In conversation: What makes innovation work?

In the newest episode of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s Marketing Connected podcast series “In Conversation,” we sit down with Parminder Singh, co-founder of AI advisory Claybox AI and Kampd.

Known for setting a relentless pace of innovation during his tenure as chief commercial officer and chief digital officer at Mediacorp, Parminder unpacks what it takes to turn creativity into meaningful, repeatable progress. He has also had a career spanning leadership roles at Tatler Asia, Twitter, Google, IBM, and Apple, and brings a wealth of experience at the intersection of digital, technology, and AI.

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For Singh, “innovation velocity” is key. Particularly for local media players competing against global giants such as Google and Meta. While these tech titans operate on a massive scale and have billions of users, local companies can still stand out by moving quickly and introducing a steady stream of new ideas, products, and services.

“You may not be able to create the next YouTube or Instagram, but you can set the pace,” he explains.

“Whether it’s a new product, pricing model, prototype, or service, frequent innovation tells clients you’re relevant and shows your people that innovation is part of your DNA," he added.

This, he says, builds two essential outcomes: Market perception that the company is forward-thinking, and an internal culture where experimentation becomes “muscle memory.” Even if not every idea succeeds, the process signals to both clients and employees that the organisation is committed to progress.

When it comes to making innovation a daily habit rather than an occasional event, Parminder outlines a three-step approach:

1. Build a core team of “innovation evangelists.”
2. Make problem-solving collaborative and visible.
3. Make innovation everyone’s KPI.

“Innovation is everyone’s responsibility,” he said. “When people know they’re expected to come up with new solutions and they see it celebrated, they respond.”

Watch the video for more details on what he means.

Tune into the rest of this conversation on your favourite podcast platforms, by searching up Marketing Connected. For all the visual people out there, we’ve got your back as well, with our vodcasts on YouTube.

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