Issue 224 (End-July) by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd

www.marketingmagazine.com.my

ISSUE 224/// END-JULY 2018

ASTRO AND KARANGKRAF NAVIGATE MALAY MAZE IN NEW MALAYSIA WITH NU IDEAKTIV

DATOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (DR) HUSSAMUDDIN YAACUB Chairman & Group MD Kumpulan Media Karangkraf

NORFUZIANA AHAMED AKA FUZI General Manager Media Sales Development, Astro

ISSN 1985-5575

00224 9 771985

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KDN NO. PP15776/03/2013 (033405) RM3.50

T H CHONG Group Director Astro Media Sales

ISSUE224END-JULY2018

When Astro, South East Asia’s top cross-media organization, with direct-to-home satellite TV services in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia and other parts of the ASEAN region, collaborates with another brand that is seeking communications solutions, the partnership gives desired results. The effectiveness of the campaign is amplified and the brand’s inherent strength also stands leveraged, driven by Astro’s strategic content input. The fifth case study in the ‘Winning Partnership Series’ discusses how Astro leveraged on its strong platform to push Ayam Goreng McDonald’s as the top fried chicken contender.

ASTRO’S COM INGREDIENTS AYAM GOREN

AYAM GORENG McD LEVERAGES ON MALAYSIA’S LA

THE crunchy sound of the crispy, hot Ayam Goreng McD has fired the imagination of Malaysians. The well-known commercial without absolutely any voiceover, just accompanied by the sounds of crunching has been winning over the taste buds of Malaysians who know their fried chicken well. However, the challenge was how to keep the success crunching on for McDonalds to become Malaysia’s top fried chicken choice? OVERVIEW The marketing objective of McDonald’s was to increase

sales and position Ayam Goreng McD as one of the top leaders in the fried chicken category in Malaysia. McDonald’s Malaysia closed 2017 with a +25% sales growth versus 2016. The increase in sales was considered to be an amazing growth especially in a market situation where most food & beverage players in the industry were reporting flat results to negative numbers. CHALLENGE McDonald’s Spicy Ayam Goreng took the nation by storm, thanks to its brave viral advertisements that continued

to dominate social media. The Ayam Goreng McD had a very successful campaign in the middle of 2017. However, the challenge faced was how to ensure Ayam Goreng McD as the preferred choice for year-end occasions such as gatherings, reunions and parties. MARKET Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has always been the main player in the fried chicken category. McDonald’s year-end campaign aim was to increase their market share by being the first choice that came to

mind with consumers especially during year-end celebrations. In terms of market share, KFC and McDonald’s have always had a neck and neck race for the top position. However during the campaign period, McDonald’s claimed the first position. CONSUMER INSIGHT Year-ends were special times when families and people unite for memorable gatherings and parties. STRATEGIC FIT FOR ASTRO & CLIENT: One of the major fried

chicken consumers in Malaysia are the Malays and Astro’s advantage is their strong base of Malay audience with 93% household penetration. Astro took a cue from ‘celebration’, interpreting it into happiness and laughter. It also holds an advantage by being the main platform for Malay comedy shows. Astro also owns a few of the most prominent comedy franchises with Sepahtu Reunion being one of the most influential and well-received programmes. Astro has previously produced a string of high rated comedy shows with a strong

ISSUE224END-JULY2018

MEDIC S SPICE UP NG McD!

AUGHTER GENERATORS FOR A COMEDIC TWIST

ASTRO WINNING PARTNERSHIP SERIES end, the entire recording studio including audience were presented the opportunity to share the delicious crunch of Ayam Goreng McD together. CONTENT STRATEGY SEPAHTU Sepahtu Reunion Live Show integration by serving Ayam Goreng McD to the live audience. The Sepahtu reunion is a live comedy sketch show that featured the comedic Sepahtu gang and weekly guests to share various funny stories on stage to the audience. The Sepahtu gang was originally the winners of Astro’s Maharaja Lawak Mega reality series. Ever since then, their comedic career took off from being radio dj’s and actors to renowned comedians. During the Sepahtu Reunion episode featuring McDonald’s, the incorporated theme was family reunion and gatherings. The notion of celebrations and gathering was brought up at the end of the episode when the casts served Ayam Goreng McD to ease the situation, thus making it a happy moment for everyone. BRANDED CAPSULE Three branded capsules featuring Sepahtu were ran on Astro’s Malay channels to reach maximum frequency: The first capsule showcased how Ayam Goreng McD helps ease an awkward situation in the office and how it connected colleagues together. The second capsule showcased how Ayam Goreng McD played the role as a catalyst in easing misunderstanding between two teams at the football field. The simple crunch of the Ayam Goreng McD brought friends smiling together after a tense competition on the field. The third capsule showcased that a birthday party is simply not complete without the presence of Ayam Goreng McD.

following. Examples: • Maharaja Lawak Mega with 4.9 million followers • Super Spontan 2017 with a 4.3 million reach • Gegar Lawak 2018 with 3.9 million reach and • Sepahtu Reunion Live 2017 clinched 4.6 million followers. OBJECTIVE The objective was to increase sales growth and position Ayam Goreng McD as one of the top leaders in the fried chicken segment in Malaysia during the year-end.

SOLUTION Astro leveraged on the humour and comedic approach by using Malaysia’s well-known laughter generators ‘Sepahtu’ to create different yet relatable consumption occasions to show Malaysians can all share Ayam Goreng McD together. The product was positioned at all times as a good time catalyst, the perfect ice breaker at reunions, in rekindling relationships and of course, reconciliations. This was demonstrated through two forms of execution: • Branded capsules depicting different

•

occasions - reunions/ reconciliations/ celebration/ parties Integrating Ayam Goreng McD in the Sepahtu Reunion Live Show.

ASTRO’S STRENGTHS Astro strategically positioned customized capsules of the Sepahtu comedic gang consuming Ayam Goreng McD via TV spots. Besides that, Astro leveraged on Sepahtu Reunion Live Show’s storyline to bring up the idea of sharing a box of Ayam Goreng McD. In the

CREATIVE TREATMENT: The very action of eating a hot, juicy, crunchy Ayam Goreng McD created the perfect trigger for consumer consumption. By weaving the Ayam Goreng McD seamlessly into the storyline, Astro showcased how the product is loved by everyone. This in return creates a fear of missing out (FOMO) leaving consumers eager to get their hands on the chicken as well.

... THE VERY ACTION OF EATING A HOT, JUICY, CRUNCHY AYAM GORENG McD IS THE PERFECT TRIGGER FOR CONSUMER CONSUMPTION. BY WEAVING THE AYAM GORENG McD SEAMLESSLY INTO THE STORYLINE, IT SHOWCASED HOW THE PRODUCT IS LOVED BY EVERYONE...

RESULTS CLIENT SALES During the duration of this campaign, McDonald’s staked first position. An increase in the market share was also observed as McDonald’s sales had increased by 59% versus base after the campaign. McDonald’s set new sales records achieved the highest monthly sales ever in history during their promotion month. MEDIA DELIVERABLES The Sepahtu Reunion capsule reached 241 spots, 7 million viewers (total individuals) and 6.7million (Malay viewers). In total, the Sepahtu Reunion programme garnered 4.6 million viewers. Within a short period of time, McDonald’s was able to achieve maximum impact with target audience of Malay consumers while cementing the association of consumption of Ayam Goreng McD with year end gatherings and reunions resulting in great sales.

BRAND ALLIANCE ASTRO-McDONALD’s MEDIA AGENCY: OMD

ISSUE 224/// END-JULY2018 COVER STORY

PRECISION MALAY MARKETING

DIALECT MARKETING

11 WHY DIALECT MARKETING IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE European explorers once called Malay the ‘lingua franca’ of SouthEast Asia, rivaling Latin in Europe or Arabic in the Middle East. From Madagascar to the southern Philippines, Malay became and remains a crucial expression for millions of people, from highest of royals to hardest of workers. Malay was the language of Southeast Asian civilisation...

TOP 10 MALAYSIA RAYA TVCS

EVENTS CALENDAR 2018 3 AUGUST

DESIGNING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WITH DATA VISUALISATION WORKSHOP BY SUBHENDU MUKHERJEE

13 AUGUST

DECODING THE FUTURE... THE NEW RULES OF DIGITAL FOR 2019 AND BEYOND BY KENNETH YU

4 SEPTEMBER

BEST OF GLOBAL DIGITAL MARKETING CONFERENCE 4 OCTOBER

MALAYSIAN CMO CONFERENCE 26 OCTOBER

DRAGONS OF MALAYSIA & ASIA AWARDS 7 DECEMBER

MC2 AWARDS - IDEAS OASIS Regional CEO Professor Harmandar Singh ham@adoimagazine.com Content Officer Reena Sekaran reena@adoimagazine.com Business Development Manager Jarrod Sunil Solomon jarrod@adoimagazine.com Art Director / Designer Chemical Ali ali@adoimagazine.com Senior Designer FY Tham wai@adoimagazine.com

ASTRO WINNING PARTNERSHIP SERIES

ASTRO’S COMEDIC INGREDIENTS SPICE UP AYAM GORENG McD!

EDITOR'S NOTE

FAST & FURIOS

amira@adoimagazine.com Photography & Digital Imaging DL Studio No 7, Jalan PJU 3/50, Sunway Damansara 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor D.E. Malaysia Tel +603 7880 6380 / 6386, Email: studiodl@pd.jaring.my Roving Photographer: Mccain Goh Contributors: Alvin Teoh, Edward Ong, Chris Greenough, Paul Loosley Printer: Cetakrapi Sdn Bhd 22, Jalan Kepong, Taman Sri Ehsan, 52100 Kuala Lumpur Distribution: Spear Millennium Distribution Sdn Bhd E-1-5, Apartment AC4, Taman Sri Sentosa, Batu 6, Jalan Kelang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur

MARKETING magazine is published by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd 22B, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad Satu, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 603-7726 2588 Fax: 603-7722 5712 www.marketingmagazine.com.my © All Rights Reserved By: Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd (289967-W) No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior permission in writing from the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions and/ or for any consequences of reliance upon information in this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or editor. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertisers.

MARKETING magazine in now available in over 200 selected bookstores across the Klang Valley.

MARKETING GAMES 2018

Web & Digital: Nurul Amira Ibrahim

46200 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Hari Raya commercials have always had a special place in our hearts. The short films are always touching, they carry important messages of love, gratitude, kindness, respect and understanding. Most of all, they show us how to appreciate life as well as our family and loved ones. Of course, not to forget a little chuckle for the funny bone. This year, we poured in our blood, sweat and rendang into finding Malaysia’s favourite Hari Raya commercials...

The crunchy sound of the crispy, hot Ayam Goreng McD has fired the imagination of Malaysians. The wellknown commercial without absolutely any voiceover, just accompanied by the sounds of crunching has been winning over the taste buds of Malaysians who know their fried chicken well. However, the challenge was how to keep the success crunching on for McDonald’s to become Malaysia’s top fried chicken choice?

Events & Workshops Ruby Lim ruby@adoimagazine.com

MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd (5048-A) Ground Floor Warehouse, Bangunan TH No. 5, Jalan Bersatu, Section 13/4

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE RAYA 2018 COMMERCIALS?

There is so much happening in our industry lately that we at the magazine are falling over each other just trying to catch up. The Kancil Awards with their amazing two-day festival and awards show. Advertisers playing catch up after the uncertainty before the general elections. Agencies in perpetual overtime mode to make things happen. Poor sods, the buck always stops with them. Retailers are counting their blessings with the abolishment of GST, after experiencing low performances earlier, with shoppers...

CREATIVE TVC

Balls were flying all over the court. Cheers ensued every few minutes. Monster Energy drinks were gulped down in seconds. On another corner, fingers were tapping furiously on game consoles. Those were just a few of the exciting things going on at MARKETING Games on 7 July. Kicking things off at Paradigm Mall, Boulevard where agencies, media, and marketers alike gathered in anticipation... CREATIVE SURGE

Back in the days before the automatic egg boiler was invented, mothers would put eggs in a metal container, fill it with hot water and leave it to cook. How long it was left inside depended on several factors: Number of eggs, how long they had been out of the fridge, size of container and whether mom remembered about the eggs. Suffice to say, no two soft-boiled eggs ever tasted the same...

20 05

IDEAS: THE AUTOMATIC EGG BOILER STORY

ONLINE STREAMING

MALAYSIA’S DIRECTORS THINK TANK IN TOP 10 POSITION IN CAMPAIGN BRIEF’S THE WORK 2018 Leading Southeast Asia production group Directors Think Tank (DTT) has been ranked No 10 in Campaign Brief’s THE WORK 2018. THE WORK which is currently in its sixteenth year running features the very best advertising of the year from Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Published by Campaign Brief, THE WORK is recognised as a true record of creativity for the entire region. The production house finished...

GAME ON!

CHANGING THE WAY BRANDS ADVERTISE WITH VIU’S UPCOMING ORIGINALS

INFLUENCER MARKETING

22 ROCKETFUEL ENTERTAINMENT FUELS INFLUENCER MARKETING AND BRANDED CONTENT FOR WORLD CUP 2018

MALAYSIA’S DIRECTORS THINK TANK IN TOP 10 POSITION IN CAMPAIGN BRIEF’S THE WORK 2018 ISSUE224END-JULY2018

TVC PRODCUTION

LEADING Southeast Asia’s production group Directors Think Tank (DTT) has been ranked No 10 in Campaign Brief’s THE WORK 2018 book. THE WORK which is currently in its sixteenth year running, features the very best advertising of the year from Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Published by Campaign Brief, THE WORK is recognised as a true record of creativity for the entire region. The production house finished at the tenth position with six acceptances. The highly respected and regarded full-service production company has won multiple awards at Spikes and in 2017 was one of Southeast Asia’s most awarded production company. Also in 2017, Directors Think Tank picked up 1 Gold, 4 Silver and 10 Bronze awards at Kancils. They also picked 2 silver awards and 1 Bronze award at AdFest 2017. “Coming in at tenth position for the Campaign Brief rankings feels great, especially being one of the few Malaysian companies in the rankings,” said Pat Singh, Executive Producer at Directors Think Tank. “To be recognised for the kind of work we do, and the hard work put in makes us feel appreciated, not just by clients and the industry. This only makes us want to work harder and focus even more on creating interesting work, rather than work that just happens to be trendy - that’s been happening a lot in Malaysia these days,” added Pat. “Look out for hopefully better work to come from our younger directors from our Directors Think Tank in Indonesia and Directors Think Tank in Singapore offices, which we hope can play a bigger part in our body of work,” shares Pat when asked what was in the future for the production house. Mojo Films was the only other Malaysian production house on Campaign Brief’s THE WORK rankings at No 24 with 4 acceptances. Directors Think Tank was established in Malaysia in 2007 but has since gone on to open offices throughout Southeast Asia including Singapore and Indonesia. Known for their collaborative and innovative work, Directors Think Tank has worked with multiple clients such as Petronas, Mitsubishi, Maybank, McDonald’s, Huawei, Haagen-Dazs and many more. Recently for Ramadhan, Director’s Think Tank director Rajay Singh shot Tokopedia’s latest Ramadhan cinema campaign. The heart-warming film tells the tale of the sacrifices of a mother for her beloved son to ensure he has a wonderful life despite all the challenges faced. The production house has also collaborated with M&C Saatchi Malaysia to produce

Maxis “Mother’s day” TVC Campaign

Malaysia Airlines “Raya Around The World” TVC Campaign

Lazada “BlastOff” TVC Campaign

Tokopedia “ThePrawn” TVC Campaign

VODACOM TVC Campaign

The Edge Property TVC Campaign

PETRONAS “F1 SALVATORE” TVC Campaign

2017’s Raya advertisement for Malaysia Airlines. Titled ‘Raya Around The World’, the TVC which took three weeks to complete also won a Gold award at the APPIES Malaysia Marketing Awards 2018 in the Consumer Services category. Australian production

company Revolver/Will O’Rourke and Finch however lead the way ranking No 1 and No 2 production companies in Campaign Brief’s THE WORK 2018. Revolver/Will O’Rourke was credited as the production company on 34 acceptances.

DON’T BELIEVE “INIABSOLUTE

By the Turbanned Stranger | ham@adoimagazine.com

FREE TRADE, BECAUSE WHEN THE COMPETITION IS BETWEEN THE WEAK AND THE STRONG, YOU NEED TO HAVE SOME PROTECTION FOR THE WEAK..

”

TUN MAHATHIR MOHAMED

IS GREAT “ATDATA GIVING YOU

INFORMATION, GIVING YOU KNOWLEDGE; BUT IT DOESN’T GIVE YOU UNDERSTANDING AND THAT IS ITS GREAT FAILING.

”

SIR JOHN HEGARTY

DAVID OGILVY ONCE QUIPPED:

THE PROBLEM WITH “MARKET RESEARCH IS

THAT PEOPLE DON’T THINK HOW THEY FEEL, THEY DON’T SAY WHAT THEY THINK AND THEY DON’T DO WHAT THEY SAY.

”

THERE is so much happening in our industry lately that we at the magazine are falling over each other just trying to catch up. The Kancil Awards with their amazing two-day festival and awards show. Advertisers playing catch up after the uncertainty before the general elections. Agencies in perpetual overtime mode to make things happen. Poor sods, the buck always stops with them. Retailers are counting their blessings with the abolishment of GST, after experiencing low performances earlier, with shoppers flocking back like never before.

Everybody is bouncing back into action as I foresee our final quarter as our best ever. Research companies tracking consumer sentiment in Malaysia are in a dilemma: how do you say consumer sentiment is cautious when the people just donated over RM156 million in two months! Amidst the rush of action and excitement, we are proud to announce the launch of the MC2 Awards in a format never done in the world before. Seven real briefs from real brands. Open to all Malaysians; individuals, companies, students. Simplified ideas submission online.

Judging by top Malaysian creatives shining on the global stage. Shortlisted ideas get face to face with actual brand teams. All proceeds go to MERCY Malaysia. And hopefully, we will discover the next Yasmin Ahmad, or two.

http://mc2awards.com Respectfully,

Precision Malay Marketing LIKE our revered Gasing, today’s marketers need to be sharp, balanced and have a winning throw. And be ready to repeat that, again and again. There has never been a more exciting time in the Malaysian marketplace. Energised by a new

When Astro and Karangkraf joined forces to form Nu Ideaktiv, it marked a milestone for the Malay consumer. Because the combined power of Astro and Karangkarf through Nu Ideaktiv is an opportunity for marketers on a scale never seen

heartbeat and renewed optimism, Malaysians are in their element: dynamic, world-wise and truly matured. It is no secret that the world is amazed with us. The “new order” has also given media back their voice. In this ground breaking feature, we talk about the Malay market and uncover truths marketers are not aware of, are misinformed, or choose to ignore. Marketers who think addressing the mass market in one massive “shock and awe” approach will be disappointed as new consumer clusters spring up and evolve daily. While some marketers may see the Malay market as a pain point in their strategies, content and technology are proving a clear roadmap as the happy differentiators today. Those who “dare to fail” trying are the ones who understand that by breaking down the biggest market, the Malay consumers, in a progressive strategy of winning little by little is the way forward. The new mantra is cluster marketing multiplied to make up the whole. These value-rich segments need detailed study and application. Eventually, less is more.

before. Localisation is alive and disrupting the ecosystem. Learn from our local brand heroes who are rewriting the rules as they engage, learn and reengage everyday. Look at who made them famous and rich. Ask yourself why you keep failing to jump on this bandwagon? Are you shy, wary, or simply overwhelmed with the learning curve? Nu Ideaktiv is actively pairing the wealth of local content and insights in their stable to brand goals with the power of programmatic technology while listening to the pulse of the consumer. Astro is in 75% of Malaysian households, serving 23 million individuals on all screens, at home, live, on the go and on demand while Karangkraf has 15 million readers across its print, magazine publications and online media assets. Relevant and riveting, they are reciting stories that reverberate in the hearts of Malay consumers. Open your mind to see what is possible in the following pages...spin and win..

• Bumiputeras (18.5 million) spend up to 70% of their disposable income on household basics, including food, utilities, transport and restaurants, more than other ethnic groups. • Bumiputera monthly household consumption expenditure share in urban areas stands at 51% and Chinese 32%, while in rural areas they command an 80% share, way ahead of all other groups whose share are in single digits. • Working class breakdown is Bumiputera 72%, Chinese 70% and Indians 83%.

* Household Expenditure Survey 2016, Department of Statistics, Malaysia (published October 2017) • Malay viewers consume a lot of video content online, one in five Malay internet users binge-watched the same drama series or several movies one after another at least once a month. • One in five high-income Malays (household income above RM5000) purchased a product or service online in the past month, with the most popular online purchases being apparel, household appliances and digital electronics.

* Nielsen Consumer & Media View (CMV) January 2017 - December 2017, 10,000 individuals aged 15+ in Peninsular Malaysia.

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COVER STORY

TAPPING THE MALAY MARKET:

THE MALAY MARKET IS ALL ABOUT HEART THE gentle Godfather of Malay media in Malaysia, and probably the best kept weapon for marketers, is Dato’ (Dr) Hussamuddin Yaacub. Kelantan-born Hussam has made celebrities out of brands, Dato Seri Vida is only the tip of the iceberg. He does not look at the mass market as one block - he skillfully slices his Malay IPs to the individual needs of brands. Imagine working with a publisher who has 40 years of Malay content covering women, men, teens, tweens, health, décor, food, lifestyle and religious titles to a diverse reader demographic age group, ranging from 7 to above 40 reaching over 4 million readers. With four key business groups and over 20 magazine titles, books, novels in its stable Karangkraf is also home to the fastest growing Malay daily, Sinar Harian. SinarHarian.com.my is the third ranked local web domain accessed from mobile devices in Malaysia.* The news portal has over 45 million page views and 7 million unique visitors a month. We asked Datuk to debunk 4 myths about the Malay market…

Malays are not affluent When you look at the designer tudungs, new fashion wear, cosmetics lines, health and wellness brands that we work with, frugality flies out the window. They have the purchasing owner if you know how to talk to them. BTW, there are many examples of success in the Malay market besides tudungs. Big brands also work with us and they know the trigger points as we collaborate and explore new content strategies across all our assets, partnering with Astro. It’s about content and targeting. The best barometer of affluence is when you look at the burgeoning middle-class where Malays form the most affluent ethnic group in terms of income at 38%.** The road to the Malay market is now well chartered and we know what makes them tick. BTW, they love more than just horror movies! Malay market is homogenous Smart media thinkers know otherwise. A consumer insights study by GroupM Malaysia a few years back revealed five distinct Malay audience clusters: Keluarga Rabbani, Pencetus Ummah, Mat Bebas, Generasi Glokal and Orang Bandar. About 10 years ago, the clusters were called Mak Long, Mat Kool, Moden Klasik, Si Metro, Si ‘Dia’ and Si Ceria in study by the Omnicom Media Group. So the Malay consumer is ever evolving. Urban Malays love adventure and challenges, new stuff and change. Rural Malays live by a sense of duty. We know this as we have been serving all of them with our content for 40 years. Malays are not internet savvy More than half the Malaysian internet population is Malay. We have 25 million internet users

Dato’ (Dr) Hussamuddin Yaacub Chairman & Group MD Kumpulan Media Karangkraf

in Malaysia with a household penetration of 81%.*** If Malays are not internetsavvy, how can popular local Tudung brand Naelofar Hijab have more than half a million followers, while fashion diva Dato Seri Vida has 2 million Instagram followers. Malays are docile and disengaged Let me answer through the lens of their shopping behaviour. Shopping is their favourite past time. They are bargain hunters, perhaps because they have large families. They try out new products more readily than any other race in Malaysia The Malay consumer is an observant and discerning player in the marketplace. Yes, they have gentle and tolerant traits, but they are also very forgiving and loyal to brands. Malays are celebrity-gullible and this applies to celebrities from other ethnic groups too. They are more willing to spend on their favourite celebrities’ products or products endorsed by them.

* comScore Mobile Metrix, December 2017 ** Household Expenditure Survey 2016, Department of Statistics, Malaysia (published October 2017) ***Internet Users Survey (IUS) 2017, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission

BRAND LOGOS 2018

TOTAL OF 39 IPs

Nu Ideaktiv, born out of Astro’s JV with Karangkraf, is poised to create and monetise of content verticals in Malaysia and the Nusantara region. The content industry in the Nusantara region command a total addressable market of RM48 billion, which makes local vernacular and ASEAN content IPs the new premium.

ISSUE224END-JULY2018

COVER STORY

TAPPING THE MALAY MARKET:

OUR COLLABORATION UNCOVERS INSIGHTS ABOUT THE MALAY CONSUMER FOR MARKETERS THIS is a story of how two media powerhouses are touching the hearts of Malay consumers online by fearlessly unlearning, and learning every day. “We are ready to fail,” declared TH Chong, Group Director for Astro Media Sales, echoing the new mantra in digital marketing. “Because marketers can learn from our failures and win. In the digital space, people fail everyday and they know that each setback is a step towards success.” A snapshot will tell you Malays are progressive, modern and forward-looking. They are also more emotional than rational – respond better to emotional values rather than functional values. “Our tieup with Karangkraf via Nu Ideaktiv is about recognizing that publishers are very powerful and they are the true experts in their own verticals.” He adds, “We are on the frontlines of this unprecedened frontier where vernacular is the new premium. They have content, we have reach.” No other local player has more Malay IPs and more insights about the Malay market than Nu Ideaktiv. Astro is in 75% of Malaysian households, serving 23 million individuals on all screens, at home, live, on the go and on demand while Karangkraf has 15 million readers across its newspaper and magazine publications and online media assets. Digital has sharpened marketing’s focus like never before. How are you seeing this play out for you? This partnership will further strengthen our leadership in the online space among Malay audiences.

Our digital arm, Blaze, has rapidly grown its partner network from 32 to 50 digital brands, increasing its reach to 32 million users* on web and 62.4 million fans* on social media platforms. Blaze allows advertisers to deploy a range of advertising solutions via branded content, videos, social marketing, data-backed programmatic ads, display, as well as bespoke campaigns. How will this translate into Digital Adex? In Q4FY18, Astro’s total Adex registered a 2% growth y-o-y from RM705mn to RM722mn and this includes Digital Adex which grew 17% from RM30mn to RM35mn. With this new partnership, we believe the fragmentation of Digital Adex by vernacular-based clusters is forthcoming, like what happened to print, radio and TV. With the rich content of 38 IPs and a loyal Malay customer base at Karangkraf, Nu Ideaktiv has the first-mover advantage to orchestrate the shift of Adex revenue from local English-based digital to Malay-based digital. Side-stepping the elephant in the room, Google and Facebook, we aim to generate RM7mn Malay-based Digital Adex revenue by FY19 or 10% market share of Malay-based Digital Adex and potentially grow up to RM64mn or 30% market share by FY22. What about content creation? That’s the magic of this partnership. Brands can coalesce with 40 years of content with Karangkraf’s library as we see the shift of Digital ADEX from English to Vernacular accelerating. Building upon that in creating more content is an easy progression

as we customise basic themes to different brand themes. Our rich audience data combined with branded content will make for powerful marketing solutions that cut across Print, Radio, TV and Digital. Our digital strategy is about embracing technology without the fear of empowerment. Which means we are welcoming a sense of co-ownership with brands. It is all about the insights, isn’t it? Of course. Malays love a good story, and this goes beyond horror movies (as what Datuk mentioned). The amount of magazine content alone from Malaysia’s largest Malay publisher is a treasure trove of data that’s rich in insights for brands to leverage on. Without insights, brands cannot build an engaging ecosystem with their audience. This is the key differentiator in our partnership and offering with Nu Ideaktiv.

*Google Analytics (Monthly Average Dec 2017-Feb 2018)

Astro’s digital marketing arm, Blaze, has partnered with Kumpulan Media Karangkraf to create Malaysia’s largest Malay digital content network, with 15 of Karangkraf’s popular brands like Pa&Ma, Remaja, Mingguan Wanita, Media Hiburan and Sinar Harian’s news site to its offerings. Mingguan Wanita at 160,000 copies weekly is the most circulated magazine in the country – it is also a TV show!

T H Chong Group Director Astro Media Sales

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TAPPING THE MALAY MARKET:

THE NEW DEAL FOR THE MALAY CONSUMER

COVER STORY

WHILE many Malay consumers have been fans of Malay content from Karangkraf for close to 40 years, they have yet to see their favourite stories, heroes and issues brought to the fore in the digital space. All that is now made possible with Nu Ideaktiv. “With a strong presence amongst the Malay speaking community, Karangkraf is a solid partner as together we will leverage on each other’s strengths to introduce new and innovative digital content that appeals to the mass Malay market,” says Norfuziana Ahamed aka Fuzi, General Manager for Media Sales Development at Nu Ideaktiv. How did this JV between Astro and Karangkarf come about? Karangkraf has been working with Astro for sometime now and this JV only formalises their relationship with Nu Ideaktiv. Karangkraf, as the largest national publisher of local content IPs, is a natural fit for Astro emerged as the natural fit for Astro, which is

Norfuziana Ahamed aka Fuzi General Manager Media Sales Development, Astro

leveraging its scale, investments and relationships to consolidate the growing market. Karangkarf’s titles cover every life stage of the Malay community and their successful track record over the last 40 years proves that. The partnership extends Astro’s online presence amongst the Malay-language audience, propel its combined monthly unique visitors to approximately 10mn and is in line with its goal to build Nusantara and Islamic content verticals.

FMCG marketers always knew the power of the Malay market and are quite proficient in addressing it. But they are always hungry for content and new insights, especially innovative digital content that appeals to the mass Malay market. The opportunities for brands from other categories to tackle the Malay market is enormous. As I talk to marketers, I sense they need direction, guidance and this is where we come in. What’s your mandate Although Malays are as GM for Media Sales sensitive about price, they have Development? become brand conscious as I am helping build businesswell and they demand better driven advertising solutions across quality products and services. all Nu Ideaktiv IP’s to synergize This including high-end products. with Astro’s media assets and They purchase products that accelerate the growth of Malay appeal to emotion or community. Adex. It is about razor-sharp targeting of specific segments Is there a message you want within the Malay universe. to send to marketers? We offer not just a volume Thank you for this question. proposition, but value proposition I want to tell all Malaysian with our rich resource of content marketers that the massive for advertisers. The JV aims online audience, which is to pursue 360° monetisation the holy grail for marketers, strategies for the Karangkraf is shifting to the expanding Digital’s content IPs across addressable Malay market. multiple platforms, leveraging This trajectory is expected on Astro’s capabilities, growing to continue and those who reach and engagement. value and monetise this trend will win. Are big brand marketers We can help you win. indifferent to the Malay Do not look at the Malay market? market as a fault line but as an All that is changing. opportunity.

TRIVIA: Once upon a time, local brand called Zaitun became so successful with the Malay market that global giant Colgate-Palmolive bought 50% of the company as it was eating into their market share!

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DIALECT MARKETING

WHY DIALECT MARKETING IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE EUROPEAN explorers once called Malay the ‘lingua franca’ of SouthEast Asia, rivaling Latin in Europe or Arabic in the Middle East. From Madagascar to the southern Philippines, Malay became and remains a crucial expression for millions of people, from the highest of royals to the hardest of workers. Malay was the language of Southeast Asian civilisation. It was the language of record for the epic achievements of Sang Nila Utama, Hang Tuah and Tun Perak. These heroes of Melaka, Temasek and Nusantara as a whole remain compelling symbols of culture in the region, with comparisons between modern day candidates and historical figures exists even today in Malaysia’s general elections. Fortunately for lovers of the language, Malay remains the language of tens of millions, a versatile language that enables everyone from skilled poets of the past, like Usman Awang, to eloquent hip-hop artists of the present, such as Altimet, Joe Flizzow & Aman RA, to express themselves. However, in the process of Malaysia’s rapid urbanisation, touted as the fasted in the region between 2000 - 2010, the visibility of Malay’s incredible diversity has been somewhat forgotten to policy makers, businesses and marketers. Peninsular Malaysian state has its own rich tapestry of unique local words and pronunciations: from the influence of Minangkabau culture in Negeri Sembilan to the Thai influence on Baso Kelate, Kelantan’s language. Even polyglot Google confuses Kelantanese with other languages, like Italian and Javanese. Common wisdom and experience teaches that speaking like a local can connect you to the heart of a community. Which is why brands who speak in these unique dialects can communicate with their Malaysian audiences in a compelling way, differentiating themselves from homogenised competitors. Nando’s is a restaurant chain

that has built much its reputation on using slang and local language to better connect with Malaysians. To launch a new store in Kerteh, Terengganu they created a billboard with a local twist to lure ayam-loving Terengganunians into the store. Shortly after, McDonald’s fired back with their own billboard in Kemaman district - shots fired in what is hopefully an escalating ‘war’ of dialect. To promote tourism in Terengganu, AirAsia used ‘TerrenganuMolekDoh’, while Samsung celebrated Malaysia’s dialects through a Malaysian flag designed out of state football chants. Even Malaysia’s Anti-Drug Agency has created posters in state dialects. While it’s great to see these examples, one thing that’s quite apparent is that they are all “above-the-line” advertising. Why in a time of hyperpersonalisation marketing and real-time messaging aren’t these dialects more prominent on digital media? Are digital marketers missing a big opportunity? “There are a few challenges brands face when it comes to understanding and responding to local dialects in Malaysia. The first is for their agents or agencies to understand the dialect, and the second is that they are able to

respond quickly at scale. Hyperlab is a Conversational Artificial Intelligence company in Malaysia helping visionary enterprises like Maxis and Hong Leong Bank, automate sales and support in many of Southeast Asia’s local dialects, including the rarer known online dialect of “Social Malay”. According to Hyperlab, Social Bahasa Malaysia is a unique online dialect formed from socially accepted colloquialisms originating from the SMS era. That’s where we get common short forms like ‘xde’ for ‘tak ada’; ‘mcm’ for ‘macam mana’; and ‘sy’ for ‘saya’. Dialex is a language cleansing tool by Hyperlab for English and Social Bahasa Malaysia. Customer experience (CX) has also become a primary focus for brands, as companies like Amazon have proven that a focus on providing great CX can show great returns. However, there are is still a lot of opportunity for businesses to improve. Gartner reports that 86% of customers would pay for a

better experience, while Accenture reports that poor customer service costs businesses more than $1.6 trillion per year. The core challenge for companies looking to optimise and scale their customer experience is doing so without increasing costs. That’s where the potential of artificial intelligence enabling businesses to scale CX comes in. On top of understanding “Social BM”, Hyperlab is also tackling the local dialect challenge using neural networks, which can distinguish and understand unique regional dialects, like Kelantanese, better than Google. Their goal is to enable brands to easily scale highly personalised conversations with their customers around the region. Not only relegated to marketers, this is an essential strategy for journalists as well, who use it to convey their genuine interest in their subject’s story. Malaysia’s own award winning journalists from R.AGE, comment on their experience investigating

stories around the region... “When we go out into the field and need a translator, there’s a barrier there, where nuances can get lost,” says Samantha Chow, journalist at The Star’s R.AGE. She adds that brushing up on regional small talk before an interview can really help gain trust and better connect with those they Interview. R.AGE has also partnered with Hyperlab to build Ana, Asia’s first Sex-Education chatbot. Ana is designed to answer questions from teens and parents about reproductive health, and avoiding sexual predators online ,in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Manglish and Social BM. You can chat with Ana on www.predator.my When asked whether she worries about job security in the face of growing technologies like Ana, Samantha replied “job disruption is unavoidable, the trick is to try and work with technology, rather than for it”. Gartner predicts that AI for Customer Experience will “disrupt the the jobs of 1 million phonebased customer support agents (Gartner: Future of Experience). Meanwhile, the IDC calculates that AI associated with Customer Experience “will boost global business revenue from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2021 by $1.1 trillion.” This boost will result in more than 2 million new jobs by 2021, a net-positive gain in job creation as a result of automating customer support (IDC, A Trillion-dollar Boost: The Economic Impact of AI on Customer Relationship Management). It’s no secret that dialect marketing has been sorely underutilised in Malaysia throughout the years. And now, more than ever, consumers are choosing where to spend their hard earned money with companies who can deliver great experiences. Dialect marketing has been a proven strategy in the past, but one that has not been easy to scale. However, pairing this strategy with innovative Natural Language Understanding technologies enables companies to truly unlock the value of dialect marketing.

Written by Chris Greenough, CMO and Co-founder of Hyperlab (picture), and Oliver Woods, Digital Director and Co-founder of RED2 Digital.

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TOP 20 BEST RAYA TVCS 2018

Hari Raya commercials have always had a special place in our hearts. The short films are touching as they carry important messages of love, gratitude, kindness, respect and understanding. They also show us how to appreciate life as well as our family and loved ones. Of course, not to forget a little chuckle for the funny bone. This year, we poured our blood, sweat and rendang in finding Malaysia’s Top 20 favourite Hari Raya commercials, based on an online survey which drew 459 respondents from our readers... Petronas Misi Riuh Raya! The film tells the story of five siblings which were assigned different missions to ensure that Hari Raya is complete with the whole family. It also tells of patience, generosity, forgiveness and family unity in line with the spirit of Aidilfitri.

TNB Rumah Epik Fantastik The film follows the protagonist, Arif, as he dreadfully anticipates the impending descent of relatives during Raya, or in his words aka “A week without privacy”. Despite all the preparation, fuss and discomfort that comes with big families congregating during the festive season, he realises the value of family, and that things work out magically in the end to bring everyone together.

Toyota Malaysia Jalan Cerita Raya 2018 The commercial begins with the main protagonist Afiq reminiscing about how his father would always insist on going for a drive. At one point Afiq becomes irritated with his father and exclaims that he’s bored with just driving around the neighbourhood and never going anywhere.

Years later, when Afiq is married with a child. One day, after he reaches home late from work, his own daughter asks him to take her on a ‘jalan-jalan’ to which he says he’s tired. His wife, Sarah, then explains that their daughter doesn’t really want to just go for a ride but instead want to spend time with him. This triggers his memory of his dad and make him realise that the time he spent with his father is the most precious thing. Touch N Go #RayaPalingTouching Malaysia’s famous Youtuber, Matluthfi collaborated with Touch ‘n Go for this Raya’s advertisement. Unlike other more sentimental and misleading commercials, Matluthfi

WHAT ARE YOU RAYA 2018 COM successfully brought the ad to life in a more fresh and fun concept. #RayaPalingTouching film shows the positive behaviour of Matluthfi in his dramatic quest to fulfill his mother’s desire to get the ‘Almond Tino’ cookies.

Astro Ria Gaya Raya Paling Ori The film tells the story of Nik Wan who aspires to be ‘ori’ in whatever he does. If someone has a similar style to him, he finds it unacceptable and changes his style. But for Raya, what style can he go for that would make him stand out from the rest? He puts a spin to the usual Baju Melayu, only to discover that the entire kampung has copied his look!

Telekung Siti Khadijah Filem Pendek Raya 2018 The character Mak comes to her son’s home to celebrate Raya. Her son married a Chinese girl named Ruby. It is portrayed to the audience that Ruby dislikes her mother-in-law’s presence.

However the actual truth was Ruby often scolded her brother Roger in Mandarin because he did not help housework and ate in front of his mother-inlaw who was fasting because it was considered impolite. Ruby cleared up the misunderstanding by gifting her mother-in-law with a new telekung from Siti Khadijah. RHB Bank Berkat Disulam, Bantuan Diberi The film tells a story of the protagonist who is a single mother trying to support her daughter. To make a living, she sells telekungs, traditional prayer wear, at various markets but the quality of her work is questioned by customers as she has yet to master the difficult craft. One day her luck changes when Pn Padzillah the founder of Siti Khadijah, one of Malaysia’s largest telekung companies, offers her a job. She is given a stable means to provide for her family while improving her sewing craft. The story climaxes when the protagonist finally has a chance to say thank you to Pn Padzillah at a mosque on Aidilfitri morning,

UR FAVOURITE MMERCIALS? 3

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TOP 20 BEST RAYA TVCS 2018

with Pn Padzillah admiring her workmanship. The heroine then passes on the skills she has learnt to her daughter in the spirit of sharing, supporting, and progressing together. U Mobile #RayaBestSama U Mobile collaborated with Malaysian local rapper, Aman RA for a catchy pick-up Raya song while seamlessly weaving in U Mobile packages.

Telekom Malaysia #MakLongBawang In the film, the nosy relatives are portrayed as Mak Cik Bawang, an urban Malay term used to describe ‘gossiping aunties’, prying into personal lives of others. As the story continues, the young characters are getting uneasy and agitated with images of their feelings being exaggerated on screen. It reflects how millennials react towards the unwelcomed questions and how ignorant Mak Cik Bawangs can be while asking their questions.

Celcom Kasih 5 Sekawan Celcom brought back its famous five for its latest Raya spot titled “Kasih 5 Sekawan”. The video focused on Hasnah who got into trouble at school. She eventually runs away from home to her grandparents’ place, as she felt that her stepmother does not love her. The video ends with the message “Love keeps us together, understanding brings us closer”.

CIMB Tanam Cempedak Tumbuh Nangka CIMB’s Aidilfitri tale is about three close multiracial neighbours, Auntie Amu, Auntie Norli and Auntie Janet who all live around a cempedak tree. One day, the three neighbours discover the cempedak tree is bearing fruit and each of them has plans for it. This eventually leads to an argument since there was only one fruit. Only to discover it goes missing!

Mudah.my Goodbye Good Buy Mudah’s #GoodbyeGoodBuy video encourages young

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TOP 20 BEST RAYA TVCS 2018

Malaysians to bid goodbye to items that they have outgrown, which can turn out to be someone’s good buy. This include items such as computers, mobile phones, shoes, clothes and even old toys. Mudah.my also composed a Raya song called “Aku Balik Kampung” featuring Manbai, Amir Jahari, Kayda Aziz & NSSN, which garnered more than 217,000 views on YouTube. KFC Malaysia Dendam Adam Following the debut of ‘Joget Abah’ in 2017, ‘Dendam Adam’ KFC’s newest short film, marks the brand’s second Raya web film todate. KFC keeps the tradition running by focusing on real everyday family moments. And family squabbles, are of course, no exception. The spot centres around the idea of forgiveness during Raya and features two brothers who go on a journey to repair their relationship during the festive season. The video also explores their relationship growing up and what it is now in current times.

Prudential BSN #TeamRayaMerah Enter Ridwan, the all-do-gooder, constantly helping with things around the house. One day, grandmother Nek Yah hurts her back and is rushed to the hospital. When Ridwan enquires if she is alright, Nek Yah’s son gets upset and it is revealed Ridwan is not part of the family. Turns out, Ridwan is actually an insurance agent. The son then realises that Ridwan has been helping them all this time and embraces him as part of the family.

Malaysia Airlines Ops Lip Lap Raya Malaysia Airlines’ Raya video revolves around the theme of Malaysian Hospitality. It tells a story about a little boy who plans to welcome a new family member from a different race, who is celebrating Hari Raya with them for the first time. With the help of his neighbourhood friends, he surprises the family with an extravagant display of lights, which quickly takes an unexpected turn. He then learns that the smallest gestures make the most memorable moments.

Hong Leong Bank Malaysia ‘Abah Tak Bagi’ A three-minute video by Hong Leong Bank on YouTube titled ‘Abah Tak Bagi’ tells the story of how a young girl is taught the value of saving by her ‘cheap and stingy’ father. Much to her disdain, the young child’s requests for expensive items are met with cheaper, albeit quirky,

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TOP 20 BEST RAYA TVCS 2018

... the short films are always touching, they carry important messages of love, gratitude, kindness, respect and understanding. Most of all, they show us how to appreciate life, as well as our family and loved ones. Of course, not to forget a little chuckle for the funny bone... options by her well-meaning and resourceful father. Traveloka Malaysia Kuih Habuk Mak The short film tells the life of Lan, a young teacher living in the city who leaves home to pursue his dream to educate students in rural areas. Before Lan leaves, his mother supplies Lan his favourite Raya cookies, which he lovingly keeps an eye on. However, the precious jar falls to the ground and all that remained are just cookie crumbs until a video call from Mak and Dad changes everything.

Maxis Bola Raya Maxis partnered up with Astro GO and RTM to offer Malaysians access to the Live action of the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Both Maxis and Hotlink customers purchased Astro World Cup match passes at a discounted rate, and data used to stream the game was complimentary.As an added bonus, Maxis introduced a Bola Raya app packed with football-themed AR features.

Bank Rakyat Kenangan Bersama Ayah: Rotan This ad tells the tale of Afiq who comes home for his father’s funeral and starts reminiscing the times with his father who would often cane him with the rotan. As a child Afiq felt bitter and hurt by this father’s actions. But then he realises it was all for his own good.

Maybank Malaysia MYStories Raya 2018 This year, MYStories Raya 2018

highlights two exceptional individuals – Dr Mangku Sitepoe from Indonesia and Zurianty Sudin from Malaysia who have dedicated their lives by helping communities in need especially during trying times. Maybank brought their humanitarian journeys to life with two videos released on Maybank’s social media sites. The two individuals provide inspiring stories which espouse values which are similar to Maybank’s mission of humanising financial services. Their work has positively impacted the community they operated in as they were the first in line to lend a helping hand; be it to offer free medical treatment or providing shelter during the floods. Watsons Malaysia #MisiIKhlasAidilfitri Watsons kicked off its 2018 Ramadan and Aidilfitri campaign by calling upon Malaysians to propagate a do-good culture by sharing simple acts of kindness. In collaboration with Naga DDB Tribal, the #MisiIkhlasAidilfitri campaign spread positivity and shone a light on the kind and sincere acts performed by Malaysians every day. The campaign is based on sincerity as the key spirit for the holy month. Sparked by Watsons Malaysia’s tagline “Look Good Feel Great”, the #MisiIkhlasAidilfitri campaign communicated to Malaysians that feeling great comes from within, and that those who feel great are those who do good to others with pure and honest intentions.

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MARKETING GAMES 2018

BALLS were flying all over the court. Cheers and shrieks ensued every few minutes. Monster Energy drinks were gulped down in seconds. In another corner, fingers were tapping furiously on E-game consoles. Those were just a few of the exciting things going on at MARKETING Games on July 7. Kicking things off at Paradigm Mall, agencies, media and marketers alike gathered in anticipation. After a short Winners at MARKETING briefing from the emcee, the inaugural Games 2018 MARKETING Games was off and running. There were only going to be two champions for the Human Foosball competition and the E-games challlenge. Which team would sit on the MARKETING Games “Iron Throne”? During the first half of the day, the Human Foosball quickly became the highlight of the Games. At first, players were a little unsure but within minutes you’d think they were professionals competing for the World Cup itself. You’d also have to keep an eye on the ball from flying straight first for your head! The emcee kept cracking jokes throughout the Games keeping the atmosphere light and easy. Quake MY kept the atmosphere buzzing by showing a Live feed of what was happening at the MARKETING Games. This also gave supporters the chance to tweet in their encouragement and which team they supported Live on Quake MY’s Facebook. For supporters who wanted a piece of Anwar Amin from RHB World Cup action, media solutions company Bank receiving his prize Moving Walls, gave them the opportunity for FIFA18 singles to take their very own penalty kick without using an actual football. The penalty kick Augmented Reality game proved to be a big hit throughout the day. Enter second half, none of the teams showed even the slightest signs of giving up or exhaustion. The E-Games players kept their eyes on the screen, not for a second were they distracted. The chance to be the champion of MARKETING Games was simply too good to resist! The finale of the MARKETING Games Human Foosball match was between New World Hotel, who had perfected their dribbling skills, against Carat & Consider iProspect whose eyes saw nothing but victory. It was truly a human foosball game to remember. Everyone was eager to bring home the prize. Finally, New World Hotel dribbled their way to victory. Moving Walls took home the third prize while Dentsu LHS clinched fourth placing. The FIFA MARKETING E-Games champion was none other than the talented Anwar Amin from RHB. While Haikal Amir Hamzah from Consider iProspect took home New World Hotel PJ wins the second prize and Mohd Daniel Firdaus First Prize for Human Foosball won third. Next, was the MARKETING Games World Cup Live Screening Party..on July 14...

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WORLD CUP FEVER BECOMES MARKETING FEVER!

MARKETING GAMES 2018

The gorgeous women at MARKETING Magazine Adam Lobo emceed the night

The beautiful Beer Pong girls PMJ entertaining the crowd with their beatboxing

New World staff soaking in the prize-giving party

Team Astro 2018

A week later, the MARKETING Games World Cup Live Screening & Prize Giving Party was held at Ballers@The Roof on July 14. Over two hundred people attended the celebration and it was a blast. The crowd was entertained by the rocking performances of Dani & The Serani Trio and professional beatboxer Emin from Phenomenal Mastermind Japan.

Always a good night with the gentleman from Pat & Associates Teams battle it out for the big Human Foosball cash prizes

A night loaded with fun, awesome live bands, great food, good looking men and gorgeous women, networking in a really swanky lounge. Most importantly, the champions of MARKETING Games triumphantly received their prizes. It brought the night alive, followed by the World Cup Live Screening. ...

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MARKETING GAMES 2018

Axeman Chester Zarsadias from Serani Trio set the stage on fire

MERCY Malaysia also managed to raise funds for their relief operations Some preferred hanging around the bar

Professional beatboxer Emin from Phenomenal Mastermind Japan

The crew from Pulse Soundworks

I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe England lost; And if they had won, we would not hear the end of it too!

Instagram worthy!

Adam Lobo thanks Dani for dazzling performance

Thanks to the Ballers@The Roof state of the art beer pong facilities, hidden beer pong talents were unleashed. Food and beer downed and the prize presentation to the winners of MARKETING Games took centre stage. The champions also had a taste of the World Cup glory as number 1 football prediction app, Moobara, gave away prizes in the form of a replica of the World Cup trophy and even the original World Cup ball. The crowd got lucky at the end of the night thanks to the lucky draw. Many went home with vouchers from Ballers@The Roof. Finally, the night ended with the World Cup viewing between Belgium and England. Of course, we know how that ended with England not bringing it home. These amazing events were made possible with the support of Astro, KIL (Keep It Local) entertainment, Monster energy drink, Paradigm Mall, Moving Walls, Pulse Soundworks, Moobara, Carlsberg and Directors Think Tank. Aforadio, Carlsberg and NAMA.

Some Bollywood stars made it for the free flow of beer

Media Prima Radio gets lucky with the lucky draw

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CREATIVE SURGE

IDEAS: THE AUTOMATIC EGG BOILER STORY BACK in the days before the automatic egg boiler was invented, mothers would put eggs in a metal container, fill it with hot water and leave it to cook. How long it was left inside depended on several factors: Number of eggs, how long they had been out of the fridge, size of container and whether mom remembered about the eggs. Suffice to say, no two softboiled eggs ever tasted the same. Some were too runny, some too hard, some were practically

chirping and cracking from the inside. Until one man decided to do something about it. Hew Ah Kow operated bulldozers in the jungles of Kelantan. Surrounded by swathes of land and with little else to do except drive around, and push and pull a couple of levers, Hew wondered if he could improve the lives of fellow Malaysians.

WHAT is the role of an ECD? I guess it depends who you ask. Whatever it is, it’s easy to drop the ball. I’ve been wearing these shoes for close to 10 years and I’m still making mistakes. But I’ve also picked up lessons. Here’s 10.

looking for leadership so you can’t sit on your balls being gray about stuff. Make a decision then stand by it. If it’s a bad one, apologise, unlearn, relearn, move on.

1)YOU WILL EXPERIENCE FAILURE. AND IT’S OK. Part of your job is to make decisions that will affect people. And some of them will be horrible. You will feel like a dick after you’ve made them. Well, embrace it and be accountable and learn from it. Don’t make excuses for it. Failure is only failure if you don’t learn from it. 2) YOUR EGO IS YOUR WORSE ENEMY. Some of the most insecure people on the planet are ECD’s. Because you measure your self worth from the reputation you have. You think the whole world is watching you and you feel judged. So you are tempted to play the all knowing, all righteous, all rounded ECD. What you’re doing is roleplaying. And it’s bullshit. Screw ego. Be humble. You’re far from perfect. And that’s ok. 3) DE DECISIVE In the movie - Battle Los Angeles, a battle-virgin platoon leader caught in an ambush froze, unable to give a command. His Staff Seargent yells at him, “go left, go right, I don’t care, but just give the order!” Your teams are

OBJECTIVE By fellow Malaysians, we

4) BE CHILD-LIKE Don’t let go of your inner child; that curious soul, that playful spirit, that stupid youth, that mischievous bugger. That is your biggest asset because like a child, we learn and grow through play. When you’re having fun, others will be inspired to be just as stupid and you get to try all sorts of crazy stuff. 5) TAKE AN INTEREST IN YOUR PEOPLE People are your biggest assets. And although it’s hard to journey with every individual, you try. Deal with them as professionals as well as a person. Take an interest in their feelings, their struggles, their issues, their dreams, their stories, their ideas. 6) TAKE AN INTEREST IN YOUR CLIENTS This can be tough. Cause not all clients are just and fair and mature. But guess what? Aren’t we like that too? Your clients have their issues and they’re battling their demons too. See things from their POV, support them, and yeah, do impressive shit for them even though most of it gets rejected. It’s not easy. But nothing on this planet is.

mean the 20 or so people in his lumber camp, of which Hew was the youngest. They liked nothing better than to start their day with soft-boiled eggs. Getting the main ingredient wasn’t a problem. Getting the consistency just right was. Hew was tasked to make the perfect breakfast, and to maintain the same quality day after day. Even back then, it fell upon the youngest to figure out how technology worked. CHALLENGE All this happened back in 1973. With no access to mothers nor the wisdom of the internet, Hew knew he had to macgyver something together. Poking around, he discovered several empty Ovaltine cans, and some nails. (Long metal ones, not the ones at the end of his fingers). There was also the bulldozerwhich might come in handy in case he accidentally set the camp on fire while boiling water. TRUTH “Young and full of bravado, I took it as a challenge and began conducting my own experiments,” says Hew. Instead of letting the eggs simmer and cook in the can, he wondered if he could ‘automate’ the process. To that end, Hew removed one crucial part of the preparation- the person scooping out the eggs at 7) STAY ANGRY The worse thing to be is being docile. That’s the doorway to complacency. Anger is your friend. Someone else did cool work? You say ‘tiu’ and do better. See an untapped opportunity? Say ‘nyama’ and go after it. See shit happening in society? You want to stay up all night figuring how to solve it creatively. Anger is your best friend. It fuels you to be proactive and that how cool shit happens.

just the right time. SOLUTION “I punctured the bottoms of Ovaltine cans and filled them with eggs and hot water,” says Hew. Over the next few months, he poured in different amounts of water to find the perfect level. “While the rest were playing mahjong, I’d bring out the cans and three or four of us would work on it. One person would boil the water, another would crack the shells while I recorded the test results.” “In moments of frustration, my colleagues would say, ‘Aiyah! No need to continue anymore. There’s nothing you can do about it.’ But because my pride was at stake, I plodded on,” says Hew. Before the year was up, Hew had found the perfect formula. By this time, he had stopped eating eggs and relied on judging the quality with his eyes. As fate would have it, a direct selling stockist, seeking shelter from the rain, stayed overnight at the camp. Hew offered him some soft-boiled eggs– since his colleagues too had eaten more than their fair share and nobody else would touch them. Fortunately, the stockist was so impressed he immediately offered to buy the prototype. When he left, Hew was RM7,000 richer. Within the next few months, the Newton Egg Maker

was born. (Technically, the only egg maker in this entire endeavour is the chicken but then again, advertising has always relied on exaggeration). Today, ‘Telur setengah masak’, and ‘Telur tiga suku’ are a staple at mamaks. We have them in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night time. Anytime is a good time for soft-boiled eggs, especially when one is on a diet. Although most of us consume them much too quickly and don’t give a second thought about this unique Malaysian invention. And all it took was an enterprising 20-year old, removed from the city, to remove the person scooping out the eggs, to get them just right. Sometimes the best ideas come by subtraction.

Edward Ong is on a quest to discover and create Malaysia’s best ideas. He is an award-winning Writer and Creative Director, and can be found at IdeasAreBorderless.com

EVERYONE’S COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT:

THE ROLE

8) BE CONTEMPLATIVE Reflect on the experience of being human. Ask ‘why’ all the time. Expose yourself to people’s souls. Be respectful, be attentive. They will teach you stuff and you’ll be able to use them as insights. There is too much shit work out there. Including mine. We need to put the soul back into our work. And you can’t have soul if you’re not a contemplative. 9) DON’T LET CREATIVE AWARD SHOWS TURN YOU INTO A SELF-SERVING PERSON CRAVING FOR GLORY Pursue things that matter to others, not things that will win you an award. Don’t go after awards. Let it go after you. We’ve tarnished the industry’s image enough already with pseudo ads. We have to stop rewarding and celebrating liars and cheats. And people

who have no qualms using someone’s misery as a subject matter to win awards. Instead, use your creativity where it matters to people. 10) BE KIND TO YOURSELF There is no way to succeed in everything. You will drop the ball and there will be consequences. So please forgive yourself. We’re our own

The ‘Everyone’s Complaint Department’ series of comic strips began as random doodles and reflection pieces of Alvin Teoh, ECD of NagaDDB Tribal. These little stories were originally posted on Facebook and are an ongoing tribute to life in Adland.

harshest critic. And we want to beat ourselves up. I understand that. But take a step back. It isn’t the end of the world. Even if you lose an account despite of all you do, forgive yourself. If you’ve done all you can, you deserve a pat on the back. Being ECD requires patience. If you’re new, you can’t expect to know everything right away. Give yourself time. You’ll do fine.

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CHANGING THE WAY BRANDS ADVERTISE WITH VIU’S UPCOMING ORIGINALS THERE are two things that are sure to bring Malaysians together – local cuisine and national pride. Malaysians will always root for a quality product that is also homegrown. International fast food chains who have infused local flavours such as nasi lemak, cendol and even durian in their meals, have strengthened their brand affinity among Malaysians. Local talents such as Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh and Datuk Jimmy Choo who have established themselves abroad have been celebrated by their fellow countrymen; and monumental events such as the recent 14th Malaysian General Election have taken the world by storm and put Malaysia on the map. Among those embracing local experiences to cater to the Malaysian market are brands such as Viu. Equipped with local and on-ground expertise, the premium OTT provider has been tuned into the needs and expectations of the Malaysian market. Thanks to the exposure to high quality productions such as Suits from NBC or Descendants of the Sun from KBS, the demand for local and relatable content with the same quality and production values of these shows have skyrocketed. Viu is addressing this demand through local storytelling catering to the Malaysian audience, from hiring local scriptwriters to casting local talents to filming these productions in Malaysia but with the understanding that viewers expect production levels on an international level. This will culminate in the release of three Original Malaysian shows in the fourth quarter of 2018, providing not only high entertainment value to discerning viewers but also opportunities for local advertisers to put their offerings on a local production that is truly premium. The three upcoming Original series, Salon, Jibril and The Bridge, are all categorised under the crime/thriller genre. Salon revolves around Anna, a female serial killer who metes

ONLINE STREAMING

“WITH VIU ORIGINALS SLATED TO PREMIERE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IT OPENS UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL BRANDS TO PARTNER WITH VIU AND TO CONNECT THEM TO A WIDER REACH OF CONSUMERS THROUGH DIFFERENT MEDIUMS.” out her own definition of justice. Set against the backdrop of the beauty business, Anna, who owns a Salon in Kuala Lumpur is on a mission to exact revenge on the killer responsible for murdering her family many years ago. Jibril is a story of a lawyer who possesses exceptional intelligence, striking good looks and an uncanny power of deduction. A sequence of events lead to several murders and assassinations and he is called upon to defend one of suspects; and thus begins the revelations of a secret terror organisation and the search for its elusive leader. The Bridge begins with the discovery of a body on a bridge between Malaysia and Singapore

– split in half and made up of two women. Two cops from each country are called in to investigate and solve the case. Following the essence of the shows, relevant and local brands are able to advertise on the Originals to ensure a targeted reach. As examples, hair care brands can effectively advertise on Salon while technology or vehicle brands will be wellplaced in a story like The Bridge. It’s not just placement when it comes to Viu’s version of OTT. Targeted pre-roll and mid-roll ads, site sponsorship, integrated contests as well as promotions are all additional avenues to give brands increased contextually relevant exposure that can only

be done digitally via an OTT platform like Viu. With these multifaceted avenues, brands can really take their messaging to the next level. With Viu Originals slated to premiere at the end of the year, it opens up opportunities for local brands to partner with Viu and to connect them to a wider reach of consumers through different mediums. These curated shows aim to merge local demand with high production value and bring the Malaysian market content that is both relatable and binge-worthy. Viewers can catch the upcoming Viu Originals, Salon, Jibril and The Bridge on www.viu. com or on the Viu app.

For more information, please feel free to contact: Advertising Opportunities Mark Jackson Head of Advertising mark.jackson@vuclip.com +60 12-222 5768 Other Enquiries Rossnan Cheong Head of Marketing rossnan.cheong@vuclip.com +60 17-248 5633 Shaza Nikmah Marketing Manager shaza.nikmah@vuclip.com +60 14 233 5814

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INFLUENCER MARKETING

ROCKETFUEL ENTERTAINMENT INFLUENCER MARKETING AND BRANDED CONTENT FOR WORLD CUP 2018 “OUR BRAND’S AFFINITY WITH INTERNATIONAL SPORTING TOURNAMENTS LIKE THE WORLD CUP FITS WITH OUR ETHOS TO DELIVER EXCELLENCE IN HOME OWNERSHIP,” MICHAEL CHAI, ASET KAYAMAS’ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NO doubt the World Cup fever had swept the entire nation, and the world. Bloodshot eyes, spikes of excitement and social media was flooded with football memes. Entertainment talent powerhouse Rocketfuel Entertainment was in the thick of the action by fueling up influencer marketing and branded content for the World Cup. Rocketfuel Entertainment partnered with Malaysia’s leading property developer Aset Kayamas, the official broadcast sponsor for Astro. Rocketfuel Entertainment’s very own half human, half puppet hailing from Batu Gajah, Perak, Harry Kok Siew Yok delivered fresh new sports-based content in Malaysia. MARKETING Magazine spoke to Rocketfuel Entertainment’s Vice President Murali ‘Moots’ Marimuthu on their World Cup 2018 initiatives. Our partnership with Aset Kayamas who is the official broadcast sponsor for Astro’s coverage of the World Cup 2018 included football legend activations at their screening events and a custom fan anthem titled “The World is Watching”. This event featured local stars Syamel, Dasha Logan, Altimet and Jinn Hackman. Legends Gilberto Silva (Brazil/Arsenal), Djibril Cisse (France/Liverpool), Sol Campbell (England/Arsenal) and Owen Hargreaves (England/ Manchester United) attended

intimate fan viewing parties over the World cup month. “Desa Sentral, a new property project developed by Aset Kayamas, played host to a public fan viewing party for the World Cup Finale,” says Moots. Football legend Owen Hargreaves and special guest John Dykes made their special appearance at the party. The ‘Born To Love the World Cup Final Viewing’ event also featured amazing performances by Syamel, Airlift, Kidd Santhe and Lil J. Creators of the song ‘Baby Shark’, Pink Fong, Didi & Friends, Omar & Han launched fun activities at the Finale party. “Our brand’s affinity with international sporting tournaments like the World Cup fits with our ethos to deliver excellence in home ownership,” added Michael Chai, Aset Kayamas’ Executive Director. Rocketfuel’s beloved puppet Harry Kok Siew Yok was involved with the World Cup through Astro Supersports. The team delivered a total of 18 videos for the campaign, 15 of which aired on television. This is a bold move for Supersports as Harry brought a very different and fresh dynamic to sports-based content in Malaysia. To name a few of the comical videos by Harry, ‘Talking Kok with Michael Essien’ has garnered a lot of laughs and Harry has even produced content on “How Malaysians should prepare for World Cup”.

ISSUE224END-JULY2018

SHUT UP ABOUT ADVERTISING!

regulations were a complete and utter waste of time, because if the Home Ministry or FINAS or MCMC felt something was unacceptable it would be dumped, rendering the CMCF opinion moot. Scream, shout, bite the carpet; it was toothless basically. So an NUJ committee might be as useful as tits on a bull. (you must be close to figuring out the price of free speech by now).

FREE SPEECH

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MANY folks believe that, in the newly ushered-in age of enlightenment, unprecedented amounts of speech should be free. So plentiful that it will line the supermarket shelves and dominate the stalls of every pasar raya. Handed out like kuih at every street corner. But, folks, free speech is a myth; there is no free lunch, there is no free Willy, there is no free Nelson Mandela. Because everything that we are told is free actually comes at a price. And usually it’s a price no-one really likes to pay. Look at America; they worship at the altar of free speech, ’enshrined’ in the first amendment of their beloved constitution. Unfortunately, its creators, Madison, Adams and Hamilton et al, didn’t see the internet coming did they? The trolls, the blogs and the anonymous haters (nor did they see their magnificent lives and achievements reduced to a

sing-along rap musical). So now, in America, you can call people the most outrageous names, you can shout profanities, racial and religious slurs at all and sundry, you can call for your opponents to be locked up; all without evidence, proof or facts; in fact, in America, you can tell the most outrageous and egregious lies without fear of consequence or reprisal. All dressed in the mantle of MAGA baseball caps and constitutional free speech. And the price? A country utterly split; in what some have titled, ‘a political civil war’. Over in the UK they have decided, given their lack of a written constitution, that national referendums are their ‘civilized’ expression of free speech. So they allowed every man, Jack and Jane in the country the privilege of free speech in a plebiscite about the single biggest issue in living memory. EU membership. People lied freely about the loftiest subjects. About jobs, contributions,

donations and immigration. And the whole country voted freely. And the price? Brexit is now bringing the entire zillion years old British political system to its knees. (Starting to count the cost of free speech yet?) Here we are then; unfettered free speech for Malaysia? Yes, or no? Let’s go. Well YB Gobind Singh Deo, new Minister of Communications and Multimedia, (who has a job I wouldn’t do for a golden pig) is left with how to address the issue of free speech. So another committee perhaps? The National Union of Journalists has suggested that they form a self-regulating body, dedicated to the upholding of free speech. Nice guys journalists, and all well and good intentioned, but naïve. Have they forgotten Malaysia already has copious rules and regs

on what can or cannot be said, prepared by ‘The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia’ (CMCF), a self-governing industry body who, counter intuitively, answer fully to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), an anointed government body who have their own separate and unique ideas on free speech. RTM have their rules regarding free speech on the TV and Radio, FINAS have theirs too on TV and movies. The Home Ministry usually sits at the top of all this heap and carries a blanket right to veto anything that gets up their (or their masters’) noses. So, all different. All convinced of their own right to disapprove. But who takes priority? In advertising particularly, we had suffered under this system (or lack of such) for years. I was excoriated while on the CMCF conduct code committee for daring to say that the many years spent drafting its rules and

Ah! but ‘Is there a solution, you dreadful cynic?’, I hear you ask? Oh yes. There’s a few. (and watch the name calling). Number one. Do away with all these regulatory bodies. Create or select a single, government approved, self-regulatory industry body. All internet providers, broadcasters, publications etc. be made responsible for their own content. Or suffer the agonies of hell if anyone transgresses. Supported by an efficient, genuinely trusted and respected complaints council. Sounds nice, but there is a snag; which of the current bodies would be willing to cede their Napoleonic power; a truly prized possession, to allow this to be put in place? (Although I still suspect totally unfettered free speech would be as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit among some parties in Malaysia), Number two. Say. ‘to hell with self-regulation’ and have one single and autocratic government body, appointed by the cabinet, to be the final arbiter; judge jury and executioner, over free speech as they define it. Mmmm, tasty. But again power may have to be relinquished by some, but the call would come from the top. (Don’t cry ‘fascism’, it makes the trains run on time) Or Number three. Do nothing. Tidak apa may actually be the best solution in this case. I’m not totally convinced that, apart from some irritations, free speech, or the perceived lack of it, has done any real harm. It might be said that Malaysia’s unorthodox ideas on free speech put a new voice in Putrajaya. Can’t be bad. Eh? So, Eek, dho, theen; over to you YB. And, by the way, free Nelson Mandela cocked up South Africa and free Willy probably ended up with a harpoon up the jacksy. Discount that!

Paul Loosley is an English person who lived in Asia 38 years, 12 as a Creative Director, 20 making TV commercials. And in recent years, as a brand consultant. And still, for some strange reason, he can’t shut-up about advertising. Any feedback; mail p.loosley@ gmail.com (please speak freely)