Aadrin Azly
101 Great Minds on Music Brands and Behavior
Vice President of Group Technology and Commercialization, PETRONAS
Aadrin Azly’s career trajectory is a monument to his unrelenting quest for innovation and passion for progress. He has been among those at the forefront of the energy transition and has had a diverse career spanning several businesses across PETRONAS, covering two decades. Aadrin has skillfully merged technology and strategy, thanks to his excellent business acumen despite not having a technical or engineering background.
Aadrin orchestrates Tech, Digital, and Engineering strategies under his leadership. He has advanced operations into the digital age by utilizing technologies and data-driven insights to streamline operations and improve experiences, obsessively practicing customer centricity.
Aadrin Azly continues to create impact for PETRONAS and the broader innovation scene, catalyzing the company's current renaissance.
“So you're almost in a ‘Catch 22’ situation. Either it’s so cool that nobody knows it, or everybody knows it, but becoming mainstream makes it lose its cool factor.”
— AADRIN AZLY, VICE PRESIDENT OF GROUP TECHNOLOGY AND COMMERCIALIZATION, PETRONAS
Reese: What was the first brand that made a serious impact on you?
Azly: I grew up in the Midwest in the United States in the eighties. That was the ‘Pepsi generation,' the MTV era, and Saturday morning cartoons. At seven years old, coming from Malaysia, having access to cable TV and a 24-hour music channel was fascinating. The cereal adverts and cartoons, such as Transformers and ThunderCats, shaped my perception of brands - theme songs and jingles got stuck in my head. If I had to choose one brand, it would be Pepsi because it made me aware of what branding is. Positioning the brand as the drink of choice for young people was a game-changer. At the time, to have a multifaceted marketing campaign featuring popstar spokespeople in what would eventually become an industry standard.
Reese: Sonic identity is critical, but Hollywood has always been aware of that. Think of James Bond, Star Wars, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, and the dopamine release you get when you hear the music...
Azly: …The new Indiana Jones movie came out, and even though people say it's not the same, they loved the score. Whether it’s just strong music composition or a sense of nostalgia, it really resonates with people in their hearts.
Reese: Because Indiana Jones is a sonic identity, whereas Intel, McDonald’s, and T Mobile are all rented. Intel has the most famous sonic logo of all time, but it's a three-second static piece of audio. Why is this easy for Hollywood, but not for brands?
Azly: Well, Hollywood has the benefit of being able to produce short-term auditory entertainment coupled with storyline visuals to match. Moreover, the media is a cyclical, option-based industry. You spend a few hours watching a show or movie on a screen, then go about your day until a new one comes out.
Brands must think more strategically and long-term to encourage customers to make deliberate choices when using our products and solutions, especially for purchases like petrol and gas.
We developed our sonic identity for PETRONAS in 2019 and use it in almost all our advertisements and montages, both internal and external. One of our digital start-ups is called SETEL, Malaysia's first fuel e-payment application to use at the petrol pump, and they're starting to use it. What often surprises me is that so many people say, ‘I'm using your app because I want to hear that sound, or my kids love it. ’ Rather than just an identity, it becomes a reason for them to transact because they want to get that kick at the end. It lifts their mood. It’s powerful.
Reese: So, what is the role of Sonic in the energy sector?
Azly: In my role, we look at technology across the spectrum of digital ID and research, and what’s becoming prevalent now is how we think about buying decisions, investment decisions, and the relationship with consumers.
For the energy business, for the longest time, it’s been supply-led; you have something people can't live without. The name of the game is about finding it, transporting it in the safest way possible, and then creating customer touchpoints. Looking to the future, two things are coming together: the ubiquity of data and, as a result, the growing importance of the consumer's voice.
It’s no longer just about fossil fuels, but about the energy transition. Therefore, when discussing energy, multiple steps are involved. It's not enough to say, ‘I'm going to transport fuel I found in the middle of nowhere to a designated place called a gas station,’ because gas stations serve no purpose. It's literally a pump in the middle of nowhere. Now, with digital platforms, people expect energy to be delivered to their homes; they expect to generate and use the most optimal energy. Given the expectations of the digital AI consumer and the increasing strength of customers, this is likely to influence a significant paradigm shift in the energy industry.
Reese: In terms of trust building, how important will Sonic be?
Azly: What’s interesting is that Silicon Valley and its global equivalents are close to perfecting the notion that people can comfortably talk to machines instinctively with the expectation that these systems understand and can provide solutions for us.
If you consider the evolution of communication’s history, it’s always been man talking to man. Letters were the first step, and then technology evolved into a more advanced means of long-distance communication, which brings us to today, with the current advancements in smart systems. You don't really have multimedia sensory anymore; it's just purely sonic, but it feels natural.
However, we must admit that today’s tech isn’t quite there yet in terms of actual intelligence that comprehends the nuances of human speech, can respond, and create personalised experiences without feeling a sense of ‘uncanny valley’.
What we are seeing this year with the generative AI boom is that we’re getting closer to speaking to what seems like another human. The only thing is that it's still about typing out prompts and not based on Sonic yet – but that leap is not far away; it’s probably months rather than years, then Sonic will be ubiquitous in our daily lives. People will talk to personal wearables, household appliances, or smart devices that can recognise our unique voice types and tones, and they will be as trusted as a loved one. So again, more and more investment decisions and life decisions will be taken over by machines, and that will literally be done through Sonic.
Reese: So, how do we get into those headphones of Gen Z that have their heads down, are highly educated, and are living on their screens? They want authenticity, one voice, and a consistent brand DNA like James Bond.
Azly: You can never win because if you choose an obscure song, there's no resonance, but if people immediately associate with the song, then it's probably done to death, and people just turn off. For example, the usual cliché stock music; when I see budgets, and they put Final Countdown [by Europe], it infuriates me. There's nothing fresh there. So you're almost in a ‘Catch 22’ situation. Either it’s so cool that nobody knows it, or everybody knows it, but becoming mainstream makes it lose its cool factor.
If I have to say one thing about the Gen Z’ers, it’s their immense capacity to care about causes close to their hearts while still being pragmatic. Technology, digital, innovation… none of these concepts faze them. They are the first generation of true digital natives after all. I’ll admit they can get a bad rep for being radical in their self-expression, communication, and experimentation, but when harnessed appropriately, those characteristics can be valuable. Coupled with their willingness to put in the work and their speed, they are the ideal innovators and technologists. I really do think that they want to be heard as much as we want them to listen. Appeal to what matters most to them, co-create solutions with them, and give them a purpose… I believe these can make Gen Z strong allies.
Reese: But you are in the trust-building business. Trust is the number one reason that a consumer will come to you…
Azly: It’s definitely not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ situation. Trust takes mountain-sized effort yet is a fragile, delicate thing. Complex issues that affect trust aren’t black and white, and require interwoven elements – engagement, time, and, most importantly, purposeful communication, the right authentic messaging, and engaging our consumers in the right way. As an energy company, that's something very critical for us, more so than ever going forward, because we’ve got big energy challenges to solve together. Our purpose serves as our compass, guiding all our decisions. We must have an ecosystem that includes our customers, users, and industry peers, all of whom will be active participants in this journey with us. As PETRONAS, that really is the challenge of this generation.
“ If I have to say one thing about the Gen Z’ers, it’s their immense capacity to care about causes close to their hearts while still being pragmatic. Technology, digital, innovation… none of these concepts faze them. They are the first generation of true digital natives after all...”
Reese: Yes, because today, you also need to lead differently to attract the smartest cookies who want to work with you. It’s the law of attraction. Do you agree?
Azly: Yes, and this energy challenge is massive. I'm not saying we're the only ones who can solve it, but I think that if you’re looking at the kind of capacity and reach required, we're in a better position than anyone else or any industry to solve this. We are stepping up our sustainability commitments as we adapt to newly emerging realities of the global energy landscape and pivot towards our future energy vision. But the core question remains: should today’s oil and gas companies be viewed only as part of the problem, or could they also be crucial in solving it? Certainly, we are under pressure to address the impact of climate change, but more importantly, we want to be part of the solution and can’t do it alone. Talk is cheap. We need the best brains out there to join us on our journey to make deliberate progress and accelerate our efforts towards achieving net carbon zero pathways while simultaneously earning the trust of consumers.
Note: The interview took place in Purchase on the 20th of July 2023.
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