Roma Singhal · 20+ years · AUNZ, APAC, ASEAN, MENA and India
Work and brands
Brand and creative strategy for global icons and ambitious challengers: case studies, recent projects with agency partners, and the brands behind them.
At a glance
Brands by industry and market
Brand, creative, shopper, digital, ecommerce and experiential strategy across four regions, often in partnership with agencies.
Colour key: AUNZ APAC and ASEAN MENA India
Food and beverage
Cadbury 5 Star Cadbury Bournvita Complan Glucon-D KFC Burger King Saffola Parle-G Gold Kellogg’s Coca-Cola Costa Food Republic Bliss, Bliss Pro, Stix and Nice (Kitco) Moccona Nestlé KitKat Lavazza Sanitarium Red Rock Deli PepsiCo Frucor Suntory Mizone Tic Tac
Alcohol
Guinness Diageo Gordon’s Don Julio Casamigos Bundaberg Yellow Tail Banrock Station St Hugo Campari Wild Turkey Beam Suntory Pernod Ricard Bilpin
Tech, telecom and electronics
Intel VMware Huawei Vodafone Foxtel Nikon Sunbeam IBM BlackBerry SingTel Sony Samsung Kodak Reliance Jio Google Saavn
Retail and home
Bunnings Westfield Scentre Group Kmart Snooze IKEA Asian Paints Home Centre
Banking, finance and insurance
Westpac Steadfast Compare the Market Adyen QuickBooks IDFC Bank Bharti AXA
Health, wellness and fitness
Blackmores Sanofi Life Space Fortifit World Gym ATSICHS Brisbane Bayer Nature’s Way Piramal Healthcare
Beauty and personal care
L’Oréal Garnier Maybelline Pears
Baby, pet and family
a2 Milk Bellamy’s Organic Mad Paws Purina Drools
Travel and auto
AirAsia Mitsubishi Pajero Hyundai Bridgestone Changi Airport Hilton Harley-Davidson Jet Airways Vistara
Entertainment and media
Netflix Hoyts ARN
Education
Torrens University UNSW Nanyang Technological University
Purpose, non-profit and government
Circular Plastics Australia Hort Innovation Cerebral Palsy Alliance Anglicare Sydney Water
Some work was delivered with and through agency partners.
Agencies I’ve partnered with
Clemenger BBDO Wunderman Thompson VCCP Landor & Fitch Leo Burnett VMLY&R Edelman Marcel SGK DO. Agency Topham Guerin Edge Wonder whiteGREY The Idea Shed Superson Ochre Strokes Seen Agency Monogram Republic of Everyone the projects* Nunn Media oOh!media Landini Associates Jack Morton Boldinc Brand Innovation
Out of respect for client confidentiality, agency projects are described without naming the agency.
Case studies by market
Brands I’ve built strategy for
Over two decades at Ogilvy, McCann, BBDO, Publicis Groupe and American Express, and now independently as The Smiling Strategist, I’ve written brand and creative strategy for global icons, national favourites and challenger brands. The work spans food and drink, wine and beer, beauty, home, technology, insurance, sustainability and direct-to-consumer fashion, in markets from Sydney to Singapore to Mumbai.
Here are some of the brands, grouped by market. Each name links to the case study where there is one.
Australia
Brands in Australia
Intel
Intel Evo · #DoSomethingWonderful · with an agency partner
Category: technology. Campaign strategy for Intel Evo laptops.
Banrock Station
Every Drop Matters · Accolade Wines · with an agency partner
Category: wine. Brand strategy for Banrock Station, the Accolade Wines brand.
Circular Plastics Australia
Close the Loop · with an agency partner
Category: sustainability and the circular economy. Remade in Australia.
Steadfast
It’s the Strength You Need · with an agency partner
Category: insurance. Campaign strategy for the Australian insurance broker network.
APAC and ASEAN
Brands across APAC and ASEAN
Guinness
Made of More · Diageo · with BBDO Singapore
Category: beer. Strategy for Guinness’s Made of More platform, from Singapore.
India
Brands in India
Cadbury Bournvita
Tayyari Jeet Ki (Preparation to Win) · Mondelez · with Ogilvy Mumbai
Category: health food drinks. Winner of an EFFIE Gold.
Asian Paints Royale Play
Born to Decorate · with McCann Worldgroup Mumbai
Category: home and decorative paints.
Complan
The New Growth Plan · Kraft Heinz India · with McCann Worldgroup Mumbai
Category: health food drinks. Badhne Ka Naya Plan.
Glucon-D
You versus Summer · Kraft Heinz India · with McCann Worldgroup Mumbai
Category: energy drinks. Glucon-D Laga, Energy Chadha.
Garnier Color Naturals
Go New, Go Color! · L’Oréal · with Publicis Groupe Mumbai
Category: beauty and hair colour.
Oceedee
Strut Your Quirk · with Brandself
Category: direct-to-consumer fashion. The brand’s first campaign.
MENA
Brands in MENA
Home Centre
No Two Homes Are the Same · with Ogilvy Mumbai
Category: home and furniture retail. Regional expansion strategy that won the business across MENA, and an Ogilvy Hero Bronze.
Kitco
Ecommerce strategy · Kuwait
Category: snack foods. Ecommerce strategy for Kitco’s Bliss, Bliss Pro, Stix and Nice chips brands.
Recent projects, pitches and launches
Selected work with agencies
Agency partner · MENA
Kitco
E-commerce strategy for Kitco’s Bliss, Bliss Pro, Stix and Nice chips brands in the Middle East.
Agency partner · APAC
Intuit
Go-to-market strategy for Intuit across 51 APAC markets.
Agency partner · Australia
Costa Mini Melons
Brand and creative strategy, brand architecture and naming for Costa’s Mini Melons.
Agency partner · Australia
Mad Paws
Brand architecture and brand strategy for Mad Paws, a leading pet care brand.
Agency partner · Australia
ATSICHS
Employer branding for ATSICHS Brisbane.
Agency partner · Australia
Fitness brand
Content strategy for one of Australia’s best-loved gym brands.
Agency partner · APAC
Aviation brand
Strategy for an APAC aviation pitch.
Agency partner · Australia
Beverage brand
Naming a new alcoholic beverage for a major drinks company.
Agency partner · Australia
Anglicare
Brand campaign strategy for Anglicare Aged Care.
Agency partner · Australia
Lavazza
Strategy for Lavazza’s Tales of Italy and F1 launches.
Agency partner · Australia
Don Julio and Casamigos
In-store strategy for Don Julio and Casamigos tequila.
Agency partner · Australia
Gordon’s Pink
In-store launch strategy for Gordon’s Pink.
Agency partner · Australia
St Hugo
Shopper platform strategy for St Hugo.
Agency partner · Australia
Steadfast
Campaign strategy for Steadfast, Australasia’s largest insurance network.
Agency partner · Australia
Moccona
Brand story for Moccona.
Agency partner · Australia
NSW RFS
Strategy for the NSW RFS “Live Bushfire Ready” campaign (take 2).
Agency partner · Australia
Nikon
Strategy for the winning Nikon Z50II pitch.
Agency partner · Australia
KitKat
Strategy for KitKat’s gaming campaign.
Agency partner · Australia
Westfield
Strategy for Westfield.
Agency partner · Australia
Compare the Market
Strategy for Compare the Market.
Agency partner · Australia
Rio Tinto
Strategy for Rio Tinto.
Agency partner · Australia
Torrens
Strategy for education brand Torrens, which takes a modern, upbeat view of learning.
Agency partner · Australia
Sydney Water
Strategy for Sydney Water.
Agency partner · Australia
Bellamy’s
Brand strategy for Bellamy’s, the organic baby food brand.
How I can help
Bring that experience to your brand
Whether you’re a global brand or a challenger, the work starts the same way: finding the real problem, the insight that matters and the one idea everything should anchor to. I work with brands and agencies in three ways:
- Brand and creative strategy: positioning, brand platforms, creative briefs and pitch strategy.
- Brand consulting: brand audits, architecture and naming for founders and businesses.
- Fractional strategy director: senior strategy leadership, part time, for agencies and brands.
Entering or growing in Asia-Pacific or India? See brand strategy for APAC and India.
