Bryan Chin puts best foot forward in sneaker preview

Sneakers are no longer just a fashion statement. They have become commodities that are traded, with sellers often earning thousands of dollars in profit.

According to investment bank Cowen & Co, the sneaker resale market could be worth up to US$6 billion by 2025.

Bryan Chin tells the story of his founding of Malaysia's marquee annual sneaker convention SneakerLah in a way as casual as the shoes he proffers.

He is so lepak (relaxed) on camera you would think you are speaking to a friend instead of an interviewee putting on a performance. This is why we have nominated him for the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2020.

Watch and read below for my assessment.

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We launched the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards in 2018 to recognise local business leaders for their communications skills, and to showcase authentic and credible home-grown communicators.

Supported by the Asia Pacific Association of Communications Directors, we highlight shining examples for other local business leaders to follow, and to build a culture of excellence in communication, to maximise the potential of Asian companies in the Asian Century.

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• Natural delivery

What we like most about Chin’s performance in the interview is how relaxed yet on-brand he looks – he appears on camera sitting cross-legged and barefoot! Although he is in the business of footwear, and this seating position might be in line with his brand, some business leaders could follow in his footsteps and loosen up a bit in front of camera. Okay, maybe not barefoot, but at least not so straight-laced. It might just help them tell good stories like Chin.

Besides that, Chin told stories that are plausible yet on-message. His first is about how he got interested in sneakers when he was young and how his mother threatened him with a slap when he requested for a pair of New Balance shoes that cost nearly 700 Malaysian Ringgit. He also talks about his struggle in convincing his relatives who were doubtful that a sneaker business can actually make money in Malaysia. Chin challenges us to walk a mile in his shoes.

The best kind of interview performance is when people think the interviewee is not putting on a performance. Nobody likes a corporate hack any more than a robotic shoe salesman. The ideal interviewee delivers their message naturally by telling good stories, like Chin did.

• Figures

Bryan also did not neglect data points. He cited attendance for the first event of SneakerLah at 17,000, which went up to 22,000 the year after. And 33,000 people attended the event last year.

If you know Bryan Chin, share this article with him and congratulate him on being nominated for the Hong Bao Media Savvy Awards 2020.

PS: Expecting the next footwear pun is like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Here and here are some more. ML