Aided by the boom in digital consumption and less rigid regulations, branded content is growing rapidly in Asia, becoming more popular as a means for brands to express their values and to speak to the consumer.

The rules around what can and can’t be done vary significantly around the region. However, for any major regional TV broadcaster or free-to-air channels, brand integration needs to be editorially relevant to comply with regulations.

Branded content was used as an incentive to encourage communities to get involved with the projects and also to try and speak to governments as well as a wider audience.

We needed to engage existing and new customers in a climate of consumer hostility.

How do you get a petrol company to go from being one of the bad guys to one of the good guys?

We identified brand reputation as a driver of brand preference, while observing, in South-East Asia a rise in interest in social responsibility.

It was time to make some positive noise.

And it was the positive noise and the social responsibility of the projects that drew in our audience and allowed them to get behind ‘Driving Change’.

People noticed.

Governments noticed.

It’s very rare that a petrol brand gets tweeted about by a Prime Minister, or trends on Twitter unless they do something really bad.

We achieved both by stepping in where governments had failed to do so and doing something really good.

So far, we’ve helped over 19,000 children and the elderly in their communities.

In Malaysia, we raised enough money to help over 500 children with food and school supplies for one year.

In Hong Kong, we refurbished the Shatin Learning Centre.

In Thailand, we rebuilt a school library.

In the Philippines, we received over 3,500 pieces of sports equipment and patched up the Field of Dreams stadium.

And in Singapore, we delivered nearly 13,000 food hampers to the elderly.

97% agreed that Driving Change was a positive project.

84% are more positive to Caltex, with a massive 6 % lift in sales – incredible for a petrol brand.

Caltex continues to support these communities. Real change will only happen when the children we help save from poverty, go on to study at university.