'5 Questions' with Prachi Singh, Director of Communications, Yahoo APAC

Yahoo just turned 30 – the OG internet brand we grew up with! In this edition of ‘5 Questions’, we speak to Prachi Singh, Director of Communications at Yahoo APAC, who’s been part of the company's journey for 14 years. She talks about what it means to grow with an internet icon, the importance of making the story matter to the audience first, featuring Bill Murray in a Super Bowl ad, and Yahoo’s tech and brand presence in APAC.

Q1. Yahoo turned 30 this year, the OG internet brand we grew up with! You have been part of its journey for many years now. How does it feel?

I joined Yahoo when it had just turned 18, stepping into adulthood, figuring out its place in a changing world. And now here we are at 30, still standing strong, still evolving. It’s the kind of longevity not many consumer tech brands can claim, and Yahoo still means something to people. It is the OG of the internet for a reason.

What strikes me, having been here and seen it firsthand, is how Yahoo has managed to stay both familiar and relevant. It has evolved with the internet, but it hasn’t lost its essence. It’s like your favourite band - maybe the playlist has changed, but the vibe is still unmistakably Yahoo.

People sometimes ask me (with that skeptical eyebrow raise), “Wait, Yahoo’s still around?” And I’m like "Yes! And it’s still loved. Still rooted for. Still trusted by hundreds of millions of people every single day." If you’ve been sleeping on Yahoo, maybe it's time to log back in both literally and metaphorically.

What I love most is that it continues to be a kind, welcoming corner of the internet. Not everything online needs to be hot takes and chaos. Yahoo’s always been a bit of a safe spot, a space that feels thoughtful, human, a little quirky and that comes from the culture. It’s genuinely one of the nicest workplaces I’ve been part of. People care. And that seeps into the product.

So yeah, I feel incredibly proud. Of the journey. Of resilience. Of the fact that we’ve kept evolving without selling out who we are.

OG and still got it. 💜

Q2. What’s something new or exciting happening at Yahoo?

This year, to mark our 30th birthday, we launched a new commercial in the U.S. during the Super Bowl - one of the biggest stages in advertising. Every brand fights for attention, and we knew we had to do something unexpected. So, we called on Bill Murray, the iconic comedian and actor known for movies like Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and Lost in Translation. He’s also something of a folk legend - just do a quick search on Bill Murray stories and there’s hundreds of people claiming he gatecrashed their wedding, took a bite of their bagel and told them, "No-one will ever believe you if you tell them about this".

Instead of going the predictable route, we leaned into humour and a clever device to get people to engage with Yahoo Mail - reminding people that Yahoo still shows up with a wink, a nudge, and a lot of heart.

Meanwhile, here in APAC, the energy is equally strong. Yahoo has a deep-rooted presence across markets like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Southeast Asia, and India - where Bangalore also serves as a key engineering hub.

There’s a real sense of momentum at Yahoo right now, and it’s showing up in both our tech and our brand. Our focus on tech continues to grow. A great example is the Yahoo DSP, our demand-side platform that helps advertisers plan, activate, and measure programmatic campaigns in a smarter, more unified way. In markets like Australia and Singapore, our DSP has become a standout offering, with top brands tapping into its capabilities and multiple industry awards recognising its performance.

So yes, Yahoo is a legacy brand, but more importantly it has momentum and increasing relevance for so many people in today’s world. We’re still evolving, still building and still showing up in ways that surprise people. And that’s what makes this chapter so exciting.

Globally, Yahoo continues to be part of people’s everyday lives. In February 2025 alone, Yahoo.com recorded 3 billion visits, which puts us in the same league as some of the biggest platforms in the world. That daily utility, whether it’s checking news, managing email, tracking fantasy sports, or staying on top of markets, makes Yahoo feel familiar, yet surprisingly current.

Q3. What’s one storytelling rule you swear by, no matter how much the media landscape changes?

The one storytelling rule I’ve always held on to no matter how much the media landscape shifts is: make it matter to them before it matters to you.

Over the years platforms have changed, attention spans have shortened, formats have exploded and the metrics keep evolving. But at the heart of it, people still respond to stories that speak to something real in their world - their lives, their values, how does it help them?

In PR, it’s so easy to start with what the brand wants to say: "We’ve launched this, we’ve built that, we’ve won here." But the magic really happens when we pause and flip the lens. Why should someone care? What does this mean for them?

Even when I’m working with complex narratives whether it's tech, data or our ad products, the goal is the same: translate it in a way that feels human. Empathy, simplicity is underrated in storytelling, but it's everything. Once we connect at that level, attention follows, trust follows.

The tools and channels will keep changing. That’s the fun part. But if the story doesn’t land with the audience, none of it sticks.

Q4. What does a day in your life look like as a Communications Director at Yahoo?

No two days are ever the same and that’s what keeps it interesting. Working across time zones and markets means I’m often juggling different conversations, from shaping external and internal narratives with regional leaders to aligning on messaging with global teams. 

Some days are all about collaboration and calls, others are more about sitting down to write, think, or review. I always try to carve out a bit of quiet time (with a cup of tea) to do this without distractions. That’s when the real clarity comes.

There’s also a lot of listening  to teams, to trends, to what’s happening on the ground and turning that into communications that feel timely, clear, and relevant. And of course, staying ready for the unexpected, which is just part of the job in communications.

Q5. Of all the Yahoo verticals, from News to Finance to Sports, do you have a personal favourite you can’t go a day without?

If I had to pick a daily go-to, it’s definitely Yahoo Mail.  And I’m not just saying that because I work here. It’s my go-to inbox, and over the years, I’ve actually converted several family members to it. It’s clean, functional, and quietly powerful. 

We recently launched the Catch Up feature, and I’ve been using it a lot. It gives you a quick overview of unread emails so you can power through your inbox without the overwhelm. Honestly, it helps me stay on top of school updates and event reminders for my daughter without missing a beat.

I also love the attachments view. With one tap, I can see all my documents - receipts, travel tickets, PDFs without digging through threads or searching my inbox. There's an unsubscribe feature which is a lifesaver and I can clean out unwanted newsletters in one click. It’s one of those small things that quietly makes life easier.

So yes, I may be  biased. But I am also a genuine fan. It’s a product that’s evolved with how I live and work, and I appreciate that.