Adoi Malaysia 1999 February

200,000 in Sept '98

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150,000 in October '97

100,000 in April '97

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Gearing for the Millennium

6-11

9

Singapore Spotlight Series

Advertising Directory of Singapore 1999

16 Great minds think alike?

17 Forget about making money lf,;tl. Putfic

23 Pattaya calls ........... .

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26 Mirinda Man ADoi is published bimonthly by Sledgeharruner Communications Sdn Bhd (Company No: 289967-W) 22B Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad Satu , Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-716 2588. Fax: 03-716 2598.

30 ADoi website scores

31 It's healthy to winl 36 Farewell to my Brother in arms

38 GrapeVine- ad news roundup

' ' I'm saddened that most of our news is narrative and lacks analysis. More can be done to improve the culture of news gathering and presentation. I hope the new generation will do things differently so that the concept of a newspaper as a public is tru

Azizi Meor Ngah is one man who is bent on embracing the new millennium before its time.

As Group Executive Director of Utusan Melayu, he is one of the most energetic people you'll ever meet when it comes to all things cyber. Azizi is one man who is certainly not oblivious to the new technology that is encroaching the domain of the print media.

He rattles on about the electronic age, the internet, virtual newspapers and online books with amazing familiarity. When ADoi met him at his seventh floor office suite in Wisma PGRM, he was dabbling with a palmtop computer at his desk like an excited teenager with a childlike gleam in his eye. That somehow summed up the man. A curious yet charismatic straight-shooter determined to harness the magic of technology and intelligence to advantage. His many years in the business and outspoken views of how things should be done have earned him a standing in the industry unmatched by his contemporaries.

Before joining Utusan, Azizi was CEO of Business Focus and before that the Guthrie Group for 24 years with his last position there as Strategic Management Controller.

A one time consultant for the World Bank with an MBA from Henley, he has been Chairman of the Malaysian Newspaper Publishers Association (MNPA) for the past four years . Azizi has also appeared in more television commercials than he can remember and has a passion for

big bikes. ADoi discovered recently, this amiable go-getter still has many tricks left up his sleeve ...

Tell us a little about the Utusan newspapers.

Our daily circulation is around 270,000 and the Sunday edition tops 500,000 making us a leading Malaysian daily. Advertising revenue however does not reflect our high circulation yet, and recently we decided to go with a 'higher circulation-lower revenue' business formula instead of 'lower circulation-higher revenue' to serve the interests of the Malay politico. We have four regional plants and our latest state-of-the-art facility in Bangi features the country's first Hiedelberg M600 machine, considered the Rolls Royce in commercial printing.

Where do you see the Malaysian Newspapers Publishers Association (MNPA) heading?

I think all the members should put in the commitment to ensure that we institute a Research and Development programme for the newspaper industry. This is lacking and with the threat of electronic publishing where anyone can become a publisher overnight, individual members cannot go the distance alone. We need to pool our resources together and work towards enhancing our professional role in the world out there.

I know we can win because our reputation as credible, ethical news providers will augur well for us. I feel that we may also have to open our association to include publications too, and not just newspapers.

This will allow MNPA to expand its scope and gather more clout when talking to the relevant authorities including the never ending worries of obtaining KDNs on time . The objective is to make the industry thrive and spur our nation's economic recovery.

What new development would you like to see happening?

I feel there's potential in printing regional editions of newspapers. By having regional plants, it costs quite a bit just to keep them running.

I believe there are enough readers out there to warrant independent regional editions which appeal to the local area it covers. Through ingenious ideas like doing event marketing with local advertisers like

I know we can win because our reputation as credible, ethical news providers will augur well for us.

I feel that we may also have to open our association to includ e publications too, and not just newspapers. retailers, radio stations or large companies looking to recruit staff, a regional edition can deliver a handsome return in time; plus the distributions costs are lower.

While the 'editorial versus advertising' ratio averages about 60 to 40, about 70% of costs is still spent on newsprint. That's why advertising revenue is the only way a paper can survive; the cost of newsprint simply does not reduce with increasing volume.

I agree you with you. Advertisers are realising that their messages are not being consumed by everybody. They now have to tailor their communications by respecting their core target group's needs, tone of language and so on in order to achieve results. This may also mean seeking out media channels that are targetted specifically to their audiences only.

Hence the need for niche media, like this magazine for example. Customization is key.

What are your thoughts on the changing media landscape?

Well, one thing is for sure, the change is real. Of course, we publishers also have our websites but we'v never taken this internet thing seriously.

I'm talking about the younger generation. You see, our reading population has decreased over recent years. I suspect the younger set are spending more time surfing the net. You have a democratic process on the internet, you don't have strict laws, you can interact one to one or one to many. With the future generation being products of the electronic revolution, many of them will be 'wired' so to speak. That's why as publishers we may need to redefine the newspaper as we know it now. With a digital economy we need to be open towards repackaging our newspaper for whatever new media form that comes into our lives.

The day will come when you will be able to pump news to someone's wristwatch, palmtop, handphone, computer screen, etc. For example, in Germany, ground breaking news is flashed via LED screens inside the trains! It starts from a computer terminal and is transmitted in a wireless mode. Imagine an electronic tablet that will read pre-selected news to you while you drive. Newspapers can be content providers to these new media channels. I am already seriously looking at multimedia in education and e-commerce.

I learn you have a new big bike .. (huge guffaw) ..yes, I bought it with the money earned from appearing in television commercials. I wish I had my own boat or private jet but for the time being I just have to be a poor little rich man with my bike!

In light of what you've just said, I feel many elements of the Mass Communications programme in our universities are obsolete with the new era of one-to-one communications already upon us ...

Any comments about the quality of news we have in Malaysia?

I'm saddened that most of our news is narrative and lacks analysis. More can be done to improve the culture of news gathering and presentation.

I hope the new generation will do things differently so that the concept of a newspaper as a public forum is truly realised.

If new graduates who wish to join the newspaper industry do things the way it has been done in the past, I'll be worried. The way for us to survive the future is to have more knowledge workers, and newspapers can do a lot to make this happen.

Where do you see Utusan Group in five years time?

I think there'll be a blend between the electronic and printed media. During the weekdays we may do smaller newsy editions and for the weekends we may try leisurely large format 'big article' editions. This will correspond with the lifestyle of the individual whose too busy to absorb a lot of content on a weekday and vice versa over the weekend. And as I mentioned earlier, we'll become content providers for the different new media channels.

Technology will level the playing field where any competent operator can stake his claim to fame. That means we won't rule out Utusan

publishing an English newspaper. We already have Utusan Express on our website for more than a year now. Utusan is a company for multiple media. We market airtime for radio and television. We also market billboard advertising space. So we will certainly be looking at how to harness all these strengths together in order to thrust ourselves into the new millennium.

What about the future of print?

Already newspapers are losing out to the electronic media in the areas of classified and personal ads. The inevitable convergence of print, telecommunications, and IT begs for inventive approaches which will allow operators to enjoy the efficiencies of scale and creative freedom that new age technology brings. This will demand forging of strategic alliances within and outside the industry. Nothing will remain constant, we will reap the rewards of our efforts through the visualization of a smarter way to work. It's time to rethink.

Now for the million-ringgit question ... when do you think we are going to turn the corner in our current economic downturn?

People on the street are still going about life as if nothing happened. We have to watch our financial institutions and how they manage their NPLs (non-performing loans). I also asked around why foreign investors are not exactly flocking here and why they prefer to go to Thailand and Korea. The trouble here I think is that we still want to sell at a high price; we are still in a state of self-denial as far as our economic fortunes are concerned.

This compounds the problem when we are not transparent enough to foreign investors.

There will be no quick cure to our woes but if we think positive anything can happen. Transparency will provide the vote of confidence.

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In this issue of ADoi, we speak to some key industry figures in Singaporeâ&#x20AC;˘s advertising and marketing communications scene. This Singapore Spotlight feature hopes to enlighten our readers with ad industry news and developments from the other side of the causeway. Our first personality in this series of face to face interviews is Mr Vincent Hoe, President of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents (4As) Singapore and Managing Director of AG Advertising Pte Ltd.

advertising courses! It makes me wonder how low we are stooping to buy cheap work.

What's the fate of media independents in Singapore?

We witnessed big media independents trying to make inroads here. They tried to join the 4As but our members voiced resistance fearing a discount war. For that matter, our constitution does not accept inhouse agencies too. The association has over 60 members who account for more than half of the advertising billings in the industry. Naturally, they still want to earn their keep and get to keep it too. Bulk discount is the

Managing change in one of the world's most competitive advertising markets When ADoi met up with Vincent Hoe in his own 3 112 storey office building in the trendy Chinatown locale his first words to us were, "Glamour is not what we go for, an agency which commands S$50 million billings and yet is in the red cannot be compared to a modest but profitable one with only a quarter of the billings."

On that note, the interview began ...

You were holding down a comfortable advettising management position with The Straits Times Group for almost five years. What made you decide to open Avant Garde Advertising (now AG Advertising)?

I felt the yearning to seek new challenges. To discover new opportunities, to shine and grow.

So I made a decision to plant my roots in the industry twenty years ago. The Singapore advertising scene is very competitive. In fact, many say that it has the most number of ad agencies per capita. I thrive on this sort of frenzy to excel.

The association has over 60 members who account for more than half of the advertising billings in the industry. Naturally, they still want to earn their keep and get to keep it too.

What sort of loss has the industry suffered as a r ult of1he econom.ic etback?

Total advertising expenditure including below the line would amount to slightly over one billion Singapore dollars last year. I'd say in terms of measured media, advertising expenditure has dropped by at least 25% compared to the previous year. But Adex figures do not factor bonus spots, classifieds and others. So the drop could be more, perhaps even 40%. There have been salary and recruitment freezes across the board. l heard about ag n i s giving work away for free and there's talk tha1 an agency offered a telc li nt fT cr ati e for on y ar just to lo k in the bu in ss ov r a few years ...

It is alarming. There is also a lot of rampant discounting going on. Undercutting of professional fees and services has been slicing away the valuable revenue essential for survival.

Clients are squeezing agencies and agencies in their eagerness to get business are bending over backwards and offering freebies to clients. Free artwork is a one common practice. I even heard of clients buying students' work which were classroom projects from polytechnics offering

core concept of media independents. They are a viable option in a larger market where competitive players in a single media category fight for the same advertising dollar. In Singapore, it will not work as such because there are only a few big media owners and they virtually own their respective categories. They are very comfortable and have a commanding position and they get their lion share of business anyway. So they don't really need to offer bulk discounts to media houses to gain or keep business.

You mentioned earlier of a govenm1ent plan to help local agencies ...

Yes, the government has a Promising Enterprise Scheme where local homegrown agencies are encouraged to grow. They do this through seminars, offer business opportunities via trade missions abroad plus provide incentives like special tax rebate packages. ls there a separation of power between the local boys and the international players in the general scheme of things in Singapore's ad industry?

No , instead I think Singapore has the best of both worlds. Singapore is a very open market and I believe there's a lot of mutual respect between the locals and their expatriate colleagues. The 4As includes all the multinational agencies plus the leading local ones. There's a balanced representation and the playing field in the marketplace is even now compared to say ten years ago. We are a creative force to be reckoned with not only regionally but also globally and this has been fueled over the years by the many expatriate talent we have hosted. I'm heartened to learn that Neil French has chosen Singapore as his home base in his new position as Ogilvy & Mather's Worldwide Creative Director.

On education, what is the status with the Institute of Adve1tising ingapore (lAS)?

The 4As, 2As, AMOAS (Advertising Media Owners Association of Singapore) and the new Association of Broadcasters Singapore are the four pillars of the industry here. We are also the (continued next page)

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After seven years in Malaysia, Tim heads down to

Singaporeâ&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ It was almost lunchtime when ADoi caught

There are a lot of cashflow issues in the retail sedor.

Demand in this sedor has been dropping year after year and is especially worse for operators in the Central Business Distrid.

joint (governors) of lAS and over the past five years the Institute has been struggling to cope in offering training progranunes. Financially, it is in a mess too. Here in Singapore, school leavers who wish to pursue tertiary education would rather enrol into a university or government polytechnic. They will not opt for a private institute like the lAS because the government institutions are really cutting edge and considered more prestigious. I feel that the lAS which was meant to be a training arm for the ad industry is not going to fulfil its long term goals.

In fact, all the four associations have now collectively drawn a new agenda to conduct training and talks for industry professionals .

What perception change would you like to see in Singapore's ad environment?

In the course of working in a level playing field, I find the biggest stumbling block is in changing the perception amongst clients and even some government bodies that the locals are just as competent as the international boys. I feel that this is not a conscious biasness; maybe clients want to feel safe that they are using one of the best ad agencies in the world. So that if anything does go wrong they won't feel bad. After all, they'd already engaged the world's best. How much worse could it get?

up with Tim Parkinson, Managing Director of BBDO Singapore. Over a quick lunch, Tim managed to say his bit about the Singapore ad scene without missing a beat in his hectic schedule.

Tim is not unfamiliar to most of us having served as Managing Director of Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia in his last posting prior to Singapore.

He speaks with energised interest of his role in the revitalised BBDO network. ..

Tim, what are the accounts in your stable now? few.

Quite a Some of them are Pizza Hut, Mars, FedEx, ICI, POS Bank, Singapore Technology and we also do project work for Singapore Airlines.

BBDO here is in the top ten agency rankings and we has a staff of 58.

How is the cashsituation flow stifling business?

There are a lot of cashflow issues in the retail sector. Demand in this sector has been dropping year after year and is especially worse for operators in the Central Business District.

Compounded with the drop in the tourist dollar and tight operating margins, the cashflow difficulties faced by retailers are very serious.

Chris Jaques your regional boss spoke about how agencies needed to deconstruct to survive.

What are your comments?

He's right. There's a whole generation of agencies now growing up in London that they call the new wave agencies. One of them is called Mother, which is a mid-size agency.

Another one is called St Lukes. These are shops that are all in the deconstruction mode, if you like. They are looking at the application of time and talent as being driven by demand as opposed to an inflexible and gripping infrastructure that has been the norm for many years. I feel BBDO will be looking at these concepts and will pioneer the development of these sort of new wave agencies in the region.

This has to happen, because things are changing and hopefully the fluid job market situation will accelerate this. This is my priority here in BBDO and I'm excited about being part of this evolution.

Tim, what are your observations about how agencies are reacting to the economic turmoil?

You are getting international agencies of the highest repute and stature throwing themselves at potential clients' mercy allowing these clients not only to dictate their terms of business but to dictate the shape and form of staffing on their business. So the whole concept of consultancy and partnership is being severely undermined by these highly acclaimed world-class agencies. We should be paid for the added value we can provide and not because we are a slave to our clients.

In your ten months

in Singapore, have you seen any outstanding creative work?

Ham, in my time here so far, I have seen only one agency doing worldclass creative work and that agency is unquestionably Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore. Apart from that, there are not many stars left in this market. Many have left and many are leaving.

I think David Droga's new posting as Creative Director of Saatchi London speaks volumes not only for his outstanding creative record at Saatchi Singapore but also for the Singapore ad industry.

You were in Malaysia for seven years.

Do you miss it?

Absolutely. You make a lot of friends in seven years and my wife is from Malaysia.

I miss the Malaysian marketing environment because it is more challenging, a little more sophisticated and far reaching. There are more varied and creative media choices.

The marketing challenge is hugely complex; when you see how Nestle has come to grips with one of the most complex markets in the world, you just have to admire them.

I miss rolling up my sleeves and working at the same table with the Milo brand manager, brainstorming to iron out complex marketing issues in an equally demanding environment.

Yes, I miss the challenge of working in the rich diversity of Malaysia's marketplace.

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It's tea time and ADoi heads to the Coffee Bean delicatessen in Serangoon Gardens, the neighbourhood of Alec Lim who is President of the Singapore Advertisers Association (2As).

Alec, a soft spoken marketing veteran who's now an entrepreneur with many interests including a podiatric practice and a florist business, spared us an hour to speak about his experiences, observations and role in the Singapore ad scene ...

Is there an Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) here?

We call it Media Circulation Services. It does just about what the ABC does.

It is supported by all the major associations in the industry and helps new publishers coming into the marketplace to quickly gain credibility by having their circulation audited.

Singapore 2As President speaks his mind You've been with the 2As since the late seventies. Can you give us a flashback?

When we talk about the late 70s, I was one of the bigger advertisers. At that time I was with Malayan Breweries (MBL) now called Asia Pacific Breweries. We handled brands like Anchor, Tiger, Heineken and F&N. I was the marketing manager and that was as far as it went. We didn't have the high flying titles of today! I was actually from the F&N side, a major shareholder, and later got seconded to MBL. In fact, we shot a lot of our television commercials in Malaysia. I remember working with the late John Machado on some.

After MBL, I ventured into engineering and manufacturing for two years before attending to some family business which needed my concentration. But soon after I returned to the fold when I joined MPH Bookstores as Group Commercial Manager rising up to Executive Director. There I found myself again in the thick of the advertising scenario.

As for the 2As, I served on the council for ten years and then as Vice President for four years before becoming President. We have about 140 members ... but we sure could do with more!

We are not very huge associations so we do a lot of things together, by pooling our strengths and doing one good iob instead of spreading ourselves thin.

What's the advertisers' outlook of the current economic pinch?

Gone are the consumerism waves of the good times. I don't think we'll see those sort of spending levels for a long time to come. The current depression in purchasing patterns has affected production of goods. There is a high degree of non-confidence and this can get infectious.

Do you think advertisers should cut their ad budgets in these times?

As an advertiser, I think it is realistic that one has to look at the bottom line. And if the general concern of the consumer is of caution, then the elasticity of the ad dollar may not be as healthy as during good times. So there has to be some sort of cutback. But then it should not be taken to such an extreme where you will lose your edge when the situation recovers. There should be cuts where they hurt the least. I'm against panic solutions or knee-jerk reactions.

These times are obviously good for acquisitions, especially for companies that are not cash strapped. And for companies that are well managed cashflow wise, this is the time to shoot ahead with accelerated speed.

How would you summarise the relationship of the 4As and the 2As? There are three other associations besides us in this industry. I'm talking about the 4As, Advertising Media Own~rs Association (AMOAS) and the Broadcasters Association. We are not very huge associations so we do a lot of things together, by pooling our strengths and doing one good job instead of spreading ourselves thin. The 2As does not impose upon the rest of the group a father-like mentality, unlike some other markets I know of. We work and share our strengths and weaknesses.

Especially in these difficult times.

Agencies are underpricing themselves to stay competitive. What do you think of this?

Advertising is a quality business. Price is relative to the power of the idea. If advertisers are getting a bargain in these trying times, so be it. But there's a limit to the extent agencies can undervalue their services. If cheap prices mean that talented people eventually leave the industry, then I feel these are dangerous consequences.

From a business perspective do you see Malaysia as a boon for Singapore?

Oh yes. And it works both ways. There are too many similarities in both markets which a wise businessman cannot afford to ignore. This homogeneity is great when you do business across borders. I find Malaysians nicer people than Singaporeans. They take the time to go out of their way to be hospitable. Maybe here, we're just too wrapped up in the rat race.

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How public

relations is

shaping up in

South Bridge Road is a very very long road.

For the uninitiated, walking the wrong direction can be very frustrating. Anyway ADoi found its bearings after checking some landmarks and arrived in time to interview Gregory Tan, . President of the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore (IPRS) at their secretariat housed in 43B, South Bridge Road. Gregory who is also the director of public relations consultancy BSG Communications darted from the boardroom at the far end of the office as I trudged my way in.

He is a big man with a big smile and a big handshake "Why are all public relations people always so cheerful?" I heard myself say under my breath. Gregory immediately put me at ease, introduced everyone at the Secretariat to me and quickly whisked me to the boardroom. We got down to business in no time as I felt this man had a lot on his mind ...

Could you give me a quick recap about IPRS? IPRS was formed almost 30 years ago and we have about 500 members currently. Our core activities focus around networking, professional development, education, the IPRS awards, keeping members updated via our newsletter and allowing them to have a say in how the future direction of our industry should be heading through representation.

The value really is in communicating to the public the rationale behind the companyâ&#x20AC;˘s adions.

So definitely public relations has a responsible role to play in this instance.

Some clients are looking at public relations as a cheaper form of publicising their m ssages now that advertising budgets have dwindled. Where do you stand on this?

Well, PR has always been seen by some as a poorer cousin to advertising. But looking objectively at the present economic situation, budgets have been slashed. Some companies have cut their spending by as much as 50% . In a way, PR is a cheaper alternative to advertising. But it is not paid advertising in that sense, so there's no guarantee of media space. Instead you pay a consultant to help.you get publicity in the media for you. While you pay for assured presence in one newspaper with advertising, in public relations you pay a consultant for the possibility of visibility in several newspapers. Generally, comparing, dollar for dollar, PR delivers more visibility and mileage than an ad.

Who are the ma,jor PR companies in the industry and their client base?

We have the usual multinationals like Burson, O&M PR, Hill & Knowlton plus some leading local ones like i.mage, Mileage and Huntington. Most the clients who use PR services are multinationals, GLCs (government linked companies), government bodies and the bigger local clients.

A company is forced to r trench its staff in th s times. How can PR help the company's image?

A good PR consultant should be able to minimise the damage that could threaten the corporate image of a company by being honest in telling the truth. The value really is in communicating to the public the rationale behind the company's

Lion City

actions. So definitely public relations has a responsible role to play in this instance.

As an institute do you meet up with government agenci s from time to time?

Yes, we do meet up with government bodies occasionally and explain our function in the industry. It also a learning curve for those in the government ministries. They like to learn how public relations can help them in the course of their jobs.

What is IPRS fo ussing on for th next few years?

We have identified a few core areas. Education, membership and accreditation of professionalism are some of the areas. As for education, we are looking at education for working professionals and also the public at large. We are looking both internally at the profession and externally at students who wish to excel in the area of PR. We are working very closely with institutions of higher learning to develop our courses.

Would you say th PR profession has matur d as a prestigious alling for young hop fuls?

We are getting there but we are not quite there yet. As I mentioned, establishing true professionalism is one of our priorities. We are studying the feasibility of whether IPRS can accredit individuals, consultancies and organizations first. We hope that through accreditation we can bring the stature of the profession to the levels of doctors or lawyers over time. We have started the ball rolling by accrediting our Diploma and Certificate courses.

What does PRISM stand for?

That's our awards competition held biennially by IPRS. PRISM stands for Public Relations In the Service of Mankind and I think we've held it four times already. It is given to companies and individuals in recognition of their outstanding contributions and achievements in public relations and is a way to raise the level of professionalism. We have various categories like community service, public campaign, work for the environment, event management, crisis management, newsletter, financial relations, student chapter and of course the big one ... the PR Professional of the Year!

SINGAPORE 21MOYbOIJE bookings have dropped. Advertisers are very reactive and will only commit for the short term and sometimes this means weeks.

Can you comment on the problem of collecting payments from advertisers...

We at SPH are lucky because we are the biggest and only newspaper group in the country.

And we insist on bank guarantees to safeguard against defaults on payments.

Unfortunately, the lone publisher out there can't demand for the same sort of security.

Some of them suffer the pain of waiting over four months for payment.

Calling the shots in

Singapore's

media industry Finding the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) News Centre where Lawrence Loh worked was easy. But getting to his office was like wading through a sea of cubicles, people and computer terminals. Lawrence is one man who seems to revel in the hustle and bustle of the newspaper business. His office wall is plastered with greetings cards from anyone who is someone in the media industry. He jokes that it displays he is a popular guy and has many friends. But Lawrence is more than just popular.

With 21 years in the business, he is President of the Advertising Media Owners Association of Singapore (AMOAS), a position he held from two years ago. Lawrence is SPH's General Manager heading the marketing division for display ads. I had 30 minutes to complete my interview with a man who has impressively peppered his academic achievements with stints at Harvard, Cambridge and Stanford.

What is AMOAS and how is it faring?

About a year ago, some members broke away to form the Association of Broadcasters Singapore.

But we still represent many media owners from newspapers, magazines, outdoor, taxi tops, bus backs, radio stations (with the exception of Radio Corporation of Singapore) and others.

Our total membership currently stands at 36.

AMOAS is a forum for media owners to discuss, debate and share views on issues relevant to mutual businesses. W~ have various subcommittees which are also represented by the other associations. Like the sub-committees on Joint Research, Media Circulation Services and the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore.

Have your members been badly affected with the tough times?

Yes, the worst hit have been magazines. There are about 5,000 magazines in Singapore! This figure includes both local and imported titles. So you can see the scene is fiercely competitive and now of course, highly chaotic. Many have closed down, some have suspended publishing and so on. Some members are finding it difficult even to pay their membership dues. I think 1999 will be even tougher. Stock markets which are ruled by sentiment are not fair indicators. Advertising

What is the breakdown of advertising expenditure by media?

Newspapers lead. They command about 51% share according to Adex. TV is about 32% with the rest going to others. This balance has been quite consistent over the years except for radio which doubled from 4% to 8% in the last three years while periodicals dropped from 9% to about 5%.

Do you believe the various media in Singapore have fully developed their potential?

Yes, I think so. Look at outdoor. Many innovations have been introduced in this area.

Whatever that can be done to develop it has been done. Now the only limitations are space.

Plus there's already a saturation of media vehicles in Singapore. There's even a saturation of ad agencies here. This has resulted in many mergers just to stay competitive and afloat.

Tell us your views about new media?

Everybody is talking about cable and the internet. Cable will not be steal the advertising dollar because around the world cable has historically not survived on advertising. It runs on subscription. But cable

will have an impact on people's time in terms of media consumption. Television, due to weak English programming, has lost a lot of viewing time to cable. Cable currently has . 143,000 subscribers. They have wired all HDB flats and all condos will be linked by the end of this year. They've hooked up more than half of landed properties which all means that their subscription base is set to soar. It will be a real threat to TV. The internet is not a major force yet because internet advertising is still very passive. I feel it will not figure in a major way here in the immediate future.

As the biggest media owner, how do you deal

with media independents?

The first to start in Singapore was CIA Media Network . We at SPH were not sure then how to handle them. A lot of local ad agencies got paranoid because they would lose the media part of their business. And this actually happened on some accounts . So the local agencies came to see us at SPH and asked us not to recognise these media independents.

We, as a media owner, felt obligated to protect these agencies who are homegrown shops and have been good to us for so many years. This incident happened about two years ago.

Then again, my personal view is that many local agencies have very weak media thinking. If they just concentrated on creative and production and left the media bit to those who had the infrastructure to do a good job they should be happy. After all, media independents still give back 12% to agencies who engage their services. But because these local outfits developed their organizations over time, the question of pride seeped in. They did not want to lose part of what they took years to build. After CIA Media Network, came Zenith and then Mindshare and Maximise followed¡ suit till we reached a point we realised the media landscape was changing. We had to recognise them but we decided to recognise them as media agents only to the agency they were afflliated to. Unlike other markets, they can't handle media for any agency; only to their host agency.

So Mindshare handles O&M's media, Maximise does the same for JWT and Batey, Mitchell Worldwide for DNC Advertising , OptiMedia for PUBLICIS Eureka, Zenith for Bates and Saatchi, and so on.

We stipulate that they can only buy media for their agency's clients and no one else.

But I know this arrangement won't last for long because you can't buck a worldwide trend.

OMD is the new player and they are with TBWA. Carat hasn't taken off here because they have no affiliations as such. We made an exception for CIA Media Network because they were the first to start this media independent thing. So it's a little bit of rojak!

Is there talk in industry circles about an increase in ad rates?

Nobody dares! The last time we had an increase for newspapers was two years ago.

This is definitely the wrong time to even think about another increase.

ll

Passionata to the one who rules our lives

love

Who is this beloved, this master, who seemingly wields a power wand to control and cajole vulnerable souls like us who are suckers for sweet talk and dreams, liaisons and love poems, challenges and commitment? Who is this lover who lures us to spend evenings where we spend our days, when we should be indulging in sunset pleasures by candlelight, sharing our favourite bottle of wine with a lover more worthy of our time and affection? Who is this obsession, this demon who haunts us mercilessly when we should be enjoying an undiluted holiday in the middle of nowhere? Who is this paramour who dictates where we should eat, when to take a vacation, how to dress, what to do, even when we should go to the bathroom?

But, ah, wait a minute. Let's not dwell on the times when the reality of a questionable love affair pricks like a thorn that flagellates our self-esteem. Rather, let's switch on to violins serenading us under moonlit skies and reflect on the satisfaction, the heavenly fulfillment that far outweighs the gnawing pain and the bittersweet heartache that goes with loving one who remains the love of our life, even if we can never have the luxury and warmth of cuddling up in bed on dark stormy nights. And as the music builds up to a grand finale, we say with conviction and unrestrained passion - hell, it's all worth it!

So on this month of hearts, maybe we can all do a cliche as we shout to camera and greet the one love who rules our lives: Happy Valentine, Advertising!

We know it's a love-hate relationship. Yet we end up rationalizing that love and hate are two faces of the same coin.

So we go on to eternity with this sado-masochistic love affair, knowing fully well it can only be the cause of our jackhammer migraine, our psychotic insomnia, chili-hot gastric and mysterious allergies like unglamourous hives and off-putting sneezing bouts.

As to why we let it happen, intelligent, rational beings that we are, I will never fathom. We can't even remember when exactly did the fire begin. And what a slow burn. For years, the low blue ember was simply a part of our lives, until one day it became a forest fire, a conflagration that has reached the intensity level of everything and everyone all-important to us. Suddenly, life's Priority List has lost its reason for being and whenever this one-level balance is tipped off heavily on one side, chances are, it's this one love who has taken over our lives.

We know it's a love-hate relationship. Yet we end up rationalizing that love and hate are two faces of the same coin. So we go on to eternity with this sado-masochistic love affair, knowing fully well it can only be the cause of our jackhammer migraine, our psychotic insomnia, chili-hot gastric and mysterious allergies like unglamouro us hives and off-putting sneezing bouts. And I'm sure everyone can empathize with the manic-depressive mood swings brought about by the loved one's approval or displeasure , our hearts fluttering on the wings of euphoria one minute and taking a nosedive to rock-bottom blues the next.

"I challenge you! Give nte 5 ntinutes and I'll show you how to expand your sales."

Jay at EXPAND, Tel: 03- 254 3158

Go ahead, make my day! I'm confident once you see EXPAND

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and hear what I have to say, you'll be convinced too. Try it out

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with your sales staff and it could be the perfect way to start

advise you on what works and then your roadshow using

the new year.

EXPAND will definitely be an outstanding success! Thirdly, it's

Why EXPAND?

quality - which means superior reliability and durability.

A million reasons but most importantly it's a portable display

Everything at EXPAND takes seconds to put up, and seconds to

system unlike any other you 've ever seen. Firstly, it's

dismantle. And they'll last a lifetime, take my word for it!

versatile with lots of different ways to get your message across

What have you got to lose?

depending on what you want to say, how and when you want to

5 minutes is all I ask, so call me now at

say it. Sizes.' material, colours, from tents to screens, everything

e-mail: expandasia@ppp.nasionet.net It's time to go to your

is up to you so you can tailor-make your message and present it

customers and EXPAND does it effectively and profitably.

the way you want your customer to see it. Secondly, it'.s mobile

You can EXPAND your sales in these tough times and I'll

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We can place your ad just about anywhere.

Sure, we can place your ad in the press or on the air. But then, so can any other media buyer. So we offer fresh ideas about where, when and how to run your ads. To find out more please call us at: 03-423 3722. Or fax: 03-423 2304.

mediaQ~rtners ~ SON BHD

by Lee Yem Yeng

Smart Strategies for tackling today's

Smart

Consmners By now, many marketers would have already implemented marketing strategies aimed at averting declining brand shares, propping up customer loyalty and fending off competitive threats. For the last 18 months since the economic slowdown, the pressures on brands have been unprecedented and many marketers have never been caught this unprepared.

Insight Research (M) &In Bhd recently completed a major independent qualitative investigation on the impact of the economic slowdown on consumers, how they and their families have been affected. Amongst the key findings, we have found that not only the financially strapped but also a very significant number of ordinary consumers are behaving differently than before.

They are being far more evaluative and serious in considering alternative brands and product choices other than their regular brands.

Keeping a constant look-out for best buys, buying more and buying brands on promotions. Seeking best value but what is defined as value may differ by category. For example, what is perceived as value in the personal care category including facial care and hair care are the emotional experiences of using the brand, the feel good factor, brand trust, maker's reputation, suitability of usage and any unique brand benefits. On the contrary a different set of values are sought after for household care products for example, the superior performance, efficacy, economical usage, volume size, convenient packaging, reliability and good personal usage experience.

They are now being more sensitive about price but weighing values against price is more like it.

Many would not hesitate to downgrade to cheaper alternatives if the brand meets their performance and quality requirements.

Against this backdrop, marketers need to shift consumers' attention to the brand's values and reinforce its value differential vis-avis the competitors.

First and foremost, we need to be certain what are the bundle

i•tia 14

of benefits including both functional and emotional benefits that consumers' value about the brands.

More importantly, what are the benefits considered as distinctive and worth paying for. If none, we may need to look hard at creating the desired values and if necessary, call out the secondary benefits to enhance the value perceptions.

For image products, selfindulgence, individuality projection, status enhancement, stylish lifestyle may not be the popular values now.

For functional products, emotive benefits may need to be seriously considered eg. the emotional feelings and gratifications; how the brand enhances daily life and mood, family life and relationships including their relationship with the children, etc.

They are being far more evaluative and serious in considering alternative brands and product ehoiePs other than their regular brands.

Can the brand be seen to play a role in releasing the daily stress, relaxing us, helping us to escape the pressures, even just momentarily? Other values to be considered should include the brand trust, dependability, quality assurance, money back guarantees.

We are not advocating a change of positioning but a sharper definition of brand values in line

with the new convalues. sumer Knowing what values work, advertising communications and the total brand offerings should advance the value perceptions. There should be no ambiguity in telling consumers what they need to know to make a smart purchase. The bundle of benefits should be spelled out loud and clear, ideally not in a serious way but in some charming and witty manner that consumers appreciate more than ever in the current sobering economic climate.

For more detailed research findings , phone Lee Yem Yeng of Insight Research at 603-274 3226 or email : insight@tm.net.my

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enue mandates set by our colleagues inArmani suits back on Madison Avenue?

OK, OK. That's not entirely fair. A few agency account managers actually amble into their clients' offices & Mono Sdn Bhd with the question, "Will this plan make money for my client?" But even that is the wrong question. And, as they review the agency plans, clients have their own set of petty thoughts.

Is this plan within budget guidelines? Am I getting the biggest bang for my buck? Where has the agency inflated estimates?

OK, OK. That's also not entirely fair. A few clients actually respond to the agency's plans with, "Will this plan help sell my product?"

But that's still the wrong question. So what's the right question agencies and clients should be asking?

If 'how much profit will we make' isn't it, then what is? If the purpose of marketing is not about making money, what is the purpose?

The good Professor Theodore Levitt of Harvard Business School answers simply. He believes you should work above all 'to make and keep a customer'. And according to the British Institute of Marketing, marketing is all about 'identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably'.

No one is suggesting here that profits are undesirable. But if clients and agencies think more about customer requirements and less about making money, chances are excellent they'll end up selling more products and services. And not just short term sales. Sales that can be more easily turned into long-term, mutu-

Want greater marketing

success?

Forget about making money

By Kurt Crocker

Partner at Drayton Brrd, Crocker

Forget about making money? Are we mad?

These days, more than ever, hearing those cash registers ring seems to be the single most important hope and dream of any business, big or small.

Right? Well, yes, without money, you have no business. But think about that for a minute. Where does the money come from in the first place? You make money if you have a product or service that's desirable enough to be purchased in volumes large enough for you to exceed breakeven costs.

But that's not marketing. That's Accounting 101. Unfortunately, even in times when money's not as tight as it is here now, the two disciplines are confused. Quite a few sellers of products and services, plus agency folks responsible for growing their brands, tend to use accounting mentalities when marketing decisions are called for.

Agency account managers amble into their clients' offices, marketing plans and creative concepts in hand, with petty thoughts on their minds. How much money will this plan earn for our agency? Is there enough high-margin advertising in the plan to earn the really big bucks? Will production costs for creative eat into our media budget? Will this agency plan help achieve rev-

ally-beneficial customer relationships.

Profitably should simply be an inward promise to deliver on customer requirements as costefficiently as possible. Greater marketing success is really all about how well you follow the golden rule of that Texas millionaire I often quote: "Find out what your customers need and want, give it to them, and get rich."

How can you apply this selfless 'consumer centric' and ultimately more successful thinking to your next campaign? A few ideas ...

Find out what your customers (or your client's customers) need and want through lead generation advertising, and fulfill their needs and wants by selling to them directly, or through delivery of information and offers that encourage purchase.

You can also mail directly to a profile of prospects who are most likely to need and want your product or service. Or to a segment of your customers with likely needs and wants for crosssells or upgrades. You can engender loyalty simply by mailing a 'thank you' after a first purchase.

And by communicating regularly to customers with information about new products, exclusive offers, special promotions. When done properly, a cycle of communication says a lot about how much you care about their relationship with you. You can satisfy a need for 'special treatment' by grouping high-value customers and reward them for greater purchase volumes.

These strategies, of course, scream for the inclusion of Direct Marketing in that aforementioned marketing plan. But after all, as my good friend and colleague Drayton Bird says, Direct Marketing is 'one step closer to perfect marketing'.

lndah Water

. bounces back!

The ads are both an explanation of the real situation and a wake-up call to all Malaysians that IWK needs their help to get the job done. lndah Water Konsortium {IWK) recently launched on advertising campaign to tell all Malaysians what it was doing, what it hod done and its plans for the future. Market feedback revealed that very few actually knew about IWK's role, or the size and scope of the job it hod been entrusted with. Word has it that since privotisotion, there hod been many decisions mode, that in hindsight, hove not led to a situation of mutual understanding between IWK and its customers . This lock of understanding led to probelms where many households and businesses did not understand the necessity to pay for IWK's services. The recent advertising blitz was meant to correct this uninformed perception .

What followed was a campaign that explained in "Bite-Sized Chunks" IWK's position. The campaign began with a series of press "educational" ads explaining the need for IWK's services in modern Malaysia . It talked about IWK's role and where they fit in the water cycle, what their responsibilities ore and also the customers' responsibilities.

The second phase of the campaign utilised both TV and press. The emotive medium of TV was harnessed to help people understand the size and the scope of the job faced by IWK and that they did a whole lot more than just empty out septic tanks. Combined with this push was another series of press ads which showed that despite all the work done, a lot more needed to be done and showed that if Malaysians were to think they lived in a modern country, they needed a sewerage system that could support its infrastructure. The job IWK has to do is not pretty. The ads are both an explanation of the real situation and a woke-up call to all Malaysians that IWK needs their help to get the job done. The agency behind this campaign is Bozell Worldwide Sdn Bhd. Executive Creative Director/Copywriter David Perryman .

Art Director- Marvin Chan .

Audio-Visual Producer - Farah Salleh .

Account Service - Kuan.

10

Since privatisation there have been decisions made, that in hindsight, have not led to a situation of mutual understanding between IWK and its customers .

IF THE WORLD SPINS, WH\' SHO

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ILD YOUR ADVERTISING STAND STILL

ADoi chats to the man who's putting the Mike Bennett, a former International Creative Director with J. Wolter Thompson for 30 years has finally settled in Malaysia as on educationist.

professional into

professorship

The benefit is that though economic difficulties are forcing Malaysians to discover us; rather than assuming that a US, Australian or British tertiary education is better, they are fmding that our own home-grown One Academy is delivering results which are streets ahead of institutions in foreign countries.

ADoi: You're now Director of Advertising Studies at The One Academy of Communication Design.

Is it strange to find yourself teaching?

global centre of communications design excellence. That's the basic mission of our founders, Tatsun Hoi and Veronica Ho. I share it.

Mike: Not really. For many years I

ADoi: We know advertising is com-

was a Creative Director and that must be a teaching job apart from anything else. Anyway I've always done some kind of teaching whilst working. Like at the Royal College of Art in London and Syracuse University in New York State. But there's a difference: in agencies people tend to think that because they have a job, they know it all.

All they really want to do is impress their friends. So it's good now to have an audience which pays attention and money.

petitive. What about education?

ADoi: What do you think of Malaysian education?

Mike: You're a teacher as well, Ham. You know the problems. Our students are wonderful but they are afraid of ideas because these come from opinions, which means you have to articulate them in front of other people and run the risk of being challenged. Partly this comes from family background and partly from educational traditions here.

It is a problem our Minister of Education, Dato' Seri Najib has tackled and wishes to change by encouraging discussion in class. I'm his biggest fan and we are doing it.

ADoi: You are the Director of Advertising Studies; what does that involve?

Mike: I set policy for the advertising courses and if everything goes to plan it will turn us from being South East Asia's premier communications faculty into the force which will make this region a

Mike: How many ad companies are there in Malaysia? Maybe seven hundred. How many would you trust with your business? Maybe ten.

Education's just the same: lots of people making lots of promises. I'd say that we deliver what others promise. Other colleges may have a million computers but do they have one tutor who knows more than how to turn them on? We do. Our students win awards for their work.

Our promise is 'excellence, excellently taught' and everyone in the whole college is dedicated to exactly that.

Just look at our students' work.

That's all you need to do.

ADoi: Is the economy making things tough for the college?

Mike: Let me put that another way.

It's making things tough for some of our students whose parents are finding it hard to pay the fees .

The benefit is that though economic difficulties are now forcing Malaysians to discover us; rather than assuming that a US, Australian or British tertiary education is better, they are fmding that our own home-grown One Academy is delivering results which are streets ahead of institutions in foreign countries. Indeed we've started exporting education in the form of the many foreign students now on campus.

The One Academy is certainly not a but poor man's alternative a discerning person's first choice.

Sukom'98 I

roped in the numbers

A total of 10.3 million Malaysian adults, or 94 per cent of the country's population above 15 years, watched at least part of the recent 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala lumpur on TV, making it one of the biggest TV draws in 1998. The closing and opening ceremonies were the biggest TV audience pullers with 3.7 million adults respectively watching them on any TV channel. These are some of the findings of an analysis conducted by leading media specialist Zenith Media Malaysia to study the games' impact on Malaysian TV viewers and is now available on CD-ROM. Advertising spent approximately RM7 million on TV spots and there were a total of 2,726 commercials aired during the Games telecast.

"Malaysia is definitely well down the path of the worldwide trend of sports pulling in bigger and bigger TV audiences," observed Gerald Miranda, chief executive officer of Zenith Media Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur today. "It is also opportune for Malaysia that events like Sukom '98 and Formula¡ One motor racing have resulted in the commissioning of world class sports infrastructure facilities here. This will lead to not only increased popularity of sports but also increased live and TV audience participation."

Apart from its findings on such sporting events, Zenith Media has also produced a CD-ROM version of its annual 'Media in Malaysia' handbook, a guide to the media industry in Malaysia. It is one of the most authoritative and exhaustive publication of its kind covering local TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinema, video, rediffusion and outdoor media.

JWT is Shell's

Global Ad Agency!

J Walter Thompson (JWf) has been appointed Shell International's global advertising agency for oil products outside of North America, and the ad agency stands to pick up an extra US$45 million in business.

The move is designed to provide greater cost efficiency for Shell and a consistent global strategy and communications plan for the oil products business, which includes more than 40,000 branded petrol stations serving 20 million retail customers a day.

JWT first started working with Shell two years ago in Asia and the European business came on board in 1997. JWT will now be handling business in Africa, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Latin America, which moves from Ogilvy and Mather.

Commenting on JWT's global appointment, Raoul Pinnell,

global head of brands and communications for Shell International, "There is a significant prize in being able to manage our communications under one umbrella. This shift to one agency will enable us to save costs and have a consistent global strategy and communications plan. Although Shell is in the top 1000 spenders on international advertising, using a range of different agencies has not allowed us to maximise the impact of the spend.

That does not mean that it is right to do everything globally. JWT will still be producing locally commissioned work but it will be all under the same strategy," During the last two years, Shell has been making and showing global commercials in over 40 markets around the world, exploiting its connection with Ferrari and its Formula 1 team.

A very lucky thirteen years and three and a half agencies later, I have nearly come a full circle. Starting my agency life as a lowly media planner in the mother of all media markets India, and living through arguably

With increasing media choices and the accompanying progressive fragmentation of audiences, we have all witnessed the evolution of the media specialists some of whom continue to be housed within the traditional agency set-up while others fmd themselves in the new environs of media independents.

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST

by Abh11eet Dutta Ray Assoc1ate V1ce Pres1dent & Med1a D1rector McCann Enckson Strateg1c Med1a, New Delh1

.

the most tumultous times in SE Asia subsequently, I have now landed back in what can now be safely called the grandmom of media markets in Asia (sharing the platform with China in terms of complexity ) - India.

With increasing media choices and the accompanying progressive fragmentation of audiences, we have all witnessed the evolution of the media specialists some of whom continue to be housed within the traditional agency set-up while others find themselves in the new environs of media independents . No doubt, this evolution is far from over.

Regardless of how the media specialists organize themselves, there are clearly some fundamental truths about the media function

which will, in my mind at least, at some point bring it full circle and back into the folds of what I would term communication agencies.

My belief is grounded on the following rationales: a) The Media Strategist who determines the optimal communication mix to interact with an advertiser's potential target market needs to be part of the development process of the advertising. No media strategy development process can exist in isolation. b) The Media Strategist needs to continue to be part of the communication stewardship team, as dynamism in the market place or media markets will necessarily need almost instant remedial tactics and perhaps even strategic

Ad Fest

beckons!

I

n early March, somewhere in the big

holiday playground of Pattaya in Thailand, a two-day event billed as the Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (AdFest) '99 will come to life. Advertising agencies from all over Asia, including March 3 - 5, 1999 Pattaya, Thailand Australia and New Zealand will vie for creative accolades dished out in tribute to some of the best advertising in the region. Dubbed as the 'Cannes of the East', the AdFest this year promises fun and challenge in one go. Exhibitions, screenings of Asia's top television commercials and

tf.rla Paetfie tfrlv-e-1" tl.rilfj re.rtlv-al

talks by international advertising luminaries will take centre stage in a festival that's destined to pull in advertising's creative elite.

An exclusive all-in-one package is now available for Malaysian delegates interested to attend this star-studded festival from March 3 to 5 in Pattaya. It includes return airfare from KL to Bangkok, airport transfers to Pattaya and back, registration fees (for all events, welcome cocktail reception, two buffet lunches, breakfasts, final awards presentation and gala dinner) and venue hotel stay (twin-sharing) for three nights, all for only RM 3,300 per person. To ensure your place, call Matthew at 03-719 8195.

shift in the media decisions. c) The Media Operations team, who are responsible for the execution of communication plans and the postbuy analysis can well be organized as a separate entity for commercial sense. However, even here, to complete the loop in terms of being accountable for the designed and desired media deliveries, ultimately there needs to be close interaction between the media strategists and the executors. d) With the ever increasing levels of advertising clutter and the trend towards wallpaper effect of category advertising, the most successful (read effective) and impactful advertising will come from the communication companies who have their full act together. The full act

consists of brilliant advertising planning, breakthrough creative and insightful communication solutions. These three brains, so to speak, must co-exist under the same roof.

So much for the media specialists. Should we shift our attention to the media owners for a quick last word?

With stunted ad budgets and increasing pressures on keeping market share, there is clearly a trend - at least amongst the bigger media companies to diversify into media forms other than what they currently deal in. More so in the case of print, who, notwithstanding some brave attempts to plod along are losing ad revenues to electronic media rapidly. Multiple-media companies who organize their commercial businesses well and offer competitive cross media deals will certainly come out on top.

Those who are unable to organize themselves as such will find it useful in building strategic alliances with other media companies with a view to offer multiple-media solutions to advertisers.

The lone rangers are in the most vulnerable position depending on the state of the advertising industry, they might end up getting more or less slaughtered!

NOW SHOWING!

McCANN-ERICKSON's CONSUMER

INSICHTS

McCann-Erickson puts you in touch with the Malaysian consumer.

As part of an ongoing, global initiative, executives at McCann Malaysia meet with groups of consumers in Kuala Lumpur every month.

Findings from these group discussions form the basis of brand strategy and creative selling ideas.

In this month's issue we share snippets of information on wh at Family Builders, women in the age group of 30 to 40 years, think about their life in Malaysia today, their food habits and so on .

Sources of Satisfaction I Dissatisfaction Their sources of satisfaction I dissatisfaction were expressed in 'emotional' terms , not in 'material' terms - their needs for LOVE, RESPECT, A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, INTIMACY WITH THE HUSBAND, were stronger than their needs for A COMFORTABLE HOME, A CAR OR EXPENSIVE CLOTHES. This was more in evidence with the Malay h ousewife.

My daughter's babble, my husband's love , my husband's need for me , the co-operation I receive from my family, my graduate degree, the promotion I received at work, etc. figured as important sources of personal satisfaction.

Trends with regard to food and eating • Cookery programmes on television and radio are foun d interesting and appealing by the h ousewife, who watches them with attention and involvement. Brand advertising during these programmes could have a positive impact, due to high attention levels in evidence.

• 'Baking' is a popular activity with many h ousewives, especially during the fes tive season. Cookies and Cakes are happily and lovingly prepared for families. Baking symbolises a successful , caring, capable housewife, especially fo r the Malays. Table-top oven models are popular currently.

• 'Fruit juice' is not yet an important part of their lives. They prefer a fresh fruit as dessert. Find fruit juices to be over priced , and not value-for-money. There is also a feeling, that juices in tetrapaks or tins 'cannot be fresh , so why spend on it ?'

• The teapot is a popular symbol in Malay households. It symbolises loving, bonded , happy families with the housewife at the centre of all familial activity. The teapot brand is well kn own, better known in the local langu age as SUSU CAP TEKO, a name well liked and imprinted on the Malay mind .

• There is conscious consumption of more fruits and vegetables in the h ome today, than there has been in the recent past. They spen d less on eating out, but continue to spend on nutritious and wholesome food for the family.

The Media The Newspaper I printed word is a more powerful source of information and entertainment for the h ousewife than the Radio . The written word is found more credible, and impacts attitudes and behaviour. Television is found relaxing and entertaining, but is a form of entertainment that is looked at and forgotten - transient and temporary, with no significant cognitive take-out from TV programmes apparent. METRO, a newspaper tabloid , with juicy bits of news about people, appears to be enj oyable and very popular.

A colourful layout, good coverage of 'up-to-date' news , information on people's lifestyles and behaviour, cookery tips, beauty tips, help increase the popularity of newspapers.

Media reach at super markets, hyper markets, night markets also needs to be enriched, strengthened. Media messages should be more fun, less dreary and conventional.

For further Information/Insights, feel free to call: Dr Deenaz Damania, Director of Consumer Research & Training.

E-mail: deenaz_damania@mccann.com Tel: 03 -2334794 Fax : 03-2305598

•

33rd Publication Design Annual This volume celebrates the

•

most outstanding editorial design produced in 1997. It features work done for publications in all areas; consumer, trade, corporate and online magazines, annual reports, newspapers, and Sunday supplements. This body of extraordinary work constitues on essential reference tool for all graph ic designers, educators, students, corporate communication executives, editors, and publishers. The design, photography and illustration represented within these pages will serve as on inspiration to all in the publishing industry.

The Crtdt of lCopywriting The Craft of Copywriting

is for anyone who wonts to know how advertisements ore mode. You may be o student taking o course in advertising or just starting as o trainee in on agency. You may be o young copywriter who wonts to know more, or on established copywriter interested in how o colleague sees the business.

You may be o brand manager, keen to understand better the creative work presented to you, or you may hove nothing to do with advertising but simply be interested in the power of the written word.

New Design: Los Angeles

•

New Design:

Los Angeles tokes in the electic variety of the Los Angles graphic design scene, from new-media pioneers, whose rule-bending experiments hove hod o resonant impact on print, advertising, television, and motion graphics, to seasoned practitioners whose style has influenced the look and language of graphic design internationally. Open these pages to rich collection of graphic design work from one of the world's most fascinating cities.

New Design is an eye-opening collection of innovative graphic design from the world's major design centres. This inspiring series explores firsthand the unique design challenges and the cultural and social factors that have shaped the featured work.

All the above titles are available at Page One Bookshop in Lot 10, KL.

What does the

future hold?

â&#x20AC;˘ )

I would like to share with you 10 trend sightings and prognostications on the coming millennium.

I believe they have relevance to all fields of business and can influence cosumer behaviour: 1. THE EVER DEMANDING CONSUMER Consumer satisfaction is defined by immediacy above quality. Today's world operates at hyper speed - same day delivery, live news, Direct TV, PC banking.

Consumers are also demanding for more products to be tailored to their needs. Efforts to do so include 24-hour retail establishments from bookstores to coffee houses, computerized-fit Levi's jeans, personlized videos for kids, and personalized marketing campaigns.

We can expect to see more advertisers and audiences in one-on-one marketing. Mass marketing will be obsolete.

2. THE POWER OF THE INTERNET The number of Internet users worldwide is estimated at around 100 million in Canada, 64mil in USA, over 19mil in Europe and 14mil in AsiaPacific. The Internet is expected to take a greater hold of the world within the next decade. One reason is the obvious impact computers have had in our lives because they no longer represent just technology but also community and communicating.

Expect marketeers to use online chats to talk about their brands and products and services.

Controversial maybe, but a sure business trend ..

3. THE MILLENIUM BLUE How do we associate an entity with the promise of the future? Renaming a company? Using words such as "the millenium" in a tagline?

Colours? Research conducted in 41 countries shows that blue is favoured as the colour of the millennium. Respondents said blue represented sky, water, peace, and infinity. M&Ms launched their new blue over pink or purple, Pepsi is using more blue this year in their packaging, theres a new ice blue lipstick available, Amex introduced a new blue card, and the list goes on.

This article focuses on some of the key trends of the new millenium that are being tracked by several Brand ..futurists.. in the US.

4. THE NEW WOMAN CONSUMER Females do not only have more money but they also have a greater say in which products thrive or fail.

Teen girls led the movie "Titanic" to billion dollar success. Girls also buy more records than guys. In the US, women are buying up houses and cars. In fact, more designers are tailor-making homes for single women.

Back home, TV stations are showing more programmes for women, and with a specific women's belt.

5. IN SEARCH OF SPIRITUALITY Perhaps in response to an increased fear of the millennium, consumers are seeking solace in the mysticism and sprituality of New Age religion. Buddhism is growing fast with 750,000 believers, the Hindu population in the US has grown from 70,000 in 1977 to 700,000 today, and Gurus like Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra are raking in followers. The influence of Islam is gaining dominance across many parts of the Far East.

6. GREENER APPROACHES Consumers are increasingly becoming more environmentally conscious.

The "pure" consumer is showing signs of embracing green products, natural cosmetics, medicine, organic food, emphasising on energy conservation, and employing eco-friendly building techniques. What about an era of "green" automobiles?

7. IN PRAISE OF PARENTHOOD Parenting will be touted as the

most professional career of the decade. Parents will be held to higher standards as more choices become available. In the future, parents will have to find a network of helpers to cope with the demands of their children, especially working parents. Quality time and traditional family bonding are still important family institutions, as long as children do not outgrow these values too fast.

8. AN INCREASINGLY FRAGMENTED WORLD TV programmers will experience greater fragmentation in TV audiences as more and more viewers spend time on their PC. The proliferation of online news means competition for traditional media. The vast array of information channels available lets us select our own media diet.

It is up to us to decide which vehicle of information we find

more accessible. Futurists predict that channel surfers will give up their TV remotes in favour of the keyboard. Targetting may not be such a simple exercise anymore.

9. THE BIG FEAR There will be endless questions about ourselves and our families.

Will my job become obsolete?

Are my children learning the right skills? As John Naisbitt points out: "The millennium is a metaphor for the future; wrapped up in it are our greatest hopes and our greatest fears ."

We know changes lie ahead but how dramatic will they be?

Consumers do not know where to find the answers. They can only look for things they can trust and relationships with brands that will help them through professionally and emotionally.

10. POLITICIANS WITH BODIES ARE IN AND THOSE WITH LIBIDO ARE OUT Need I elaborate on what the above means ... let's just say goodbye to the latter and welcome the former with open arms.

Malaysia's hottest new film production house is now set to blaze trails in the local commercial film production scene. Propelled by seasoned producer Charles Dass and film director Adrian Tang, who have over 20 years of experience between them, Empire Studios is backed by the Mula Group of Companies and is poised to deliver impressive high-end results at post-boom prices.

Empire Studios also boasts a repertoire of foreign and regional film directors to suit the individual requirements of every production job. "We are here for the long run;' quips Charles, "That's why we are very realistic with our prices while not compromising on our quality standards:'

Penthouse Suite 1006 Block A, Level 10 Kelana Centre Point 3jlnSS 7/19 Kelana Jaya 47301 Petaling Jaya Selangor Tel: 603- 705 5531 Fax: 603-705 5532 e-mail: empire_ 1@tm.net.my

STUDIOS

cycle, which animators used to rotoscope the motion onto the computer model of Mirinda Man. This would form the basis of Mirinda Man's running motion.

Many days of further fine tuning fmally created the desired motion right down to the Ben Johnson hip sway. live The camera action moves were carefully matched by

While maintaining an international look, the spots do have an unmistakable Malaysian flavour.

The (re) making of c bySteve Bristow

)

P epsi Man first appeared in the USA a couple of years ago to champion the cause of truth and justice, the Pepsi way. The goofy anti-hero has now reached Malaysian shores in the guise of Mirinda Man. BBDO Malaysia was responsible for the re-creation of the Mirinda Man TV commercials for Malaysian television.

While maintaining an international look, the spots do have an unmistakable Malaysian flavour.

Local talents and locations made sure of that. It was intentional that Mirinda Man looked like he was somewhere in Asia but the agency stopped short of adding mamak stalls on the sidewalks, and the result is a surrealistic non-specific Malaysian locale.

Production houses PRS and Fat Lizard collaborated to create the commercials - PRS looked after the live action while Fat Lizard animated and composited the computer generated Mirinda Man. After scouring computer model libraries over internet, Fat Lizard located a suitable athletic model in a U.S. collection. After taking delivery of the model by email, many days of remodelling saw Malaysia's Mirinda Man take shape. While the original Pepsi Man was animated at Industrial Light and Magic using motion derived from athlete Ben Johnson, for the Malaysian version a local athlete was cast and reference footage shot as a guide for the animators at Fat Lizard to study.

Meanwhile at PRS, set building, talent casting and location recce's kept producers busy until the shoot days. Shooting empty backgrounds to composite the animated character at first seemed like an easy call.

However during pre-production it became clear that problems of staging, timing of camera moves, shadow casting, and reac-

26

Mirinda Man

Local talents and locations made sure of that. It was intentional that Mirinda Man looked like he was somewhere in Asia but the agency stopped short of adding mamak stalls on the sidewalks. The result is a surrealistic non-specific Malaysian locale. tions of real talents would make it essential to shoot a live stand-in of Mirinda Man for most scenes. After rehearsing a scene, the stand-in would step out and then "empty takes" were shot for use as the background plates.

Back at Fat Lizard, photographic stills of a running cycle from photographer Edwaerd Muybridge's "Studies In Human Motion" were scanned into the computer. Playing back the sequence revealed a perfect run

Fat Lizard's animators, allowing them render the Mirinda Man with correct perspective and motion relative to the live action backplates.

Reflections on Mirinda Man's metallic body were drawn from live action, as well as from photographic stills shot at all the locations and sets.

Agency - BBDO Malaysia Creative Director- Soon Cheng Sun Account Director - Mel Ooi Eusie Art Director - Jacklyne Chung Copywriter - Elena Yeo Producer - Sam Yong Film Production House - PRS Film Director - Fredrick Boklund Executive Producer - Andy Sim Producer - Ridzuan Yusof Director of Photography - Nan Sulong Animation House - Fat Lizard Animation Director - Steve Bristow Producer - Jessica Low Animators/Compositors - Goh Aun Hoe, Raymond Seah , Liu Pee Hieng , Wan Yee Ch ia

DON'T GET MAD

There are still a few copies of the Malaysian Advertising Directory (MAD) left. To get a copy call 03-651 9399 or 017-888 8499 and ask for Rani.

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Dentsu seeks to buy into Leo Burnett but also prestigious local clients. If we have such Leo Burnett offers comparatively less Dentsu's planned investment in Leo Burnett clients, it will stimulate people working in our conflict. "They are particularly strong in packmay prove a pathway to achieving the Japanese agencies," Momose says. Winning major Western aged goods," says Momose of Burnett, adding agency's cherished goal to become a major interthat there are many opportunities for Burnett's national player, alongside WPP, IPG, and clients outside Japan has proved almost imposnetwork to handle Dentsu's clients overseas. But Omnicom. It may also prove significant in mainsible for Dentsu. Only one, Nestle, works with whether General Motors would welcome Honda, taining Dentsu's unquestioned dominance of the Dentsu across Japan, Asia, Europe, and North or another Japanese rival, on Burnett's roster world's second largest advertising market.

America. Hopes are that combined forces will remains to be seen Even so, Momose quickly help each win more business from these, and Yutaka Narita, Dentsu's president links rejects any suggestion that ties to Y&R could be other multinationals around the world. the two, "If we miss the opportunity now to weakening. "We are very happy with our relaglobalize our business, we will have to be Then there is the need to serve Dentsu's tionship with Y&R. In DY&R we have both good content with being the No. 1 Japanese local Japanese clients abroad. At home, Dentsu hanclients and good people. We value that relationagency. We would then run the risk of losing our dles many competing clients. For example, it ship, it is very important to us," said Momose advantage in the domestic market." handles consumer electronics for Hitachi, who added that Narita and Y&R's Georgescu Toshiba, Matsushita (Panasonic), Sony, NEC, As the world's major advertisers increasdiscussed the proposed new partnership in Sharp, Sanyo, and JVC, among others. Auto ingly seek to work with global agencies, both detail and that Georgescu had spoken highly of clients include Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Daihatsu, WPP and Omnicom have added muscle to their Burnett and recommended them as a suitable Yamaha, Mercedes, and Ford. "There are a numJapan operations. WPP partnered with Asatsu in additional partner for Dentsu. ber of clients who would like to utilize Dentsu's August while Omnicom bought two lesser Though it is not a Japanese agencies. Similar name to conjure with in pressures are building up As the worldâ&#x20AC;˘s maior advertisers increasingly seek to work with global the USA or Europe, DY&R within Dentsu's relations is a success in Asia where with its major Japanese agencies, both WPP and Omnicom have added muscle to their Japan most of its US$1.3 Billion clients. operations.

WPP partnered with Asatsu in August while Omnicom bought billings (1997) emanate.

At home, Dentsu has Across the region, includdominated Japan's advertistwo lesser Japanese agencies. Similar pressures are building up within ing Japan, DY&R ranks ing industry for decades.

Dentsuâ&#x20AC;˘s relations with its maior Japanese clients. sixth after Dentsu, 'IW:ice as big as its nearest Hakuhodo, McCanns, competitor, Hakuhodo, it services not only in Japan but also outside. And Asatsu and Tokyu. Part of DY&R's success is regularly buys over 20% of all media, including in some countries there are strict rules about down to a client mix split almost equally 40% of prime time TV. Most major advertisers account conflicts, so we need three separate between Japanese, Western multinational, and are Dentsu clients, and the agency has strong channels - DY&R, our own network of Dentsu local clients - a factor clear to Momose that his links with government and the bureaucracy. Yet agencies, and, if all goes as we would wish, our predecessors had overlooked. despite the power, privilege, and pots of money, new relationship with Leo Burnett," explained Japan's recession adds urgency for Dentsu achieving stature internationally has proved a Momose, who declined to cite any specific client to achieve its international goals. Overall billings humbling experience for Dentsu. In 1997, on a names, saying that such talks were only just may be down over 10% this year and could drop non-consolidated basis only 15% of Dentsu's beginning in earnest.

US$ 14.4 billion billings came from outside further next year. While Western agencies are Another ,attraction is Burnett's 49% Japan. And that includes all of DYR. A scant quick to cut staff numbers, Dentsu continues to stake in Bartle, Bogle, Hegarty. "We hope very honor the traditional Japanese promise of lifereturn on an investment approaching much to be able to work with them, but nothing time employment it makes as new recruits join.

US$ 1 billion over the past 15 years. has been finalized yet," said Momose.

Though negotiations have still some way During an earlier bleak spell in Japan, And fourthly, "The three agencies to go, Dentsu hopes for a new global partnership Dentsu watched its net income drop by 64% to [Dentsu, Y&R, and Leo Burnett] share a common with Leo Burnett to augment its existing US$23,951,00 from 1993 to 1994 whilst keeping corporate culture and philosophy, the emphasis relationship with Y&R. "We are looking for a staff numbers almost unchanged at over 5,000 in on human values, and long standing client relaglobal partnership," said Nobuo Momose, a 66 the main agency, plus over 3,000 in Japanese tionships, and so there are strong similarities year-old executive VP of Dentsu Inc in Tokyo. subsidiaries. Future growth in revenues must between the outlook of people working in each And that should enable to double the internacome largely from overseas since both market company," says Momose. Even so, Momose says tional share of its billings to 30%, which he sees share gains and revenue growth in Japan will be all three will continue to operate separately, puras the minimum for Dentsu to join the top table. difficult. Of course in size alone, Dentsu already suing their own agendas.

According to informed agency sources, ranks high - 1997's Gross income of US$ 1.98 Despite Burnett's global merits, it is in the Dentsu's investment, which would not be recipBillion ranked it fourth behind Omnicom, WPP, USA that Dentsu initially has the direst needs. rocated, could start at 10% but might later rise and IPG that year. Even so, gross income was Account conflicts between Dentsu and Y&R have as high as 20% or 25%, with a deal fmalized by US$ 1.4 billion below Interpublic's and, more often blocked DY&R from taking Japanese busiMarch 1999. But whatever the figures, neither a importantly heavy dependency on Japan, once a ness. Though it is the key international market for merger or takeover is not on the cards. "We strength, is now a structural weakness. many Japanese marketers, and accounts for 35% respect each other's independence and have With the Burnett deal, Dentsu executives of global ad billings, i.t only provides around 2% of never discussed M&A," said Momose. "We are believe they can boost international to account Dentsu's billings outside Japan. ¡ pursuing a new kind of alliance, a structured, for 30% of the gross early in the next decade. flexible relationship."

As recently as 1996, Young & Rubicam sold Helping that push will be a resurgent Burnett its 50 percent stake in the Lord, Dentsu Los Angeles Burnett's attraction is four fold. where Rick Fizdale plans to spend his own war office to Dentsu. One reason for the change was The two agencies share many clients, chest plus an estimated US$200 million of because Dentsu's efforts to seek automotive including Philip Morris, McDonald's, Procter & Dentsu's money beefmg up Burnett's operations accounts in the United States had been hindered by Gamble, Coca Cola, Nintendo and Disney. "If to try and win a place at the top table for Y&R's relationship with Ford. Paradoxically, Ford Dentsu is to operate as a successful multinationBurnett also. All good news for Dentsu who with fired JWT in Japan earlier this year to join most of al agency, the client roster is very important. three networks in place may be on the verge of its Japanese rivals as a Dentsu client in Tokyo.

It should have not only major Japanese clients, a Japanese hattrick!

1

1

Review not needed; just choose FHM

After all, it's a guy thing For advertising enquiries, call JimmyjTze Khay at 03-724 2180

Ham, I would like to congratulate you and your entire team for putting up such a marvellous magazine for the ad industry. It definitely falls into the "must read" category.

I was just curious that your guys may have reversed the trans, for the picture of Maurice Levy on Page 4 (Dec'98/Jan'99 issue) You see, his hair's parting is on the left side (picture on the front cover) but on page 4, it's on the right!

Ham, it only goes to show that I really read your magazine!

Have a good day and please & convey my sincere wishes to your team and keep up the good work!

DSPL Mi

20WX4 Sff.K/MANU

Malaysia's only advertising radio show

turns ONE

©

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Regards, Loke Kar Yew Region Manager - North F&N Coca-Cola (M) Sdn Bhd Editor's note: Thank you for your kind words and you're absolutely right about us reversing the trans. We were exercising some artistic balance!

That's right! ADTALK on Radio 4 is one year old. Over 100 guests have come and gone. Creative directors, film directors, media gurus, marketing pros, adver­ tising icons, research pundits, big advertisers, celebrity speakers, educationists and more. Faithfully every week, seasoned advertising personality Faridah Merican plays host to the Who's Who in Malaysian advertising. They talk, laugh, yak, chortle their way through one hour on the only radio show that covers news, views and issues in the Malaysian ad industry.

It comes on live on 9.03FM at 9.03am every Wednesday. Tune in to get a dose of what's hot and what's not in the local ad scene. Market research compa­ ny ACNielsen indicates that over 56,000 listeners tune in to the show.

Syabas Faridah and power to you. Let the show go on!

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VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Perspectives on Healthcare Advertisina

While shocks last ITs healthy to win!

It was a cold winter morning. In the weekend. In fact, it was eight my small heated room in North times more than usual. The London, I surfed the net catching up unprecedented demand has result­ on the news in the local papers. ed in stock shortages in some of our Almost all had the news of the restaurants, for which we apologise. impending Royal Wedding, but an Please be informed that we are interesting item in The Sun took my working with our suppliers to mind away to what I wrote about in resolve the situation."

ADoi four months ago...

It was a kind of a coup, trans­ McDonald's UK had massive forming an almost disastrous cam­ plans to celebrate the 25th anniver­ paign into a massive public relations sary of the Big Mac on January 2. exercise and McDonald's looked The British public was bombarded very much a very concerned corpo­ with TV commercials, press ads and rate citizen in the eyes of the public. billboards of the impending weekWhat can Malaysian compa­ long celebrations. nies learn from this? Firstly, never The TV commercials depict­ take the customer for granted. ed the famous couple in the X-files Secondly, stop hiding behind TV programme who walk into a the phraseology, exemption clauses, McDonald's store terms and conditions. only to notice that The Sun, a newspaper In short, don't fall back everyone who took which is more popular on the small print to away a Big Mac run away from a gen­ from the counter for its topless pin-ups uine problem. As I said found that another in my column in the on Pages 3, had a would mysterious­ July/August issue of ly appear when banner headline on its ADoi, the phrase they placed the front page which read: 'while stocks last' must tray on the table. be erased completely So, for £1.99, YOU SILLY BURGERS from ads. If you make (about RM12.50) an offer and are unable to fulfil it, face one could get two Big Macs. the consumers head on.

Birthday bashes are supposed to Back to the action in the UK. have a happy ending right? But this Guess who else got into the act? was not to be.

Burger King came out with their own On 5 January, McDonald's 'unbeatable offer'. Their Whoppers made the headlines in almost all the for 99 pence (about RM6.30) newspapers and The Sun, a news­ matched the Big Mac on offer. paper which is more popular for its But McDonald's had the final topless pin-ups on Pages 3, had a say. In newspaper ads on January banner headline on its front page 10, under the heading "THE BEST which read: YOU SILLY BURGERS! THINGS IN LIFE ARE STILL FREE" The report said: Burger it said, "We always knew you loved giant McDonald's has been forced our Big Macs. We also knew that to issue a massive public apology offering them free would be popular. after running out of Big Macs. The As you now know, it is a response fast-food chain is spending tens of that left some of our restaurants thousands of pounds on newspa­ short of stock. And some of you per ads saying sorry after disappointed. Again we sincerely bungling a two-for-one offer. And apologise. For the last couple of days, marketing experts believe the together with our suppliers, we have blunder could cost McDonald's an been working round the clock so that eoctra five million pounds by the everyone can take advantage of our time the offer ends on January 10!

Silver Anniversary gift."

In subsequent ads And who says birthday bash­ McDonald's proclaimed, A MES­ es do not have happy endings?

SAGE FOR BIG MAC LOVERS with R Nadeswaran has just returned the following copy, "We expected from London where after complet­ our current 25th anniversary Big ing his final bar exams. He is now Mac to be popular. We anticipated a available for hire while stocks last. four-fold increase in demand over

I was recently informed by my pharmaceutical client they were honoured at their recent Asian regional meeting as the 2nd best company for promotional materials and were bestowed the title 'Country of the Year'.

Of late, there has been a lot of publicity regarding the forthcoming Asian advertising awards which will be held in Thailand. I only wish that there were such events for agencies in the healthcare advertising sector. Just like the client above, we too need to gauge our standards.

In the USA where healthcare advertising is an industry by itself, agencies group together to form an association or council.

There is the Healthcare Marketing & Communication Council of New Jersey or the Members of the Coalition for Healthcare There is the Communications. This Coalition was Healthcare Marketing formed in 1991 through the efforts of & Communication the USA FDA. These associations or councils monitor and aid healthcare Council of New advertising agencies by conducting Jersey and Members workshops and seminars.

One has heard of the Oscar, of the Coalition for The Emmy, the Grammy, the Tony Healthcare (surely you remember the Clio or our very own Kancil). What about Communications.

Rx Club Show? It evolved in the These associations or the USA out of the need of an entire councils monitor and healthcare community to recognize and to be recognized by their own. aid healthcare The first show held in 1986, included advertising agencies more than 1,800 entries from individuals, publications and corpo­ by conducting rations. Judging, for the annual workshops and Rx Club Show competition is con­ ducted by a panel of experts from seminars. medical/pharmaceutical advertising and related publishing fields. After carefully considering all the entries, the judges assign a rating to each.

Those with the highest scores are selected to appear in the Rx Club Show. Entries with the overall highest scores are the recipients of the gold or silver awards. The Rx Club Show has raised the standard of healthcare advertising in the USA and acts as a platform for new agencies to gauge their xcreative standard among their peers.

I do not want to be labelled as the James Dean of the ad industry, but the time has come for agencies in the healthcare industry here to form an grouping within the 4 As framework to monitor, guide and train the industry. Courses can also be offered at the Institute ACT. There is no need to reinvent the wheel as the Kancil committee could include a healthcare section along the same lines as the Rx Club Show. This will in the long run improve standards and establish healthcare advertising as a rightful entity of its own. In order for the grouping to be formed, it is vital for agencies, ethical publications, journals, corporations in the healthcare industry to get together in a spirit of kinship for the greater good of the industry. When I was asked by my client about the different publications or journals available for an advertising company in the ethical pharmaceutical market, I had to tell him that they don't exist unlike for consumer adver­ tising. This does not reflect well on the industry.

It is vital that a section should also be allocated for healthcare in the annual Malaysian Advertising Directory. So, to those of you who are in the same boat as me, let's get in touch and "get the ball rolling"!

Johnson Lopez is Managing Director of Jon Clare Advertising, a leading healthcare advertising specialist and can be reached via e-mail at jclare@tm.net.my

31

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TOP STORIES FROM ASIA'S MEDIA & MARKETING NEWSPAPER

Ogilvy & Mather named Agency of

the Year '98

The mighty ship of state, Ogilvy & Mather, has been named Agency of the Year for 1998. In a year of turmoil and disintegration for the advertis­ ing industry, O&M sailed a steady course while many around them floundered. Other contenders for this year's title were Saatchi & Saatchi, M&C Saatchi and BBDO, but it was clearly O&M's time in a year where sta­ bility, quality and depth were paramount.

For years, O&M had been almost the generic term for advertising in Asia - it was the benchmark by which all other agencies were judged and in the heady days of the early 1980s when names such as Michael Ball and Harry Reid built it into a regional force, they were masters of all theysurveyed.

By the mid 1990s, however, O&M's halo had slipped and its com­ manding position was under fire. This was as much a function of a certain tiredness that had crept into the network, as it was the peppering it began to receive from the rash of competitive agencies who swarmed over Asia.

Three years ago, however, O&M developed a strategy called East Wind which encompassed a systematic new business drive, unremitting focus on key existing clients, investment in China and India, and the aim of creating a wholly-owned agency in Japan.

The effect was a broad brushstroke O&M, no longer simply king of the small puddles of Southeast Asia, but a more evenly-balanced agency with the prospect for dynamic growth - even despite the recession that was beginning to chip away at the foundations of its less well-prepared com­ petitors. O&M through 1998 has been one of a handful of major agencies to show growth, albeit at a slower rate than usual, and has also showed lead­ ership by holding recession conferences in seven markets in the region and publishing a recession booklet.

The creative product continued to range from the solid to the superb, particularly in markets such as Thailand and increasingly in the new growth market of China. O&M also embarked on the strategic master­ stroke of being among the first to completely identify itself with brand stewardship in the major markets. It held brand seminars, it advised stateowned enterprises in China and released studies and booklets that attempted to position the network as the brandmaster of Asia. This approach was backed up with research that did much to underline O&M's once-paternal role in the industry.

Amid all this, O&M has continued to flesh out its portfolio by adding disciplines such as Ogilvy Interactive, Ogilvy HealthCare and - in a refresh­ ing move aimed at flushing out markets where no one thought they exist­ ed - established The Rural Network.

This foray into the provinces of Asian countries exemplifies that O&M under regional chairman Miles Young is a thinking network, not locked into the stale habits of advertising, but prepared to look over the horizon to where the future might be. Primarily, however, O&M represents a "flight to quality" in a year where so many agencies have faltered. Overall, however, 1998 wasn't a good year for anybody and, with the prediction of more bloodshed and terror ahead in 1999, it is agencies such as O&M that represent a solid pillar amidst the maelstrom.

Mr Chris Jaques, chairman of BBDO in Asia, has been named Agency Person of the Year for his willingness to revolutionise existing agency structures in an attempt to find the right business model for the future.

Mr Jaques has probably had as many failures as successes in the 15 months he has been with BBDO, but his commitment to the creative product as the core of an agency's being, and his "slash and burn" approach to existing agency structures have marked him as someone who is at least trying to steer a course for the advertising industry into the 21st Century.

Much of Mr Jaques' commitments have so far been fiery rhetoric and, while there is a great deal of talk about "slash and burn", there is as yet only a lit-

Jaques offers bright spark in

a year of gloom tie wisp of smoke and not much combustion. Still, the promise is there and - through widely criticised experiments such as The Hub - Mr Jaques is toying with approaches that just might work.

Since arriving in Asia in 1987 with Bates Singapore, Mr Jaques rose to become managing director of Bates Hong Kong and then regional managing director. During that time, he was instrumental in Bates winning two Agency of the Year awards, in 1993 and 1996.

The 1996 win in particular was a comeback against all odds, at a time when Bates had been devastated by account losses - many of them as a result of international alignments. But the ability to assess, react and bounce back is Mr Jaques' forte and, in many ways, is the true pulse of how the advertising industry itself really operates.

Mr Jaques at his best is an inspirational figure who can chart a course, despite the doubts of some and the criticism of many.

The award of Agency Person of the Year this year is about being bold and decisive and having a vision, not necessarily about being right.

That would take too long to prove and, at the rate the advertising industry is imploding, inaction and lack of ideas is the biggest crime of all.

Saatchis S'pore Navy TVC named Asian Ad of the Year A humorous TVC for the Singapore Navy, done by Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, has won the Asian Creative Ad of the Year award.

The 75-second TVC opening is reminiscent of Hollywood movies such as Crimson Tide. The sub is stalking an enemy and the tension builds, before torpedoes are fired at the target. Then, through the

err.48 vee

periscope, we see, instead of a flam­ ing frigate, a rubber ducky. Yes, the action all takes place in a grown man's bathtub. The tagline: Stop Dreaming. Be Somebody.

Creative director was David Droga, art director Andy Clarke, writers Andy Clarke and Danny Higgins, producer Hadyn Evans, account service Kelvin Eee, production house Silver Screen (New Zealand).

K"™,.

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WHAT ARE WE REALLY HERE FOR ANYWAY?

by Jigs Javier

"Creative without strategy is called art.

Creative with strategy is called advertising."

Jef I. Richards, advertising professor, University of Texas at Austin.

Copywriter walks into the cubicle she shares with Art Director, still happily hung-over from the series of weekend New Year festivities. She slaps Art Director on the shoulder and greets him, "Hey, man! Happy New Year! Isn't this a fine day for 1999?" Art Director looks up at his copywriter-partner with an enig­ matic smile on his face, "Back to you, partner! Looks like you're rar­ ing to take on the world today."

"Not just today, Art! Everyday of 1999! That's my new year resolution - accentuate the positive! We must affirm the good and so enter into the joy of living, the joy of working.." "The joy of working, huh?" Art Director inter­ rupts, still grinning like a bearded Mona Lisa, and gleefully launched a rat-tat-tat retort that would burst the bubble of the most hard-core idealist. "You mean, the joy of working for our WISH-WASH DETERGENT client who pored over our comps and storyboards over the holidays and expects us to revise everything by today! Yes, this very afternoon of the very first working day of 1999. He wants the headline to be more direct to the point and to state the consumer promise. And he doesn't like the typeface I used because it doesn't feel oomph, it doesn't communi­ cate 'clean'. It just looks a little clean but not CLEAN, do I know what he means? So, I remembered what you told me last year - when all else fails, HELVETICA! And, oh by the way, he changed the lyrics of the jingle you wrote because he likes the words 'the cleanest clean can be' to be sung at least 3 times.

If you look at the changes he made (tossing the scribbled on copy sheet onto the desk of Copywriter who was alternately turning white

36

and purple as Art Director prattled on), I don't know, I'm no writer but no way will all those words fit into a 30-second jingle. Looks more like a 60-seconder to me. Oh yes, and he prefers a happy melody, a stan­ dard, something Barry-Manilowish, as he puts it. He suggests why not go ahead and use 'Copacabana' just break a few bars so that he doesn't have to pay copyright fees and all.

Plus! He told the Account Manager to tell you, the Copywriter, not to go experimental on his product.

Stop trying to be different and stick with what works. Uh, are you ok? You look a little peaked. Where was I? Ah, and he showed the storyboard to his relatives during their annual family reunion and they think that we should go back to using a non-working mother who has two precocious brats for kids and a busy-body neighbor who constantly asks the brands of prod­ ucts she uses. And they also don't like the way I drew the father's clothes. Not yuppie enough. And..." \J/

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TO ADVERTISERS: "Do not compete with your agency in the creative area. Why keep a dog and bark at yourself ?"

David Ogilvy in Confessions of an Advertising Man. "Ihie learned that any fool can write a bad ad, but that it takes real genius to keep his hands off a good one." Leo Burnett, quoted in 100 LEO's.

'In advertising, NOT TO BE DIF­ FERENT is virtually suicide." Bill Bernbach (DDB Needham Worldwide).

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At this point, Copywriter is apoplecticaily bursting at the seams of her DKNY skirt and spouting cusswords you wouldn't want your dog to hear. A head pops up from the cubicle wall. It's the Account Manager with another due-yester­ day requirement for Art Director and Copywriter. To call it a rush job is an understatement. So what else is new aside from the year?

Copywriter: But where's the Creative Strategy? How can we be expected to come up up with a solid and effective campaign when there's no clear strategy? And what sort of **** deadline is this? You just gave it now!!!

Account Mgr: The client says he has no time to review strategy. So, just use the old one. It's the same parity product - doesn't offer any­ thing different from competition.

You guys are creative. You can eas­ ily come up with something that'll

Farewell to my Brother in

by Dearie John

We've seen a lot of service together, my veteran Brother portable and I. Fought dozens of pitch­ es, waged hundreds of campaigns, fired-off millions of words in the strug­ gle for the hearts, minds and hard cash of consumers from Hong Kong to Malaysia, India to Australia. And some­ how we're both survived. Me a trifle battle-scarred, admittedly, but my Brother with hardly a scratch. Which makes it all the more poignant some­ how that this article could well be my trusty old typewriter's death rattle.

Because, against all my feelings of sen­ timent and good sense, I've decided to replace my old pal with a PC. Talk about having to eat my own words. I've had so much fun over the year at the expense of what I've called "netwits" and "Internerds" that I feel an absolute bunny to be starting the year of the Rabbit by joining them. And besides all the face I'm losing here, there's also the quesmake it look and sound better than competition's, can't you? And he needs to see something tomorrow!

Account Mgr: Let's make our lives easier. At least we've got a client who's willing to spend on advertising this year. Just give him what he wants - you know, product demo, mention brand name in the first 10 seconds, sing the slogan, put a few dancing bank tellers.

Art Director: That's it! It's T.T.M.A.R. time.

Account Exec: What's T.T.M.A.R.?

Art & Copy: Take the money and rim?

Account Mgr: Well, that's not really a nice way of putting it. It's just that we know what client wants and it's his money after all and so we gotta give him what he wants and we need the billings badly and please, please, just do as he asks? m "/ have learned that trying to guess what the boss or the client wants is the most debilitating of all influences in the creation of good advertising." Leo Burnett Wo matter how skillful you are, you can't invent a product advantage that doesn't exist. And if you do, and it's just a gimmick, it's going to fall apart anyway." Bill Bernbach.

"Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket."

George Orwell, from Animal Farm.

arms

tion of funds. Paying ten times the price of a Brother Manual Portable for a decidedly importable assem­ blage of grey boxes and wires that ostensibly perform the same func­ tion, I must be out of my mind. As I most certainly will be by the time I've slogged through the phone-booksized tome it all comes with to tell me how simple it is to use.

So why the hell am I going through with this, separation anxi­ ety, techo self-torture and all?

Same reasons we all do most things, I'm afraid: peer pressure and sheer vanity - "everyone" who's "anyone" seems to have a PC, and, having resisted for years the temp­ tation to emulate them, it seems I simply haven't got what it takes to hold out any longer. And as for the vanity factor, to be prefectly hon­ est I was starting to feel like a dinosaur. Deanosaur, actually. The last of a species doomed to extinc­ tion by failure to adapt to the demands of a wired new world.

Pathetic, but there you go. At least now I can start trying to console myself that I'm as e-maie, Mega and RAM as the next guy. I've also discov­ ered to my intense relief that I don't have to be Brotherless after all, PC or no PC. Thanks to my indefatigable computer consultabts Katherine and Santalia, I'm now the proud posses­ sor of a neat little electronic gizmo called a Brother Super Power Note.

Not dissimilar in size and shape to its predecessor, as it happens, and just as easy to carry around. Unlike its older Brother, though, it doesn't make a noise like a machine-gun when I type on it. In fact, aside from little rodent-like squeaks of indigna­ tion whenever I make the wrong move, it makes no sound at all. So I'll feel a lot less self-conscious about using it in places like cafes, bars and such where we writers like to think we do our best work.

Even equipped with a new Brother, however, there's no way I'm ditching the old one. It could come in very handy indeed in a power cut or in case of a computervirus outbreak. And then there's the undeniable advantage that it's immune to the K2 Bug. And in any case, the memories of all we've been through together are too pre­ cious for words, and I'm not about to throw them out the window, let alone Windows 98. Call me senti­ mental, but I like to think my old Brother, like any other old soldier, should never die but simply fade away. Proudly wearing its ribbons.

FOOT SHOOTING & THE GENTLE ART OF

REGIONAL ADVERTISING Part Tumi

The right, stuff

by Paul Loosley

[he people in charge are so senior that petty ke these aiJe now beneath them or they are so Ihey just don't have the knowledge.

I get terrified at the lack of knowledge displayed by people in regional offices.

In the first part I examined how I thought the ad community was losing money in this new and rather important aspect of the industry. So it behooves me to now try and offer up some positive thoughts on what might be done to make it right.

1. The Right People.

Advertising people have, erroneously, come to believe that promotion into a regional position is an automatic reward for success in a single mar­ ket. This is very deceptive and not necessarily right. A regional job requires very specific skills, it's a very hands-on, almost menial job that requires abilities and a mind-set different from those employed in a single homogenous market.

It needs a broad-based knowledge of the foibles, ethnic and language differences, rules and regu­ lations governing each market in the region and the sensitivity, diplomacy and ability to compro­ mise just enough for a script or campaign to be both acceptable and effective across them all.

Usually the people in charge are so senior that petty details like these are now beneath them or they are so inexperienced that they just don,t have the knowledge. I get terri­ fied at the lack of knowledge displayed by peo­ ple in regional offices. I still get people asking me from Hong Kong or even closer, "Can you find Chinese looking people in Malaysia?" "What languages do they speak in Singapore?" Etc. etc.

Yet these folks try to write, sell, coordi­ nate or produce campaigns for markets they know very little about. Nothing destroys a meet­ ing more than being asked why you had featured a flying pig in a script when pigs are not permit­ ted in commercials aired in Malaysia or Indonesia.

I believe the only way for ad people to be effective in a regional position (of course over and above the usual advertising skills) is to have lived and worked, over some reasonable period of time, in a fair proportion of the markets they are responsible for. This is the only way to gain a real working knowledge of and be able to speak with any authority on an individual market's dynamics.

This becomes especially important when the advertisers themselves seem to continually promote people into regional posts of which they have no previous knowledge. And even worse, often people are brought in from outside the region or even have regional responsibilities while based in London or New York.

So basically the point is that if the adver­ tising folks know more about their regional mar­ kets than the advertisers they work for, and can prove it, then they have a commodity that they can justifiably and honestly expect to charge for.

2. The Right Product.

If ever in doubt I always go back to the value placed on advertising the product itself. In no

other business today does the industry itself seem to put so little value on its product. I'm talking about a deep-seated belief that advertis­ ing actually works to promote the sales of a product. It used to be the case that the ad com­ munity were always refining and redefining how advertising could be made to work better. But now who is doing these things, who is saying these things, who is even thinking about what other industries call R&D? Especially in the one area that really needs it; regional advertising.

While advertisers are busy regarding the cost savings involved in regional advertising why isn't the advertising community spending time and money finding out what makes good or bad regional advertising? What similarities are there between markets, what kind of advertising stands the best chance of travelling and what doesn't? How to make great advertising that works across borders without reducing it to the lowest common denominator? Do regional mar­ kets fall into clusters? Etc, etc.

Thinking and studies like these would provide the ammunition the advertising commu­ nity needs to both create and prove the effec­ tiveness of their regional product. And so, with a clear conscience, they can then charge for it.

And charge for it in every new market it works.

Leading in the regional arena, and not being dragged along by the advertisers into an exer­ cise concerned solely with cost savings.

So here are two possible ways to improve the performance of regional advertising; the right regional people and the right regional product. Do this and we stand a better chance of justifying the increased remuneration for regional work.

It's obviously not the whole regional story; it's not quite that simple. But at the very least it may keep your feet safe from harm.

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Faridah Merican retires as Audio-Visual Director of Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia after 30 years in the business. She started as a Creative Assistant on January 1, 1969 working in Props & Casting. Faridah who hosts the weekly radio show ADTALK over Radio 4, still serves on the board of Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia.

Another Ogilvy & Mather stalwart Shery Lim has also retired after 21 years, and is now involved in advertising and communications training.

Simon Bolton, Managing Director of Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) Malaysia and South East Asia Director of FCB is moving up to become Managing Director of FCB in San Francisco. This new appoint­ ment befits Simon's sterling performance in the FCB network regional­ ly in recent years. He will be replaced by Andrew Crombie, formerly FCB's Regional Client Services Director.

Paul Gordon joins EURO RSCG Partnership as Creative Director. He was formerly Creative Director at Dentsu Mandate. And joining him as Media Director is P Sinniah formerly from AMC Communications.

Media Specialist gK Communications has new contact num­ bers. They are tel: 754 4291, fax: 754 4412 Thierry Anglade is the new Managing Director & CEO of Bates Malaysia. A graduate in economics, advertising and business manage­ ment, he is an integrated communications specialist having spent a good part of his 15 years in advertising with Bates and Bates Dorland in Europe and Asia.

Bozell Worldwide Sdn Bhd has moved into its spanking new office at 1110 Block A, Phileo Damansara II, 15 Jalan 16/11, Petaling Jaya. Their new contact numbers are tel: 03-460 2332, fax: 03-460 9196 and e-mail: bw@malaysia.bozell.com Bernard Yong, General Manager for New Business Development, has left Bozell effective 1999 after a long tenure with the agency.

Colour separator Screen Gallery has also opened office in Phileo Damansara. Their contact numbers are tel: 460 8677, fax: 460 8678 and H/P: 016-220 6095. Ask for Jake.

Cricket Communications, a new ad agency which is barely a year old, recently clinched the prestigious Harley-Davidson account.

Borhanuddin Osman, the previous Managing Director of Paragon Communications has now joined AMP Radio Networks as their new GM. He takes over from Ruslan Abdul Rahman who has left to become the new Chief Executive Officer of leading outdoor company UPD Sdn Bhd replacing outgoing CEO Paul Sapwell.

Wondering who's behind the recent Bukit Jambul TV commercial featuring a blind man giving road directions to a stranded motorist?

Well, the agency who created the spot is OT Communications. They also created the new TVCs and press campaigns for Somerset Rompin and Leisure Commerce Square. Creative honcho on all the work is inter­ national award-winning creative director Thomas Low.

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