Having been in the media industry for almost nine years, Benjamin Wong now serves as the Deputy Editor for Prestige Malaysia following his role as Senior Editor for Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur. As Deputy Editor, Benjamin takes on tasks spanning running the title’s operations and engaging new voices within the industry. Working through an inclusive and forward-thinking approach, Benjamin curates and publishes stories to have them not only resonate with Prestige’s tight-knit audience, but also to broaden their own life experiences and perspectives beyond their circle.
Can you tell us a bit about your background in writing and your journey in editorial?
This takes us back close to ten years! I graduated university with a background in advertising and did a year at an advertising agency [at home in Malaysia]. I realised that I didn’t really have an affinity for advertising – I enjoyed the work but for me it was more the written components in advertising that I enjoyed. I was offered a position with a local digital media house at the time as a content writer and at that point I already had three years of freelance experience in media work and copywriting, so this was the first full time gig that I got in media.
The learning curve was quite steep because digital media moves fast, but it set me up with a really good bedrock of experience to reach what was expected of me. I worked in digital media for about two years, then did an in-house role during the pandemic. I thought I’d give marketing another go but realised it wasn’t for me – I still gravitated towards media. So I went back to another media house for about a year and a half, and then somebody offered me a position at Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur after meeting at a media event.
Having worked close to 8-9 years now, it’s fantastic that I was able to start my life at BurdaLuxury with Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur and I’m actually really glad I did.
How would you describe your role as deputy editor?
I would say that it’s not just about adapting to the role for me, it’s also adapting to a completely new title. I would say that Prestige Malaysia, in terms of how we operate, is quite different to what Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur does fundamentally, obviously given the different demographics that we approach. I would say that my role itself has grown exponentially compared to what I was doing before as a senior editor. As deputy editor, I receive a lot of managerial tasks like running the title and also making sure day-to-day operations are running smoothly and efficiently. I think the most important thing for me as a deputy editor is being able to justify the magazine and the title itself because we are not just beholden to the management, we’re also beholden to the audience and future people who have come to recognise the brand. Being able to meet those expectations beyond internal stakeholders is very important to me.
How do you decide if a story is worth telling?
It really comes down to what you have to say which is why when picking stories for me, I try not to restrict myself. I know that people have this idea that a high society title only approaches stories from the pedigree perspective – like this person has to come from a certain background – but I feel that for us right now what’s important is the messaging. We always have this idea of Prestige’s exclusive community but when we talk about stories, you have to cast a wider net. A good story comes down to how much you’re able to connect and empathise with people.
Describe the transition from Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur to Prestige Malaysia
I would say that the transition between Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur and Prestige Malaysia was quite smooth for me – I’ve always had a background working in high luxury so it has not been a huge departure from what I used to do on a freelance basis and taking on Prestige was not the most difficult aspect of transitioning. What took some time to adjust was being able to know what to prioritise and how stories are produced like how they approach the production and the timelines. Handling expectations was the one aspect that was a bit challenging at first, but with the support that I have regionally, I was able to come to an agreement on what expectations look like for Prestige Malaysia.
Would you say there’s a difference between curating stories for Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur and Prestige Malaysia?
Absolutely. I think when it comes to writing for the Prestige Malaysia audience, it’s important to keep in mind that you are not writing for aspirational audiences, you’re writing for audiences who already have it all. So, you don’t want to pander to these people, you are trying to broaden their experiences. This is a perspective I feel is different from Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur.
What is your favourite part about your job?
My favourite part of my job is meeting people – I think that is the one thing that I have thoroughly enjoyed in media not just in BurdaLuxury but in my other roles in media as well. It’s the one thing that has kept me going, my work involves people to such an intimate degree that I always get to learn new things, hear new stories and connect with [people] on a deeper scale. It has brought me a lot of joy because you really get to see the richness of life.
How would you describe the work culture at BurdaLuxury?
The way that I approach running a team is I always encourage an environment of openness. As I have a lean and small team, I believe that everyone has to be able to contribute their fair share and carry their own weight while being open to take on many tasks. At the same time, I also believe people have the right to say no and I think one of the most important things that people in positions of leadership should learn to accept that is when you are in position to assign people things and want them to do cross functional work, you also need to respect the economy of the individual and encourage their right to say no to things because I think that creates a sense of safety in the environment.
How would you describe Prestige Malaysia’s editorial culture, and how is that culture communicated through the content you create?
There’s a sense of openness. I always tell my writers that you should consider the magazine as your own as well, so you should pitch new ideas and let us know what you think is best for the title. It’s not just my name, but their name on the masthead too, so you need to be able to have ownership and take pride in the work that you do and it’s important to communicate very openly on the get go. I feel like I have faith in my writers to be able to know what is and isn’t a Prestige story, so when I give them that leeway, it’s automatic and they know exactly what to pitch.
Who were some of your biggest influences growing up?
My biggest personal influence to this very day is Diana Spencer the Princess of Wales – I think the reason why I always gravitated to her as a role model is because she has that capacity for empathy and openness. I know a lot of people who work in the media that say they feel very hostile. To have Diana as a reference for me, I want to create that sense of openness that she was able to do in the institution. On a personal scale, I think the grace and elegance that she has in carrying herself through life, I want to be able to embody as well.
Three words to describe BurdaLuxury?
Open. Stable. Forward-leaning.
Why BurdaLuxury?
The reason why I picked BurdaLuxury out of all the media houses at the time is because of the varied mix of titles – I never felt like I was going to be pigeonholed into one role or one specific title or voice. The fact that BurdaLuxury offered on such a global scale really opened a lot of doors in the editorial environment. Not every media house has a number of titles you can jump between to try out and experiment with, so I think that’s definitely the biggest reason.
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Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
