Issue 295 Weekender

www.marketingmagazine.com.my

ISSUE # 295 JUNE 2021

WEEKENDER

INSIDE:

BEST RAYA TVCs 2021

HOW

BAD

IS THE GOVERNMENT’S COVID MESSAGING?

WEEKENDER 04 10

EDITOR'S NOTE

COVER STORY

Hybrid Talk Who am I to dispute Khairy Jamaluddin, the coordinating Minister National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, when he says RM70 million...

21 Just How Screwed Up Is Online Media?

COVID messaging missing its mark and nobody is talking about it.

07 Who moved my… bottle?

MARKETING WEEKENDER is published by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd 22B, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 603-7726 2588 ham@adoimagazine.com. 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.

Cover picture by 123RF

popculture

“AFTER MARRIAGE, HUSBAND AND WIFE BECOME TWO SIDES OF A COIN, THEY JUST CAN’T FACE EACH OTHER, BUT STILL THEY STAY TOGETHER.”

“THERE’S A WAY OF TRANSFERRING FUNDS THAT IS EVEN FASTER THAN ELECTRONIC BANKING. IT’S CALLED MARRIAGE.” Michael Jordan

Al Gore

“A GOOD WIFE ALWAYS FORGIVES HER HUSBAND WHEN SHE’S WRONG.” Barack Obama

“BY ALL MEANS MARRY. IF YOU GET A GOOD WIFE, YOU’LL BE HAPPY. IF YOU GET A BAD ONE, YOU’LL BECOME A PHILOSOPHER.” Socrates

4 ISSUE295JUNE2021 | WEEKENDER EDITOR'S NOTE

Hybrid Talk MySejahtera.

Who am I to dispute Khairy Jamaluddin, the coordinating Minister National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, when he says RM70 million is a prudent allocation for MySejahtera which comes with a comprehensive “data integration and appointment system”?

Then comes the part that gets lost in translation: “It includes a system integration for linking the MySejahtera database with existing systems at the Ministry of Health pharmacies, development of a Chatbot system, development of vaccine registration portal website, and system of logistics management and vaccine delivery network.”

He goes on...”the integration of the digital passport system in MySejahtera, procurement of Queue Mobile management system for the vaccination

programme, and sending of SMSes and telephone calls on vaccination reminders between five and 10 times for each person.”

To be fair to MySejahtera, maybe it could be the monthly cost to run the app’s infrastructure that is high.

Hence RM70 million.

While Australia paid less than RM19 million to build their COVIDSafe app, it has cost RM312,000 to run and host.

Everyone knows it is not unusual for governments to spend massive amounts of money on systems that don’t really stay around for long.

How can one forget a previous Minister for spending RM1.8 million on 6 Facebook pages to market Tourism, which later became a “campaign” in a press conference she held to explain, after she was called out by the then Deputy PM

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... includes a system integration for linking the MySejahtera database with existing systems at the Ministry of Health pharmacies, development of a Chatbot system….

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (now Maihaddin).

“The RM1.8 million used for the Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia page was actually an allocation for the whole social media campaign.

Part of the money was spent on flash games engine, flash programming and coding, creative development and design, campaign ideas and concepts.”

She goes on…..”dedicated hardware deployment, software licensing, front end application and application server engine.”

I spoke to Stephen Molloy, who authored How Apps are Changing the World this morning, and he shared his thoughts on apps development and he reckons the cost of building a global SuperApp like Uber is much lower. Which it is has a e-commerce component.

For example, the approximate cost to build payment features for an app like Uber is RM25,000.

And the approximate cost for the UI/UX for an Uber-like app is RM50,000. In fact, the final cost of developing an app like Uber is only RM620,000.

In New Zealand, their COVID app cost RM18.5million. It includes development, project management and IT architecture, technology enablers to handles sudden surge capacity, customer service, security and Marketing Costs.

Marketing costs? Now there may lie the mystery of the RM70 million (ceiling)…

When most would panic, Denmark’s captain showed compassion and leadership in his swift response to Christian Eriksen’s collapse, possibly saving his life. His actions were seen by millions and spurred dialogues about the importance of CPR knowledge among players.

There is so much more to football than just kicking a ball around; brotherhood & humanity stand out in this Denmark game. Which is why EURO 2020 is one of the most-watched events of the year.

Ongoing FMCO means that fans are definitely home to witness everything unfold in the coming knock-out round. Capitalise on this trending Playground to catch the last 16 Rounds with our special UEFA Euro CPR Package, now till 23 June 2021 only!

Get UEFA Euro CPR Package here

7 ISSUE295JUNE2021 | WEEKENDER MARKETING RISKS

Who moved my… bottle?

What are sports people up to?

Are they asserting player power, and speaking up against the corporate machine, for what they believe?

• Naomi Osaka refuses to talk to the press at the French Open, and turns her back on the tournament when the tournament organizers threaten to fine her at every round.

• Cristiano Ronaldo moves Coke bottles out of the way in a press conference, and then says truculently says, “Agua!” (“water!”)

• Perhaps inspired by Ronaldo,

devout Muslim Paul Pogba moves a Heineken 0.0 bottle off the interview table, though the beer behemoth’s logo is clear in the backdrop behind Pogba.

• Italian Manuel Locatelli mimicks Ronaldo’s gesture 2 days later, moving Coke out of sight and saying “Acqua!”

Osaka’s withdrawal saw a wave of support from fellow sportspeople, who saluted her gesture to protect her own mental health. She is a painfully shy person. Her sponsors have not flinched, yet.

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... Sponsors should avoid ham-fisted or ancient modes of product placement...

The footballers’ gestures have caused much debate in marketing circles, because top sponsors have paid millions to associate themselves with Euro 2020, not easy in times of pandemic.

And football tournaments need sponsors as much as they need broadcast rights. Sponsors have not stated anything other than bland stuff in public, but for sure UEFA will be worried and huddled in discussions. They cannot afford to antagonize Ronaldo, the world’s biggest Instagram celebrity with 299 million followers. But if more footballers follow suit, sponsors will definitely negotiate harder next time around, or tweak their contracts.

As marketers what lessons can we learn from this trend of speaking out by sportspeople?

1. Sponsors should avoid ham-fisted or ancient modes of product placement: Placing those Coke bottles on the table may provide some old-fashioned

metrics of brand visibility, but it does not ever translate into brand credibility. No one thinks Ronaldo, one of the fittest footballers on the planet, guzzles Coke, though he has endorsed the brand previously, and got paid to star in commercials, back in 2006. The sponsors’ logos already appear during the games.

Brands need more meaningful placements, perhaps on digital and other platforms, that drive engagement and credibility rather than plain old reach.

2. Sponsors need to stretch beyond the obvious towards unique, brand-matching relevance that prompts brand consideration or brand love.

The solution could lie in content and creating some unique associations. For instance, the PGA had a serious of very watchable trick shots, which was sponsored. There is a tradition of skipping the water on the 16th hole at Augusta during practice rounds, and recently a trick shot by Jon Rahm got 27 million views. Such kind of engaging content is worth sponsoring.

At Euro 2020, Coca Cola could have looked at sponsoring trick shots, practice session footage,

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interviews with players for social media etc. Even old-fashioned relevance is good: note Rolex’s sponsorship of tennis’s clocks, and Hublot in the English Premier League.

into a win or response in social media. For instance, India’s adhesive brand Fevicol, nurtured for years by brand building legend Piyush Pandey, had a quick and fun social rejoinder.

3. Plan for unforeseen eventualities: Every sponsorship comes with some risks. Planning and anticipating is important for brands to win. UEFA’s statement in response to Ronaldo’s gesture is quite solid: they noted that players are offered water, CocaCola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar at press conferences and that they “can choose their preferred beverage. Coca-Cola offers a range of drinks to suit different tastes and needs, which are available to players throughout the tournament.” But it would be interesting to see Coke make some kind of veiled comeback.

Make no mistake. Sport definitely needs sponsors to sustain itself: it cannot do so solely from broadcast rights and gate revenues. Ronaldo’s gesture may have partly been born from his frustration of seeing his kids drink Coke (something he has spoken about in interviews).

But it has created an interesting moment for brands to reconsider and re-jig their efforts at sponsorship.

Placement alone won’t cut it anymore.

4. Be ready for social: These actions in news conferences are mostly reported online and in social. Hence the bar on how to associate positively with the passionate emotions of sports has been raised higher because of the growing power of athletes and social media. Coke needs to translate its real world defeat

Sandeep Joseph is the CEO and cofounder of Ampersand Advisory, a strategic media and data-driven consultancy. The company’s mission is “business results now!” and it has won numerous local and international awards.

The views expressed here are the author’s own: you can debate with him at sandeep@ampersandadvisory.com

10 ISSUE295JUNE2021 | WEEKENDER COVER STORY

COVID messaging missing its mark and nobody is talking about it.

BY THE HAMMER

Effective messaging is not just about getting your points across.

It is also about winning hearts and minds.

I find our government messaging very official, and is very boring and dead-pan, after more than a year.

I know COVID is a serious matter. But do the “Perutusan Khas” sessions have to be so instructive in tone.

Which brings me to the point I am trying to make.

Why has the government not run massive public message campaigns across all our media platforms?

Why don’t they engage advertising and media agencies to do a better job in communicating?

Why is it that the only time we get to hear from them is on

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See how other countries handle their public messaging.

Professionally:

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

Bernama (yawn), and RTM (still around?) and local channels provided by private stations.

And not forgetting the intermittent SMSes which are as exciting as a visit to the dentist are completely out of place.

Nice try!

Leaders with legacy thinking Do the rulers of our lives know that even advertisers don’t spend money on RTM. Why do they think it is the main game in town?

The government may control some media platforms via proxy but their understanding about media is far from current.

They actually think people are dying to hear from them. When in fact people listen to them out of necessity, not need.

They expect everything to happen just because they say so.

This is so 1960s!

That’s probably why half the country has not signed up with MySejahtera, even though we have more than 20 million smart phone users.

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... They have become numb trying to figure out Control Orders which are slowly running out of alphabets to label themselves.

By now Malaysians have heard a lot about billions being spent on COVID measures.

They have become numb trying to figure out Control Orders which are slowly running out of alphabets to label themselves.

Too much hardware and not enough software. Everything is about stats, not enough about meaningfulness.

13 ISSUE295JUNE2021 | WEEKENDER COVER STORY

... Billions are being spent in the fight for COVID. But how about spending RM100 million and make our lives more interesting?...

About hard-selling the official rules, not enough about softselling the genuine compassion.

Government campaigns have always had the stigma of being awarded under dubious clouds

and the industry laughs its way way out of briefing rooms while some laugh their way to the bank. And this will include more than the agency folk. Arrests in recent years testify to the hidden truth in these observations.

Communicate and Touch People.

There have been many government campaigns before: Tak Nak, Road Safety and more….

But are there none for COVID? Does the government think PSAs need to be boring to be effective?

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The COVID tragedy has exposed how the Government communicates and not many are impressed.

Billions are being spent in the fight for COVID. But how about spending RM100 million and make our lives more interesting?

I am sure Malaysia’s awardwinning agencies and media platforms can do an amazing job with content, reach and empathy.

Provided, of course, there is no leakage along the way.

We have heard of Recover Plans, Immunisation Plans and all that “important” stuff.

But where is the Communications Plan? Because with the amount of mathematical information the average citizen has to digest, we need to streamline the approach by market segmentation.

If government agencies like RTM, Bernama and JAPEN are entrusted to do all the communications you can expect the same “pengumuman” style stuff. Their method of messaging will not survive in the Digital age.

I am not saying they don’t do a good job; I am saying that modern communications is really a professional task that evolves by the minute.

The good news is Malaysia has many ad and media agencies that are tuned in to what works and what does not work.

Their work is driven by market forces and are paid based on results and effectiveness.

You can’t apply these benchmarks to the government agencies and hope it happens.

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Celebrate with Malaysia’s Best Raya TVCs Festive ad producers have delivered once again despite the challenges of yet another movement control order during the Raya season this year.

MARKETING Magazine continued its tradition by organising the annual Experts’ Choice Awards Raya TVC 2021 edition, to help the industry decide which brand, agency and production house did it best this time around.

Our robust industry-wide survey this time recorded the highest votes at 4283 validated and unique voters. We weeded out those who tried to vote for their own work, either directly or through third party invested partners.

Our rankings are based purely on readers’ choices, and not on how many million YouTube views, etc.

The top 10 winners and 5 special mention winners, for the 2021 Experts Choice Awards Raya TVC, in no particular order, are:

16 ISSUE295JUNE2021 | WEEKENDER

Bank Rakyat: ‘Raya Tetap Raya’ When Lailatulqadar realized that she could not celebrate Raya with her grandparents, she learned that “Raya Tetap Raya” in any situation, thanks to technology.

This Raya, Bank Rakyat brings the message that we can still celebrate this special occasion with our loved ones no matter where we are.

Astro: ‘Singkap Sebalik Tingkap’ The story of Lisa uncovers a perception of a city girl broadening her horizons as she meets Pak Samad during her visit to her kampung over Raya.

Client: BANK RAKYAT Nizam Sani Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Nizam Abu Samah Head of Strategic Communications Mohamad Syamin Aizat Samsuri Executive, Corporate Communications Agency: Bank Rakyat (In House) Production House: Enjit-Enjit Semut Sdn Bhd

Client: Astro Tammy Toh Director, Group Marketing and Communications Robert Middleton VP Ezura Shazween Kamal Bahrin, Radin Sri Nilam Baiduri Pangeran Ghazali Bahcik, Wirda Mohd Ali AVPS Agency: Naga DDB Tribal Clarence Koh Chief Operating Officer Alvin Teoh Chief Creative Officer Nik Radzi Executive Creative Director Erman Basiron, Farid Ajlan Creative Group Heads Erman Basiron, Hafiz Mansor Art Directors Farid Ajlan, Nursuhaila Sukri Copywriters Dennis Kam, Alisya Rozhan Planners Caroline Kong Business Unit Head Mandy Teoh, Syakilla Azman Brand Managers Natasha Nadzer Senior Brand Executive Production House: Directors Think Tank: Chris Lau Producer Pat Singh Executive Producer Maurice Noone Film Director Aiman Aliff Co-Director

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Atlas Vending: ‘Magic Pantry’ Self reflection can change our personality and perception of the people around and how we can handle each situation more positively. May this Syawal give us the opportunity and space to rest for a while. Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri from us at ATLAS.

MRCB: ‘Rendang Mak’ Even though distance and boundaries separate us, the far is always close to the heart. Syawal is far away, but the hearts remain together.

Client: ATLAS VENDING Amy Gan Head of Marketing & Ancillary Sales Chin Yien Yien Channel Branding Manager Creative Agency: VMLY&R COMMERCE Media Agency Noir by Entropia Chan Woei Hern, Aui Kun Chee Executive Creative Directors Hilmi Amir, Goh Wan Jin Art Directors Faisal Hashim Copywriter Production House: MASTERMIND GROUP

Client: MRCB Noreen Sabrina Mohd Noor Head of Group Corporate Communications Shaun Ravind Manager Corporate Communications Radzi Amin Bin Ramleh Senior Executive Corporate Communications Mohamad Aizat Bin Mohamad Yusoff Senior Executive Corporate Communications Aby Huraira Bin Othman Senior Executive Corporate Communications Agency: MRCB (In House) Production House: MRCB (In House) Noreen Sabrina Mohd Producer Shaun Ravind Assistant Producer Radzi Amin Bin Ramleh Director/Videographer Mohamad Aizat Bin Mohamad Yusoff Talent Manager/Script Writer Aby Huraira Bin Othman Assistant Director Muhammad Amir Faiq Mohd Razip Production Assistant Shazmyir Rahman Production Assistant

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Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia: ‘Mitsubishi Raya 2021 bersama Jihan Muse: IKAN BESAR‘ Due to travel restrictions, most Malaysians will have their ‘Kampung’ on their minds. But for actress Jihan Muse, it’s not going to dampen Raya. She tells a funny story with her indispensable Mitsubishi Xpander.

Minyak Masak ALIF: ‘Makan Bersama’ During this pandemic, we find ourselves alone-together in the same house but our attention is taken up by work or school.

We may be living together but it doesn’t mean we are always present. But a family that eats together, stays together. Jemput Makan Bersama Alif.

Client: MITSUBISHI MOTORS MALAYSIA Jassie Gan Head, Marketing Communications Debbie Choong Manager, Marketing Communications Agency: Cogent Ideas Andrew Ang Executive Creative Director Monster Chee / Theshigen Creative Group Head Nik Sharmine Copywriter Liang Mei Kim General Manager Muhammad Danial Marcom Manager Production House: MASTERMIND GROUP

Client: Minyak Masak ALIF Elly Kartereena Ahmad Kamal Corporate Branding & Marketing Manager, Sime Darby Oils Agency: Symon Patryck Creative Shukri Jamal Abdul Hakim Executive Creative Director Haiydzal Mateen Azizan Creative Director Shukri Jamal Abdul Hakim Copywriter/Scriptwriter Frisha Farhana Ishak Creative Producer Mazhanim Mohamed Account Manager Production House: MASTERMIND GROUP

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KPJ Healthcare Berhad: ‘Sentiasa di ingatan kami’ Kakak sacrificed her break to allow her colleagues to celebrate Eid with their families due to the pandemic outbreak. The film depicts new realities and cleverly delivers important PSA on vaccination, SOP compliance and leveraging technologies.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad: Hikmah Raya Aida’ Aida’s back, and her business is busier than ever! But things don’t always go according to plan.

What’s next for her? Find out in #HikmahRayaAida

Client: KPJ Healthcare Puan Ariesza Noor Chief Corporate Officer, KPJ Healthcare Berhad Russell Teo Senior Corporate Manager, KPJ Healthcare Berhad Aidaliza Mahmud Corporate Manager, KPJ Healthcare Berhad Production House: Light Up 7 Sdn Bhd Usaid Ghassan Taha Creative Director/Producer Amanda Nelson Storyline & Script Afiqah Kamal Line Producer/Production Manager Putri Purnama Film Director Kev Khoo Yoon Huun

Client: TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD Shaiful Amrin bin Abdul Karim (Senior Manager - Advertising & Creative Management) Evelyn Kuang Sze Hwa (Manager - Advertising & Promotions) Eunice Chan En-Xin (Executive - Advertising & Promotions) Agency: Entropia April Toh Principal Tana Bong Brand Director Marina Anwar Brand Associate Zaheer Kaisar Creative Director Ayuni Safira Senior Copywriter Production House: Reservoir World Sdn Bhd

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Petronas: ‘Syukur Raya’ Narrated by an adorable storyteller named Syuk-kur, Syukur Raya explores the themes of compassion and kindness in a seemingly ordinary neighbourhood. How will Poji navigate through the challenges of celebrating Raya away from home this year?

Client: Petronas Fazli Ibrahim Head of Communications Management Department , Group Strategic Communications, PETRONAS Azura Hashim Kamal Head of Production- Communications Management Department, Group Strategic Communications, PETRONAS Galoh Sazrina Samsudin Head of Communications PlanningCommunications Management Department, Group Strategic Communications, PETRONAS Agency: ensemble worldwide Production House: Reserve Tank

Client: JULIE’S BISCUIT Sai Tzy Horng Brand Director Agency: GOVT Singapore Kevin Joseph Associate Creative Director Kriffith Fernando Copywriter Zhenxi Yeo Art Director Melissa Lim Art Director Jaslyn Lam Business Director Woei Wong Senior Account Manager Alicia Yueh Producer Production House: Layar Lucida

Julie’s Biscuit: Ini Iklan Raya, Tau? Women break from the script to get us to question if we’re giving them enough credit for the roles they play in our lives, to the comical consternation of the film’s director.

A reminder to show women the love they deserve this Raya.

• Safi: ‘Safi Raya Kau SPECIAL MENTIONS

Hijau‘

• Prudential: ‘Bahagia Bersamamu’ • Tune Talk: ‘Ini Raya Kita’

• Etiqa: ‘Balik Tanjung Mana?’

• MAE (Maybank): ‘MAE-mang Boleh Raya Dengan MAE By Maybank2u’

21 ISSUE295JUNE2021 | WEEKENDER BOBHOFFMAN.COM

Just How Screwed Up Is Online Media?

For about ten years the advertising and marketing industry has been obsessed with media. And just like everything else the industry becomes obsessed with, they’ve screwed it up beyond recognition.

22 ISSUE295JUNE2021 | WEEKENDER BOBHOFFMAN.COM

... In other words, it’s an indicator that marketers use to evaluate how well their media dollars are performing for them...

Here’s a lovely example.

The ANA (Association of National Advertisers) did a survey recently of media executives. Before we get to the results, here’s an explanation for civilians: a KPI is a “key performance indicator.”

In other words, it’s an indicator that marketers use to evaluate how well their media dollars are performing for them.

In this survey the ana identified 39 potential kpis and asked media execs to rank them on

certain criteria.

Two of the most critical criteria were, - what KPIs are most important to you?

- What KPIs are you using?

You would think that in any sane universe the KPIs that are most important to them would be the ones they’re using, right? But in a sane universe these people would be driving for uber.

In fact, if you look at the top 5 KPIs, there is almost no correlation between the ones these geniuses think are the most important and the ones they actually use.

The KPI they use most is “cost per thousand.” They rate it as the 22nd most important - the KPI they use second most is “cost per click.”

They rate it as the 27th most important. No, you can’t make this shit up.

Bob Hoffman is author of "Advertising For Skeptics", "BadMen: How Advertising Went From A Minor Annoyance To A Major Menace" and several other books about advertising.