Mediatropians share how they challenge limits and reframe what’s possible every day. This column is your inside look at the conversations, stories, and sparks of creativity that happen behind the scenes.

For Shaun Teo, Head of Media at Mediatropy, return on investment (ROI) in digital marketing is more than a neat equation of revenue minus cost. While that formula may check the math, it misses the bigger picture: customer lifetime value, long-term growth, and brand equity. In his view, true ROI is about balancing immediate conversions with strategies that continue to pay off long after the campaign ends.

Building Brand Equity Where Culture Lives

When asked where he’d put his last $100 in ad spend, Shaun doesn’t hesitate to say TikTok. While he jokes that advertising on ChatGPT would unlock the “mother of all Pandora’s boxes,” his real reasoning is rooted in long-term thinking. TikTok, he believes, is where culture is being shaped, making it the platform with the highest potential for building lasting brand equity.’

But platform choice is only half the story. Good content remains the cornerstone of any campaign. “Content is King,” Shaun reminds us, and like any effective digital marketing strategy, it’s not just about volume. While frequency matters, quality always comes first. The right cadence depends on the channel: TikTok rewards multiple daily posts, while LinkedIn thrives with just one or two a week. It’s not just about volume, it’s about value.

The Misconceptions That Hold Brands Back

Still, many clients fall into the trap of assuming that every ad must directly generate sales. Shaun is quick to correct this. “Every ad has its place and function,” he explains. A TikTok video might build awareness, while an Instagram ad could push for conversion. Success lies in matching the right content to the right audience on the right platform.

The Long Game of Brand Building

With tighter budgets across the board, Shaun emphasises resonance over reach. Consumers today are more selective with their spending, so brands need messages that go beyond product features. Apple, he points out, didn’t just sell devices; they sold identity, belonging, and community. That’s the kind of storytelling that cuts through.

The right balance between brand awareness and performance campaigns, he notes, depends heavily on market position. While household names can afford to focus on performance, smaller or emerging brands must first invest in awareness to gain consideration.

Where Performance Marketing Is Headed Next

Looking ahead, Shaun sees three major forces shaping the industry: AI-driven creative and optimisation, the rise of short-form video commerce, and the push for privacy-safe targeting in a post-cookie world. Yet even with these shifts, some of the most effective tools remain overlooked. CRM and email, he says, are often underestimated. Even though they’re low-cost and highly effective in driving retention.

 

That’s not to say success can be measured only in clicks or impressions. Shaun advocates for tracking deeper signals, Add to Carts, repeat visits, engagement depth, and customer retention to truly understand long-term impact. If brands could only measure one metric? Cost per Incremental Customer. For him, it’s the clearest way to assess genuine growth.

Through it all, Shaun stresses the importance of balance. Data, he explains, provides the “where” and “who,” while creative intuition delivers the “how” and “why.” Together, they create campaigns that are not only efficient but also emotionally resonant.

In Southeast Asia, that balance becomes even more crucial. The region is hyper-fragmented. Naver rules in Korea, TikTok dominates in Indonesia and Thailand, while Vietnam skews toward Lalo. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here; strategies must be tailored to cultural and platform nuances.

For brands just beginning their paid journey, Shaun advises starting small, setting clear KPIs, and managing expectations. Don’t expect overnight results if no one knows your name yet. And for smaller brands worried about competing with giants, his advice is reassuring: while you may not outspend, you can out-target, out-create, and out-manoeuvre. Agility is the advantage.

Beyond the Brief: ROI, Resonance, and the Real Rules of Media

Beyond the world of media, Shaun is as approachable as they come. I first met him in Singapore during our Leadership Offsite, where he brought the same thoughtful calm to conversations that he brings to strategy. Around the SG office, he’s known as Bailey’s fur dad, our resident agency dog’s biggest fan. And if you ever need gaming advice, Shaun is your go-to guy. An avid gamer, he’ll never hesitate to share tips, swap strategies, or debate the latest release.

Shaun’s perspective on media is refreshingly clear: it’s not about chasing quick wins, nor is it about drowning in data. It’s about striking the balance between short-term performance and long-term equity, between precision targeting and cultural nuance, and between what the numbers say and what human intuition feels.

From his take on TikTok’s cultural sway to his reminder that email and CRM are still powerful tools, Shaun makes one thing clear: smart media isn’t defined by budget size but by strategy, agility, and resonance. And as brands continue to navigate uncertainty, his advice is a reminder that growth comes not from spending more, but from thinking sharper.