Prashant Saxena 

Head of Insights, Asia

Isentia
Singapore

 

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“Let's compete with marketing teams in our measurement game.”

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As Isentia’s head of insights for Asia, Prashant Saxena has a big part in managing the public perceptions of organizations. Yet his contributions to the arts and crafts of measurement have boosted the reputation of his own company, too, which has garnered awards and accolades for the likes of Saxena’s methodology of blending social conversation and survey data to get fuller pictures of outsiders’ views of organizations. Prashant Saxena leads a 70-plus analysts and data scientists' team across six markets, and serves as APAC vice chair of the AMEC, the global authority for communications measurement, and is a member of the Forbes Communication Council in his off time. A thought leader in the field, Saxena has spoken at more than 40 conferences, and is a Forbes and Singapore Business Review contributor. And, yet, Saxena still has it in him to expand next-gen talent, serving as a mentor at SCAPE, a government-backed organization supporting 70 startups across sectors. As the mastermind behind the group’s Hack the New Normal Hackathon, he fostered connections between new graduates and SME entrepreneurs who offered insights and tips on making it in business at a time when long-held norms have been upended. 

How do you define innovation? 
When a society/organisation constantly questions itself and thinks how can we do things better.

What is the most innovative comms/marketing initiative you've seen in the last 12 months?
Luke O'Reilly's Stay at Home for GUINNESS beer.

In your opinion, what brands and/or agencies are most innovative around PR and marketing? 
Tesla because they get all earned media without any PR team. Lego's marketing is always relevant.

Describe a moment in your career that you would consider 'innovative.' 
Be it Covid-19 or the recent security attack on Isentia - these disruptive moments create a perfect storm for innovation.

Who do you admire for his/her approach to innovation?  
Elon Musk

How do you get out of a creativity rut? 
Procastinate with playing Peter Thiel, Elon Musk or Lex Fridman talks.

What advice would you give to the PR industry around embracing innovation? 
Let's compete with marketing teams in our measurement game.

What would you be doing if you weren't doing your current job? 
Marketing and comms prof

Which book/movie/TV show/podcast/playlist/other cultural source has helped you get through this year or provided inspiration? 
Cathy Wood (Ark Invest) podcasts

What's your favourite time of day and why? 
Breaks between office calls where my wife and I spend time with our pets (4 mischievous rabbits).