APRIL/MAY 2003
KDN NO: PP 9995/7/2001
MALAYSIA'S #1 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE
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APRIL/MAY2003 REGIONAL PUBLISHER
Harmandar Singh aka Ham
EDITOR
Nathan Conrad
WRITER
Lena Nightingale
Editor's Note THE last weekend in March, We attended the
were certainly an account management professional
inaugural Malaysian AdCongress in Langlcawi -
to be reckoned with. That story is on page 20.
organised by the Malaysian Advertisers Association
DESIGNERS
TM Ali Fauzi Hamid CONTRIBUTORS
Leonard Tse Esther Eng Morris Dickers
OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER
Jen Siow/Jen Studio PRINTER
Creative character Jim Aitchison and media guru
together with around 200 others. The roster of
Mark Austin were in town to launch their new book,
speakers represented a diverse set of backgrounds:
Is Anybody Out There? at an AÂŁ>07-organised and
Dentsu Japan senior manager corporate behaviour
Newsweek-sponsored event in late March. Later that
department Koichi Yamamoto, MTV Asia vice
same evening, ADOl organised another event - the
president brand development Sangeeta Gupta,
ESPN STAR Sports Media Bowling Competition at the
Firestar Research managing director David
Bangsar Bowl. Over 20 teams from across the
Carpentar, AirAsia chief executive officer Tony
advertising and marketing industry turned up to toss
Fernandes, Paddy Schubert managing director Datulc
balls at pins. We'll have some pictures of both of
Dr Paddy Bowie, TV3 general manager creative
these events in a coming issue.
Cetakrapi Sdn Bhd
marketing group Navonil Roy, Agency Assessments
Besides our cover story of the exuberant CEO of
COLOUR SEPARATOR
International chairman David Whethey, F&N Coca-
TV3, Faird Ridzuan (page 4), this issue includes what
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aDOl magazine is published every month 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: 603-7726 2598 E-mail: nathan_conrad@ham.com.my
Cola managing director Ng Jui Sia, Taylor Nelson
we hope is an insightful glimpse into diaper
Sofres Singapore regional director Phillip Jones,
marketing in Malaysia. You may just be surprised by
Celcom vice president Michael Lai and NTV7 chief
what you read (page 24).
executive officer Dato' Shazalli Ramly.
Besides all of that, we have included our
In addition to lectures, there was plenty of time
Broadcast Supplement this month - our annual look
to socialise with the usual suspects, as well as quite a
at TV and Radio in Malaysia. We hope that you find
few new faces. We've got some pictures on page 18 of
the information useful.
this issue. ADOI's own Power Suits 2003 were awarded at the ntv/-sponsored dinner. Sulin Lau of
Enjoy the issue...
Naga DDB may have carried away the top prize, but all five ladies who picked up trophies that night each
at What's hot in this issue... Highlights
origa
Paul Loosley: Oh! What a lovely war!
10
Abhijeet Duta Ray: War-time Consumer Engagement
16
Dean Johns: Writless writing.
3^
Michael Newman: How to be normal, without being ordinary
&
Interactive Josh Sklar: How the Internet Saved My Son's Life
15
Public Relations Milicent Danker: Enough of hype. Time to get real MemDeroT
43 Audit Bureau of Circulations
Š All rights reserved by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn. Bhd. 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 and the editor assume no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences of reliance of 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.
15
Direct Marketing Kurt Crocker: One Order of Kumquats...
it*
Features/Reviews Pictorial: Malaysian AdCongress 2003
18
Plucky Sulin is Power Suit of the Year!
20
AdFest: Leo Burnett tops in Malaysia
22
Changing Diapers - Marketing in Southeast Asia
2k
Exclusive Interviews Cover Story: TV3's Farid Ridzuan
0it
aDOl MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 3
THREE TO TANGO When Farid Ridzuan took over as chief executive officer at TV3 in mid-April 2002, the station was saddled by heavy debts and facing an uncertain future with little optimism for profitability...
You've recently relaunched the Brand with Deanna
turnover, charting a 4% growth to RM215.2 million
Yusof as host. Please tell us about the show and
over RM2o6million in 2001.
what's new... We're very excited about the next season of The
confirmed that we emerged tops in the ADEX spend
by approving a debt-restructuring plan, which will place TV3 together with the NSTP Group under a new holding company, Media Prima. Obviously the crossmedia selling possibilities are attractive - the country's largest TV station and oldest newspaper group together under one roof. ADOI recently caught up with the exuberant CEO of TV3 for a chat about the current state of his station, new marketing and sales developments, and just what he plans to do to lead this station to profitability...
Nielsen
survey
findings
Brand. The Brand was originally conceptualized as a
for electronic media with a 52% share and we are also the most-watched TV network in the country. This achievement confirms viewers' confidence and advertisers' support towards TV3.
the benefit of Malaysian marketers. In our first
dence in this charismatic ad man
AC
program that showcases the best of advertising for season, we experimented with various different ...JUST one year later, the share holders have shown their confiÂ
Additionally,
approaches to test the market and see what would be NSTP and TV3 will be grouped together under the
most suitable for local viewers. The second season of The Brand is a result of the
banner of Media Prima Bhd. What can we expect
learnings we have accumulated from the initial
from the two entities in terms of cooperation.
season. In the coming season which kicks off April 5
Media Prima Berhad (MPB) is an integrated
at 7.30pm and every Saturday night thereon, The
media company with interest and operation in TV3
Brand will feature a different, more exciting format
and NSTP. Through TV3 and NSTP, MPB will
that focuses on specific objects or icons that have
provide a plafform for an integrated media
been used as brand building tools.
services via a 'one-stop-centre' for advertisers as
We have now a new team working on the show
well as consumers.
including a new host - Deanna Yusoff. When I first
Being a member of MPB Group, TV3 will enjoy
conceptualized the program, she was actually our
several benefits, one of which is the synergy
host of choice, and I am very pleased indeed that we
created by joint marketing efforts of Malaysia's
have finally managed to secure her as the show's
No. 1 broadcast network and NSTP and content
host. Deanna is a brand icon in her own right - a
collaboration that can extend to both broadcast
multi-talented performing artiste whose own career
and print simultaneously. Apart from being able
has demonstrated the success one can achieve from
to offer advertisers more competitive cross-media
strong brand management. She brings with her a
advertising rates, TV3 can reap the benefits from
higher level of sophistication and style to the show,
shared information, contacts and resources
something that I believe will appeal greatly to its
with NSTP.
target viewers. In an earlier edition of ADOI, Navonil Roy talked Please tell me more about the current health
about new marketing efforts at the station, where
of TV3... All indications point to a very positive uptrend
'medium becomes the message'. Please tell us more
for TV3, both in terms of viewership and increased
The future of branding is in the ability to use
advertising revenue.
k aDOI MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
about the progress and success of these efforts... innovation and media equities to achieve growth,
For the financial year ending August 31, 2002,
especially in the face of an increasingly competitive
TV3 recorded a commendable improvement in its
business environment. Thus far, response from
and media equities to achieve growth, especially in the face, of an increasingly competitive business environment"! - Farid
aDOl MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 5
CoverStory
ended August 31, 2003, namely upon completion of our financial restructuring exercise which is expected to be completed by the end of second quarter this year. We are confident that the changes we have started to put in place towards increasing operational efficiency and enhancing our revenue opportunities will further contribute towards achieving this. TV3 has recently acquired the highly-rated Singaporean sitcom, Phua Chu Kang. How does this key acquisition... and perhaps others to come... factor into TV3's plans? The recent acquisition of Phua Chu Kang is indeed a huge win for us at TV3! It was borne out of our commitment to provide viewers with best-of-breed content in all programming segments. Based on research conducted by BMG, Phua Chu Kang was identified as one of the key programs viewers desired to watch on TV3, so we responded accordingly. This is the strategy we now take with our content, to give our viewers the best in each genre and it is obviously working! What we show on our station is a direct result of viewer feedback, so success of the program is assured. ACNielsen reports that TV3 commands 51% of primetime audience. This dwarfs all other stations. What does TV3 intend to do to maintain this gap - and perhaps even widen it further? A broadcast network is all about its content. If you have attractive content, people will tune it to your station. For many years, TV3 has already enjoyed a leadership position. advertisers and both creative and media
breed programming strategy. This strategy
To command 51% of audience share
agencies to this new approach has been very
goes beyond providing award-winning and
indicates that we have indeed touched base
encouraging, indicating there has been a long
popular content alone. It extends to the
with our viewers, that we are able to
felt need to use the strong media equities
way we work. The creation of our Brand
understand and satisfy their needs and
inherent in TV3.
Management Group (BMG) under the new
expectations. Our programming content is
Already, several projects from a diverse set
structure has meant that TV3 now has greater
tested through focus groups which enables
of clients like Unilever, Celcom, Tenaga
ability than ever to gauge viewer responses to
us to continuously improve or make the
Nasional Berhad, Southern Lion and KFC have
our existing programs and tap into their
necessary changes. Our investment in lifestyle
been aired. Quite a few are in various stages of
desires for programming improvements.
development.
Using the valuable information gleaned
studies will help us anticipate our audience needs as well as charting the future trends.
While the results have been very positive thus far, I am both keen and confident to see
from BMG's research, TV3 has revamped its
Now that we have widened the gap further
programming significantly, and this has
and intend to keep widening it by ensuring
more of such projects being initiated. In today'
resulted in increased viewership. As youknow,
more focused programming based on viewer
competitive marketing framework, success is
advertising revenue is a numbers game -
research. We made a commitment to deliver
dependent on alliances and the ability to
highest viewership often wins the ad dollar.
bold, best-of-breed programs and that is what
optimize the marketing dollar. Our new
Our positive viewership results coupled with
we will continue to do moving forward.
marketing efforts offer innovative solutions
our new marketing initiatives are the
that go beyond the standard spot buys, and we
backbone of our recent success.
A few months ago, TV3 offered VSS
would like to ensure that our clients are able to
(Voluntary Separation Scheme) to hundreds
take advantage of the benefits we offer.
TV3 is profitable, but is saddled with past
of station employees. Would you say that this
corporate debts. The Star has reported that
program was an overall success? How has VSS
TV3 commanded an astonishing 52% of all TV
TV3 says it will be in the black by August 31,
changed the structure, and indeed, the
ad revenue in 2002. Can TV3 expand on this
2003. Is this an accurate statement? What
overall face of TV3?
even further?
further can you tell us about this?
Since our restructure last year, TV3 has
Yes, we are optimistic that we will be back
The main aim of is to increase productivity, reduce redundancy and duplication of
progressively been pursuing a bold, best-of-
in the black by the end of our financial year
processes and streamlining of processes as per
6 3D0I MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
CoverStory
the business value chain. VSS was part of the overall organisation restructuring and thus the orga nisation restructure was designed to be viewer and advertiser-centric.
On a personal level, after a successful advertising career with Leo Burnett, you've made the transition into broadcast mana gement. What has been the greatest challenge in making this shift?
successfully execute plans for the station. The team here is passionate and hungry to outperform them selves continuously. They have been the bedrock of our success thus far, and I feel truly blessed to have their support.
Please, share with us why you are so passionate about TV3... Zakiah Anas says "No" to crime on 999
Previously, I was an advertiser, a client, an ad man and now... a media guy. To me, the previous move into this business completes the circle in my career within the communications industry value chain. The greatest challenge in making this shift has of course been the need to get used to playing on a different side of the fence. But I feel that my previous experience in the other parts of the communications value chain have really worked to my advantage in this aspect. Having been an advertiser and an agency person, I understand viewer and advertiser insights extremely well, making it easier for me to zero in on their specific needs. The remaking of TV3 through our recent restructure and current positioning exercise exemplify what I have managed to cull from my past career experiences and exemplify the focus we place on viewers as well as advertisers. What made the shift smoother is of course the support and valuable input I have received from friends in the business community and the communications industry. They strongly urged me to take up the initial challenge of TV3 and continue to offer strong support today. Additionally of course, my new family in TV3 has played a crucial role in helping me both develop and
I have always believed that to be successful one must have PASSION! It is the one crucial ingredient that often tips the balance between what is good and what is brilliant. My passion for TV3 stems largely from the fact that it is such a powerful medium. TV3 is all about people, creativity, emotions and ideas. It is all about entertaining and informing the Malaysian public, being part of their lives and playing a crucial role in influencing public opinion. We are undoubtedly an important cog in the nation building wheel, and that's a huge responsibility. My passion also comes from being able to see the reaction people have to our station's programs. Almost every Malaysian watches TV. We are a part of so many Malaysia families' daily lives, and the reaction to our brand is instantaneous when they watch one of our programs. There's nothing like it, in terms of instant gratification and response! I get so thrilled every time I see our ratings skyrocket as this reflects how much viewers enjoy our programs. My passion also comes from the team at TV3. The commitment they show towards our viewers, the relentless drive they possess to outperform themselves and their continuous search for bigger and better content are inspiring. There's so much enthusiasm and vibrance in the station now since we have restructured. People feel empowered and are actively contributing ideas. It makes the long hours enjoyable and thoroughly exciting!
Deana Yusoff, host of The Brand
"Having been an advertiser and an agency person, I understand viewer and advertiser insights extremely well, making it easier for me to zero in on their specific needs" - Fa rid
aDOl MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 7
••
How ambitious are you?
Upcoming Events 8 & 9 May 2003 Interactive Marketing Conference Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore Call 65 6372 2201 / Email jaslyn@conferences.com.sg
Ambitious enough to have plans to run an advertising
18 to 21 May 2003
agency? If you are, we could be on the same wave length
Clio Awards 2003 Edin Roc Resort and Spa, Miami Beach, USA Call 1 212 683 4300 / Email cliofestival@earthlink.net
and perhaps we should sit down over a cup of tea and see how we go from there. Obviously, for you to be that ambitious, you are a thinker, a
21 to 22 May 2003
planner, an excellent one at that. You have set yourself a
Corporate Image £1 Branding Strategies Conference Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore Call 65 6372 2201 / Email jaslyn@conferences.com.sg
deadline that will see your ambitions crystalize in the next few years or so. Meanwhile, with a proven track record, you're not resting
We invite organizers of events for the advertising and marketing industry to submit information for publication in this monthly Upcoming Events column. Publication of information is based on availability of space, preference will begiven to events taking place closest to the date of publication.
on your laurels. You already have an excellent portfolio of clients and are continuing to add to it.
NAME CARD OF THE MONTH
If this is the opportunity that you are looking for, why don't we have a chat and see how we could complement each other. Just drop us a line by Fax: 7727 1588 with a short brief of yourself and
jds
we'll get tea ready.
mm \ Joe D' Silva
R3 ASIA PACIFIC Malaysia New Business Scoreboard March 2003
JDS ASSOCIATES Sdrt: Bhd. 133A. Jatan Gasing. 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Malaysia Tel:.603 7781 750? Fax. (303 7784 0090 joe<Jsilva@ewfads,cotTi
THE major move this month is the consolidation of the Celcom business into Zenith, following a review amongst a number of media specialists. OMD has also moved up the table with wins of Maico/National,
RANK
LAST MONTH
AGENCY
MAJOR WINS
ESTIMATED BILLINGS (RM'000) YTD 2003
MAJOR LOSSES
OVERALL BILLINGS (RM'000) YTD 2003
MAINSTREAM AGENCIES
Siemens and Effem Foods. Also, on advice from both agencies and the client, we've revised the apportionment of Sepang International Circuit between Starcom and Carat.
1
1
Naga DDB
KL Tourism, BOH Tea
31,000
31,000
2
2
JWT
Nestle Ice Cream
8,000
8,000
We've been active this month on relation
3
3
DDB International
Unza, Magnolia
7,500
7,500
ship management work in Malaysia, andone of
li
it
Bates
Roche, F&N Sarsi
MOO
MOO
the interesting learnings is the need for clear
5
5
EuroRSCG
TOPS Hypernova 1 Marketplace
3,700
3,700
scope of work agreements. We've seen too
6
6
TBWA
Haagen Dazs
3,500
3,500
many relationships come apart because the
7
7
FCB
Kumon Asia
750
expectations are not clearly set and agreed to in
8
8
Batey
Shangri-la Putrajaya
250
advance. When a detailed scope of work is
THIS MONTH
LAST MONTH
AGENCY
MAIOR WINS
750 1,000 ESTIMATED BILLINGS (RM'000) YTD 2003
Kumon Asia MAJOR LOSSES
OVERALL BILLINGS (RM'000) YTD 2003
MEDIA AGENCIES Carat
developed, measuring the agency performance and hence success becomes far easier. © Greg Paull
Nivea, KFC, Habib Jewellers,
30,500
30,500
Principal, R3 Asia Pacific
30,000
The New Business ScoreBoard is compiled monthly on behalf
Sepang International Circuit
NA
Zenith
Celcom
30,000
OMD
Maico/National, Siemens,
if9,500
Effem Foods, KL Tourism,
KFC, Ayamas project,
26,500
Standard Chartered
of Adoi magazine by R3, a consultancy specializing in agency relationships, remuneration and reviews. All billings figures are annualized and are calculated based on R^'s estimates, adjusted from ACNielsen ADEX figures or derived
Sutera Harbour
from agencies directly. Agency losses as well as wins are
Starcom
Ayamas, Honda
15,000
15,000
Mindshare
Standard Chartered, Bvlgari
Woo
4,300
all new business activity in Malaysia - please email
Mediaedge:cia
PJCC, Minolta
2,600
2,600
greg@rthree.com if you believe we have missed or
recorded, if not shown. We attempt to accurately capture
incorrectly recorded any information.
8 3D0I
MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
gettyimages passion $0*3%;'.
I*. « • —;——f-
Symmetry, order and obsession. It's what makes photography work, too says Getty Images photographer Michael Kelley. Advertising. Design. Editorial. Film. News. Sport. Passion. gettyimages.com
Oh! What a lovely war! In the pages of the world's ad press, despite the war, (or indeed because of it) the show must go on. AS of writing, the war is a few days old
would suspect. The US Army, who spend about
and advertising seems all decked out in its sparkling new outfits and fresh new greasepaint. To start, Adage reports that most
US$147 million a year on adverts, have a new
advertisers are firmly committed to their
courage. I think the Iraqi Army is saying the
spot which features unit crests and suggests the Army will always win with honour and
media buys for the Oscar telecast. Groovy
same thing. You know I'm old enough to
advertisers like Cadillac, J.C. Penney Co,
remember the great hippy T-shirt slogan: 'Join
McDonald's Corp. Anheuser-Busch, AOL Time
the army today, visit exotic new places, meet
Warner's America Online, AIG, Kodak and
interesting new people and kill them' and it's
Yahoo! all listened to the Academy of Motion
still as good today as it's always been. In Oz it really is show time. B&rT tells us
Picture Arts and Sciences who said that the Academy "would be sensitive to world
'free-to-air networks are rolling out special
events." The Academy also denied rumours
war news coverage, with added bulletins and,
that the White House asked for a post
in the case of the Nine Network, SMS
ponement and that a number of celebrities
headlines. The Nine and Seven networks will
would not show up.
lead the coverage charge (great choice of words there) with special bulletins on each channel,
Well perhaps a no-show or postponement would have been better than jokes about noses and hot-tubs. And Peter O'Toole telling us how
including Seven's new 4.30pm bulletin, as well as regular news and current affairs coverage
lovely America is (God was I ashamed) and
dedicated to the unfolding events". A channel
various glitzy stars weeping somewhat
Seven spokesperson said, "We have been
unconvincingly. And not a fucking one of
planning our approach for some time' and a
them with the guts to condemn the stupid
channel Ten spokesperson said "Everyone is
bloody thing outright. But isn't that what real
adopting a wait-and-see approach, As with any
"Join the army today, visit exotic new places, meet interesting new people and kill them!" freedom is really about folks; Doesn't everyone
situation of this kind, we all work closely
want to cruise in a huge limo, examining one's
together with advertisers to ensure flexibility
investment portfolio, wearing nice new slacks,
and delivery on [their] expectations." Well
while surfing the net, drinking beer, eating
I'm jolly glad the Australians are approa
hamburgers and taking photos?Iknow I do.
No 11, Level 2, The Right Angle, Jalan 14/22, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel :603 7958 5858 Fax:603 7958 5588 Contact : Richard 019 330 9536 Mustaza 019 398 3950 managed by Utusan Sight & Sound Sdn Bhd (266339-R) Utusan Audio Sdn Bhd
(271162-W)
ching this all in such a calm, business-like
In AdAge again the curtain rises on new ad
manner. Not the usual loud aggressive Oz-
campaigns from the US Marine Corps and the
type behavior. One would have suspected they
U.S. Army nicely timed to coincide with the
would all be for loading up planes with
war. The Marine Corps launched a new TV ad
stingers, brown snakes and blue ringed octopi
featuring scenes of Marines in Afghanistan.
and dropping them on unsuspecting Iraqi
Maj. David Griesmer, a clearly sensitive and
troupes. But it seems like war has a really
caring public relations officer for the Marines
calming affect on them.
is quoted as saying, "We have some great
Finally the pragmatic approach in Asia
footage of Marines in Afghanistan and felt this
from Media Magazine. They quote Hong
would reflect a serious effort that appeals to
Kong's media planners, who say 'The war in
the patriotic side," Great footage! Of what?
Iraq won't seriously affect advertising spend
Pictures of people having just killed other
in Asia-Pacific, unless the conflict becomes a
people or about to kill other people or about to
long drawn out affair'. And that 'now that war
be killed themselves? Who in their right mind
has erupted, one major uncertainty in the
could describe that as 'great'. But to be fair
global economy has been removed'. That is a
they do expend some US$18 million a year on
great weight off all our minds. Hope they feel
this tosh. And let's not forget their theme line,
the same in Iraq. Exit stage right.©
the familiar motto, "Marines, the few, the proud." And getting fewer all the time one
PS Was Robin Williams right?
PublicRelations
Enough of hype.
Time to get real. by Millicent Danker
... Mind you, it won't be easy. We have to be realistic and honest with ourselves, our skills and capabilities, our performance and achievements, the inherent strengths of our products and services. We must recognize our limitations and weaknesses... FOR too long, Malaysian communicators have been too fond of hype. You know, exaggerated achievements. Chest thumping. Over-the-top, Malaysia-Boleh stuff. When we say too much without being discerning - and when we do this too often we begin to lose our objectivity. When we exaggerate - and in the process, distort - we lose credibility. When you read an article or listen to a TVC full of words and images you have heard before, you do one of a few things: • You turn the page/you zap the remote • You say, yeah right • You yawn • You begin to disbelieve the media Today's media is full of cliches (a phrase or idea which is used so often that it is no longer interesting, effective or relevant), hyperbole (language that is deliberately and obviously exaggerated for effect) and, to borrow a recent word, spin. This has begun to hurt not only the credibility of the brand, products, services and companies we are trying to promote, but also our corporate and national reputation. Nearly every time we position an individual, brand or company we go overboard. It's always the biggest, the best, the longest, the tallest. Every time we organize an event, a product launch or a press conference, we go all the way. There must be three speeches at the very least, 10 salutations in the MC script, expensive gimmicks in our act of launch, several VI Ps decorating the head table, food fit for kings - and the six-star hotel. Every piece of communication is awash
with superlatives, sometimes thrown together in an unthinking manner, without a clear intention or strategy behind it. In the process, a lot of money is spent. No matter whose money it is, it ought to be spent wisely and productively. WHERE WILL IT ALL END? As a communicator myself, I think it's time for a serious review of the situation. This should be a challenge for all communicators, going forward. I use the phrase 'get real'. By getting real, I mean getting back to basics. Cut to the core. Cut out the clutter, the jargon. What is the real story here? What are the true facts? How do we present them in an honest objective manner? What is our communication objective? What is the message? What is the best medium, or platform for its delivery? What this calls for is clarity - clarity of thought and intention. It also calls for honesty. And discipline: Do one thing at a time and evaluate before rushing into the next big thing. By practising restraint, Malaysian products and services, Malaysian talents and entrepreneurs, Malaysian companies and stocks, can begin the journey to win back confidence, trust and respect. I think the days of chest-beating, orangutan-like, are over. Mind you, it won't be easy. We have to be realistic and honest with ourselves, our skills and capabilities, our performance and achievements, the inherent strengths of our products and services. We must recognize our limitations and weaknesses.
If we are not the most-efficient and reliable provide! of a particular service, then let's work hard to make ourselves better. Let's not fall into the trap of seeking to 'build image' through false claims and hype. Far better it would be to be introspective and look for solutions. Building a professional culture within our organisations, however small, takes time. In the meanwhile, we must resist the temptation to invest in flamboyant advertising that promises great customer service when our frontliners aren't ready to deliver. Who are we kidding? Our stakeholders are starting to question our performance, our quality, our governance. They are not prepared to accept what they have, so readily, in the past. As consultants, we see decision-makers succumb to all sort of gimmicks to make their organisations look good. Some tend to prefer form over content, style over substance. They may have been led into thinking that there are quick fixes and these are preferable than to begin the hard work of changing culture and reinventing the organisation. There is nothing wrong with having limitations and working within them. By cutting out pompous hype and childish hip from our headlines and taglines, and frills and fireworks from our promos and campaigns, we may even be able to save money for our companies and clients and help improve their bottom lines. Or have we forgotten how important that is? Millicent Danker is the principal consultant and founder of Perception Management Sdn Bhd and Perception Strategies (UK) Limited.
3D0I MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 11
I
InterActive
How the Internet
Saved My Son's Life by Josh Sklar
What does the worst period of my life have to do with the Internet? Well, you see, had it not been for the Internet I most likely would have lost Noah's brother Zach Jacob as well. Since the condition was so unknown, I took it upon myself to read through Web sites devoted to archiving medical journals and conver sations between specialists. Although most of it was written in some very difficult-tocomprehend jargon, I understood enough to find comparative cases from which I could draw much needed information. One golden nugget referred to a situation remarkably similar to my family's. In this instance, the baby was doing very well for nine days but then required incubation and tragically died three days later. The physician discovered a gene deficiency that was
"In the past, I would have had no recourse. I would have had to sit in the intensive care unit hoping the doctors could cover every base. I wouldn't have had the frame of mind or wherewithal to go to a medical library to try and find the odd reference to this situation. The Internet empowered me to take care of my own and give me peace of mind by accessing the most up-to-date library in the world."
12 aDOl
MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
I know my column is sometimes a little too heavy at times because of all my personal tragedies. However, as ADOI tells me the following article was widely discussed when it came out in June of 2000, we thought it might be appropriate to inform our loyal readers of the outcome and to reprint it. My son Zach, the focus of the article, passed away suddenly on January 15th due to a lung infection. There's really not a lot else to say. Thank you for all your kind words and thoughts.
aggravated by the infant's diet. Had the diet been adjusted, she would have survived. I immediately wrote out the gene tests and treatment for my son's paediatrician who took me seriously enough, given the validity of the source, to send samples to John Hopkins in the US. In the past, I would have had no recourse. I would have had to sit in the intensive care unit hoping the doctors could cover every base. I wouldn't have had the
I'D like to dedicate this and all future
frame of mind or wherewithal to go to
columns to the memory of my late son, Noah
a medical library to try and find the odd
Isaac Sklar, who passed away on May 5th, the
reference to this situation. The Internet
day he and his fraternal twin brother were
empowered me to take care of my own and
born. My wife was 8 1/2 months along (in her
give me peace of mind by accessing the most
34 1/2 week out of 40) and all three were perfectly healthy until she was suddenly
up-to-date library in the world. Not only did I feel as though I was helping, it appears I
struck down by an extremely rare disorder
may have prevented the loss of my sanity,
called "acute fatty liver of pregnancy" which
and my wife's, by using these free resources.
caused her liver and kidneys to fail. It came
This is what the Internet is all about:
on within less than two days accompanied by
giving a user easy access to find information
symptoms of a typical third-term pregnancy
that is important to him and her. In my
and would have killed her and both our
case, it was a matter of life and death. For
children had it not been for a string of lucky incidents (and some extremely great doctors
some consumers, it could simply be one of convenience. The point is, the Internet is a
at Gleneagles here in Singapore). As rare as it
very powerful tool that we must all, as
is for this disease to strike, it is apparently
advertisers and users, learn to use in the
much rarer to survive it.
most effective manual possible.
DirectMarketing
One Order of Kumquats and a License to Go, Please by Kurt Crocker, Creative Director Drayton Bird, Crocker £r Mario Sdn Bhd (DBCSrM)
telephone or on-line to avoid ultimately expensive queues at the DMV office. At the beginning of this year, New York's DMV also started testing a way to save up to US$750,000 yearly on the cost of these renewal mailings.
They
offered
advertisers
the
opportunity to include separate sales messages GOT a product or service you want to sell? Tired
... Advertisers can target recipients by make, model and year of car, and postcode. The test mailings have included Ford, MasterCard, Viking Warranty and Geico Direct (insurance)....
with the notices.
of the same old sales from ordinary marketing?
Advertisers can target recipients by make,
If your agency folks aren't pushing Direct, fire
model and year of car, and postcode. The test
them. You're missing some excitingpossibilities.
mailings have included Ford, MasterCard,
Think Direct Marketing doesn't apply to your
Viking Warranty and Geico Direct (insurance).
business? Think again. Any product or service
Along with the sales leaflets, the DMV includes
can be successfully and cost-efficiently sold using
one of their own stating that it does not endorse
Direct. Did you see that little word "Any" at the
any of the advertisers. The DMV also reserves
start of the previous sentence? Direct Marketing
the right to refuse any advertising deemed
travels well across virtually every business
inappropriate, and does not accept alcohol,
category.
cigarette or tobacco advertising.
Knock Your Socks Off
to the mailing list, this Direct Marketing
And since the advertisers have no access Speaking of travel, here's a good example of how you can make a grand Direct Marketing
idea complies with U.S. laws protecting consumer privacy. Is this example relevant to Malaysia? Sure
impression without a tubful of money. Travel and Transport, based in Omaha,
it is ... anything the government currently
Nebraska, is America's ninth largest travel
mails to its citizenry can do the double-duty of
management company. Their customers are
selling something.
corporate managers responsible for the air and accommodation needs of traveling executives. Knowing that customer care is one of their
A Very Fruity Offer Sometimes Direct Marketing soars
best attributes, Travel and Transport came up
successfully through a variety of tactics. This
Does your travel management company
with an attention-grabbing Direct Marketing
next example is for a dot-com, and combines
Knock Your Socks Off?
idea. First, they divided an internal list of
promotion, advertising on cable TV and
880 prospects
inserts in cable subscription bills ... with a
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managers.
amongst
their
five
sales
Then they created an over-sized
The company is called "freshdirect.com" and
message, but personalized by sales manager
is based in Manhattan. They direct-deliver
name and contact number.
groceries to customers who order on-line. They
This simple mailing format carried the
•sr&sr* •HCUK •
message:
"Does
your
travel management
company Knock Your Socks Off?" It was
No one delivers food to NewYork like we do.
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very nice offer.
postcard - 8.5" x 5.5" - with an identical
claim the ability to save up to 35% compared to local retail markets. FreshDirect
began
their
campaign by
accompanied by a pair of white golf socks, and
targeting Manhattan postcodes where the
enclosed in a silver see-through Mylar envelope.
delivery service was available. They hired "brand
The objective of this effort was to encourage
ambassadors"
and
dressed
them
inflatable
up
fruit
in
enquiries and get sales appointments. Given the
FreshDirect-branded
and
fact that the industry is tied into 3-year
vegetable costumes. These highly noticeable
contracts, immediate sales were not expected.
(some of the costumes topped off at 7-feet)
But they certainly wanted to get on the short-list
promoters roamed high-foot-traffic areas and
once bids were called for.
handed out leaflets with a rather generous offer:
Of the 880 mailed, 22 serious prospects responded ... not bad considering the potential
US$50 in free food. Plus a waiver of the usual US$40 minimum order.
revenue. Even better when you consider the
The results? The online fresh-food retailer
entire cost of the campaign was less than
attracted 50,000 new customers over a period of
US$3,000, including the socks.
about 6 months. It gets better. 75% of first-time customers bought again from the company, more
Government Sponsored Direct Marketing? Travel is one logical category for applying the
UiaDOl MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
than r7% of households where the service is available have tried FreshDirect, and the
power of Direct Marketing. How about a
company is attracting more than 3,000 new
governmental department?
customers weekly.
In New York, as in most American states, the
This says volumes about the importance of
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) sends
the offer, as well as for how Direct Marketing
notices to every driver when it's time to renew
empowers on a multitude of fronts.
license and car registration. The hope is that, in
And if it can work for travel agencies,
addition to offering the official notice, more
governmental departments plus fruits and
drivers will be encouraged to renew by mail,
vegetables ... it can work for you.
For business growth.
•BPwu. •attr'
Tncr
Insightful. In-depth. Indispensable. Audited. That's why we're Number One. To advertise in the best-selling business and investment weekly in Malaysia call 603-7660 3838 or fax 603-7660 8563. MEMBER AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION (MALAYSIA)
For Business Leaders (The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd • 266980 - x)
www.theedgedaily.com
Engaging With Your Consumers
During Times of War by Abhijeet Dutta Ray, Strategic Planning Director, Ogilvy &â&#x20AC;˘ Mather, Thailand
... Pulling ads is in fact the easiest part of the decision (albeit it causes nightmares for media planners who try and wriggle out of contractual obligations of pre-booked time and space); however from a consumer engagement standpoint, it is prudent to undertake an analysis which helps rationalize what ought to be the best course of action rather than figuring out what messages to withdraw from which medium... AT times I delude myself into believing that someone will actually remember to check if I actually complete a thought that I started in an earlier last piece. Most definitely, I have not forgotten, however the subject of Channel Equity is a complex one, and like all good things - it needs time to formulate a considered opinion. Hence - do continue to watch this space for some useful tips on building Channel Equity. In the meantime, it is most appropriate to talk about something that is 'top-of-mind' for all of us. As the tanks roll across the dessert towards the Iraqi capital yesterday, the world braces itself for deluge of war oriented editorials across all most mass media forms, overwhelming audiences with the expected details on the unfolding human tragedy. Amidst news of blood, gore and body count - we will see a rapid disappearance of commercial communication. Pulling ads is in fact the easiest part of the decision (albeit it causes nightmares for media planners who try and wriggle out of contractual obligations of prebooked time and space); however from a consumer engagement standpoint, it is prudent to undertake an analysis which helps rationalize what ought to be the best course of action rather than figuring out what messages to withdraw from which medium. In general the focus of the analyses should take place across two broad areas: Branding which includes everything that is done to
ultimately build a preference for purchase for the Brand, and Activation - which includes everything that is done to ultimately trigger the final purchase of the Brand. A fairly rudimentary, yet useful 'risk assessment' analysis should include: BRANDING Category: Does the outbreak of war have direct repercussions on the Category business in general? For example, if you operate within the Travel industry, the likelihood of seeing declines in your category is naturally very high. In this environment, there is little point in trying to send out emotive Branding messages, say of alluring poolside views of your hotel, which are primarily designed to build/keep Brand preferences. Brand: Given the market share and distribution strengths of your brand, will the outbreak of war have a bigger/ smaller impact specifically your Brand's business? For example, staying with the Travel industry example, if you were a hotel group, you need to access the impact based on your customer profile. For example, if most of your operations were in SE Asia and you were dependent on Business or FIT travelers out of Japan, chances are that you will see a marginal decline, say compared to a competitor whose business is largely driven by leisure travelers out of North America. In this scenario, you may need to tweak your Branding messages to make it more appropriate
Cinemax Revamped IN March 2003, Cinemax relaunched with a new programming focus, new scheduling features, a new logo and a more contem-porary on-air look. James Marturano, the executive vice president of HBO Asia and managing director of HBO South Asia, explained that the revamp was not because popularity had been waning since the channel started in 1996. Instead, it is an attempt to increase the strength of the brand and to make it a better complement to HBO.
16 aDOl MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
He said that the new tag line 'Get into the movies' is an invitation to viewers to immerse themselves in the films on the channel. Cinemax has adapted its prime time scheduling to fit in with changing lifestyles and the increase in entertainment options. The new system focuses on genres with theatrical hits being aired Monday to Wednesday, action films on Thursdays and Fridays, Saturdays are for
to the changed external environment and you may need to access if you still want those high visibility media positions (inside front cover double page spreads) and instead shift your focus to direct marketing and PR efforts. So it is not just a case of simply pulling ads, but more of a sensible deployment of your Branding efforts both in terms of content and media. ACTIVATION While Branding messages need the careful reassessment as outlined above, arguably the more interesting area of influence on the consumer must certainly be the Activation area. Again, an assessment needs to be made at both the Category and Brand level. Category: If your category was under threat from a business point of view, you may in general wish to pump up your Activation efforts using the most appropriate strategies. For example, if you were a luxury fashion brand operating in a particular niche, and if economic prudence was going to have an impact on your category business in general, there would be little point in continuing to churn and mail out expensive Catalogues and continuing with catwalk events. Brand: An assessment of what would keep the most loyal consumers not lose their bonding with the Brand may be necessary. For example if you had a consumer insight that despite your Brand's existence in the 'luxury' need, there Brand essence (relationship with your most loyal consumers) was such that it was based on offering great quality products fulfilling a desire for higher degree of emotional security in time of uncertainty, you need to develop an activation plan which plays to this consumer desire. This may take the form of a specially designed promotion targeted towards loyal consumers, for example. At the end of the day, the risk assessment analysis will most definitely be a first step towards framing the guidelines within which both your Branding and Activation efforts must be confined, giving you a more effective consumer communication and activation framework to work with. thrillers and horror, and on Sundays two new films never-before-shown on Asian television will be aired back to back. The new on air look is designed to create a more cinematic feel to the channel. Cinemax is a complementary channel to HBO's flagship blockbuster channel and while there is a small percentage of overlap, in general Cinemax viewers can look forward to lesser-known films. Marturano believes "good stories result in good movies" regardless of how much they are promoted by the film studios. He wants to show the audience that there is "more to movies than a few Hollywood titles." Cinemax is currently available in 17 countries and has over 3.4 million subscribers.Š
Mendahului dengan isu-isu semasa We lead with the issues M
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Snapshot
Malaysian AdCongress 2003 Seen at the Malaysia Advertisers Associations Inaugural Adcongress from 28 to 30 March 2003 in Langkawi... Movers, Shakers, Networkers, Teachers, Partiers and Beach Bums...
Dato' Shazalli Ramly was one of the more The ADOI publisher surrounded by the five memorable speakers at MAC 2003 winners of the inaugural PowerSuits
Malaysian Advertisers Association President Zainuddin M Noh with Minister of Enterpreneur Development YB Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Abd Aziz
AirAsia's Tony Fernandes makes a point
Astro's pay television chief operating officer David Butorac
MAC 2003 Ex-Official member Shahar Noor entertains along side Sony Music's Azharina
Brand Energy's Amy Oh and Utusan's Roselina Johari tries to avoid the ADOI lens
Karangkrafs Firdaus Hussamuddin plucks a L toR:Aiiy'sLiewMin Sail, MediCorp'sSharon Loh, tune with the help of Whitenight's James Selva Vision Four's Mark Stradling and Alfred Inzinger
18
aDO!
MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
Dato' Nazri opened MAC 2003 with a few Peter Anthony Das served as Chairman of the jokes, plenty of smiles, and some sound advice MAC 2003 organising committee
The ntvy faithful and assorted admireres abandon their table for a group shot
Power Suit of the Year Sulin Lau demonstrates her astonishing disco skills
Utusan's Adi Satria and Citra's Ameernudin Zulkifli goofing off between sessions
/
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P0werSuit2003
Plucky Sulin become Malaysia's first Power Suit of the Year!
Sulin Lau, Naga DDB's Power Suit of The Year 2003
AS a light breeze swirled through the Tepian Cenang Restaurant in Pelangi Beach Resort in Langkawi last Friday, Malaysia's first and probably the world's only dedicated Power Suits Awards got under way. But little did Naga DDB's Sulin Lau know that she would be creating history in the Malaysian ad industry. Because not only did Sulin win the Brand Planner of the Year in the Power Suits 2003 Awards but she also clinched the best of the best or the Power Suit of the Year award! Sulin has been lauded by ilMJ her colleagues for speaking her mind. Barely in her midtwenties, she triumphed over 50 other nominations to win the coveted main prize. Sulin obtained her BSc. in economics and political science at the London School of Economics in 1998. After a short stint in journalism, and then account management, she was re-assigned to planning at Leo Burnett in August 2000. She is currently responsible for planning on 80% of Naga DDB's clients, including DiGi, Tourism Malaysia, Perodua, National, Johnson £r Johnson and Energizer. She was also involved on three new business wins for the agency, with a collective increase of agency billings of RM25 million. She was the unanimous choice by the judges. This Power Suits awards honours advertising professionals who work in the Account Manage ment department. This inaugural year witnessed a clean sweep by ladies after the final round of judging recently. Over 50 nominations were received from 80% of leading ad agencies in
20 aDO! MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
Malaysia. Underlining the quality of entries, all nominations were agency-shortlisted submissions. This year's main winners came from two leading agencies - namely Naga DDB and McCann-Erickson. Every nomination was accompanied by a written testimonial describing why the nominee qualifies for such an award and signed by the head of the ad agency. Entries also included additional testimonials from managers, colleagues, or even clients - in short, anyone who could offer evidence why the nominee deserved to be a Power Suit. Each nominee was evaluated before a panel made of judges made up strictly of leading Malaysian advertisers, making it the first awards system with such a judging panel. The winners are as follows: Jessica Koh of DDB International won the Young Suit of the Year award. This award is for Account Executives with less than two years' working experience in account management. This individual should possess the kind of drive, determination, and instinct that marks him or her for a bright future in advertising. He or she should have already demonstrated an apt understanding of the brand building process - the knack for bringing agencies and clients closer together. Karin Tan of McCann-Erickson won the Account Manager of the Year award. This award is for those with a minimum of three years working experience in account management and working as Account Managers. He or she would have shown an exceptional ability to service a client as the head of
a small team. He or she must have a keen eye for client's businesses. Again, strategy is going to be hallmark of this person's capabilities. Lim Wai Yee of Naga DDB won the Account Director of the Year award. This award is for those with a minimum of five years working experience in account management and currently working as Account Directors. He or she should have an exceptional ability to develop a client's business, win pitches and wield a strong sense of leadership. Michelle Yoong of McCann-Erickson won the Group Account Director/Client Service Director of the Year award. This award was for those with a minimum of five years working experience in account management and working as Group Account Directors or Client Service Directors. He or she is at the top of their game, a seasoned pro, who knows their clients' business like nobody else. A potential Managing Director in the making. Lau Sulin of Naga DDB won the Brand Planner of the Year award. This award was open to with minimum two years working experience in brand planning and are working as Strategic Planners in ad agencies. They need to obviously need to know all about creating breakthrough strategies for brands and have a holistic perspective to the agency's approach. A grasp of consumer understanding, creative possibilities, media depth and business acumen is critical. They liberate creative people and crack the code to great ideas. Sulin also won the Power Suit of the Year 2003 award. Other ad agencies who reached the final round were FCB, People n Rich-H and DYR. What made these accomplishments more signficant was the fact that they were judged by leading advertisers who made up the judging panel: Tan Sri Dato Lim Kok Wing of LICT University College. Danny Ng, Chairman & Managing Director of Unilever. Michael Lai, Marketing Director of Celcom Leong Ming Chee of Director of Communications of Nestle Shakir Moin of Marketing Director of F&N CocaCola. Timothy Bennett of The Boston Consulting Group. Greg Paul, Principal of R3 Asia Pacific. David Ross, Marketing Directorof New Zealand Milk Michael Lee - Regional Marketing Development Director, Friesland AsiaPac. Nagarajan Pillay, VicePresident Marketing of Permanis. All judging procedures were observed and ratified by a certified auditor. 80% of all judging involved al least one/two face-to-face interviews. The main judging criteria consisted of being creative in handling assignments, collaboration with all parties, passion for the job and, one's management ability and attention to detail. Next year, it is hoped that more categoris would be added to this competition but, by all accounts, it was a phenomenal first year for Power Suits.
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AdFest2003
Saatchis Bangkok Rules AdFest Leo Burnett and Naga DDB the only winners from Malaysia
origami
Bronze awards poster work for Kinokuniya by Leo Burnett KL.
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SAATCHI & SAATCHI Bangkok picked up Best of the Best for TV and cemented its position as Asia's leading creative shop by topping the awards table at the 6th Asia Pacific Advertising Festival held in Bangkok from 20 to 22 March 2003 in Pattaya, Thailand. Leo Burnett Malaysia picked up a trio of Bronze awards - all for poster work for Kinokuniya. Naga DDB picked up Malaysia's only other' medal - also a Bronze - for its outdoor work for Energizer Battery. Saatchi & Saatchi Bangkok's work for Spy Wine Cooler was the highlight of the agency's haul of 11 awards, consisting of one Gold, two Silver, five Bronze and two Craft awards in all categories across TV and Print. J Walter Thompson Bangkok was second overall with eight awards. In total, Bangkok agencies received 30 awards, easily outpacing the second mostawarded city, Singapore, with 13 awards. Tokyo finished with 10, Hong Kong with eight and Mumbai with five awards.
Chairman of the judging committee, Craig Davis, the regional creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi Asia/Africa said that a consistent thread throughout the competition was the sense of humour. "Despite difficult economic times, the people of Asia have not lost their sense of humour and that has come out at AP AdFest. It doesn't matter what the nationality, because humour crosses all borders." He added that the majority of the best work was "visually driven" and that simplicity was the key to success. "Simplicity is a very powerful thing, but people need to understand what the idea is. You should be able to articulate an idea in just a few words," he said. The 6th Asia Pacific Advertising Festival saw a total of 87 awards given out in response to over 2,600 entries this year. More than 600 delegates attended the event, widely considered the most influential regional advertising festival and awards show in Asia Pacific.
SpecialReport
ARE CONSUMERS CH ... But what is certain is that an intense battle of the bra IN the space of two years a relatively unknown player in the
adverts talking down to women that usually appear for
nappy industry, Drypers, has taken on the giant of the business,
nappies. He strongly believed that the campaign should be
Pampers, and at least in the Malaysian and Singapore markets,
entertaining.
the new comer is now number one.
company to only use Dads in the adverts rather than Mums.
building and clever marketing which led, at least in the short
Which is one way in which they differentiate their brand. But
term, to the underdogs coming out on top.
the baby is always the central figure.
The last report from AC Nielsen
Between October 2000 and the third quarter in 2001 they
showed that Drypers Wee Wee Dry
ran three short television commercials entitled Drinker,
already captures more than 1/4 of total
Shivers and Weather Baby. These adverts were certainly a
baby diaper market volume in
stage away from the traditional blue liquid absorbency
Malaysia. All other brands, including
demonstrations that have beset nappy advertising in the
Pampers have market shares of less
past. But while one had a nice twist with the nappy's
than half that of Drypers'. In Singapore
effectiveness against leaks demonstrated by the baby sitting
the story is the same - Drypers Wee Wee
on his father's head these campaigns were not going to win
Dry captures nearly 30% of the total
any creative prizes.
market volume. And again the compeÂ
Since these beginnings the adverts have got much cleverer.
titors seem to be languishing at around
"Instead of asking the mothers about Drypers we thought that
half that.,
we would ask the babies," Balinghasay explained.
Much of this recent success must
BBDO created an advertisement called 'Interview' featuring
be down to Eric Balinghasay who was
cute babies apparently talking in adult voices about the merits
brought in as director of marketing at
of Drypers in a "Look who's talking"-esq fashion.
Drypers in December 2000. Balinghasay gained experience in
Pampa - a blue baby elephant intended as a friend / companion for babies. The TVC was backed up by a promotion allowing consumers to exchange on pack loyalty points for free Pampa toys.
According to Balinghasay, Drypers are the only nappy
How did this come about? It is a story of successful brand
The advert opens with a small boy on a plastic motorbike giving his testimonial on the product "I have a busy life but
the consumer goods industry from eight
with Drypers I don't need to change often... also, the leak
years with Colgate Palmolive. The last
guards are perfect because I'm an active kind of guy."
two years of which he was a member of their Asia Pacific regional organisation. Within Drypers, Balinghasay is now responsible for the marketing, branding, positioning strategies and their
The company were initially very hesitant about accepting the advertisement mainly because it involved a significant outlay. There were also concerns over whether the advert could be executed effectively.
implementation in all markets. And despite having admitted
But Hwa was convincedit was the right for thebrand at this
he's never changed a baby's nappy, he seems to be able to
point in time. Within a month, with no promotions or price
market them.
cuts, the brand achieved the number one spot.
When he arrived, there was no marketing division and no
This advert, directed by Hwa, won silver in the 2002
marketing spend to speak of but this has been turned that
Malaysian Video Awards for special effects, was a finalist for
around and in partnership with BBDO and OMD has
the advertiser of the year in the creative category at the Media
subsequently produced some creative marketing and
awards and got bronze in Malaysia's Kancil awards.
innovative advertisements. In 1998, Drypers set up the head office and regional
According to Balinghasay the success of Drypers is to do with filling a niche in the market. He claims that Drypers
manufacturing site in Shah Alam- at which stage Pampers had
effectively positioned Drypers Wee Wee Dry between the
already been active in the Asia Pacific market for 11 years.
unbranded nappies and the expensive branded nappies. He
Then in 1999, an office was set up in Singapore and the
believes that, at that stage, Drypers' selling position was to offer
company acquired Control Plus, which is a brand of adult
a nappy with the performance of the branded nappies but at
nappy. Control Plus is not advertised and is mainly sold to and
a cheaper price.
through institutions.
When Drypers was launched the price was about 20% less
It was not until two years after the operation was set up in
than that of Pampers however subsequently Pampers have
Malaysia that the company became serious about marketing.
reduced their price and currently they are priced about the
"Someone had the foresight to see that they could do a lot
same per piece.
better," Balinghasay said.
Pampers are fighting back and now claim to offer
Drypers realised they would get nowhere by emulating
innovative and upgraded products at a value for money price
other brands' adverts and so wanted to create something
point. From a low in June and July 2002, Pampers Comfort does
entirely different. Huang Ean Hwa, formally creative director
seem to be making a bit of a come back. Not only have Pampers
at BBDO and now executive creative director at McCann-
reduced prices but they have also focused on product
Erickson, said he wanted to get away from the dry, bland
development and earlier this year Pampers Comfort
2i+ aDOI MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
SpecialReport
ANGING DIAPERS? by Lena Nightingale
ids has begun in the nappy industry in Southeast Asia...
Drinker
Father
Interview
was upgraded with four-wall leak guards and an improved core improving the dryness and leakage prevention. It seems that Drypers are now no longer interested on competing on price instead they are taking the competition on head on. In 2002, Drypers Wee Wee Dry was relaunched in new blue translucent packaging. This was an attempt to ensure the brand leapt off the supermarket shelf. In order to test this in the boardroom in Shah Alam, Drypers has shelves of all the nappies currently on the market allowing easy comparison of packaging strategies. They decided to continue to use the same Caucasian baby on the packaging as that is what consumers would associate with Drypers Wee Wee Dry. However, in the television advertisements they use Asian babies to, in Balinghasay's words, "Allow the customers to feel closer to the babies." Drypers by 2002 was so confident with its position as market leader in Malaysia and Singapore that they launched another brand, Hey Baby! This competes in a cheaper price range and is not advertised. It was deliberately not called Drypers' Hey Baby! to reduce the chances of it cannibalising the business but it does say manufactured by Drypers on the packet. In some shops Balinghasay claims that Hey Baby! is now actually positioned next to Drypers Wee Wee Dry on the shelf and yet has not taken any of Drypers Wee Wee Dry's market share. To further consolidate the success of Drypers Wee Wee Dry last year the research and development team came up with some new features namely a cloth like outside to the nappy and six different frontal tape designs. These innovations are based on the insight that aside from how the nappy functions parents and babies are concerned with how the nappy looks and feels. Balinghasay explained this step away from the emphasis on performance by saying, "If the baby looks cute in the nappy then the mother feels proud and happy." Thus BBDO were given the task to communicate that Drypers is the sensible yet stylish nappy. In 2002, Drypers ran what they called their 'Playboy' advert featuring a baby looking so good in his nappy he is kissed by an attractive woman. They are making an analogy with adult clothes and attempting to demonstrate that if you comfortable then you are cool. In 2003 the adverts focus on babies caring about their appearance. One features a baby picking which nappy to wear
Playboy
Staying Alive
from a wardrobe full of nappies on hangers. The music is disco and in the end the baby and the Dad are wearing the same shirt and styling their hair in the same way. The implicit association by having nappies on hangers elevates the product to the same status as clothes. Drypers Wee Wee Dry is attempting to become a fashion statement for babies. They also have some cardboard cut outs of nappies on hangers to be hung from the ceiling in supermarkets which tie in with the ad. Despite featuring Dads bonding with babies all the campaigns are targeted at mothers who generally buy nappies. Featuring attractive men and attractive babies seems to be a good way to attract women. It is not just Drypers who are coming up with innovative adverts however. According to Ambrish Jain, the regional brand manager for Pampers, they have acknowledged that "the market has become more competitive" and they have launched a new campaign of their own. This includes the introduction of Pampa - a blue baby elephant intended as a friend/companion for babies. The TVC was backed up by a promotion allowing consumers to exchange on pack loyalty points for free Pampa toys. Rather than go for style, Pampers' efforts are "driven by emphasis on caring for baby's development." Pampers' marketing campaign is focused on superior overnight dryness leading to uninterrupted sleep for babies which they claim lead to better overall growth. Their TV commercials have been combined with an on the ground programme reaching out to parents and kids at supermarkets. In the region although Pampers has become the generic term for nappies, which does, as Jain said, demonstrate the strong bonding they have with consumers. But at present it seems that consumers are saying Pampers but buying Drypers. It is clear Jain is not satisfied with second place. He wants Pampers to be market leader in all markets in which it competes. So whether Drypers will be able to compete in the long run with their new product positioning and for how long Drypers will keep the top slot is hard to say. If they lose market share, will it be to Pampers? Or could it be to other brands such as Huggies, which presumably must also be interested in increasing their slice of the nappy pie. But what is certain is that an intense battle of the brands has begun in the nappy industry in Southeast Asia. And it only looks to get hotter in coming years.
Eric Balinghasay, director of marketing
"Instead of asking the mothers about Drypers we thought that we would ask the babies" - Balinghasay
aDOl MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 25
cDi fflediaBonc NewTVC Debut - Feb/Mar 2003 Brand: ACUVUE Product: ACUVUE2 Title: ACUVUE for Real Duration: 30 seconds Client: Johnson £r Johnson Vision Care Agency: McCann Erickson Creative Director : Jasmine Ishaque Copywriter: Shamini Kandiah
OMD Top Global Media Player AdAge Global Names Agency Global Media Agency of the Year
Art Director: Zowie Lim Language: English Summary: Discover a new you with ACUVUE.
LAST month, online advertising trade magazine Ad Age Global named OMD its Global Media Agency of the Year. The website (http://adage.com) reports that OMD picked up US$2.3 billion in new business in 2002, while losing only US$600 million. Part of the Omnicom Group, OMD is reported to have put together the single
Brand: EON Title: Corporate, Sales lx Service Duration: 10 seconds
biggest media deal in history - a US$i billion cross media pact with
Client: Edaran Otomobil Nasional Berhad
Walt Disney Co and ABC, the American television broadcaster.
Agency: Interface Advertising Sdn Bhd
Ad Age Global has reported that the OMD turnaround actually
Creative Director: Lakshmi Mohan
begun in Asia in 1997, when Omnicom Group CEO John Wren sent
Art Director: Jerome Jambu Copywriter: Dilaila Language : English / B.Malaysia
Mike Cooper, CEO Asia Pacific, to Hong Kong to build the Asia
Summary: This short commercial is a part of a branding
network. Cooper thought he would be a part of the existing global
exercise for EON. This particular TVC highlights the
network - that he would use the tools and processes of more
strengths of the brand.
established networks in Europe to kick start things in Asia. "I had no idea that we were, in fact, going to be the first proper Brand : KFC Chicky Meal Title: Chicky "Fun Builder" Duration: 15 + 5 seconds Client: KFC Malaysia
network of agencies," Cooper said. "Everywhere else in the world we were like a cottage-industry media company; lots of good offices, but no proper network to speak of and no positioning. Even promotional
Agency: BBDO Malaysia
materials I was sent to work with were of limited use - the logo was
Creative Director : Paul Regan
printed on a background of solely European faces and had a European
Art Director: Wendy Chiu Copywriter: Jonathan Chang Language: English / B.Malaysia / Mandarin Summary: Promoting a set of Chicky 'Fun Builder' toys b Free Milo Size-up
flag in it. Not much use in Asia." While billings are still considerably smaller than regional leader MindShare, Cooper has led OMD into respectability in Asia Pacific in 2002, key wins included Kao China, 3M Singapore and Thai telecom operator DTAC. In Ad Age Global, Cooper mentioned that he was in "splendid isolation" - growth in Asia was not being mirrored within other
Brand : Pantene Extra Moisturizing
parts of the global network. "I really couldn't sell clients a global
Title: Extra Duration: 15 seconds
offering," he said. "That's why 2002 was phenomenal. I didn't think
Client: P&G
they could do it, but they have - we can now confidently say we are
Agency: Grey Worldwide Creative Director : Supat Watthana
part of a global business, and that gives us a little extra swagger in
Art Director: Kanny Chan
our step... and it makes us proud to think that a lot of our global
Copywriter: Joseph Francis & Newan Tsang Language : English / Chinese / B.Malaysia Summary: This copy introduces Extra Mositurizing, a brand
positioning today has its origins in Asia." ©
new variant in the Pantene Line-up. The strategy anchors on the proposition of 'Extra' goodness/richness of the product to give superior protection for hair against damage from right to the tips of hair.
Brand: Dove
(D(W€.
Kiriman
Untukmu
Title: "Droplet" Duration: 20 seconds Client: Dove - Unilever Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Creative Director : Sonal Dabral
JOWELL JOINS M&C COLIN JOWELL, a South African, has recently joined M&C Saatchi as director of strategic planning. Previously, he was the strategic planning director of M&C Saatchi in South Africa, where he
Art Director : Gavin Simpson
handled airline, insurance, fast food, and media clients. He was
Copywriter: Paul Lim
responsible for the launch of the country's first low-cost airline,
Language : English / B.Malaysia / Chinese Summaiy: Announcement ad of a massive sampling activity for Dove Cream Shampoo and Conditioner. The message in the ad was to share with viewers that many people have tried using Dove Cream Shampoo & Conditioner and are convinced with the moisturization benefit, and Dove is bringing the produa to homes around the country.
kulula.com - which means "easily" in the Zulu language. Prior to that stint, he was the marketing director of an Internet start up. He began his advertising career at TBWA, where he worked in telecoms and retail. When asked what he hopes to accomplish in Malaysia, Jowell said that he wants to instill a "holistic planning
For more information please call Chianean Lim of MediaBanc at 03 7983 6668
26 aDOI MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
culture" with "more accountable advertising, better use of research and analysis, but never forgetting the best creative spirit, which is what really sets our industry apart." ©
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NEWS BRIEFS: WORLD • ROBERT/BOISEN & LIKE-MINDED UNVEIL CANNES CAMPAIGN Danish agency Robert/Boisen £r Like-Minded, part of Grey Global Group, has created a global print and film 'call for entries' campaign for the Cannes International Advertising Festival. This is the first ever such campaign created for the festival. The "stop him" campaign comprises a film and three print executions. The film can be viewed at the festival website (http://www.canneslions.com).
TBWA Wins Award for
Tourism Malaysia Campaign Raymond Choong and Chris Howden Onboard; Chris Chong's Down Under
• "DEMAND A BROADER VIEW" FROM BBC WORLD BBC World has launched the television execution of its current global advertising campaign, "Demand a Broader View", launched off-air last November. The campaign is managed by Tanya Toberman in BBC World's Marketing Department and produced by BBC Broadcast Producer Richard Heeley. BBC World's new channel generic promotion was filmed in South Africa with Cape Town production company FilmsCape.
• TIME LAUNCHES STYLE & DESIGN ISSUE TIME magazine has launched a first-ever global 'Style & Design' special issue, which was available on Asian news stands from 10 March. The special issue is scheduled to be printed bi-annually. The issue builds on the magazine's bi-annual 'Fashion issue', which was launched in Europe in spring 2002. Over one million copies of the 'Style £r Design' issue were distributed worldwide 500,000 in Europe, 600,000 in the US, and 200,000 in Asia. Highlights in the inaugural issue included "The Shape of Things to Come", "10 Soleful Questions for Sarah Jessica Parker", and "Fashion Face-Off: Is there a Future in Fashion's Past?"
" H A V E N ' T BEEN THERE'
"HAVEN'T DONE THAT"
E5
•i 1
:
1,. '
IN addition to the recent HSMAI Hospitality, Sales & Marketing Association International - 'Adrian Global Bronze Awards for the 'Malaysia Truly Asia' image campaign in January 2003 for Tourism Malaysia , TBWAISC has won another PATA - Pacific Asia Travel Association - 2003 Gold Award for the 'Haven't Been There' travel campaign poster. The award was presented on 14 April 2003 at
• SECOND GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR MAS Malaysian Airways' second phase of 'Going Beyond Expectations' global campaign will run in 17 markets around the world, according to the company. Launched on 17 March the campaign will run till 17 May with print and TV spots and a website promoting the 'Choose Your Dream Holiday' competition. The competition was developed by Leo Burnett Malaysia, together with CNN and Time Warner. The first stage of Malaysian Airlines 'Going Beyond Expectations' global campaign launched in 2002. Getty Images Gives Customers Greater Freedom, Selection, Convenience With New
the 52nd PATA Annual Conference in Bali and is set to be featured in the PATA 2003 Annual Conference Daily. According to PATA, the Gold Award was for "exceptional achievement in a variety of endeavours and innovation, bringing acclaim to the best region's travel industry has to offer." TBWA said the intent and purpose of the campaign was to arrest the holiday travel slow down on the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in New York and the Bali bombing. The key objective was to draw Australian
Release of gettyimages.com
travellers to Malaysia. The campaign was developed for Tourism Malaysia, working
• GETTY IMAGES WEBSITE GETS BIGGER
various
Getty Images has announced the completion of a major new release of its web site, which includes access to full-service online photo assignments. All of Getty's royalty-free offerings, including Artville and EyeWire, have been consolidated to the Photodisc name and are within the Getty website (http://gettyimages.com). There is also direct access
Langkawi, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak. The campaign was targeted to even the most
jointly with Malaysia Airlines. It showcases
to many third party royalty-free collections - Digital Vision, Rubberball Productions, Thinkstock and Brand X Pictures. Royalty-free film footage is also available for direct download.
28aDOi MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
destinations -
Kuala
Lumpur,
seasoned travellers and included various flyand-stay holiday packages. The campaign ran in Australian press and print publications, as well as other international publications. In other TBWA news, Raymond Choong has been hired as group account director and Chris Howden has been brought onboard as executive creative director.
Raymond has steadily evolved over the past seventeen years - from advertising executive to regional account management to customer relationship management, and now, as a group account director. He's worked with O&M, Peter Beaumont and Friends, Relationship Marketing International and Naga DDB as well as putting in time as a lecturer at the Institute of Advertising Communication Training. His accounts at TBWA will include the regionally aligned brands like Adidas, Samsonite and Syngenta. Chris Howden, an ADOI columnist of late, returns to Malaysia after a half-year sojourn in New Zealand. Previously he worked for two years with Lowe in Malaysia. After seven years as a copywriter in London, Chris went to Saatchi and Saatchi in Auckland in 1987. At 26, he was one of the youngest creative directors in the Saatchi network. By the late 90s, Chris was the creative director of Singleton Ogilvy & Mather - the third largest agency in the New Zealand. Although he's spent much of his professional life in the West, his Asian roots remain strong - Chris was raised in Hong Kong. He tells ADOI he is excited to return to Malaysia and is looking forward to working across TBWA's client roster. TBWA also reports that Chris Chong, formally a group account director, recently spent a few weeks in Melbourne undergoing training to become a strategic planner. He is an understudy to Paul Mayes, a senior planner with Whybin TBWA £r Partners. Paul will continue to oversee training with periodic visits to Kuala Lumpur when Chris returns. He will be involved with key accounts and new business. He will work closely with the other companies in the group - Tequila (CRM) and WMD (media) to develop segmentation and channel/media strategies. Also, a group from the TBWA Malaysia office, which included Lea Banwell, Austen Zecha and Thillai Varna recently attended the TBWA World Conference in Santa Monica, USA - the first to be held in five years. Representatives from 69 countries worldwide listened to presentations and updates from the global and regional heads, including Jean Marie Dru's outline of the TBWA shared values of "integrity, curiosity, respect and courage." Editor's Note: As Chris Howden is now back in Malaysia, his New Zealand-based Whispers With Sheep column, will no longer appear in ADOI
DEPOSITORY International Midas Awards
The First Global Award to Recognize Excellence in Financial Services Communications
International Midas Awards 7 West 38th Street, 14th Floor New York, IMY 10018, USA PH: 212-643-4800 FAX: 212-643-0170
2003 Worldwide Call for Entries info@newyorkfestivals.com www.newyorkfestivals.com
-
-
NEWS BRIEFS: ASIA • OGILVYONE LAUNCHES OGILVY LOYALTY INDEX
Carlson White
OgilvyOne has launched the Ogilvy Loyalty Index, a new proprietary tool touted to help businesses identify where the greatest profit opportunities exist for a product or service. The tool is based on an independent consumer study of half a million consumers worldwide conducted by Millward Brown, like OgilvyOne, a WPP company. The agency said the index can be applied to 16,000 brands in more than 100 product categories across 30 countries, including eight in Asia, and is updated annually.
• NOKIA AND XM IN ONLINE LAUNCH OF NEW MODEL Nokia has launched its Nokia 7250 with an online showcase demonstrating the cellular phone's technical attributes and styling. " A phone for really creative individuals would need something a little more special to relate to," said Adrian Lee, campaign executive at Nokia. "So, XM . returned with a site concept that not only Nokia 7250 showed off aesthetic beauty and features but delivered an 'eye-catching' interactive experience on par with the creative imagery of the phone that also translates unto the TVC and retail POS materials."
• MASTERCARD SURVEY SAYS CHINA TOP DESTINATION China has trumped Singapore as the most visited country for business travels, according to its Asian Lifestyles survey, an exercise designed to monitor business travel trends across the Asia Pacific region. Conducted in December 2002, the latest survey revealed that Asia Pacific countries - in particular, China (21%), Hong Kong (12%) and Singapore (10%) were top destinations for business travels. China took the lead from Singapore in 2002 as the most visited destination for business. The same survey conducted in December 2001 revealed that Singapore (17%) was the most visited destination for business with China (16%) at a close second.
• PENNZOIL APPOINTS GREY IN INDONESIA PT. Wiraswasta Gemilang Indonesia, the sole licensee of the Pennzoil brand has Grey Worldwide, Grey Interactive, G2, Grey Direct and Mediacom as its agencies for the Indonesian market. Grey won the assignment in a multi-agency pitch that also involved BBDO, Publicis, Fortune, and Creative Network. Grey's appointment includes the complete range of Pennzoil products -engine oil, grease, break fluid, gas treatment and car care products - as well as any future Pennzoil products launched in Indonesia. Pennzoil currently has a top-three market share in the country.
Michael Gomez
LOCAL event management company Carlson White won the 'Best Event produced for a Corporation of Association in the US$250500,000 category at the "Special Events Magazine 2002 Gala Awards" in January in Orlando, Florida, USA. Carlson White's management of 'Ambang Merdeka Putrajaya 2002 heat out two other nominees, from St Louis, Missouri, USA and Sydney, Australia. The national day-eve event was initiated and funded by Perbadanan Putrajaya and included a massive 9,360 square foot floating stage at the Putrajaya Lake Club. The event company was nominated by a panel of judges from the Special Events Magazine
• AXN: CSI A HIT IN SEA Singaporean and Filipino viewers have made CSI: Crime Scene Investigation the most watched programme on an international TV channel amongst PMEBs and AB class viewers. In Singapore, Taylor Nelson Sofres announced that during the premiere broadcasts of new CSI episodes on 19 and 26 February 2003, AXN's percentage rating points leap-frogged even those of terrestrial broadcaster Channel I. In the Philippines, AC Nielsen ratings for the premiere episode of CSI III on 19 February saw AXN outclass all other international payTV channels, making it the channel of choice for the AB class during the 9-iopm premiere broadcast.
• HALLMARK CHANNEL LAUNCHES ADOPTION Hallmark Channel has launched its first original reality drama series, which premiered on 5 March. The nonscripted reality program chronicles the experiences of families, birth parents and adoptive children. The 13part programme airs every Wednesday at 11pm and is executive produced by Hallmark Entertainment's Robert Halmi, Jr and Jeff Weinstock.
30 3DQI
MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS
Ning Baizura at Ambang Merdeka Putrajaya 2002
Award
by Esther Eng
Advisory Board, who narrowed the field from the hundreds of entries received for 34 different categories. "It was the world's largest gathering of event professionals with some 1,150 industry professionals attending the show and conference," said Carlson White managing director Michael Gomez. "We are extremely pleased to have won the award as this not only means that we have been recognised internationally for the creativity and excellent production work put in, but it is also an achievement for being the only Malaysian special event management company to clinch this award, which is a reflection of the progress the industry has made over the years." Gomez said the special events industry in Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds, but there was still plenty of room for further growth, particularly in the professional and regulatory areas of the industry. The International Special Events Society, Gomez said, has regulated the industry in the US since 1987. The ISES has around 3,000 members in 30 chapters around the globe. The Special Events Magazine has a strategic alliance with the ISES. Gomez also confirmed that Carlson White is currently exploring business expansion strategies through alliances with special event management companies in the US, and the setting up of other Carlson White offices in Asia Pacific. Carlson White conceptualised and managed the official opening of the Petronas Twin Towers on 31 August 1999. ©
A BUNC H OF TOTAL STRANGERS WANT TO BUY YOU A VILLA IN THE BEST PART OF BALI. This is an opportunity for you to invest in the up-market part of Bali at a very low price indeed. Villa Seri, a successful boutique hotel just 5 minutes from Ku De Ta, The Living Room and all the best nightspots at Seminyak, is being re-developed into 7 terraced villas (6x2-bedroom, 1x3 bedroom). Each 2-storey villa will be at least 170m2, beautifully decorated and fully wired for sound, satellite TV, internet and IDD. The complex will be professionally managed and it is expected that your investment would returned and your villa become income-producing after 6-7 years. And, of course, you get to stay, whenever you like, for free. Best of all, the villas are extremely affordable. At these prices, Villa Seri is a fine investment.
2-bedroom US$95,000 â&#x20AC;˘ 3-bedroom US$135,000 Call Jane Walters on (0062 818-357-876) or Richard O'Brien on (0062 361-730-262) for a written proposal and inspection. Or log onto our website for more details.
VILLA SERI www.villaseri.com
NEWS BRIEFS: MALAYSIA • DDB INTERNATIONAL ATTRACTS TOP TALENT
HH
• LOWE APPOINTS CREATIVES IN MALAYSIA, VIETNAM
j
Long Yun Siang
users to keep track of what's happening in the four big events Petronas associates itself: Formula i, British Touring Car Championship, Super Bikes and Touring. iLeo will continue to manage Petmos FC site through 2004.
Yee Thong
In line with DDB International's lightening quick expansion, the agency has announce the appointment of Wong Yee Thong as brand planning director, and Long Yun Siang as group account director. Yee Thong was previously from Bates Hong Kong, where he worked with regional clients HSBC (HK), Citibank (KL), Nestle, Heineken and Shell. Long has worked locally with Leo Burnett and J Walter Thompson. His client role includes Kellogg's, Procter and Gamble, BristolMyers Squibb, Wyeth, Disney, Prudential Unit Trusts and the British Council.
• ILEO UNVEILS WEBSITE FOR PETRONAS iLeo, the direct, digital and database arm of Leo Burnett, developed a website for the Petronas Motorsports Fan Club, Petmos FC. The site went live on 18 March, just before the Malaysia GP. The site (http://www.petmosfc.com) allows
Lowe has hired two new creative directors in Asia Pacific: In Malaysia, Trevor Delaney has been appointed creative director following the departure of Chris Howden. Before joining Lowe, Delaney has extensive experience working in leading agencies in South Africa including Ogilvy & Mather, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett and D'Arcy. In Vietnam, Alex Shipley has taken over from Ramon Calibra who will leave the agency to return to the Philippines. Alex Shipley
and Canada, including Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo Burnett.
• READER'S DIGEST GIVES AWAY RM320K Several Malaysians were awarded their cash prizes last month at a ceremony at a hotel in KL. Roland Bong Hian Foo won RMiso.ooo in the "Reader's Digest 2002 Contest", Syed Abdul Ghafar Bin Syed Hussain picked up RMi20,000 in the "Winner's Choice Contest 2002", and several others won from RM22,ooo to RM3,ooo. The "Reader's Digest 2002 Contest" drew over 250,000 entries. The magazine has given away over RM13.7 million since 1986.
• EGENCY.COM WINS CHINA PRESS/NANYANG CONTEST
In his 15-year advertising career, Shipley has worked for leading agencies in Singapore
Egency.com, a Malaysian interactive advertising agency and web consultant, won the top prize at a recent competition organised by local Chinese dailies, China Press and Nanyang Siang Pau. A spot for DRB-HICOM topped 34 other entries to be named the 2003 Best Chinese New Year Greeting Advertisement Award. The advertisement, entitled "Coming Together", emphasised the concept of togetherness by bringing together three different generations. The talent was drawn from the children of DRBHICOM employees.
REACH MORI CONSUMERS GET YOUR COM! IN THE NEWS Tt
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A press release about your product or-service that appears in a newspaper or on TV can bring in customer orders an new business opportunities. It can also turn your company into a multimillion-ringgit business^ This is the power of the press and publicity.
Call BERNAMA PRWire today. We can help you get the press attention and media coverage your business needs through our direct links with newspapers, radio and TV stations and international news agencies, locally and worldwide.
if BERNAMA, the Malaysian Nt
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Interactive
^°o
MARKETING conference
Best Practices in Boosting Interactivity with your Customers To Build Brand Loyalty & Long-term Relationships S - 9
M A Y 2 •• 3 ,
SWISBDTEL MERCHANT COURT, SINGAPORE
Find out how some of the Best Global & Local Brands Exploit Marketing via
Mobile
Online
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Channels to Engage in a Two-way Dialogue with Customers:
>tei
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21 - 22 May 2003, Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore
Maximising Corporate Brand Equity in Challenging Times Gain international, cross-industry insights from the most influential and experienced experts on key issues including: Strategic Corporate Brand Management FutureBrand Asia Pacific CEO Interbrand Managing Director Sentosa Development Corporation CEO Brand Renewal & Rebranding Enterprise IG Director Accenture Asia Pac Marketing Director, Comms
& High Tech
Global Brand Building DIA Brand Consultants Managing Director Corporate Reputation Management Institute of Public Relations of S'pore President Porter Novelli Convergence Group President
REPLY SUP
Corporate Brand Communications Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific Director of Corp OgilvyOne Worldwide Snr Consultant Oracle VP Marketing & Biz Devt, Asia Pacific Redmandarin vp Asia Pacific Red Shoe Communications Managing Director
& Investor Comms
Internal Branding Interbrand Managing Director Monitor Group Head, Market2Customer Asia Pacific Performance Measurement Millward Brown Asia Pacific Managing Director Organised by:
PACIFICIONFERENCES
(Fax to [65] 6SS7 16D1J
Please send me more details on the following conference(s): • Interactive Marketing, May 2003, Singapore • Customer Relationship Management,
For enquiry, Call (6516372 2201or Email: jaslyn@conferences.com.sg • Corporate Image & Branding Strategies,
Jun 2003, Singapore
• I am not able to attend but please put me on your mailing list. Name: (Dr / Mr / Mrs / Ms):
May 2003, Singapore
• Strategic Media Relations, Jun 2003, Singapore
• I am interested in sponsorship opportunities Job Title:
Full Company Name & Address: DID Tel:
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Email:
. ADQI/0403
Writless writing. by Dean Johns, deanejohns@optushome.com.au
WE live in increasingly litigious times. In fact
also fail to follow your airline's advice to drink
so greedy for damages awards are some people and their lawyers that two vastly overweight consumers recently sued fast-food marketers for contributing to their obesity. SoI figure it's only a matter of time before a gang of heavy readers will bring a class action against us writers claiming we've caused them everything from eyestrain to brain damage.
plenty of water andmove around the cabin. CAUTION: this article is NOT TO BE TAKEN, except with a precautionary grain of salt. In case of overdose, induce vomiting by reading on. If symptoms persist, SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE, as most doctors are better insured against law suits than we
Before you read this piece, therefore, here are a few words of WARNING that my legal representative has counseled me to issue. First off,Imust declare that what follows may be considered SHALLOW by some readers, so be advised that diving right into it may PARALYSE the mind. It is NOT A FLOTATION DEVICE, and while it is intended to buoy-up your spirits, no liability will be incurredby either its penner or publisher if you read it with a sinkingheart. Sitting and perusing it for hours may result in DEEP-VEIN THROMBOSIS, especially if you're abit of a clot to begin with, and HAVE you noticed how normal people are getting better at doing ads and, conversely, how standards in professional advertising are becoming more ordinary? Have you considered the serious ramifications this has for our pay packets? I guess the first part shouldn't be surprising, after all the average person has had a lifetime with popular culture being his/her main education and obsession. Most people are incredibly media savvy, with antennae finely tuned to every nuance and change in the Trend Winds. They recognize every trick-of-the-trade up the sleeves of today's marketers (who are mainly using the same old formulas), and sometimes they'll willingly play the game with them. Little wonder they are so adept at mass communication techniques when they feel the need to make their message heard. Look at the creativity, brevity, emotion and clarity in some of the anti-war protest slogans and banners around the world in the last few months. I saw such an example, on pre-war news footage about the Australian Prime Minister, that showed a compression of meaning and economy of words that would be the envy of any well paid professional slogan writer: NO HOWARD. At their best, when a layperson gets it right, they cut straight to the heart of the matter. I once came across a street vendor selling flowers at New York's Central Station on Valentine's Day. She had a chalk sign in front of her stall that promised: "Flowers today. Fireworks tonight." That down to earth lady showed more marketing savvy than many of the professionals gazing down from their blankfaced, glass towers. The flower-seller knew that successful advertising needs more than a
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writers can afford tobe. Though extensively tested by Spell-Check(r), no warranty is expressed or implied as to the accuracy or efficacy of this work. As it MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS, do not read it while operating heavy machinery or while driving any conveyance under the meaning of the Act. Easily-impressed readers will find the following article ELECTRIFYING, and therefore must not use it near water. Whether or not you find it INFLAMMATORY, remember that the paper it is printed on is INFLAMMABLE, so keep away from lighters, matches and sate stalls.
DO NOT USE FOR OTHER THAN PURPOSE FOR WHICH SOLD. In other words this page is insufficiently soft or absorbent for use in personal hygiene, and is therefore, with no disrespect to our U.S. friends and allies, UNSUITABLE FOR SEPTIC TANKS. For those of you risking an ambulance ride by reading this while ambulatory, I had better say DANGER: WET FLOOR. Though for me this message is dangerously ambiguous and could as easily be seen as a command rather than the cautionI assume it's meant to be. Finally we come to CONTENTS: appro ximately 500 words consisting mostly of common nouns and active verbs, flavoured and coloured with naturally-occurring adjectives and adverbs. Guaranteed 100% FREE of MSG, cholesterol, salty expressions or sugary sentiments. There, that should just about cover it. Oops...less than 30 words to go. Not much room for the article I've been leading up to. Perhaps I should have warned you up front that, with prose as with so many packaged goods, CONTENTS MAY SETTLE DURING SHIPMENT. In any case, CAVEAT EMPTOR, which as everybody knows is Latin for "so sue me.''©
How to be normal, without being ordinary by Michael Newman
product, it needs an emotional idea that connects to people. It doesn't have to be a profound moment or a life-changing thing. Just sparking a small electronic impulse in the consumer's brain, enough to curl the corners of the mouth, may be all you need to steer someone in the direction of your brand or market stall. Successful advertising is about making human connections through meaning, not product attributes. Buying decisions are now based less on functions and more on answers to questions such as: What is important to me? What do I want from life? Ads must pass the "relevancy test". The florist didn't describe the details of the actual flowers, only the substantial benefit they promised. Meanwhile, much paid advertising is becoming less succinct and less memorable. Instead, it's glossy and glib. Professional advertising is too feature-driven and emotionally hollow. Advertisers might be too earnest to understand the power of being irreverent. But in real life, there are all kinds of emotional appeals that people find attractive. Iremember a woman with a market-stall in London's Camden whose handmade birdcall whistles just weren't selling. Her sign was typical of much advertising: it said what the product was (a whistle), what its features were (handmade) and how cheap you could buy it. It read: "Handmade Bird whistles, £2."
When she had the good intuition to change the sign to address an emotional benefit, she sold out of merchandise in one day. It wasn't a sappy, addy emotion like a professional would do, instead her new sign promised: "Annoy the sh*t out of someone for £2." Not only are we poor professionals under attack from amateurs, science is having a go at supplanting us too, if we don't lift our game. In an article by Dr. Jacob Goldenberg, Dr. David Mazursky, and Dr. Sorin Solomon, of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, that appeared in Science magazine, they described a computer formula for creating new advertisements that were "surprisingly simple, yet unnervingly effective." They used what they called a "replacement template" to generate surprising juxtapo sitions. Their tests show that the adver tisements produced by the computer were invariably ranked higher in creativity and originality than those created by ordinary subjects. "The land of the imagination is a country like any other," they said, "with laws, rituals and a tireless police corps that must be obeyed if one hopes to retain citizenship there." In short, it's just as you've always known. Everyone's an expert when it comes to advertising. © Michael Newman is author of the book Creative Leaps -10 lessons in effectiveness inspired at Saatchi £r Saatchi; he heads the ideas company brandnewman (brandnewman@ozemail.com.au)
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