""We are a people company," Malina Ngai, group CEO of AS Watson, said at the Fortune Innovation Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday. Ngai acknowleged the company's long history-including how the company endowed Sun Yat-sen, who later led the 1911 revolution agaisnt the Qing dynasty, with a medical scolarship-yet argued that AS Watson had to remain forward-thinking. "Heritage gives us credibility, so people trust us, but only if we stay relevant [will we] be able to stay alive," Ngai said."
"The secret sauce to successfully operating in so many markets, Ngai argued, came from understanding their customers. In Southeast Asia-which Ngai described as one of AS Watson's "growth engines"- consumers are young, digitally-savvy and conscious about health and beauty. They also love new campaigns and product launches. As such, Watsons, AS Watson's main drugstore brand, has rolled out campaigns such as "Kaw Kaw Deals" in Malaysia, replete with a catchy jingle of the same name by local personalities Jinnyboy and Ayda Jebat."
AS Watson began in 1841 in Hong Kong and now operates nearly 17,000 outlets across 31 markets including China, Malaysia, and the UK. The company emphasizes people and uses heritage for credibility while remaining forward-looking to stay relevant. Success in diverse markets relies on understanding customers and adapting locally. Southeast Asia is a growth engine with young, digitally-savvy, health- and beauty-conscious consumers who respond to new campaigns; Watsons deployed local initiatives such as "Kaw Kaw Deals" with a catchy jingle. Market surveys show many younger shoppers prefer in-store experiences. The chain offers halal-certified skincare and J-, K- and C-beauty products.
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