Shopee Malaysia names new marketing lead

Shopee Malaysia has appointed Marianne Chuo (pictured) as marketing lead, tasking her to shape and boost the company's marketing efforts and drive initiatives that can help the brand connect with users on a deeper and more meaningful level. Chuo will report to regional managing director Ian Ho. Chuo joined Shopee in the third quarter of 2018 and led special projects within the marketing team, seeking opportunities to work with strategic partners.  Prior to joining Shopee, she was responsible for corporate strategy and development at internet platform Sea Group. Before that, she was at honestbee for close to two years, with her last role being country general manager. Chuo also worked at Accenture for more than four years as a strategy consultant and analyst. In a statement to A+M, Chuo said Shopee has "really supported" her career growth and development, adding that she is very fortunate to have a strong team working alongside her the past few months. Despite not having taken the traditional marketer’s route, Chuo said her background in consulting, operations and business development has allowed her to conceptualise fresh and holistic ideas that are not moulded by the traditional norms of marketing. "The sheer pace of the eCommerce industry and dynamic culture at Shopee has rendered this a very exciting adventure thus far, and I am looking forward to what is to come as I embark on a new challenge of leading Shopee Malaysia’s marketing team," she added. Chuo told A+M that her vision for the team is to continue building and advancing Shopee's position as a leading eCommerce player in Malaysia. "Through creative marketing campaigns, we want to create long-term brand affinity and form a strong community of loyal users who will turn to us as their platform of choice when shopping online. The aspiration is to have Shopee be a household name for all Malaysians," Chuo said. Chuo was involved in conceptualising and executing Shopee's recent Valentine's Day video, which took a cheeky swipe at Lazada Malaysia to promote its contest that allows consumers to win a date with their loved one. Shopee’s spokesperson told A+M previously that it wanted to take on a humorous and memorable approach and saw the opportunity to respond to Lazada’s “Slash” the Leng Chai Lunar New Year video without being disrespectful. “It was a lightbulb moment. The parody was merely a banter. No malice was intended,” the spokesperson added.