Kimberly-Clark, the 154-year-old US consumer goods and personal care company behind brands such as Huggies, Kleenex, Kotex, Scott, Poise, and Depend, serves millions of consumers worldwide. The company started out with a small sales office in Singapore over 30 years ago and now has its regional headquarters here, along with a manufacturing facility in Tuas. As Director of International Personal Care Integrated Marketing & Experiences, Meilin Zhang leads media, content, and digital commerce across key markets including Greater China, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, and South Korea. She helps drive consumer engagement and growth across the region.

1. Tell us more about what Kimberly-Clark does and your role at the company.

Kimberly-Clark makes everyday essentials that people rely on, from baby care and feminine care to tissues and hygiene products. We serve consumers in more than 175 countries globally and make Huggies products for Asia-Pacific from Singapore.

Asia Pacific is one of the most dynamic and diverse regions in the world, where consumer needs, retail environments and market conditions are constantly evolving. Having our headquarters in Singapore allows us to stay well-connected to the markets we serve. This means we can quickly bring together regional perspectives, learn from what is working in different markets, and apply those insights — that ability to share expertise, adapt and move with speed is a real advantage for us.

A big part of what I do is helping our brands show up consistently and effectively across multiple touchpoints by building stronger brand-to-consumer connections across different markets. I work closely with local teams and partners to strengthen how we approach integrated marketing, digital, media, and AI execution.

2. Why did you choose to build your career in the consumer goods industry, and what led you to Kimberly-Clark?

I’ve always been drawn to the consumer goods sector because of how closely it connects to everyday life. Before Kimberly-Clark, I worked at companies like Proctor & Gamble, Electrolux and Diageo — chances are you’ve probably come across their brands, such as Oral-B, Gillette, and Guinness, in your day-to-day life.

What drew me to Kimberly-Clark was a personal connection with the company’s purpose: “Better Care for a Better World”. The company produces trusted everyday products that genuinely matter to families and being able to see the impact of my work is what makes this space so meaningful to me.

What I also love about the industry is that it never stays still. Consumer behaviour changes, platforms change, and the best marketers are the ones who keep learning and adapting. That’s why I’ve taken on digital leadership roles across regions and cultures. I enjoy leading work that blends strategy with execution and I get a lot of satisfaction when I’m able to help teams focus on what will actually drive impact.

3. What does it take to market a brand effectively across different cultures and markets?

While the products may be the same, consumers are not. Our job isn’t to change the core brand promise market by market, but to make sure that promise is relevant in the local cultural context. For brands like Huggies, Kotex, or Kleenex, the underlying consumer needs are often universal. Parents everywhere want the best care for their babies, and consumers everywhere want products they can trust. What differs is how people make decisions, what influences them, and how they consume content.

That’s why it’s important for a marketer to understand local realities, cultural nuances, and what truly resonates with consumers on the ground. From there, it’s about distinguishing what can scale across markets and what needs to remain flexible. In some Asian markets, for instance, recommendations from creators, social communities, and online reviews can play a particularly important role in driving confidence and purchase decisions. In other countries, consumers may respond more strongly to individual product benefits, sustainability credentials, or brand heritage. Successful brand building isn’t about imposing sameness — rather, it’s about co-creating with local teams so we can tailor our campaigns to address the needs of different markets.

Singapore is a very multicultural and globally connected society, and we're exposed to different perspectives, cultures, and ways of thinking. That has helped me develop a mindset of curiosity and adaptability, rather than assuming one approach works everywhere. What I’ve come to realise is that success comes less from being an expert on every market and more from listening well, asking the right questions, and partnering closely with local teams who understand their consumers best.

As a Singaporean, I’m able to navigate those differences and act as a bridge across markets, while staying focused on what consumers fundamentally need from our brands.

4. How is AI affecting marketing and what are you trying to do to future-proof your role as a marketer?

AI is changing how consumers discover brands. People are increasingly turning to AI for advice, recommendations, and answers, making it the new starting point for discovering products. AI compares options, reviews information, and suggests what might best fit a person's needs, almost like a trusted advisor. For marketers, this makes brand building more complex, but also much more exciting. It challenges us to rethink how our brands show up and how we can connect with consumers in more relevant and personalised ways, which includes making sure our content is easy for AI to find, understand and recommend to consumers.

My view is that AI will replace tasks, not human judgment, at least at its current level. The marketers who thrive will be the ones who learn to work with AI — using it to move faster, test more, and focus their energy on strategy, creativity, and decision-making. In a world where consumers are exposed to so many touchpoints and brands, creativity remains a core differentiator. The ability to develop big ideas that are distinctive and memorable, while building long-term brand trust and loyalty is what sets brands apart. That is something AI will not be able to replicate.

Ultimately, it comes down to staying close to consumers, and being genuinely curious about how they live, shop, and make decisions. That's where the real insights come from, which can then be translated into unique ideas and content that truly resonate with people.

5. How should fresh graduates position and prepare themselves for the transition from school to work?

Success is less about having the ‘right answer’ for a project, or the ‘right path’ for your career, and more about understanding your unique strengths. Everyone has their own path, and this is even more so in the future workforce where roles are becoming less defined.

My advice would be to:

1. Build strong problem-solving skills: Learn how to structure problems clearly, communicate your thinking effectively, and share your perspectives with confidence, because impact comes from how you think, not just what you know.
2. Be proactive and take ownership: Don’t wait for fully defined tasks or work plans — take initiative, lean into uncertainty, and actively look for ways to contribute and create value.
3. Develop resilience and curiosity: When you’re just starting your career, it’s less about having all the answers, and more about learning how to learn. This is done by staying adaptable, curious, and continuously evolving as industries and tools change. How fast you grow boils down to asking the right questions, adapting quickly, and continuously raising the bar.