NTUC Income names new CMO

NTUC Income has appointed Dhiren Amin (pictured) as chief marketing officer. He was formerly with The Kraft Heinz Company for over five years, as head of marketing, Southeast Asia and later CMO of Asia. Some of his most recognisable work there include the "Real Husbands Cook" purpose-driven campaign for ABC Soy Sauce and the "World's Spiciest Noodles" for ABC Chili Sauce. 

Amin will report to chief executive officer, Andrew Yeo. At Income, he will manage an integrated marketing team of about 30, cutting across brand and digital marketing, segment marketing, product marketing, customer experience, strategic communications and sustainability, as well as events and loyalty marketing. According to a statement by the company, his first order of business is to ensure continuity, while at the same time, furthering Income’s customer-centric approach to understanding customers’ needs.

He will continue to build on Income’s brand as a trusted insurer to make insurance and financial planning personal and simple through tailored customer experiences as well as digital-friendly and customer-focused propositions and touchpoints. He will also drive marketing at Income as a commercial lever to achieve business results and growth for all business lines. Through sustainability, innovation and customer experience transformations, Amin will be sharpening Income’s capabilities to delight customers and to deliver a positive impact on the communities that Income serves.

Prior to Kraft Heinz, Amin spent three years at Unilever Asia as the global brand manager for Vaseline Men, driving regional communication development and innovation roll-outs. Amin also previously worked in strategic planning in the advertising agency world for about a decade. This included working as brand partner at BBH and, more recently, group planning director and head of planning, McCann Mumbai. During his time at McCann, Amin worked with brands across FMCG, media, travel, technology and apparel.

Amin replaces Marcus Chew, who joined Lazada as group CMO in September last year, after holding the CMO role at NTUC Income for over six years. In his role, he supported the growth of all business lines through data integration, manage and maximised the effectiveness of marketing investments, and developed cut-through communications in line with business direction, according to his LinkedIn.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Kraft Heinz for comment.

Separately, last November, NTUC Income appointed OMD Singapore to manage integrated media planning and buying campaigns for two years following a pitch held in August that year. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE understands that the account is valued at SG$5 million and at least three major media players were vying for the account. Incumbent dentsu, which has been working with NTUC Income since 2018, defended the account. According to OMD Singapore then, the agency won the pitch by presenting a strategic media planning approach tapping on its capabilities to deliver efficient and targeted campaigns.

NTUC Income also expanded into three Southeast Asian markets last year, through strategic partnerships with VSure Tech in Malaysia, Central Asia Financial (JAGADIRI) in Indonesia and Post and Telecommunication Joint Stock Insurance Corporation in Vietnam. These strategic alliances are built on Income's Insurance-as-a-Service model that enables the company to bring digital-first insurance business models to partners overseas, enhance their speed-to-market, and equip them with the right capabilities and tools to capture new customer segments and revenue streams.

Last year, the brand refreshed its tagline to tweak its logo as part of its rebranding efforts. Paying homage to its original logo, Income said it has injected a "modern twist" in the selection of the pantone and typography of its logo. The new logo (pictured below right) features the new tagline "Made Yours" in blue. The font used for the tagline is "Ubuntu", which gives the logo a more contemporary look. The word "Ubuntu" means "I am, because you are" in Zulu, which is said to reflect Income's new brand promise, where Income seeks to understand its consumers and act in their best interest.

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