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300% growth in 36 months: How agency’s data-driven approach transformed its business
By offering concrete performance results and showcasing client success through video testimonials, Ice Cube Marketing has expanded its customer base across Singapore and the region
The Ice Cube Marketing team at their Singapore headquarters. The digital marketing agency has tripled its revenue in three years by applying the same data-driven strategies it uses on its clients.
PHOTO: ICE CUBE MARKETING
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For digital marketing agency Ice Cube Marketing, the path to success started with an ironic realisation: It was not following its own advice. This insight spurred the agency to apply the same strategies it had applied with its clients and it worked, leading to a tripling of its revenue in three years.
“We realised that if we wanted to grow, we had to treat ourselves like a client,” says chief executive officer Ted Chong. Instead of simply promoting its services and expertise, the agency focused on demonstrating measurable results and showing how it helped clients increase sales and expand market reach.
Ice Cube Marketing also relied on video testimonials from satisfied clients. “It’s one thing to say you’re good at what you do, but it’s another to let your clients say it for you,” adds Mr Chong.
The strategy proved effective. By documenting its clients’ success through testimonials published on its website and social media channels, the agency steadily expanded its client base. These testimonials helped potential clients better understand the results they could expect, while demonstrating the agency’s expertise across different industries.
Growing through data-driven strategies
Founded in 2015 by Mr Chong and his business partner Ricky Tay, Ice Cube Marketing began as a modest venture with a team of two. The agency takes its name from a metaphor that reflects its approach to client relationships. “Just as an ice cube naturally melts, we help our clients transform cold prospects into warm leads,” says Mr Chong. Today, Ice Cube Marketing boasts a team of 36, with operations in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
In an industry where 41 per cent of digital ad spend – or around US$6.15 billion (S$8.4 billion) – is spent on ineffective campaigns, according to marketing agency Next&Co’s Digital Media Wastage report in 2023
Ice Cube Marketing founders Ted Chong (left) and Ricky Tay have grown their business into a key player in Singapore’s digital marketing space.
PHOTO: ICE CUBE MARKETING
The firm has carved a niche in Singapore’s service industry, focusing on companies where measurable outcomes are crucial. These include home contractors, education centres, law firms and beauty salons. For these businesses, where success depends on building a steady stream of clients, precise tracking of marketing results is essential. To this end, Ice Cube Marketing’s data-driven strategies have generated consistent results for its clients.
From managing $1 million in annual ad spend on Google and Meta platforms in 2015, the agency now handles $7 million yearly. Since 2020, its campaigns have generated over 378,000 leads for clients. This remarkable achievement has earned it a place on the Singapore’s Fastest Growing Companies 2025 list
Mastering core marketing principles
While it may be tempting to jump on the latest marketing trends, Ice Cube Marketing anchors itself in fundamentals: human psychology and classic marketing principles. “Too many businesses think about what they want to sell without considering why people buy,” says Mr Chong, referring to service businesses that rush to market without proper audience research.
This emphasis on marketing foundations shapes the agency’s training programme. New hires study marketing classics by thought leaders such as David Ogilvy and Claude Hopkins alongside digital marketing strategies.
“These pioneers deeply understood human psychology, which remains the cornerstone of effective marketing,” Mr Chong says.
The agency’s attention to behavioural science has yielded remarkable results in unexpected ways. For example, it found that simply changing a form button from “submit” to “secure your slot” improved conversion rates. This subtle shift taps fundamental human desires – the need to claim limited resources and the fear of missing out.
This attention to detail reflects Ice Cube Marketing’s emphasis on preparation. Mr Tay, who is the company’s chief digital marketing consultant, says: “Understanding your audience thoroughly before launching any campaign is important. It’s like sharpening your axe before cutting a tree – the better your preparation, the more effective your execution.”
The firm’s track record has earned it Google Premier Partner status and inclusion in the Productivity Solutions Grant programme as a pre-approved vendor
Looking ahead, Mr Tay sees a clear direction for the agency. “The fundamentals of business don’t change – SMEs will always need effective ways to reach new customers,” he says. “Our role is to keep making this possible for them, regardless of how marketing channels evolve.”
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