Singapore, 11 September 2025 – Cho Pei Lin, Managing Director of APRW, offers a deeply considered perspective on a fraught question in communications: when should a PR agency draw the line on ethics, morality, and money? In a recent interview with Marketing-Interactive, she acknowledges there is no simple answer — but insists that, at its core, “anything that requires us to break the law is definitely a no-no.”
Rather than judging a prospective client solely by their industry or reputation, Pei Lin urges agencies to evaluate the specific brief: the actual work they’re being asked to do, and whether it aligns with both the agency’s and the individual’s values.
She illustrates this with the example of a gambling company running a charitable campaign: “The first judgment call you need to make is whether you agree with a particular stance.” She also raises a more nuanced dilemma: what if a client wants only their corporate social responsibility (CSR) work highlighted, with no mention of any controversy? She asks whether an agency should refuse even good work — such as helping the poor or educating immigrants — simply because negative associations are being ignored.
Cho also underscores the importance of individual choice within her team — team members should feel free to opt out of projects that conflict with their personal or religious beliefs. This is part of her broader belief that ethical boundaries can’t be dictated by just one person’s moral compass, but must reflect a balance of legal guidelines, work reality, and individual values.
She pushes back on black-and-white notions of what’s “good” or “bad,” especially in culturally complex contexts. Using gambling as an example, she says: “Is there a stand the agency must take and therefore, does it mean that the people who work in casinos are people with no ethics? Is gambling necessarily bad? Is smoking any worse than drinking alcohol?”
Ultimately, she acknowledges that in grey areas — such as tobacco, alcohol, or gambling marketing — there are legal frameworks that guide what is and isn’t acceptable. “To summarise: it really depends on the brief. I don’t judge based on the client alone. I consider the work I’m being asked to do and whether it aligns with my values.”
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