Technology

The BrandLaureate BestBrand of the Year Award 2024-2025 Singapore

Published

1 year ago

February 28, 2025

Your Brand, Your Award
Celebrating, Championing, Capitalising
The Best of Your Brand!

SINGAPORE, Feb. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The World Brands Foundation (TWBF) set the stage for an unforgettable evening of celebration, reflection, and recognition at The BrandLaureate BestBrand of the Year Award 2024-2025 in Singapore. The prestigious event honored global brands that have not only weathered the challenges of the past year but have also made a profound and lasting impact in their respective industries.

The BrandLaureate BestBrand of the Year Award 2024-2025, Singapore honored brands that exemplify innovation, adaptability, and the resilient spirit driving their success. Over the past year, businesses globally have faced a challenging landscape marked by global economic uncertainty, shifting trends, market disruption amongst others causes. Yet, these recognized brands have showcased extraordinary resilience and innovation to overcome challenges.

The evening was a distinguished celebration of innovation, inspiration, and achievement. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of accomplishment as global entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, and top leaders gathered to applaud recognitions and forge meaningful connections. The event emphasized the universal impact of brands and the relentless dedication to excellence that defines the world’s most exceptional leaders and organizations.

Singapore, a global hub for innovation, commerce, and cultural diversity, was the ideal setting for The BrandLaureate Best Brand of the Year Award 2024-2025. Known for its strategic location, world-class infrastructure, and forward-thinking policies, Singapore has long been a hub for international businesses and a launchpad for brands aiming to make a global impact. The city-state’s reputation as a melting pot of ideas, talent, and innovation aligns perfectly with the values celebrated at the event—resilience, adaptability, and excellence.

Hosting the event in Singapore underscores the nation’s role as a bridge between East and West, offering a unique platform for brands to connect with diverse markets and audiences. As a global financial and technological powerhouse, Singapore symbolizes the future of business and the limitless possibilities of innovation.

In his welcoming speech, Prof. Dr. KK Johan set the tone for an inspiring evening, emphasizing the power of branding in shaping industries and driving global success. As The BrandLaureate celebrates its 20th anniversary, he reflected on its legacy of transforming brands—many of which have grown from small businesses to publicly listed companies with global recognition. He reaffirmed The BrandLaureate’s role as a catalyst for brands and branding, declaring, “A great brand never sleeps. It never rests on its laurels.”

He highlighted The BrandLaureate’s strength in acting swiftly, a crucial trait for staying ahead in today’s competitive landscape. “It is the 3Fs,” he declared. “The survival of the Fittest, Fastest, and Finest—a formula for success that defines industry leaders.”

For the past 20 years, The BrandLaureate has consistently driven progress through three core pillars:

Innovation—constantly evolving to remain relevant and competitive.Influence—building trust and shaping the future of branding.Inspiration—fostering growth and development to create value for brands.

As the prestigious Gala Dinner unfolded, The BrandLaureate Best Brand of the Year Award 2024-2025 in Singapore proudly honored Brand Icons for their strong leadership in building their brands. These icons are celebrated for their visionary leadership, remarkable achievements and enduring influence, they have redefined industry standards, inspired global audiences through transformative change and innovation, and made meaningful contributions to society.

Their unwavering commitment to excellence has left an indelible mark on their industries and communities, setting benchmarks for future generations. These Brand Icon Leadership include Prof. Datuk Jimmy Choo, OBE, Founder of The Jimmy Choo Academy (JCA); Ky. Col. Prof. Dr. Edward Roy Krishnan, Founder & Directeur General of European International University; Uma Rudd Chia, Executive Creative Director and Co-Founder of KVUR Pte Ltd; Rodin JS Kumar, Managing Director of AABA Creative (M) Sdn Bhd; Prof. Hanafie Mohd. Imam, Conductor & Composer; Siti Saleha Binti Mohd Baharum, Actress; Min-Kyoung Kim, Diana, Chief Executive Officer of KMK Color Research Institute; Lee Nai Kong, International Music Director & Producer of Nai Kong Music; and Leona Chin, Motorsport Athlete.

Following this, the ceremony awarded The BrandLaureate BestBrand of the Year Award 2024 – 2025, recognizing winning brands from numerous sectors that demonstrated exceptional branding and showcased qualities such as innovation, consistency, and adaptability while making significant contributions to their industries and communities. These recipients include BestBrands such as Adinas Travel & Tours, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam, BAC Education, European International University, Gardens by the Bay, GPIS, Jerudong Park, Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre, Puncak Niaga, Southern University College, Sarawak Tourism Board, BAC, HERO 99, Wrise and European Wellness.

Continuing in the spirit of celebration for the night, outstanding SMEs were also acknowledged for their remarkable achievements, including Declarators, KVUR, Lord’s Tailor, Nuri, SAINT and Unique Cosmetique. These SMEs have showcased exceptional innovation, agility, resilience, and dedication, solidifying their position as key contributors to their industries and communities. By recognizing their success, we not only celebrate their economic and societal contributions but also emphasize the critical role of branding in amplifying their reach, strengthening their influence, and driving meaningful impact across their industries and beyond.

For the full list of winners with their categories, Click Here.

We, at The BrandLaureate extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the worthy recipients. Starting the year on such a high note, we hope this milestone serves as a powerful source of inspiration, motivating you to carry your undefeatable spirit forward. Let 2025 be a year of growth, innovation, and purpose, as you continue to embrace each moment with a sense of victory and a commitment to achieving even greater heights.

The BrandLaureate is dedicated to recognizing and honoring the best of brands that have set benchmarks of excellence across industries. Through our awards, we aim to inspire organizations and individuals to strive for greater innovation, leadership, and impact.

If you have a successful story to tell or wish to explore opportunities with us, please connect with us at pr@thebrandlaureate.com.

The World Brands Foundation (TWBF), originally established in 2005 as the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation (APBF), stands today as the world’s premier branding foundation. With a legacy spanning over a decade of excellence, TWBF has redefined the branding landscape, continuously setting new benchmarks and reaching new heights of prominence. The Foundation’s primary objectives are clear: to elevate the status of brands, enhance branding practices, and instill a culture of excellence in entrepreneurship. To realise this vision, The BrandLaureate was instituted—a symbol of brand excellence that embodies TWBF’s mission and fulfils its core objectives.

Brands, often synonymous with organisations, products, and services, also reflect the individuals who bring them to life, embodying extraordinary qualities that transcend the ordinary. A truly outstanding brand resonates deeply, serving as both a beacon of information and a source of inspiration across both real and digital realms. The power of strong, high-ideal brands is undeniable; they leave an enduring mark, progressively influencing societal equilibrium on a global scale. In this spirit, TWBF, through The BrandLaureate, honours and recognises those who have set new standards of excellence—remarkable individuals and entities who, through their expertise and dedication, have contributed significantly to the world. As a trendsetter with a distinct approach to branding, The BrandLaureate has recognised more than 2,500 global brands and 500 personalities across over 80 countries worldwide.

Operating autonomously, TWBF remains independent from any government or external agencies. This independence reinforces TWBF’s dedication to celebrating and championing brands and personalities who have left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of the masses.

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SOURCE The BrandLaureate

Technology

Bobby Lehew Named commonsku’s Chief AI Officer — an Industry First in Promo

Published

32 minutes ago

April 20, 2026

TORONTO, April 20, 2026 /CNW/ – commonsku, the connected workflow platform trusted by 950+ distributors driving $1.9 billion in network volume, today announced the creation of a dedicated AI + Strategy role, promoting Bobby Lehew to Chief AI Officer to lead the company’s AI initiative for customers and the platform. The move makes commonsku the first platform in the promotional products industry to invest at the leadership level in AI strategy shaped directly by distributor needs.

The new role bridges the gap between what AI can do and what commonsku’s customers need it to solve, owning the intelligence loop between customers, product, and the AI landscape. What makes the role distinct: it combines AI landscape intelligence, product strategy influence, direct customer engagement, and industry thought leadership in a single role.

A Natural Evolution

Lehew brings more than 30 years of experience in the promotional products industry to the role. Prior to joining commonsku, he was the CEO of Robyn Promotions, a company among the first wave of distributors who architected the model of technology driven e-commerce company stores in the industry, earning three consecutive Inc. 5000 rankings. Always tech-forward in his work, his industry recognition includes multiple Gold and Silver PPAI Pyramid Awards.

The shift to AI strategy is a natural next chapter for Lehew. At commonsku, he built the company’s content engine from scratch — co-hosting the skucast (350+ episodes, the #1 promotional products podcast) while leaning heavily into AI for all his work. He is editor of The AI Promo Brief, the industry’s go-to resource for AI developments in promotional products, and speaks frequently on the future of merch and the cultural shifts transforming how we sell. At PPAI Expo 2026, his AI session packed the room to capacity and was named a must-attend session by PPAI editors. The industry has been watching Lehew move deeper into AI for over a year. This role makes it official.

Investing in AI for Customers

“The industry is at an inflection point with AI, and distributors need a partner who understands their business,” said Catherine Graham, CEO of commonsku. “commonsku has always been built ‘by promo, for promo.’ Bobby has three decades of that expertise, a passion for helping our customers, and the strategic insight to shape AI tools for future growth. This role reflects our mission: making sure our AI tools solve real problems for real distributors.”

“The companies pulling ahead are the ones leading with customer intelligence – letting what they learn from their community shape what they build and advancing with the frontier of AI development. That’s what this role is designed to do. I’ll be talking with our customers at every level about AI and making sure the features we build make work smarter, drive growth, and eliminate friction.” said Lehew.

“Bobby and I have been creative partners for years, always pushing each other to see around corners for this industry,” said Mark Graham, President of commonsku. “We’ve launched multiple projects together and helped educate and raise the standard for what the future distributor can look like. This role is a natural evolution of that passion. He deeply understands the industry and the distributor’s pain points, and he sees with us an incredible opportunity with AI. We’re thrilled to build commonsku’s AI future together.”

commonsku’s AI investments are already in motion. The skubot Mockup Generator is in beta with Advanced and Enterprise customers, a new Opportunity Agent is entering beta as an AI-powered business intelligence tool, and the company’s immediate roadmap includes a Description Rewriter, Auto-Art Configuration, and a Presentation Generator with much more to come.

About commonsku

commonsku is the workflow platform of choice for the promotional products industry. Built by industry experts, it combines CRM, order management, and social collaboration tools in one cloud-based solution. Over 950 distributors and the industry’s largest suppliers rely on commonsku to power $1.9 billion in network volume. With commonsku, teams process more orders, work more efficiently, and grow their sales faster. Learn more at www.commonsku.com.

SOURCE commonsku

Technology

The Oxygen Plan Corporation Files Utility Patent on O2OS™ Pre-Diagnostic Behavioral Health Architecture — Measurement, Routing, Reimbursement, Governance; 2008 Prior Art

Published

32 minutes ago

April 20, 2026

Four-layer architecture spans measurement, routing, reimbursement, and governance. 2008 filing predates the Apple App Store and the current generation of digital behavioral health platforms.

MINNEAPOLIS, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Oxygen Plan Corporation today filed a Track One (prioritized examination) utility patent application covering the O2OS™ architecture — spanning measurement, routing, reimbursement, and governance — with foundational disclosures dating to April 22, 2008.

We built the pre-diagnostic measurement layer to make risk visible before it becomes a clinical event. Our role is architecture and calibration. Deployment, operations, and vertical execution sit with institutional partners. — Eric Lucas, Founder-Governor • The Oxygen Plan Corporation

O2OS™ establishes a structured, pre-diagnostic measurement framework that makes behavioral health risk visible, routable, and economically measurable before it becomes a clinical event.

The 2008 filing predates the launch of the Apple App Store.

The subsequent 2009 PCT publication predates the current generation of digital behavioral health platforms.

THE ARCHITECTURE

O2OS™ is a four-layer operating system for behavioral health:

Measurement — Stress Number™, a composite score across Home, Work, and Social domains (each scored 0–100), designed to produce a bounded, interoperable pre-diagnostic behavioral health signalRouting — Smart Referral Engine™, threshold-triggered and tri-hierarchical, designed to match individuals to appropriate resourcesReimbursement — CPT-aligned workflow support, intended to enable billing integrationGovernance — the Automated Governance Utility™, a license registry and access control layer designed to support neutrality and structured participation

The system operates as a closed-loop architecture in which pre-diagnostic measurement informs routing, routing aligns with reimbursement pathways, and governance enables coordinated operation at scale.

STRUCTURAL GAPS

Behavioral health systems currently operate with two unresolved structural gaps:

Penetration Gap — the majority of individuals remain unmeasured at the pre-diagnostic stageRouting Gap — measured individuals are not consistently routed to appropriate resources

O2OS™ is designed as a pre-diagnostic measurement and routing architecture that addresses both conditions within a unified system.

FEDERAL ALIGNMENT

O2OS™ is aligned with established federal and reimbursement pathways, including CMS Coverage with Evidence Development (CED), CPT 96127 and CPT 96138, Medicaid 1115 Waivers, HEDIS quality measures, and CMS Aim 1 for prevention and early detection.

CLINICAL VALIDATION

Stress Number™ has been validated working in collaboration with Mayo Clinic (Archives of Psychology, 2018, N=292). O2OS™ functions as a pre-diagnostic measurement layer designed to support routing toward existing clinical tools and workflows.

About The Oxygen Plan Corporation

The Oxygen Plan Corporation develops O2OS™ — a pre-diagnostic measurement, routing, reimbursement, and governance architecture for behavioral health. Foundational disclosures date to 2008 prior art, with peer-reviewed clinical validation conducted working in collaboration with Mayo Clinic.

Learn more at:

www.theoxygenplan.com

Statements describe system architecture, intended capabilities, and alignment pathways. Implementation and outcomes vary by partner, deployment, and regulatory context.

Media Contact

Chris Lechuga, The Oxygen Plan Corporation, 1 877 897-6520, chris@rockerpr.com, www.theoxygenplan.com

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SOURCE The Oxygen Plan Corporation

Technology

West Monroe Named in Customer Experience Strategy Consulting Services Landscape by Independent Research Firm

Published

32 minutes ago

April 20, 2026

Firm believes inclusion reflects its ability to connect customer experience, AI, and execution to measurable business outcomes

CHICAGO, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — West Monroe, a global business and technology consulting firm, announced it has been named among Notable Providers in The Customer Experience Strategy Consulting Services Landscape, Q2 2026. The report serves as a resource for executives and customer experience leaders evaluating customer experience strategy consulting providers, offering an overview of 28 providers across the market based on factors such as geographic focus, industry expertise, and business scenarios.

As organizations look to increase customer stickiness and drive growth, many are increasing investment in customer experience strategy while also exploring how AI can enable more personalized, efficient, and scalable experiences. At the same time, organizations face growing pressure to demonstrate clear business value—driving demand for partners that can embed data and AI into end-to-end customer journeys and translate those investments into measurable outcomes.

“Customer experience is evolving as AI expands what’s possible—and raises the bar for how organizations deliver it,” said Chuck Malone, Platforms & Customer Strategy Lead at West Monroe. “We believe our inclusion reflects our focus on helping clients move beyond strategy to execution, embedding data and AI into customer journeys in a way that improves engagement, strengthens retention, and delivers measurable business results.”

West Monroe brings longstanding experience helping organizations design and implement customer-centric strategies across industries including healthcare, banking, energy and utilities, insurance, and consumer & industrial products.

As part of the report, Forrester asked each provider included in the Landscape to identify the business scenarios for which clients most often engage them and highlighted extended scenarios that differentiate providers. In addition to the core business scenarios identified in the report—business assessment and analysis, customer research, and vision and strategy setting—West Monroe highlighted prioritization and roadmapping, technology transformation, and workforce enablement among the extended scenarios.

A core focus of the firm’s customer experience work is contact center and service transformation—helping organizations redesign customer journeys, modernize operations, and implement AI-enabled platforms to improve service experiences and reduce cost-to-serve.

The firm’s customer experience work has delivered measurable results for clients across industries, including:

Healthcare: Redesigned critical contact center workflows for a healthcare organization, improving first-call resolution by 68%, reducing clinic task volume by 33%, and increasing patient satisfaction.Energy & Utilities: Built a Salesforce-powered digital portal in 60 days to support solar rebate programs, reducing approval timelines by more than 60% and enabling administration of 25+ clean energy programs.Banking: Led a digital transformation for a mid-market bank, reimagining onboarding, servicing, and program management—driving more than $100M in new deposits, $550K+ in annual cost avoidance, and a 96% platform adoption rate.

Learn more about West Monroe’s customer experience services: https://www.westmonroe.com/services/customer-experience-platforms.

Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity here.

About West Monroe

West Monroe is a global business and technology consulting firm passionate about creating value for our clients. We co-create solutions that accelerate results now and prepare industries to tackle what’s next. We’re excited by the possibilities that technology creates. We work with our clients to deliver on the possible, building on their goals, generating fresh insights and creating inspiring outcomes.

We excel at the intersection of industry, strategy, people and technology—always driving rapid impact. Our all-in approach comes from our unique employee ownership structure. Our clients’ success is our success. From the beginning, our growth has come from putting people at the center. Fortune and USA Today consistently celebrate West Monroe as a top workplace, and we’re recognized as a leading consultancy by Forbes and Business Insider. Let’s find more value for your business.

Share our passion at westmonroe.com

Media Inquiries
Christina Galoozis
Director, Communications & Public Relations
cgaloozis@westmonroe.com
847-302-1762

Shira Cohen
Manager, Public Relations
scohen@westmonroe.com
443-841-6879

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SOURCE West Monroe