issue 236 by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd

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ISSUE 236 MID-MAR2019

MOHAMED ADAM WEE ABDULLAH Chief Judge - APPIES Malaysia 2019

ERIC WONG Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad

TIMOTHY JOHNSON Senior Vice President, Product and Partnerships INTI International University and Colleges

LAI SHU WEI Vice President unifi Marketing and Communications Telekom Malaysia

INSIGHTS FROM APPIES 2019 JUDGES ISSN 1985-5575

00236 9 771985

557001

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

CHAI HUI FUNG Regional Marketing Director Nandoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chickenland Malaysia

APPIES MARKETING AWARDS DEADLINE IS NOW EXTENDED TO MARCH 31, 2019

ISSUE 236/// MID-MAR2019 COVER STORY

EVENTS CALENDAR 18 & 19 APRIL 2019

ADVANCED MARKETING WORKSHOP: TRANSFORM YOUR MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL WORLD

APPIES 2019: 09A WORD FROM THE JUDGES HERE ARE CRITICAL INSIGHTS AND FORESIGHTS FROM A FEW MEMBERS OF THE ESTEEMED JUDGES PANEL FOR THE APPIES MALAYSIA MARKETING AWARDS 2019

25 & 26 APRIL 2019

APPIES MALAYSIA MARKETING AWARDS 16 MAY 2019

STRATEGIC BRAND PLANNING WORKSHOP 24 JUNE 2019

MALAYSIAN MEDIA CONFERENCE 30 JULY 2019

BEST OF GLOBAL DIGITAL MARKETING CONFERENCE 07 OCTOBER 2019

DRAGONS OF MALAYSIA & ASIA AWARDS NIGHT 15 NOVEMBER 2019

CMO CONFERENCE & AWARDS NIGHT

Regional CEO Professor Harmandar Singh ham@adoimagazine.com Business Development Managers Jarrod Sunil Solomon jarrod@adoimagazine.com Sandesh Singh sandesh@adoimagazine.com

EDITOR'S NOTE

GEN Z

AND THE AWARD FOR PRINT AD OF THE MONTH GOES TO...

Chief Content Officer Victor Yap victory@adoimagazine.com Art Director / Designer Chemical Ali ali@adoimagazine.com Designer Lilna Marlina

HERE COME THE GEN ZS! Many Malaysians are still struggling to understand the Millennials (Gen Ys) and often make sweeping statements about the young generation by labelling them as ‘soft’, unmotivated, lazy, entitled, and so on. Forget about the Millennials (Gen Ys) if you still haven’t figured them out, leave them be, for here comes Gen Zs. Millennials came of age during the Internet explosion, while Gen Zs were born between the mid-1990s to mid-2000s...

lilna@adoimagazine.com LAUGHING IN ADVERTISING

Events & Workshops Ruby Lim ruby@adoimagazine.com

DIGITAL ECONOMY

DIGITAL NATION: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Web & Digital: Nurul Amira Ibrahim amira@adoimagazine.com Photography & Digital Imaging DL Studio No 7, Jalan PJU 3/50, Sunway Damansara 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor D.E. Malaysia Tel +603 7880 6380 / 6386, Email: studiodl@pd.jaring.my Roving Photographer: Mccain Goh Contributors: Bob Hoffman, Edward Ong, Greg Paull, Josh Sklar Printer: Cetakrapi Sdn Bhd 22, Jalan Kepong, Taman Sri Ehsan, 52100 Kuala Lumpur

04 CREATIVE SURGE

15 14 TOP 10 WAYS

TO IMPROVE AD INDUSTRY MORALE

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 46200 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia 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.

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

IDEAS: THE STIXFRESH STORY

Over 7 billion people live on this blue green ball. However, not all of us get to enjoy three square-meals a day. According to various UN studies, 821 million people worldwide are at risk of malnutrition. While overall starvation figures have been steadily decreasing – and famines are becoming rarer – 821,000,000 is still very big. Contrast this with the amount of food wasted every year. According to another report, over 1.3 billion tones are wasted every day. That’s roughly one third of the food produced for human consumption...

The New York Times had one of those pieces that makes you think maybe your Uncle Henry was right when he said you should be a plumbing supply wholesaler...

We are seeing and hearing examples of disruptive innovation and digital transformation all around us daily. However, what we really need to discuss is how we can make some sense of the everchanging digital revolution; more importantly, how it is now augmenting our society and impacting the way we work and go about our day-to-day... SMART DEVICES

YOUR PERSONAL ASSISTANT SAYS, ‘RESISTANCE IS FUTILE’

BIG DATA

15 A MARKETER’S PRIMER TO LEVERAGING BIG DATA

Over one-third of adults in the West are now using “smart devices” with personal digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, or Google Assistant. They use these disembodied voices to set up calendars and reminders; control TVs, DVRs, and streaming services; tell them what the weather is like outside; give news reports; check the status of flights; order pizzas; check on deliveries; and, most importantly, ask the age of your favorite celebrity. There are hundreds of other areas that are equally useful, but with many that are anything but, like having it find and read bad poetry. However, we’re only scratching the surface with this technology so nothing wrong with a little...

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3 GEN Z

HERE COME

THE GEN ZS! MANY Malaysians are still struggling to understand the Millennials (Gen Ys) and often make sweeping statements about the young generation by labelling them as ‘soft’, unmotivated, lazy, entitled, and so on. Forget about the Millennials (Gen Ys) if you still haven’t figured them out, leave them be, for here comes Gen Zs. Millennials came of age during the Internet explosion, while Gen Zs were born between the mid-1990s to mid-2000s. The arrival of Gen Z globally has been greeted with mixed feelings of apprehension, excitement, expectations, and even fear.

WHO ARE THEY?

Gen Zs are autonomous and independent as they are born in an era when technology is quickly taking off. The majority of Gen Zs have been left to take care of themselves as both parents are away working; even more unfortunate, being raised by a single parent. Hence the strong sense of self-reliance and independence. Gen Zs are able to fend for themselves and are very capable and confident in self-management. However, despite this sense of independence, Gen Zs thrive in collaborative and consultative environments where problems are resolved via social interactions with peers and even seniors or experts. This leads to a strong focus on openness and transparency, an aspect that challenges the secrecy of the older, more mature boomers.

... THE PURCHASING POWER OF THE GEN ZS ARE THUS GOING TO BE STRONGER THAN THE GEN YS WHO ARE EMPLOYEES RATHER THAN ENTREPRENEURS, ALTHOUGH THE YOUNGER GEN YS ALSO STRIDE OUT AS ENTREPRENEURS AS THESE LATER GEN YS HAVE SOME GEN Z TRAITS IN THEM... As opposed to Gen Ys, Gen Zs actively seek out seniors and more experienced people to obtain their opinions, views, and thoughts prior to any key decisions. This is evident in the way Gen Zs seek advice from parents before taking actions. This is very different from the Gen Ys who tend to listen to their friends more than parents. Hence, it is imperative that global stakeholders from the government to private enterprises do not consider the ‘young’ generation as one and the same. They are, simply put, distinctively different. Yet, given the collaborative nature of Gen Zs, they also value privacy and shun open, untrusted, and unsecured social media platforms. Interestingly, they are also not afraid of voicing out against social injustice and

are more globally accepting of diversity and differences. Again, the difference is stark as compared to Gen Ys who love to post anything and everything on social media to brag about what they did and where they went. Gen Zs, on the other hand, prefer to keep a low profile on what they do unless the achievement is extremely impressive. They are also careful as to what they post on social media. Although there are always exceptions to the rule: Gen Zs prefer not to post photos of family as they value privacy and personal contact with family, not wishing to share everything with the entire world. Gen Zs dislike hypocrites and look up to and respect people who are open, forthcoming, transparent, and fair. They are also more socially conscious and will strive for the greater

societal good vs personal gains. This again differs from Gen Ys drastically, as there are some from that group who are generally selfish and feel entitled. Apart from the social consciousness of Gen Zs, this generation is also the first to openly stand up for minorities, such as gays, lesbians, the down-trodden, and displaced indigenous people. This provides a challenge for political stakeholders as the ‘older’ Boomer generation tend to be more conservative in regard to such issues. As Gen Zs appreciate diversity more, they are more likely to embrace it wholeheartedly as compared to previous generations. On the other hand, Gen Zs are also more aware of the need for wealth accumulation. This contradicts their needs to maintain social consciousness.

Researchers have found that between 46% - 62% of Gen Zs (dependent on country) prefer to be entrepreneurs and help grow the economy. Many young Gen Zs are already involved in business operations from a very young age. This includes their efforts on being YouTubers or selling products via various online marketplaces, such as Amazon, Lazada, Alibaba, WeChat and others. The purchasing power of Gen Zs are, thus, going to be stronger than Gen Ys; the latter are known more for being employees rather than entrepreneurs. Even so, younger Gen Ys also stride out as entrepreneurs as they sport some Gen Z traits in them. The contradictory nature of Gen Zs needs attention from all global stakeholders. It is imperative that the world starts to shift its attention to the Gen Zs because this generation is not afraid to change and improve the world; all to ensure they can enjoy a better quality of life.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Karling Lee is breaking new ground in generational understanding at INTI International University and across the region.

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COVER STORY

ISSUE236MID-MAR2019

EDITOR’S NOTE

And the award for Print Ad of the Month... WE NEED TO “INVEST MORE IN

CREATIVITY. WE’VE DISAPPEARED DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF OPTIMIZATION, BUT A FANTASTIC IDEA CAN MULTIPLY A CLIENT’S BUDGET BY THREE TO FIVE TIMES.

”

MARK READ, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, WPP AT #ISBACONF

I WOULD SAY “THAT THE DAYS OF

ADVERTISING AS WE KNOW IT TODAY ARE NUMBERED, WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT A WORLD WITH NO ADS.

”

MARC PRITCHARD, GLOBAL CHIEF BRAND OFFICER, PROCTER & GAMBLE

AMOUNT “OFTHE HATE THAT

GOES ON IN SOCIAL MEDIA SOMETIMES OUTWEIGHS THE GOOD.

”

AIRASIA GROUP BHD CEO TAN SRI TONY FERNANDES, AFTER HE CLOSED HIS FACEBOOK ACCOUNT WHICH HAS 670,000 FOLLOWERS.

ISSUE236MID-MARCH2019

COVER STORY

DIGITAL NATION:

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? AS THE DIGITAL ERA EXPANDS AND CONTINUES TO DISRUPT EVERYTHING, HOW WILL THE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING INDUSTRIES KEEP UP THE PACE? We are seeing and hearing examples of disruptive innovation and digital transformation all around us daily. However, what we really need to discuss is how we can make some sense of the ever-changing digital revolution; more importantly, how it is now augmenting our society and impacting the way we work and go about our day-to-day.

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COVER STORY

NOREEN Sabrina Mohd Noor, Brand Communications Head, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), is constantly addressing the digital challenge. Being involved with many critical branding efforts for MDEC, she now shares how digital transformation is creating long-term positive impacts; specifically, for the advertising and marketing industries. This not only includes current and upcoming digital disruptors, but also marketers can expect to see in the near future. Just mention ‘digital nation’ and most would look to countries like Japan, South Korea, Estonia, Germany, and Singapore. What does it take to be a fully digital empowered country? Besides next-gen infrastructure/services in place, enabling progressive and inclusive participation to galvanise people towards one vision is equally as critical. From experience, this is heavily dependent on constant and consistent communications and awareness. If anything, Malaysia is well on its way to being digitally empowered as it has introduced various initiatives; they are now accelerating the transformation process on all fronts – the private sector, government, and general populace. With broadband penetration now at record highs, 121.1% in 2018 versus 68.3% in 2014, it’s reflective of Malaysia’s innate growth potential. So, will this radically change the way people consume media? And how will this affect the advertising and marketing industries in the years to come? What can marketers do to be future-proof and do the same for their work? What about the organisations and brands they represent?

Digital Disruptors

Nearly every aspect of businesses and everyday life is seeing some level of digital disruption. However, probably none has experienced a massive an impact as what the advertising and marketing industries go through. With various technological advancements and adoptions now taking place, trends such as consumer behaviour, platform preference, and media consumption are radically shifting. My 80-year-old mum, who used to read the newspaper and check the 8pm News, now gets hourly updates; all that and more from push notifications on her smartphone. This is an example of how technology has changed her routine. Thus, I have no doubt various industry verticals will look dramatically different within the next five years. Thanks to the rise of next-gen innovations, users now expect processes to be seamless and pro-actively responsive. Take for instance Estonia and South Korea – both implement their on-going digital evolution in ways that are uniquely theirs. Estonia was named ‘the most advanced digital society in the world’ by Wired; this title was to recognise the successful creation of an efficient, secure, and transparent public service platform; one that efficiently saved time and money. The goal: to facilitate citizen interactions with the state via digital platforms. South Korea, while similar in its results, takes on a different strategy. Like Estonia, it leaned heavily on public-private partnerships. However, its main execution differs – the current technology juggernaut of East Asia wanted to bring about a digital-focused future. From the ground-up, the entire process

pushed many organisations to change their business model and accelerate all digital adoption processes. But, how did both countries push the message across that “digitisation is the way forward”? It all boils down to how receptive the public is. With smartphones use and social media access now being more commonplace, most consumers are more open to embracing digital change. In the eyes of marketers, this trend is all about competing for people’s attention. To avoid the trap of too much information, simply put – avoiding the ‘noise,’ advertising and marketing players must lead in digital adoption. It’s not uncommon for a campaign to side-step the digital processes that Silicon Valley behemoths have put in place. It is essentially about assembling a variable campaign that will get the message to any audience group, via multiple platforms. Even as the digital era enable more disruptions, marketers must always remember that clarity, adaptability, and scalability are important. Going with the ‘onesize fits all’ approach is now the road to failure. Embracing digital only means showing true versatility. By understanding this, these industries will be a few steps closer to being properly future-proof.

Change is Innovation

Image/Infographics credit: Aite Group

Digital disruption, on many levels, is a positive force of change. Innovation is constantly progressive; this is more so for Malaysia as it continues to understand and adapt to the everchanging landscape. The changes we’re seeing now, they are all part of a larger shift.

ISSUE236MID-MARCH2019

COVERDIGITAL STORY ECONOMY

... INNOVATION IS ALL ABOUT DISRUPTING THE STATUS QUO AND MAKING THINGS BETTER; IMPROVING AND ENHANCING PROCESSES THAT INTRODUCE NEW POSITIVE CHANGES. MARKETERS IN THE DIGITAL AGE MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO BE THE INDUSTRY DISRUPTOR. IN FACT, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT MANY BELIEVE ARE PACKED WITH IDEAS, CONSTANTLY INNOVATING, AND ALWAYS TRYING TO BE AT THE CUTTINGEDGE. IF ANYTHING, THEY’RE THE ONES WHO MIGHT HAVE THE KNOWHOW TO DISCOVER THE FORMULA TO ENGAGE WITH THE TARGET AUDIENCE...

Take for example, Instagram. It hadn’t been present 10 years back and, yet, it had surpassed 800 million active monthly users. Similarly, the rise of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and virtual reality will cause further disruptions. Looking beyond marketing, even other sectors are undergoing change – like education, healthcare, and commercial operations. Disruption, through innovation, is all encompassing. The convergence of AI, automation, and human creativity will – undoubtedly – transform various industries. The world is already beginning to see what’s possible. We are already in an era where schools no longer use blackboards for classes or see businesses arranging face-to-face meetings. Everything is accessible by remote now and soon enough, there is the possibility of riding in cars that fly. All of these are empowered and enhanced via the constantly innovating technologies we now see and use. In addition to being more personal, communication and media consumption will also feel more immersive. Most cities offer fully automated public services and financial institutions – such as in Estonia and South Korea. This is now expanding rapidly within Malaysia as well.

Opportunity for Malaysia

NOREEN SABRINA MOHD NOOR HEAD OF BRAND COMMUNICATIONS, MDEC

Innovation is about disrupting the status quo and making things better – essentially, improving and enhancing processes. Marketers in the digital age must not be afraid to be the industry disruptor. The Malaysian government is constantly pushing for digital transformation to ensure that no one is left behind. As is, there are on-going efforts in providing world-class infrastructure and developing a pool of tech talent. Of course, right now stronger emphasis must also be enforced in policies and legislation. In doing so, various industries – advertising and marketing included – will have the means to innovate at scale. Even as the world now goes through challenging times, consider them as opportunities to reap the full potential of digital transformation. Of course, there are those who will be helping to guide the way. MDEC, along with other key agencies, are poised to facilitate and support anyone who is keen to overcome the stagnant hurdle and make that digital leap.

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SPORT MARKETING

FOX SPORTS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE FIRST-EVER FOX SPORTS LOUNGE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA! FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY, THE FOX SPORTS LOUNGE, IN COLLABORATION WITH ASTRO, WILL BE

AT SUNWAY PYRAMID UNTIL 24 APRIL 2019. ASTRO SUBSCRIBERS CAN REDEEM COMPLIMENTARY DRINKS AT THE LOUNGE.

FOR fans of sports, there is no bigger excitement than watching their favorite team play and sharing the experience together with their friends and family. In line with this, FOX Sports Malaysia, one of the leading network for sporting content in the country, is proud to introduce the first-of-its-kind FOX Sports Lounge in Southeast Asia. The FOX Sports Lounge is brought exclusively in collaboration with broadcast partner, Astro, and venue partner, Sunway Pyramid. At the lounge, shoppers can enjoy the best sporting action; from football to tennis and even golf tournaments that are happening around the world without compromising time for family affairs. The FOX Sports Lounge is open at the Lower Ground (LG) Floor of Sunway Pyramid until 24 April 2019. At the launch event, Penny Tan, Senior Director, Marketing & Affiliate, FOX Networks Group said, “For the first time ever, through the FOX Sports Lounge, we provide a dedicated avenue where shoppers and sports fans in a shopping mall can catch the biggest sporting matches and cheer for their favorite team. We are proud to give our fans this dynamic and engaging experience, and for the next few months, this will be the go-to destination for every sports fan to catch-up on all the exciting matches and highlights that FOX Sports has to offer.” As part of the wholesome experience, FOX Sports and Astro also organised meet-and-greet sessions for fans to catch up, as well as getting their signed autographs and pictures with different football legends. This includes former player such as former player of Arsenal; Lauren Etame Mayer, Germanborn Premier League footballer; Robert Huth, and former Chelsea footballer, Glen Johnson. CK Lee, Head of Sports, Astro said, “Astro continues to champion the Home of Sports in Malaysia, featuring the best

sporting content from around the world on TV and on the go, via the Astro GO app. Malaysians are fans of multiple sports who also cheer for our country’s athletes. We are glad to deepen our engagement with all sports fans at The FOX Sports Lounge, where they can watch all their favourite players and teams live and in HD.” Meanwhile, H.C. Chan, CEO of Sunway Malls and Theme Parks, said: “For us, we have a vision for Sunway Pyramid to become a place that goes beyond just shopping and dining - it is a place where our customers can get an immersive lifestyle experience altogether. We are happy to be partnering with FOX Sports Malaysia to make this vision come true by turning our space into a place that our customers can use to relax and enjoy themselves.” Visitors can expect to watch the best matches from FOX Sports Malaysia; including tennis’ Grand Slam tournaments, motorsports, golf championships, football league games, such as the AFC Champions League, Bundesliga, and so much more. Moreover, die-hard football fans will also be happy to know that FOX Sports Malaysia has recently added the Serie A to its portfolio. Meanwhile, Astro SuperSport is also showing an array of sports content at the lounge, namely badminton matches, the English Premier League (EPL) and UEFA Champions League, diving, and other prestigious international sporting events. Astro subscribers are in for a treat when they make a visit to the FOX Sports Lounge. By simply showing the e-billing for their Astro’s subscription on their mobile phone, subscribers are entitled to redeem and enjoy a complimentary 100 Plus drink. 100 Plus is the official beverage partner and Hisense Malaysia is the official TV partner for FOX Sports Lounge. Come and experience the action for yourself!

APPIES 2019: A WORD FROM THE JUDGES HERE ARE CRITICAL INSIGHTS AND FORESIGHTS FROM A FEW MEMBERS OF THE ESTEEMED JUDGES PANEL FOR THE APPIES MALAYSIA MARKETING AWARDS 2019 With one month before the doors for APPIES Malaysia Marketing Awards 2019 open, it’s now crunch time for those pitching. The panel of judges are already looking forward to the twoday event. After all, they are keen to see what sort of interesting ideas and innovations will be presented. Just as excited are those attending this year’s APPIES as they will be discussing with and learning from fellow peers. It’s a known fact among all that this festival for marketers and advertisers encourages active participation from the floor. While there is the understanding that they cannot reveal trade secrets, most are anticipating engaging feedback during the pitches. Of course, most are also expecting an equal mix of comments and queries from both the judges and audience.

MEET THE JUDG MALAYSIA MARKET

APPIES Malaysia is an annual 2-day Mar showcasing, sharing and celebrating the INVITED GUEST SPEAKERS:

ALBERN MURTY

CEO Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd

MERRILL PEREYRA

SURINA SHUKRI

CEO Restaurants QSR Brands (M) Holdings Sdn Bhd

APPIES MALAYSIA 2019 JUDGES

LAI SHU WEI

VP, Mass Market Marketing Operations TM Berhad

SCHRENE GOH

Head of Marketing POS Malaysia Berhad

ANDREW PINTO Head of Marketing Mudah.my Sdn Bhd

CEO Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)

ADVISORY COUNCIL SUTAPA BHATTACHARYA

GM - Strategic Communications & Branding Tenaga Nasional Berhad

PROF HARMANDAR SINGH President APPIES Malaysia

JAVED JAFRI

Channel Communication Manager Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia & Laos Unilever (Malaysia) Holdings Sdn Bhd

JOHN D CHACKO

Founder & CEO, JDC BrandTruth President and VP Asia International Advertising Association

GOH SHU FEN

President, APPIES APAC Advisor, APPIES Malaysia Principal, R3 AsiaPacific

LIM IMUN

GM, Marketing MunchWorld Marketing Sdn Bhd

GOPAL PUTREVU

Head of Digital & E-commerce Marketing Kimberly-Clark Trading (M) Sdn Bhd

LEE LIM MENG

Marketing Director Abbott Nutrition Malaysia

MOHAMED ADAM WEE ABDULLAH Chief Judge - APPIES Malaysia 2019 Group Chief Marketing Officer & Group Chief Customer Experience Officer CIMB Group

CHAI HUI FUNG

LINDA HASSAN

ERIC WONG WAI YUEN

Regional Marketing Director Nando’s Chickenland Malaysia Sdn Bhd

Senior VP of Marketing, Malaysia & Singapore Domino’s Pizza

Chief Customer & Marketing Officer Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad

PETER POHLSCHMIDT

NOREEN SABRINA MOHD NOOR

GRACE CHAN

Head of Digital Malaysia Airlines

Head of Brand Communications MDEC

Marketing Head TIME dotCom

GES FOR APPIES TING AWARDS 2019

rketing Conference and Awards Festival e country’s best marketing campaigns.

ABDUL SANI ABDUL MURAD Group Chief Marketing Officer RHB Bank Berhad

ANDY OTHMAN

Head of Marketing Retail Business Division PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd

NORSIAH JURIANI JOHARI

VP, Brand & Group Communications Johor Corporation

BERNARD LEE

Head of Marketing Services Digi Telecommunications

TIMOTHY JOHNSON

GRAHAM LIM

Senior VPMarketing, Product & Partnerships INTI International University & Colleges

Vice President, Marketing F&N Services Sdn Bhd

TAI KAM LEONG

RENDA LOW

Head of Branding and Partnerships Maxis

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY

MELATI ABDUL HAI

VP & Chief Marketing Officer McDonald’s Malaysia

GM, Marketing Yeo Hiap Seng (Malaysia) Berhad

YB TUAN GOBIND SINGH DEO MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA MALAYSIA APRIL 25 & 26, 2019 GRAND BALLROOM, EASTIN HOTEL PETALING JAYA. TO REGISTER, CALL RUBY ON 03-77262588 RUBY@ADOIMAGAZINE.COM

GOLD

ZALMAN AEFENDY ZAINAL ABIDIN Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Hong Leong Bank Bhd

SILVER

BEST PRESENTER

MUHAMAD ZAID HASMAN Director of Digital McDonald’s Malaysia

www.appies.com.my

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www.appies.com.my

MALAYSIA’ B MARKETING C ON STAGE FAIR COMMENT

As this is Malaysia’s APPIES fourth edition, many attending know what they want to take-away from this event. It’s idealistic to say that they might be quick to share or learn certain insights based on their understanding of certain market trends. For Adam Wee Abdullah, Group Chief Marketing Officer and Group Chief Customer Experience Officer for CIMB Group, expectations must align. Simply put, the APPIES 2019 Chief Judge opined that campaign goals cannot be just results driven. “This is [proper] guidance for both marketers and fellow juries. It is often during pitches that many consider the form and end-results as critical focuses. This scenario can lead to some dismissing submissions that drive different marketing objectives. Always keep in mind that in a competition like the APPIES, participants and the audience want to learn; specifically, about the various strategies in use or tactics that can be deployed to solve various marketing challenges,” Adam noted. Fellow judge, Eric Wong, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad, share similar views about looking beyond results. For him, the APPIES is a good platform for marketers as it reminds them to always consider: “How is this initiative a step forward [for brands]? Are they building [or reinforcing] important attributes that increase the value of my brand and business?”

BASIC IS BEST

MOHAMED ADAM WEE ABDULLAH

Chief Judge - APPIES Malaysia 2019 Group Chief Marketing Officer & Group Chief Customer Experience Officer CIMB Group

... ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT IN A COMPETITION LIKE THE APPIES, PARTICIPANTS AND THE AUDIENCE WANT TO LEARN; SPECIFICALLY, ABOUT THE VARIOUS STRATEGIES IN USE OR TACTICS THAT CAB BE DEPLOYED TO SOLVE VARIOUS MARKETING CHALLENGES ...

What about the need-toknows for those doing the pitch? Lai Shu Wei, Vice President of unifi Marketing and Communications at Telekom Malaysia, feel marketers must stick with the basics. “Be it the APPIES, or for any pitch for that matter, it’s always good to stay with the fundamentals of marketing. Of course, that means hitting the ground to find out, learn, and apply in-depth consumer understanding and insights,” he said. Chai Hui Fung, Regional Marketing Director for Nando’s Chickenland Malaysia, feels the same about understanding consumer audience. For her, a campaign, “must be built on strong insights. Just as important, it must also plan for and operate on clear understanding of its target audience. Of course, the fundamentals both Shu Wei and Hui Fung refer

added Timothy Johnson, Senior Vice President, Product and Partnerships, INTI International University and Colleges. How can all these different but related aspects tie into a cohesive message and/or seamless campaign?

DIGITALLY FORWARD

LAI SHU WEI

Vice President unifi Marketing and Communications Telekom Malaysia

CHAI HUI FUNG

Regional Marketing Director Nando’s Chickenland Malaysia

TIMOTHY JOHNSON

Senior Vice President Product and Partnerships INTI International University & Colleges.

to also encompass the need for more strategic execution; that and being firmly connected with the business’ primary objectives. These are ‘goals’ that many of the judges expect from the pitches being presented at the APPIES. “This being the fourth year for APPIES, I expect to see the bar raised among those pitching; specifically, in creativity, execution, and results,”

Eric summed it nicely on what is expected of marketers: focusing on sustainable brand equity building. Simply put, it’s all about making sure the brand has a positive longevity. That piece of advice is a checkpoint for him as he wants to see how pitches address this long-standing concern. “This is what marketers should get onto, as opposed to ideas that provide short-term bursts to the top-line,” he added. For marketers to focus on what they do best, they must get on the digital transformation train fast. Thanks to current and upcoming innovations, media consumption is changing at a rapid pace. Processes must become more personalised and be ‘instant’; speedy on its approach and delivery and immediately impactful. “The advertising industry is now experiencing a big shift, one that is forcefully changing media planning and execution. All these new notions and expectations that users are demanding for, they are also powering the marketing processes to evolve accordingly,” Eric shared. Adam believes this industrywide evolution is something marketers can leverage on.

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www.appies.com.my

BEST CAMPAIGNS

ERIC WONG

Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad

... THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY IS NOW EXPERIENCING A BIG SHIFT, ONE THAT IS FORCEFULLY CHANGING MEDIA PLANNING AND EXECUTION. ALL THESE NEW NOTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS THAT USERS ARE DEMANDING FOR, THEY ARE ALSO POWERING THE MARKETING PROCESSES TO EVOLVE ACCORDINGLY ...

“With the momentum in digital pervasiveness, processes have become more scientific and data driven. The advertising and marketing fraternity need to get better at data collection, curation, and analysis. More importantly, they also need to learn, understand, and adhere to data governance,” he said. This, in many ways, goes beyond instant gratification and personalisation as marketers search for newer engagement methods. For Adam, this includes deep-diving into various information assets that are available. What comes to mind immediately are user behavioural and audience interest, both offering higher veracity than the common personal information. “The latter is not as important and, furthermore, consumers will continue to actively protect their privacy,” he added. Of course, these are not the only changes that the digital era will bring forth. Other service sectors that support advertising and marketing will also see dramatic shifts in their business models. Aside from basic processes, which will see plenty of streamlining, transparency will also become more prevalent. Interestingly, the push for digital is not the ‘be all, end all’ scenario. For Shu Wei, the word ‘digital’ is over-used. Instead, he wants marketers to be quick in applying next-gen technologies as that is more important. His views are critical yet fair since it comes from someone who has been enabling digital transformation.

“CONTENT MARKETING IS STILL CRITICAL AND THAT’S WHY BRANDS NEED TO FIND WAYS TO REMAIN RELEVANT. THAT INCLUDES BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE AUDIENCE IN VARIOUS WAYS. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON WHY MARKETERS MUST CONTINUE TO EXPLORE NEW WAYS TO USE THESE CONSTANTLY CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES” CHAI HUI FUNG

Timothy is of the same mind as he believes communication, and how it will change in the digital era, is more important. “We must always keep in mind to make our target audience a part of this journey,” he added. Application is key for Hui Fung as well, though she also believes what fuels these digital platforms is equally crucial. “Content marketing is still critical and that’s why brands need to find ways to remain relevant. That includes being able to engage with the audience in various ways. This is the main reason why marketers must continue to explore new ways to use these constantly changing technologies,” she opined. In doing so, marketers can enhance their offerings and improve relevance with consumers. In fact, by understanding these next-

gen platforms, like artificial intelligence and machine learning, they will be able to create more immersive and memorably engaging campaigns.

PITCHING EXPECTATIONS

Having shared their thoughts on what to expect for industry trends, it’s now time to re-focus on the APPIES. While most can guess what the judges will expect, here’s a refresher. “I am hoping to see even more quality submissions this year. Campaigns are much more measurable today and multiple metrics of success can be tracked, especially for those that run on digital platforms. However, I hope to see some surprises in terms of interesting and innovative engagement programmes. Moreover, I want the audience to take full advantage of the event and ask

pointed questions. After all, this is how they can learn as well since the APPIES will feature hard-to-access live-presentations. They will even get opportunities to engage the presenters, or juries, to seek clarification,” said Adam. Likewise, Timothy and Hui Fung feel there will be plenty of interesting ideas appearing at APPIES 2019. Both know the benchmark for pitches will go up, especially in creativity, execution, and delivery. “There will definitely be some out-of-the-box ones!” Hui Fung added. Eric, meanwhile, wants to see some work that will show how marketers employ nextgen innovation creatively to campaigns. He also noted how “These efforts must also address strategic challenges that brands are now facing. Too often, we get caught up with marketing campaigns that does not build on the brand story.” Shu Wei is expecting to see what his fellow judges want and how they all can gel together. “This is very strategic as execution links and how they interplay are critical!” he noted. Certainly, these are good indicators for those pitching, especially on what they need to pay attention on. Of course, it’s best they also present their ideas clearly, digital or otherwise, and keep-in-line with what the brief wants. That is also a basic aspect that judges will take into consideration. Now is the time to refine those decks and add that one last polish!

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bad faster than wild monkeys can steal your kacang at the taman. Papayas stay fresh for up to five days at room temperature. Mangos up to eight days. 10 for watermelons. Of course, fruits last a little longer if you place them in the fridge. If I can’t stop nature, Zhafri wondered, maybe I can slow it down.

CREATIVE SURGE

IDEAS: THE STIXFRESH STORY OVER 7 billion people live on this blue green ball. However, not all of us get to enjoy three squaremeals a day. According to various UN studies, 821 million people worldwide are at risk of malnutrition. While overall starvation figures have been steadily decreasing – and famines are becoming rarer – 821,000,000 is still very big. Contrast this with the amount of food wasted every year. According to another report, over 1.3 billion tones are wasted every day. That’s roughly one third of the food produced for human consumption annually, enough to feed 3 billion people. The food problem is pretty complicated and multi-layered.

CREATIVE SHOWCASE

Every year, around 90 New Zealanders die in crashes while not wearing their seatbelt. 30% could have survived had they belted up. They’d have been injured, but alive. Country

New Zealand Category

Public interest Client

NZ Transport Agency Agency

Clemenger BBDO Wellington

War, politics, natural disasters, the slowing economy, and greedy businesspeople – none of which can be solved at a human level. All are too complex for this column and way over the comprehension level of this writer. Instead, let’s talk about a recent Malaysian innovation that helps reduce food wastage. OBJECTIVE Growing up in a rural community an hour south of Kuala Lumpur, Zhafri Zainudin loved eating fruits. He also had a passion for digesting problems, and finding simple, everyday solutions. One day, a friend – an owner of a stall selling tropical fruits – complained about the amount

that gets spoiled before they could be sold. This was a common dilemma among fruit sellers. If the harvest is small, there won’t have enough to sell. Too much and they’ll worry if there are enough customers. Now, let’s assume the Almighty always gives us just enough. That the planet is capable of producing enough food for every living being. The wheels in Zhafri’s head started turning. The gears moved into position. Like a Malaysian Isaac Newton, I like to think he sat beneath a durian tree when an idea dropped into his head. CHALLENGE Bananas stay fresh until they ripen. After that, the bunch goes

TRUTH Zhafri needed many kinds of fruits to test his methodologies. Fortunately, he was surrounded by friends and family who owned fruit trees and orchards. They often wondered if all these were a ruse to gain a free/discounted supply of fruits. After much research and experimentation, Zhafri stumbled upon an all-natural substance that extended the life of fruits. The mixture contained specially sourced beeswax and other natural ingredients. Together, it created a protective layer around the fruit to slow down the ripening process. Not by one or two days- but up to two whole weeks. Best of all, he didn’t need to soak the fruit. The compound just had to be placed on a small spot to affect the whole product. ANSWER Fruit stickers are common. They tell customers where the fruits come from – and if it has numbers – whether the fruit is organic and how much it costs. However, about the only thing people want to know about fruit stickers is whether they’re edible. Some stickers are made of edible paper, but it’s not a requirement. For US produce, the glue is FDA regulated. Should you eat the stickers? No. Will you die if you do? Also no. But you probably shouldn’t put this to the test. It’ll be weird for anyone to

consume ginormous quantities of sticky paper. Zhafri found that he could apply the solution on fruit stickers without comprising its quality and effectiveness. A small sticker kept a mango farm fresh for up to two weeks. Importantly, it (the mango) tastes just as good after the extended two weeks. The sticker also worked on a wide variety of fruits. Therein lies the beauty of the idea: It didn’t need an extra step or require a large investment. It simply leveraged on an existing platform, improved what’s already in the market. What was once a mere branding media is now an agent to prolong the life of fruits. All that was left was to bring the technology to the world. A chance encounter in Dubai changed everything. Together with Moody Soliman and Steve Hulteng, Stixfresh was born – fruit stickers that slowed down nature to speed up progress. As we speak, the team is in the midst of bringing this food-saving innovation to households everywhere. Follow Stixfresh on Facebook or support its crowdfunding efforts on Indiegogo. Here’s to every living being having enough on their plate, every day.

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

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TOP 10 WAYS TO IMPROVE AD INDUSTRY MORALE The New York Times had one of those pieces that makes you think maybe your Uncle Henry was right when he said you should be a plumbing supply wholesaler. The title of the piece was An Ad Agency Crowdsources Its Own Employees’ Morale. The story, in a nutshell, goes like this. A New York ad agency put in a suggestion box and ran a contest giving its employees some money for coming up with ideas for improving morale, particularly among their precious, millennials. Apparently these poor sods need to have their morale hugged and pedicured or they’ll take their yoga mats and go back home. There are so many things wrong with this story that I don’t even know where to start. First of all, when did a suggestion box become a ‘crowd-sourcing’? Was it when any lump of techno-

garbage became ‘user friendly’? When everything that didn’t come in a plastic bag became ‘artisanal’? Or when any piece of crap that didn’t necessitate the slaughtering of whales became ‘sustainable’? But I digress…. According to The Times, here’s what won the contest … “…. turning over to employees about 4,500 square feet of space on the sixth floor of the agency’s New York headquarters, which they can use, individually and in groups, for personal, creative projects.” In other words, a playpen for the kindergarteners to do their finger painting. Here’s a person-sourced idea. If you have 4,500 square feet of space sitting around in the middle of New York City gathering nothing but climate change, how about turning it over to some poor slobs who really need it? Or

BIG data and analytics are the most important - and most challenging - marketing tools CMOs need to get right. Companies are in the midst of a data-rich boon, fueled by mobile data, e-commerce and social sharing. The digital age is creating a huge stash of information that can deliver unprecedented insights into consumer behavior.

offline and online. Machine learning is opening new possibilities on how data can be mined for core insights.”

More Data, Thanks to IoT

The growing popularity of the Internet of Things (IoT) will only increase the amount of data available to marketers. Gartner reported that 8.4 billion connected things were in use worldwide in 2017, with this number reaching 20.4 billion by 2020, which means that, even more than today, companies are going to be with their consumer every step of the way. CMOs looking to implement customer-centric strategies do so not to only leverage data to provide highly relevant experiences, but to also generate relevant new data and use technology to make real-time personalized customer decisions where possible. To quote Coca-Cola Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer, Francisco Crespo, “Data is a big enabler in understanding consumer behaviour. Not only the change but also the differential in behavior between

A Blessing a Curse

However, a vast majority of CMOs consider themselves unprepared to manage the impact that digital disruption has on their own marketing functions, and the explosion of data at their fingertips is at the top of the list. Data is the foundation that good digital marketing is built upon, but if not used correctly, it can also account for confusing leads, false paths, and scattered strategies. In short, the sheer amount of information we now have about consumers is both a blessing and a curse. Here are three ways CMOs can make the most of their access to data: #1. Eliminate Data Silos Most organizations are swimming in first party data— data that comes to them directly from the consumer— that can come from marketing automation, social media, mobile apps, customer relationship management (CRM) data, and website usage. Then there is third party data streaming from other sources. One challenge many organizations have is that data is siloed across an organization with little to no sharing happening between

is that morale-building enough for these effete narcissists? Okay, deep breath here. Well, anyway, you know me. I’m here to help. So, as a service to those who are worried about morale in the advertising business, I have developed The Top 10 Ways to Improve Ad Industry Morale. Here we go: 1. Every PowerPoint slide must be written in French and contain either a rainbow or one princess 2. Speakers at digital media conferences are required to dress as their favourite Spice Girl 3. Move the Cannes Festival of Creativity to Winnipeg 4. Do a switch – put time sheets in the bathroom and toilet paper in HR dept 5. Before being hired by an agency, candidates for

LAUGHING IN ADVERTISING

6. 7.

8. 9.

10.

the job of Social Media Director must say the word ‘ecosystem’ continuously until they throw up Criminalise webinars Change everything that’s global to worldwide, and, of course, everything worldwide to global New FCC regulation: All truck ads must feature at least one ballerina At the opening of annual 4As Management Conference, Sir Martin Sorrell is required to sing “Knock Three Times” Upgrade E-mail to F-mail

If those ideas don’t improve morale among millennials, I don’t know what will. Maybe a paycheck every two weeks, and a health plan, and a 401K, and someplace to drag their sorry asses every morning. If that doesn’t motivate these powder

puffs, they can jump on their fixies and go back to Brooklyn.

Bob Hoffman has been called “The most provocative man in advertising”. In his book, Laughing@Advertising, he is out to disrupt the disruptors - those sombre, imperious souls who’ve made marketing and advertising such an earnest and humourless endeavour. It is on sale now at Amazon and only available in paperback. There’s no ebook, he says, because pixels aren’t funny.

A MARKETER’S PRIMER TO LEVERAGING BIG DATA BY GREG PAULL, CO-FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL, R3

teams. This means strategies are being built with gaping blind spots, which can prevent the marketing team from having a holistic view of the organization’s consumers. #2. Define a Data Analytics Strategy For data to do its job, it’s important to have a data analytics strategy in place that will clearly improve a predetermined performance. Like e-commerce websites, each company must determine what they will build from the ground up, purchase, borrow, or rent. In some cases, the ability to collect first-party data using deep, internal data and analytics expertise is invaluable—but for others, the investment outweighs the benefits. There are long-term third-party contracts to consider, or partnerships with customers, suppliers, and other marks along the supply chain. The ideal solution might be a combination of the two, but ultimately finding the right combination that backs up the clear vision you have for the company and building the

system around that should be top of mind. #3. Integrating Brand and Data While data has become a critical tool in deepening consumer insights and allowing for quicker reaction times, it is important to maintain classic methods of insight development to guide brand and strategy. One should not be a replacement for the other and both need to work in tandem. Insights gathered from social listening and thirdparty digital data provide a richer and more well-rounded picture

that can be used for brand strategy and development. By using search data, you can not only tell how often your brand has been sought out, but also how closely it’s associated with your brand value proposition based on the click-through rate on keywords. In essence, data is only useful when leveraged to better and more deeply understand a business. In other words, make the data work for you. As CMOs say again and again, the core of marketing has not changed, merely the vehicles with which to achieve goals have.

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COVERTRENDS TECH STORY

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Agriculture and Farming Consumer-Grade AI Applications Proliferation of Frankenalgorithms Accountability and Trust AI Cloud Generating Virtual Environments From Short Videos Real-Time Machine Learning Natural Language Understanding Machine Reading Comprehension General Reinforcement Learning Algorithm Machine Image Completion Predictive Machine Vision Much Faster Deep Learning Reinforcement Learning and Hierarchical RL Continuous Learning Multitask Learning Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) New Generative Modeling Techniques Capsule Networks Probabilistic Programming Languages Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) Customized Machine Learning Bots Biometric Scanning Genetic Recognition Universal Genetic Databases Computational Photography Bias in Recognition Technologies Security Privacy Data Drones (all) Drone Delivery Drone Lanes Follow Me Autonomously

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Drone-Enabled Infrastructure Drone Swarms Transportation as a Service Business Models Collaborative Robotics Cloud Robotics Autonomous Robot Teams Robotic Process Automation Self-Assembling Robots Robot Compilers 5G Networks and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Smart Dust 3D Printing Green Tech Ultra-High-Voltage Direct Current and Macro Grids Anthropocene Trying to Predict Sea Level Rise Extreme Weather Events Human Migration Patterns Shift Geoengineering Corporate Sustainability Indoor and Outdoor Plant Factories and Microfarms Deep Learning For Farming and Food Recognition Precision Agriculture Smart Farms Terraforming Bug Protein Cultivated Food and Beverage Cannabis Technologies Genome Editing Microbiome Extinction Searching The IoT and the IoPT (Internet of Physical Things) Universal Basic Income (UBI) Nanodegrees Sharing Economy & Lendership Blockchain Technologies MicroSats and CubeSats Architecture and Urban Planning

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Bigger Role For Ambient Interfaces Ongoing Bias In AI Accountability and Trust AI Cloud Generating Virtual Environments From Short Videos Ambient Surveillance Real-Time Machine Learning Natural Language Understanding Machine Reading Comprehension General Reinforcement Learning Algorithm Machine Image Completion Predictive Machine Vision Much Faster Deep Learning Reinforcement Learning and Hierarchical RL Continuous Learning Multitask Learning Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) New Generative Modeling Techniques Capsule Networks Probabilistic Programming Languages Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) Customized Machine Learning Bots Biometric Scanning WiFi Recognition Ambient Tracking Computational Photography Persistent Recognition Bias in Recognition Technologies Security Privacy Data Drones (all) Flying Taxis Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

AI TRENDS IN THE ENTERPRISE The AI Cloud

In the past year, the corporate leaders of the AI ecosystem have been racing to capture AI cloudshare—and to become the trusted provider of AI on remote servers. Because the more data a machine learning system has access to, the better decisions it will learn to make over time, enterprise customers are likely to stick with their initial vendor. For that reason, the race is on. In the West, the field is led by Amazon, Google and Microsoft, followed by companies including Apple, IBM, Salesforce, SAP and Oracle. In Asian markets, the AI cloud is dominated by Alibaba and Baidu. It’s a $250 billion industry and quickly growing. NYU Stern School of Business professor Arun Sundararajan says it best: “The prize will be to become the operating system of the next era of tech.”

Serverless Computing

Amazon Web Services, Alibaba Cloud, Microsoft’s Azure, Google Cloud, and Baidu Cloud are all rolling out new offerings and packages for developers, hoping to make it easier and more affordable for a wide swath of AI startups to launch their ideas into the marketplace. Amazon’s AWS Lambda lets teams run code for virtually any type of application or backend service — without provisioning or managing servers, or hands-on administration. Microsoft’s Functions architecture for Azure supports myriad programming languages, scales on demand and only charges for active compute time. This isn’t sitting well with some engineers, though, who are worried about losing control.

New Kinds of Liability Insurance for AI

Laws tend to lag behind technology. How ever last year’s deadly crash involving a self-driving Uber car in Arizona now has risk managers and legal departments thinking about unanticipated losses and damages resulting from an accident involving AI. The challenge is that our current legal systems were built to regulate human behavior, not the actions of unsupervised machines. New liability insurance models are currently being studied, with research underway at Allianz.

Generating Virtual Environments From Short Videos

Chip designer Nvidia is teaching AI to build realistic 3D environments from short video clips. The method builds on previous research on generative adversarial networks (GANs). Nvidia system generated graphics taken from open-source data sets that are used by the autonomous driving field. Using short clips segmented into various categories (buildings, sky, vehicles, signs, trees, people) the GAN was trained to generate new, different versions of these objects. Future applications of automatically-generated virtual environments are vast: think training environments for logistics (warehouses, factories, shipping centers), urban planning simulations, even testing customer flow scenarios within amusement parks and shopping centers.

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TECH COVERTRENDS STORY

AI Spoofing

Companies might want to think twice before implementing biometric ID systems within their buildings. New techniques in machine learning have led to synthetic fingerprints and other automatically-generating bioidentifiers capable of fooling monitoring systems. Researchers at Michigan State University and New York University built an algorithm that can generate fakes — and this is a sign of innovative vulnerabilities on our horizon. Imagine a malicious system generating millions of fingerprints in a brute force attack to remotely open a door or unlock a laptop.

Ambient Surveillance

MIT computer vision scientists have discovered how to use computer vision to track data from what they call “accidental cameras.” Windows, mirrors, corners, houseplants and other common objects can be used, along with AI, to track subtle changes in light, shadow, and vibrations. The result? We may soon all have x-ray vision. Which may not be great news for companies working on sensitive projects. Those working in information security and risk management should pay attention to advancements in computer vision.

Proprietary, Homegrown AI Languages

As we enter the third era of computing, the largest companies are starting to compete for both marketshare and mindshare. Companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Baidu, Alibaba, Amazon and Google are releasing software packages for developers—as well as unique programming languages for AI applications. Uber released its own probabilistic programming language, Pyro, which it wrote in Python. It’s a move that signals likely fragmentation in the future of the AI ecosystem, not unlike our OSX vs Android, and earlier Mac vs PC camps. Businesses will find it increasingly cost-prohibitive and difficult to switch between AI frameworks and languages.

AI Chipsets

The standard CPUs found in our desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones have certainly gotten powerful—but they’re not really designed to meet the demands of machine learning. The problem with our current CPUs is that they don’t have enough processing units to make all the connections and computations required in the next era of computing. Enter a suite of new processors found on an SoC—“system on a chip.” Huawei, Apple, Alphabet, IBM, NVIDIA, Intel and Qualcomm are all working new systems architecture and SoCs, and some come pre-trained. In short, this means that the chips are ready to work on AI projects and should promise better speeds and more secure data. Elon Musk has said that Tesla’s new custom AI chip should be released in 2019. Google’s Tensor Processing Unit (or TPU was specifically built for the deep learning branch of AI. It is designed to work with the company’s TensorFlow system. For reference, TPUs are what was used in the famous AlphaGo match between the DeepMind system and a world Go champion. While marketing pre-trained chips to businesses will speed up commercialization and as a result will further R&D, the challenge, of course, is that developers might need to wrestle with different frameworks in the near-future, especially if the various device manufacturers all decide to start creating unique protocols. We anticipate an eventual convergence, pitting just a few companies—and their SoCs and languages—against each other.

Marketplaces For AI Algorithms

Incentivized by the AI cloud and serverless computing, the Big Nine as well as communities of developers are all offering up their algorithms in emerging algorithm marketplaces. Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, Google, Baidu and Alibaba all offer pre-built and customizable systems. AWS hosts its own marketplace, offering models and algorithms for computer vision, speech recognition, and text — and its base of sellers includes Intel, CloudSight, Optpace and many others. (Think of AWS Marketplace as an Amazon for algorithms and models.) GenesisAI offers a marketplace for AI products and services. Algorithmia is a general open marketplace for algorithms where developers can upload their work to the cloud and receive payment when others pay to access it. Quantiacs allows developers to build algorithmic trading systems, and it matches their algorithms up with capital from institutional investors. Nuance is a storefront of AI algorithms in medical imaging, while its AI MarketPlace allows users to try out algorithms before they buy them. PrecisionHawk hosts a marketplace for predictive agriculture algorithms and models. Bonseyes is a European-specific marketplace to buy and sell AI tools. Look for even more general purpose, cloud-specific and niche marketplaces in 201

Even More Consolidation in AI

Just nine big companies dominate the AI landscape: Google, Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, Facebook and Apple in the US, along with Chinese behemoths Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent (with significant fortification and support from the Chinese government). On the investment

side, Qualcomm, Tencent, Intel Capital, Google Ventures, NVIDIA, Salesforce, Samsung Ventures, Alibaba, Apple, Baidu, Citi and In-Q-Tel are funding much of the growth. In the US, investments in AI companies topped a record-setting $4.2 billion in the first two quarters of 2018. China’s SenseTime went through another successful round of funding, raising $620 million at a valuation of $4.5 billion. Investors included Alibaba Group, Fidelity International and Silver Lake Partners. As with any technology, when just a few companies dominate the field, they tend to monopolize both talent and intellectual property. They’re also partnering to build on each others’ work. When it comes to the future of AI, we should ask whether consolidation makes sense for the greater good, and whether competition—and therefore access—will eventually be hindered as we’ve seen in other fields such as telecommunications and cable.

ESPORTS Key Insight

eSports is the rapidly growing industry of competitive digital gaming, specifically when performed professionally and for a live streaming, broadcast, or in-person audience. While organized competitive gaming has arguably existed for decades, advancements in both gaming technology and streaming capabilities have led to an astronomical rise in its popularity and perceived legitimacy in recent years.

Examples

With a young audience—more than 80% age 35 or younger—and enormous revenue potential, eSports is primed to continue its growth as a major cultural phenomenon in the near future, with significant expected impact on the gaming, sports, streaming, entertainment, and tech investment sectors. Twitch, the primary streaming portal for eSports in the Western world, logged a staggering 800,000 years worth of content viewed in 2018 alone. (Twitch was acquired by Amazon in 2014.) One game that entered the global zeitgeist in the past year was Fortnite, with a reported 125 million players across all platforms. Parent company Epic Games was quick to capitalize on Fortnite’s success, pledging a record $100 million in prize money for the game’s tournament season this year. Tournaments have helped take gaming from a household pastime to the formally organized and internationally recognized competitive pursuit we now know as eSports. The 2018 World Championship for League of Legends—like Fortnite, another wildly popular game in the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre—reportedly drew as many as 200 million concurrent viewers, making it the most watched eSports event in history. The stakes are now such that eSports is a legitimate full-time job for many top competitors—many of whom employ coaches, endure rigorous training regimens, compete in national leagues and rake in seven-figure sums—and the industry is poised to define a new paradigm in competitive entertainment for generations to come. Audiences, prize amounts, and investments are skyrocketing, and even the International Olympic Committee has taken note, initiating conversations with the eSports community and teasing the potential addition of gaming to future Olympic Games.

What’s Next

eSports had a global audience of approximately 167 million in 2018, a number that’s expected to soar to over 275 million by 2022, rivaling viewership for major sports leagues like the NFL. The majority of eSports content is viewed online, with massive audience segments in China and Korea, and fast-growing fandom in the US, Europe, and worldwide. There are a number of unique factors that contribute to the industry’s growth potential. Because eSports has relatively low barriers to entry for potential participants—games reward eye-hand coordination, strategic thought and concentration more than athletic qualities like strength, speed, size and agility that dominate many traditional sports, and access to expensive equipment and facilities are not critical factors—it is often viewed as more accessible for the average novice than classic athletic sports, closing the gulf between fans and competitors, and resulting in a more engaged audience. eSports is also viewed as one of the first truly global entertainment mediums in its reach and influence, which has investors salivating. The industry could be worth as much as $2 billion by 2022. Sponsorship of teams, tournaments, and broadcasts will likely continue to represent about a third of the revenue opportunity, but watch for media rights to grow within that time to about a 40% share.

Watchlist

Twitch; YouTube; Douyu; Huya; Tencent; ESPN; Epic Games (Fortnite);

... ONE GAME THAT ENTERED THE GLOBAL ZEITGEIST IN THE PAST YEAR WAS FORTNITE, WITH A REPORTED 125 MILLION PLAYERS ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS. PARENT COMPANY EPIC GAMES WAS QUICK TO CAPITALIZE ON FORTNITE’S SUCCESS, PLEDGING A RECORD $100 MILLION IN PRIZE MONEY FOR THE GAME’S TOURNAMENT SEASON THIS YEAR...

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COVERTRENDS TECH STORY

Riot Games (League of Legends); Activision Blizzard; Cloud9; Andy Dinh and Team SoloMid; aXiomatic; Tyler Blevins (“Ninja”).

... FRAUDULENT Scenarios for eSports Spinoffs TEAMS COULD The Revolutionary Gamification of Education DEPLOY AN eSports, especially in connection with mixed reality tech, will create ALGORITHM THAT a new framework for the gamification of education. With younger MASQUERADES AS A generations in particular becoming increasingly enthralled with and fluent in digital gaming, eSports expands to the field of education, HUMAN-CONTROLLED offering interactive and incentivized lessons in various academic topics. A popular current game like Assassin’s Creed draws its CHARACTER, characters and environments directly from historical narratives—a INTERVENING more accurate and less sensationalized version of this type of game ONLY TO PREVENT revolutionizes the way students learn history, for example. Game narratives are designed to expose students to key events and cultural CRITICAL ERRORS elements of a given region and era, and a system of digital credits, SO AS TO AVOID exchangeable for real-world perks, rewards those who demonstrate DETECTION. their knowledge retention through in-game challenges, incentivizing learning. Extended to various disciplines, the system increases the TOURNAMENT level of engagement and information retention of students, raises the ORGANIZERS COULD baseline of education of communities where it is implemented, and SURREPTITIOUSLY through scalability eases institutional stress in the education industry caused by a disproportionate student-to-teacher ratio. TWEAK THE RESPONSE TIMES A Sandbox for Crowdsourced Architectural Design OF A COMPETITOR’S With eSports, especially MMORPGs or MOBA games that allow CONTROLLER characters to build and interact with modular structures, platform OR CONSOLE AT administrators have access to a massive amount of dynamic behavioral user data. As game participation increases and worlds CRUCIAL MOMENTS become more rich and expansive, game environments will be used DURING A MATCH... to develop and test designs, especially for architectural and civic construction. For example, place two structures at spawn locations in a game landscape, each rendered according to different design

proposals for the same project. As players spawn at each location, the game can monitor crowdflow through the structures, effectively A/B testing each design and helping engineers decide which will be the most efficient before investing in physical construction. Alternatively, admins could simply monitor the structures built by players, using user data to determine design preferences in different demographic crosssections and adjusting real-world construction accordingly. Harnessing the power of this crowd-sourced data is only one of the ways that eSports could revolutionize industries beyond the world of gaming.

eSports Becomes an Arena of Mass Corruption

With the sudden growth of the eSports industry, we will reach a point in the next decade where winnings are at an all-time peak, and regulators haven’t yet managed to comprehend and keep pace with the complex and rapidly burgeoning platforms. This will leave an open door for bad actors to take advantage of the situation by going to great and nefarious lengths to give themselves an advantage over their foes. Deception and exploitation may take the form of a player implanting bionic enhancements to give themselves an edge—a smart contact lens could detect on-screen threats or developments outside the player’s sightline and suggest a strategic response; an adrenal implant could provide a player with a sudden synthetic boost of energy and alertness on-demand; surgical manipulation could enhance the muscle and bone structure of the hand to better accommodate the controller. And those are just within the human body—eSports’ greatest vulnerabilities will lie in the digital inner workings of the games being played. Fraudulent teams could deploy an algorithm that masquerades as a human-controlled character, intervening only to prevent critical errors so as to avoid detection. Tournament organizers could surreptitiously tweak the response times of a competitor’s controller or console at crucial moments during a match if they have a furtive betting interest in the competitor’s opponent. Unless and until an independent authoritative governing body is established in eSports that has a deep understanding of the technology and an unwavering moral compass, the space will become severely vulnerable to corruption and fraud.

NEWS

Eugene Chan leaves Nestlé

Astro Radio links with Grab for in-car experience Astro Radio has kickstarted a 3-month campaign with Grab, to provide a new user experience for passengers who hop on selected Grab cars. Grab passengers in the Klang Valley have the choice of enjoying Astro Radio brands via the ride-hailing app as they commute. Upon booking a Grab ride, passengers will be notified through an in-app message indicating they will be travelling in an Astro Radio vehicle and they can opt to listen to any of the ten Astro Radio brands offered – HITZ, MIX, LITE, MY, MELODY, GOXUAN, ERA, SINAR, ZAYAN, or RAAGA – throughout their journey. The campaign involves 230 Grab cars in the Klang Valley, is also expected to generate impressions by way of promotional car wraps and in-car hangers.

Eugene Chan, Executive Director and Regional Head of Marketing, Communication & Innovation for Nestlé Malaysia and Singapore for almost three years, relocates to Singapore to embark on a new adventure outside the Nestlé group. Before Malaysia, Eugene (picture) was Director of Marketing and Communication, Nestlé Indochina for two and a half years. He began his journey with Nestlé in 2003 and has worked in Singapore, Sydney, New Caledonia, Switzerland and Thailand. After 15 years at Nestlé and six expatriations later, this new opportunity brings him and his family back home to Singapore. Phee Chat Chow (“Chat”), the current Head of Marketing Communications and Corporate Affairs at Nestlé Singapore will succeeds Eugene effective immediately as the new Regional Head of Communication, Marketing Services and Innovation.

TIME dotCom for pitch Malaysia’s leading Internet Service Provider (ISP) has invited agencies to pitch for their creative and media business. This process began before the arrival of new Head of Marketing (picture) for TIME dotCom Berhad Grace Chan. It is believed that six agencies are in the running, and the pitch is ongoing. According to Nielsen, TIME dotCom spent almost RM400,000 on media alone last year, using print and radio. There is an energised resurgence at the company and 2019 is slated to be a big year for them.

ISSUE236MID-MARCH2019

SMART MARKETING

YOUR PERSONAL ASSISTANT SAYS,

‘RESISTANCE IS FUTILE’

... OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS, MARKETERS IN THE STATES ARE GOING TO BE SHIFTING AD BUDGETS AWAY FROM SEARCH AND INTO “VOICE” OR, IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WILL INVEST IN THIS NEWISH PERSONAL ASSISTANT TECHNOLOGY SO THAT WHEN SOMEONE ASKS ALEXA FOR A RECOMMENDATION, THEY WILL MAKE THE CUT... OVER one-third of adults in the West are now using “smart devices” with personal digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, or Google Assistant. They use these disembodied voices to set up calendars and reminders; control TVs, DVRs, and streaming services; tell them what the weather is like outside; give news reports; check the status of flights; order pizzas; check on deliveries; and, most importantly, ask the age of your favorite celebrity. There are hundreds of other areas that are equally useful, but with many that are anything but, like having it find and read bad poetry. However, we’re only scratching the surface with this technology so nothing wrong with a little experimentation. What sort of effect is this having on advertising? Well, Forrester recently released a report called “The US Digital Marketing Forecast, 2018 To 2023” that stated with certainty that over the next 5 years, marketers in the States are going to be shifting ad budgets away from search and into “voice” or, in other words, they will

invest in this newish personal assistant technology so that when someone asks Alexa for a recommendation, they will make the cut. They will additionally move some of it into areas that will make this play more intelligent, robust, and effective including online content, SEO, new forms of branding, and “voice skills” that will aid the effort to ensure they get the awareness they need. Up until now, they’ve primarily used the assistants for customer service, but as the devices’ technology becomes more powerful and refined, so does the opportunity for brands. In fact, when it comes to Alexa, some categories of marketers are already taking investment away from Google’s search and giving it to Amazon so the advertising is more closely tied to where people purchase their goods. Not great news for Google who watched their costper-click (CPC) rates dive 28% at the end of 2018 – the 14th consecutive quarter of negative growth – while Amazon’s is expected to grow by over 50% just this year. According to eMarketer, they have already

grabbed 8.8% of the digital ad market. It makes sense because, in the past, most online journeys would start with a search on Google, but as users have become ever more sophisticated (slowly, but steadily), they’ve come to realize they can simply go to Amazon.com, start the search for the product they’re interested in there, and have many more benefits related to that search than they would get from Google. Their behaviors are evolving in this regard, even as their behaviors in social are breaking down the civility

of our societies, much to the consternation of folks like Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. Well, at least it isn’t all bad news, right? And it’s working. Some marketers said they have seen a 500% increase in purchases directly attributed to their ads on Amazon. Perhaps the next step is for these personal assistants to buy the media and make suggestions about where. Don’t fight the progress because not only is it an amazing opportunity to be incredibly creative and targeted – we wouldn’t want to anger the machines!

by Josh Sklar, President of Heresy, Author of “Digital Doesn’t Matter (and other advertising heresies)” josh@ heresy.co, @chiefheretic, http://heresy.agency

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APR 2019 Sime Darby Co

nvention Centre

TIME

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Sime Darby Convention Centre 1A, Jalan Bukit Kiara 1, 60000 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

CONTACT

ruby@adoimagazine.com 03 7726 2588

ADVANCED MARKETING

MASTERCLASS Transform your Marketing for the Digital World W O R K S H O P REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN TODAY’S DYNAMIC DIGITAL WORLD

Anser Aly • Award Winning Fortune 500 Marketer • Billion Dollar Brand Custodian • Guest Lecturer of Marketing at Leading Business Schools

Today’s new generation of consumers behave radically differently, but Marketers still apply strategies and tools from the previous generation. Consider these facts: 1. The average consumer attention span has fallen to 8 seconds (less than a goldfish!) yet most brands communicate in 15 or 30 second commercials! 2. Trust and authenticity are the leading criteria for consumer preference, but less than 5% of consumers believe that brands are honest and accurate! 3. 33,000 new consumer products are launched every month worldwide; little surprise that differentiation between brands has fallen to all-time low! 4. Never before has business been transformed as rapidly as today, with new technology and new business models invading every industry. This reality is challenging brand marketers and brands across Asia and there is a need to transform marketing strategies and embrace new tools and techniques to solve the needs of today’s connected consumer. This masterclass will expose participants to latest marketing thinking and practice, and equip them with relevant skills and strategies to thrive in today’s connected, complex landscape! You will be exposed to the best of practices, insightful case studies and action-oriented frameworks to truly transform your marketing to the next level.

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