RHB Singapore lands win at Asian Experience Awards 2025 for cultural banking strategy

The bank has bridged Singapore and Malaysia communities with an integrated approach featuring Peranakan-themed branches, community campaigns, and cultural partnerships.

RHB Singapore was given the Singapore Brand Experience of the Year - Banking accolade at the coveted Asian Experience Awards 2025 for successfully launching a three-year transformation strategy to deliver banking experiences rooted in Peranakan heritage.

During the period, it embarked on a holistic transformation combining comprehensive digitalisation, a complete branch network refresh, and enhanced wealth solutions, reimagining how a community bank builds lasting customer relationships through cultural resonance, digital innovation, and service personalisation.

Amongst the initiatives launched by RHB is a refresh of its entire branch network, incorporating cultural and sustainable elements such as Peranakan décor, natural light and ergonomic furniture. These welcoming spaces move beyond the transactional to foster meaningful engagement, resulting in customer satisfaction improvement from 74% to 100% in 2024, with its premier centres achieving 3x higher satisfaction rates.

To strengthen its cross-border proposition for Malaysians in Singapore, the bank also launched the “A Taste of Home” campaign, which features iconic regional dishes to spark nostalgia and cultural connection. The campaign garnered 8.5 million impressions and 1.2 million reach, driving a quadruple increase in mobile remittances volume and a 66% increase in the number of users performing cross-border transfers in just six months.

Lastly, RHB partnered with the blockbuster Mediacorp drama “Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story” to deliver a unique cultural touchpoint and deepen relationships for its Premier Banking clients. An exclusive dinner experience for 60 Premier guests with the main drama cast achieved a 100% satisfaction rate, with 90% of attendees expressing interest in future RHB events.

Through this integrated strategy, RHB’s wealth management income increased by 172%, demonstrating increased customer loyalty and trust. Its Premier customer base also grew 28% with satisfaction scores up by 13%. Moreover, retail deposits expanded 34% across all customer segments, whilst its digital transformation efforts achieved a 99% digital account opening rate, with 55% completed via mobile.

The Asian Experience Awards recognises the ingenious initiatives of creative companies in delivering meaningful brand experiences to their stakeholders.

The Asian Experience Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for providing meaningful brand experiences to stakeholders, please contact Marni Marco at [email protected].