Issue223 by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd

www.marketingmagazine.com.my

ISSUE 223/// MID-JUNE 2018

DATOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ISHAK MOHD ISHTIAQ, Group CEO of IMI Media Group goes into overdrive with the liberation of media and creativity

THE NEW NARRATIVE

INSIDE: GAME FOR MARKETING GAMES?//RETAIL INDUSTRY REPORT//WEB SCRAPING FOR DATA//TECHNOLOGY WRONG PLACE TO START//ADVERTISING IS THE MARKETING OF FEELINGS//APPIES MARKETING CASE STUDIES// ICONIC BUILDINGS MAKE STATEMENTS //CREATIVE LIBERATION HAS ARRIVED: MC2 ISSN 1985-5575

00223 9 771985

557001

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

ISSUE221MID-JUNE2018

When Astro, South East Asia’s top cross-media organization, with direct-to-home satellite TV services in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia and other parts of the ASEAN region, collaborates with another brand that is seeking communications solutions, the partnership gives desired results. The effectiveness of the campaign is amplified and the brand’s inherent strength also stands leveraged, driven by Astro’s strategic content input. The fourth case study in the ‘Winning Partnership Series’ discusses how Astro leveraged on its digital content to connect with Malaysian women on the truth of shaving.

ASTRO REVEAL SMOOTHER SKI P&G’s VENUS TEAMS UP WITH ASTRO TO DEBUNK

For women, beauty routines are very personal, intimate stuff. Over years, women have probably gotten a ton of beauty tips and it may not be easy to identify fact from fiction. Hair removal is one of the major taboo topics that women often shy away from. OVERVIEW Astro came up with Sehalus Venus (as delicate as Venus), a campaign created to elevate the awareness of Venus being a razor created for women as it is designed based on women’s needs. Ranging from the razor’s flexibility to compliment the curve of a women’s body, the soft gel ensures smoothness of shaving and protects the skin’s delicateness, while precision of the blade allows maximum shaving results. Keeping the Malay female audience in mind, the campaign was designed to resonate with their aspiration - Malay females adored the ‘Halus’ concept which equates to soft and delicate, as they like to be perceived as such. Astro also leveraged on Farah Ann’s persona, Malaysia’s national gymnast, as a woman of confidence personally and professionally, and how Venus helps her to be prepared to seize her day victoriously. Astro came up with a capsule which drew parallels with the functional benefits of Venus, flexibility, smoothness and precision, to the gymnast’s winning qualities. Furthermore, Astro crafted digital content where Farah debunks myths about shaving and reinforces shaving as the best method for hair removal i.e. it doesn’t let hair grow thicker and faster, it exfoliates skin, etc. These contents were then complemented with a series of advertorials and released on digital platforms with a strong Malay female audience base. Relevant social media influencers with strong followers were engaged to demonstrate the efficacy of the products in various situations, as a proof point to Venus flexibility, convenience and its shaving superiority.

... THE NOTION OF ‘SEHALUS VENUS’ WAS REINFORCED TO PROPAGATE SHAVING AS THE BEST METHOD OF HAIR REMOVAL BY LAUNCHING 9 ADVERTORIALS ON RELEVANT ASTRO’S DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND KARANGKRAF’S DIGITAL IPS. THE SAME CONTENT WAS AMPLIFIED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA FOR WIDER REACH...

CHALLENGES Hair removal is a sensitive issue to Malay Muslim women, hence it needs to be communicated well. Insights reveal that removing hair for Malay Muslim women is encouraged by Islam. The wisdom behind the prescription of removing pubic hair and armpit hair helps one attain a high level of cleanliness and prevents bad body odour. Shaving is often a taboo subject and many refrain from speaking openly. Malay women often feel embarrassed to discuss it and would rather practice in silence, rather than share their experience. The existing Venus commercial doesn’t speak to the targeted Malay female audience. It had too much of an international feel and did not resonate with the target market. Many misconceptions arise about shaving. For example, shaving causes hair to grow faster, thicker and darker. Or shaving irritates and leaves skin dry (razor burn), and there’s no difference between male and female shavers. Since the secondary target audience is Chinese females, the communication had to be able to cut across both segments.

TARGET MARKET Malaysia’s total market size is RM25 million with P&G’s Venus having the potential to grow by 4 times. 52% of the market share is currently driven by the women’s razor category. Venus holds only 30% of it and the rest by its competitor Schick. This proves that Venus has a huge potential to grow the market and challenge the market leader. CONSUMER INSIGHT Firstly, Astro identified a few Malay keywords that best describe the product’s functional superiority without being to direct or ‘revealing’. Words like delicateness were replaced with ‘kehalusan’, smoothness with ‘kelembutan’, and lastly fragrance with ‘keharuman’. These cues automatically connect to the qualities that women like to be associated while communicating the product benefits effectively. Secondly, the Malay audience is big on celebrities and public figures. They tend to follow news about these figures and are influenced by their endorsements and recommendations. Thirdly, social media has become an integral part of the Malay female market. They

consume short content and constantly update their life’s events and keep tabs on their favourite influencers. STRATEGIC FIT Astro possesses a strong Malay audience base with 93% household penetration. 50% of them are female who are Astro’s Malay vernacular content’s biggest consumers. Astro is also a source for fans to engage themselves with popular local digital publishers the likes of Gempak, Era, InTrend, with female visitors as high as 81% of the visitor base. Astro is also home for strong Chinese digital IPs like MY, Xuan and iFeel. With the current successful joint venture with Karangkraf, Astro has the capability of extending its campaign to Karangkraf’s strong Malay IPs in the likes of Mingguan Wanita, Remaja, Hijabista and Vanilla Kismis which have a female audience of up to 83%. Astro also houses popular talents that are sought after in the market across Malay and Chinese segments. These are talents with a local fan base of miilions who are their social media followers.

ISSUE221MID-JUNE2018

LS THE WAY TO IN WITH VENUS SHAVING MYTHS FOR A MORE CONFIDENT YOU

ASTRO WINNING PARTNERSHIP SERIES are really important in delivering the most impeccable performance in her game, as well as her choice when it came to hair removal. 20 SEC CAPSULE X 3 VERSIONS OF FARAH’S SHAVING MYTH BUSTER Farah’s images in graphic motion were used to deliver vital info about shaving and emphasising its advantages. This treatment was fun and young, is key to gain traction of netizens. Some myths that were busted: • Male and female razors are the same - a Venus razor has a rounded head with flexible gel bars for a woman’s curves. • Shaving irritates the skin and leaves the skin dry - shaving helps exfoliate by removing the gross top layer of your skin thus leaving skin super smooth. • Shaving causes hair to grow thicker, faster and darker - it may appear thicker at the blunt end, but it’s just an illusion. After all, hair only grows a quarter inch a month. ADVERTORIALS Each advertorial was created to fit the style of content of each digital publisher.

OBJECTIVES The campaign’s main objective was to create awareness about Venus thus conveying its functional superiority in an emotional way. The task at hand also required Astro to educate the audience about shaving and debunking myths around it, as well as to achieve the sales target. TARGET AUDIENCE Venus’ primary audience (80%) are Malay females between 18 to 45 years while its secondary audience are chinese females, aged 18 to 35. SOLUTION Astro coined a strategic communication of ‘Sehalus Venus’ that strongly conveyed its superiority in shaving ensuring consumers that nothing beats Venus in providing smooth perfect skin. Owning the word Halus was a way to convey the efficacy of the product. Astro appointed Farah Ann to front the campaign as she is well received by the target audience across all segments with minimal risk of push back. After all, she is not expected to conform to the usual rules of covering herself due to her profession as a gymnast, allowing Venus to demonstrate its product usage seamlessly.

Astro identified relevant influencers like Sharifah Sakinah, Elfira Loy, Mia Ahmad, Chan Won, and Jovin Chan to create talkability about the product efficacy in their social space. CONTENT STRATEGY Astro created a series of ways to deploy awareness amongst Malaysian women... A 30 second capsule featuring Farah Ann deployed on both TV and digital was launched to create awareness. Channels with a high female audience base were identified for maximum reach. By working closely with the client, Astro tracked sales performance against the deployment pattern of the capsules on TV and constantly changed the formula of airing (ratio between prime time and fringe time), to maximise the exposure that correlated to the product sales. Astro pursued efforts to educate consumers through a series of digital capsules featuring Farah Ann to debunk the myth about shaving. 20 sec x 3 capsules were released on digital publishers with high female audiences, the likes of Gempak, Era, InTrend, Salam Muslim, iFeel, MY, Xuan. The notion of ‘Sehalus Venus’

was reinforced to propagate shaving as the best method of hair removal by launching 9 advertorials on relevant Astro’s digital platforms and Karangkraf’s digital IPs. The same content was amplified through social media for wider reach. Astro also created talkability on social media by using Sharifah Sakinah, Elfira Loy, Mia Ahmad, Chan Won, and Jovin Chan to spark the conversation about shaving, demonstrate the convenience and efficacy of the product through various forms of social postings (static pictures, video and boomerang).

CREATIVE TREATMENT 30 SEC CAPSULE OF FARAH ANN The capsule was crafted to depict Farah’s moments before the competition where she is seen to be using Venus, as part of her grooming essential and how the routine is vital in giving her the confidence she needs before any competition. Few important keywords that described the functional benefits and the quality of her gymnastic performance i.e. flexibility, smoothness, precision and delicateness were used in the script to create an impactful narrative on how those qualities

1. Lifestyle – Gempak, Era, InTrend, Vanilla Kismis, MY, Xuan 2. Islamic - Salam Muslim, Hijabista 3. Informative - Mingguan Wanita, Remaja, iFeel SOCIAL INFLUENCE Different format of postings were used to spark interest in the social space like pictures, videos and boomerang. Postings were contextualized based on various situations to bring out the best of its product’s USPs. SAMPLE SITUATIONS: Influencers are always on the go and hence in need of something fast, quick and effective for grooming. Sample Situation: about to shoot a drama, magazine photoshoot, and last minute social events. Some influencers who used to do product reviews were originally sceptic about shaving. But when they were given the product for a trial run they came back with amazing results. Astro related the product back to certain interests, like fashion and travelling, and how the product is a must have companion to complement their fashion and travel aspirations as

BRAND ALLIANCE ASTRO-P&G

influencers always want to look and feel their best. RESULTS The “Sehalus Venus” campaign amassed unprecedented results and achieved its objective of winning over Malay female audiences. Branded advertorials across Gempak, Salam Muslim, Era, In Trend, Xuan, and iFeel achieved cumulative views of 102,775 while its social media pages recorded a reach of over 2.4 million, total likes of 7,828 and total engagement of 9,306. Social media influencers sparked talkability and their postings about the campaign received a total of 2,099,742 impressions, 1,750,808 reach and total engagement of 67,044. Digitorials in online magazines received GA pageviews of 20,213, FB instant article views of 18,700 and total page views of 38,913. The TV deployment strategy that correlates with sales performance has gained unprecedented result for Venus. • Sales surged by 66% within the first 3 months of campaign period • Total female razor category recorded a double digit growth of 16% within 6 months • Market share of Venus increased by 8 percentage points from 26% to 34% within 9 months • Value share of Venus grew by 14 percentage points in Hypermarkets, 6 percentage points in Drug Pharma Lastly, the 30-sec TV interstitials garnered massive reach across various key target audience as the result of campaign optimization by Astro: Female 20-49 with household income of RM1K+.

85% Reach 1+ 76% Reach 2+ 71% Reach 3+

Malay Female 20-49 with household income of RM1K+

95% Reach 1+ 93% Reach 2+ 88% Reach 3+

Malay Female 20-29 with household income of RM1K+

97% Reach 1+ 95% Reach 2+ 91% Reach 3+ Source: Kantar Media DTAM (Nov-Dec 2017)

EDITOR’S NOTE

MALAYSIA IS A “FREE COUNTRY, WE

SHOULD NOT FEAR THE MIDNIGHT KNOCK OF THE POLICEMAN. BUT THOSE WHO FLOUT THE LAWS WILL BE MET WITH THE FULL FORCE OF THE LAW, REGARDLESS OF THEIR STATIONS IN LIFE.

”

TOMMY THOMAS, ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF MALAYSIA

ALREADY. EVEN “INCAN A MARRIAGE, WE ONLY FEEL AWKWARD FOR THREE OR FOUR DAYS.

”

MOHAMAD SABU AKA MAT SABU, MINISTER OF DEFENCE MALAYSIA, WHEN ASKED HOW HE WAS COPING IN HIS NEW JOB.

THE MEDIA IS “EVERYWHERE. LIKE IT OR NOT, WE NEED A SYSTEM CHANGE SO WE CAN DRAW MORE VIEWERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND COMPETE WITH EXISTING MEDIA.

”

GOBIND SINGH DEO, COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA MINISTER, COMMENTING ON HIS PLANS FOR RADIO TELEVISYEN MALAYSIA (RTM).

SO YOU HAVE A GREAT IDEA, BUT WHO IS CELEBRATING?

ISSUE223MID-JUNE2018

By the Turbanned Stranger | ham@adoimagazine.com

... DURING THAT TIME WE WON A CANNES LIONS GRAND PRIX IN 2004 AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR WAS THE MOST AWARDED NATION IN ASIA. UNFORTUNATELY, MALAYSIA HAS BEEN GOING DOWNHILL IN GLOBAL RANKINGS SINCE THEN AND WE ARE NOW A DISTANT THUNDER ON THE ROLLING HILLS OF CREATIVE SUPREMACY...

ARE your ideas going anywhere? We are going to launch the next generation creative challenge. A quest for creative excellence energized by the new heartbeat of our nation. A non-profit movement to unearth Malaysia’s creative talent and seek ideas that fit brands. Do not waste your good ideas. Write them down, treasure them, and shout them out to the world. In this journey, we aim to discover ideas that will see the light of day for brands in Malaysia. We started MC2 Awards many years back in order to bring Malaysia’s reputation to the global stage. During that time we won a Cannes Lions Grand Prix in 2004 and the following year was the most awarded nation in Asia. Unfortunately, Malaysia has been going downhill in global rankings since then and we are now a distant thunder on the rolling hills of creative supremacy. Truth hurts. Why MC2? Why celebrate the past when you can win the future? Creativity is the only differentiator in a world where parity breeds mediocrity. MC2 is the first Creative Awards concept in the world which is future-facing and not about past work. It allows anybody with great solutions to pitch them to actual Brand Briefs. We want to be an active contributor to the marketing ecosystem in Malaysia. And sometimes, we need do the difficult things to bring good to the industry. We wish to support the government’s National Creative Industry Policies, and fuel the nation’s creative economy which is one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the world economy, valued at more than US$1.6 trillion. There are awards shows and there are award shows. It is not difficult to follow the template that is so common around the world. But we want ideas that will

work and not be bound by ideas that have only worked in the past. In fact, MC2 is not just about awards, it is about creative solutions for real situations. Entries are not restricted to agencies and communications experts. With democratisation in the ideas generation process, MC2 will be open to the general public and students with creative ideas, everyone will have equal opportunity to astound Marketing Directors with their creative solutions. This competition is open to all Malaysian individuals and companies trading and based in Malaysia. Finalists will be selected by Malaysian creative leaders who have proved themselves on the global creative awards stage and

are shining in their respective careers overseas. This is their chance to help us raise our creative bar in Malaysia, while having a keen understanding our market’s nuances and culture. Shortlisted ideas will be presented to the actual Brand Team and management at their offices in person by the Finalists. Hopefully we will discover the next Yasmin Ahmad, or two.

Respectfully,

Winning ideas that get implemented will be paid RM10,000 for use.

ISSUE223MID-JUNE2018

MALAYSIA has been making headlines lately. Assuming nothing major happens between the time of writing and publication of this article, our tanahair currently stands as a shining beacon of democracy. Sure, there are people who equate Malaysia with a missing plane, missing pastors and missing millions. Nothing new. Way back then, people even equated our beloved land with unwashed natives swinging from trees. This imagery about tree dwellers was a running joke for many years. Perhaps owing to the fact that countries in the far east were seen as exotic, mysterious, and unchartered. And then one day, the West started to change their minds about Malaysia. Our country began appearing in international news. Malaysia wasn’t just a developing nation, it was developing in its own way. When did the change happen? What was the tipping point? I believe it was around 1999. In that fateful year, two things happened: The Tourism Ministry introduced the tagline, ‘Malaysia. Truly Asia’, and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir officially opened the Petronas Twin Towers. For the first time, the world had a verbal nail (Malaysia. Truly Asia) and a visual hammer (The Petronas Twin Towers) to drive home the message of brand Malaysia. The Petronas Twin Towers presented a modern and dynamic face of New Asia. That’s not to say previous tourism ads didn’t have powerful

visuals. Just that an imagery shown on major news network had a stronger impact. It was at that time, the world’s tallest buildings - until it was surpassed in 2004 by the Taipei 101. Visuals are powerful. Once an image lodges itself in the mind, it can be hard to extract. In WW1, German cruisers had 3 smokestacks, British cruisers had 4. Everybody knew this and adhered strictly to this design rule. Whether you loaded the cannon or rolled out the welcome mat depended on the number of smokestacks on the incoming ship. It wasn’t long before somebody found a (seemingly obvious) way to exploit this technicality. That somebody was Karl von Muller, a veteran German captain. He added a dummy forth smokestack on his ship. From a distance, the SMS Emden looked like any other British ship with its captain presumably enjoying tea and crumpets on the deck. The SMS Emden approached many Allied ships unopposed before unleashing total destruction on the surrounding vessels. Muller used the same tactic over and over again to stamp naval superiority on the Indian Ocean. According to one report, the Emden captured nine ships and sank six others over a period of nine days. Times were simpler back then. Visuals are powerful, and powerful visuals stick in the mind. It’s what every great marketing campaign needs. The Marlboro Man. SIA’s Singapore Girl. BSN’s

Kucing Happy. Nippon Paint’s Blobbies. Mamee Monster. McD’s Golden Arches. Nike’s swoosh logo. The distinctive orange of Carotino’s cooking oil. The shapely contours of the famous cCke bottle. The memorable silhouette of the Petronas Twin Towers. Built on the site of a former horse-racing track, the towers are just one of Tun Dr Mahathir’s many megaprojects. He had at it all planned out- long before the Asian financial crisis in 1997. It is said that Tun sketched, on a napkin, the eight-point Muslim star on which the Argentine architect used as the basis for the towers. The buildings are now firmly entrenched in pop culture and appear every so often on the big screen. It’s not as if we don’t have other interesting buildings but you know, once a visual lodges itself in the mind… In a sense, the project is our country’s best and most effective tourism campaign. Sans maintenance fees, the campaign costed USD1.6bil, created global talkability on the day it was launched, and continues to provides incremental ROI - as reflected in the number of tourists who make it a mustsee destination. The skyscrapers are also a fitting tribute to the growth of Petronas, our national oil company that is now a worldclass multinational. Granted, erecting iconic buildings to make a statement is nothing new. Cities do it all the time. Nonetheless, the launch of the towers was a defining

I went to art school quite by accident. I didn’t do so good in school and made a mess of my SPM results and was sitting by the side of the road like a hobo on a Saturday evening when something caught my eye. It was a weather-beaten brochure (remember those things?) for an art school. ‘Learn advertising it read. So I said, hey, I could do that, and signed up. The school was a repurposed old bungalow and worn down. Half the toilet was walled off and if you climbed up the ceiling and peeped in, there’s a dusty bathtub behind that wall. Someone died there years ago? Perhaps. I don’t want to know. And if you entered from the back entrance, there were casual gambling sessions at the mamak and the mamasan of a nearby brothel would be there participating in this community activity. This was the art school of the 80’s and I spent many late nights here doing last minute work. Oh wait, that sounds exactly like what I’m doing now. Damn. So what was I getting into? We thought being in advertising meant being as artist. Actually, I didn’t know what advertising was. In my final year, the lecturer had a meltdown midway during class. He said, you think your life

is going to be easy? You have no future. You chose the wrong path and he buried his head in his hands. I took the bus home and noticed a shack that made number plates and signboards and it was called ‘Camel Advertising.’ F**k me! That’s my career?  Well, I eventually got a job. I was an FA artist, a visualizer, a designer, an art director, a temporary suit, a writer, and all the above at once in the dark ages before the Mac existed. It was hard manual work of cow gum, technical pen and airbrushes. Is that advertising? Then I got into bigger agencies and it was arguments with suits over things they can’t sell (and neither could I) and devouring award books and dreaming of winning awards after awards and when you don’t, you become suicidal. Is that advertising? Then as I moved up and met clients and listened to them, I developed a sense of empathy for their struggles and began to do stuff that they are comfortable with and felt myself dying inside from making too many compromises. Is that advertising? And further along the way, the dream

of making an impact came back but I was exposed to the reality of profits and losses and I developed a sense of fear from being overtly rational and the frustration grew from the inability to find the sweet spot between a dream and what’s real. Is that advertising? Then in the age where data is God we fell in love with its power to promise results and so the era of data crunching and data optimized everything became everything and we pretty much ended up doing the same work because everyone was listening to the same data. Is that advertising? Then one night, I came home to an upset son who was dealing with issues in his life. I spent half an hour giving him the best advice from my vast experience and wisdom. It was bullshit to him and I was frustrated with his inability to recognize good advice. So I let him talk and I said nothing. In the end, I pat him in the back and said hey, life is harsh, but somehow, someway, it’ll work. Want to watch a movie? He said ok and that was that. By listening, by not judging, by not rushing for an answer, he felt relief and release. That, to me is advertising. It’s the opportunity to help people feel something.

CREATIVE SURGE

THE MALAYSIA TRULY GLOBAL STORY.

moment for Malaysia. It gave the world what it didn’t know it wanted: A visual hammer to nail in a powerful message about brand Malaysia. It’s an idea that stands out in many ways. Some of which we haven’t realised or discovered. Some of which can only be appreciated in hindsight. For this writer, it was when Malaysia Truly Asia became Malaysia Truly Global.

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

EVERYONE’S COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT:

GLAM LIFE ... ACTUALLY, I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ADVERTISING WAS. IN MY FINAL YEAR, THE LECTURER HAD A MELTDOWN MIDWAY DURING CLASS. HE SAID, YOU THINK YOUR LIFE IS GOING TO BE EASY? YOU HAVE NO FUTURE... Perhaps there is a science to it. But without empathy, advertising is bullshit. From the conversations I’ve had with the homeless, and with youths, some of them who cut themselves, with the people who drive for a living, with people who have opposed views on politics, from ex-gangsters struggling to find a job, it is true. People want to feel they matter. Everyone is looking for affirmation. That is advertising. So if you asked me what

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.

advertising is, I think I can explain it less than ten words: It is the marketing of feelings. Yeah, that’s advertising.

ISSUE 223/// MID-JUNE2018 COVER STORY

07 CHANGING THE GAME

7 JULY 2018

DATA & YOU

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

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A BAD ASS TO EXCEL IN THE INDUSTRY BUT HAVING AN OPINION IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN MATTERS

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

ASTRO WINNING PARTNERSHIP SERIES

ASTRO REVEALS THE WAY TO SMOOTHER SKIN WITH VENUS

Overview Astro came up with Sehalus Venus (as delicate as Venus), a campaign created to elevate the awareness of Venus being a razor created for women as it is designed based on women’s needs. Ranging from the razor’s...

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

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

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As we continue to live in a world increasingly driven by the internet and the massive amounts of data that’s gushing out of it, we are also well aware by now that this has led to significant discussion and action more recently around data privacy and protection. This process could also be a never ending one, as sophistication levels and data volumes only grow. In the process as the largest generators or sources, naturally Social Media platforms have been held largely responsible for certain ‘lapses’ on their part, but another area or avenue that spews out data or makes data so easily available at click... CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

SO YOU HAVE A GREAT IDEA, BUT WHO IS CELEBRATING?

amira@adoimagazine.com

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CONSUMER INSIGHTS OR INCITING CONSUMERS?

EDITOR'S NOTE

Web & Digital: Nurul Amira Ibrahim

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

Are your ideas going anywhere? We are going to launch the next generation creative challenge. A quest for creative excellence energized by the new heartbeat of our nation. A non-profit movement to unearth Malaysia’s creative talent and seek ideas that fit brands. Do not waste your good ideas. Write them down, treasure them, and shout them out to the world. In this journey, we aim to discover ideas that will...

CREATIVE SURGE

Malaysia has been making headlines lately. Assuming nothing major happens between the time of writing and publication of this article, our tanahair currently stands as a shining beacon of democracy. Sure, there are people who equate Malaysia with a missing plane, missing pastors and missing millions. Nothing new. Way back then, people even equated our beloved land with unwashed natives swinging from trees. This imagery about tree dwellers was a running joke for many years. Perhaps owing to the fact that countries in the...

THE MALAYSIA TRULY GLOBAL STORY.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A BAD ASS TO EXCEL IN THE INDUSTRY

BUT HAVING AN OPINION IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN MATTERS It was just a day after GE14, and I could tell communications veteran Dato’ Ishak Mohd Ishtiaq (DIMI) had much to get off his chest. The euphoria of a stunning victory was a dawn of everything new. There was a new civility in the air, the people content and inspired and the masses were hungry for the change they yearned. DIMI had seen it all over the two decades in the advertising and marketing business. We cover his thoughts in this issue as a harbinger of things to come and a refection of what people in the industry echo...

ISSUE223MID-JUNE2018

COVER STORY

“We put clients in our soul, internalise their expectations, deliver results and make them smile”

THERE SEEMS TO BE A SORT OF CALM AFTER THE STORM WITH THE NEW ORDER… IT is very sobering and real. Like we have finally come of age. It makes every Malaysian the bravest citizen on the planet, for standing up to be counted. This liberating feeling will augur well for consumer sentiment and energy. We call it the awakening of a new narrative. In line with this new honesty, the market will be reset to charge ahead. We’ve seen too many shady deals that have given the industry a bad rap. Don’t forget the government is a very large advertiser in the marketing ecosystem. We now need a new spine to value our creative ideas. We have diminished our own stand and opinion on what works and what doesn’t. It is time to reclaim our rightful role as the custodian of brands and creativity.

We talk to Dato’ Ishak Mohd Ishtiaq, Group CEO of IMI Media Group on the latest... Is it a level playing field? Our entire way of life and doing business has been about politics for so long, we can’t even tell the difference now. Malaysians have been told to do things this way and that, this can, that cannot, our creativity has been dissipated by a culture of sucking up to the top and this is prevalent across GLCs and MNCs too: “Malaysians are a ‘nice lot’, let’s walk all over them.” Remember advertising rules of the past when Barbie dolls could not advertise because some Minister was told they were made from ‘babi”. And Washington Apples suffered the same fate

because the government of the day had a problem with America. We were under the rule of control freaks who stifled growth and expression in the name of political expediency. I mean, sanitary pads and dog food cannot be advertised? Level playing field? Malaysian companies having been diligently paying their share of dues to the government, be it GST or taxes. But when I read that the world’s biggest companies like Google and Facebook (they rule global advertising expenditure) do not pay taxes, I feel Malaysians are being bullied. Someone even cited that “Profit margins are slim in the online business, 70% of digital advertising revenue goes to Google and Facebook.”

The previous DPM said a proposal to tax Google and Facebook on advertisements would be presented to the Cabinet. But nothing came of it. This magazine even wrote, “The income tax department classified Google and Facebook advertising as Royalty and liable to 8% Withholding Tax, but this was never confirmed. They said payments made to Google and Facebook for advertising fall under the scope of ‘royalty’, instead of payment for services.” Whatever that means. In the meantime, Google paid back taxes it owed the Indonesian government since 2015 in full last year. Indonesia is currently pursuing Facebook and Twitter on tax obligations. Indonesia is the fourth country after Britain, India,

and Australia that has managed to get Google to pay tax. I say we deserve a fair playing field. The new Minister has his work cut out. And he is legal! What can the elections teach marketers? Well, we have always known the customer is king. In this case, the Rakyat. A lot of myths were busted in GE14 and it will be beneficial for marketers to sit up and take notice. The Malay heartland, for example, is a massive undertapped market. When you have an industry run by people who keep repeating that 50% of the consumer purchasing power is in the Klang valley, then we have a very blinkered life. And marketers are fed

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COVER STORY

DATO’ ISHAK MOHD ISHTIAQ:

... WELL, WE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THE CUSTOMER IS KING. IN THIS CASE, THE RAKYAT. A LOT OF MYTHS WERE BUSTED IN GE14 AND IT WILL BE BENEFICIAL FOR MARKETERS TO SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE...

formatted solutions that fit outdated research figures. These “Klang Valley” advocates conveniently preach this thinking so media is “easier to manage” and because they need big media players and bulk inventory to survive. Also the value of a consumer may not necessarily be defined with how much he or she spends. There is great affluence outside the Klang Valley which is hungry and curious. Is adex a barometer of trends? Not really, “official” figures are at best half true. Besides digital is under tracked. A better way to gauge industry performance is to factor what goes on in the rural heartland. There are many trends that marketers are missing out on. The disconnect is alarming, as if some sort of “superiority complex” is hindering their understanding of the market. Tell us about how you see market sentiment in the coming months… I see optimism on a scale never seen before. When the

Rakyat is upbeat anything is possible. With Hari Raya, World Cup and culminating with Merdeka, I see a time for us to galvanise together, to rediscover our humanity and trust in each other. Malaysians are very special people. They have displayed tolerance, talent and tenacity through thick and thin. We are no pushovers. Malaysia used to be a centre of creative excellence…. And I can’t see why we cannot recapture lost ground. We are melting pot of cultures never seen in any other Asian country. A perfect test bed for global products entering Asia. While I do not propose protectionism, there is merit in fending for ourselves.

We need all the help we can get to shine again. That’s why I believe the Made in Malaysia ruling for TV commercials shoud be brought back. Because our once thriving production industry has been decimated and while marketers said they wil use the savings to reinvest in media, it never happened. When an international brand with a ready-made TVC can go on air with some modifications, local brands have to start from scratch and pay the cost. Malaysian businesses suffered, and the only gainers were global brands marketing in Malaysia. Great ideas and excellent production values were the hallmarks of our industry. Let’s bring that back, and prosper!

ISSUE223MID-JUNE2018

CUSTOMER CONFERENCE

Is the Customer at the Centre of your Digital Transformation? Every organisation faces the impact of Digital Disruption. There is an increasing urgency to transform - whether they like it or not.

From MNCs and GLCs to SMEs and NGOs, success depends on the value to the end-user – the customer. And yet, the customer is often not at the centre of most Digital Transformation plans and policies. This Conference will help you correct that. It will show you how to unleash the true power of digital transformation by getting everyone to focus on the customer and partner across all functions. Transform your thinking and shift your capability by spending a day hearing from and talking with experts who have real world knowledge of these challenges. They will journey with you through digital transformations within the context of Customer Experience, Brand, Communication and Talent strategies; underpinned by CRM, and measurement systems, guiding you through the complexities of how to transform successfully. This Conference will show you how to stay ahead of the game by learning from other people’s mistakes and experiences to leapfrog the learning curve.

At this thought provoking workshop, you can immerse yourself in CONVERSATIONS, not only between brands and consumers but between thought leaders and attendees of this conference. You can look forward to: • Success Stories and failures from experts heading the world’s most beloved brands. • Insights from Case Studies of transformation and innovation strategies with the customer at the centre. • Learn new emerging practices in Brand Development, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Organisational Change that are accelerating performance and helping organisations navigate our increasingly complex world. • Take home a checklist of action items of positive changes to be implemented within your organisation. Flying in from New Zealand to drive the conference is Paul Stewart, former Chief Economist, Transformation Consultant to major corporations and notable author in the customer experience space. Paul has curated topics to rewire your thinking to extract maximum value from your digital transformations by focusing on your your customers and your employees.

Transformation Learning Curve According to Forrester, 63% of business leaders in Southeast Asia see improving CX (Customer Experience) as their top business priority. The core experiences of business – Customer, Employee, Product and Brand Experience need to seamlessly converge now:

Hear how some of the most successful organisations transformed key functions relating to Brands, Customers and Employees. Unlock the biggest mistakes organisations are making as they try to embrace the digital world. Understand more about how to put the customer at the centre of the organisation. Discover what is an ‘on-brand’ organisation and why it matters more today. Find out the key attributes of change culture that enable faster and better innovation. Deepen your understanding about how to maximise the potential of your people. Learn about the fundamental strategies enabling your organisation to never have to transform again. Gain new insights about the guiding principles for influencing social systems of customers and employees.

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CUSTOMER CONFERENCE

Paul Stewart

The Conference Driver Paul is a Chief Economist who has developed his approach and models for transformation from over 25 years of diverse experience as a Chief Economist, CEO, C-Suite roles and consulting in Organisational Change, Transformation and Innovation.

PAUL STEWART

Chief Executive Officer P.S. Thinking, New Zealand Author, Speaker & International Consultant

The Big Picture

THE CUSTOMER-DRIVEN TRANSFORMATION REVOLUTION! CHANGE LIKE WE’VE NEVER SEEN IT In this session, international consultant and advisor to CEOs, Paul Stewart will help you decode what the enormous changes in our world mean 9.15am for you. • How will brands and organisations survive the disruption • Why ‘Brand’ should be at the centre of your organization’s world during this time • What is an ‘on-brand’ organisation and why it matters more today How to put brand at the centre of strategy. In this session, Paul will commence a theme on how Marketing, HR and Customer Experience must work together in digital transformation. You will learn about your number one audience – and it may be different to the one that you think it is! Be inspired and challenged by statistics, stories and models of change.

to align customer experience to brands and to integrate their culture and strategy.

He co-authored the best-seller ‘Branded Customer Service’, which has been published in 20 countries and 11 foreign languages. Paul has worked directly with CEOs and executives throughout the world, helping them

He has provided advisory services in a wide range of industries including: Banking and Finance, Insurance, Telecommunications, Retail, Tourism, Manufacturing and Government. Organisations are complex social systems. Amidst this complexity, Paul helps CEOs and their senior teams find new insights, to develop new perspectives and new pathways to the future.

Keynote Highlights

THE MIND OF A CUSTOMER-DRIVEN TRANSFORMATION WINNER Talk is cheap. Results shout out loud. We speak about a fast-changing world of digital disruption. • What is the mindset required to win in this 9.45am digital world? • How do we back that mindset with disciplined implementation? • What results can we expect? Be inspired by René Werner who will address these questions. He will share with you the ups, the downs and the now, the triumphs that Celcom Axiata has achieved in its customerdriven digital transformation. You will walk away with a practical understanding of the building blocks of success in a world of customer-driven digital transformation.

Outside-Looking In

WHAT ARE THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN OUR WORLD AND THE IMPLICATIONS? In this Panel Session, you will get a chance to hear from the experts. The panel will bring perspectives on what is happening in the outside world – the 11.00am world that you need to be responding to. Get to know the growing trends in Malaysia’s digital landscape and understand the future of customer experience. Learn how your company can thrive within this ecosystem. Learn the perspectives from key experts in the areas of digital, customer trends, business models, and brands. Come away armed with knowledge to face the future.

Customer

12.00pm

4.30pm

The Customer Picture

In this session, Paul Stewart will give you a new way of thinking about transformation. Paul will help you re-imagine the role of marketing in the new era. He will show you how to create an organisation that will never have to “transform” again. (Hint: be prepared to change your views what form of communication shapes cultures in the digital age). He will talk about why culture is critically important during this time of disruption. He will provoke your thinking: Are you clear on what sort of culture you need to successfully transform in this digital world How do you create it? Learn how you can improve your ROI through the customer experience.

The Inside Picture

Your Picture Moving Forward 3.00pm

2.00pm

CASE STUDY: THE CUSTOMER-DRIVEN INSIDE STORY OF TRANSFORMATION The hardest part of any transformation is to create shifts in mindsets. In this session, learn from someone who has faced the obstacles on the inside, as a part of the company’s digital transformation journey. What can you expect on the inside of the organisation on your digital transformation journey? How should you face those issues? Learn tips and techniques from a seasoned player!

Audience Powered Sessions

Spotlight Sessions

PRACTICAL STORIES FROM TRANSFORMATION LEADERS The journey of transformation is a cumulative journey of the person driving that change. We have handpicked a list of industry thought leaders who have both lived through and galvanised changes in their organisation and will put them under the spotlight to answer your burning questions. Pick their brains for an interactive on-stage session where you can ask... • How to get the buy-in from all departments to drive change • What are the areas to invest in the customer experience • How do we evolve together with our customer in this digital world. What role will AI play in driving customer experience and more...

TURNING INSIGHTS INTO ACTION: COME TOGETHER FOR REAL CUSTOMER-DRIVEN TRANSFORMATION This will be a conference that ends with a big difference! Can you imagine what happens when many great minds converge to create new perspectives and insights? Be prepared for an immersive, crowd-sourcing experience! You will be immersed with other participants to get ready for your transformation journey ahead. You will connect with like minds, and then be engaged in practical experiences to partner with key players in the transformation journey – Marketing, HR and the Customer Experience. You will get to walk away with a framework to get connected across organisation to make transformation happen.

The Digital Transformation Conference is on July 19th.

CALL +603-7726 2588 or EMAIL ruby@adoimagazine.com / amira@adoimagazine.com / ash@adoimagazine.com

RENÉ WERNER

Chief Customer Service & Customer Experience Officer Celcom Axiata

FALKO STEWART

Principal Consultant Transformation Strategy & Change TMI

Crowd Sourcing Your Ideas

IMRAN KUNALAN ABDULLAH

Advisor/Principal Consultant Digital Talent Development & Leadership and People Analytics

NOELLE LIM

Director BFM Edge Education

LAURENCE SMITH

Head, Asia Region SmartUP

MOHD ADAM WEE VIGNESWARAN ABDULLAH SIVALINGAM Group CMO & Chief Customer Experience Officer CIMB Group

Director of Operations Teledirect Telecommerce

COMPARISON OF RETAIL SALES WITH OTHER ECONOMIC INDICATORS For the first quarter of 2018, Malaysia national economy recorded a sustainable growth rate of 5.4% (Table 2, at constant prices), as compared to 2.6% for retail sales (at current prices). Private consumption as well as export of goods and services were the main drivers of growth during this period. The average inflation rate during the first quarter of 2018 slowed down significantly to 1.8%. The consumer price index recorded relatively higher rate in January (2.7%) but declined both in February (1.4%) and March (1.3%). Prices of foods & non-alcoholic beverages continued to register the highest increases during the first 3 months of this year. On the other hand, transportation cost slid to negative zone from February of this year. Private consumption grew moderately by 6.9% during the first quarter of 2018. During the latest quarter, the Consumer Sentiment Index (by MIER) climbed to 91.0. However, it was still below the 100-point threshold level of confidence. Unemployment rate during the first quarter of 2018 maintained at 3.3%. NEXT 3 MONTHS FORECAST Members of the retailers’ association are hopeful that their businesses will recover by the second quarter of 2018. They projected an average growth rate of 6.0% (Table 4). The change in ruling party after the general election on 9 May 2018 is expected to boost consumers’ confidence level and increase their willingness to spend. At the same time, the largest festival in Malaysia, Hari Raya, will be celebrated in June this year. The department store cum supermarket operators are

REPORT JUNE 2018

Compiled and written by Retail Group Malaysia

TABLE 1

LATEST RETAIL PERFORMANCE For the first quarter of 2018, Malaysia retail industry recorded a below-than-expected growth rate of 2.6% in retail sales, as compared to the same period in 2017 (Table 1). This latest quarterly result was lower than the estimate made by members of MRA at 5.4% in March 2018. Despite poor performance recorded a year ago (-1.2% in Q12017), the Malaysia retail market remained subdued early this year. Shoppers were still careful in their spending on festive goods during the Chinese New Year period.

MALAYSIA RETAIL INDUSTRY YEAR ON YEAR PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN RETAIL SALES (WEIGHTED), 2017/18 TYPE

PERIOD

% GROWTH

Retail sales

Jan-Mar 2017

-1.2

Oct-Dec 2017

3.1

Jan-Mar 2018

2.6

Source: MRA/ Retail Group Malaysia

TABLE 2

PREAMBLE Members of Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA) were interviewed on their retail sales performances for the first halfyear of 2018.

COMPARISON OF RETAIL SALES WITH OTHER ECONOMIC INDICATORS, 2017/18 ECONOMIC INDICATOR

4TH QTR 2017

1 ST QTR 2018

GDP (%)

5.9

5.4

Inflation rate (%)

3.5

1.8

Private consumption (%)

7.0

6.9

Retail sales (%)

3.1

2.6

Consumer Sentiment Index

82.6

91.0

Unemployment rate (%)

3.4

3.3

Source: Bank Negara/ Department of Statistics/ MIER/ Retail Group Malaysia

TABLE 3

RETAIL REPORT

YEAR ON YEAR PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN RETAIL SALES BY RETAIL SUB-SECTOR, 2017/18 RETAIL SUB-SECTOR

1ST QTR

4TH QTR

2017

1ST QTR 2018

% Department store cum supermarket

-3.7

2.3

2.6

Department store

-0.1

-0.4

4.6

Supermarket and hypermarket

-4.8

-2.7

-3.8

Fashion and fashion accessories

-0.1

7.8

2.8

Pharmacy and personal care

3.7

5.4

9.2

Other specialty retail stores

-3.1

7.4

3.3

Source: MRA/Retail Group Malaysia

TABLE 4

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3-MONTH RETAIL SALES FORECAST BY RETAIL SUB-SECTOR, APRIL-JUNE 2018 RETAIL SUB-SECTOR

% GROWTH RATE

Overall (weighted)

6.0

Department store cum supermarket

4.6

Department store

4.7

Supermarket and hypermarket

-4.4

Fashion and fashion accessories

3.6

Pharmacy and personal care

13.0

Other specialty retail stores

18.1

Source: MRA/Retail Group Malaysia

TABLE 5

MALAYSIA RETAIL INDUSTRY QUARTERLY GROWTH RATE, 2018 QUARTER First

% GROWTH RATE 2.6

Second

(e) 6.3

Third

(e) 6.8

Fourth

(e) 3.5

Whole year

(e) 5.3

(e) - estimate Source: Retail Group Malaysia

expecting a better performance with a growth of 4.6% for the second quarter of this year. The department store operators are expecting to sustain their businesses with a growth rate of 4.7% for the second 3-month period of this year. On the other hand, supermarket and hypermarket operators will not see improvement in their business in the coming months. They expect to remain in the red zone with a -4.4% growth rate for the second quarter of 2018. Retailers in the fashion and fashion accessories sector expect their businesses to improve further with a positive growth of 3.6% during the second quarter of 2018. Retailers in the Pharmacy and Personal Care sub-sector are also optimistic of their businesses with a strong growth rate of 13.0% for the second quarter of 2018. Retailers in Other Specialty Stores sub-sector (including retailers selling photographic equipment with photo processing services, sporting goods, children-related goods, second-hand goods, toys, baking ingredients as well as TV shopping) are

RETAIL SUB-SECTORS’ SALES COMPARISON Except Supermarket and Hypermarket sub-sector, all retail sub-sectors recorded improvement (Table 3) in their retail businesses during the first quarter of 2018. Except for Pharmacy and Personal Care sub-sector, all retail sub-sectors performed below the estimates made by members of MRA in March this year. Department Store cum Supermarket sub-sector managed to sustain their business with a positive growth rate of 2.6% during the first quarter of 2018, as compared to the same period a year ago. After two consecutive quarterly declines during the second half of 2017, Department Store sub-sector returned to positive zone. The business of this sub-sector increased by 4.6% during first 3-month period of this year. The Supermarket and Hypermarket sub-sector continued to suffer from poor return with a growth rate of -3.8% during the first quarter of 2018. This latest result is the worst among the retail sub-sectors. During the first quarter of 2018, the Fashion and Fashion Accessories sub-sector recorded a moderate growth rate of 2.8% after a strong performance during the year-end holiday last year. During the first 3 months of

this year, Pharmacy and Personal Care sub-sector reported a strong growth rate of 9.2%, as compared to the same quarter a year ago. Among the retail sub-sectors, this is the best performer during this quarter. The Other Specialty Stores sub-sector (including retailers selling photographic equipment with photo processing services, sporting goods, children-related goods, second-hand goods, toys, baking ingredients as well as TV shopping) reported a slower growth of 3.3% during the first quarter of 2018, as compared to the same period last year. Most optimistic. They expect their businesses to climb by 18.1% during the second 3-month period of 2018. SECOND HALF OF 2018 From 1 June 2018, the new Malaysian government has reduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 6.0% to 0.0%. Retail Group Malaysia has adjusted the second quarter retail growth rate from 3.7% (estimated in March 2018) to 6.3% (Table 5). This revision is also higher than the latest projection made by MRA members. This new estimate took into consideration the tax holiday during the last month (June) of second quarter as well as Hari Raya celebration at the middle of June 2018. Many retailers, large and small throughout the country, have taken this once-in-a-life-time opportunity to offer great discounts to attract shoppers to buy. Higher expenditure from tourists, including Singaporeans, is also expected during this period. The retail sale growth rate for third quarter has also been revised from 5.2% (estimated in March 2018) to 6.8%. This revision took into consideration the remaining 2 months of tax break before Sales and Services Tax (SST) is to be re-introduced from 1 September 2018. For the last quarter of this year, the retail growth rate has been revised downwards from 5.0% (estimated in March 2018) to 3.5%. This lower adjustment is needed to reflect higher consumers’ spending during the 3-month period with zero-rated GST. Major purchases are expected to have been made from June to August of this year. Based on the latest quarterly adjustments, the projected retail sale growth rate of Malaysia retail industry in 2018 by Retail Group Malaysia has been revised upwards from 4.7% (estimate in March 2018) to 5.3%.

For more information, please write to tanhaihsin@yahoo.com

ISSUE223MID-JUNE2018

DATA & YOU

CONSUMER INSIGHTS OR INCITING CONSUMERS? ... LIKEWISE, MANY TECH GIANTS ARE COLLECTING MOUNTAINS OF USERS’ LOCATION DATA, IN WAYS MANY CONSUMERS DON’T REALISE AND SOMETIMES CAN’T AVOID. THIS IS THROUGH THE USE OF APPS, BEACONS AND OTHER SOPHISTICATED WIRELESS TECH, WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS OF COURSE TOWARDS GATHERING INSIGHTS AT AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL AND THUS COMMUNICATING BETTER WITH GREATER RELEVANCE...

AS we continue to live in a world increasingly driven by the internet and the massive amounts of data that’s gushing out of it, we are also well aware by now that this has led to significant discussion and action more recently around data privacy and protection. This process could also be a never ending one, as sophistication levels and data volumes only grow. In the process as the largest generators or sources, naturally Social Media platforms have been held largely responsible for certain ‘lapses’ on their part, but another area or avenue that spews out data or makes data so easily available at click of a button hasn’t quite come up for discussion, and this is pertains to web ‘scraping’ and web ‘crawling’. Defining the terms Before we proceed any further, whilst many of us may have actually used the open source tools out there, for the benefit of all, let’s take a look at these terms. Web scraping is an automated process that can be used to efficiently collect and download large volumes of very targeted

data from various websites, and this invariably involves accessing the site that is hosted by another company. This data, when put to good use and with good intent, can be used to increase accuracy of predictions. For example, a web scraper may be used to extract weather forecast data and further analyse it. Just some examples of open source web scraping tools, for those who may like to experience the concept and get the kick out of extracting nuggets of data from massive websites are : import.io, scrapingexpert, webhose.io, and several more. Web crawling involves using automation and tools to download a webpage’s data, extracting any hyperlinks it contains and following them, this data being stored in an index or database to make it easily searchable. Thus web crawling could be used to crawl data from various websites and build a search engine (e.g. Googlebot which is Google’s own web crawler).

Practicing Ethics The above would therefore suggest prima facie that web scraping or crawling should carry no real downsides or pose no threats, but unfortunately this is no more the case – not with the way brands and players operating in a fiercely competitive marketplace and scenario are clawing at each other and leaving few stones unturned. In fact this often leaves one to wish that the same effort towards developing product or service genius would see greater brand and product differentiation in certain segments with greater end benefits for the consumer. I recall brainstorming with a prospective client some months ago, who was seeking to target high net worth individuals, and his proposing to target a database which he had put together, which he confessed had been done through scraping certain websites, a practice that is certainly not ethical, hence not recommended or advisable as it only amounts to abusing data and privacy. Whose Data is it anyway? When we share data in the form of updates, images, likes and our comments on social media, crawling and scraping that data is common activity on the internet, of course based on privacy settings that we chose to exercise for ourselves and as offered by the concerned platforms. There’s been a well-known and documented ongoing courtroom

battle fought since sometime ago between LinkedIn and HiQ, a San Francisco based data mining startup which helps employers predict which of their employers are likely to be quitting, and thus built its database of public user profiles on LinkedIn. With it being known between both parties whereby HiQ was scraping data from LinkedIn to offer its core service, the relationship came to an abrupt end after three years and led to the courtroom with the Social Media networking giant that HiQ was a hacker. Both sides have their side to the story, with LinkedIn in the first place allowing its data to be scraped and later taking an aggressive stance to claim that it was supporting its member privacy and data security. Likewise, many tech giants are collecting mountains of users’ location data, in ways many consumers don’t realise and sometimes can’t avoid. This is through the use of apps, beacons and other sophisticated wireless tech, with the best of intentions of course towards gathering insights at an individual level and thus communicating better with greater relevance. As with several smarthone apps, Facebook, Messenger, Whatsapp and Instagram also attempt to capture our location across devices throughout the day, from our reading habits to Spotify playlists during commute and social browsing at night. Responsibility as Users of Data In the final analysis, whilst consumers (including ourselves) manage privacy levels through settings, it boils down to our maturity as responsible users of data or marketers, to respect data privacy against data greed, and manage our roles with efficient and effective use of the increasing data available without restoring to ‘unfair practice’, and scraping data towards better marketing and ‘acquiring insights rather than inciting the end consumer’.

Salim is the Founder and Managing Director of OnTarget Marketing Solutions, Malaysia, a digital and data analytics company. And given his immense passion for data has combined over three decades of marketing experience recently with a Data Science Certificate course. He is contactable at salim@myontarget.com

CHANGING THE GAME

7 JULY 2018

E- GAMES

Marketing Games 2018 is a one day sports festival organised by MARKETING Magazine Malaysia for

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

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

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

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

EVENT PARTNER

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS

FIRST COME FIRST SERVED:

LIMITED TO 32 TEAMS

PRIZES

1ST RM 3,000 2ND RM 2,000 3RD RM 1,000 (For E-Games & Human Foosball)

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)

ISSUE223MID-JUNE2018

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

BACK TO BASICS IN THE WORLD OF THE DIGITAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE I find it tedious to try to understand much of what has been written in this digital world. It’s full of jargon. It’s confusing. It seems to focus on the technology, and not on the customer. Let me string a few words in this new language to you… ‘We need to ensure that customers get personalised, omni-channel, seamless, integrated experiences that are consistent across all touchpoints”. No wonder people like me are confused in this new world of digital writing! I can’t help but get the impression that “digital” customer experience, has become dominated by digital rather than where it should start – with the customer. Back to basics in the digital world - 3 key customer needs The starting point for any sort of customer experience – digital or otherwise - is to stick to the fundamentals: All true great customer experiences are firmly rooted in understanding what customers want, and then delivering on them. Are there a set of “generic” needs that customers have that every digital experience must satisfy?

In this article, I share 3 fundamentals. These fundamentals are driven by the psyche of the modern customer. Here goes… Modern customers want it NOW – anytime, anywhere! We are in the world of instant everything. Instant gratification is one the “instants”. Customers want to be able to interact with organisations to transact business anytime, anywhere. They may be at home. They may be on a train. They may be at a coffee shop. They may be in the bath. They want to feel empowered to be able to interact with your organisation NOW. The world of digital expands the range of possibilities for customers to do this mobile, web, kiosks, and even conventional channels like contact centres and retail shops. These many possibilities, in digital-speak, are the omnichannel options given to customers. Ah, now I “get” the meaning of “omni-channel”! Customers are time poor – make it quick and easy to use If you are like most people in this modern world, you wake up in the morning with a to-do list

that seems to be way too long. And, you are continually rushing to get things done. You are time poor. When done well, the digital customer experience can make it quick and easy for the customer to interact with the organisation and to transact business. I value digital buying experiences where I can take a picture of my credit card, saving me valuable time in filling out any credit card details. I love it when I use the auto-gate to avoid having to go through a human immigration officer at international airports. I love it when I can do a self-check in with some airlines in Europe, saving me time that would otherwise be spent in a queue. Less queue equals more coffee time. I like that idea! And, by the way, these are examples of seamless customer experiences, enabled by technology. Modern Customers are confused by choice – make it easy to buy. There are so many choices available to us in virtually anything that we can buy. It’s confusing. Enter digital. It can make it

easy for us to make informed selections. Amazon does this by including lots of information on books we are checking out, including reader ratings and comments. Amazon makes it easy for us to buy. It’s even sortof pleasurable. And, then, they use a light form of personalisation by making it easy for you to buy more product – they let you know which books other buyers like you have purchased. Amazon.com simplifies my decision process, amid all of the information that I have to carry in my head! Thank you, Amazon! It always starts with the customer. The world of digital may seem a long way from the world as you once knew it. But, when you boil it down, great digital experiences make it easier, quicker and more efficient to deliver on the customer experience fundamentals. The wrong place to start is with the technology. The right place to start is with your customer and to work back to the digital experience. Do this, and you will have a good chance of winning in the world of the modern customer. Until next time.

... THE WORLD OF DIGITAL MAY SEEM A LONG WAY FROM THE WORLD AS YOU ONCE KNEW IT. BUT, WHEN YOU BOIL IT DOWN, GREAT DIGITAL EXPERIENCES MAKE IT EASIER, QUICKER AND MORE EFFICIENT TO DELIVER ON THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FUNDAMENTALS...

George is the Group CEO and International Partner of TMI, TACK International in Malaysia and digital learning consultancy, Elementrix. He is a speaker at the Digital Transformation Conference on July 19. Details with Amira on 03-77262588.

ISSUE223MID-JUNE2018

APPIES 2018 CASE STUDIES

NIPPON PAINT CHILD WELLNESS WINS GOLD AT APPIES MALAYSIA 2018 Challenge Nippon Paint discovered that 88% of mothers are unaware that the wall is a medium that is capable of transmitting viruses and bacteria to young ones. Plus mothers are regularly bombarded with marketing communications

from hundreds of brands. Nippon Paint launched the Child Wellness Range, Malaysia’s first paint range formulated to promote indoor safety and wellness for all children. The biggest challenge was to bring relevance of the Child Wellness Range into

the lives of mothers. Campaign roll-out Nippon Paint wanted to educate moms on the 3 important aspects of their child’s development, clean air, safe touch and creativity. The brand used TV3, Malaysia’s largest news program and

gave it a creative twist, by using kids to hijack TV3’s Buletin Utama! The Child Wellness Range launch was also amplified on social media and used a multi-prong approach to disseminate the facts. Nippon Paint also held live Facebook Q&A sessions with

doctors where concerned parents could have their question answered on the spot. Customised booklets were also distributed all over hospitals and clinics in Malaysia. Results The Child Wellness Range campaign proved successful

with over 4.7 million views on Facebook, over 2.7 million views on YouTube and 2 million programmatic views. 70% of the target audience was reached with the intent to purchase increased by 3.9 times. The campaign also achieved 137% of sales forecasted.

INTERNATIONAL WONDA COFFEE DAY’S GOLDEN STREAK CONTINUES WONDA Coffee collaborated with Dentsu LHS and Etika Sdn Bhd for the launch of their International Wonda Coffee Day “WONDA Brings Best Coffee Around The World To You” which won them Gold at APPIES Malaysia 2018 Challenge Since 2014, Wonda was first to initiate International Coffee Day (ICD) celebration in Malaysia and in its

success in market share, gained a retaliation from Nescafe, whose mirrored ICD campaign roadblocked key mediums in 2016. The competition got stiffer and Wonda’s key competitor staged a massive roadblock by pre-booking the media space for the designated coffee day way in advance. Thus, Wonda introduced International Wonda Coffee Day (IWCD) to own the

occasion and separate itself from other International Coffee Day competitors. Bringing the world’s best coffee to Malaysia! However, it became clear that promo alone was insufficient, WONDA decided to celebrate in a never-be-done way. A Limited Time IWCD range was launched to hype the celebration with a multi-

dimensional campaign based on the concept of “WONDA Brings Best Coffee Around The World To You”. Wonda partnered up with Grab to deliver Wonda Coffee treat - Limited Edition Wonda 100% Arabica Brew range to doorstop of coffee lovers. Fridges in convenience stores were decorated with WONDA Coffee’s

transparent stickers and programmed to sing the ode to WONDA Coffee upon opening the door, transforming dull chiller doors into an exciting experience for consumers! Wonda also took over Gegar FM, the biggest radio station of East Coast, and renamed the radio station as Wonda Gegar for a day.

Results Wonda achieved 31 share points in August 2016 which is the highest ever gain, grabbing shares from the market leader. Ever since the launch, Wonda managed to close the gap with the market leader with a mere 7 share points gap due using the right channels with the correct strategy.

Spikes Asia open for entries on 10 May 2018. Entries deadline on 20 July 2018.

Enter your best work for a chance to win at Asia-Pacificâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most coveted awards show for creative communications. Winners announced at the Spikes Asia Awards Ceremony on 28 September 2018. Enter your work and buy award show tickets at spikes.asia