"The Modern Marketing Playbook provides a practicable and insightful read. It helps you deep dive into real business issues, value chain understanding, providing bite size handles for easy application."

Celine Tan Director, Group Marketing, F&N Limited

"The 4Ps of marketing got a boost with 5A's and 5C's! Whether you are a newbie in marketing or an experienced practitioner, the evergreen frameworks shared in this book serves as a great guide.

While product and price remain essential considerations for buyers, the experience with a brand is equally influential in shaping their decisions. Marketing plays a pivotal role in orchestrating emotive brand experience to deliver impactful customer engagement. This book provides insights on how to curate customer experience across various stages of the customer journey, in a manner that is both practical and actionable."

Stacy Seah APAC CMO lead, Microsoft

"Destined to become a definitive modern text for marketers, this book builds on the legacy of Philip Kotler with context from the consumer journey in the fast and fragmented, social and digital landscape. Rich with unique insights and case studies from across the diverse Asian landscape, it inspires the marketing practitioner to hone their craft with a disciplined pursuit of excellence gained from a robust framework of customer focus, data-driven strategies, and storytelling.

Solid and comprehensive coverage of all the core fundamentals, yet some very relevant updates in the modern landscape and the Asian case studies truly valuable."

Rob Gilby Former CEO Asia Pacific, dentsu Group Inc and Managing Director, Disney SEA

"The Modern Marketing Playbook brings to life the winning strategies for unreasonable growth with marketing. It is the anchor for all marketing professionals against the wave of distractions from shiny object syndrome, fragmentation, technology, vanity metrics. Start with the cheat sheet at the end of every chapter and learn from the updated case studies to arm yourself with the latest insights."

Jeff Cheong CEO, DDB Group Singapore

"Building on Philip Kotler's legacy, this book proves that marketing is not just a function — it's the backbone of modern business. With its deep insights on customer focus, data-driven strategies, and storytelling, there's no doubt it will become a definitive reference for marketing in the digital age."

Tony Zameczkowski Vice President, Netflix APAC

"The Modern Marketing Playbook isn't just a textbook; it's a mentoring session in print. Learn the winning strategies specific to the New Asia market, understand how AI is transforming the landscape, and acquire the essential skills to not only adapt, but lead in the ever-changing world of marketing. Let Doreen and Howie's passion, experience, and commitment to future generations empower you to thrive.

This book delves into the core principles of marketing, emphasizing the importance of understanding customers in today's dynamic business environment. It explores key concepts like segmentation, targeting, and positioning, providing frameworks and real-world examples to guide effective marketing strategies. The book also examines the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age, including the shift towards data-driven decision making, the rise of social media, and the increasing importance of customer advocacy.

The book is structured around the classic 'Plan-Implement-Control' cycle of marketing, providing a comprehensive framework for developing and executing successful marketing strategies. It begins by emphasizing the importance of aligning marketing goals with overall business objectives, ensuring that every marketing effort contributes to the company's growth and success.

The book also examines the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age, including the shift towards data-driven decision making, the rise of social media, and the increasing importance of customer advocacy."

Glen Francis Strategic Advisor, Google Asia

"A gem for marketers and leaders — new or seasoned. This book humanizes strategy, turning cold tactics into warm connections. Learn to speak 'with' people, not 'at' them. Packed with empathy-driven insights, it bridges theory and action. Craft campaigns that resonate, brands that matter, and growth that includes all. Your compass for marketing with heart."

Daniel Ng Former CMO APAC, Cloudera, Neo4J, Graphen

"In today's digital-first world, marketing is more challenging than ever. Beyond mastering the fundamentals, marketers must stay agile, adapting to an ever-evolving landscape. This book, grounded in real-world experience, highlights how staying nimble and embracing new ways of working is essential — while never losing sight of the core principles of marketing."

Oliver Chong Head Marketing and Comms, Mediacorp

Doreen Kum, as an Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore — Asia's #1 university and 8th globally — Doreen's not just teaching marketing, she's revolutionizing it. Whether it's undergraduates, master's students, or senior executives, she consistently earns rave reviews for making marketing truly click as a business strategy. Doreen brings a powerhouse blend of academic rigor (evidenced by multiple teaching excellence awards) and expertise that goes beyond the classroom. With a career rooted in marketing management in telco and healthcare sectors, she brings a uniquely practical perspective. Her teaching philosophy is deeply shaped by this real-world foundation, making her insights incredibly relevant. She continues to walk the talk as co-owner and Marketing Director of a healthcare distribution company, where she's instrumental in developing go-to-market and branding strategies for diverse brands wanting to compete in the Asian market. This book is your shortcut to her proven strategies. Get ready to transform your marketing game.

Howie Lau is a seasoned business leader with three decades of experience in the technology and media sectors. Currently, he serves as Managing Partner, Chief Corporate Development and Synergy at NCS Group, a prominent tech services leader in Asia with over 13,000 employees. In this role, he oversees critical functions including marketing, communications, partnerships, organisation development, ESG, and government relations, while also leading NCS's Greater China business.

Before joining NCS, Howie was the Assistant Chief Executive of Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), a government agency spearheading the nation's technology, telecommunications, media industries, and digital economy. His extensive career also includes leadership positions as Head of Consumer business and CMO at StarHub, and CMO for Lenovo Emerging Markets and Asia Pacific/Latin America.

An alumnus of the National University of Singapore, Howie also holds a postgraduate MA in Asian Art Histories from Lasalle College/Goldsmiths University of London. He has received significant accolades, including IT Leader of the Year 2020, the Philip Kotler Marketing Excellence Award 2018, and the NUS Outstanding Alumni Award 2009.