Deep Dive

In 2025, Spire Digital was established and quickly built traction through its financial content platform Finance Lang. Despite its short operating history, the company demonstrated strong distribution capability, enabling it to partner with established media players.

In 2026, this capability materialised in Monie Fest, where content creators and financial institutions converged. The event highlighted how audience reach can translate into institutional collaboration, particularly when content platforms command large and engaged communities.

At the same time, Foodie Media Berhad signalled its broader ambitions. Its expansion into financial content reflects a deliberate shift under its 3C strategy, Content, Community, and Commerce.

The model begins with content creation across multiple verticals, extends into community building through large scale audience engagement, and culminates in commerce through monetisation channels such as events, e commerce, and partnerships.

Monie Fest serves as a proof of concept. It demonstrates how a media platform can move beyond advertising into transaction driven ecosystems.

Within this broader context, one of the most notable sessions featured Eddie Ng, founder of VANZO, in conversation with 9 Shares.

Eddie Ng’s journey reflects a grounded entrepreneurial path. Starting as a perfume salesperson, he built VANZO into a listed company by focusing on a specific product gap rather than abstract ambition.

The initial insight centred on product safety. Many air fragrance products contain chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde. VANZO positioned itself around healthier formulations, avoiding these substances and establishing differentiation within a crowded market.

From this foundation, the company adopted a phased positioning strategy. It began with automotive fragrances, a focused and accessible segment, before expanding into broader home fragrance categories. This transition allowed the brand to scale while maintaining clarity of purpose.

Brand building has been another critical pillar. VANZO adopted a structured intellectual property strategy, combining celebrity endorsements, thematic collaborations, and licensed partnerships. Campaigns have involved figures such as Louis Koo and Min Chen, alongside collaborations with global franchises.

This approach creates recurring brand visibility and reinforces consumer recall through multiple entry points.

From 2025 onwards, VANZO accelerated regional expansion. Entry into Taiwan was executed through partnerships with local distributors and retail channels such as Watsons, targeting distribution across approximately 500 outlets. Expansion into Singapore, Brunei, and Australia followed as part of a broader regional strategy.

At the operational level, the company balances efficiency and innovation. Mature segments such as automotive fragrance prioritise execution and scale, while new product lines introduce experimentation. Not all initiatives succeed, as seen in the underperformance of candle products due to climate suitability and usage patterns.

This willingness to iterate reflects a disciplined approach to growth, where failures are acknowledged and incorporated into future strategy.