APU’s School of Marketing and Management (SoMM) hosted an industry session titled ‘Beyond Green: How ESG Shapes the Future of Customer Experience’, delivered by Ms Farah Wahida Jamaludin from Cyberview Sdn. Bhd., which highlighted how ESG has become central to modern customer experience, strengthening trust, loyalty and values-driven engagement in business practice.

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The Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation’s (APU) School of Marketing and Management (SoMM) recently hosted an engaging industry session titled ‘Beyond Green: How ESG Shapes the Future of Customer Experience’, which offered students a timely and thought-provoking exploration of how sustainability has been reshaping modern business practices.

The session was delivered by Ms Farah Wahida Jamaludin, Cyberview Sdn. Bhd. Assistant Manager, Sustainability & CSR, and organised under the leadership of Ms Harjinder Kaur, Senior Lecturer and Industry Advisory Panel (IAP) Coordinator.

Bringing together enthusiastic students, the session created a dynamic and interactive learning environment where sustainability was no longer viewed as a peripheral concern but instead recognised as a powerful driver of customer expectations, brand trust, and long-term business success.

The main objective of the session was to bridge the gap between sustainability theory and real-world business practice by demonstrating how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles were embedded within customer experience strategies. 

Students were encouraged to move beyond understanding ESG as a concept and instead see it as a practical framework for shaping meaningful and impactful customer journeys.

During the session, students were introduced to the three core pillars of ESG. Environmental focused on managing environmental impact through energy efficiency, waste reduction and sustainable design. 

Social emphasised inclusivity, ethical practices and community engagement, while Governance highlighted transparency, accountability and responsible decision-making. 

A key highlight of the session was the discussion on changing customer expectations. Modern consumers, particularly Gen Z, were increasingly driven by values and purpose rather than price and convenience alone.

Students explored the Triple Bottom Line of People, Planet and Profit and gained a deeper understanding that consumers had become more conscious of how brands operated, that ethical behaviour and transparency strongly influenced purchasing decisions, and that businesses needed to align with customer values to remain relevant.

The session further illustrated how ESG directly shaped customer experience across every touchpoint, from awareness to advocacy. 

Students learned that modern customer experience had evolved from being focused on price and convenience in the past, to emotion and trust in the present, and now to values and purpose in the future. 

It became clear that customer experience extended far beyond service quality and increasingly included authenticity, responsibility and ethical alignment.

The learning experience was highly interactive, with students actively participating in Slido quizzes that made the session both engaging and enjoyable while reinforcing key ESG concepts. 

The atmosphere remained lively and attentive throughout, with students demonstrating strong interest and curiosity. 

The session concluded with an insightful Q&A segment, where students engaged directly with the speaker and deepened their understanding of real-world ESG applications.

Practical examples from across the ASEAN region further enriched the session. Environmental initiatives were illustrated through organisations such as IKEA Malaysia and Grab, which have advanced green mobility and circular economy practices. 
 

Social impact was demonstrated through initiatives such as RHB’s #JomSapot campaign and Gojek’s support for local vendors, both of which highlighted inclusivity and community empowerment. 

Governance practices were showcased through Singapore Airlines, particularly in its transparent crisis communication, which strengthened customer trust. These examples reinforced that ESG was not theoretical but was actively experienced in everyday brand interactions.

By the end of the session, students had gained several key insights. They understood that ESG played a critical role in building customer trust, loyalty and advocacy, and that it acted as an invisible layer shaping customer experience. 

They also recognised that weak ESG practices could result in reputational damage and consumer backlash, and that future professionals needed to focus on designing experiences built on trust, responsibility and meaningful engagement.

The session left students with a deeper appreciation of how ESG influenced both business strategy and customer behaviour, as well as a stronger awareness of the importance of ethical and responsible decision-making in their future careers.

Professor Ir Eur Ing Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam, Chief Innovation, Enterprise & Sustainability Officer, highlighted APU’s appreciation of Cyberview’s strong commitment to sustainability and emphasised that the university would continue to strengthen sustainability awareness among students in Malaysia through industry-academia collaboration.

Supporting this message, Ms Harjinder highlighted APU’s commitment to producing industry-ready graduates, stating that ESG was no longer a choice but a critical mindset that would shape how future professionals created meaningful customer experiences and sustainable business impact.

Ultimately, students were left with a powerful question that would guide their future thinking: What experience will customers remember your brand for?

In today’s purpose-driven world, the answer lies in how effectively organisations integrate ESG into every interaction, transforming responsibility into lasting impact.

As part of strengthening industry-academia collaboration, Professor Ir Eur Ing Dr Vinesh hosted Cyberview representatives on a tour of APU’s Agricultural Revitalisation in Higher Education Institutions (AGRHI) Technology Hub.

He shared insights into sustainable agriculture innovation and emerging farming technologies, highlighting how the hub integrates AI, IoT, robotics, cloud systems and drones to transform modern farming, reinforcing APU’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and real-world impact.

APU also extended its sincere appreciation to the Cyberview team for their active participation and valuable contributions to the session. 

Special thanks were given to Ms Farah Wahida for delivering an insightful talk, as well as to Ms Nur Ain Syuhaida Salleh and Ms Sofea Balqis Saiful Bahri for their continued support in making the engagement meaningful and enriching for students. 

Their involvement reflected the importance of strong industry collaboration in nurturing future-ready graduates and advancing sustainability awareness within academia.

Wai Thin Khine, a Master Digital Marketing student, said that real-world examples made the session highly engaging and inspiring, adding that it provided valuable insights that could be applied in future branding strategies. 

Teng Chun Hong from the Bachelor’s in Digital Marketing programme shared that the session broadened his understanding of evolving customer experience and motivated him to focus on values and purpose in his future career. 

Mohamed Shamooh from the Bachelor of Management (E-Business) programme added that the session changed his perspective on business and helped him understand that ESG must be actively applied to build trust and meaningful customer relationships.