribal DDB from OgilvyOne, where he ran the global Unilever digital marketing account, overseeing and coordinating teams across five regions and over 25 countries.

Tribal DDB Asia Pacific Presents: ‘Making Brands Brand New Again’ takes place on Sunday 17th March at 7pm.