ACCOUNT WINS PITCH WATCH: SEPTEMBER 2017 TOP 10 WINS ASIA PACIFIC
MALAYSIA
2
CREATIVE AGENCY
ACCOUNT
AREA
LEO BURNETT
CHUNGHWA TELECOM PROJECT
TAIWAN
LEO BURNETT
PFIZER VIAGRA
CHINA
M&C SAATCHI
SGMW PROJECT
CHINA
M&C SAATCHI
MENG NIU PROJECT
CHINA
J WALTER THOMPSON
SHENZHEN SANJIU PROJECT
CHINA
THE MONKEYS
AUSTRALIA POST
AUSTRALIA
CUMMINS & PARTNERS
KRAFT HEINZ CO
AUSTRALIA
PUBLICIS
SCOOT/TIGER
SINGAPORE
PUBLICIS
RENAULT
CHINA
DDB
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
MEDIA AGENCY
ACCOUNT
AREA
STARCOM
AB INBEV
CN,KR,JP
UNIVERSAL MCCANN
NSW GOVERNMENT
AUSTRALIA
MEDIACOM
CHANGAN PSA
CHINA
WAVEMAKER
NSW GOVERNMENT
AUSTRALIA
PHD
AB INBEV
AU,VN,IN
OMD
MEDIA MERCHANTS
AUSTRALIA
HAVAS MEDIA
NSW GOVERNMENT
AUSTRALIA
HAKUHODO
SSP CO,
JAPAN
OMD
MACALLINE
CHINA
STARCOM
SNOOZE (STEINHOFF / PEPKOR)
AUSTRALIA
CREATIVE AGENCY
MONTH
ACCOUNT
AREA
M&C SAATCHI
JAN
ETIKA - CALPIS PROJECT
MALAYSIA
M&C SAATCHI
JAN
D’YANA
MALAYSIA
FCB
JULY
WATSONS PROJECT
MALAYSIA
FALCON AGENCY
JUNE
GENKI! MALAYSIA (DIGITAL)
MALAYSIA
FCB
SEP
MOTOROLA
MALAYSIA
FCB
FEB
CONTINENTAL PROJECT
MALAYSIA
OGILVY
APR
TAIWAN TRADE CENTER
MALAYSIA
LION & LION
AUG
SHARP (DIGITAL)
MALAYSIA
VML
AUG
LEGOLAND MALAYSIA RESORT (DIGITAL)
MALAYSIA
KINGDOM DIGITAL
AUG
SIME DARBY PROPERTY BERHAD
MALAYSIA
MEDIA AGENCY
MONTH
ACCOUNT
AREA
MEDIACOM
JUNE
PSA GROUP
GLOBAL
INITIATIVE
SEP
TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD
MALAYSIA
STARCOM
JULY
KRAFT HEINZ
APAC
INITIATIVE
APR
SOUTHERN LION
MALAYSIA
MINDSHARE
MAY
THEMED ATTRACTIONS RESORTS & HOTELS
MALAYSIA
COLUMBUS
JULY
LAFARGE
MALAYSIA
WAVEMAKER
JULY
KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION
MALAYSIA
MINDSHARE
AUG
IBM
APAC
OMD
AUG
KHAZANAH PROJECT
MALAYSIA
WAVEMAKER
JULY
PFIZER CONSUMER HEALTH
SG, MY, TW, KR
MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
7 56 8 3 9 4 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 0 1 9 4 5 8 67
ISSUE 213 (NOV-DEC17)
Regional CEO Harmandar Singh ham@adoimagazine.com Business Development Jarrod Sunil Solomon jarrod@adoimagazine.com Sandesh Singh sandesh@adoimagazine.com
COVER STORY
12
Art Director Chemical Ali ali@adoimagazine.com Designer Tham Fook Wai wai@adoimagazine.com Events & Workshops Ruby Lim ruby@adoimagazine.com Amira Ibrahim 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
Rocketfuel Entertainment is rewriting the way star appeal has become a true power marketing tool to win market share...
EDITOR'S NOTE
Mccain Goh, mccain1982@yahoo.com Web & Digital Manager Saravana Kumaa Contributors: Josh Sklar, Contagious Print Spec Solution Sdn Bhd (726670-H) No 57, Jalan Balakong Jaya 6, Taman Industri Balakong Raya, 43300 Balakong, Selangor Darul Ehsan 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 follow us on: www.facebook.com/marketingmagazine.asia Digital Edition: http://goo.gl/e0B07B https://issuu.com/ 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.
4
MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
06 INSTAGRAM AND SOME THOUGHTS FOR 2018. The Instagram audience is the second most engaged audience behind Facebook, with more than 700 million monthly users. Many industry observers say Instagram (a hybrid name from ‘instant camera’ and ‘telegram’) will be the lifeline for Facebook’s continued dominance in social media. It bought Instagram for nearly a billion US dollars a few years ago. According to a survey by research consultancy Kantar TNS...
ONLINE FLUX
WITH DIGITAL ADS, IT’S NOT THE QUANTITY, IT’S THE… WELL, IT’S NOT THE QUANTITY, ANYWAY. Earlier this year, JP Morgan Chase decided to rethink the idea of advertising on 400,000 different web sites every month, especially when it had no idea what sort of content it was sponsoring. It dropped back to a mere 5,000 channels all vetted by hand, eye, and human brain and, surprise surprise, discovered that the drastic reduction had very little effect on their anticipated metrics. P&G similarly slashed its own digital ad buy by a whopping...
20
22
WINNING THE FUTURE
THE DAY THE KL CONVENTION CENTRE SHOOK When Astro held their QUAKE event about 'winning the future' at the KL Convention Centre on Oct 11, they shook more than the prevailing mindsets of marketers and industry leaders about Content. More than 500 key industry players graced the event that showcased stellar speakers from Disney, Amazon and also some global awardwinning surprises....
RETAIL MARKETING
SHOPPER360’S THIRST FOR INNOVATION
MASS MARKETING
DO MARKETERS REALLY FEEL THE “POWER OF THE MASS MARKET”? When I met Johan recently for this interview, he already looked comfortable in his new job even though he was in the seat for just one week. I have known him since his days as CEO of MyCreative Ventures, where he championed growth of the Malaysian creative industry, and was a speaker at our events. This time, he looked like a man on a mission he has been waiting all his life...
27 30
The sky’s the limit for shopper360, from making inroads into new markets, listing on the Singapore stock exchange and recently celebrating two new company launches, 2017 has been a busy year for this 30-year old company. I was recently at shopper360’s office to find out what was in this agency’s...
CMO2017
38
On Oct 16, about 250 marketing and communications professionals, and students, showed up for the sixth Malaysian CMO (Chief Marketing Officers) Conference at the Sime Darby Convention Centre with the theme, Marketing is the New Sexy! It repositioned Marketing as the engine for the digital revolution, because when marketing helps monetise digital, things start to happen...
44 DRAGONS OF ASIA
DRAGONS OF MALAYSIA & ASIA 2017 WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
On 13th October in Kuala Lumpur, winners of the Dragons of Malaysia and Asia were announced at a glittering ceremony which also saw winners from across Asia...
50 ISSUE213NOV-DECMARKETING
5
editors note
INSTAGRAM AND SOME THOUGHTS FOR 2018.
By the Turbanned Stranger, ham@adoimagazine.com
to what is in store for 2018. I offer a few thoughts of mine: Quality content will win in a world of content overload, where fake news is mainstream. (When Tony Fernandes got married, nobody believed it until the papers broke the story) More Malaysian marketers will invest in influencer marketing. Social media and digital platforms will come under greater government scrutiny. The knowledge gap for most Malaysian marketers will widen, but agencies will still tolerate it. Online ad fraud will continue to haunt advertisers. But they will still go with the flow. With a matured digital ecosystem in place, credible mainstream media will hold its own. "Instagram Stories" is the one to watch.
1
2 3 4 5 6
The Instagram audience is the second most engaged audience behind Facebook, with more than 700 million monthly users. Many industry observers say Instagram (a hybrid name from ‘instant camera’ and ‘telegram’) will be the lifeline for Facebook’s continued 6
MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
dominance in social media. It bought Instagram for nearly a billion US dollars a few years ago. According to a survey by research consultancy Kantar TNS released last year, Malaysians are the most active Instagram users in the Asia Pacific
region. There are almost 10 million Instagram users in Malaysia now, with a skew to females. In fact, it is the social platform of choice for celebrities in Malaysia (check out our cover story). As this is our last issue for 2017, readers are always curious as
7
Respectfully,
say what “90% OF THE WORLD’S DATA WAS CREATED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. 80% OF IT IS UNSTRUCTURED.” JAMSHED WADIA - DIRECTOR, DIGITAL MARKETING & MEDIA, ASIA PACIFIC AND JAPAN, INTEL CORPORATION
"CUSTOMER REVIEWS ARE MUCH MORE PERSUASIVE THAN ADVERTISING. AND THE PURCHASE PROCESSES FOR START TO FINISH IS NOW WITHIN 1-6 DAYS.” CHRIS JAQUES - CEO OF THE REPUTATION PARTNERSHIP
"IN A WORLD OF ATTENTION STARVED AND CYNICAL CONSUMERS, BRANDS MUST GIVE PEOPLE SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN. IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN JUST MAKING MONEY; IT IS ABOUT CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE AND BEING PART OF THEIR LIVES. BRAND PURPOSE INSPIRES TRUST, LOYALTY, ADVOCACY AND ULTIMATELY, CONSUMPTION.” SHIV SAHGAL - MARKETING DIRECTOR, UNILEVER MALAYSIA
"TWO-THIRDS OF FEMALE SHOPPERS SAY TRYING-IT-OUT IS A DECIDING FACTOR FOR SHOPPING IN STORES VERSUS ONLINE. SHOPPING FOR PRODUCTS WITH A HIGH FASHION QUOTIENT IS A LIKELY DRIVER. WHILE SEEING OR TRYING OUT PRODUCTS IS THE TOP-RANKED REASON GIVEN BY MALES AS WELL, INSTANT GRATIFICATION IS NEARLY AS IMPORTANT. A HIGHER SHARE OF MEN THAN WOMEN SAY THAT TAKING ITEMS HOME IMMEDIATELY IS WHY THEY SHOP IN STORES VERSUS ONLINE. WOMEN WANT TO SEE; MEN WANT TO TAKE!” DR TERRY O’CONNOR - GROUP CEO AT COURTS ASIA LIMITED
8
MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
10 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
ISSUE213NOV-DEC
11
There are stars and there are stars. What is the real difference Rocketfuel brings to brands in Malaysia?
They say “There’s no business like show business”. We say, there's no business like business that makes business. And that’s the essence of our raison d’etre, or reason for being. We nurture, nourish and align stars so they make commercial sense for brands in the marketplace. We recognize this is more of a science than an art, which is really what differentiates us in the marketing ecosystem.
And your Talents….
The talents in Rocketfuel are our biggest assets and the content we produce with them are always in-line with their own individual brand. We tailor campaign objectives and the talents’ own brand so there’s no obvious force-
fit. It’s not about a brand engaging a talent, but about a talent engaging the audience. We look for brand engagement or collaboration that best suits our talents, making it more relevant to their lifestyle and the platform they are pushing it on. Essentially, we cover all facets of our talents’ careers and also provide them with training and development to sharpen their skills and potential. It is important that our talents are upskilled to go beyond their disciplines – we want them to be more than just a host, or a singer or actor. As such, talents are now content creators and together with Rocketfuel, we work hand-in-hand to develop engaging content for both brands and consumers.
Fandom is the new mantra in marketing...
Marketers always want to turn their consumers into real
12 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
brand fans. This is their holy grail. We understand how this is done, because it’s what we eat, live and breathe every day. That’s why we have some of the biggest talents like Zizan Razak with 2.55 million followers on Twitter and 4.3 million on Instagram and Lisa Surihani with 3.78 million on Twitter and 3 million on Instagram in our fold. Just to name two… of the hundreds on our roster. The question of brand fit has been most times subjective and even personal. We find this baffling, especially when recommendations are made by people who are clueless and do not have their fingers on the pulse of pop culture. This is where we come in. In this feature, we have developed a Brand Fit Guide to the Stars which many of your readers will find revealing and even shocking, as they cannot track every “happening” that’s going on in this
shifting landscape. We work closely with clients to design the creative execution of the campaign by generating conversations with the target audience that ensure brand relevance with the right talent fit.
This is not a trick question, but some marketers ask if the personalities of big stars will overshadow the brand?
Ah, the timeless question of whether the star will ‘vampire’ the brand. The solution boils down to management of expectations. Marketers who work with us have the benefit of working with “talents who manage talents”, so to speak. Most of our people are stars in their own right, and they know how to manage talents.
A lot of us have “been there, done that” so we understand the needs and idiosyncrasies of our talents. We don’t believe in egos, as we treat all our talents as family and work closely in developing their careers from scheduling, grooming, financial planning, and more. We manage the right balance of exposure, sometimes overexposure, so the brand wins at the end of the day without undermining the integrity and credibility of the brand ambassador. Because both their interests are not mutually exclusive. Our campaign strategists work with advertisers to ensure that when our biggest stars are part of a campaign journey,
An entertainment company with a digital edge. the brand itself is the key protagonist of the conversations.
Are Malaysian consumers more attracted to foreign stars than local celebrities?
Local talents have just as much clout as their international stars, but it’s a case of different strokes for different folks, that’s how influencer marketing works - go where the fame is. Rocketfuel’s first regional talent is Chaleeda Gilbert from Thailand who released her first Thai single with over 1.3 million views on YouTube in just 10 days. Her first English single was released regionally recently.
What about media trends?
GroupM forecasts almost 33% of global ad spend will be on digital platforms this year.
There is stronger affinity between the audience and talent on Instagram, making ads more memorable to the people who see them. These are all talent driven platforms regardless of territorial celebrity status. The total global ad spend on Instagram is expected to reach USD1.53 billion this year while Nielsen says ad recall on Instagram is 2.9 times higher than the norm for online advertising.
Earned media is every marketer’s dream and one ROI justification for investment in Influencer Marketing...
Numbers are a good guide but this is not a zero sum game: there are real winners. Earned media through associations with stars or celebrities is priceless. Brands need to get off this ROI bandwagon and look
beyond, because star appeal will disrupt all the metrics they have been working with so far. Long term brand association is always the goal. It is easy for brands to work with talents on influencer marketing for campaigns on a case by case or short term basis, but the real win would be in converting influencer marketing strategies into owned media. This could be done by developing true brand ambassadors with talents who are passionate about the brand and will create long term conversations and affinity or ownership of the brand. The right long term talent fit is key to brand success.
Tell us about Harry Kok….
Harry Kok is a character created to disrupt
traditional notions of entertainment among urban Malaysians. We wanted to see how far we could push the perimeters of digital content without getting technical about platforms and technology. When creating the character, we went all the way, giving him a full biodata and listing down his characteristics, experiences, pet peeves, heroes, family background, etc. We wanted Harry to be as real a person as possible. We set up various social media accounts for him, including Tinder! Harry Kok is an interesting proposition at Rocketfuel, as he is both an IP and a talent. Urban Malaysians seldom consume Malaysian-made content, and Harry is changing that. Data shows that Harry’s appeal cuts across
urban demographics both young and old, male and female. Harry has become somewhat of ‘the people’s champ’, as he is relatable and says what others dare not say. His catchphrases “I am the Malaysian” and “U think wat” breed familiarity and a sense of ownership for the character amongst Malaysians.
Can you share your content creation cycle, right through to social media and IP?
We have an open session where anyone can pitch an idea for content, be it a member of staff or even one of our own talents. When an idea gets shortlisted, we proceed to the development phase where the concept is fine-tuned and the format of the show is set. While the script is being ironed out, we also begin work on things like fonts, music, thumbnails and banners for our channels, plus social media tags to be
used in postings. With the number of shows/content we produce, we usually spend Week 1 filming, while Week 2 is purely post-production. Week 3 is when we start our promotion of the shows, with teasers and trailers posted on social media, and Week 4 is spent in pre-production for the coming week's new cycle of filming. The two channels we manage are Rocketfuel Network, which hosts all our original music content, and Rocketfuel Entertainment, which hosts all original show content. Once full videos have been released, we keep the shows relevant by regularly uploading pictures on social media, as well as engaging with fans in the comments section, because we believe that interaction with our core audience is crucial in fostering a sense of ownership of the content. An original idea may be given up to 4 or 5 episodes to find its niche, and hopefully connect with audiences, but in the off-chance it does not, we will not hesitate to pull the plug and refocus our energy on other shows instead. If the show gains traction, we then look at moving forward in terms
of copyrighting logos and catchphrases for use in merchandising. We would also then look to approach potential sponsors with regards to partnering on branded content. All our original IPs are protected by our partnerships with YouTube and Warner Music, which we use to defend against any intellectual rights violations.
14 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
cover story
ISSUE213NOV-DEC 15
16 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
cover story
ISSUE213NOV-DEC 17
cover story
18 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
IDE U G G ETIN APPEAL K R A M STAR FIT TO BRAND FOR
ISSUE213NOV-DEC 19
WITH DIGITAL ADS, IT QUANTITY, IT’S THE… THE QUANTITY, ANYW ... WHOPPING
US$100 MILLION
AND IN A RESULT THAT MADE HUNDREDS OF ITS DIGITAL ANALYSTS KNOCK THEIR HEADS AGAINST THEIR CUBICLE WALLS, SAW THEIR SALES ACTUALLY
INCREASE BY
2%
...
by Josh Sklar, President of Heresy, Author of “Digital Doesn’t Matter (and other advertising heresies)” josh@heresy.co, @ chiefheretic, http:// heresy.co, http:// digitaldoesntmatter.com
EARLIER this year, JP Morgan Chase decided to rethink the idea of advertising on 400,000 different web sites every month, especially when it had no idea what sort of content it was sponsoring. It dropped back to a mere 5,000
20 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
channels all vetted by hand, eye, and human brain and, surprise surprise, discovered that the drastic reduction had very little effect on their anticipated metrics. P&G similarly slashed its own digital ad buy by a whopping
US$100 million and in a result that made hundreds of its digital analysts knock their heads against their cubicle walls, saw their sales actually increase by 2%. It’s all a little too early and anecdotal to start claiming that up
is down and plaid is in again, but it’s sure looking more and more like not even the big boys know what they’re doing. The problem here is that for the last couple of decades one of the keenest selling points
online FLUX
T’S NOT THE … WELL, IT’S NOT WAY.
of online media has been the notion of highly targeted marketing – getting a niche message to a niche customer. Only a really interested party is supposed to receive the ad and in an appropriate location that will make sense to the
prospect. What could possibly go wrong? Yes, right. There have been many instances of programmatic ad platforms placing a mainstream brand next to a video of a terrorist barking out violent, hateful speech
creating…awkward… unintended affiliations and sponsored support situations. Maybe they should be looking at the sites with people that at least have a human mind who can make a proper decision. But then there’s still the
issue of ignorance. Even people with no lives can’t be expected to be experts on thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of sites… what they publish, what their views are in general, and how
good a fit they’d be with various advertisers. As it stands, fewer than 5 percent of the many trillions of ad spaces in daily inventories of digital exchanges are sites run by “big media.” The rest are tiny independents that have every size audience imaginable. Then there’s Google’s AdWords with their own two million+ smaller sites and Google’s YouTube with several million more opportunities for buying media space. We have all of these measurement tools and all of these options, but without studying the behaviours of each unique audience group for each outlet, whether a site, YouTube channel, or an app sponsorship, advertisers and their advising agencies are just guessing. If the P&G and JP Morgan results turn out to be consistently repeatable and amongst a wider group of brands, then it may not matter, is the moral of this story. It doesn’t bode well to run niche content to try and catch some of that long tail magic if sales aren’t coming. If I were running a DSP (demandside platform) or other programmatic ad buying service, it would scare me and, sadly, my investors, to learn that 95% of my inventory is incapable of moving the needle. Maybe it’s time to start investing in ideas instead of places to hang calls-to-action and discounts. ISSUE213NOV-DEC 21
winningthefuture
Henry Tan left no stone unturned as he trekked through Fandom 360.
22 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
THE DAY THE KL CONVENTION CENTRE SHOOK THE TRUTH HURTS… BUT IS NECESSARY! WHO WILL WIN THE FUTURE?
WHEN Astro held their QUAKE event about 'winning the future' at the KL Convention Centre on Oct 11, they shook more than the prevailing mindsets of marketers and industry leaders about Content. More than 500 key industry players graced the event that showcased stellar speakers from Disney, Amazon and also some global award-winning surprises. Henry Tan, Chief Operating Officer of Astro, kickstarted the show with a hard look at "Marketing in a seismic world”. He shared that TV/Video is still the most persuasive medium but lamented that the way it is researched, measured and reported is obsolete. He reminded guests that in the age of Disruption, marketing must reinvent and lead. And that 'digital zombies' were leading marketers up the wrong path. His mantra rang loud and clear: "Let us help futureproof your marketing with the smart use of riveting content and relevant data." Tom Batchelor, GM of Studio Entertainment SEA of The Walt Disney Company, gave a presentation on how Disney, as the World’s No. 1 Entertainment Company, is reimagining content. Tom worked on some of the world’s biggest hits including Harry Potter, Dark Knights, Hobbit, Star ISSUE213NOV-DEC 23
Disney’s Tom Batchelor framed how content and global fame went hand in hand.
Audience favourite and multi-award winning film director, Chiu Keng Guan, spoke about how the spirit of Malaysia Boleh helped him make the impossible possible.
Astro eGG Network’s Yubin rocked the stage taking about the new craze of Hologram Live concerts. eGG is South East Asia's first 24/7 eSports & gaming entertainment network and broadcasts electronic games tournaments Live around the world.
Amazon’s Eric Tachibana, a serial entrepreneur who has inspired countless minds, said "you don’t need to become a hardcore techie in order to be a great marketer”.
Wars, Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book… With a content heritage spanning more than nine decades, Disney remains an iconic global success in content marketing till this day. Tom shared how blending the right amount of the past with the present can allow an innovative progression for a memorable content universe. Malaysia’s very own Global Award-winning Film Director, Chiu Keng Guan, the man behind box office hits like The 24 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
Journey & Ola Bola gave a very warm and very personal account of how looking at life through the lens of consumers inspires him. His humility endeared him to the audience, and they gave him a rousing standing ovation when he finished. Eric Tachibana, Innovation Expert & Area Practice Manager for Asia at Amazon Web Services, excited the crowd with his talk about borderless digital content. He shared the infrastructure that fuels content and
how respecting the customer’s context of time, space, and device makes marketing more receptive and lean. Sejeong Jang of Studio Dragon, the leading media content creator in Korea, explained how they applied innovation and creativity with quantitative mapping for storytelling to drive the fastest growing cultural phenomenon in the world: the Korean Wave which has ushered a tidal wave of fan euphoria never seen before.
Harith Iskandar closed the afternoon with the audience in stitches.
winningthefuture
The Reputation Partnership's Chris Jaques sizzled on stage.
Sejeong Jang of Studio Dragon explained why Koren content is so addictive worldwide.
Hisyam Hamid (back), Lisa Surihani (in shades) and Hafiz Suip (front) from the Rocketfuel Entertainment family together with Stormtroopers surprised the guests in sleek style.
Chris Jaques, CEO of The Reputation Partnership spoke about Big Data’s Killer App and that the temptation of blindly following the data craze is a marketing folly. He busted a few assumptions of marketers with some blunt truths: - Consumers don’t share true feelings online.
- 85% of Word of Mouth happens offline. - Algorithms are created by humans based on an inherent point of view, prejudice or assumption. - Management must control the biases that shape algorithms, not Data Scientists. Chris also demonstrated how ‘so-called’ digital giants screwed up big time: Microsoft ‘Tay’ Chatbot, IBM's Watson-driven Alex da Kid’s Real Hits, Uber’s Dynamic Pricing flaws and Google's Flu Trends. So who is Big Data’s Killer App? YOU! Astro’s latest Influencer Marketing outfit Rocketfuel Entertainment also hit the stage with local stars Hisyam Hamid, Hafiz Suip and Lisa Surihani, led by Rocketfuel’s Admiral the charming Moots of Pop Shuvit fame. Harith Iskandar, the Godfather of Stand-Up Comedy in Malaysia, wrapped up the event with his trademark humour while summarising the speakers’ key takeaways with pure wit. There was much to think and talk about after Astro’s QUAKE event, and the dazzled audience ended up chatting and debating the highlights well past the cocktail hour. ISSUE213NOV-DEC 25
creative showcase
CATEGORY HEALTH & SAFETY CLIENT FRENCH ROAD SAFETY AGENCY LA CHOSE, PARIS COUNTRY FRANCE
26 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
MEET SHOPPER360’S BUSINESS FRONTRUNNERS! SAM CHAN
SUE ANN
CEO, POS AD, SHOPPER+ GAZELLE ACTIVATION
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR
"We needed to move beyond Malaysian shores and turned this into a reality when we had our IPO in Singapore this year. This will compel us to go into other markets. Singapore is the regional hub for finance and there are plenty of strategic investors we could attract. Shopper360 is a 30-year old business in Malaysia, and it's time for us to build our name in new markets."
ANGELINA OOI
CEO, TRISTAR SYNERGY
"The company is moving towards technology, which is helping us improve efficiency in terms of reporting. We have a program called Navigator, which from our database allows supervisors to select the promoters they are placing into a particular project. A client can then log in and see their calendar to track which activity is going on, where and when. The clients can also go onsite and use the application to grade our promoters. Technology has helped us manage our people whilst improving service quality."
JUN LING
GENERAL MANAGER OPERATIONS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
“One of my roles include driving integration within our Group’s offerings, since we have digital, creative, activation, salesforce management and more. We want to integrate our offerings and go to clients with holistic solutions. In the case of Vitagen, who was celebrating its 40th year anniversary, we went beyond the retail space by advising them on on-ground activation which involved the creation of a maze tying to the client’s vision of promoting gut health. WWe want to be more client-centric and solutions-focussed, rather than look at our offerings in silos.”
"We are playing in a territory where not many agencies are going in. We have the edge as we have the whole triparty relationship between client, brands and retailers. Different markets have different needs at different points in time. A market like Myanmar for example, with a population almost twice the size of Malaysia, is more than equipped with a big workforce.''
MAY KIM
CRAIG LEE
"This year was a big year for the company and for the team. I'm proud to say I am one of the shareholders because we believe in the company. We work harder because we have vested interests too. As the company grows, we need new blood and we are now building a team of second liners."
“Given the knowledge the company has as a Group, the idea was born to become a fullfledged agency. Clients are beginning to trust us with wider executions, take for example Burger King a brand we have started working for; we are doing a full 360 campaign for the brand where everything, even print ads, are handled by us. The team thrives on the challenge, and I see their eyes light up when they get to do ideation for branding and creative executions.”
GENERAL MANAGER GAZELLE ACTIVATION
GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR SHOPPER360
JANICE CHEAH
CEO, JUMP RETAIL
“What keeps me going is the opportunity to add value to clients, ensuring we listen to the client's needs and meet them. I am a strong believer in developing people, help them optimise opportunities and push them to the next level.”
Top: A portrait of Raymond Chew (founder of Pos Ad) is hung in reception. Bottom: ISSUE213NOV-DEC 27Shopper360 collaboration area.
retail marketing THE sky’s the limit for Shopper360, from making inroads into new markets, listing on the Singapore stock exchange and recently celebrating two new company launches, 2017 has been a busy year for this 30-year old company. I was recently at Shopper360’s office to learn about the energy, creativity and tenacity of what was making this company burst with start-up fervour.
A CRYSTAL CLEAR VISION
The determination of taking the company built by her father, the late Raymond Chew, to greater heights is evident in my conversation with Sue Ann Chew, the Executive Chairman and Group Managing Director of shopper360. “Shopper360 has been on a tremendous journey, we started with rebranding the business from Pos Ad group to shopper360 because we really wanted the essence of what we wanted to do to be explained through the name.” “We wanted to move up the value chain, ensuring that all our clients know that we can look at things from a creative POV, insights, strategy, media, activation and so much more – that was exactly what we were trying to do.” Understanding that the group which consists of five agencies - Pos Ad, Jump Retail, Shopper+,
SHOPPER360’S THIRST FOR INNOVATION
By Malati Siniah
Tristar Synergy and Gazelle Activation – was in a unique position to not only provide clients with holistic shopper marketing solutions but also valuable insights within the retail space thanks to the years of being in the industry, the decision was made to seek opportunities beyond Malaysia. “We also felt that being a Malaysian company was not enough, we needed to move beyond Malaysian shores and we turned this into a reality this year when we had our IPO in Singapore. This would also compel us to go into other markets. As you know Singapore is the regional hub for finance and there are plenty of strategic investors we could attract,” Sue Ann explained while adding
28 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
that they were planning to soon enter into the Myanmar market.
EXCITING NEW OFFERINGS
Proving that 360 is beyond a number, Shopper360 recently launched two new companies Shopper+ and Gazelle Activationproviding clients expertise in creative, digital and event marketing solutions. The reason behind the two launches was mainly to cater to market demands Sam Chan CEO, Pos Ad, Gazelle Activation, shopper+ shared. “Post IPO we launched two companies which focus on creative insights and technology. Looking at the retail landscape itself you can see that plenty of things have changed in terms of
shopper behaviour and we see digital fuelling this change as well. The change is actually good for us as it helps us to move and evolve to stay relevant and ensure that we can cater to our client’s needs. We have also gone into more experiential territory via the launch of Gazelle. This new agency completes the shopper360 offering – where we don’t only go instore but also out of store and focus on brand experiences, face to face marketing, events, big brand launches as well as roadshows. The key is to keep on engaging the customers – pre-shop, during shopping and postshopping.” Echoing Sue Ann’s sentiments, Sam seemed excited in
expanding into new markets and felt that the key to succeeding in these markets was to play up to their strengths, as a 360 outfit. “We are playing in a territory where not many agencies are going in. We have the edge over others as we have the full suite of services which includes the whole triparty relationship between client brands and retailers. “You see different markets have different needs at different points of time. A market like Myanmar, for example, with a population twice the size of Malaysia, is more than equipped with a big field force. However, the opportunity for us is in providing creative, strategy and operational expertise to meet the growing
Shopper360 launches Shopper+ to deliver seamless 020 engagements for its clients.
need as the market accelerates. Singapore, on the other hand, is saturated with agencies big or small and it would not be wise to compete on that front. What would be better is to go into Singapore and work with clients who wants the synergy between the Singaporean and Malaysian markets, to create efficiencies” Sam shared while adding that the key advantage of the group was that they could dial up certain capabilities of shopper360 to cater to different markets. “You see, when we break down the companies we have plenty of competition but if you look at the group and the total shopper marketing experience I believe we are in a good space in offering a full suite of services.”
A COMMON VISION
In my interviews with the company’s heads of department, it was clear that each one of shopper360’s leaders followed a common goal which was driven by a passion for the industry and the desire to keep on innovating. Part of this, according to Sue Ann, was the company’s four guiding principles which are values everyone in the company holds dearly to. They are: 1. Being an expert 2. Forward thinking, forward doing 3. Collaboration 4. Enjoy and respect “We wanted to create a company that people would want to work for and to attract the right talents. The principles above were formed after
interviewing some of our clients on what they hoped to see from us as an agency and also from our staff.” People are the lifeblood of any industry and if shopper360’s vibrant and fun office environment is any indicator, the company has invested quite a bit in keeping their employees happy. “We go out of our way to put together events which will allow our staff to see each other on an informal basis rather than always looking at each other as colleagues. We have sports and recreational clubs and the members from different subsidiaries usually come together to organise various intercultural events such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, durian parties
and movie events. The movie events are fun as we all get into character be it Star Wars or the Avengers” Sue Ann shared as these events helped to push the culture of fun within the company. A strong believer in giving back Sue Ann also encourages her team to come together and give back to charity. The company works closely with the NGO “Dignity for Children” where they participated in their fundraisers and charity events. They are also working with Epic Homes to build a home for the orang asli community in which they managed to raise RM85,000 for the effort.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Never one to be complacent, Sue Ann answered my question on what’s next for the company by sharing that they were only beginning their growth phase. “Shopper 360 is a 30-year-old business in Malaysia, we are well established here and now it’s time for us to build our name in new markets.
This means a lot of introductions need to be done in these new markets – telling them what we do and offering our services to clients there. “ The question of how they can stay relevant to their clients was one that’s always on their minds, “We started as a traditional brick and mortar retail media agency. How do we then make sure our services help our clients ride the e-commerce wave and those looking to embrace the digital disruption? “Whilst we build more case studies, more clients will then be willing to work with us and we will be able to show them the results from our Online to Offline (O2O) campaigns. Only then I would feel that I’ve achieved my dream- helping clients and retailers bridge the digital divide.” Clearly, Sue Ann is a leader with a bold vision and a strong team, with both the belief and commitment to take this innovative company to greater heights. ISSUE213NOV-DEC 29
MEDIA PRIMA TV NETWORKS’ NEW CEO JOHAN ISHAK IS LOOKING BEYOND THE NUMBERS TO GET MARKETERS TO FEEL THE “MASS” 30 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
maSS MARKETING
DO MARKETERS REALLY FEEL THE “POWER OF THE MASS MARKET”? It is easy to get seduced by the numbers, and forget that marketing is not about the numbers alone...
When I met Johan recently for this interview, he already looked comfortable in his new job even though he was in the seat for just one week.
nobody speaks to the heartland better than us. But I want marketers to appreciate we are also the leading platform for the mass Chinese market.”
I have known him since his days as CEO of MyCreative Ventures, where he championed growth of the Malaysian creative industry, and was a speaker at our events.
I probed further…
This time, he looked like a man on a mission he has been waiting all his life. He now oversees Media Prima’s TV3, ntv7, 8TV, TV9, tonton Studio8 and the home-shopping business CJ Wow Shop. With a focus to be a digitalfirst content and commerce company. I asked him what was the plan for Media Prima’s TV assets going into 2018, and he took the ball from there and ran… “We are already number one in the mass Malay market and
Johan: It is easy to get seduced by the numbers, and forget that marketing is not about the numbers alone. We have the data to satisfy all the number crunchers out there but it does not mean a thing if marketers do not “feel” what numbers mean.
How do you intend to make them "feel" what you are saying?
Services at Maxis Berhad told us, “The phone is TV’s new home. That means we can all probably look forward to more phone-first TV content: stuff that’s more personal, more individualised, more interactive and perhaps even using cool, immersive technologies.” What are your comments... Johan: Our tonton offers the
solution – view at your own time, on your mobile devices.
You spoke of a parallel universe…
Johan: Yes, it is the contentdelivering ability of the technology, not the platform. The platform can change but content is still the driver… we cannot be focused on platforms because they evolve all the time. And the consumer will choose what they are comfortable with. That’s why when we create content, we are always mindful of how it flows to all the platforms in our
Johan: Yes, let’s say you are
football game and feel the real Malaysian crowd rev it up, you will understand differently the power of the “mass”. And I wonder whether marketers are aware that half the football audience is female?
in a parallel universe where terrestrial transmission of TV does not exist. Everything is on the internet. Can I still enjoy watching TV? Yes! With OTT, you can watch everything Live over tonton. And that’s how viewing behaviour will change. TV will remain a ‘sit up and watch’ medium.
Sulin Lau, Head of Marketing
When you talk about content,
Johan: When you go to a
somehow everything leads back to technology as an enabler…
ISSUE213NOV-DEC 31
maSS MARKETING
IMAGINE A PARALLEL UNIVERSE TERRESTRIAL TV DOES NOT EXIS What can marketers expect from Media Prima TV networks with the infusion of Rev Asia’s digital assets? Johan: All of our content will
get immediate exposure to Rev Asia’s 18 million monthly unique users.
And what about mobile? Johan: That is what we are looking to explore because there are 60 million mobile users in Malaysia….we will also explore other audiences, eg. Indonesia. What about media budgets shifting to online?
I believe this is more of a “testing” year where advertisers are checking out online digital platforms. 32 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
Johan: I believe this is more of a “testing” year where advertisers are checking out online digital platforms. When the dust settles, they will have a realisation that “mass market” is a different ball game altogether and that’s where online digital falls short, especially in “persuasion metrics”. With 6 million mass market TV households, not even counting the 60 million on mobile, there is no better platform for FMCG marketers to make a difference. With a multiple of 4.5 viewers
per household, our stations cover the entire country and population. That’s what I mean by “Mass Market” reach!
Is Astro your frenemy? Johan: Hahaha, we are not
enemies but more like friends in a love-hate relationship. We need them because 4.5 million of our 6 million TV households come from Astro. And they need us because a huge chunk of their viewers are watching our content. And this dynamic will continue.
DID YOU KNOW? For how many years has Anugerah Juara Lagu remained No 1 across TV channels in Malaysia? 1.
2. Name the media veteran who now heads Key Account Management & Media Sales at Media Prima, and was past Chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations Malaysia?
Which free Media Prima event is so popular, people saud counterfeit tickets were used to enter? 3.
Answers: 1 - 33 years, 2 - Fan Chen Yip 3 - Anugerah Juara Lagu
ecosystem. I can’t wait to see Tonton go global…. and why not?
E WHERE ST... You keep talking about this “mass market” feel that advertisers are taking for granted… Johan: You see if I show
advertisers the big viewership numbers for a football game, they are just numbers to them. But, as I mentioned, if I invite marketers to join me and watch a football game, …they will feel what I mean by “mass market”. This is what they need to appreciate when making media investments. This also applies to the media planners. They are not present at the game to sense the scale of this market, so this understanding is critically needed in the media industry.
What about this dual media currency numbers with Kantar tracking Astro and Nielsen for Media Prima? Johan: Precisely, numbers are
problematic. While everybody is confused which numbers to take into account, and as they sit in their offices deciphering the data into a media plan, the truth is actually out there. They just have to go and be part of major events to satisfy their own intuition and feel for the mass market. Otherwise, anybody can become a media planner overnight.
WHAT INDUSTRY VOICES ARE SAYING ABOUT TV. We also asked Margaret Lim, Managing Director of OMD Malaysia, if the TV market was overcrowded and its future… If we are referring to TV broadcast, for every free/pay TV channel, there are 81,000 Malaysians (Free & pay TV combined). Malaysia’s TV to population ratio is not on the high side compared to other developing countries like Indonesia (1 to 3.7mil) and India (1 to 1.9 mil). But we are not the most crowded compared to developed countries like Hong Kong (1 to 18,000), Singapore (1 to 20,000) & New Zealand (1 to 41,000).
Traditional TV viewership is relatively resilient (-1%) despite the soaring internet penetration (+14%). We saw a Year-on-Year increment in TV time spent, clocking at 5 hours 14 minutes in 2016.
Bala Pomaleh, CEO of IPG Mediabrands Malaysia says… Fragmentation is happening even in the OTT (Over The Top) space. Content creators are getting into distribution as well. Disney for example is decoupling from Netflix. Other entrants like Amazon are coming our way, on top of more than 10 existing operators currently. This space will continue to fragment for a while with many small players, till some form of consolidation happens due to commercial realities.
I feel TV will only exist as a device with the planning term evolving into video planning. In fact this is already happening. Within video there are many platforms including mobile, cinema, linear TV, OTT, etc. In the longer run, I believe even the platforms will not really matter as we will be ultimately more interested in eyeballs that deliver the necessary KPI. These KPIs are increasingly becoming conversion based. The ‘TV Media’ as we know it will likely be a part of a larger programmatic offering. Viewership monitoring should rapidly evolve very soon, allowing for all platforms to be measured in a consistent currency.
TV will not go away, we have already seen how it morphed and exists in different platforms, like ASTRO Go, Tonton, Hatch (a YouTube channel under Media Prima’s Studio8), and the 4 FTA channels from Media Prima. However, it continues to face stiff competition from free/pay OTT TV (Netflix, Iflix). While on-demand channels will appeal more to the growing binge population, existing TV will find its niche in Live and large-draw content (like sports, or new drama series).
Michael Chen, Lead Producer @ RTV Malaysia under Nuffnang shares, "I don't feel that the Malaysian television industry is overcrowded. It's more of a messy monopoly because the big players don't seem to be fully utilising their reach capabilities. To me, the future of TV in Malaysia is slow and steady. It'll always be relevant because it's still an effective way to reach certain areas and segments of society. But growth could be expedited if a more concerted effort is put into expanding online content to be part of the TV experience. ISSUE213NOV-DEC 33
NEWS
3 DIAMONDS IN CARAT MALAYSIA General Manager, Head of Digital, Business Director appointments. “Data, content, technology, and on-point execution – if an agency can effectively infuse these components together, it would be ripe to excel in this rapidly evolving media industry,” Karan Tyagi, the newly appointed General Manager of Carat Malaysia said recently. His fast-tracked career saw him climb his way up to Deputy General Manager, and now GM. He has also been handpicked to be enrolled into Dentsu Aegis Network’s elite ‘Route 500’ Global Leadership Development Programme. In addition, Kenneth Teh has been appointed Head of Digital, Carat Malaysia, where he is tasked to drive digital transformation for clients. He was handling digital banking at Stanchart. Carat Malaysia’s senior leadership team has also been bolstered by Zeeshan Khan who joins as Business Director. A digital specialist and marketing communications professional, Zeeshan brings with him more than 15 years of experience gained across both agency and client ecosystems. He has worked across various geographies and industries from the Middle East, Pakistan and Southeast Asia. 34 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
MALAYSIAN EVENTS GODFATHER PASSES ON Much loved marketing and events maestro Joe Ghazzal passed away recently after a short battle with illness. Joe is remembered as the Godfather of events and his reputation is global. For over three decades, he led Global2000, an events company that specialises in fireworks and has lit up both exhibitions and challenges like the Malaysia International Fireworks Competition (MIFC) and the Malaysia International Fireworks Competition (MIFC), Da Nang International Fireworks Competition (DIFC) and the International MixedMedia Festival. Joe also handled the country’s official Millennium Countdown celebration at the KLCC Twin Towers. The countdown drew over 150,000 spectators and was viewed by millions of television viewers. Simultaneously, ZERO Countdown was also in progress - on the runway of the Subang International Airport. Working with top producers from Europe and America, he arranged a 3-dimensional journey of sound, lighting and overall visual brilliance for the 80,000 strong gathering of revellers welcoming in the new millennium. He was even accredited with 2 International Event Awards presented by the Special Events Society of America, but had always brushed them aside as part of his work. We will miss you Joe, you dreamed the dream and lived it.
MINDSHARE ADDS MORE MIND POWER Mindshare Malaysia has appointed Anisha Iyer as Partner Digital SEA, Allison Chin and Deboo Mohanty as Senior Partner, and Andrea Tenner as Partner. Anisha Iyer moved from Mindshare India after 11 years, where she spearheaded digital
strategy that spanned from core task definition to insights & analysis and content & innovations leading up to execution excellence principlesIn her new role for Malaysia, Anisha will enhance the agency’s digital product, innovation, and delivery including a special focus on strengthening Mindshare FAST (Future Adaptive Specialist Team).
KFC’S DOUBLE DOWN MAKES YOU FORGET THE BURGER KFC India has released a set of digital films for the most talked about burger in town – the KFC Double Down. What’s epic is this is the country’s first-ever all chicken, no bun burger. The digital film hooks the viewer with the question: “Ever imagined a burger without a bun?” This is followed by inviting and appetising visuals of two succulent chicken fillets, delicious sauces and cheese (nobun) coming together to form the KFC Double Down.
And in case viewers are wondering, “What happened to the bun?”, the film ends with people using the now unnecessary bun as funny props – bunny ears and eye masks. Lluis Ruiz Ribot, CMO of KFC India says, “KFC Double Down is a burger like no other. With the
NEWS Allison Chin is a 27year veteran in the WPP network in Malaysia. With her appointment to Mindshare as Senior Partner, Allison’s focus is to champion Trading, lead agency process optimization, build gold standard practices, and excellence in Implementation & Buying. Her last assignment was with GroupM Malaysia as the Head of Trading. Andrea Tenner and Deboo Mohanty will lead some of the agency’s largest businesses, oversee planning excellence, extracting the best of Mindshare products and tools to deliver the best results to clients. Both Andrea and Deboo have 20 years of experience each, in managing diverse clients and categories in mulitple Asia markets.
MCDONALD’S GLOBAL MEDIA FOR PITCH McDonald’s is planning to review its global US$2 billion media buying account, which is about RM40 million locally. Currently OMD Malaysia, an Omnicom agency, handles their media business in Malaysia. The fastfood giant, which hasn’t done a formal global media review in about 14 years, is looking to find more efficient ways to spend its ad dollars, according to reports. In Malaysia, Gerbang Alaf Restaurants Sdn Bhd, the local operator of McDonald’s,” with “the developmental licensee for the Malaysia market, to change agencies.
Melati Abdul Hai, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications at Gerbang Alaf Restaurants, told MARKETING, “We aim to move from a single global media agency to a small roster of preferred agency brands, with the intention of ensuring best-in-
class media services and capabilities for all markets. Our long-term relationship with OMD remains strong, and they will be participating in this process as well.” Earlier this year, McDonald’s Malaysia said they were committing RM1.4 billion for a nine year expansion
plan to almost double their number of outlets to 450. McDonald’s marked its 35th Anniversary in Malaysia this year, and their first restaurant in the country opened at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur in 1982.
HOW’S YOUR INDIAN?
digital film, we wanted to highlight our core proposition of all-chicken and no bun. For a product that is so unique, the communication had to be distinctive, quirky and confident. Since we are releasing this only on the digital medium, we had to do this in a crisp and short 15-second format.”
This Deepavali, Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad, launched their “Share the Light” campaign to spotlight some unique intricacies of Malaysian Tamil culture and language. Questions were asked were asked by radio personality Aanantha Rajaram as he roamed the streets of KL, speaking to Malaysians to find out how much they knew about the customs and language of the Indian community in Malaysia. A series of humorous videos testing Malaysians on their knowledge was also distributed across online channels and got more than 1 million views, with a reach
of over 1.4 million. The total number of engagements went over 10,000 as people shared the video in the spirit of the festive season. “Share the Light is our way of sharing our appreciation and love for the Indian community. We recognize that sometimes the community is overlooked by brands in their attempts to cater
to the majority, but we wanted to highlight the importance of inclusivity in our marketing. We have many valuable Indian staff, agents and customers who have contributed to make the company the success it is today,” said Fiona Liao, Chief Brand Officer at Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad. ISSUE213NOV-DEC 35
creative showcase CATEGORY HOUSEHOLD, GARDEN & PETS CLIENT PURINA AGENCY THE MARTIN AGENCY, RICHMOND COUNTRY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
36 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
On Oct 16, about 250 marketing and communications professionals, and students, showed up for the sixth Malaysian CMO (Chief Marketing Officers) Conference at the Sime Darby Convention Centre with the theme, Marketing is the New Sexy! It repositioned Marketing as the engine for the digital revolution, because when marketing helps monetise digital, things start to happen. That’s why gamechanging inspiration can always be found in the headlines of the marketing and media playbook. The lineup of names this year was equally stellar: BALA POMALEH - CEO, Malaysia for IPG Mediabrands CHRIS JAQUES - CEO, The Reputation Partnership DEREK TAN - Partner, Content & Social at Entropia Global TERRY O’CONNOR Group CEO, Courts Asia JAMSHED WADIA - Director, Digital Marketing & Media, AsiaPac & Japan, Intel LAM SWEE KIM - Chief Marketing Officer, dimsum.my MAH KAM LIN - Group Data Scientist, Maybank MICHAEL CHEN - Lead Producer @ RTV Malaysia, Nuffnang MURALI DHARAN MARIMUTHU @ MOOTS – Admiral, Rocketfuel Entertainment NICK DREW - Head of
Agency, Google Malaysia RAFIQ RAZALI - CEO, Media Prima Digital SANDEEP JOSEPH CEO & Co-Founder, Ampersand Advisory SHIV SAHGAL Marketing Director, Unilever Malaysia SUBHENDU MUKHERJEE - Integrated Marketing Strategist, The Tenth Floor SULIN LAU - Head of Marketing Services, Maxis Berhad TIMOTHY JOHNSON - VP Marketing, INTI University Shiny new toy.. no note taking.. women rather feel... Opening Keynote Speaker Jamshed Wadia kicked off the event with his presentation on “Digital Transformation is Sexy – a real brand journey”. He reiterated that digital transformation is not the “shiny new toy”,
38 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
and is different from digital disruption. He added, “It is not about efficiencies brought upon by technologies nor the starting point to rethink business. Instead digital transformation is the process that closes the gap between what digital consumers expect from a business and what businesses offer as an Experience.” He also shared at length about the “SMAC Tack”: Social, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud, as a digital transformation platform. Mah Kam Lin, Group Data Scientist at Maybank started her session with “No note taking in my presentation. Just listen, or you will miss the point!”. She spoke the truth with blunt honesty and demystified the intelligence of big data. Her point was with data
we can make anything happen, but only if we imagine the possibilities first. The audience enjoyed her witty remarks and she said problem solving requires a sense of humour and the ability to look for the “not so obvious”. She showed screenshots from analysis she had done and her message to marketers: data will not replace strategic thinking. Next up, Group
CEO of Courts Asia Dr Terry O’Connor talked about “The New Retail: Better Value, Better Experience”. He shared that in the retail environment, women want to see and feel, and men want to take. “In future, convenience and great in-store experiences are
the key differentiators for shopping.” He said consumers don’t buy everything online, citing categories like luxury goods, automotive, furniture and large domestic appliances. He spoke about the New Retail where it was about “smiles per square foot", and not "sales per square foot”. A convergence between online and offline which included self-guided browsing and check-out, and a new in-store shopping experience where it was about delighting in a multi-sensory retail playground with cooking demos, in-store coffee stops, bus-to-store connectivity, phone to store, click and collect on demand….
DATA-DRIVEN MARKETING AND STORYTELLING Kim, CMO of dimsum.my, then chaired a panel discussion on DataDriven Marketing. The panelists answered questions about the four-letter word DATA and how it impacted their businesses and marketing, the dilemma of personalisation being good yet intrusive, and issues about brand safety in the digital space. After lunch, was an exclusive screening of the world’s best campaigns from Cannes Lions 2017, made possible by MARKETING magazine who is the Official Malaysian
Representative of Lions Festivals. Data driven integrated marketing strategist Subhendu Mukherjee summarised his talk on Data Storytelling - the magic and logic - as follows: “To make data truly usable, we need to seriously consider having some fun with it. The way we crunch, visualise and present data needs to evoke the ‘Jeffrey Archer’ in all of us. Let us try to give data analysis and visualisation the narrative power of pulp fiction.” VP Marketing at INTI University Timothy Johnson then moderated a panel discussion on ‘Content Marketing - stories from the frontlines’. His panelists were Rafiq Razali (CEO, Media Prima Digital), Murali Dharan Marimuthu @ Moots (Admiral, Rocketfuel Entertainment), Derek Tan (Partner, Content & Social, Entropia) and Michael Chen (Lead Producer @ RTV Malaysia, Nuffnang. Their discourse covered everything from influencer marketing and content partnerships to the power of video and a new ecosystem for television. ISSUE213NOV-DEC 39
WORLD IS MOVING EAST AND SOUTH.. MAJOR TRUST DEFICIT IN BUSINESSES. Brand Purpose Marketing was next on the menu as Shiv Sahgal, Marketing Director at Unilever Malaysia, shared, “The impact of our actions on our planet are far more visible and the link is very tangible. Consumers are getting a lot more demanding from all stakeholders in what should be their role in improving lives and making an impact. There is an increased
JAMSHED WADIA - Director, Digital Marketing & Media, AsiaPac & Japan of Intel Corporation, speaking on Digital Transformation.
SULIN LAU - Head of Marketing Services at Maxis Berhad speaks her mind at Panel Discussion on DataDriven Marketing.
CHRIS JAQUES - CEO of The Reputation Partnership shocked everyone with the sobering realities of Brand Trust deficits.
Brand Expert and Mentor Pat Wahid has a lot of questions for the speakers.
40 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
Malaysian CMO Conference Organising Chairman, Professor Harmandar Singh, starts the day on stage wth a smile.
MAH KAM LIN - Group Data Scientist at Maybank tickled the audience with her jibes at Big Data.
DR TERRY O’CONNOR Group CEO of Courts Asia, talks about “smiles per square foot”.
A good looking question from the floor
social consciousness amongst stakeholders across the board and a creeping sense of urgency. All this has led an increased demand for authenticity by the consumers – from all the stakeholders… be it the government, companies or even their friends and peers.” He laid out four mega trends that were
changing the role of brands: 1. Digital revolution: the rise of social media is changing the way people interact with each other and the world around them. 2. Living differently: the rapid shift of people from rural to urban areas, leading to a shift from agricultural
to service based economies. 3. Environment under stress: population explosion and rapid consumption is placing increased stress on the world around us, leading to climate change, deforestation and water scarcity. 4. World moves east and south: the global economy is moving away from Europe and North America to emerging Asia, which has become the new nexus of political and economic power. Shiv’s mantra was clear: “Brands need to move from Marketing to Consumers to Mattering to People”. Finally, Closing Keynote Speaker Chris Jaques, CEO of The Reputation Partnership, brought the audience to a sobering reality that there is a global crisis of trust and what it meant for marketers in Malaysia. Referencing recent global surveys, he showed that consumers feel “the system is failing me” and there is a collapse of Institutional Trust. Chris quoted Rachel Botsman from Saïd School of Business at Oxford University as saying, “Institutional Trust isn’t designed for the Digital Age”. He also quoted Gillian Tett, Managing Director, The Financial Times for North America, “In our everyday lives, we are moving from a system based around vertical ISSUE213NOV-DEC 41
SHIV SAHGAL Marketing Director of Unilever Malaysia warns that the environment is under stress.
LAM SWEE KIM - Chief Marketing Officer of dimsum.my chairing a panel discussion.
42 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
Panel Discussion on 'Content Marketing - Stories from the frontlines’
SUBHENDU MUKHERJEE - Integrated Marketing Strategist of The Tenth Floor, on the magic and logic of Data Storytelling.
MURALI DHARAN MARIMUTHU @ MOOTS – Admiral of Rocketfuel Entertainment, talking about Influencer Marketing.
Panel Discussion on Data-Driven Marketing.
axes of trust, where we trust people who seem to have more authority than we do, to one predicated on horizontal axes of trust: we take advice from our peer group.” Chis added, “Customer reviews are much more persuasive and pervasive than advertising. People trust ‘Ordinary People’ and
experts. Past experience is increasingly irrelevant vs current reviews and recommendations. Users, not marketers, define target relevance.” He declared. “The Marketing Funnel, as we know it, has been destroyed forever. And Digital is the reason, where purchase processes from start to finish within 1-6 days.” ISSUE213NOV-DEC 43
DRAGONS OF MALAYSIA & ASIA 2017 WINNERS ANNOUNCED! On 13th October in Kuala Lumpur, winners of the Dragons of Malaysia and Asia were announced at a glittering ceremony which also saw winners from across Asia in attendance. This biscuit campaign proved a tasty treat for Geometry Global Malaysia, winning double Category Gold in the 2017 Dragons of Malaysia, as well as Category Gold Dragon and the Best Campaign in Malaysia Blue Dragon in the 2017 Dragons of Asia! Mamee, a well loved Malaysian snack brand, launched Mamee Monster Biskidz, a biscuit fortified with DHA, vitamins and calcium, as a tasty snack for kids. However agency, Geometry Global Malaysia needed to convince parents that a snack could also be healthy, and to involve kids who were constantly distracted by more ‘indulgent’ snacks. The agency created “Kuasai i Mamee ginasi” intended to trigger a child’s imagination via cartoons, leveraging their ability to make anything seem possible in their magical realms of make believe. But which cartoon? The agency enlisted support from the
2017 “Dragons of Malaysia” Marketing Communications Industry Ranking Ladder ENTRANT Geometry Global Malaysia
67
Dentsu Malaysia
59
FCB Group Malaysia
53
Leo Burnett / Arc Worldwide Malaysia
52
OMD Malaysia
38
Orion Social Media Malaysia
36
Alpha 245 Communications Malaysia
26
Isobar Malaysia
26
Entropia Malaysia
22
Astro Malaysia
18
“The Dragons of Asia are now positioned alongside prestigious global effectiveness awards such as the Cannes Lions, the IPA Effectiveness Awards, and the Effies” — Testimonial from London based WARC
popular Malaysian animated character, Ejen Ali, a gadget swinging Super Spy. With Mamee Monster as his side kick, this duo turned problems like homework or bullies, into obstacles to overcome. Challenges were resolved with ‘out of this world’ creativity, aired on TV during kids peak viewing time. Mamee Monster was also featured on
44 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
RANK
the Ejen Ali Gaming Platform, creating more involvement across TV and gaming screens. Mothers were engaged online with posts and footage on various social media platforms, explaining the DHA benefits of Monster Biskidz. The agency knew that government support would lend tremendous credibility to Mamee Monster Biskidz, but a stamp of
approval wasn’t going to be easy. The Malaysian Ministry of Education was extremely supportive of the efforts to provide a healthy nutritious snack for children and gave their seal of approval. Mamee Monster Biskidz was then distributed to school canteens, a channel other brands struggled to acquire. The Mamee Monster Biskidz launch exceeded all expectations with a strong market share in the total plain sweet biscuits category achieving a solid number 2 and a few months later, a best in class for repeat purchase position. A biscuit can be tasty and nutritious, at the same time!
ISSUE213NOV-DEC 45
46 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
HOW THIS DOUBLE DRAGONS NETWORK OF THE YEAR KEEPS WINNING The only regional award show held in Malaysia
Geomerty Global is the top winner at this year’s Dragons
Geometry Global had their hands full at the recent 2017 Dragons of Malaysia and Asia taking home an impressive 18 metals for the Malaysia and Asia categories and the coveted Red Dragon for ‘Network of the Year’. “PMAA recognises the very best in resultdriven marketing communications, and that’s exactly how we want to be evaluated. Agency winning awards should benefit not just agency but also client. Our success at the PMAA is equivalent to our clients’ successes so we are thrilled the tradition of winning at this prestigious event continues,” Diana Cawley, CEO of Geometry Global Asia Pacific shared.
Echoing her statement, Daniel Comar, Regional ECD of Geometry Global Asia Pacific added, “There’s no other show like the Dragons in Asia. As the only award show focused on promotional marketing, it has always been a great inspiration for our teams and clients. Our core offer lives in this space, hence it only makes sense to test our capabilities in this forum. The other very important aspect of our frequent participation is that the winners are a neither pure creative nor effective but the sweet spot in between.”
A COMMON GOAL
This year also saw the network picking up
awards for new markets and the even spread of metals picked up at Dragons showcased how this global network manages to keep in sync despite the distances separating each office. “We are large enough to cover most of major markets in the region, but also small enough to get to know everybody within our network,” Diana continued and explained that instead of looking at a problem only from one perspective they often tapped into the expertise of teams across the region to come up with the best solutions for their clients. “We operate in virtually every market in Asia for a very diverse portfolio of products and
services. From FMCG to Telco, Japan to India. Our offer is diverse, comprising disciplines like Shopper Marketing, Digital & Omni-channel, rural marketing and events. However there’s one connecting thread: human behaviour. All we do is inspire people to buy well, using behavioural-based strategy and creativity. That common philosophy is probably what drives our success across markets and industries,” Daniel observes.
MONA LISA
To Kenny Loh, Geometry Global Malaysia CEO the company’s ambitious philosophy of “inspiring people to buy well” helps to create a
collaborative culture which encourages interdepartmental teamwork. “It’s organic and not forced. Add to that our rigour where we start all our work by putting consumer behaviour front and centre. This behaviour-first approach pushes everyone to ask the hard questions around both creativity and business. Suddenly creativity has a solid business purpose. It drives growth and the output becomes Dragon worthy!” Kenny exclaims. “Bridging the physical gap between each office is Geometry’s digital platfrom Mona Lisa which is a tool that helps strenghten the group’s creative muscle,” reveals Diana. “We look forward to next year!” ISSUE213NOV-DEC 47
creative showcase CATEGORY CHARITIES & APPEALS URL HTTPS://NAVALASSOC.ORG.AU/WP/ CLIENT NAVAL ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA AGENCY LIDA AUSTRALIA (M&C SAATCHI GROUP) COUNTRY AUSTRALIA
48 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
50 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
ISSUE213NOV-DEC 51
52 MARKETINGISSUE213NOV-DEC
ISSUE213NOV-DEC 53