Earning attention has become the defining challenge for B2B brands navigating Japan's complex communication landscape. In this episode of Asia AIM, host Robert Heldt sits down with Ross Rowbury, Senior Managing Director at Nomura Holdings and former CEO of Edelman Japan, to explore what it truly takes to build brand trust and capture meaningful attention in an era of content overload and AI-generated everything. Ross shares three decades of insights on authenticity in marketing, the shift from earned media to earning attention, and why corporate storytelling must focus on the story itself—not just the telling. They discuss stakeholder engagement, the role of emotions in decision-making, and practical strategies for B2B brands to humanize complex offerings and stand out in Japan's conservative yet evolving market.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

Why earning attention requires focusing on the story itself rather than just distribution platforms, and how B2B brands can create authentic narratives that resonate with diverse audiences in Japan's increasingly complex communication landscape.

How emotions drive decision-making more than rational factors, and why understanding audience behavior and user experience is critical for building lasting brand trust across industries—especially in B2B sectors with technical or complex offerings.

The impact of generative AI search on discoverability and reputation, including practical steps for conducting audits, optimizing for AI citations, and reallocating resources from traditional SEO to earned media strategies.

Discover how to navigate the APAC Marketing challenges with Asia Aim! Subscribe now to unlock expert insights on tailoring strategies for diverse markets like Japan, Australia, and Singapore.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction to earning attention and shrinking brand trust, and Ross’s journey from finance to PR

05:28 The role of emotions in decision-making

09:00 Japan's evolving communication landscape: complexity, diversity, and platform disruption over three decades

13:55 The attention deficit crisis and why content consistency matters more than ever for building trust

18:11 Earning attention vs buying it: moving beyond earned media to deeper audience engagement

21:58 How B2B brands can humanize complex offerings through user experience and relatable benefits

25:22 Authenticity in marketing: why imperfection builds connection and executive visibility strategies for Japan

33:58 Generative AI search impact: optimizing for citations, resource allocation, and the future of SEO

39:13 Ross leaves the listener with tips on how to earn attention

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Earning attention requires understanding that decision-making is fundamentally emotional, not rational—which means B2B communication must prioritize relatable user experience and humanized storytelling over technical complexity.

Authenticity beats perfection in modern corporate communications: audiences connect more deeply with stories that acknowledge challenges and imperfections, making consistency in messaging and humanized executive presence essential for building lasting brand trust across all platforms.

Generative AI search is already reshaping discoverability and media relations—brands must audit their citation sources now, shift resources from traditional SEO to earned media strategies, and optimize content to be read by AI rather than just optimizing AI-generated content.

BIOGRAPHIES:

Robert Heldt – CEO & Co-Founder of AIM B2B, with more than 20 years in Japanese marketing and media. He is known for bridging global brands into APAC through culturally sharp, data-backed growth...

B2B storytelling in Asia requires more than data; it demands emotion and cultural intelligence. In this episode, host Robert Heldt speaks with Dave McCaughan, founder of Bibliosexual, about why B2B marketing in the region succeeds when brands understand cultural differences in business communication. With 40 years across the Asia-Pacific region, Dave shares how emotion drives business decisions, even in rational sectors. He explains Japanese business culture's emphasis on preparation over brainstorming and why using storytelling in B2B marketing in Asia means adapting narratives to local relevance—from Mumbai to Tokyo. Dave also discusses his pioneering use of AI in marketing for brand insights and why original voice matters more than ever in an AI-saturated world.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

Why B2B Storytelling Asia must balance emotional marketing with data, and how feelings, not just facts, drive business decision-making

How Japanese business culture differs dramatically from Western approaches—from nemawashi (pre-meetings) to detailed presentations versus brainstorming

The role of AI in marketing for discovering brand positioning insights and why developing original voice is critical in an AI-saturated landscape

How to adapt brand storytelling across diverse Asia Pacific markets by understanding cultural differences in business communication and local relevance

Discover how to navigate the APAC Marketing challenges with Asia Aim! Subscribe now to unlock expert insights on tailoring strategies for diverse markets like Japan, Australia, and Singapore.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Japanese perspective on brainstorming, B2B storytelling in Asia and why business communication strategy and emotion matter in B2B marketing

02:30 The story behind Bibliosexual and understanding what matters to people in brand storytelling

05:50 Adapting stories across Asia Pacific markets using local sports and cultural references

11:56 Myths about B2B storytelling: emotion vs. logic in business decision making

13:49 IBM case study: how personal connections drove enterprise sales and client relationships

19:10 Examples of storytelling that have made a difference

27:00 Cultural differences in business: India's directness vs. Japanese business culture's nemawashi approach

38:07 Using AI in marketing platforms for market research, how AI doesn't replace creativity: the importance of original voice in B2B marketing and business communication strategy

48:30 Quick fire questions: Apple 1984 campaign, Hans Rosling's Factfulness book on presenting data

52:00 Final thoughts on empathy and cultural nuance in B2B storytelling in Asia

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

B2B storytelling in Asia succeeds when marketers recognize that business decisions are emotional, not purely rational—even technical buyers respond to how brands make them feel

Japanese business culture requires preparation over improvisation: nemawashi (pre-meetings) builds consensus slowly, presentations should contain no surprises, and detailed data-packed slides demonstrate thorough thinking versus Western-style visual simplicity

AI in marketing enables desk research at unprecedented scale—analyzing billions of internet mentions across languages to identify brand positioning opportunities—but original voice separates winners from the millions using the same tools

BIOGRAPHIES:

Robert Heldt – CEO & Co-Founder of AIM B2B, with more than 20 years in Japanese marketing and media. He is known for bridging global brands into APAC through culturally sharp, data-backed growth strategies.

Dave McCaughan has 40 years of...

Cross-cultural leadership is one of the most critical challenges facing business leaders in Asia today. Host Robert Heldt welcomes Paul Dupuis to the Asia AIM podcast to discuss his remarkable journey leading organizations across Japan, India, and the APAC region. Paul shares insights on transformational leadership, balancing kaizen with jugaad, and building empathy in leadership during times of crisis. From arriving in Japan as a backpacker to turning around Randstad India during the pandemic, Paul reveals proven strategies for managing diverse teams in Asia and becoming a future-ready leader in today's hybrid work environment.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

How to apply cross-cultural leadership principles when managing teams across Japan, India, and Asia, including the universal traits that work everywhere and the 10% localization that makes the difference

The five pillars of transformational leadership (envision, express, excite, enable, execute) and how to adapt them when leading multicultural organizations in hybrid work environments

How to balance kaizen continuous improvement with jugaad frugal innovation to unlock your team's creative potential and drive results in diverse Asian markets

Why compassionate leadership and empathy in leadership are critical muscles for future-ready leaders, especially during times of crisis and organizational change

Discover how to navigate the APAC Marketing challenges with Asia AIM! Subscribe now to unlock expert insights on tailoring strategies for diverse markets such as Japan, Australia, India, and Singapore.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 How Paul went from $300 and a park bench to a billion-dollar leadership

04:45 Mastering cross-cultural leadership: 90% universal, 10% local insight

06:59 Inside Paul’s turnaround of Randstad India: Leading through crisis

11:22 The E5 leadership framework: 5 steps to transform any team

18:00 Kaizen meets jugaad: Japan and India’s secret to innovation

26:40 Building leadership muscles: Empathy, curiosity, and compassion in action

31:42 The DNA of a multicultural leader: How to adapt, engage, and connect

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Effective cross-cultural leadership is 90% universal and 10% local. Traits like honesty, transparency, and having your team's back are essential everywhere, while the remaining 10% require understanding cultural nuances, such as kaizen in Japan or jugaad in India.

Compassionate leadership goes beyond empathy in leadership; empathy is feeling what others feel, but compassion requires taking action to help team members overcome challenges.

Future-ready leaders must develop fluid leadership abilities, moving between four quadrants: directive, achievement-oriented, participative, and supportive. The key is knowing which role to play at the right time while maintaining consistency in being flexible

BIOGRAPHIES:

Robert Heldt – CEO & Co-Founder of AIM B2B, with more than 20 years in Japanese marketing and media. He is known for bridging global brands into APAC through culturally sharp, data-backed growth strategies.

Paul Dupuis is the founder and CEO of Take-5 Global K.K., a consultancy firm specializing in business advisory services, leadership development, and mergers and acquisitions in Japan and India, with over 25 years of experience helping businesses grow across Asia. Previously, he served as CEO and chairman of Randstad Japan and head of Randstad India, where he led significant turnarounds and was recognized as one of India's Best Leaders in Times of Crisis in 2021. Paul holds management qualifications from INSEAD and London Business...