SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 11 January 2021 - In a year where the shockof pandemic has caused small enterprises and prominent businesses alike to putup the shutters, Influential Brands®conferred recognition on brands that stood strong in their commitment toexcellence.

Backedby an extensive survey conducted in July 2020 with the participation of 1,500consumers, 15 companies are named the "2020 Asia's Top Influential Brands". The study showed that during a crisislike the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers gravitated towards brands that areavailable across multiple digital channels and are perceived as value formoney. In categories with intense competition, brands with cross-generationalappeal, for instance NTUC FairPrice,ultimately topped their categories.

The15 companies among others cited by consumers as their preferred choices are AIA(Asia), Adidas (Singapore), Angliss Singapore (Singapore), AOX (Singapore),Beijing Tong Ren Tang (Asia), Chow Tai Fook (Asia), Decathlon Singapore(Singapore), EB Frozen Food (Malaysia), Everbest Soya Bean (Malaysia),Häagen-Dazs (Singapore), IG Group (Singapore), NTUC FairPrice (Singapore), NTUCLearningHub(Singapore), POKKA (Singapore), PropertyGuru Group (Asia).

Ata time where the labour market is faced with great uncertainty and employeemorale is at an all-time low,  Lazada(Asia), KFC (Singapore), Pizza Hut (Singapore) and PKF (Singapore) are crowned"2020 Asia's Top Employers" based on an anonymous survey of more than 10,000employees. The awardees surpassed industry standards in having meaningfulemployee engagement, strong alignment between employee and company culture andrelevant HR practices in this digital age. The company culture and employeeengagement audit was conducted in collaboration with aAdvantage Consultingfirm, Influential Brand's research partner.

BUSINESS LEADERS WINNINGSTRATEGIES AND ADAPTATION TO THE NEW NORM

"For FairPrice,we embrace technologies that are transformative, progressive andforward-looking, which are essential for us to remain relevant to those weserve. FairPrice will continue to invest on both online as well asphysical stores as we improve the customer journey and also make it as seamlessas possible for the customers regardless of the platform they choose." said MrSeah Kian Peng, Group CEO, FairPrice Group.

"Thephysical presence is still very essential for customers. As human beings, wewant to connect with others, and our experience store is meant for that. Ourstore advisors have no objectives to sell more or promote the expensive items,but our approach is really about authenticity and sincerity, to be friends andfamily members to our customers." said Mr Nils Swolkien, Managing Director ofDecathlon Singapore.

Oncatering to different market needs, Ms Rieko Shofu, Group Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Pokka Singapore said, "Recognising the trend that consumers arenow more health conscious, we have expedited our innovation to develophealthier drinks. As a brand that exports to more than 60 countries worldwide,it is critical for us to understand and adapt to the differences in consumerpreferences, lifestyle and market conditions".

Ms Angel Ding, Managing Director ofAngliss Singapore said, "The pandemic has caused a sharp decline of 30% ofour business.  Angliss Singapore pivotedtowards expanding a new business model (B2C). Angliss Singapore transformedfrom a leading distributor of premium gourmet brands to also include servingthe end consumers directly, by supplying them with quality and freshingredients to prepare meals. "Our company's vision of serving those whoserve great food continues to be a driver for Angliss Singapore, to be agamer-changer and a trusted brand in the industry."

MrMagnus Ekbom, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Lazada said, "In thesetimes, we need to rely on our experience and capabilities that we have builtovertime. In addition, we recognise that our people havephenomenal capabilities and will do things that you wouldn't believe waspossible if you just empower them, let them take ownership, responsibility, andsee things through."

On the note ofthe future's plans and outlook, Mr. Hari V. Krishnan, Chief Executive Officerand Managing Director of PropertyGuru said, "We have been really tested thisyear, but our team has been found to have a tremendous amount of resilience andunity.  Besides our team, our customersand investors are stakeholders that we focus on and we are glad that all threehave really shown a lot of trust in us. If they are going to show that kind offaith in us in a year like this, I have confidence for the future."

About INFLUENTIAL BRANDS®

Influential Brands® is a think-tank,research and business recognition platform to celebrate "Champion ofExcellence".

Deeply embedded in our beliefs, is the need to fostera culture that honours the exemplary practices of leading brands in Asia, aswell as their commitment to distinction. We delight in rejoicing with organisations over their successful brandefforts that have added value and left significant impression in theirrespective industries. Through this, we hope to contribute to the knowledge poolof best practices so that companies can produce quality and meaningful brandsthat influence and impact our environment, living standard, lifestyles andfuture.

The Influential Brands family of brands comprises global and regionalbrands from more than 15 countries worldwide.

Website: www.influentialbrands.com  Facebook page: Influential Brands Facebook.