What's keeping me up: Fairwood’s Adwin Lau

In an era where attention spans are shrinking and expectations are rising, it’s crucial for long-standing brands to continuously innovate and find new ways to connect with the next generation of consumers.

Established in Hong Kong since 1972, fast food chain Fairwood has recently launched various initiatives aimed at revitalising its brand. One such effort involves collaborating with 17-year-old guitarist Dale, who gained recognition from local singer Nicholas Tse’s concert, as part of its campaign featuring everyday product activations.

To tap into younger audiences, Fairwood has also launched an Instagram account to engage food lovers and celebrate its legacy of quality and connection. The account features exclusive content about Fairwood’s iconic menu, refreshed shop designs, and introductions to the passionate teams behind the brand.

Driving these initiatives is Adwin Lau (pictured), Fairwood’s marketing director, who leads a 15-person team across multiple disciplines—including product marketing, brand strategy, digital transformation, CRM, eCommerce, branding, design, and business analysis. Lau maintains a strong focus on innovation by regularly engaging with younger team members, ensuring that the brand remains agile, inspired, and ahead of consumer trends.

In this episode, Lau shares with us his biggest worry and what keeps him going.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What is the biggest thing you worry about?

My greatest concern is routinisation - the danger of becoming trapped by past successes while the market surges ahead. In the fast-moving food and beverage (F&B) industry, consumer preferences shift at lightning speed, and nostalgia alone cannot future-proof a brand.

What worked yesterday may fall flat today, and what excites customers now could be obsolete tomorrow.

I worry about losing our competitive edge - the vital spark of innovation that keeps a brand not just relevant, but exciting. It’s not enough to rely on tried-and-true formulas; we must constantly challenge ourselves to think differently. Are we truly listening to what customers want next, or are we just repeating what worked before? Are we fostering a culture of creativity, or settling into comfortable patterns?

The biggest risk isn’t failure; it’s complacency! When a brand stops evolving, it becomes predictable, and predictability is the enemy of engagement. My role is to ensure we stay ahead of trends, not just react to them. That means pushing boundaries, experimenting with new ideas, and sometimes taking calculated risks. In marketing, standing still is the same as falling behind.

Ultimately, my fear isn’t just about losing market share; it’s about losing the magic that makes our brand special. That’s what keeps me up at night.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: How do you deal with this worry?

I actively combat this worry by maintaining a childlike sense of wonder - an endless curiosity about "why" and "what if" that fuels true creativity. Every day, I challenge myself to see our brand through fresh eyes, asking questions no one else is asking.

A key strategy is my regular engagement with younger team members. Through informal coffee chats and structured brainstorming sessions, I gain invaluable insights into emerging trends and shifting consumer behaviours. However, this goes beyond simply chasing what’s popular today.

The real magic happens when we decode these youth insights to create authentic innovations that resonate with customers of all ages.

For example, when we noticed Gen Z's nostalgia for retro packaging, we didn't just copy the trend; we reimagined it through modern sustainability practices. The result appealed to both younger customers discovering us for the first time and older customers reconnecting with fond memories. This cross-generational approach keeps our brand both fresh and meaningful.

Ultimately, it's about balancing curiosity with strategy - staying open to inspiration while ensuring that every innovation aligns with our brand's core values.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: As a leader, how do you deal with it when your staff tells you the work is creating mental pressure and well being issues?

Empathy is my leadership cornerstone. When team members express stress, I begin by truly listening - not just to their words, but to the underlying challenges they’re facing. I invest significant time in one-on-one conversations to understand each individual's unique strengths, working style, and specific stressors.

By taking this personalised approach, I can better align workloads with both strategic priorities and individual capacities. We regularly review projects to identify and eliminate non-essential tasks that create unnecessary friction.

Transparency is equally crucial. I make sure everyone understands the "why" behind their tasks - how their work contributes to our larger goals.

When people see their role in the grand strategy, pressure naturally transforms into purpose.

Most importantly, I've learned that when team members feel genuinely heard and supported, they develop remarkable resilience. Even during our busiest campaigns, this foundation of trust and understanding keeps motivation high and wellbeing intact.

Small gestures, such as celebrating small wins, make all the difference.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What keeps you going?

I have turned my passion into my career, and this alignment is what fuels me every day.

Food is not just sustenance; it is the emotional backdrop to life's most meaningful milestones, from the hurried breakfast before a big presentation to the romantic dinner where someone says "yes".

Considering we experience about 75,000 meals in a lifetime, my mission as an F&B marketer takes on profound significance. Each meal represents an opportunity to create magic, to transform ordinary moments into extraordinary memories. Whether it's a quick takeout lunch that fuels an entrepreneur's big idea or a family reunion dinner that strengthens bonds, we're not just serving food; we're crafting the stages for life's most unforgettable moments.

This perspective reminds me that our work matters deeply. When I see customers sharing their special occasions with our brand, or when a simple meal becomes someone's comfort after a long day, I'm reminded why this career continues to inspire me.

We're not just in the food business - we're in the memory-making business, and that's a privilege that never grows old.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: How do you boost employee morale when facing obstacles/challenges?

I firmly believe in standing shoulder to shoulder with my team through every challenge. When difficulties arise, my first priority is creating an environment where no one feels alone in the struggle.

It's not enough to simply reject ideas; we must pair every “no” with clear guidance about why and how to improve, turning setbacks into learning opportunities.

Empathy remains my guiding principle in these moments. By taking the time to understand each team member's perspective and challenges, we foster a genuine “we're in this together” mentality. This collective spirit transforms obstacles into shared missions rather than individual burdens.

I've found that balanced recognition is equally crucial. While we keep our eyes on long-term goals, I make sure to spotlight small victories along the way, whether it's praising an innovative design concept in our morning huddle or acknowledging when someone's CRM optimisation moves the needle. These moments of celebration, no matter how small, recharge our team's energy and reinforce that every contribution matters.

Ultimately, it's this combination of solidarity, clear direction, and recognition that builds unstoppable momentum, even through tough times.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Anything else you would like to add

Embracing AI and maintaining openness to change are absolutely essential in today's dynamic marketing environment. The landscape is evolving at unprecedented speed, and only those who continuously adapt will not just survive but truly thrive.

AI represents far more than just another tool in our arsenal. It has become an indispensable partner across all aspects of our work. In creativity, it helps us generate fresh ideas and optimise content. For strategy, it provides data-driven insights that inform smarter decisions. In execution, it enables personalisation at scale and real-time campaign optimisation.

However, successful integration requires more than just adopting new technologies. It demands a cultural shift where we view change as an opportunity rather than a threat.

This means investing in continuous learning, encouraging experimentation, and creating space for both human intuition and machine intelligence to complement each other.

The most successful marketers of tomorrow will be those who can harness AI's capabilities while maintaining the human touch that builds genuine brand connections. This balanced approach will define the future of impactful marketing.

Take your brand to new heights with cutting-edge AI strategies, innovative technology, and data-powered experiences. Don’t miss Digital Marketing Asia 2025 in Hong Kong on 20-21 October, where 200+ marketing leaders will explore game-changing trends, proven successes, and bold ideas shaping the future.

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