Issue222 by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd

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ISSUE 222/// END-MAY 2018

ANDERS DIMBLAD General Manager Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur

ICONIC BRAND BANYAN TREE PLANTS SEEDS IN KL INSIDE: THE MARKETING GAMES ARE ON! // GE 14 SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES // DO WE NEED A TOURISM MINISTER? // THE BAK KUT TEH STORY // ROCKETING THE CONTENT CREATORS // ASTRO AWANI SHINES IN EYE OF STORM // APPIES MARKETING CASE STUDY ISSN 1985-5575

00222 9 771985

557001

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

DO WE NEED A

ISSUE222END-MAY2018

3 EDITOR’S NOTE

General Election 14

MINISTER OF TOURISM? By the Turbanned Stranger | ham@adoimagazine.com

MALAYSIA won the Grand Prix at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity in 2004; this means we were credited for creating the best advertising campaign in the world! The subsequent year we won the most number of metal awards in Asia, and the Jalur Gemilang flew gloriously at the mecca of advertising. Over the years since then, our global creative reputation had not just waned but plunged. Kosong. What went wrong? One word: Politics. Some of the best Malaysian creative professionals have also left our country and taken up global positions in world renowned networks and they keep shining. My plea to TalentCorp Malaysia fell on deaf ears, even though I gave them all the data they needed. What I am trying to say in common parlance is that we have the some of the world’s best creative minds in Malaysia. They walk amongst us. Humble, unassuming, and with acute clarity of thought. Do not belittle them. Do not diminish them. Do not intimidate them. Do not undervalue them. Do not think it is easy to become an accomplished creative person. Do not think money can buy everything. It is no secret, for as long as I can remember, the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board under the Ministry of Tourism is a big ticket client for Malaysian advertising and media agencies. Oops, digital too (in case your VCs ask). It is also no secret, unless we wish continue to live in denial and maintain the katak di bawah tempurung mentality, it takes more than creative excellence to get a piece of the Malaysian Tourism business. Apart from the tagline ‘Truly Asia’ which has a horde of selfglorifying elderlies (including politicians) claiming credit for writing it, most of the creative done for the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board is shabby and mediocre at best.

Why? Because we have selfproclaimed experts dispensing divine directives on what is right and what is wrong. Because we know a travel agency can become an ad agency overnight and tasked to handle the Tourism business. Because we know we can charge the Tourism Board hundreds of thousands for a Facebook page. Because, we know a lot of pockets need to be filled before the actual work begins. Because, true creative professionals do not suffer fools. Because, Googled one-liners can save many a job in Ministry meetings. Because, the approval hierarchy is ancient and disoriented about excellence. Because, the messaging is fragmented across so many advertising and media agencies. Because of one word: Politics. So why is this article important? Because it is our country we are talking about. Because too many cooks spoil the soup. Because if we have a Minister of Tourism who has to defend a logo done by someone close to him, you know something is wrong. Because if the Ministry cannot take criticisms from people like me, I have only 32 years of experience in the industry, and instead approach me through their agency demanding I publish an apology for publishing the right things, then you know something is very wrong. BTW, I did publish an apology (see pic) to one previous Minister of Tourism; any oaf can tell you I would have lost my KDN otherwise. But no more I say. My country needs to fix its image to the world. If the people at the Tourism Ministry are going to internalise my feedback, great. In fact, there are some people in the Ministry who are awesome, but curtailed. Many truths reside in my mind and I have seen it all.

THERE HAVE “BEEN DELAYS IN

ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS FROM THE ELECTION COMMISSION AND IT IS GETTING LATE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS THING. IT IS NOT FAKE NEWS.

”

TUN DR MAHATHIR MOHAMAD ON ELECTION NIGHT MAY 9, 2018.

From gangsta tactics to mindboggling media negotiations that defy logic. The perversions I’ve seen in the battle to win the Tourism account is the stuff of legend. From all the hushed conversations at the Concorde Hotel lobby to the knowing nods at the Riverside Café at PWTC, it has been anything but strategic. But I digress... do we need a Minister of Tourism? You tell me. We need world-class marketers and creative geniuses now. And these people exist in our midst. They toil restlessly for creative excellence. The world has recognised them. The time has come to give our creative talent the room to grow and shine. Hopefully, all the brilliant creative people we have lost will also return to our shores. No more Politics.

Respectfully, Professor Harmandar Singh (17/18) Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

... IT IS ALSO NO SECRET, UNLESS WE WISH CONTINUE TO LIVE IN DENIAL AND MAINTAIN THE KATAK DI BAWAH TEMPURUNG MENTALITY, IT TAKES MORE THAN CREATIVE EXCELLENCE TO GET A PIECE OF THE MALAYSIAN TOURISM BUSINESS...

AFTER NAJIB “(FINANCE MINISTER) DISCUSSES WITH NAJIB (PRIME MINISTER), NAJIB (FINANCE MINISTER) APPROVES PUBLIC FUNDS TO NAJIB (1MDB).

”

MOHAMAD SABU AKA MAT SABU, DEFENCE MINISTER OF MALAYSIA.

I DON’T CONSIDER “MYSELF A CHINESE, I AM A MALAYSIAN. ” LIM GUAN ENG, WHEN ASKED ON HIS APPOINTMENT AS MALAYSIA’S FIRST ETHNIC CHINESE FINANCE MINISTER SINCE FOUNDING FINANCE MINISTER TAN SIEW SIN 44 YEARS AGO.

ISSUE222END-MAY2018

CREATIVE SURGE

IDEAS:

THE BAK KUT TEH STORY

Is Bak Kut Teh Chinese, Malaysian or Singaporean? In 2009, then Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen famously declared that Bak Kut Teh is a Malaysian dish. As people born and bred in the same land, it is our national obligation to agree with her. Bak Kut Teh (BKT) is a pork rib dish cooked in broth. In Hokkien, the name literally means Meat Bone Tea. Additional ingredients may include

... THE ORIGIN OF BKT IS ABOUT AS CLEAR AS ITS BROTH. SOME SAY IT WAS INTRODUCED BY COOLIES WORKING AT PORT SWETTENHAM (NOW PORT KLANG)...

intestines (also from the pig), mushrooms, vegetables and steamed, dried or fried tofu. There is no tea in the broth. Tea is usually served in an accompanying teapot should you decide to order it. There are three main types of BKT. Hokkien style has a dark soup, Teochew style uses more pepper while Cantonese has more medicinal herbs. There’s also dry BKT, vegetarian BKT and a halal version with chicken instead of pork, called Chi Kut Teh. That said, somebody needs to hurry up and reinvent this dish- seeing as how nasi lemak is already being served in cups, and as cakes, burgers, fine dining, ice cream, pizza, sushi and soon on pancakes. The origin of BKT is about as clear as its broth. Some say it was introduced by coolies working at Port Swettenham (now Port Klang). Others say it was brought in by a man from Fujian named Lee Boon Teh. It was originally called Bak Kut but because nobody but Lee could make it the way it should be made, they called it Bak Kut Teh (Teh being Mr. Lee’s last name). And of course, there are hecklers who claim that their grandfather or some such spotted the dish being served in Clarke Quay, Singapore in the 1920s. They therefore posited that BKT was already in the vicinity somewhere between 1860 to 1920, several decades before its supposed arrival in Port Klang. Perhaps we should ignore these troublemakers and stick to the version we like best. After

all, MARKETING Magazine has always been admired for its hard-nosed, no holds barred, investigative journalism, and we have a reputation to maintain! The following is purely for academic discussion. It may or may not have happened the way it’s described. Since this column is about how Malaysia’s best ideas are created, I’ve put it in the usual template for the benefit of the two people who have been loyally following this series. OBJECTIVE Carrying heavy loads up and down the ramps is backbreaking work. Nonetheless, for the budding entrepreneur, this presents opportunities. One could A) Find a cheaper, more efficient way to transport the load, B) Help the coolies lighten the load or C) Offer some form of relief for their aching muscles. CHALLENGE A) is a technology problem. B) is also a technology problem since child labour is illegal and hiring more coolies is out of the question. The problem is therefore C) All marketing begins with correctly identifying the problem. How you define a problem will determine how you solve it. TRUTH In Klang, the Hokkiens can be traced back to the southern Fujian province, particularly the cities of Quanzhou, Xiamen and Zhangzhou. Hokkiens make up the largest sub-ethnic group among the ethnic Chinese

arrivals. In traditional Chinese medicine, pork “moisturises dryness by nourishing yin”. And if you didn’t already know, pork is an indispensable part of meat eating in Chinese culture. ANSWER The solution is therefore something porky, preferably something familiar to Fujian taste buds. It helps also that the Chinese believe that eating part of meat close to the bones might help strengthen bone and joint health. BKT seems like a nobrainer. When it was introduced, I’m guessing the dish was an easy sell to hungry labourers. On a final note, the shop that Lee Boon Teh opened is still operating in Klang to this date. Kedai Makanan Teck Teh is located at Jalan Stesen 1, Klang. And no, this isn’t a sponsored post. Plus all this pork talk is not to promote the publisher of this magazine, Ham, who some say is “halal”.

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

ESCAPE EVERYONE’S COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT:

IT’S 2 in the morning. On a Sunday. And you get a message that starts with an apology: Sorry to disturb you at this hour, but this is SUPER URGENT!!… Well of course it is. It’s not a regular urgent text. It’s SUPER URGENT ALL CAPS WITH THE 2 EXCLAMATION MARKS kind of text. That was my me-time you

messenger of darkness. And I was midway through Narcos chapter 9! Being hounded for stuff is part and parcel of what we do. And that’s ok. But when it’s relentless and constant and perpetually urgent, you’ll never do anything worthwhile. I don’t think ad peeps fear hard work and late nights. They fear hard

work and late nights over petty and insignificant things. Like 3 days of arguments over a full-stop on a banner smaller than the size of your thumb that will be ignored by 99.56% of the people. This is a true story by the way. I can give many examples but you get the point. We do spend quite a lot of time on silly things and people

just die and burn out from it. The mind is a wonderful thing and there’s a desperate need for it wander and wonder. Not all the time of course. But it needs a little time out, a little distraction, a little escape. To the layman, this may seem to be an act of laziness. But some of the best ideas happen when you’re not thinking about it. There’s a time for stress and madness, and there is a time for play and distractions. You’ll hardly get the best out of people when you’re constantly demanding the best of out of them. We joke about this saying ‘the work is getting in the way of the work’. And it’s not funny. I encourage some time out. To watch a movie. To have a latte. To eavesdrop on conversations at a coffee shop. To stare at the sky, the wall, the urinal. To walk around aimlessly. To watch that

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

Solo trailer again and again. To watch it against that Beastie Boy track. To take note of every detail, every line, every hue, every sound. I encourage time outs to talk. To listen. To reflect on epic events taking place in the quiet of the soul. To revisit memories, happy ones, sad ones, and to take note of all these things. It is not an escape born out of being irresponsible. But an escape into the self to find the common narrative we all share. We need to reclaim some of that me-time so the masses can get the best of what we have to offer. When that is allowed to happen, the mind acts like a sponge and it stores all the data from those time-outs, filters them, rearranges them and dishes them back to you when you least expect it to and magic happens.

ISSUE 222/// END-MAY2018

COVER STORY

In 1994, the Banyan Tree brand was introduced to the world with Banyan Tree Phuket. Today, the brand is renowned as a sanctuary to rejuvenate mind, body and soul in the international hospitality industry as it manages and develops resorts, hotels and spas in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Now, 24 years after the brand’s inception, Malaysia gets two of its very own Banyan Tree properties...

CHANGING THE GAME 7 JULY 2018

SEISMIC MARKETING

EVENTS CALENDAR 2018 19 JULY

CUSTOMER- DRIVEN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION CONFERENCE 30 JULY

AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) WORKSHOP BY MANU MENON 28 AUGUST

BEST OF GLOBAL DIGITAL MARKETING CONFERENCE 4 & 5 OCTOBER

MALAYSIAN CMO CONFERENCE & AWARDS 26 OCTOBER

DRAGONS OF MALAYSIA & ASIA AWARDS 7 DECEMBER

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

BANYAN TREE

BRAND MAKES MALAYSIAN DEBUT. IT’S LUXURY – UNDERSTATED AND REDEFINED. EDITOR'S NOTE

DO WE NEED A MINISTER OF TOURISM?

What went wrong? One word: Politics.

Roving Photographer: Mccain Goh Contributors: Alvin Teoh, Edward Ong. Printer: Cetakrapi Sdn Bhd 22, Jalan Kepong, Taman Sri Ehsan, 52100 Kuala Lumpur Distribution: Spear Millennium Distribution Sdn Bhd E-1-5, Apartment AC4, Taman Sri Sentosa, Batu 6, Jalan Kelang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd (5048-A) Ground Floor Warehouse, Bangunan TH No. 5, Jalan Bersatu, Section 13/4

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

After Malaysia’s 14th General Election, the Center of Applied Data Science’s (CADS) analysed how the last few moments of any election campaign can ultimately make or break the efforts of weeks and even months’ worth of election campaigning and lobbying... MOVEMENT CREATION

IDEAS: THE BAK KUT TEH STORY

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© All Rights Reserved By: Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd (289967-W) No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior permission in writing from the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions and/ or for any consequences of reliance upon information in this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or editor. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertisers.

Machine learning algorithm by Malaysian Data scientist at the Centre of Applied Date Science analyzes GE14

CREATIVE SURGE

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MALAYSIA ELECTIONS: BRILLIANT SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGISING?

Kosong.

Web & Digital: Nurul Amira Ibrahim

46200 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Malaysia won the Grand Prix at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity in 2004; this means we were credited for creating the best advertising campaign in the world! The subsequent year we won the most number of metal awards in Asia, and the Jalur Gemilang flew gloriously at the mecca of advertising. Over the years since then, our global creative reputation had not just waned but plunged.

04 INFLUENCER MARKETING

Rocketfuel Entertainment’s first half of 2018 has certainly been quite an impressive lift-off. Malaysia’s first hip-hop cypher 16 Baris live concert, a collaboration with Kartel Records resulted in a massive turnout of approximately 4,000 thousand fans. A smashing start to Rocketfuel’s aim to set up a laser-focused entertainment talent house that offers marketers...

ASTRO AWANI SHINES AT GE 14 THE ELECTION THAT BROUGHT MALAYSIANS TOGETHER The Malaysian 14th General Election is truly one to enter the history books of Malaysia. On Wednesday, 9 May, millions of Malaysians endured hours of queuing, sweating all to exercise their right as citizens. On nomination day, Astro Awani had a total of 968,000 in reach and 5 million reach on election day. On 10 May 2018, 10 million Malaysians witnessed history together on Astro Awani, while a total... RAMADHAN MARKETING

ROCKETFUEL ENTERTAINMENT ON UNCOVERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONTENT CREATORS

BANYAN TREE

BRAND MAKES MALAYSIAN DEBUT. IT’S LUXURY – UNDERSTATED AND REDEFINED. In 1994, the Banyan Tree brand was introduced to the world with Banyan Tree Phuket. Today, the brand is renowned as a sanctuary to rejuvenate mind, body and soul in the international hospitality industry as it manages and develops resorts, hotels and spas in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Now, 24 years after the brand’s inception, Malaysia gets two of its very own Banyan Tree properties...

ISSUE222END-MAY2018

ANDERS Dimblad is a man on a mission. With more than 19 years of experience under his belt in the luxury hospitality industry, the Swedish national is tasked with helming the foray of iconic global brand Banyan Tree into Malaysia in the form of two properties in Kuala Lumpur. They are Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur and The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree. Set to open its doors soon, Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur is nestled within the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle and features 55 lushly appointed rooms and suites, ranging from 51 to 200 square metres with exquisite contemporary flair, boasting breath-taking closeup views of the Kuala Lumpur skyline, which includes a view of the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower. A truly pampered experience awaits guests at the Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur. Unique to Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur are in-room facilities including the brand’s signature aromatherapy essential oils and chromotherapy shower in all room categories. Selected suites will also feature a private relaxation pool, a spoiling treat for the senses – and that’s just getting started. The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree, on the other hand, is the Pavilion Group’s first hotel brand of its own. Taking up 13 floors above the six-storey high Pavilion Kuala Lumpur shopping mall, The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree features 325 rooms and suites filled with its unique charm for the discerning traveller in need of an urban getaway. Its facilities will include a Banyan Tree appointed spa and gallery, a club lounge, a rooftop infinity pool, a sky gym, banquet halls and meeting rooms, a fusion Japanese and allday dining restaurant, as well as a whisky bar. Indeed, leading Banyan Tree’s debut into the Malaysian market and managing arguably two of KL’s most luxurious and exclusive hotels to-date, Anders undoubtedly has his work cut out for him as General Manager for both properties. However, Banyan Tree seems to have certainly picked the right man for the job. Although appointed as General Manager for the pre-opening of both Malaysian properties in 2016, Anders is no stranger to the Banyan Tree brand. His appointment follows ten years of successful management tenures with the Group, being instrumental towards the success of other iconic properties around the world including Banyan Tree Al Wadi, Banyan Tree Ras Al Khaimah Beach, Banyan Tree Seychelles, Banyan Tree Bangkok, and Angsana Ihuru, Maldives.

Testament to his accomplishments are an array of accolades and awards, including being listed among the “Hotelier Middle East Power 50” and ranking among the top five of the “General Managers of the Year” by HotelierMiddleEast.com. MARKETING had the opportunity recently to have a brief tête-à-tête with the man himself over a fancy beverage at the yet-to-be-opened Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur, getting an exclusive sneak peek into what the highly anticipated hotel has in store for guests while garnering his insights into introducing Banyan Tree to a whole new market.

ICONIC HOSPITALITY BRAND NOW OPENS IN MALAYSIA

First things first, Anders – congratulations on your appointment! You have indeed been a stalwart of the brand, having been previously involved with other Banyan Tree properties around the world. How does it feel to not only lead the opening of Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur and The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree, but more importantly, lead the brand’s debut in Malaysia? Thank you, Ham! It is certainly a privilege and honour for me to be where I am today. It is also a huge responsibility to say the least – but an exciting one, nonetheless. Being part of the brand’s opening in a new market is certainly exhilarating, and I look forward to leverage on my past experience with the brand to firmly establish Banyan Tree’s footprint on Malaysian soil. Let’s start with the developments that led to this rather historic milestone for the Banyan Tree Brand. What spurred the decision that led to the opening of Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur and The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree? Why now? As a Group, Banyan Tree is always seeking out new locations to develop new properties. In the last five years alone, we have introduced 12 new properties around the world. We are open to setting up just about anywhere that we deem fit but given the right conditions. These have certainly helped to establish our brand presence globally and cementing our footprint as an iconic and renowned brand. These two openings in KL were certainly a long time coming. This effervescent and cosmopolitan city is at the heart of Malaysia with vibrant beauty and diversity. This, combined with the current economic and business landscape here, has led to Kuala Lumpur being a mecca of sorts for both tourists and business

Banyan Tree is all about providing naturally luxurious, ecological and culturally-sensitive experiences to even the most discerning of travellers and guests, no matter where in the world. It really is a Sanctuary for the Senses.

travellers around the world. Add to this ideal mix a vibrant night life, some of the best shopping malls in the world, as well as modern and historical landmarks – all these make Kuala Lumpur “fertile ground” to plant the Banyan Tree

brand seed. And so we set out to do just that, and in the process, we found an ideal, like-minded partner in the Pavilion Group. Not only do they have a strong track record in developing world class properties

including high-end residences and large-scale retail mixed used developments in a prime city centre, but they also echo the core values of our brand. So we set out together with them towards bringing to Malaysia its first

ISSUE222END-MAY2018

COVER STORY

Anders enjoying a light hearted moment with the team. All guests will get the authentic Banyan Tree experience that stays true to the Banyan Tree DNA

uptrend, while the government has also implemented positive and effective measures to promote the country internationally. At the same time, from an economic standpoint, we see growing demand for luxury hotels in Kuala Lumpur now.

Banyan Tree property – and that dream is now a reality, which I am sure will take well to Malaysians and travellers to Kuala Lumpur alike. Malaysia’s economy is certainly growing with a positive

What are the challenges of opening and marketing Banyan Tree in Kuala Lumpur? I think every hospitality brand has its share of challenges when opening a new property, especially when opening in a new market – and we’re no exclusion. However, we see these challenges as an opportunity to further strengthen our brand. As great and wonderful a city that Kuala Lumpur is, I think our biggest challenge here, being a new market for us, is the lack of awareness about the Banyan Tree brand. This is mostly due to the fact that many of our properties are associated with holiday getaways and located in exotic destinations, such as our first property in Phuket. While we do have many urban properties, such as those in big cities like Shanghai, Tianjin, Seoul, Bangkok and

Macau, these were opened only a few years ago. That’s an interesting point you brought up. So how do you translate the Banyan Tree brand that is typically synonymous to exotic beachfront holiday destinations, to a metropolitan conurbation such as Kuala Lumpur? Yes it’s interesting really. Most people associate our brand as a beachfront holiday brand. This is mainly due to the fact that some of our more established properties are located in iconic destinations such as Maldives, Seychelles, Bintan and Samui – what people would call your ideal exotic retreat. But what this has done for a brand is that it has built a reputation for us – and quite a legendary one at that – of being a brand associated solely with getaways. However, the truth is that we are more than that. As a matter of fact, Banyan Tree has successfully built and runs hotels in various locations – not just beach getaways. We have properties in the mountains, we have properties by riversides, along lakes, valleys and as I mentioned earlier, we do

have a fair number of our resorts located in urban areas, where the nearest beach or countryside is miles away! But no matter where we are, we at Banyan Tree pride ourselves in our unique brand offering. It’s exclusive to us and no other brand has this unique identity. Enter any Banyan Tree, whether in a bustling city or an idyllic beach, and you will find a treat for all the senses – a sense of romance, a sense of rejuvenation, a sense of exploration, a sense of wellness. This is the distinct offering of Banyan Tree – that no matter which of our properties you are in, you will get the authentic Banyan Tree experience in an awe-inspiring setting. It truly is a Sanctuary for the Senses. This is the heartbeat of the Banyan Tree brand. It’s understated luxury – and this will certainly carry through in Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur and The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree. While guests in both these properties will be in the centre of Kuala Lumpur’s bustling city life, no matter where in the world they are from, they will have their very own “haven” to come home to. This does not mean that we disassociate ourselves with where we are located, but rather, complement it with our own identity. There have been a few recent openings of high-end, luxury hotels in KL with a few more slated for opening. How does Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur differentiate itself in this market? We have a very clear and definitive vision for our properties in Kuala Lumpur, which is to be the most exclusive urban resort in Kuala Lumpur, committed to inspire our associates to surpass their own self-expectations, leading to positively remarkable guest interactions, delivery of unbending respect for real Malaysian hospitality experience with optimum returns to our stakeholders. Internally, we educate and train our associates to live, work and play towards achieving this vision, in order to exceed guests’ expectations all the time. Externally, the infrastructure and positioning of our properties itself will exude a sense of exclusivity; from our 55 suites with breath-taking views to what will perhaps be the highest rooftop

bar, located on our 59th floor! It’s certainly something unique to Kuala Lumpur, even to Malaysia. Our properties are designed to impress. What are your views on the marketing of luxury hotel brands in Malaysia? What can be done better? How will Banyan Tree address this with Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur and The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree? I believe marketing of luxury hospitality properties is staying true to your brand’s core values – and this is certainly true for us at Banyan Tree. We’re all about providing naturally luxurious, ecological and culturally-sensitive experiences to even the most discerning of travellers and guests – and this is ingrained into our DNA and is evident in all we do here at Banyan Tree, no matter where we are in the world. We’re also big on Corporate Social Responsibility. At Banyan Tree, we realise that our business leaves a significant impact on the communities and localities in which we operate, and we see it as our responsibility to make this impact a positive one. We use our business as a means to create something that we hope is beautiful and sustainable, brought about by our deep-seated beliefs. So even with Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur and The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree, we are committed to being socially responsible. Even before opening our doors, we have already embarked on several CSR initiatives including assisting a local primary school in creating a herb garden in their school compound for educational purposes, while tying in to the Banyan Tree brand. Besides Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur and The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree, are there any future plans of opening more Banyan Tree branded properties in the Malaysian market in the not too distant future? Right now, we are currently working on the Angsana Penang, slated for opening in the first half of 2019. We are also in on-going discussions with a few other partners in establishing more opportunities here, but for now, the Malaysian market has plenty to experience with Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur and The Pavilion managed by Banyan Tree.

CHANGING THE GAME

7 JULY 2018

Marketing Games 2018 is a one day sports festival organised by MARKETING Magazine Malaysia for agencies and companies and will be held at Paradigm Mall on the 7th of July 2018. Marketing Games 2018 consists of E-Games ( FIFA 18 Singles Tournament) and Human Foosball. RM 12,000 in cash for the winners and also other attractive prizes must be won. It will be a battle of wits, skill and strategy between teams to become the inaugural ‘Marketing Games 2018’ champions. No scam ads, no ‘client approvals’ reuired. Just loads of intense, no holds barred action, fun and madness! We will also be having a celebration at Ballers@The Roof on the 14th of July, 2018 with World Cup Soccer Live Viewing Party!

SUPPORT BY

MAIN SPONSOR

FIRST COME FIRST SERVED:

LIMITED TO 32 TEAMS

FIRST COME FIRST SERVED:

LIMITED TO 32 TEAMS

E- GAMES • (FIFA rules will be applied) • 64 players to participate (max 2 players per company) • Each game is 10 minutes (knockout)

HUMAN FOOSBALL • 32 teams to participate (8 players per team) • Each game is 7 minutes (group stage, format)

E- GAMES (RM100 PER PLAYER) Player Name Player Name

HUMAN FOOSBALL (RM300 PER TEAM) Player Name

Player Name

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Venue: Boulevard, Paradigm Mall Date 7 July 2018 (Saturday) Time 9.00am till 5.00pm

Prize Giving Ceremony / World Cup Soccer Live Viewing Party at Ballers@The Roof Date: 14 July 2018 (Saturday)

ISSUE222END-MAY2018

INFLUENCER MARKETING

Shooting content with Chaleeda Gilbert

Shooting content for JD Sports Malaysia

Harry Kok Siew Yok with football legends

of music talent beyond Southeast Asian borders soon. With new divisions, Rocketfuel is able to strategise and execute influencer marketing campaigns for brands and produce viral content.

IGNITE workshops in session

ROCKETFUEL ENTERTAINMENT ON UNCOVERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF

CONTENT CREATORS

ROCKETFUEL Entertainment’s first half of 2018 has certainly been quite an impressive lift-off. Malaysia’s first hip-hop cypher 16 Baris live concert, a collaboration with Kartel Records resulted in a massive turnout of approximately 4,000 thousand fans. A smashing start to Rocketfuel’s aim to set up a laserfocused entertainment talent house that offers marketers the most influential brand ambassadors who have the widest reach on digital platforms and social media.

With three complementary divisions Rocketfuel Talent, Rocketfuel Records and Rocketfuel Network under one roof, Rocketfuel is able to strategise and execute influencer marketing campaigns for brands featuring the hottest talents in Malaysia and the region, as well as content IPs that generate social media buzz. MARKETING Magazine spoke to Rocketfuel Entertainment on their latest initiative, IGNITE, an ever changing content creation melting pot from this multi-talented entertainment house. Tell us about Rocketfuel Entertainment’s IGNITE? It is an initiative by Rocketfuel Entertainment to inspire and uncover the next generation of content creators. It is basically a series of workshops and talks held at colleges and universities. However, we do open it to anyone who is interested. What IGNITE does is that it operates as a B2C incubator

for us to engage directly with our consumers as well as an opportunity for us to discover and groom new talents. One of the workshops we conduct is a mobile-filmmaking workshop, where we show participants how they can shoot good video content with a mobile device. Plus, IGNITE is also a sub-label for our independent/underground music acts that don’t fit in the mass pop market. This is required as the marketing strategies for these music acts differ greatly. IGNITE is brand friendly for any marketer who would like to conduct focus groups or even ideate or create new content for their campaigns. Music production has always been Rocketfuel’s main focus. Where are heading with this now? Rocketfuel continues to produce music content for both Malaysian and regional markets. We’re looking at signing more acts, especially those with international potential. We have recently partnered with Warner Music Thailand on further expanding the growth potential of our Thai artist Chaleeda in her homeland. We will also be working closely with regional distributors to expand our IGNITE series of regional underground and urban acts. We currently have two Thai hip hop acts Dandee and Tarvethz but will be expanding our acquisition

What are your thoughts on content creation? When YouTube enabled people to become content creators, it used to be about expressing an idea to entertain an audience. Influencer marketing is changing that, and now it feels like it’s more about generating an action or reaction. I think a lot of brands want to be integrated into a creator’s content because they recognise the potential, but a lot of brands don’t understand that these content creators should be allowed a lot more freedom and trust to produce the kind of content that works for their own personal brand. It’s about collaborating not owning plus identifying the right brand fit or association with influencers. What can fans look forward to in the future? Our co-owned IP with Kartel Records, 16 Baris will be launching Season 2 in the second half of the year with a live concert to kick off on August 11 titled 16 Baris LIVE concert 2.0 We also have plans to expand the 16 Baris format to Indonesia and Japan. We are currently working on Harry Kok content for the World Cup as well as exciting new features for Harvinth Skin including an album for his alter ego SubraMONEYam. We will be focusing on developing our current local music roster as well. Both Ara’s Bunga and Hael’s Haraam are doing extremely well on streaming services and we expect a big year in music with Zizan Razak and the soundtrack for Polis Evo2 as well.

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SEISMIC MARKETING

AFTER Malaysia’s 14th General Election, the Center of Applied Data Science’s (CADS) analysed how the last few moments of any election campaign can ultimately make or break the efforts of weeks and even months’ worth of election campaigning and lobbying. Focusing on Twitter data, CADS studied Tweets from the last campaign day (May 8th) and Election Day itself (May 9th), to see if there were any sentiment-altering events within this timeframe, and what impact it could have on the election. Additionally, a total of 155,615 tweets was collected from 1st March to 5th May related to the General Election providing a collection of insights and patterns validating initial insights and ultimately leading way to the results that GE14 uncovered for Malaysia. To Social Media or Not To Social Media? The biggest gap that CADS picked up from its initial report was the social media maturity that the three competing coalitions had going into GE14. The Gagasan Sejahtera (GS), an informal coalition between Parti Islam Se-Malaysian (PAS) and Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (IKATAN). GS chose to employ a more grassroots-driven engagement that translates well for their “personal touch” feel, consistently driven from the inception of the party. This left GS going into the election with an almost bare-minimum social media presence where most of the content in the Twitterspace was general mentions rather than deliberate content development. The Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition was the clear champion in terms of social media maturity walking into the GE14. Faced with the growing perception (and numerous instances where perceptions were proven reality) that the Malaysian mainstream media was heavily controlled by the BN, PH turned to its active, mature and highly connected network of social media interfaces going into GE14. They depended on this social media presence not just as an election engine, but also to get their message out to the people and actively correcting any misrepresented content delivered by the mainstream Malaysian media. Knowingly or unknowingly, by actively leveraging the social media of each component party in the PH coalition, they built up a message of Hope, Unity and Nationhood that then became the overtone of the entire PH coalition. This commanding presence easily consumed BN, which consisted of several longstanding component parties

(i.e. UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, etc.) but only adopted a social media presence built around the chairman of the BN. This pattern of insights consistently appeared on party-specific Influencer Galaxies that were created in all three renditions of the study. Malaysia’s GE14 is an example where social media presence can make or reshape the face of an election.

MALAYSIA ELECTIO

BRILLIAN SOCIAL ME

STRATEGIS MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHM BY MALAYSIAN DATA SCIENTIST AT THE CENTRE OF APPLIED DATE SCIENCE ANALYZES GE14

What’s Your Campaign Story Having a fairly dormant social media presence pre-GE14, BN developed a campaign theme of accelerating the development of the nation via Rakyat-driven manifesto pillars (i.e., Affordable Housing, Youth Development, Digital Enhancement, etc.). While this is a solid campaign story for any run-of-the-mill coalition party, the first mistake of the BN Election Engine was that they did not consider the legacy that BN has engineered. A coalition party that has remained in power for so long needed a more impactful and game-changing ideation that would have reassured the Rakyat, should they be voted to stay. The second mistake that BN may have made in their election engine is to build the brand story on the Chairman of the BN coalition. Conditional on the thought process that this was a conscious decision made by the BN coalition to revert the ground sentiment, which was unfortunately built around the caretaker PM and BN Coalition Chairman, the coalition unintentionally created a sustained, steady preservation of the negative sentiment without any active efforts to address

it. This was evident via the Keywords Analysis that we ran on all three of our renditions, where the positive sentiment from BN were extract verbatim from press releases and manifesto content from the BN Coalition Leadership, while the negative sentiment for the BN Coalition consistently picked up keywords and themes that were from issues and speculations long before the announcement of the Parliament dissolution. On the complete opposite of the spectrum, the PH coalition component parties each had their own campaign stories, values and key sentiments that worked for the core of the party and its supporters. This would have been a complete disaster for the coalition if the component parties stayed

detached and independent in terms of their campaign stories. However, the inability to register certain component parties and the announcement of all component parties to be represented by the Keadilan emblem during campaigning and voting, inadvertently created a whole new wave of emotions – Unification for Hope. Supporters were stewing up negative emotions against the BN Coalition with keywords like “bendera, ROS, diturunkan” appearing in the analysis, while words like “undi, change, pledged, Negaraku” were coming up strong in support for the PH Coalition. GS, choosing to focus on its core voter demographic, set off their campaign trails by offering their name as a “more passive

alternative for change” which promised to be less radical than the image built for the PH Coalition. While these elements were not necessarily picked up actively in the Sentiment Analysis, a deeper-look into the themes of the Twitter elements that did contain GS consistently portrayed them as “the other party”. Not the perfect image for a vocal opposition front protecting the needs of the Rakyat but ideal enough for a party calling to preserve the existing harmonious environment of peace while still bringing changes. It was a successful campaign position for PAS, particularly in Kelantan and Terengganu that hold the lowest Broadband Penetration Rate per 100 inhabitants in West Malaysia (released for Q4 2017,

IONS:

NT EDIA

SING?

by MCMC) at 75.7% and 81.9% respectively and even emerging the “kingmaker” in the formation of certain state governments in GE14. Significance of the Final Battle Cry Four distinct influx points of the Twitter events generation were identified during the 8th and 9th May 2018. On the 8th May 2018, 12pm period, there were an increased generation of Twitter events contributing to the announcement that the Chairman of the BN Coalition will be making a “special announcement” later that night. A vague indication of upcoming “special message” in a time where distrust is the go-to sentiment for the general population, naturally, the BN

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SEISMIC MARKETING

... THE WORDS USED IN THE “AMANAT MALAM TERAKHIR” DELIVERED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PH COALITION WERE STRAIGHTFORWARD, INFUSED WITH OVERTONES OF IMPLORING THE RAKYAT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAL NATIONAL WOUNDS...

Coalition remained on the negative sentiment up to the point of announcing the “special address”. Data also revealed that the BN Coalition saw minimal organic content generated from the voters contributing to the positive sentiment for BN. However, the negative sentiment associated with the BN Coalition saw a high volume of organic content generated which not only came from the PH Coalition but also the public. The Ruling Coalition did not incorporate the efforts needed to correct the negative sentiments tagged well ahead of GE14, and instead created an Election Engine which did not appear to address voter sentiment. Understanding this dynamic, the Final Battle Cry wherein it was announced the promise for income tax exemption for citizens aged 26 and below, two days of public holiday post GE14 and five days of toll charges suspension during the upcoming Eid Aidilfitri celebrations were an unfortunate alignment to the negative “cash is king” perception that was evident in early analysis of the BN Coalition. Simple analytics using preelection datasets and living dashboard of sentiments would have given the BN Coalition room to manoeuvre the development and delivery of their content. Instead, the inability to adapt and recalibrate strategically against the volatile and highly emotional voter sentiment essentially spelt the fall of a six-decade coalition party that started off as the very coalition that helped build our nation. The Pakatan Harapan Coalition, once again either by sheer lucky coincidences or brilliant yet subtle social

strategizing, constructed the perfect “David vs Golliath” narrative that held strong into Polling Day. Capitalizing on BN’s single-persona brand built around its Chairman along with overwhelming negative sentiments that were not only addressed as a matter-ofnational-interest, but chided as “ridiculous personal attacks”, the PH Coalition emerged as a solid coalition party with the credibility of a former Prime Minister strongly advocating for the glory days of Malaysia at its helm. Using an online social media platform to broadcast their own Final Battle Cry, they promised a potential government that would guide a nation out from its dark moments into the light of its prime. The words used in the “Amanat Malam Terakhir” delivered by the Chairman of the PH Coalition were straightforward, infused with overtones of imploring the Rakyat for the opportunity to heal national wounds, while constantly using keywords that were a strong reminder of the growing negative sentiment against the BN Coalition. The trending of sentiment following the conclusion of the final campaign speeches by both the BN and PH Coalition Chairmen made it clear that the keywords the PH Coalition used (i.e., “sogokan, gadaikan, selamatkan) not only nullified the positive sentiments that the BN Coalition may have with the announcement of their election goodies, but instead evoked a completely different purpose for GE14. It was not just an exercising of a voter’s democratic right, it was the responsibility to save the sovereignty of our nation. To some these may be deliberate political strategies played, but the data was already revealing these patterns and sentiments even before the dissolution of Parliament in April. What analytics lessons can be drawn from the 2018 Malaysia election? The answer is plenty, according to Sharala Axyrd, CEO of CADs, especially those for those in the business world. “First and foremost, businesses need to rely more on a datadriven approach and measured performance and less on gut instinct when data and analytics are available. It may require a cultural change and paradigm shift in some organizations. Second, understanding consumer behaviour, sentiment and purchase pattern, predicting the next sales opportunity and most profitable customer, segmenting and micro-targeting the right population with tailored messages that resonate with customers are the challenges faced by almost every business.”

PH Top Social Media Posts (8th May and 9th May

BN Top Social Media Posts (8th May and 9th May)

PH Top Social Media Posts (8th May and 9th May

PAS Top Social Media Posts (8th May and 9th May)

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MOVEMENT CREATION

THE Malaysian 14th General Election is truly one to enter the history books of Malaysia. On Wednesday, 9 May, millions of Malaysians endured hours of queuing, sweating all to exercise their right as citizens. On nomination day, Astro Awani had a total of 968,000 in reach and 5 million reach on election day. On 10 May 2018, 10 million Malaysians witnessed history together on Astro Awani, while a total of 7,650,000 visitors were recorded on Astro Awani’s website. The numbers were the proof Astro Awani was the preferred source of news. As of 11 May 2018, the total post reach on Facebook was a total of 13 million views. Traffic also surged on Astro Awani’s digital platform with an additional 42% pageviews and 62% new visitors. Astro Awani: 100 Hari Baharu Astro Awani proceeded to celebrate the 100 Hari Baharu like Seratus Hari #100Hari, a 1-hour special programme with the new Menteri Besar for each state of Malaysia on Prime Time. Other programmes are like The Eminent, a 15-minutes special programme featuring the eminent figures selected to be in the Council of Eminent Persons on Prime Time. The Amazing Race: The Impossible GE14 Edition While the rest of Malaysians who were lucky enough to vote

ASTRO AWANI SHINES AT GE 14 THE ELECTION THAT BROUGHT MALAYSIANS TOGETHER in their respective hometowns, thousands of Malaysians who resided overseas had to opt for postal voting instead. Therefore, a group of generous Malaysians took to social media and started a movement that would create history. A video of Malaysians uniting together in order to get their postal votes reach on time has gone viral on social media. The 11-minute-long video was posted by Astro Gempak on its YouTube page.With less than

72 hours to submit their votes, overseas voters were faced with the impossible task of getting their votes back to their polling centres… Malaysians from different parts of the world came together thanks to the power of social media to facilitate this oneof-a-kind delivery service. The Impossible GE14 Mission video truly touched the heart of Malaysians all over the world. There was even one ballot that took a journey from New York to

Doha to Singapore and finally Kuching! A pilot even gathered the ballots and took it home with him to ensure it reached on time. The Impossible GE14 Mission video captured the nation’s attention and went viral. With over 1.5 million views, it reached over 3 million unique users and over 1.1 million in engagement in less than 48 hours. The video was also shared by prominent people and groups such as Marina Mahathir, Mukhriz Mahathir, Hannah Yeoh, The

Bersih organisation and many more. The news on Malaysians working together all over the world to ensure their votes reached home on time did not escape the international media. Majors newspapers like The Australian reported on how Malaysians were working together to ensure everyone’s votes made a difference. The Impossible GE14 video showed the world what Malaysia is really capable of when united.

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APPIES 2018 CASE STUDY

ANCHOR TWIST WINS GOLD AT APPIES MALAYSIA 2018 FONTERRA’S Anchor Dairy collaborated with APD Kuala Lumpur for a cheesy Malaysian twist which resulted in them winning Gold at APPIES Malaysia 2018. Challenge When Anchor made its debut in Malaysia, the brand was introduced as the chef’s preferred

RAMADHAN MARKETING

choice. However the communication instead of going to the public, headed to food service professionals such as restaurants and hotel establishments. Anchor wanted to take on a different approach, to get young Malaysian moms to use Anchor cheese in their cooking. However, the market

was already saturated with many other brands. So how does Anchor stand out? Anchor Twist campaign With mums as the core audience, Anchor capitalised on a trend of adding cheese to local dishes to help mums turn ordinary dishes extraordinary with Anchor cheese and butter.

To bring this message to fruition, APD Kuala Lumpur worked alongside Red Films to create a series of digital videos for Facebook and YouTube, showcasing new recipes in a quirky and unconventional way. These two platforms were used as that was where the target audience spent most their time on.

The first recipe video features a spin on one of Malaysia’s local favourites: the Popiah Pisang Goreng Cheese. The recipe was shared via an original score sung by Takahara Suiko, lead singer of the ‘Venetian Solitude’. Results In just one week, the

music video garnered over a million views. By the end of March, the music video had amassed over 4 million views. It resulted in an increase of Anchor overall market share by 6 points to 21% on year to date basis. And this led to Anchor winning Gold at APPIES Malaysia 2018.

DIRECTORS THINK TANK AND FLOCK SHOOT NEW TOKOPEDIA RAMADHAN

CINEMA CAMPAIGN FOR INDONESIA

DIRECTORS Think Tank director Rajay Singh has just finished shooting the latest Tokopedia Ramadan cinema campaign. As one of the biggest e-commerce platform’s in Indonesia, Tokopedia wanted to take this Ramadan season as an opportunity to make people’s lives better by

narrating a film that shares the values of kinship and love. The film itself is a story about sacrifices from a mother to her beloved son by ensuring he has a wonderful life despite all the challenges they both faced daily. Leonard Wiguna, CCO of Flock Company said, “Living

a fishermen life doesn’t always make it easy to enjoy seafood, especially for those who are less fortunate. But as a mother, she always gives her boy the best life can offer. That includes giving him everything and sometimes spare nothing for herself”. “Whenever we both collaborate, we always

push ourselves to the edge, but in a good way. This was always done to make the work stand out and become even more memorable. In the end, we were all happy and proud of the outcome.” “As with the previous campaigns, it was a great joy to work with Tokopedia and Flock,” added Jay.

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