Interview: Lynette Poh takes on expanded role at Singtel

Singtel is reshaping how it thinks about marketing, shifting from communications to a broader mandate spanning brand, engagement and loyalty, and at the centre of that evolution is Lynette Poh.

Now head of brand, engagement and loyalty, Poh’s expanded remit signals a deliberate move away from traditional campaign-led thinking towards long-term customer relationships and lifetime value.

The move builds on more than a decade at the telco. Poh helmed the role of head of marketing communications for over three years, first taking on the position in 2023. She joined Singtel in 2012 as marketing and sales director before rising through the ranks to director of marketing communications in 2015 and later senior director in 2019. Prior to Singtel, she held planning roles at agencies including BBDO and WCRS.

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Speaking to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Poh said the reimagined role goes beyond driving brand awareness to embedding deeper, more meaningful customer connections across every touchpoint.

“In this reimagined role, my responsibilities have expanded from driving brand awareness and showcasing Singtel’s breadth of offerings to deepening customer engagement, cultivating long-term loyalty, and strengthening meaningful connections with our customers,” she said.

“At the core of this evolution is an unwavering commitment to customer love — ensuring that every initiative we undertake translates into tangible value, improved experiences, and meaningful outcomes for the customers we serve.”

That shift is already influencing how the business approaches brand building. Rather than relying on standalone campaigns, Poh is focused on creating what she describes as a “psychological advantage” through a more cohesive brand architecture across Singtel’s portfolio. She added that her goal is to ensure that Singtel's brands becomes the "partner in progress" for every consumer and the intuitive, default choice.

Poh has been central to shaping some of Singtel’s most recognisable work in recent years, including the “Hello Possibilities” brand platform launched in 2024. The platform reflects the company’s focus on innovation and digital connectivity, using storytelling to highlight how its broadband, mobile and cybersecurity offerings empower individuals and communities.

The first film in the series followed four elderly friends — Bee Geok, Raju, Farah and Leong — on a mission to track a lost phone, with characters such as fan-favourite Raju reappearing in subsequent festive campaigns including Father’s Day and Deepavali.

Beyond the platform, Singtel has also leaned into culturally resonant storytelling through its annual National Day films. These include 2023’s “From mudflats to smart nation”, which referenced founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s iconic speech, and 2025’s “Majulah Singapura”, which traced the evolution of the National Day Parade over six decades to reflect Singapore’s progress.

This also extends to how the company thinks about engagement. From large-scale out-of-home placements to personalised digital touchpoints, the emphasis is on delivering higher-value interactions that feel relevant and respectful to the customer.

Outside of films, Singtel has also experimented with on-ground activations that blend lifestyle, connectivity and culture. One example is “The Concert Pass”, designed to extend the fan experience beyond live shows. In November last year, the telco worked with agencies Dollop and Butler Experiences on a large-scale photobooth activation featuring a rotating camera housed in a car, timed to coincide with major concert season in Singapore, including performances by acts such as Blackpink.

In the new role, Poh is placing greater weight on end-to-end loyalty, ensuring that the brand promise aligns with the actual customer experience. “I am focused on lifetime value — ensuring the promise we make in our advertising is the same frictionless performance we deliver throughout the entire customer journey,” she said.

For Poh, the most energising part of the role lies in dismantling the structural divides that have traditionally defined marketing functions.

“I am most energised by the opportunity to break down the ‘functional silos’ that plague legacy marketing. In most organisations, the team putting out an ad to acquire a customer and the team handling care and retention sit in different rooms, often speaking different languages. The consumer feels this friction as a disjointed, ‘broken’ experience," she explained. 

By retiring the “marcomms” label in favour of brand, engagement and loyalty, Poh said Singtel is aiming to manage both trust and experience at scale, connecting the dots between acquisition, engagement and retention.

“We are building an ecosystem where every interaction — from a billboard you see on your commute to the rewards in your app — adds value to our customers’ lives,” she added.

The move also reflects a broader shift in how Singtel defines success for its brands, including GOMO by Singtel and hi! by Singtel.

“The shift to brand, engagement and loyalty is a fundamental realignment of our purpose. In today’s landscape, just communicating is no longer enough,” Poh said. “We are moving toward a future where our powerhouse brands are defined by the quality of their interactions and the depth of their customer relationships. I’m thrilled to lead my incredibly talented team as we say hello to new possibilities and pave the way for a more seamless, connected experience for our customers.”

Be part of #Content360 Singapore, 22–23 April 2026, where creativity and culture collide. Explore how AI-driven storytelling is shaping the future of content, gain practical insights, discover new tactics, and learn how the best in Asia are creating campaigns that truly resonate. 

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