Adoi Malaysia 2000 January by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd

BAYARAN POS JELAS POSTAGE PAID PEJABAT POS BESAR KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA NO: WP0071

JANUARY 2000

KDN NO: PP 9995/7/2000

MITA (P) 275/08/1999

OVER 12,000 READERS

MALAYSIA RM8/SINGAP0RE S$5

The party is intense and it's happening now. We welcome you to Bali. A place where you can savour exotic cuisines, shoot serious pool or rage on the dance floor. Come join us for ad agency night on Thursday, 27 January 2000. Just present your call card and you'll get your first draft beer free. Check it out. Bali is right here in PJ at the crossroads &%'(of the LDP and Federal Highway. We're open lunch time till late, Mondays to Saturdays. We're closed on Sundays. For more information, call 03-7876 2254. (arjsbcjg

Notes from the editor Hello! By now you would have known whether YK2 was the biggest hype of the century or a threat equivalent to World War III. In any case, one thing is for sure. Some businesses will use Y2K as a ready excuse not to pay their bills on time, harass helpless suppliers for discounts and greedily hoard their own funds in sadistic anticipation of sheer anarchy. What they won't realise is that if everybody did the same, we would have a problem bigger than Y2K's mother. It's called Y2Pay? The solution is very simple. Fill in the coupon below if you're not a subscriber of this magazine and quickly post it to us with a RM100 cheque. And you can rest assured that we will fall in love with you for the next one thousand years. Happy New Year!

RCS Golden Girf...pg 4 If the new millennium were a brand...pg 8 Wai, 2K...pg 10 The power of the Internet...pg 12 Millennium Managers...centre pullout Taking the high ground...pg 50

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MANAGING EDITOR Harmandar Singh aka Ham PRINTER Prom-Ad Creative Communications OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER Jen Siow DESIGNER Chang Sheau Yun COLOUR SEPARATOR Screen Gallery Sdn Bhd ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES ADLANTIS Communications Sdn Bhd No. 44C, Jalan 19/3, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 603-754 7271 Fax: 603-757 3343 E-mail: adlantis@hotmail.com DISTRIBUTION Efficient Lettershop, Mag Media Distributors (M'sia) and MarketAsia (S'pore).

ADOI magazine is published every month by Sledgehammer Communications Sdn Bhd (Company No: 289967-W) 22B Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad Satu, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 603-716 2588. Fax: 603-716 2598. Â© All rights reserved by Sledgehammer Communications Sdn Bhd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior permission in writing from the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publisher and the editor assume no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences of reliance of information in this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or editor. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertisers.

RCS Golden Girl

plays the winning tune! Mdm Ghua Foo Yong, the new Chief Operating Officer of Radio Corporation of Singapore (RCS), is no ordinary broadcasting professional. She's gone through the mill from day one; first as a programme presenter, then developing television dramas and finally to designing formatted radio stations, all in a span of just over twenty years. She led the first commercial Chinese radio broadcast in Singapore and also launched weekday evening TV social drama. Being instrumental for adding seven new format radio stations to the RCS stable, she is the lady behind stations like Perfect Ten 98.7FM, Class 95FM, Y.E.S. 93.3FM, Ria 89.7FM, Love 97.2FM, News Radio 93.8FM and International Radio 96.3FM. Mdm Chua was recently in KL and ADOI had the chance to squeeze in a quick interview with her... Mdm Chua, give us an overview of the Singapore radio environment. The current number of radio stations that can be received on the FM frequency is about 32. Of course, RCS is the market leader with 12 radio stations and the top eight radio stations are all from RCS. Because our stations are formatted, we attract a certain type of listener which explains our narrow-casting approach. Each station has a niche following and they all add up to a large listenership base which is quite difficult to achieve if you're a broad-casting station. We target our stations to a particular age group and not to a specific occupation, eg. SAFRA radio position themselves for national servicemen and NTUC Radio Heart is for the union members and workers. As far as the radio audience is concerned, younger listeners form an avid following for radio. You started as a presenter in the broadcasting business... I really enjoy being a presenter for both radio and television and get very euphoric after a programme. I get to meet and mingle with superstars, celebrities and singers. I was also invited to emcee important state functions; when the Chinese premier visited Singapore, I was honoured to be an emcee and even read the Prime Minister's speech to a global audience. They say radio is a very intimate medium. Yes, the industry catch phrase is 'the theatre of the mind'. When you talk to the listener you are alone in the studio; so you have to visualise the person, you can even 'create' the person who's listening to you. Whereas when I'm on TV, the cameras are staring at me and it's more difficult to interact with the camera. You're ious about how you D on. But on radio, iter creative freedom invitation to be I with the listener is id without inhibitions. that RCS launched idio last month.

ADOIANYTHINGADVERTISING

Yes, Smart Radio is basically digital audio broadcast (DAB). You need a special receiver and you get inter ference-free CD qualsound. It also comes a display monitor we can 'see radio', ay screen transmits ;, latest news, lyrics of indices, snapshots of

And what about AdsOnline? AdsOnline, which was launched in October, is a free service that reinforces our commitment to advertisers. By logging on to our website at www.rcs.com.sg/adsonline, listeners can search for and listen to commercials that are currently aired on RCS stations. In addition, for a small fee, AdsOnline offers advertisers an opportunity to enhance their radio commercials with internet-related promotions including using the website for product promotions eg. contests and product sampling coupons. The consumer simply prints out the coupons!

online

J MO

By leveraging on the popularity of RCS' website which receives almost 11 million hits every month, AdsOnline offers a big and ready mar ket of consumers. All our stations are on the web; which

has made our perspective virtually global overnight. How did radio fare in the recession? According to ACNielsen's report, while the whole industry saw negative growth during the recent recession, radio experienced double-digit growth. What's your take on the changing media landscape and radio? It is very stimulating and I believe will raise broadcast standards in a very healthy way. For example our Big Bang package is very interesting, ie. when you use ten of our radio stations, you reach 90% of the adult popula tion, aged 15 and above on a weekly basis. A lot of advertisers are discovering they can reach a targetted audience with radio. The Malaysian Tourism Board is advertising with us and using radio as their main medium, with much success. What are your priorities for the coming millennium? I look at our priorities in a simplistic manner. My focus is to concentrate on three major areas - advertisers, listeners and our staff. In terms of product development, we'll be looking seriously at database marketing, more satellite radio broadcast in shopping malls and high-traffic areas, and certainly more of customised radio for the minority races. We have been successful in catering for the Malay and Indian market and have a loyal following with them. We want to do more. What role does RCS play in the area of developing good creative for radio? We have brought down many creative 'radio gurus' like Street Remley, Dick Orkin and get them to share their knowledge and experience with the advertising community. We also have Bob Dennis, our Head of Creative Services who has been a prime mover to increase creative standards across the board. Our station-produced radio commercials have won quite a few international awards. Similarly, our commitment to the ad industry will remain strong in the area of creative excellence. Anything else you would like to share with our readers? I want to say that radio is not a little box; it is entertainment. RCS is looking towards striking up smart partnerships with other businesses as we enter the new millennium. I want to generate a fun culture in RCS because that's what radio is. In Singapore, EPSON did a April Fool's joke on radio. They had three days of trailer spots before April 1. Listeners were told that EPSON was testing some new equipment and people could phone in to test this equipment by simply pressing numbers on their phone. On April Fool's Day, we received 34,000 phone calls!

OVER 10,000 ADVERTING

PROFESSIONALS AND CLIENTS M SINGAPORE

REFER TO IT AIMEAR ROUND

Advertising bookings for the Advertising Directory of Singapore (ADS) 2000 are now open! Gall 297 2393 (S'pore) or 03-716 2588 (M'sia) for details.

New production contract for TV commercials starts Jan 1

Dato L Krishnan with his Lifetime Achieoemen, Award

The Malaysian Association of Advertising Film Makers (MAAF) unveiled their new name, Persatuan Penerbit Filem Iklan Malaysia or PPFIM and logo at KL's Shangri-la Hotel on the 9th of December. More than 500 people gathered for the event, dubbed "Unity Night", which also saw the unveiling of the PPFIM's new standard production contract which takes effect from 1 January 2000. The new production contract has been the subject of a hot dispute between the PPFIM and the 4A's. It remains to be seen how this contract will effect the industry in the coming months. On hand to officiate the event was Deputy Minister of Information Dato Dr Sulaiman Mohd and Lifetime Achievement Awards were conferred on film industry pioneers and supporters Tan Sri Mohd Ghazali Shafie, film veteran Dato L Krishnan and President of the Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA) Dato Dr Jaffar Mohd Ali whose award was received by MAA vjce

president

En Mohd

Zainuddin Md Noh.

The Filmpoint table is all ready for the cameras as film director Yoki (third from left) sneaks in a quick smile.

Lending some heavy-duty lustre to the night are from left - Rishya Joseph (VP and Regional Director ofDYR), Gerald Miranda (CEO of Zenith Malaysia) and Freddie Fernandez (AMPG President).

Film producer Sunita Petrus (Planet Films) looks on as Bernard offers his 'viewfinder' to film director Farouk Aljoffery.

Singapore 4As liberalises membership The year 2000 sees a major change to the membership structure of Singapore's Association of Accredited Advertising Agents. At an Extraordi足 nary General Meeting held on 8 December 1999 at the Mandarin Singapore, members voted to abolish its membership requirement of full media accreditation and accept all marketing communications companies operating in Singapore, including PR consultants, media specialists and interactive companies, as full members of the association. The motion was approved by the 4As Executive Committee and put forth by its membership chairman, Bernard Chan with the primary objective of increasing the association's membership and representation within the city state's marketing communications industry. The move also seeks to bring about a membership structure which is in tune with the changes in the industry and to promote its growth with the dawn of the new millennium. The move closely follows the American 4As model, which chose to broaden out the some two years ago. In his circular to the association's members regarding the move, Bernard wrote: "We believe that it is now timely to recommend a liberalised approach to our membership... to accommodate the changes in agency practice brought about by changes in clients' demands and search for specialist delivery."

6 ADOIANYTHINGADVERTISING

Uniting together, from left - T Gopala Krishnan (PPFIM President), S Mohan (SM Productions), Sheen (Axis Films) and theatre personality Faridah Merican.

The Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur presents...

- Charles Peters (NST), From Gurdeep Singh (Hunter Advertising) and J Matthews.

TBWA S'pore hires two new joint CDs Hell bent on becoming one of the best agencies in the network, TBWA Singapore has hired two new Joint CDs (one simply wouldn't do!). They are Steve Hough, formerly of Saatchi & Saatchi London, BST London, M & C Saatchi Hongkong and Colenso Auckland, and Mark Bamfield, of HKM Auck足 land, Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney and FCB London. The pair has an impressive array of awards to their credit, most notably a D & AD Silver Nomination for the Classics FM poster campaign in 1997. The pair has also won awards at The One Show, Cannes, Campaign Poster Awards, Creative Circle, New York Art Directors and AWARD in the last 3 years.

When asked by ADOI, Hough and Bamfield said that they were delighted about the opportunity to work closely with new CEO Johan Fourie, and to help TBWA Singapore live up to the strength of its worldwide brand name and creative reputation. "We're also out to challenge the Saatchi/O&M awards dominance of Singapore and strengthen our posi足 tion as the third biggest creative force in town. It's a task we're look足 ing forward to enormously." The agency has also added heavyweight strategic planning and client service talent to build on the creative and new business momentum. "It's a great place to be right now. The potential is awesome," added Hough and Bamfield.

CMNMCMM#'

IIMLIMM11

ADDICTIONS

They just can't keep their eyes off TVB videos. Good media planners know that while the single video market is shrinking, the serial video market is growing, It's risen by over 12% in the last two years alone. TVB's audience now totals 56% of all Chinese adults, What's more, contrary to perception, serial video viewers arenot just housewives.50%of viewers are male, Many of them come from a high-income bracket. The facts get even better.

TVB has the second largest number of franchise stores nationwide. These 740 outlets provide merchandising and sampling services for practically free. Don't overlook the power of advertising on TVB serial videos. Call Golden Star Media at 03-719 2788 for a full presentation.They can help you hit hard at the Chinese market for just a small fraction of your budget. Try it once and you'll be hooked in no time.

GOLDEN STAg^CMEDIA Masters of Serial Video

If the new millennium were a brand... by Julie P Lingan, ISCB Worldwide Partners

Having lived all my life with the mindset that our reason for being is to build brands, I am suddenly possessed by and obsessed with an idea that has been dancing around my brain: what if the new Millennium, as we know it, were a brand? Just the thought of it is enough to pump adrenalin into the most jaded of "marketing" hearts. It would undoubtedly be the marketing coup of a thousand years, making history by selling the actual intangible passage of time from 11:59 P.M. to 12 midnight. Millennium. The brand name has rhythm and has been caressing everyone's lips for a year or two or even longer, ever since the Y2K scare was unveiled to an unsuspecting public. It has been said with fear and apprehension; with optimism and good faith. "Millennium" has also been surrounded by the mystique and wonderment of the unknown, which is as real as time itself, and draws closer by the minute. I don't know why, but the millennium hype reminds me of agitated bacteria feverishly jumping under a microscope or of blazing fireworks that put to shame the fourth of July. If the new Millennium were a brand, it would be the only product that launched its teaser campaign simultaneously around the world. It would also be the longest-running teaser campaign we have ever witnessed throughout our advertising career. The countdown on New Year's Eve '99 is not the end of it. It actually heralds the final phase of the teaser campaign which will last for one more year since the millennium, after all, starts on 2001. If the new Millennium were a brand, it would have a highly defined brand character, but this would be more diverse than consistent. One facet would be bold and threatening (read Y2K bug) while close to that would be the romanticized vision of The Great Adventure. And depending on the philosophy of the glass being half empty or half full, the brand could be perceived either as mysterious and dark, or like some promised messiah, a friend and harbinger of the fulfillment of hopes and dreams.

The target audience? Instead of a gathering crowd at point of sale, I see the entire peoples of Earth marching grudgingly but surely towards the brand, crossing the international dateline into blinding sunlight at the end of the loudest, most thunderous, eardrum-bursting, brain-blowing, countdown ever in the history of mankind, let alone advertising. As though the world were one captive audience, with each individual dropping whatever he's been doing at one precise moment so that his full attention can be focused on that all-important countdown, when the next and final phase of the product's teaser campaign is launched simultaneously around the world. Of course, I say 'simultaneously' with a creative license, given the reality of time zone differences. Then again, look at the Big Picture and you'll see the first completed countdown starting in New Zealand and Fiji, followed by each and every market in the global economy, until the final countdown in Hawaii. A domino effect of markets bowing on cue, from one end of the earth to another, to the 'millennium' brand. With no choice but to accept it. Product trial would then begin with the first 2-4 weeks in January, earmarked as the critical period of brand performance. Despite reassurances that the product will see us going on with our lives as usual, there is still a nagging fear. Perhaps this is how terminally ill patients feel about much heralded medical discoveries that have only been tested on animals: The promise of prolonged life? Or the accelerated arrival of the grim reaper? Meanwhile, the brand's marketing executives are gearing up for the mother of red alerts. Banks and financial institutions. Power and energy. Telecommunications. The list is long, with each component as important as the other. By the time you read this, we would have experienced the brand's first two weeks of life. Lovable baby or an impertinent monster? Whatever the brand performance may be, we can only hope that like any advertised brand, it will enhance the quality of our lives. Otherwise, what was all the fuss about?

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iWTRUIli BttHNDHDUR AVERAGE CHINESE HOUSEWIFE.!

There is a perception that all serial video viewers are housewives. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is serial video viewers are equally comprised of males and females. These are working men and women from a high-income group. As much as 14% of them are English literate. TVB now has an audience of 1.9 million Chinese (that's 56% of total adult Chinese in Peninsular Malaysia). And the numbers are still rising. In the last two years, the serial video market grew by over 12%. GOLDEN STAR ICeNo. lS6902-x|

So while it is true that the single video market is shrinking, the serial video market certainly is not. By advertising on TVB serial videos, you can reach the Chinese at a marginal cost. That's just the beginning. TVB's 740 outlets nationwide also offer merchandising and sampling services for practically free. Call Golden Star Media at 03-719 2788 or e-mail gsmedia@po.jaring.my now. They will unravel the truth about serial videos once and for all. MEDIA

Masters of Serial Video

Wai. 2K. A weird thing about magazine and advertising deadlines is that they always require us to be address ing our audiences weeks if not months in the future. We spend our working lives in a time warp; creat ing X'mas cheer in August, hyping Hari Raya and Chinese New Year in September and doing Deepavali spots sometime after Easter. So, like most, if not all, of you, I'm well and truly accustomed to being entirely out of sync with seasons and festivals. Even so, this is my first experience at communicating with people in not just a future mind-set or season, but in an entirely differ ent century, not to mention millen nium. So as I sit here at my keyboard on 12 December 1999, in my own here-and-now, knowing that by the time you read this my today will be your distant past. I can't help but wonder: How's the 21st Century? So far so good? You've managed to survive the Y2K bug OK? Fully recovered from your monumental New Year hangover? Lucky you. I've still got it all to look forward to.

Endless days of shopping I can't afford, parties I'd dearly love to avoid, the ritual exchange of gifts we could all very well do without, the obligatory family gatherings and all the other trials and tribulations of Yuletide. Yule be sorry, more like it, when the credit card bills come due. And then a week after that's all over, I still have the antics of a mindless multitude of Millenniacs to contend with. All disporting themselves in an orgy of'celebration' on 31 December of an event that amounts to a big fat zero. 1/1/00. Two zeroes, in fact. This whole 'Year 2000' thing is a total sham and a scam if there ever was one. For a start, it's only the Christian calendar that ticks-over to 2000 A.D. 2000 years, that is, since Jesus Christ was bom. Trouble is, it's not. With calendar changes decreed and enacted way back in the middle ages somewhere, J.C. was actually bom in what the present-day calendar equates to about 30 years AD or BC, I forget which. And that's just Christianity. As far as Islam's concerned, we're in the 15th century. For adherents of other faiths, I have, in my ignorance, no idea what year it

You parents hear it as a matter of routine, don't you? Auntie visits you for tea, biscuits and the latest family gossip. She spies the little ones and miraculously breaks them from their latest computer game reverie with the question, "And what do you want to be when you grow up? Their inevitable answer, "I wanna be a Direct Marketer. You smile and think to yourself proudly, "Of course you do, darling." Forget about the perks of having a doctor or lawyer as a progeny. Your kids will have the entire world at their feet! Ok, I'm awake now. It's not that growing up to be a Direct Marketer won't earn you fabulous riches and global fame. It can. It has. One DMer I know of, who has lured devoted subscribers for countless magazine titles, has a stunning apartment on Russian Hill, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Another is a landed gentry living outside of London, who has the option (on whatever whim) to spend time by the fireplace, cognac in hand, at his quaint little cottage in France. (By the way, where is my invitation for a visit, Drayton? And don't tell me to bring my own cognac.) There are many more examples of DMers who live the lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. But let's face it. No one, anywhere, pins their hopes of a gloriously successful future on the goal of entering the world of DM. How come? Well, for one thing, it's not exactly running on a professional education stream. You can dream of getting your Masters in Business. Or Marketing. Or Advertising. Or even Public Relations, for crying out loud. But not even in America, where DM began with a mail order business called Sears & Roebuck, can you aspire to obtain your professional degree in Direct Marketing. So from where do DMers spawn? I graduated with a B.A. in Journalism, but landed my first job as a copywriter at Fingerhut, one of the world's biggest mail order companies.

10 ADOIANYTHINGADVERTISING

by Dean Johns

might be. But I'll bet it's not 2000.

Of more immediate significance though, is how all this Millennium stuff mocks not so much calendar or creed but the general condition of humankind. We ad people like to think in terms of consumers. But let's for a moment spare a thought for the consumed. The four billion or so of the six billion of us on earth for whom the 'Year 2000' might as well be 1346, or 927, or somewhere back in the stone age. Stony broke people. Four billion people so deprived of food, goods and health, not to mention safety, freedom, justice or hope or that they might as well be on another planet. Four billion who've never made a phone call, let alone been 'liberated', 'empowered' or 'enabled' by the dubious benefits of the e-revolution; never been in a car, let alone owned one; never lived in what you or I would call a 'house', or seen such wonders, at least on the inside, as malls, hospitals or schools. Four billion people utterly at the mercy of everything from climate, hunger and disease to predatory landlords, warlords and tyrants of every stripe.

Four billion people who are seen as nothing but cheap labour for the 'global economy', or cannon-fodder for megalomaniac 'leaders'. I don't know about you, but I'm deeply ashamed to be a part of all this. In working all my life for the 'haves' and desperately striving to become or remain one of them, I've never cared enough about the 'have nots'. I've never cared enough, given enough or done enough to fight the avarice, rapacity and sundry other evils that blight the lives of so many of my fellows. Maybe everything will have changed by the time you read this. Maybe I'll have stopped complaining about the plight of the forgotten four billion and gone out there with all the other people who are working to make a difference and actually done something. Maybe this New Year's Day will see the dawning of a golden age, and by the time you read this everything will somehow magically be hunky-dory. But of course it won't be. And, much as I have to celebrate in my own life, and much as I hope and trust you have to celebrate in yours, I can't shake the feeling that there are 4 billion reasons not to get too unbearably excited about saying 'Hi' to the Year 2000. Dean Johns is partner in Sydneybased regional creativelmotivational con sultancy CreAsia and strategic!creative hotshop StrADegy. www.stradegy.com.au

"I wanna be a H Direct Marketer • when I grow up!" Hi by Kurt Crocker, Partner & Creative Director, Drayton Bird, Crocker & Mano. (No, it doesn't sell massage products.) I never looked back. DM is my life. One of the most talented DMers I ever hired walked into my office holding a resume that noted his recent graduate work at Berkley. His thesis-inprogress was on Joseph Conrad. (Inexplicably, after years in the discipline, he has decided to take up painting.) But most who become DMers cut their teeth in either the business world or advertising agencies. That can be good or bad, depending on what baggage they carry. It takes some time to wrap one's mind around the process and practices of DM. A mindset elevation must occur that moves the goal of acquiring customers towards a devotion to owning them. That's not always easy for those who have always concentrated on the single sale. Or for those who have been hired to help sell products, but have their own profit margins to think about. But business and advertising agencies will remain the likely birthplaces of DMers for some time to come. Writers and Art Directors will also find their way to DM from less interesting homes at newspapers and design shops. So we're not likely to overhear kids wistfully imagine themselves as a grown-up Direct Marketing professionals anytime in the near future. And perhaps that's ok. As long as the best and brightest of them eventually see the light and evolve.

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Merchandising, sampling, contests and promotions. It's all yours for practically free when you advertise on TVB serial videos. Considering TVB has the second largest number of franchise stores nationwide, that's quite a deal. It means you get a total of 740 outlets for your below-theline advertising. Sounds good? Well it gets even better. It doesn't cost much to advertise on TVB serial videos. In return, you get to reach a diverse audience totalling 56% of Chinese adults in Peninsular Malaysia.

Over time, brand awareness is boosted several times over. TVB has a long list of success stories to prove it. In one case, brand awareness grew from 7% to 97% in under two years. In another, a mix of promotion and advertising resulted in stock being sold out in just one month. Don't underestimate what advertising on TVB serial videos can do for you. Call Golden Star Media at 03-719 2788 or e-mail gsmedia@po.jaring.my now. They will make you an offer you can't refuse.

GOLDEN^T/^2 MEDIA Masters 9} Serial Video

Ogilvylnteractive appoints new head in Hong Kong Ogilvylnteractive has appointed Jeffrey Markley as the new head of its Hong Kong operations. Markley joins from Citigroup - the global financial services company - where he was Vice President of Internet and E-Commerce Marketing for e-Citi, its e-commerce division where he was responsible for the strategic development and co-ordination of on-line media for digital wallets and consumer on-line shopping services. At Ogilvylnteractive, he will be responsible for developing business with both current and new clients. "Jeffs appointment marks a key development for Ogilvylnteractive in Hong Kong," commented John Goodman, President of OgilvyOne Asia Pacific. "Ogilvylnteractive provides something the Internet boutiques do not - a service which integrates in a sophisticated way all parts of the communications mix. Jeff adds unique e-commerce expertise to this offering, and his Citigroup experience will help clients leapfrog many current learning stages." Markley's appointment follows strong growth of Ogilvylnteractive across Asia Pacific in the past year - the recent hiring of Kent Wertime as a regional partner and the acquisitions of Sydney's Webcom and Singapore's Cybersoft. Other interactive 'hubs' for Ogilvy in Asia Pacific are Beijing, Tokyo and Bangalore. Ogilvylnteractive, an integrated offering of OgilvyÂ One, is the largest on-line media buyer on the Internet and recipient of the most creative awards in the industry. Multinational clients include American Express, IBM, Nestle and Unilever, among others. OgilvyOne Worldwide is the leading Direct, Customer Relationship and Interactive marketing network in the world, with 69 offices in 47 countries, and billings over US $1.6 billion.

Advertising enters new dimension on Internet

Despite all the hype, shopping in cyberÂ space can be a fairly flat experience, while Internet advertising is often inanimate, with banners whose only concession to virtual reality is to flicker on and off. But this is set to change. Technology could create a three-dimensional cyber shopping trip, while Net advertisements could go beyond the limits of real life, advertising and marketing executives told a seminar in Paris last month. "It is a rich media. Banners can use sound and video. And you can change a campaign while it is running if it is not working," said Jaki Ellenby, European Marketing Manager at Walt Disney's Disney Online. For instance, billboards are forbidden on Paris' famous Place de la Concorde, but in the virtual world of Net community Deuxieme Monde the square has been recreated in 3-D, complete with billboards on which advertisers buy space. "Advertisers like it very much," said Alexandre Stopnicki, chairman of space seller Numeriland, which manages 23 Net community sites including Deuxieme Monde. Other 3-D sites included a virtual visit to bank Societe Generale's headquarters guided by a cyber counsellor.

Shah De Bunt no longer President of OAAM Shah De Bunt has resigned from Media Master Sdn Bhd and, as such, has relinquished his post as President of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Malaysia (OAAM). The association's Vice-President, Mohamad Hanafiah, has now assumed the role of Acting President until the next scheduled elections which will be held in March 2000.

The power of the Internet

by Lara Hussein, Brand Energy

At the recent ntv7 Media Convention, I had the opportunity of meeting Jon Gluck, one of the keynote speakers, and was fortunate to be able to interview him. Jon was an advisor to CNN, and is currently the Business Strategist for Your Choice TV. Although the topic at the media event focused on "media brands and new media opportunities", I wanted Jon to talk to us about new technological trends affecting our everyday life. In our discussions, I was overwhelmed by his knowledge of the broadcast industry in the US and was especially fascinated by his total obsession with the power of the Internet. According to Jon, there are two key global trends taking place right now. The first is the increase in the number of channel influences including the Internet, causing greater audience fragmentation. This will result in an increase in richer content on TV or the Internet. Secondly, viewing control will shift from programme managers to the viewer, where the latter will have total control of his own viewing pattern. Jon believes that TV viewing is declining in the US as people spend more time surfing the net (which is approximately 40 million Internet users). New technology also allows consumers to enjoy 'multicasting', which means being able to watch TV and surf at the same time and on the same subject. For example, when the Oscars were on, you could enjoy it live on TV and at the same time, surf oscar.com for information on the awards. This appeals to the younger audiences, who yeam for information all the time. Jon interestingly adds that three to five years from now, we will be able to experience total convergence of the PC and the net, where traditional TV viewing and the Internet will blend. "Right now," he says, "I can catch the news in the US on your PC from one of the sites." Jon also elaborated, at length, on the current buzzword in the US "disintermediation"- a term used to describe what is transcending all businesses right now. It basically means that there will be a total change in the distribution patterns of products and services because of Internet access. It also means that you can virtually do business from your PC, buy books, airline tickets, cars, and even lingerie - you name it!

12 ADOIANYTHSNGADVERTISING

An interesting example, he sited, was the bookstore, amazon.com, where you can buy books at lower prices and conveniently from your own PC. Another example is, you can also go to Web MD to check on any medical problems you may be suffering from. It is obvious from my interview with Jon Gluck that the power of the Internet has profoundly changed the way consumers behave, businesses operate and industries perform. The explosion of the Internet is something that few foresaw or even talked about ten years ago. The Information Revolution, according to management guru Peter Drucker in his book Management in the 20th CentuÂ ry, is like the industrial revolution of the late 18th and early 19th century. Interestingly, he likened the computer to the birth of the steam engine in 1776, which he described as a tool that 'mechanised the production of practically all other major goods'. E-commerce is to the information revolution what the railroad was to the industrial revolution - a totally, new and unprecedented concept. And like the railroad 170 years ago, e-commerce is changing economy and society. "With e-commerce," says Peter Drucker, "distance has been eliminated - there is only one economy and one market. The traditional multinationals may become obsolete. It manufactures and distributes in a number of distinct geographies in which it is a local company, but in e-commerce there are neither local companies nor distinct geographies." Peter Drucker also raised the point of 'disintermediation' where business is transacted on the net resulting in complete behavourial change. "As many as half-new cars are bought and sold over the Internet and almost half of the world's largest companies now recruit through websites." This really illustrates just how explosive the information revolution has been on our society, economy and industry, not only in the US, but also throughout the world. Jon Gluck's hands-on experience with e-commerce in the US and Drucker's material really reflects the technological change we are experiencing now and possibly greater change in the future. Disintermediation. Convergence. Interactivity. What next?

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Spin doctors to revolutionise Malaysian ad scene with radio creative services greatly exaggerated. On the contrary, as more A wind of change is sweeping into one of the radio stations continue to open up in this nation, most overlooked and underrated media in there are greater opportunities for brands to Malaysia, and if broadcasting-theatre-movie icon establish relationships with their customers. Patrick Teoh and his team have their way, things Radio, being the most intimate of media, is well are going to sound very different from now on. positioned to this relational bridge. And agencies Introducing Radio Therapy - a creative adverÂ which know better will treat and tap Radio tising service for radio. It offers both advertising Therapy as a creative resource, much like they agencies and direct clients a new avenue for maxÂ do film production houses." imising the potential of radio as an effective Leonard will play an active and passionate role in advertising medium. "Radio is one of the most the operations of Radio Therapy, being its under-utilised media," says Patrick. "Thankfully, Consultant Therapist. He brings with him a over the last five years, Malaysian radio has The spin doctors behind Radio Therapy ham it up for the camera. wealth of experience, having been a creative changed phenomenally, growing from a handful director of two international agencies since the 1994. of stations to a sophisticated, varied medium with many stations, each Radio Therapy is responding to a market need by providing key services offering a format or programming targeted to a particular segment of the to ensure clients of effective radio advertising. These include: population. In this rapidly evolving radio scenario, Radio Therapy is geared i) Conceptualising and scripting of creative radio commercials based on the to deliver creative solutions that are urgently needed to tap the benefits creative brief from agency/client. radio offers." ii) Scripting and production of demo radio spots for business pitches. Radio Therapy is a joint-venture between Addaudio Sdn Bhd and Alphabet iii) Conceptualising and scripting of radio programmes for sponsorship. Soup Sdn Bhd. Addaudio, a member of The Music Machine (TMM) Holdings iv)Training and education of agency and client personnel through radio Group of companies, has long been the premier post-production specialist workshops/seminars. for sound recording and engineering. Over the last decade and a half, This partnership between Addaudio and Alphabet Soup formalises a Addaudio has garnered international recognition for its high-quality work. long working relationship based on mutual respect and admiration. Working Alphabet Soup is a strategic creative consulting firm that has extensive together, both parties are committed to making Radio Therapy more than experience in many fields of creative advertising and editorial writing, in just a one-stop shop for radio commercials. In fact, Radio Therapy is destined particular, creative writing for radio. to be the mecca for all things creative in the medium of radio. Its founder and creative consultant, Leonard Lee, believes that agencies For more information, call Daniel Tang or Leonard Lee at 03 756 0600 and their clients are ready for a higher level of creative output borne of a or e-mail RTHERAPY@tmmh.com.my deeper understanding of the media. " News of radio as a waning medium is

Flush with confidence and going for the sweet smell of success Restroom Ads are set to invade some of the poshest restrooms in town and they aren't pissing around about it. In fact, this 3-month-old company is already putting the finishing touches to their infrastructure and about to launch several campaigns for a whole slew of clients! We caught up with the co-founders, D. Gogulan and Aznan Rizal, at a trendy spot in Bangsar... ADOI: So guys, what made you think of Restroom Ads? Gogulan: We just happened to be standing next to each other in the restroom one night and I made a remark about those awkward silences between friends during those 'intimate' moments... Aznan: Yes, and then we realised that we were both reading the same graffiti on the wall during these pregnant pauses. Gogulan: We continued our conversation by shouting at each other in the club and then both of us just shouted 'captive audience!' at the same time! Aznan: We just sat there looking at each other in stunned silence for a split second and the next thing we knew, we were heading for the nearest mamak stall to discuss our idea in detail... Gogulan: We never made it to the mamak stall. We just kept talking in the car. Aznan: Studies have shown that men spend approximately 1 to 2 minutes per restroom visit and women spend 2 to 3 minutes per visit. ADOI: What kind of sizes are we talking about here? Gogulan: You mean the ads, right? Well, at the moment we are only catering to a standard A4 size but we may review that in the near future.

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ADOI: What about locations? Aznan: We have about 25 clubs and restaurants throughout the Klang Valley a and are looking for more. The number may seem small but it's because we've been very selective. We want to make sure they're the right type of place with the staying power to last out our clients' contracts. Gogulan: We're already thinking of branching out into other areas down the line but for now, we're concentrating on these 'happening' places with the 'right' crowd - age 18 to 44, educated, either professional, managerial or salesoriented with a high degree of discretionary income. ADOI: Would an advertiser appear at all your locations? Aznan: Obviously, they'd be welcome if they wanted to, but the beauty of' our concept lies in that the advertiser can pick and choose the locations from our 'network'. This helps them target specific audience groups - a disco is not going to have the exact same crowd as, say, an Irish pub. Gogulan: Yes, we're at Finnegan's and a wide variety of other locations. ADOI: Have you finished the setting up process? Aznan: Almost, we're planning for a full launch just after Hari Raya. ADOI readers can call 03-466-7196 for a closer look into Restroom Ads.

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Digital delivery has arrived A paperless, film-less workflow has been unleashed in Malaysia. And despite the sceptics, Malaysia's ad industry is absorbing this new technology at an astonishing rate. In just a few months, around 30 of KL's advertising agencies have said farewell to traditional methods of making ads and hello to sending ads online. And it doesn't stop at ad transfer. Online bookings, copy instructions, proofing and digital images are all in process now. Even hard copy, calibrated proofs can be couriered within a couple of hours to your doorstep. Kuala Lumpur based Asia OnTime is currently transferring more than 1000 advertisements a month for newspapers in West and East Malaysia through its PageStore electronic transmission system. According to its Managing Director, Christine Sterk (pictured above), the response is unprecedented internationally. "We were unprepared for how advanced Malaysian agencies were technologically. The standard in advertising is astonishing. We truly believe Malaysia will lead the world in a fully digital workflow. Without intention we've moved into online booking and are setting up a proofing centre to address a need for colour accuracy between proofs and prints. Agency enthusiasm is encouraging us to new heights in digital transmission not explored anywhere else in the world." Asia OnTime is part of Quickcut Pre-press network international, co-developed in the US and Australia and operating throughout the world. The Quickcut software suite incorporates booking and copy instructions for media plus DTP extensions for the most common layout software.

Advanced ad checking, according to publisher specifications, eliminates potential errors, including colour problems, before the ad leaves an agency. Handy tips even assist agencies in scanning and design flaws. The system costs nothing for an agency to install, charged on a cost-bytransaction basis (reduced charges on revised copy). And since the only requirement to get started is a computer and a phone line, it's no wonder nervous flutters are being felt in the colour sep industry. So what does this mean for our traditional friends? "Well, (a sigh). I always hesitate on this question because the real potential for colour separators is in digital printing. Times change and unfortunately, film is not part of the future worldwide. No matter what industry you look at, digital is the way to go, and probably sooner than most of us realise." "The bottom line is that it makes sense for agencies to go digital. The time savings alone make it worthwhile. It's a more efficient workflow. Changes can be made in minutes instead of days, quality increased, deadlines reduced, money saved. It enables agencies from anywhere in the world to turn around jobs faster, which means increased service for clients. Agencies realize, in these times service is everything." Newspapers that are online now: Berita Harian, Borneo Post, Business Times, China Press, Guang Ming, Harian Metro, Malay Mail, Metro Ahad, Mingguan Malaysia, New Straits Times, Nanyang Siang Pau, New Sunday Times, Sarawak Tribune, See Hua Daily News, Sin Chew Jit Poh, Sunday Mail, The Star, The Sun, Utusan Malaysia, Utusan Melayu, Utusan Zaman. If you're interested in digital delivery, call Asia OnTime on 03-242 1189 or the 4As on 03-460 8535 to attend an introductory workshop on January 12.

The perfect excuse hu Jigs Tirrc Javier, Tn</iit>r reporting whnrtincr from frnm Manila Mnniln. by

He was tall, well-built but lean, and extremely good-looking. Quietly sitting (by himself!) at the bar drinking from a bottle of beer. She scrambled for her business call card and stood up to introduce herself to him while her companions were aghast at her brazenness. Using all the powers of persuasion she could muster, she convinced the man to agree to call her for a casting audition for our tv commercial. And also to join her for a drink. He got the lead in a commercial and she got herself a winning campaign. Ah, advertising! A wonderful excuse to be bold. It is a day like any other ordinary black-suit corporate day at the business district. Men and women, hair well-combed to almost severe neatness, suits and shirts well-pressed to stiff perfection, feet well-shod to impeccable shininess. Corporate men and women. But wait... Sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb, a gaggle of colourful and unconventionally garbed individuals. Like peacocks nonchalantly strolling in the midst of grey carabaos, sporting shaven heads, pierced noses, ears and eyebrows, the clompiest boots and the snazziest sneakers, the most unusual outfits that could put Gaultier's collection to shame. One of the black-suits whispers to his group: "They're from advertising." Everyone else nods in perfect understanding, shakes their heads like indulgent parents, and moves on. Ah, advertising! A great excuse to stand out. People let us get away with almost anything short of murder when they find out we're from advertising. We do and say the most outrageous things and we are forgiven. Our outrageousness is not only excused but expected! Because we are in advertising. The perfect excuse others conveniently use to indulge us and justify our idiosyncrasies and eccentricities. Advertising people, especially those in creative, are just the way they are, 'regular' people would say. They are just naturally in touch with their inner child, they would say, tsk-tsking with tolerant amusement. And we, the brats that we are, make the most of that 'excuse'. We live large. We are impetuous. We cultivate our eccentricities. We love to be different...

And why are we excused for our oddball behaviour and unique ways? Just because we're in advertising? Because we are interesting? I believe it's because we bring colour and comedy into the drably uniÂ form days of 'normal' people. Our lives are perceived as larger-than-life which people vicariously experience and enjoy. I look back on my years in the agency and I fondly recall colourful events and interesting people. Like my ex-boss Bill who, in the early 80s, shaved his head when it wasn't fashionable to do so, wore dark glasses and came to work looking for himself claiming he was his twin. The receptionist believed him and he waited in the reception area, leisurely drinking coffee and reading the paper. When he was done, he went to his office like it was an ordinary day. Or another creative director who concocted a violent, insane argument with his very willing account manager in order to frighten away a persistent insurance salesman. And succeeded. Or a certain be-turbanned colleague of mine who, all throughout the duration of his cross-posting, prowled the clubs of Manila all night and crawled into the agency late every morning with his turban awry. Or a creative and accounts team who would gather together at the end of a working day for a bit of primal scream therapy and shriek their fatigue and frustration away. Par for the course in an agency, but could be frightening in any other company. Agencies may come and go, get merged or sold. Technology, media formats and production methods may change. The millennium may end or begin, whichever point of view you take. But advertising people? We will always march to a different drummer... be the splash of colour in a blackand-white world... and dare to be different. We have to. Being in advertising may be a perfect excuse for most people to rationalize what they themselves can't do or understand. But for us, it's just the way we are and always will be.

Alexander Brown Managing Director ESPN STAR Sports, Singapore.

46 million sports fans in over 25 Asian countries expect a lot from Alexander Brown. He doesn't disappoint. As MD of ESPN STAR Sports, he delivers the world's premier live sports and leading regional events via 6 channels, 24 hours a day, in English, Hindi, Cantonese and Mandarin. And to ensure that continued delivery, Brown travels extensively from headquarters based in Singapore to regional offices in India, Beijing, Taiwan and Hong Kong. You could say he has seen more of Asia than most Asians. Brown has criss-crossed Asia's airways for the past 15 years, due to his extensive involvement in the cable & satellite business. This experience has given him in-depth knowledge of both the American and Asian sports industries, as well as a strong understanding of Asia's business climate and economy. He joined ESPN Asia as MD in 1992 and oversaw the growth of its subscriber base from several hundred thousand to more than 18 million, before being nominated to his current position in 1996. It was this experience and contribution to the industry that saw Alexander appointed as a committee member of the Economic Development Board of Singapore in February 1999.

Anthony Kang

Austen Zecha

Chief Operating Officer Theme Media & Production, Singapore.

President & CEO, ISCB Worldwide Partners, Malaysia. Austen began his advertising career in Hong Kong in 1971, after an earlier career as a Southeast Asian journalist, US Political Speechwriter and Marketing Communications Executive with both Exxon and Mobil Oil in New York. He sold his HK agency to a multinational three years later when he moved here to establish his first Malaysian agency. Another multinational bought his 'second child' and he immediately launched AMC in 1976. Austen developed AMC into the largest Malaysian agency from 1987 to 1992 before selling it (yet again) to his Malaysian partners in 1994. He also spun off two units from AMC which became Saatchi & Saatchi Malaysia and Edelman Public Relations. Austen then launched ISCB and, in only 5 years, took it into the country's top 10 with worldwide campaign and clients like Royal Brunei Airlines, 'Malaysia: Bullish On Bouncing Back', Tourism Malaysia, and Barisan Nasional's recent nationwide election campaign. The 'father' of countless marketing communications companies is looking forward to the start of the new millennium. "This next decade will give the industry the opportunity to make up for 'lost time' as the region's business climate continues to improve," says Austen.

Allen Tan

Managing & Creative Director Fixgo Advertising, Malaysia. Allen began his advertising career over 20 years ago and made his mark as an Art Director in both local and international agencies in places like Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney.

2 ADOIMILLENNIUMMANAGERS

As both MD & CD, he adopts a "hands-on" approach in all of Fixgo's major accounts. These include clients from the automotive, consumer-durables, retail, and toiletries sectors. It's an approach that has led to 5 Winner statues from the 1995 & 19% U.S. Telly Awards, an achievement listed in the Malaysian Book of

Anthony is the new boy at TMP - a 5-year-old, independently-owned, member of the 4A's. He is, however, an old hand at advertising - with over 20 yearsof experience in agencies like Compton Advertising, Saatchi & Saatchi, Ad Grand, Cam-Asatsu and Gartshore & Associates. Since its inception five years ago, TMP has successfully grown into a medium-size agency and today handles products ranging from retail stores, airlines and hotels to beauty and fashion. As the new head of the full-service agency, he believes it has to strengthen and maintain its key role of strategic planning and building brand relationships in the new millennium. "I see TMP as a strategic partner and custodian of our clients' brands, and so long as we continue to focus on and play that role well, our survival in the new millennium can be assured," says Anthony who is also Vice-President of the Singapore 4A's. "Interactive agencies and media specialists have affected the function and revenue of the traditional agency but they aren't a real threat because they do not focus on the marketing partnership role that is crucial in building successful brand equity for clients."

Records. Allen says the agency is currently gearing up for the new millennium by actively converging creativity and modern technology. "We hope to further lift the standards of Malaysian advertising and conclusively prove that we are consistently capable of world-class work," says the leader of this 100% Malaysian ad agency.

Andrew Bob Seymour Crombie Chief Executive Officer Bozell Worldwide Sdn Bhd.

Managing Director of FCB Malaysia & Regional Director, South East Asia for FCB Worldwide.

This guru of 'personto-person advertising' has over 15 years of product marketing, advertising and direct marketing experience on some of the world's best known brands. When asked for his views on the new millennium, he said, "I am very positive about the new millenÂ nium. First, because it will be 1000 years before anyone has to endure the overuse of 'that word' again. Second, because I believe that as techÂ nology allows, enables and demands us to speak more personally with consumers at a micro level (which is a good thing), it will greatly increase the need for insightful and revolutionary ideas that muster consumers to act at a macro level. Smart brand owners will increasingly require and reward agencies who create big ideas, for whatever medium, that generate big responses - that excite individuals to move en masse. Crowded, feature-loaded, uninteresting, idea-less messages will be recognised as a waste of time and money, (which is a very good thing!)" "With new technologies and more advertisers recognising the need to interest consumers into action, I can only see good things for FCB and for the ad industry."

Brian Harrison

Managing Director Dentsu Young & Rubicam (DYR), Singapore.

This 30-year veteran of the ad industry has worked in places like New York, London, Toronto and Scandinavia before coming to Singapore. During his eight years at the helm of DYR Singapore, he has charted its course through good and bad times and seen it grow into the largest agency group in the Republic. He believes in helping clients interact with any target audience through any channel by providing end-to-end solutions. Brian calls it the business of brand building. We asked for his thoughts on advertising in the new millennium. "Unless and until our industry gets back to giving clients what they need rather than just supplying what they ask for, we will continue to be threatened on all sides and will play an ever more marginal role in the evolution of business."

Bob sent this message in response to our call regarding this special feature: "Attempting to list everything in 100 words is like writing a 30-second spot for World War II, so here goes. Career: London (x2), Singapore (x2), Thailand, Malaysia. Vision: Measurably add value to our clients business. Aspiration: Less mealy-mouthedness. Personal Statement: As a service to those thinking of a career in advertising, here are two snaps of myself which may prove illuminating... God bless us, every one." 1974

1999

Azizi Meor Ngah

Group Executive Director, Kumpulan Utusan Berhad, Malaysia. Azizi has been, at various times: a Planter, a Planner, and a Publisher.

He spent '17 long years' in the Guthrie group as a planter in many parts of the country before completing his MBA at Henley Management College in the UK. He was then posted to Guthrie's head office and spent 7 years in charge of corporate planning and organisational re-engineering. This experience then led to a part time position as consultant to both the company and the World Bank. Greener pastures beckoned after that, and Azizi joined Business Focus as CEO, where he was involved in corporate mergers and acquisitions. Then came publishing in 1995. Azizi joined the Utusan group as Group Executive Director and today continues to oversee its multiple media operations - Publishing, Printing, Advertising and New Media. When asked for his aspirations in the new millennium, he said, "I'd like to find out how branding will work in a 'connected' economy operating at warp speed." Azizi also sees the emergence of new media as The Great Challenge to media owners, advertisers, ad agencies and media specialists. His warning: "Be a new media convert or perish!"

ADOIMILLENNIUlVfMANAGERS 3

Bob Houldsworth

Osman

General Manager AMP Radio Networks, Malaysia. Borhanuddin has been in the advertising industry for 21 years, in a whole list of agencies from J. Walter Thompson and Ogilvy & Mather to Lintas, Dentsu Young & Rubicam and Paragon Communications. As the GM of AMP, he operates five formatted radio stations Hitz, Mix, Light & Easy, Era and My FM - and has transformed radio from a very old medium into a highly digitised, multimedia expe rience.

Borhanuddin lists Hongkong Bank, Ford, Nippon Paint, Ikea, Maxis, Perodua and Nestle as just some of AMP's key clients and he hopes to expand this list in the new millennium. Borhanuddin said, "We are currently working on some new innovations that we hope to unveil in the near future... tune in for more details!"

Christina Chia

Christina feels that the industry will be even more challenging and exciting as it moves into the digital age. Marketing will take on a new meaning as one tries to integrate new technology into the mix and make it even more meaningful and relevant to the consumer.

4 ADOIMILLENNIUMMANAGERS

This experienced advertising and direct marketing professional has worked throughout Asia and has lived in Australia, Korea and Taiwan before settling in Malaysia as the helmsman of 141 Malaysia. 141 Malaysia is part of the Bates Malaysia Group and 141 WorldWide - the below-the-line arm of the Bates Group with 60 agencies in 40 countries. Bob says that although 141 Malaysia began as a Direct Marketing specialist 10 years/ago, it has grown since then to offer a full range of expert BTL services which include event management and sales promotion. 141 Malaysia also provides full above-theline services to some major clients who ask for it. As for the future, this specialist has a few choice words for clients and advertising practitioners alike, "If we can't make a difference to a client's business, we don't want it. And they shouldn't want us! In the new millennium, I fervently hope there will be fewer dog & pony shows in the ad industry."

Bernard Chan Chairman & Managing Director The DNC Group, Singapore.

This Raffles Institution Old Boy and University of Singapore graduate wore Singapore's colours to the Tokyo Olympics in '64 as an impressive swimmer and water polo player. Bernard was also Marketing Manager of A. Clouet and General Manager of Feltus & Robertson prior to his involvement in DNC. He became the Managing Director of Dailey, Naidu & Chan International during a change in ownership in June 1976. As a co-founder, Bernard has been the driving force that developed the original agency into the dynamic agency group it is today. He continues to lead the Group into the new millennium as Chairman and MD, and maintains the responsibility of developing new business. In an era where large, 'top heavy', media dependent agencies have fallen and specialist agencies have succeeded, our objective is to enhance and expand the Group's services by turning each member into a specialist," says Bernard.

Director of Marketing CNBC Asia.

Christina Chia is in charge of CNBC Asia's multi-media ad campaigns and mar keting efforts across the Asia Pacific region and undertakes global adver tising and promotions initiatives with her counterparts in CNBC Europe and the U.S. The business news channel enjoys an impressive blue-chip advertising pool which includes Union Bank of Switzerland, Hongkong & Shanghai Bank, Merrill Lynch, Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, Singapore Airlines, Starwood Hotels, ABB, Hoechst AG and AT&T.

Managing Director, 141 Malaysia.

When we asked about her aspira tions in the new millennium, the lady who handles regional and worldwide campaigns on a daily basis replied, "I hope to spend more time with my kids and play better golf!" She's definitely got her priorities right, in our opinion.

"This will keep us 'lean and mean' without compromising the high quality of service that DNC has become known for. I am confident the DNC group will emerge as the region's one-stop-shop with worldwide networking and fully integrated services in marketing and marketing communications."

Chris Harris

Chief Executive Officer Bartle Bogle Hegarty - Asia Pacific.

Chris started his career at Unilever and later moved to Saatchi & Saatchi, London. After that, he did a stint at Saatchi & Saatchi, New York before joining Bartle Bogle Hegarty in 1990. He has now been BBH's CEO in the Asia Pacific region for about a year and a half. When we asked this man of few words for his aspirations in the new millennium, the reply was simple and to the point. "To do the best, most famous creative work in the region, and to be the best place to work," said Chris. His wish for the industry was as succinct. "My wish is that it becomes obsessed with effectiveness." The CEO of one of the pre eminent creative agencies in the world obviously doesn't believe in gilding a lily. Nor in beating around the bush. BBH Asia Pacific currently handles a number of global, region al and local accounts. These include Levi's, CNBC Asia, Alpenliebe, Frisk, TAG Heuer, Asian Home Gourmet and Sheraton Towers.

Chris Kyme

Chief Executive Officer & Executive Creative Director Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB), Singapore. Chris claims to have begun his career in advertising by 'weaseling' his way into FCB London as a messen ger, and then copywriter, where he worked under Andrew Cracknell during a bright spell in the early 80s. He first went to Hong Kong in 1987 to work for Leo Burnett, then helped turn Grey from a smallish local agency into a number 5 shop in about 5-6 years. In 1997, he was back at FCB and they sent him to help set up the Singapore office. He has won awards, awards and more awards with high profile TV work for a wide range of clients. The three time Chairman of the HK 4As Awards speaks of his accomplishments with quiet understate ment, "I'm proud of the fact that most of my best work has been high-profile but I am driven by the idea that I still have to do better, despite the fact that I'm entering old-fartdom!" His hopes for the new millennium? "My ambition is to become a famous DJ someday."

Collier Yong Group Managing Director THSS Holdings, Malaysia.

Collier began building the THSS group of companies from the ground up nearly 14 years ago. It stands today as one of the leading entertainment and events management groups in Malaysia with subsidiaries which include The Hot Shoe Show & Company; The Music & Lights; and Crystal Image Video Productions. THSS has managed major events like Peter Stuyvesant's Breakaway Night Roadshows; Samsung's Boomerang Washing Machine Launch Promotion; Festo's Hot Air Balloon and Proton's Merdeka Race at the Sepang F1 Circuit. Other clients on his list include the Philips Group of Compa nies, Malaysian Assurance Alliance Berhad and the KLSE. Collier says that he and his team take great pride in being forerunners in the industry and they look forward to future challenges. "We're very excited about the new innovations and technological breakthroughs on the horizon, especially in the field of sound and light, and you can count on us to make those technologies available to our clients in the new millennium," adds Collier.

Christopher Chang Co-Founder Nerve Centre Associates, Malaysia.

Christopher started at O&M as an Account Management Trainee in 1982. Since then, he's had stints at Ted Bates, Wings Creative, Batey Ads, and Asatsu & Fortecom. In 1995, he started Nerve Centre Associates with his partner Lum Weng Wah and they've won quite a few clients since then. Their full-service, media-accredited agency offers integrated services to clients like OCBC Bank, Asia Pacific Institute of IT, Maxis, Makro, Parade Shopping Centres, and JDH Phar maceutical (Breacol, Vykmin, Actal). Christopher believes that the 'cyber-millennium', as he calls it, is going to be damn exciting but he doesn't believe that technology is everything. "Keeping pace with technology is important to us at Nerve Centre but we believe 'service excellence' is still key in winning and keeping business," says this true-blue servicing man. His personal aspirations for the new millennium? "I know it sounds corny, but I'm hoping for more peace in the world. I just wish all of us would just make that extra effort to understand each other and start talking instead of fighting," says Chris.

Mdm Chua Foo Yong Chief Operating Officer Radio Corporation of Singapore.

As the newly appointed Chief Operating Officer at Radio Corporation of Singapore (RCS), distinguished veteran broadcaster Mdm Chua Foo Yong brings with her years of broadcasting experience in radio and television operation and production. Her many achievements include: • Presenter for both radio and TV programmes including news, current affairs and entertainment programmes. •

Led the first commercial Chinese radio broadcast in Singapore.

•

Developed Chinese TV dramas which gradually evolved from one-hour weekly telecast to five a week.

•

Launched weekday evening TV social drama.

•

Designed format radio stations and increased the number of RCS radio stations from 5 to 12 in the last ten years.

(ADOI carries an exclusive story on Mdm Chua on Page 4 of this issue).

ADOIMILLENNIUMMANAGERS 5

Constance Westwood Managing Director Asia Public Relations, Malaysia.

Constance runs Asia PR, a wholly-Malaysian consultancy that specialises in mainstream public relations with key strengths in corporate and financial, consumer, fast food, retail, community, and crisis management. It also enjoys strong government relations and event management capabilities. She shares her view of PR's role in the communications indus try of the new millennium. "Public Relations will remain the scapegoat of communications in the new millennium, unless clients are prepared to acknowledge its role and the results to be reaped, that it has to be personally steered by top management and that it is a specialised career undertaken by qualified personnel. More importantly, they must set aside a separate budget for the longterm implementation of PR and not just turn to it when disaster strikes!"

Daniel Binns

Managing Director, McCann-Erickson Malaysia.

Malaysia is the fifth country in 11 years that Daniel has worked in with McCann-Erickson, 7 of those years spent in various 'odd' media positions. He says odd because they were all new areas of media - pan-regional media co-ordination, satellite TV, etc. He claims to have felt like he was always in unchartered territory, trying to write the rules of the game, whilst playing it and trying to win. Well, we think he must have done something right. He thinks that 'odd' will also aptly define the ad industry in the early part of the new millennium. "We are heading for an era where every paradigm we hold true is about to be turned on its head and anyone who thinks otherwise is in for a rude shock. Technology, the internet, fee systems, niche media, satellite TV, digital communication, integration, and the demise of MIM are all about to change the fundamentals of the business like never before," says Daniel. So his wish for himself and the industry: "Evolve or Die."

Ee Sim Teo-Machado Managing and Creative Director JM Creative, Malaysia.

Ee Sim helms a full service agency with a variety of clients - from consumer packaged goods to insurance, property and even health supplements. She began her career as a journalist with the New Straits Times before moving on to advertising, where she won numerous advertising awards in Malaysia and Singapore while serving as Creative Director in both local and international advertising agencies on both sides of the causeway. However, this English Literature graduate from the University of Singapore does continue an active involvement in journalism by writing a monthly advertising column in The Star. Ee Sim is not anti-technology but she believes that advertising, these days doesn't romance the consumer. "Perhaps we still can in the new millennium, once we re-learn the language," says the lady as she boots her computer for another day's work.

6 ADOIMILLENNIUMMANAGERS

Eric Pringle Founder & Director Eric Pringle Associates Group.

This PR icon's credentials and client list reads like a 'who's who' book... His Group has offices in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, and is affiliated with The Advocacy Group (TAG) - a Washington-based, worldwide grouping of consultants in PR, government lobbying, legal counsel, environ mental issues management, head hunting, business-to-business facili tation and e-commerce services. His flagship company, Eric Pringle Associates Public Relations (EPAPR), is the Asia-Pacific repre sentative of Virgil Scudder & Asso ciates, the world's foremost media and presentation skills training firm. His achievements include: Pro moting the world's largest cricket tournament - the Carlsberg-ICC Trophy; initiating government relations and marketing communi cation programmes for Coca-Cola Far East and F&N Coca-Cola; strategising Marlboro's sponsorship of the Badminton Association of Malaysia's Thomas Cup-winning training programme and promoting the biennial Malaysian tri-services defence exhibition over the last 14 years into the largest in the region and the second largest in the world. Eric hopes that the marketing communications industry raises its standards to match the national aspirations of Malaysia in the new millennium. He also hopes to be known as head of the most professional and ethical corporate communications group in the region.

David Oh

Managing Director N.E.10. Advertising, Malaysia. David graduated from the prestigious London College of Printing - Graphic Design Dept in 1976 and worked in several design boutiques in London before settling at AVON International, London. He returned to Malaysia and joined AMC as Art Director in 1979 and was sent to AMC Jakarta as Creative Director in 1981. David got homesick after a successful year there, and returned to set up the Kuala Lumpur Hilton's advertising department in 1982. Always hungry for a challenge, David started his own design firm in 1983. A Japanese agency bought up the business six years later and appointed him Managing Director, where he remains. Today, NewsAd boasts of a client list that includes local and foreign players - Alcatel handphones, Yee Lee Trading, Fujitsu PC, Best Denki, Sinmah Food Industries and Kenwood Malaysia. David is understandably proud of the agency's accomplishments, "The peak was when we pitched against multi-nationals, won the accounts and then have our creatives used globally." As for the new millennium, he says that NewsAd intends to continue proving that local agencies can do great international work!

Eugene Ng Founder & Managing Director Artscript Sdn Bhd, Malaysia. "We started with literally nothing except an unreserved determination to succeed. This year the company will celebrate along with the Millennium revellers, its quarter-century anniversary!" says Eugene. Eugene got his training in advertising from the grassroots level. He worked for a leading Chinese newspaper selling advertising space to a client base ranging from small-sized businesses to multinational companies. "In those days, almost 25 years ago, we were the backroom boys who peddled space to reluctant clients, many of whom did not even believe in advertising as a valuable communications tool." "Adscript's first client was a real estate developer who had a dream to develop affordable houses for the middle-income population and with a negligible advertising budget. I convinced the client to take a double-spread colour advertisement in two of the major dailies and adopt a wait-and-see approach. The developer didn't have to wait long. Within days of the advertisement, the property was nearly sold out!" With annual billings of more than RM 10 million, Artscript is now part of the big league. But for Eugene, the agency's focus to stay small is still very much a part of the company's overiding philosophy.

Gordon Stewart

Managing Director of the Nelson Sofres Group in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Gordon joined the Taylor Nelson Sofres Group in 1997 and brought with him an unique combination of marketing and market research experience, which came from working with leading multinationals and conglomerates such as Textron, Nestle, George Weston Foods, The Boots Company and Beirsdorf.

Prior to that, he was a Founding Director of Independent Marketing - a specialist consultancy in syndicated research. This research maestro keeps 3 different markets in mind all the time, at the helm of a group that keeps tabs on more than eleven different industry groupings. These include Automobiles, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Healthcare, Information Technology, Media, Telecommunication, Personal Care, Finance, Financial Communications, Business Research and Utilities. Hearing this, we asked Gordon if he had any spare time and how he spent it. "I guess the best way to answer that would be to say I've been preparing myself and the company for the new millennium," he answered with a grin. "Seriously though, we definitely aim to continue providing our clients with the highest degree of quality and service, in data analysis and usable marketing insights, and we are constantly looking at new ways to do that in the new millennium."

Gerald Miranda Chief Executive Officer Zenith Media Malaysia. A member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom, Gerald was also Finance Director of Bates Malaysia, where he distinguished himself by winning the inaugural Finance Director of the Year Award from Bates Worldwide in 1990. Today, he is the inspiration and architect of Zenith Malaysia, and as its CEO single-mindedly nurtured its growth to the forefront of Malaysian media specialisation. An advertising 'man for all seasons', he was the brainchild for Zenith's entry into Asia when Zenith Malaysia was established as Zenith's first office in Asia, ahead of Hong Kong, Tokyo or Singapore. A true pioneer of media specialisation in Malaysia, Gerald was chided in the early years when media speÂ cialists were shunned upon by traditional advertising players. He reflects amusingly, "It is a bit humorous to see some agencies who derided Zenith now scramble around to start their own media shops. And some of them will no doubt start to call themselves media specialists!" Today, Zenith Malaysia continues to lead media innovations in the country.

ADOIMILLENNIUMMANAGERS 7

Hoo See Kong General Manager Taylor Nelson Sofres Group, Malaysia.

See Kong joined Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) Group, formally known as Frank Small and Associates, in 1989 after spending five years as a researcher for the World Health Organisation and the United Nations and currently holds the position of General Manager for TNS Malaysia. He has experienced a wide range of global research techniques and applications over the last 10 years and has helped turn TNS Malaysia into a leading research company with particular strengths in the area of customized solutions for clients dealing in fast moving con sumer goods, automobiles, telecommunications, healthcare, business and finance and media. See Kong believes that the company is all set to provide accurate and actionable analysis, value added marketing insights and servicing in the new millennium via their accreditation of QCSI, TNS global branded solutions, and a team of high quality researchers.

Gregory Tan

Director BSG Communications, Singapore.

Gregory directs a Public Relations Consultancy that specialises in Strategic Communications Planning and Tactics. The company was originally started by Shirley Khow in 1992 with the aim of making it a specialised consultancy serving client-specific needs. Since then, the company has grown from a small start-up to include major MNCs like Siemens Nixdorf, Smith and Nephew, The LabelexCowise Group, Boston Scientific Corporation and others in its list of clients. Gregory and his team pride themselves on the ability to work with clients. That's because he believes the essential ingredient for a successful campaign is the partnership with our client. "It also makes the job more fun for everyone," says Gregory. He also has strong opinions on the PR industry in the new millennium: "Local Public Relations consultancies must prepare themselves for the growth of international activities in the new millennium by setting new industry standards and benchmarks. The trend is not for localised communications, but truly global and regional communications. The markets are out there. We have to move forward or PR, as an industry, will be left behind in the marketing communication's scheme of things."

Gurdeep Singh

Managing Director Hunter Advertising Services, Malaysia. Gurdeep started Hunter after leaving Bozell, more than 10 years ago. Since then, it has grown from its humble beginnings in the recruitment sector into a full-fledged, fullservice agency that ranks among the leaders in the field of local players. The agency looks poised and focussed as it faces the new millennium. "Yes, it is a high-tech world out there. And yes, we are playing the game of 'keeping up with the Jetsons', nobody can afford not to play that game these days. But let's not forget what advertising is all about at its core - persuasive messages clearly spelled out, simply and easily," says Gurdeep. "It looks like Hunter is heading in the right direction with its class of value-added advertising."

Hoe Chin Fee Managing Director ACNielsen eRatings.com, Singapore.

Mrs Hoe Chin Fee has over twenty years of experience in market research and management. Trained in both the qualitative and quantitative research disciplines, Chin Fee's experience spans two continents with stints in research companies in the UK and Ireland, as well as many years specializing in multi-country projects in the Asia Pacific. She also served as Managing Director of ACNielsen Research Singapore for 5 years prior to her current position. As the MD of the joint venture between ACNielsen and a US-based NetRatings Inc., she hopes to introduce a common currency by which buyers and sellers on the internet may negotiate and conduct their business, beginning with Global Netwatch - the definitive study of the world internet population. This lady with a clear view of the new millennium says, "The Internet is fast establishing itself as an essential distribution channel of value-added services as well as a communication medium. We aim to harness this new, borderless medium for our clients by providing not only quality information, but real-time access as well, in order to tap new opportunities in a fast-moving marketplace." Check it out at www.eratings.com

Huw Griffith Chief Executive Officer M&C Saatchi Singapore.

Huw set-up M&C Saatchi Singa pore in 1995 after 9 years in London and a further 9 years in Singapore (4 years of which were at Batey Ads running Singapore Airlines). He helped build the company from two clients to an impressive list of local and regional clients including British Airways, Qantas, BMW, Lee Hwa Jewellery, Singa pore Telecom, Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore Post, Metro, Asia

AnniMil f FNNIiiMMANAGERS

Pacific Breweries and HewlettPackard. M&C Saatchi's billings now tops S$45 million. His view of the company's current position is candid, "We've survived birth. Now we are building a dynasty." To him, 1999 marks the end of the start-up phase and the beginning of a new era of success. Their formula of being aggressive on the new business front while remaining true to M&C Saatchi's

principles of producing hard hitting creatives has seen them winning recognition through local and international awards. He also believes that Asia will play a huge role in the next chapter of our industry's development in the new millennium. "The world emphasis will slowly change from West to East. That is providing we don't all buy each other and end up losing the plot."

Greg Paull Managing Director Ammirati Puris Lintas, Singapore.

Indira Nair

lan Craighead

Managing Director Edelman Worldwide, Malaysia Regional Dean, Edelman University

Founder Select Team, Malaysia.

Indira helms a leading player in the Malaysian arena of public relations with clients that range from large multinationals to local clients and exciting brands. She is the guiding light to a staff of 25, employed in 3 main divisions: Corporate/Financial, Consumer/Healthcare and Information Technology. She says her career history is too long and unwieldy to mention in derail. When pushed for details, this modest lady thoughtfully stated, "Suffice it to say, the numerous learning opportunities I've had over the years have contributed to making me the 'tough but reasonable' person that I am ofte n branded as." So much for that. We then asked for her views on the new millennium. "Edelman in the new mille nnium will build enduring partnerships and ensure that the companies and brands we represent achieve their goals through planned, open and ongoing communication programmes," added lndi with a mischievous little smile. Her millennium wish for us all: Make it a millennium of 'breakthroughs'!

Ian Craighead set up Select Team after successfully steering Grey Malaysia from its modest beginnings into the top ten league. Pat Steven, the Creative Director shares his goal of providing clie nts strategic and creative solutions without the unnecessary ' baggage' found at some othe r agencies. "Our practice of outsourcing for all support services allows us to get the very best for our clients while we maintain strategic and creative direction at all time," says Ian. He has found that clients also appreciate the Select Team system because it gives them direct contact with top-level operators at all times.

Greg has been at APL since the start of 1999 in what has been a great year for the agency. They won new business from Microsoft, Sony and Audi Singapore and bagged thirteen creative awards in New York, London and Asia. Their accomplishments for Audi Asia Pacific were capped last month with the ad agency being named Singapore's 'Ad Agency ofthe Year'. Greg has over 6 years experience in Asia and worked for 10 years in Australia and Europe before coming to this region. He is very clear and confident about the future of Asia's ad industry, "Asia has shown it has the tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit to rise from the ashes of 1997. T he next 12 months will see a clear flow-on to advertising, which will restake its role wi th marketers as one of their few tools to create growth."

He adds, "In our opinion, many agencies will find it makes sense to operate like this in the new millennium." Se lect Team IS a lso the Malaysian office for ICOM, a leading independent international group of ad agencies. James is the head of Asia's first 24-hour cable and sate llite TV ne twork completely de dicated to action. AXN offers non-stop features with one common denominator action!

James Buklarewicz Chief Executive Officer AXN Action Tv, Singapore.

He has guide d AXN's development since its launch in Se pte mbe r 1997, and he ove rsees its 3 satellite services - AXN India, AXN Taiwan and AXN East Asia - which delive r TV series, movies, Japanese amme and sports & adventure programmes to 16 million households across 15 countries.

It's a programming format that has not only attracted the viewers but international-brand advertisers as well. Among them are Toyota, Hyundai, Canon, McDonald's, CocaCola, Foste rs, P&G, Goodyear, Caltex and Hugo Boss. ] ames plans to rake the network, which is 100% owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, into the new millennium with a, 'bang'. "We p la n to develop an AXN Action TV Community by creating interactive opportunities between the network and our viewers," said James. "Communication methods and viewing habits are changing as fast as the technology is, and broadcasters have to keep pace with these changes. lnte ractivity will become increasingly sure ly important for broadcasters in the new millennium."

F01~0lee

KeOI~

Senior Consultant Key Message, Malaysia. This brand marketing public relations specialist was awarded the 1997 Guinness Anchor Supplier ofThe Year Award in the Services Category. This former journalist also lists a number of other international brands as clients which include Chivas Regal, Goodyear, Japan Airlines, Martell, Nestle Food Service, Pampers and Prudential Assurance. His goals for the new millennium? "We want to be #1 in our clients' minds. Not #1 in Malaysia. Not even #1 in Petaling Jaya. If clients think we're #1, then we are. If not, we aren't Evel)'thing else is immaterial".

ADOIMILLENNIUMMANAGERS 9

Jennifer Chan Chief Executive Officer BBDO Malaysia. "Visions don't start and end with a Millennium." Jennifer Chan has been the CEO of BBDO for about two and a half years. She has worked in the advertising industry for over 20 years, with half of her career spent in Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan, mostly with J. Walter Thompson. In 1994, she became the first Malaysian woman to head an international agency in Malaysia. When asked about that experience, Jennifer says, "With some luck and the help of my colleagues, the agency leapt from lOth to 3rd ranking." "I'd much rathe r talk about the future, " added Jennifer. "The new millennium brings promises of everything new - from ideas to technology. But the basic premise of the place I am in and the people I am with, still holds true with a passion, in my heart. I want BBDO to be a special place that people want to be a part of; a team that clients want to share and build their visions with; a cellar known for producing grown-up and fresh work; an agency I will be proud to leave behind."

Joanna Low Managing Director Zygote Communications, Malaysia.

Joanna is a born advertising entrepreneur. She started her advertising career in 1985 at Mutiara McCann. Two years later, she co-founded Hundredweight Design H ouse. Then she assisted the Spencer Azizul Group in setting up its subsidiary, Jiwa Advertising, in 1991 before establishing Zygote Communications in 1994. She lists Aktif Lifestyle Stores, Octon Electronic Store, The Legend Group Of Hotels, Skywalker Marketing (Min Fat C hi tosan), Bio-Life, Ricoh, Thalgo Sanctuary Marine Spa and Benefon Handphones as Zygote's key clients/brands. She hopes to re tire and spend quality time with he r 4 children before she turns 45. When will she turn 45? "That," according to her, "will happen sometime in the new millennium." As for Zygote, Joanna intends to continue having great working relationships with her clients as she helps deve loping their business. She also hopes to acquire more new clients/brands which have the 3 P's - a Pleasure to work on, Productive and Profitable. "In any form of business or re lationship that deals with fellow human be ings, the key to success is to be magnanimous. With this, I want to pay tribute to Spencer Wing for teaching me that wonde rful quality. Thank you, Spencer!"

Jennifer Yong-Reger Managing Director Publicis Union 45, Malaysia.

"This is not a dream. It is a realistic goal for me, for those who have trusted me, and for the industry which taught me what I know today."

Jennifer spent 10 years at O&M before joining Union 45 in 1993.

Joe Ghazzal

Moving from the premium international agency to a local outfit was a high-risk manoeuvre but she thrives on challenges.

Managing Director Global Videowall Communications, Malaysia.

And thrive she did. D espite the two-year economic slowdown, she turned Union 45 into an attractive target for inte rnational suitors and this led to the birth of Publicis Union 45.

Joe believes his production team is t he undispute d leade r in special events in Southeast Asia. We think he may be right, with projects like the official Millennium Cele brations of Malaysia; ' KLCC 2000'; and the epic 'Zero Countdown 2000' - a massive new years' eve celebration held all over the world with the local part of it at Te rminal 1, the former international airport in Subang. But what about the future? He says, "The future is so uncertain. T hat gives us more of a reason to make everything we do today matter for tomorrow. I guess you could say that we're concentrating on 'right now' at present. Don't get me wrong, we are looking to the future and exploring a lot of new concepts in special events. It's just that I'm not too worrie d about the future. I be lieve that we'll be all right as long as we keep our ' th ink global, act local' philosophy in focus." We wish you luck, Joe, although we don't think you'll need it. Check out J oe 's web s ites- www. glob a lcom m .c om .my, www.2000g lob a l. com , www. 2000malaysia.com, www.zerocountdown.com, fo r more answers.

1n ADOIMILLENNIUMMANAGERS

She's not resting on her laurels though. Whe n asked for her aspirations for the company, Je nnifer said, "I want to build P ublicis into an age ncy whe re we never have to pitch anymore, where clients beg us to handle their business and we can say 'No, thank you."' However, this tough-talking lady re ve ale d a softe r side when speaking of he r pe rsonal aspirations. "I just hope to arrive in heaven whe n my time is up." She quickly reverts to character though, whe n asked about her vision for the new millennium. "Clie nts treat agencies like whorehouses. T hey command. We obey. Where's the partnership, dignity and respect? Bring in the romance. Let's be partners, frie nds and happy spouses," shoots Jennifer. He r pe rsonal statement? "It's your attitude and not your aptitude that de termines your altitude."

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John Borzi Managing Director Leo Burnett, Singapore. John started at Leo Burnett Sydney's mailroom in 1984, worked through traffic and production and then media. He became the media director of the Adelaide office for 3 years before returning to LB Sydney in 1991 to assume a position in account servicing. 6 years later, he was offered the job of Managing Director at Leo Burnett Singapore and has been there ever since. He lists having former clients and colleagues calling him for career advice as a highlight of his career. "It made me realise that I can make a positive contribution to people's lives, not just work," says the Aussie gent.

made to the people structure and the formation of new business units will result in more success in the new millennium. "Leo Burnett is the top 5 in terms of creative reputation and is a preferred place to work," says John. "Our goal is to become one of the top 2 by any measure." John also shared his vision for the new millennium with us, "To secure media billing revenue, agencies have, in the past, given ideas away for free. As technology reshapes our industry, clients will search for a steady flow of ideas. Agencies will have to find a way to charge for them."

John hopes that fund amental changes they have

Josh Sklar CEO & Executive Creative Director Expanded Media Asia. Josh and his team of specialists are expanding Asia and the world with e-commerce web sites and Extranets for top companies and brands like Compaq, Nokia, Visa, Coca-Cola, Heineken and SingTel Mobile. They offer everything from on-line marketing consulting to creative development and design; technology impleme ntation; site management; and media planning.

Joseph Wong Managing/Creative Director Consultium, Malaysia. The 30-year advertising career of Joseph Wong a.k.a. Joe Wong spans Leo Burnett (1971-1974), ldris Lim Associates (1974-1977), SSC&B: Limas (1977 -1 979), F rancis Lim Ayer ( 1979- 1987) and Ad extra (1987 -1998). Joe, a seasoned advertising die-hard, now spearheads Consultium, which specialises in motor related advertising and manages motor sports events like the Silverstone 4th Asian Rally, Silverstone Borneo Circuit Challenge and Silverstone Queenstown Goldrush Hillclimb Race. With key clients Silverstone Berhad, Lion Suzuki Marketing, Lion Suzuki Motor and Kinabalu Motor Assembly under his belt, Joe defines 'creativity' as the methodology of communicating a message effectively and meaningfully resulting in a positive action such as a sale, or an enhancement of brand image. "It is not necessary for creativity to be bizarre or weird for the sake of being different. Such creativity may turn out to be obtrusively intruding to the consumer."

Josh hails from Austin, Texas and is an over-achiever to say the least. He started as a founding employee of XM Asia eight years ago and worked his way up from Senior Designer to become the most awarded new media Creative Director in Asia. Along the way, he created one of the first on-line shops in the world in early 1994. He even found time to design a Newsweek cover, served on the interactive jury for th e 1999 C lio Advertising Award Festivals in New York and was Chairman of the Singapore 4A's interactive jury. He is also Founder and President of the Asian New Media Association and sits on various government and school board committees regarding curricula and regulation of the web!

Johnson Lopez Managing Director Jon Clare Advertising, Malaysia. Jon C lare Advertising has been involved in the field of healthcare advertising for four years now. Unlike consumer advertising, ethical healthcare advertising is a very regulated sector. But of late, information meant only fo r the healthcare professional is being advertised through above the line media. So drugs for heart problems, cholesterol control, kidney and sexual proble ms have been advertised and sold without the slightest fear or concern for the safety of the public. In the new mille nnium, I hope the relevant authorities will formulate a policy to advise agencies on the rules and regulations pertaining to healthcare advertising. Formulating a policy is moving in the right direction, but the authorities must also apply it without fear or favour and be totally transpare nt in their actions. Rules must not only be applied but must seen to be applied. T his will be a positive step for healthcare advertising as we move into the new mille nnium

4001MIII FNNIIIMUANAI.!~DC: t1

Kevin-John

John Burbidge

Mcintyre

Managing Director Grey Malaysia.

Senior Vice President and General Manager, Discovery Channel- Asia.

John Burbidge started his long career in advertising in the mailroom of Grey, in London, in 1969! As a trainee, he began as a messenger and worked through all the agency disciplines over a four year period. This led to a long career in account and agency management. That career has been developed through his time spent in Australia (10 years), Hong Kong (another 10 years) and now in Malaysia (8 years and still climbing). John hopes to build Grey Malaysia into a regional centre of excellence for ASEAN, providing the most professional, innovative range of communication services, totally integrated. Current services include specialist direct marketing, database management, promotions, public relations, interactive, and healthcare as well as creative and media, of course. He has this to say about the new millennium, "The most exciting thing for me is undoubtedly web-based communications. They will provide the engines to drive both brand stature and export potential for many Malaysian enterprises. The inclusion of Interactive communications as one part of that offering is the new millennium."

Kevin Mcintyre has been working and living in Asia since 1981, living permanently in Hong Kong since 1987. He moved to Singapore in 1994 when appointed GM for Discovery Channel - Asia. A year later saw him take on the responsibility of overseeing and coordinating the full operation of Discovery Channel - Asia. This precise, erudite man holds a Ph.D in International Economics and Political Science and an M.A. in International Project Administration from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He earned a B.A. in Political Economy from Fordham University and majored in Electrical Engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy. Before joining Discovery Channel, Mcintyre was Vice President Distribution & Network Development for Hutchison Whampoa/STAR TY, where he oversaw business planning and policy development, government relations/regulatory analysis, affiliate relations and contract negotiations. He also served as a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of State and taught at both the University of Texas and Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia.

Kate Stephenson Managing Director SE Asia Optimum Media Direction (OMD), Singapore.

Khairudin Rahim Managing Director Lowe, Lintas & Partners, Malaysia. Khairudin started his career in 1975 at McCann-Erickson and joined Limas in 1978, rising quickly to Business Group Head by 1980. Then off to Limas Sydney for 3 years working with the team that won the Johnson & Johnson business. Returned to Malaysia to became General Manager in 1986 and by 1995 was appointed the agency's first Malaysian Managing Director. His leadership won his agency the 'most outstanding Asia Pacific Limas agency in 1998'. His 25 year communications experience includes categories like Automotive, Financial Services, Detergents, Feminine Hygiene, Personal Care, Telecommunications, Lubricants and Corporate Image. An active 4As Council Member, Khairudin's leisure time is spent people watching in the heartlands of Malaysia (allegedly looking for consumer insights) and wiping the dust of his unused golf set. He says, "Ad agencies must no longer think of themselves as agents for the media. We are agents for the brands. We should not just think in terms of 'TV campaigns' or 'Print campaigns' anymore." "We should think of total persuasion campaigns, through all forms of communication channels with ideas that are unconfined by media. Otherwise, we'll perish!"

1? AOOIMII.I.FNNIUMMANAGERS

Kate graduated in Industrial Economics (business to most people!), and started her career in a media independent in London. After 3 years, she got into ' hard core' media by working for Young & Rubicam London on Mirror Group Newspapers. Asia beckoned after that. Kate ran Cathay Pacific's media in 25 countries and became Regional Media Director for Leo Burnett Greater China. She then co-founded Carat Asia-Pacific in 1996. "I chose the carpets and bought the fax machine," says modest Kate. Carat went from no offices to 8 offices across the region and won. clients like VW, Disney, Alfred Dunhill & Mandarin Oriental Hotels in two and a half years! In 1998, Kate joined OMD as Managing Director for South East Asia, opening offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, recruiting a total of 109 staff. "I believe media will be at the beginning of the advertising process and not an afterthought in the new millennium," she adds. "In this Media Millennium, media will be the hot new area providing clients with strategic insights! And OMD will be there leading the charge! "

Lennart Bengtsson Managing Director AC Nielsen, Malaysia and Singapore. Lennart's career in AC Nielsen stretches back to 1980. It's a career that has taken him across the globe and to Australia where he was appointed to the Board of Directors in 1996. This 20-year veteran has also served as Marketing Manager at SMEDBO AB in Sweden, and worked for the Swedish Trade Commission in Australia as well as the British Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Sweden. As a former client of market research himself, Lennan understands clients' needs and what drives value-added services and solutions. He believes that AC Nielsen's 76 years of experience and 30,000 employees in more than 100 countries makes it the world leader in research, information and analysis. 9,000 clients seem to agree with him. He also believes that maintaining world-class employee satisfaction will inevitably lead to world class client satisfaction in the new millennium. "Technology is important, and we employ it constantly to keep improving our vast offering of services. But never forget, it is people who run our machines and it is people who make up every market we study," says Lennart. Lennart's statement for the new millennium:

Lara Hussein

"Only one thing is constant: Change. Stay tuned!"

General Manager Brand Energy, Malaysia. a variety of media: online, on TV, and on the radio."

Lara's vision for the new millennium has already been transformed into reality.

"But, you know, there's something about a newspaper that really gets me. It's the feel of it in your hands as you sit down for your morning coffee. The way it crackles when you turn the first page."

As the industry's most prominent Strategic Planner (rumour has it there are only three in the whole industry), she didn't just talk about a 'paradigm shift' but actually went ahead to initiate one! Lara saw the creation of Brand Energy as a necessity and began at a time when few in the industry had heard of a Strategic Planner. She combined brand strategies with creative media planning to great success for brands like Benson & Hedges, ASTRO and ntv7. "I'd like to debunk the myth that strategic planning tools only aid creative work. They can be immensely useful to a whole spectrum of advertising dynamics, including media," she says, in explaining the concept behind Brand Energy. "The traditional 30 or 40 second spot is not the only avenue to advance a brand's visibility on TV," adds the self-confessed nonconformist who pursued her Masters in International Relations in France. A true practitioner of brand building rather than 'fast-fast, cheap-cheap' hard-sell advertising, Lara's wish for the new millennium is to see more intrusive, cuttingedge creative work put on air.

lseYewMEq General Manager - Advertising The Sun, Malaysia. Lee Yew Meng has come full circle. After his first job at a newspaper, he sold air-time, then outdoor space, moved to account management, and finally returned to the fold as the GM in charge of Advertising for The Sun, a Malaysian daily newspaper. This gung-ho newspaper man approached the subject of his favourite medium in the new millennium philosophically, "The last time the millennium was celebrated they didn't read newspapers, I think. These days however, people can also get their news from

"You may laugh, but tell me: Where else can you get such a wealth of information for one ringgit? I'm not talking about some transient little 'news update' over the airwaves or phone line that disappears as soon as you switch off your TV or PC. You can read it. You can think about it. You can read it again. With a newspaper in your hand ." "And how many people actually take advantage of this incredulous offer? Only 3.8 million copies of newspapers in all languages are sold daily. Assuming an average purchase of 1.5 copies by each purchaser, that just about works out to 2.53 million people buying newspapers. This is against an adult population of 10 million!" "My message for the new millennium is this: People - get informed, get educated, get entertained, buy a newspaper. Better still, buy The Sun."

Lawrence Chan General Manager & Creative Director Inter-Pacific Communications, Malaysia. Lawrence began his career as a copywriter at Ogilvy & Mather and has worked in Limas, FCB, People 'n Rich, KHK, DMB&B and Grey winning numerous Malaysia awards both locally and internationally. Now at the helm of lnter-Pac, a fully accredited agency with 1998 billings of RM15 million, he handles clients like Unza, Kenny Rogers Roasters, Starbucks Coffee, Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, Berjaya Corporate, Singer and Pillsbury Malaysia. His vision is to grow lnter-Pac into a local powerhouse of ideas which adds value to a client's business. He adds, "IDEAS are what clients pay us for, not fancy executions without a ghost of an idea in them!"

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UmSoo Kong CEO/Managing Director Euro RSCG Partnership, Malaysia.

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Kong was Group Director at McCann's, where she was awarded the prestigious Harrison K. McCann global leadership award in 1993, before joining Euro RSCG as MD/CEO in 1997. She says that Euro RSCG's goal is to build a communication business that consistently focuses on strategy and integration as the key to developing and building the client's product or service.

LeeYemYeng Managing Director Insight Research, Malaysia. Yem Yeng believes that "No woman is poor who has determination." She is clearly a woman who puts her money where her mouth is. Since the company's inception two years ago, it has been enlisted by small companies and large multinationals for various research projects ranging from positioning and brand strategy development to advertising strategy and communication evaluation, consumer usage and attitude studies, product and packaging research as well as lifestyle studies. Her thoughts millennium?

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A long list of clients seem to appreciate that goal - clients like Volvo, Prudential, Ridsect, Brylcreem, Kiwi Kleen, Philips, Intel, Vitagen, Dell, Tag Heuer, and Oriental Foods.

"As the future fast approaches and we are flooded by high technology, there is but one tool in the research industry that is irreplaceable ... and that is the human touch," says Yem. "Don't forget that consumers are incredibly intricate organisms, a complex interplay of psychological, physiological and social needs. Some insights can only be gleaned from our everyday observations and staying in-touch with the everyday changes around the consumers, and that makes the person behind the research a vital instrument in the process."

She is gratified by their support but prefers to focus on the future. "We have to move beyond just generating great advertising and as the innovation cycle shortens, we will need bold and fresh ideas, business building ideas that are consistently measurable," said Soo Kong on the new millennium.

As a computer programmer once said of those technological wonders: "Garbage in, garbage out." So watch what you put in.

"Technology and IT will play a key role but we must not lose sight of core issues - the quality of our work and the fundamentals of how we approach our business in a rapidly changing environment." advertising and built it to its current-day success by incorporating sound marketing with ingenious technology. As a result, he was appointed exclusive representative for Asia in the prestigious Screen Advertisers World Association (SAWA) in London.

Lenny See Founder & Managing Director Mediatech Services, Singapore. Lenny has a wealth of over 30 years experience in the media/advertising industry and made headlines when he was the first to garner the partnerships of both the Shaw and Cathay organisations. Lenny truly modernised cinema

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Today, Media tech Services stands as the largest and leading Media Marketing Specialist in Singapore, with an expanded folio which includes LED Boards, Videowalls, Buses, PlasmaDisplay Panels, Ferries, Neon Signages, Posters, Outdoor, Banners, Promotional Areas, and Internet Ads. "Our expansion, especially in the area of new technology, is in-line with our vision for the new millennium. We think of it as an investment in tomorrow as we fully intend to deliver the best to our clients in the future, " says this enterprising media owner.

Liza Ramli Co-Founder Star Solutions, Malaysia. This Direct Marketing (OM) diehard and her partner, Kareem Qureshi, have a total of thirty years' experience in Databases, Marketing Communications and Direct Marketing between them. They set up a Software System Development and Consultation company with a twist - specialising in Databases with the added value of Database Management and Strategic Consultation on all forms of OM. Their 'baby', STARDriver, is a Database Marketing Management System which they license and develop with operational or customer service systems. It also manages databases for Relationship Marketing & Loyalty/Retention. Their clients range from multinational OM companies and ad agencies to hoteliers, perfumers and research organisations from Kuala Lumpur to the United Kingdom. Liza hopes they will implement a strategy/system for personalised oneto-one communications with offers and messages tailored to each individual's profile and behaviour data through a mass medium. They call it "Ultimate OM!" What about the new millennium? "No one just sells products anymore. And service is more than just not breaking down, it's about breaking with convention," says Liza. "Forget about what's convenient for you, the customer doesn't care. Just don't let technology fool you. Reformasi!," she exclaims with gusto!

Mark Austin Regional Managing Director CIA Medianetwork - Asia Pacific. Director, The Tempus G~oup PLC. Mark started Austin West Media in 1987 and turned it into a leading UK media independent before joining CIA Asia Pacific as Regional MD in 1997. He was promoted to the full board of the publicly quoted parent company, The Tempus Group PLC, by the end of that year. The man at the helm is not only proud of the fact the CIA was the first Independent Media Communications . . company in Asia, but of its continued standing as a leader m an mdustry that has become increasingly competitive.

Ma~garet

Au-Yong

Managing Director CIA Medianetwork, Malaysia. This Economics Honours graduate began her media career more than 20 years ago when she joined Sin Chew Jit Poh immediately afte r leaving college. Margaret went on to become Media Manager of Union FortyFive and then Media Director of Saatchi-Saatchi Malaysia before joining ISC B Worldwide Partners as Media Director. While at ISCB, she set up Wizard Worldwide Media one of the first local media specialists in the country. Today, as MD of CIA, she is proud CIA challenges curre nt me dia thinking and tre nds by integrating clie nts' communication needs with both me dia and creative strategies. She say it achieves exce lle nt and tangible results via a "360 Integrate d Communication Programme" for the ir clients. T he ir work for Abbott, Bionax, DHL, LVMH, MetroJaya, PT P, Siemens, Taylor's College, and Warner Music seems to bear evidence of this. Margare t, who is also a me mber of Malaysia's ABC and the 4A's Media Committee, has a definite wish for the industry for the new millennium. "Competition in all fields will definitely be keene r with more challe nges, due to a much faster evolving market and media landscape, but as much as each organisation needs to survive; it is vital that professionalism, business ethics and integrity, and also, personal values, do not get discarded along the way."

CIA Medianetwork specializes in providing clients with objective advice and services on how to best communicate with consumers through the full range of above and be low the line communications channels. And Mark hopes to build on this formula of providing clients with impartial advice geared towards strategic thinking, innovation and creativity, in order to deliver the Agency of the Future. "As we embark on the new millennium, it is time for the complete re-engineering of the communications industry. It is time to re-think ho~ we can best re-structure ourselves to de liver our clients With genume, demand-led business growth."

Mano Stickney Partner - Drayton Bird, Crocker & Mano (DBC&M), Malaysia. With more than a decade of Dire ct M arke ting expe rie nce, Mano Stickney is one of Malaysia's most knowle dgea ble manager-specialists of the discipline. As a DBC&M partne r and head of C lie nt Services, Mano he lps find and keep custome rs for clie nts that include E sso Malaysia, Sun Alliance, Malaysian Mosaic and N utricia. She nurtured he r expertise at Ogilvy & Mathe r Direct, Kuala Lumpur, beginning in 1988, leaving in 1995 to form DBC&M . Prior to joining O&M Direct, Mano honed her public re lations skills as personal assistant to Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie (former foreign minister) and the late Te ngku Arrif Bendahara of Pahang. Mano fo resees more precise and highly inte ractive levels of customer communication in the new millennium. "Customers will want and demand the pe rsonalised attention only Direct Marketing can achieve", she says.

Michael Gomez Managing Director Carlson White, Malaysia. Michael Gomez is a man with not one, but two entries m the Malaysian Book of Records. The first is liste d as "T he L argest Projection E ver" which was on the facade of D aya Bumi building during the 1994 National Day Cele brations . at Dataran Merdeka. The other is for "T he Biggest Light Show" ever at the official ope ning of the Petronas Twin Towe rs on 3 1 August 1999. Michael is one of today's leading event managers for high profile events in Malaysia. He starte d his career in the e nte rtainme nt/ discotheque industry, installing and designing light & sound in KL's early hot spots back in the late 70's and early 80's. He also conceptualised N etwork Bangsar, the first TexMex restaurant m Malaysia, which featu red U.S. R & B bands in 1990. Michael then progressed to managing ge ne ral ope ning ceremonies and prod uct launches. T he rest is history. Michael's vision for the millennium is to establish Carlson White offices in major cities in the world, and to lead a team of Malaysians in managing world-class events abroad. He says, "D ream, be lieve in yourself, be innovative, acq uire wisdom and knowledge wherever possible, and practice sincerity in all undertakings."

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Ng Hsin-ling Founder & Managing Director Dynamic Search, Malaysia. This dynamic lady conceived, established and now operates a unique market research boutique specializing in customized qualitative and quantitative research. But she also has a 'side-line' ... She calls it 'Magical Research' . According to Hsin, that's when the researcher is able to 'de-code' a consumer and 're-code' him for the marketer/advertiser in meaningful, actionable terms. Her magic formula requires a dash of creative artistry- manifested in the skillful moderation of focus groups or the clever use of research techniques and a dose of the science of conceptual thinking, the disciplines of methodology, analysis and interpretation, over a base solution of honesty and trustworthiness. That's magic for you. It's a formula that has drawn key clients who are top performers in FMCG & services, tobacco, personal & household care, food & beverage, retail banking & credit cards, insecticides, OTC, child and youthtargeted categories. She is also planning to cook up a little more magic in the future. She mischievously lists her aspiration as 'to clone good researchers and feed them into the industry'. "I see major changes in lifestyles, attitudes and values on the horizon ... ," says Hsin-ling with more than a touch of mysticism. She laughs and continues, "These are the signs of the times and we want to help clients understand the 'new consumer world' better and deeper."

private radio station (Time Highway Radio) m 1994, and Radio Rediffusion in 1996.

Mohammad Ali Ismail Chief Executive Officer Radio Redif.fusion, Malaysia. Mohammad Ali has often been called 'The Radio Man' by communications industry professionals and it is with good reason. He is credited with successfully starting not one, but two private radio stations - Malaysia's first truly

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Mohammad Ali is also the President of the Malaysian Association of Commercial Radio Operators (MACRO) and works closely with radio organisations around the world. He isn't one dimensional though, as his career history clearly illustrates. After graduating as an Electrical Engineer from Auckland University in 1973, he has worked for Radio Television Malaysia; been in sales and marketing with two multi-national companies; and spent 10 years as a banker before becoming 'The Radio Man'. This versatile professional hopes to turn Malaysian radio into a potent medium for advertising in the new millennium. He believes the industry will have little choice but to migrate to digital broadcasting in the year 2000 and he intends to be at the head of the queue when it happens.

NgKa1gMilg Managing Director Ogilvy & Mather, Malaysia. Keng Ming started his career in 1984 when he joined Johnson & Johnson. He continued his career in FMCG Multinationals in the area of brand marketing before joining Ogilvy & Mather in 1997. Keng Ming, who is also Deputy Chairman of the Advertising Standards Board and a 4A's council member had much to say about the future of the advertising industry... "Consumers will become more discerning in their brand choice. Brands will compete aggressively. Each category will end up with either two or three key players. Clients will be looking for long term partners who will be able to communicate creatively, think strategically, and work efficiently with multiple disciplines." "So what is really in store for the Ad Agency? We really need to understand consumer insights and involvement. The brand budget has to work doubly hard. There will be less brands available to work with.

We need to have relevance in our total communication proposals. And we need to be super-efficient to stay alive. " "Passion and fire is a must, but will not be sufficient. We need to innovate and be quick with new approaches. While we specialize, we need to be aware of what other disciplines can offer." "In short, it is going to be extremely exciting and challenging. Only those who challenge and take risks will survive."

Omar Shaari Managing Director OT Advertising, Malaysia. Omar began his career as an Account Executive with The Ball Partnership. He went full circle in the industry when he finally returned to Ball as Deputy Managing Director. Always the adventurer, Omar then decided to team up with international award-winning art director, Thomas Low. From this partnership, OT Advertising was born on April Fool's Day, 1997. Omar attributes his success to his mentors TL Yeap, Kunal Banerji, Ken Brady, Michael Ball, Azizul Kallahan, John Hoyle and Steve Teoh. His vision is to build a world class, truly multi-local agency that constantly reinvents itself to stay ahead of the game. Omar's wish is to see more clients, especially the local conglomerates, supporting local ad agencies. He believes there is enough local talent to deliver truly effective Made-in-Malaysia advertising. He proclaims his agency specialises in 'out of the box advertising'.

Robert Burr Regional Director Integrated Marketing, South East Asia- Foote Cone & Belding. "FCB specialises in providing real integration of above the line and below the line marketing communications," says Robert. In fact, the one thing that stands out for FCB is that in reality there is no line. True branding exists in all media, and as traditional advertising thinking is challenged, FCB's mantra of "Person to Person advertising" has never been more relevant than today. His time in Malaysia's communication industry has been to see the development of people with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to succeed. He is truly committed to international clients here who have been at the forefront of global thinking and local clients keen to use international best practice tinged with a distinctive Malaysian flavour. For the new millennium he says, "Well never before will consumers be faced with such choice. Choice of products and a choice of how they buy and use these products. Speed of change will only accelerate, in a fast moving technology-driven marketing environment, traditional models will be challenged and new ones will spring to life almost overnight. In the new millennium make change your friend."

Peony Lim Pik Lin Business Development Manager (Asia) Buchanan Group Information Media. Peony spent three years in the hospitality industry and two in ad sales before joining the Buchanan Group, based in Singapore. This enthusiastic lady flies around Asia marke ting the Buchanan Group's Information Media solutions which provide advertising agencies with tactical solutions that delive r imme diate and measurable sales results without compromising the overall brand strategy. "The key lies in the balance be tween branding and tactical work," says Peony. She goes on to explain, "With Brand Power or Infotalk you can leverage brand equity by educating consumers about a product or service through a valuable third party style e ndorsement." Top FMCGs like Reckitt and Colman, Nestle, Colgate Palmolive, and Unilever have been past users of Brand Power while clie nts like Philips, Seiko, Berger, Land Rover have used Infotalk. Peony has a sharply focussed direction for the Buchanan Group in the new millennium. "Clie nts are becoming more and more aware of the need for measurable results and this is whe re we come in. We be lieve that our solutions will be valuable components of the marke ting communications mix in the future." And she can prove it!

Rod Strother Regional Director - Asia and Country Manager Malaysia, Grey Direct. Rod spent eight years on the client side before jumping ship to the 'dark side' when he joined his first OM agency. He spent the next four years working on everything from Bank of Scotland credit cards to Marks and Spencer Financial Services before taking what he claims was an economy seat to Malaysia. When asked on his goals in the new millennium, Rod says, "The re are quite a few actually. I hope to keep producing great work; keep working with the team I've got; keep clients happy and find more of them; win the KL Veterans League; see more e ntrants into the industry; and see OM start to get the attention it rightly deserves. Oh yes, I'd also like to see a Scottish team being presented with the World C up!" That sounds like a pre tty full plate to us. We're sure that he'll probably succeed with the stuff that he personally controls. Nevertheless, we'd like to wish Rod the best of luck in the new mille nnium. Especially with the World Cup!

Patricia Ng Prop rietor & Managing Director Meru Utama, Malaysia. Patricia established and runs a media company with indoor advertising concessions at Malaysia's airports, including KLIA, and the Carrefour's chain of.hypermarkets. Her fl agship prqduct is the Digital Stage Network or DSN, an innovation she believes will be one of the mediums to watch out for in the new millennium. 'The Living Poster', as it is dubbed, is the latest in sign technology and feat ures digital and full motion video capabilities. The DSN offers advertisers the option of having a stand alone unit, or a dedicated network with synchronised, simultaneous ' broadcast' where the system automates the entire process of managing, distributing and deploying advertisements. T his system has drawn lots of interest from multinational corporate clients and Patricia confesses to having the dream of seeing the company listed on the KLSE someday. In the meantime however, she's concentrating on developing new markets and innovations to improve Meru U tam a's offerings. Patricia is chasing her vision of being an internationally competitive, committed and pro-active service provider with cutting edge technology in the new mille nnium.

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Peter Lo

Ray A. Dempsey

Managing Creative Director Magicmakers, Malaysia.

Area Manager, South-East Asia McCann-Erickson. McCann-Erickson Worldwide is the largest consolidated advertising agency in the world with 1998 billings totalling US$16.2 billion from operations in 127 countries. "Truth Well Told" has been its global mantra for as long as anyone can accurately remember, and Ray Dempsey, McCann's high-priest for the South East Asian region, took time off from his daily meditations to give us a little demonstration... "Like many of us, I am pleased to see the last years of the 1990's come to an end," said Ray. "We are excited about South East Asia's resurgence in growth; about Indo China and Indonesia emerging to their potential; and about all the changes technology is bringing to our business."

This savvy writer penned the still-current ArabMalaysian jingle at Leo Burnett in '83 and his I'm

married to a smoker but I don't sleep with one headline for E ucryl Smokers Toothpaste which he wrote with Ted Bates in '85 was purportedly debated in parliament. He also created the MACH 5 motor oil brand name in '87 and was hired by JWT as creative anchor on Unilever in '89. In 1996, Peter brought his own shop, Magicmakers, to full media accreditation and achieved 4As membership status in '97. His full service ad agency's key clients include Allergan Malaysia (Pharma), APEX Unit Trust, LightStyle, Paradise Lagoon Hotel, Pengkalen Travel, Total Office Centre, and Unilever Malaysia. He also set up ADLANTIS Communications as a media representative in 1998. Peter has a knack for looking beyond the surface of things and he intends to keep this personal habit going into the new millennium. "Don't listen too much to what people say, but watch what they do."

"Whatever the case may be, McCann's core mission will remain the same as it has always been - to deliver effective advertising for our clients, locally or across borders." "We've all learned the valuable Jesson of how to operate in hard times. Now let's move on ... " "At McCann-Erickson, we say bring on the new Millennium!"

Ronald Quay Chairman RA Group of Companies, Malaysia. Ronald is a familiar name in the ad industry with a career spanning over 20 years. He started his first agency in 1974 and is one of the first few Malaysians to have successfully achieved the distinction of starting up an ad agency and is still an independent ad agency today. In 1984, Ronald was elected the President of the 4As for two terms. During this period, he was invited by the Government to serve on the committee to formulate the new Malaysian Communications Policy. He also served for a few years as a Director of the Institute of Advertising, Communications and Training, (IACT) and was the Deputy Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority of Malaysia for 1998 and 1999. Ronald is a pioneer in recruitme nt advertising and was one of the very first Malaysians who saw vast pote ntial in this aspect of the C lassifieds advertising business.

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Peter Gan Chief Executive Officer GanForHire (GFH) Associates, Malaysia.

His company, RA Advertising, has always been one of the marke t leaders in recruitment adve rtising. Currently, the RA Group of Companies includes Advertising, Public Relations and an Interne t company called RQ N et which is the first company in Malaysia to start a recruitment we bsite called CareerRA which today attracts about 20,000 hits daily.

GanForHire has re-engineered the traditional ad agency structure and manages results instead of resources through outsourcing. As more and more creative people realise they prefer to do ads instead of manage de partments, there is an increasing number of high-powe red freelancers who operate from home. GanForHire provides them the channel to produce world class work without being tied down to a fu ll time job. With a permanent staff force of seven, GanForHire has a pool of top-notch copywriters, art directors, designers, DTP artists, AV producers and the clout of a worldwide media independent, without the burde ns of their fu ll time e mployme nt. With key clients Barber Inte rnational, Raffles Education Group, Resorts World Berhad, Roset Inte rnational and H omestead Shop, Pe ter says, "Age nts of change are prevalent, and those who are q uick to flow with it will reap bountifully. I am driven by this saying: it is the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, who will do it."

Shazalli Ramly

Sherene Teh

Chief Executive Officer N1V7, Malaysia.

Managing Director Golden Star Media, Malaysia.

The man at the helm of the 'Feel Good' channel has had over 15 years of experience in Brand Management. In that time, Shazalli worked for corporate giants like Unilever, MTCBritish American Tobacco and ASTRO in a career that has taken him to Indonesia, India, China, Indo China and Europe.

Sherene spent 10 years at two agencies - Leo Burnett and McCann-Erickson - before she became a media owner. She. says the highlight of her agency career was when she started the mainstream division in Universal Communication (a McCann's subsidiary) as an Account Director.

This integrated marketing specialist believes there is a creative solution to every problem and he demonstrates that everyday at NTV7. As the head of the nation's latest private station, Shazalli leads his team in the continuous search for new innovations and this has led to quite a few firsts in the local broadcasting scene.

But Sherene has accomplished a lot more in her six years as MD of Golden Star Media (GSM). Her offering of fresh, TVB serial advertising has been well received by clients like Proctor & Gamble, ColgatePalmolive, Carlsberg and TM Touch. She also launched Videopro, the world's first and only continuous research tracking study on video advertising, which strengthened this unique medium and expanded its client base.

Shazalli is also a staunch believer of 'Malaysia Boleh' and is confident that the network will move into the new millennium by going from strength to strength.

Raymond Chew CEO & Founder POS Ad, Malaysia Affectionately referred to as the 'father' of instore advertising in Asia, Raymond has over 13 years of experience in the business. Point-Of-Sale or POS Ad is Asia's first instore advertising company. Operating in 356 supermarkets across the length and breadth of the country, it has business dealings with practically all FMCG companies. In fact, in the latest AC Nielsen's Adex Report, POS Ad has overtaken radio and magazines as the biggest supplementary medium for FMCGs in Malaysia. Raymond curre ntly serves as a Board Member of Focus-On-TheFamily, a non-profit institution dedicated to the preservation of the home. He is also the Honorary Treasurer of the International Advertising Association (Malaysian Chapter). For his exemplary leadership and business excellence, Raymond was nominated as one of the nine finalists for the 1998 Chivas Regal Achievement Award.

Sa'ad Hussein Creative Director & General Manager Sil Ad, Malaysia. This multi-tale nted man began his advertising career at D esigner's C ircle, Singapore, as a visualiser and copywriter in 1988. He moved to Colloquium Advertising two years later as an art director and then went on to join DMB&B Tokyo and Hakuhodo before becoming Creative Group Head at Sil Ad Singapore in 1994. Today, Sa'ad looks back on the 3 years he has spent in Malaysia with a sense of accomplishment. As both the CD and GM, he has worked hard to put the agency on the map and we believe it must have bee n doubly satisfying for him whe n Sil Ad recently picked up Gold and F inalist awards for print work at the London International Awards. T he Gold was for an ad announcing Sony's PlayStation Games' Challenge, an event held at Suria KLCC in June '99, while the Finalist was a pro bono poster for the Legal Aid Centre in KL. We're sure we'll see and hear more from Hussein and Sil Ad Malaysia in the new mille nnium.

When asked for her view of the future, Sherene says, "The only constant is change in the new millennium. To immerse and embrace change is the smart way to surpass the industry benchmark." Sherene intends to maintain GSM's unique competitive edge against advancing media proliferation and value-added media specialty by providing a powerful integrated approach - brand awareness advertising, merchandising, sampling, promotion and direct marketing - all under one roof. She also hopes to be able to spend more time with the family.

Robert CF Ho President & Group Chief Executive Signtech, Malaysia. Robert's active involvement in the industry started more than 15 years ago, when he took over the management of A.C. H o, a modest silkscreening company which was founded by his brother. He quickly recognised the market pote ntial and de mand for more innovative and technologically advanced signs. And he decided to do something about it. H e began this by establishing Signtech and by acquiring the Flexface Heat Transfe r technology from the USA. The rest, as they say, is history. Signtech is today the undisputed leader in the industry, a giant that continuously strives for and delivers creative product innovation, with aggressive market developme nt and cross-border market pe netration. Robert has also looked beyond Malaysia's borde rs and has successfully turned Signtech into a significant player of international standard. He was the driving force behind the establishme nt of a

joint-venture manu fa cturing operation with Beijing investors and has broken into several major overseas markets. Robert has always believed in new technologies and that won't change in the new millennium. His personal statement for the industry calls for something a little more old-fashioned. "I believe the locals in our industry have the resources and ability to satisfy both local and international clients. We just have to continue delivering results of increasingly higher quality to sustain their faith in our industry," said Robert.

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Simon Peeke

Sennett Tzinberg

Director - Metromedia Technologies, Malaysia.

Regional Managing Director DrajtWorldwide, Malaysia & Singapore.

Metromedia Techonologies (MMT) is the world 's largest supplier of enlarged photographic images to the outdoor industry and is the only global player with offices in over 40 countries around the world. Simon Peeke joined MMT nine years ago and has bee n instrumental in establishing the first production facility outside of United States in Brisbane, Australia, and the second production fac ility is in Malaysia. H e has now moved to Malaysia and is a Director of a number of MMT e ntities, responsible for developing businesses throughout the entire Western Pacific Region.

Sennett has over 30 years of financial, marketing and advertising experience. Born in USA, he started his car.e er selling insurance and quickly qualified for the elite Million Dollar Round Table and moved into management to help set up its initial Direct Marke ting Insurance Company. In 1972, he moved to Sydney and today his work in the establishme nt and development of the Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) is renowned. He served on the National Council of the ADMA for many years, and was President of the Association for three years. In 1985, he established the Sydney part of Clemenger Direct Response Advertising Agency, developing it into the largest most respected direct marketing agency in Australia. In 1986, Se nnett was awarded the Direct Marke ter of the Year Award. In 1991 he sold his interest in Cle menger Direct and moved to Malaysia with his family to start a new agency called Union Two T housand. T he agency quickly grew into the largest and most respected direct marke ting age ncy in Malaysia and in 1995 opened its Singapore Office. In 1997, the agency changed its name to DraftWorldwide to reflect the new owne rship of DWW, the largest Direct Marketing Agency ne twork in the world. Senne tt says, "The direct marketing industry needs to leap frog past the mistakes made in other countries and must come to grips with the important new media of the century, such as telemarke ting and the Inte rnet."

Simon says, "The outdoor industry is positione d to become a major mass media. Outdoor advertising is now becoming more sophisticated. MMT will continue its expansion throughout the world to e nable advertisers to retain creative control and effect easy delivery of production requireme nts in any country. We are focusing on add ing value and making the purchasing of outdoor easie r and more effective by eliminating any proble ms at the production leve l."

Steven Palos Managing Director- OgilvyOne Worldwide, Malaysia. Steven Palos joine d OgilvyOne Malaysia as Managing Director in july 1998. He is responsible for all the OgilvyOne operations in Malaysia including Datase rvices and Ogilvylnteractive. Steven also sits on the Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia country board. Steven's expe rtise spans a career of some 11 years in direct and database marketing, and prior to O&M held the position of General Manager at J Walter T hompson Dialog (Melbourne). Steven's direct marke ting career was precede d by being commissioned as an officer in the Australian Army, and serving in the Australian Army Reserves as a reconnaissance troop leader. Possibly it is this training that has best pre pare d him to lead Malaysia's premier re lationship marketing agency. Steven be lieves t hat OgilvyOne 's curre nt and future success lies in ad hering to the tried and true strategic principals of relationship marketing, whilst e mbracing new technologies such as Interactive in order to build clients' customers and brands in what is increasingly becoming a "borderless marketplace". Steven enjoys restoring classic cars, speaks fluent Hungarian (admittedly of limite d use in KL), and believes that there is no such thing as trying - you e ithe r do it, or you don't.

Suridah Jalaluddin Managing Director Big Tree Outdoor, Malaysia. Afte r one dissection too many, Suridah abandone d her studies to join TV3 's pioneer broadcasting team. After 3 years in the television industry, she decide d to go back to studying, this time in Communications in E ngland. Upon completion, she joined L'oreal UK, whe re she worked in public re lations and

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brand strategy for their cosme tic range Plenitude and hair care products. Back in Malaysia, she returned to work first as a freelance journalist and subseque ntly joine d a local advertising company to work on tobacco, fi nancial and tourism accounts. Whilst on the tobacco account, she was introduced to the powe r of brand build ing using cre ative outdoor formats. In late 1994, Big T ree was formed to manage and

develop expressway and transportation adve rtising. Today Big T ree is jointly owne d by 3 Malaysians (70%) and NLD (30%), an Australian outdoor company based in Australia. H er future ambitions for Big Tree is to make it the most creative outdoor specialist focusing on q uality before quantity, where unique ly designed campaigns work more than to comm unicate t he brand's name but also its personality.

Tham Khai Wor Executive VP- Marketing, Singapore Press Holdings. Mr Tham is responsible for the sales and marketing of advertising in newspapers published in Malay, Chinese and English languages, and heads all Promotions for the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Group. He has been with SPH for 27 years. He has also served as President of the Master Printers Association and the Advertising Media Owners Association of Singapore (AMOAS) over the past 10 years, and is now their Honorary Advisor. He was Singapore's representative in the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations and Governor of the Institute of Advertising (lAS), Singapore in that time. Undoubted ly, Tham Khai Wor is an established name in Singapore's newspaper world. And he plays the game like a true pro.

Surendra Singam Managing Director Aerohawk Air-Ads , Malaysia. Aerohawk Air-Ads (AAA) specialises m aerial billboard advertising, the first of its kind in Malaysia.

Thomas Ang General Manager- Comfort Ads, Singapore. Thomas joined the industry in 1988 as an Advertising Sales Executive with Pearl & Dean and later moved to Comfort Ads in 1994 as Advertising Manager. As the General Manager of the media owner for Comfort taxi advertising, his list of key clients include Sharp-Roxy, Nokia, Yakult, American Express, Pacific Internet and Malaysian Dairies Industries, just to name a few. Thomas's team has more than 10 years of experience in the industry and he says they will strive harder for advertisers and agencies in the new millennium to bring about more creative ways for breakthrough taxi advertising to happen. "We aim to be truly world-class, a model for the world m taxi advertising," says Thomas.

It launched its SkyTo-Let services in early 1999 and has since tied up with corporate clients like Sapura, EON, Perodua, NTV7, Land & General and more. Prior to this, Suren was heading Pelikan Air Services in Dhaka, Bangladesh as its Overseas Director. With all his experience and vast background, he intends to propel Aerohawk Air-Ads into the next millennium as the largest aerial advertising company in Malaysia and South East Asia. He says, "With us, you can rent a piece of the sky to make people look up and notice your message. My intention is to create a synergy between the advertising and the aviation industry, preparing a perfect platform to make advertising fly. The sky is the limit!"

Telly Tan Peng Cheong Managing Director Pearl & Dean, Singapore. Telly joined Pearl & Dean m 1991 after spending 13 years working abroad as one of Singapore Airline's Overseas Managers, where his last position was as Vice President for Canada. He worked his way through the company, assuming various positions in commercial development, sales and marketing, until 1994, when he was appointed as Pearl & Dean's General Manager for both its Singapore and Malaysian operations. Telly has been Managing Director

of Pearl & Dean Singapore since 1998. Pearl & Dean has grown from strength to strength over the past 43 years to become the leading outdoor advertising specialist in Singapore. It holds the entire advertising concession for Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit System, baggage trolleys at Changi Airport and poster panels in all pedestrian underpasses and several shopping malls. It has also re-introduced neon advertisements to the outdoor advertising landscape after the ban was lifted in 1997. Telly believes the Pearl & Dean Group is in for an exciting time in the new millennium. New ideas, new technology and a flair for quality and creativity will place the group in a strong position to create a new benchmark for the industry. His personal statement on success: Think and look beyond the obvious.

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Tony Lee Managing Director, BateyAds Malaysia. Tony summarises, "I've been in advertising all my life and still trying." My biggest challenge this century is in trying to come to terms with this business called advertising. My greatest joy is two boys and their Mom. My greatest regret is not visiting Terengganu before 31 Dec 1999. And my millennium message to all is: Thanks everyone, for your support. Peace and harmony." Tony Lee is also the President of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents (4As) Malaysia.

Timothy W T Chua Group CEO TMM Group of Companies, Malaysia. The TMM Group turns 22 in the year 2000. In that time, it has grown from an aud io production and event management company into a Group consisting of 23 fu lly operating companies involved in Multimedia Services, Telephones and Information Technology. Timothy directs a work force of 120 who work closely with clients from local and international advertising agencies, production houses, local conglomerates and multinationals to meet desired goals and objectives for mutual value and growth. "Communications, information and multimedia technologies are the key innovations that will drive us in the new millennium," says Timothy. "We will concentrate on building sustainable businesses, value for our clients, shareholders, business partners, staff and investors."

V Nantha Kumar Managing Director Earth, Wind & Fire Advertising, Malaysia. Nantha Kumar took a big step in a year when the industry was facing one of its toughest periods... he started Earth, Wind & Fire Advertising six months ago. Realising the need for something special in the curre nt market climate, the agency has placed the priority on Re turn-On-Investme nt for advertising ringgit spent, advertising that cuts through the clutter, and strategic brand evolution planning. Nantha says these are eleme ntal components of EWF's offerings. It seems to be working as they've managed to build and maintain a clie nt/brand list that includes 21st Centu ry Products Asia, CoE Marke ting (F uji Xerox), Inte rnational Bank Malaysia and ITECS (Malaysian Airports).

"I believe the new millennium will bring many challenges to the world's most exciting industry, especially for us he re in Malaysia. Our young nation is at the crossroads of a cultural, political and sociological evolution. The IT revolution will only further compound the issue. Malaysia's advertising industry will just have to evolve accordingly."

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Tan Boon Yoong Business Development Director Media Avenue, Malaysia. Boon Yoong started his career in the clie nt servicing departments of various advertising agencies, both local and international and stayed for about 12 years. At AMC-Melewar-Zecha Advertising, he was Account Director for the MAS account, responsible for managing a RM30 million worldwide advertising budget. In 1991 , he became Managing Director of Consultus Marke ting Services whose principal activity is to act as distributors of promotional ite ms and corporate gifts for clie nts like Malaysia Airlines, Technology Resources Industries, Celcom, Sime Darby, Hong Leong, MRCB and She raton Hote ls. In April 1995, he set up Media Avenue with a mission to offer business outle ts and advertisers effective and innovative forms of advertising vehicles both indoor and outdoor with products like Ad motion lightboxes and Tri-Poster. Boon Yoong adds, "Media Avenue is poised to introduce a new outdoor sign through a joint venture with a US-based company. Plans include manufacturing Tri-Action parts and assembling the signs in Malaysia and supply to the Asia-Pacific region."

Vincent Hoe Group Managing Director- AG Advertising, Singapore. Vincent leads a diversified advertising and communications group with strong experience in strategic marketing communications for a wide range of clients. The group is well-known for its reliability and ability to get things done. Fast. Vincent believes that "new technologies will have a significant impact, and this will favour ad agencies which are nimble and able to adapt at a moment's notice. Of course, good financial management is also essential." He says, "Creative passion will find new outlets, and this will propel the ad industry into the new millennium. " Vincent is also the President of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents (4As), Singapore

William Lee General Manager- Singapore Bus Services. William joined SBS as a Manager in 1995. Prior to that, he was a Regional Marketing Executive with Baxter Healthcare, Market Product Manager with Viggo Spectramed and Sales Manager with Singapore Press Holdings. He obtained his MBA in 1997 and he is currently General Manager (Commercial) responsible for bus advertising in SBS.

Yap Boh Tiong Managing Director Mileage Communications, Singapore. Mileage is a strategic marketing communications and public relations consultancy, serving blue chip clients in technology, corporate & finance, and lifestyle & consumer sectors which include Marriott International, Alliance Capital Management, Dun & Bradstreet, Hansgrohe, Fuji-Xerox, The Fantastic Corporation, Samsung Electronics (Asia), NIIT, Merck, Sharp & Dome, and Larry Jewelry. It is located in the vicinity of Singapore's Chinatown centre and the central business district. Even though the PR industry had been affected by the economic downturn, come through Mileage has unscathed. Already recognised as one of the leading agencies in Singapore, Mileage is positioning itself to be a regional player. "We have recently opened a joint venture office in India (the first Singapore agency to do so) and we hope to set up similar operations in other ASEAN countries in the next one to three years," adds Boh Tiong.

SBS is a major outdoor advertising media owner, focusing on bus advertising and is the only transportation company providing double decker buses in Singapore. The medium has in recent years become a hot favourite among advertisers and advertising agencies. William is instrumental in transforming the medium into a creative, vibrant medium and encouraging visually impactful 'moving billboards' on roads. He says, "Outdoor advertising will continue to grow strongly into the new millennium in Singapore and I am confident bus advertising will remain attractive and innovative to advertisers."

Datuk Vincent Lee Executive Chairman- Naga DDB, Malaysia. Datuk Vincent Lee grew up in a tough Chinatown neighbourhood in downtown KL. He joined the adindustry in 1975 as a lowly production executive in a local ad agency. Driven by passion to excel in all things, he switched to acco unt management and rose quickly through the ranks to become one of the yo ungest account directors in town. From there he formed his own agency, Naga Inter-Clio with just one assistant and two clients. In 1989, he found a partner in DDB Needham Worldwide who shared the same vision and goals as he did. Two decades later from his humble beginnings, Datuk Vincent now heads one of the largest and most successful integrated communications agencies in Malaysia with projected billings of RM140 million in 1999. His mes~age to all readers, "Nothing great in this world was ever accomplished without passion. So, put some into yo ur work. And then, we'll see more magic!"

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The game's af o And something smells ... a little. On the right is a Nike ad from Giovanni FCB, Brazil with a tagline: "Only acupuncturists don't like it". While the Puma ad below it, which appeared locally in The Star, clearly makes referencing to foot reflexology massage. They're totally different you say? Okay. We'll be running along for some aromatherapy now. And maybe stop for some incense along the way.

All geared up and ready to go Kevin Christopher can't wait for the new millennium to get here. As the man running Film Gear , Malaysia's flfSt locally-owned equipment rental company, he has gone all out to prepare for the future - cameras, lights, grips, and a professional crew (which includes the most experienced gaffer and key grip in town)- have all been assembled and primed for action as they look forward to another year in he industry. "After three years on the job with award-winning commercials for adidas, Malaysian Airlines, Petronas,Guinness Stout, MacDonald's, etc, etc ... I'm confident that things can only get better in the new millennium!"

What lies ahead? by Indira Nair, Managing Director of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide Sdn Bhd

Planning is time-consuming. When you don't plan, you are literally heading down a road without knowing which direction you are going. At this time of the year, I am sure this question pops up for many of us. As I write this article, -I look back at the trials and tribulations that we as a nation, and as an industry, faced over the past 12 months. I am glad that the tides have turned- business is showing signs of picking up, the 'craziness' has somewhat settled down and things are returning to a sense of normalcy. As I talk to people, I get a feeling of 'there's a future out there'. So then what lies ahead? Will we go back to our complacent agency lives? Work late into the night, and crawl in the next morning, bleary-eyed and wondering: There must be an easier way to earn a living. Dive straight into a task that's put in front of us, and step into numerous 'minefields'? Complain about the state of affairs but feel that it's someone else's duty to bell the cat? Firmly believe that clients are from 'hell' and client service people are martyrs? It's important to set 'rubberised deadlines' because that's what we Malaysians are famous for? Okay, okay, people, I am over-generalising and taking it a bit far. But here are my own mind-joggers on what can be done to stir up the soup of complacency: Clients hire us because we are experts in our field. Believe it or not, without clients our businesses won't exist. We need to think about how we manage accounts, be it a company or a brand. Do we know enough about the business? About the industry? Do our programmes demonstrate 'how clever' we are? Or does it help achieve the client's business goals? Re-evaluate what you are working on and go through a reality check: Am I on the right track?

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Remember that we need to have a life. We need to achieve a balance between our personal goals and the goals of the organisations we work for. This is a great industry to be in. Every time we work on something, we go through a learning process. But if we don't achieve a balance, we can't last long enough. Let's put our minds and hearts to working smart, not working hard. Learning is a life-long experience. Do we see the need to learn? To know more about our own business? What exactly are we doing to ensure we are mentally stimulated, day in day out? Are we keeping up with what's happening in the marketplace? What about trends? Spend time to make sure this is happening as it is a critical facet of your personal development. Planning is time-consuming. When you don't plan, you are literally heading down a road without knowing which direction you are going. Do we make sure that we take the time to plan first? Are our plans realistic? Have we agreed to an impossible deadline? Have we shared this with all the parties who are involved in the same exercise? Look at it from the aspect of managing your time and resources wisely. Don't complain. Do something about it. While it is important to be positive, it is also important to face up to difficult issues. What is the issue? What needs to be done? Is this step too drastic? Is there a win-win approach? It's all about the right results. And if you can find a solution which works for all involved parties, I am sure there will be no objections. Simplistic, maybe, but a beginning. Here's wishing everyone promising challenges in the new millennium.

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McCann-Erickson welcomes you to the world of the consumer. As part of an ongoing global initiative, executives at McCann meet with groups of consumers every month. Findings from these group discussions form the basis of Brand Strategy and Creative Selling Ideas. In this month's issue we share insights on

HOLIDAY TRAVEL AND THE MALAYSIAN CONSUMER. • Have Holidays, Will Travel! The travel bug has hit the Malaysian consumer as he/she enters the new millennium. Family holidays are gaining in importance and attractiveness, and our Family Builders, parents between the ages of 25 and 40 years, feel that life would be incomplete without at least one annual getaway with the wife and kids. The typic~l holiday involves staying away for two to .,.. ~ : it~~;;.if;,'!: three nights and three to four days, and travelling alone is an unpleasant thought.

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. • The Beach, not the Hills! The beach is a more popular destination than the hills - this situation has not changed over the past couple of years. Water has been found to be pleasurable, relaxing and an ideal prerequisite of a good, informal family holiday. Water and waves, appear to admirably meet the holiday needs of the family. '

• Women emerging as important decision makers. Women/Spouses are emerging as important influencers in family decision making concerning travel and holiday. Working women who contribute towards the family holiday expenses, play an especially important role. • Travel not only broadens the mind, it also flattens the fmances! The amo_unt of money required for the holiday travel, is top-of-mind as the most important criterion in the decision making process. It is interesting to note that budgeting for family holiday travel is emerging as an important and necessary task by the consumers. The money spent is looked upon as a positive investment · in family wellbeing and happiness. • Travel Agents not looked npon as friends. Travel agents are generally not looked upon as being indispensable for ensuring a good family holiday. There has not been a close, caring relationship with the consumer in evidence. This service industry needs to give a lot more serious thought and planning to developing and nurturing consumer and service provider relationships. • On-line travel reservations 'unheard or

• The Scenario is changing, the Future is bri "t~et There • Judging from the responses obtained from the tee~~l>ketiG~pJ0~fG~1~liday travel is going to increase in strength and appeal. Travel, which repre~lfff~S. ~~lo:rl3fe~t~~[ 'Freedom' for the teens and 'Family Fun time5~ fel'•·<h&a0:!11tS"; 'wii~·eecpme an "'" "'•tt~ca,~ llill!e . ~8tWefMit•<lfThf, increasingly important item of discretionary spendiag m .t'l,i.!~rsota..c;qi'J;l.~ No travel related brand clearly enjoys special equity at this poinhinJ.}me ,"'m'rd therefore t LUf!ity to occupy that special P,Q~.W~n in the mind an4 heart of the consumer is wiltcopml ,.. ' "" "'-<:'""·''''''"• ""'""

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Organic plants its regional hub in Singapore In recognition of the tremendous growth potential of e-business in the Asia Pacific region, Organic Inc., one of the world's first and foremost new media companies, announced the setting up its regional office in Singapore. It is a pioneer in online business development and full-service solutions provider to major corporations, decided to establish its regional base in Singapore to take advantage of the country's excellent physical infrastructure and strong government support. "The government's push to develop Singapore as an Internet hub is in perfect tandem with our objectives. The country is a clear regional leader in the adoption of Internet technology, and this maps well with Organic's charter to help its clients bring their customer's online experiences to a new level of sophistication," said Russel Cheng, Vice President and Managing Director of Organic Inc. Singapore . Founded in 1993, US-based Organic was one of the first organizations in the world to realize the commercial potential of the Web when e-commerce and widespread use of the Internet were still in their infancy. The company has created highly successful online businesses for giants like Nike, Starbucks, Daimler-Chrysler and Compaq. Today, Organic leads the industry in understanding customer behaviour. Through a full suite of services, it applies strategy, creativity and technology to deliver compelling consumer experiences for customers. "Today, many Asian CEOs have either embarked on, or are in the process of, building online extensions of their business. The problem is, many do not know how to fully harness the power of the Web to create customer experiences that will encourage consumers to come back for more. Our plan is to help these CEOs create compelling e-businesses and build relationships with their customers that are so powerful, they will be customers for life," said Russel.

Big Millennium move by Moore One of the icons in Singapore's advertising scene is moving out of the industry after 20 years in his adopted country. Allein is believed to be the longest serving Creative Director on the island. He was CD in London before coming to take up that post in Batey Ads in 1979. He went on to head up the creative department ofFortune Advertising, a local group which gave the international agencies a run for their money in the early eighties, handling major accounts such as DBS and the Cycle & Carriage Group. Creative stars Eugene Chong and Patrick Low started their careers under Allein's tutorage. He went on to head up Saatchi-Compton, Leo Burnett, Chiat/Day Mojo which became Standard-COM. When the agency closed in last year's economic downturn, Allein and his fellow directors moved to Bozell which itself has been swallowed by FCB recently. He helped found the current Creative Circle Awards in 1980 and served as Chairman for three years. He also was a Founder member and first President of the Designers Association of Singapore and still found time to sit on the advisory committee of SINLA Salle College. What is not so well known is that Allein also has a reputation in other circles for his expertise as a holistic health practitioner and therapist. "I have been preparing for this break for some years and while I love advertising, I wanted to develop other areas of my life," said Moore. "Advertising is brash, bold, extrovert and exciting. But there is a need to be contemplative and spiritual. I would like to end up with a balance in my life which is hard to do as an advertising man." Any regrets? Allein says not.

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Allein can be eached for seminar bookings via greenplanet@pacific.net.sg Dr. De~ Damania, Director of Consumer Research and Training E-mail : deenaz__damania@mccann.com

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ADOI Showcase

Patrick Low Executive Creative Director Dentsu Young & Rubicam Singapore

Patrick began his advertising career in 1978 at Fortune Advertising,, the largest and most successful local ad agency in Singapore at the time. He moved to Ogilvy and Mather in 1981 where together with some of the most successful advertising practitioners today, worked under the astute directorship of Neil French. There he became the first Singaporean ever to pick up the One Show Award, for Philips. Many awards later, he was lured to Dentsu Young & Rubicam where he helped DY&R become the largest ad agency in Singapore, with billings totalling more than S$160 million to date. Patrick's agenda for the new millennium is to turn the agency from the biggest to the most creative. He has been invited to judge numerous award shows including the London International, New York Festivals, Asian Advertising, Malaysian Kancils, Clio and the Singapore Creative Circle. He also sits on the advisory councils of Temasek School of Visual Communication and LaSalle College of Art.

LEXUS "Dummy" Art Director: Patrick Low Copywriter.* Mark Fong Just one of a series of 7 ads for Lexus, this is an educational campaign explaining the many attribÂ utes of this well engineered car. This campaign picked up many international awards including the

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Rejoice, net-addicted-alternative-music-lovers! Soon, you'll never ever have to leave the house for great sounds! That's because you'll be able to download them in digital mp3 formats from soundbuzz.com, while you continue your latest 'research project' on the ICQ. The site, according to co-founders Shabnam Melwani and Simon Lower, aims to "corner the Asia-Pacific market for online digital music promotion and distribution." Soundbuzz.com is one of the first sites of its kind to specifically focus on the Asian region. And it has a few other 'firsts1 in mind. Soundbuzz.com will not only augment record company sales and promotion efforts but also provide a new platform for unsigned Malaysian artists to showcase and sell their music," says Ms Melwani. (Any of you out there with a secret ambition should read on.) Soundbuzz.com currently features an artist upload interface that allows musicians and music producers to add their music and personal details to its archives. The full, consumer-enabled, e-commerce site with streaming/ sampling/downloading capabilities will be launched by February 2000. Chris Kyme, CEO & Executive Creative Director of FCB Singapore also sits on the board of Soundbuzz. Prior to founding Soundbuzz.com, Shabnam headed Communications at MTV Asia where she worked closely with the music industry. She can be contacted on shabnam@soundbuzz.com

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The Web: Agencies as followers

by Josh Sklar, CEO & Executive Creative Director of Expanded Media Asia.

There have been many of us who have wanted to pack up our bags and reinvent the whole idea of communication from scratch. So it's finally the year 2000. The World Wide Web is now practically 10 years old as Tim Berners-Lee, its inventor, launched the first browser on Christmas Day, 1990. And where do we stand now, all these years later? The Web has gone from being a purely academic and social medium to a consumer Goliath that is impacting the world even more than - and this is absolutely not an exaggeration - Gutenberg's press, Marconi's radio and Farnsworth's television. As someone who has been using the Internet since 1981 (yes, it's that old - in fact it was invented in 1969, first thought a possibility in 1961) and created one of the world's first online stores (before the cliche 'e-commerce' was even a glint in anyone's vocabulary) let me just say once and for all: I told you so! The advertising & marketing industry, of which I'm a part, has been so remarkably slow to catch on to the power of the Internet's resources there have been many of us who have wanted to pack up our bags and reinvent the whole idea of communication from scratch. Even now there are those sitting in agencies who still don't believe one-to-one, personalized, targeted, permission-focused, low-distribution cost, easy-to-maintain, dynamic, modifi able, etc., etc. marketing has much merit compared to traditional media. There are undoubtedly some of them reading this thinking how arrogant and full-hardy I am to dismiss 50 years of hard evidence that traditional advertising and brand building works. The thing is, I'm not doing that at all. All I am saying is: Time moves on - advances are made. These past 15

48 ADOIANYTHINGADVERTISING

years have seen the growth become exponential. Traditional agencies (abovethe-line, below-the-line, direct, promotional, pr) must stop resting on their laurels and with what's comfortable and get with the program. The integrated program. Naturally I'm one of the frustrated ones. I made the transition from traditional to new media nearly four years ago. In that time, I have been treated condescendingly by those who thought the Internet was more 'cute' than revolutionary. Worse, I have been ignored. Not by clients, who have been pouring in great amounts of resources to build remarkable vessels, but by agency people. The most regrettable thing about that is the lack of positive and synergistic promotion. By the time agencies saw that many of the things happening weren't merely gimmicks, but a great way to mine data and develop loyal relationships with consumers, it was too late to be labeled anything but short-sighted trend follower. Now, most are rushing in spouting 'e' this and 'i' that, talking about vertical portals, permission e-mail marketing and trying to grab at the IPO brass ring before the new economy bubble bursts. So we go from one extreme to the next. Rather than crafting considered and well-positioned creative and strategic uses for the medium, people are regurgitating articles and building companies that have no foundation for long-term success. Both are a huge disservice to the clients and their consumers. The world at large has just scratched the surface of what the Internet is all about - what its true potential is. I truly believe the resulting interest and hype that has been pervasive for the past few years is only a side-effect of much, much bigger things to come. The question is whether or not the communications industry will lead it, follow it or be replaced by it. Expanded Media Asia or XM Asia provides clients with on-line marketing consulting; creative development and design; and implementation of relevant technology; as well as the development and management of e-commerce Web sites and Extranets for top consumer brands.

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David Bernstein has been working in advertising since he graduated from Oxford. Before founding The Creative Business, he was a copywriter, TV producer and creative director of three different international advertising agencies. He has received one of the highest accolades from the industry, the Advertising Association's Mackintosh Medal for professional and public services to advertising. An important commentator, he is a frequent columnist, occasional broadcaster and regular speaker on the international circuit. He is the author of the definitive book on outdoor advertising aptly titled 'Advertising Outdoors'.

Unwind

MEDIACOM The can is the hero in a long-running campaign, Campbells Soup, Canada, 1989. Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

Taking the High Ground

Extracted from a speech by outdoor advertising guru David Bernstein, in Sun City on September 27, 1999. If advertising is the category and outdoor is the brand, is outdoor the brand leader? Leadership brings responsibility. The first duty of a brand leader is to act like a brand leader. Does outdoor? The beauty of being a brand leader is that when people think of the category most of them think of the brand leader. When people think of advertising, do they immediately think of outdoor? Maybe they think of a particular poster. But when they think of advertising in general, do they automatically envisage outdoor? Yet outdoor is advertising and only advertising. With the exception of street furniture, which could arguably be called a form of sponsorship, outdoor is advertising and nothing but. No editorial. No show business. No news apart from product news. It's rigorously single-minded. Now there are two implications of what I have said so far - and both ELECTRIC FAN OVENS WONT LET FLAVOURS GET MIXED UR concern quality: the quality of the content and the quality of the promotion. But, you may say, the outdoor industry is not responsible for the quality of the creative work. It can't dictate to adverÂ tisers or agencies. Nor can it provide ideas. Maybe not, but it can encourage, it can show examples of best practice, it can help with execution. And most contractors I know provide executional Electricity Council', UK, 1989. Agency: BCB Dorland. guidelines - size of type, combinations of colour, number of words, etc.

I will talk about creativity - but not the creative product. I'm asking the outdoor industry to be creative and this is a good time to do it. The Millennium. But more relevantly, at this time of accelerating change. And we all know the mantra. The first shall be last. The first mass medium is now the last. The remaining mass medium. The only mass medium is outdoor. Campaign magazine tells us that 'the outdoor business is in the most dynamic phase in history...(evolving) from advertising's country cousin into a truly global medium.' Mind you, we must not get carried away. In the same article, a top executive of one contractor said, "This is still an underperforming medium". That was a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy: a few weeks later he lost his job.

More to the point, another executive reminds us of the other side of fragmentation: it enables hitherto monolithic media to increase their flexibility and lower the entry cost. Nevertheless, the opportunities for outdoor are real and significant. I have always regarded outdoor as the first medium. But in a specifically creative and practical way. The poster is the first medium you should crack creatively. Solve the brief on a poster and you'll have an idea that will work in virtually any medium. So it was and is always a good place to start - irrespective of the actual media plan. In other words, solve the brief on a poster and you'll have an idea. Recognisable as an idea. That's of course, if you solve it. If you don't, then the absence of an idea is equally recognisable. Instantly. If you know the brief, it doesn't take long to judge a poster, to know if there's an idea. It is not the same with television. With TV it may take a long time to get behind the smoke and mirrors...and then realise what you thought was an idea was actually an entertaining execution and that production values were masquerading as brand values. None of that with posters. My first medium.

50 ADOIANYTHINGADVERTISING

Talking of best practice, individual contractors can follow examples of those in other countries and the industry associations who can take it upon themselves to show the way. I'm thinking for examples like John Bilney of Mediacom in Canada who tirelessly acted as the medium's in-house creative director, liasing with agencies and managing to raise standards but not creative hackles. Contractors should promote creativity, raise creative standards. Maiden, in the UK sponsors student awards, working with the Design and Art Direction Association. The top three students win placements. And maybe contractors are the only resource for training people in the craft of poster design. Not much training goes on in British agencies - for two

main reasons: creatives are still preoccupied with television and training budgets are tight or non-existent. Which leaves the contractors, not individually perhaps, but working together in an industry association, not by themselves but in conjunction with art schools. Now let's talk about the quality of the promotion. The peculiar advantage of outdoor is the way it forces the brand team to focus. The advertising process, irrespective of media, is one of distillation. It begins with the assembly of the facts - about the consumer, the brand, the competition, the marketplace, etc. These facts are distilled into a brief. At the heart of the brief is a proposition (further distillation) The devil doesn t have all the best jokes. and this strategic fact is transmuted St Phillip the Deacon, Lutheran Church, USA, 1995. Agency: HMS/Ruhr. into a creative idea. The relationÂ But it will still be argued, a poster can only achieve so much. "The ship of proposition to idea is that of prose to poetry. The creative's job is to essence of the brand, the key promise...that's important, but we need to turn the prose of the proposition into the poetry of an idea. And poetry communicate more. We have a story to tell." The answer to this five years focuses. Voltaire (I don't know which agency he was at!) said that "poetry ago was obvious - TV and/or print. Today, increasingly it is the web. Mixing says more and in fewer words than prose." Try this test. Paraphrase a poem up my media I will argue that the poster is the headline and the internet and you end up with more words. Deconstruct a great poster and you do the provides body copy with written and spoken text, still and moving pictures same. The idea is the quintessence of the proposition. Now this process plus interactive dialogue with response mechanisms. Note the increasing occurs in all media but intensely so in outdoor. "The art of the poster," says number of website addresses on poster sites. Initially a poster was a means a practising designer, "is the art of reduction." The medium's disciplines, of directing a potential consumer to a website. Today website addresses the limitation, not of space (which could be bigger?) but of time (the seconds appear on posters as a matter of course. More interestingly, two media in which the message has to absorbed), the limitations force focus to its interact. A question on a poster is answered on the web. A product story limits. Great posters are triumphs of imagination set free by limitation. begun on a poster is augmented, illustrated, reinforced. This potent mixture If I were selling the medium I would emphasise this central characteristic. of broad and narrow-casting may, in an age of fragmentation, make even the I would sell it to creatives as the the ultimate creative challenge. And I most loyal TV user begin to question the divine right of traditional media. would sell it to account people as an essential strategic tool. Wrestling with Over the past decade, outdoor has become far more professional, disciplines of the poster enables the brand team to determine the essence of offering better targetting, improved research, geodemographics, direct the brand. The poster challenges the team to communicate in one image response facilities, interactivity, greater flexibility, faster reaction times and a few words what the brand is about, what it stands for, what it promises. (a long way from the old days when a poster was stuck with paste and you No other medium provides this intensity of discipline. were stuck with the poster). And the technology, back illumination, reveal Putting the poster centre stage requires a radical change of mindset by imaging, fading, real time messages, purpose built structures, special effects the industry, by the advertiser, by the agency. For years in the UK we have - with sound, movement and satellite links! called outdoor a support medium. By which we meant 'ancillary'. Ironically, The poster is essentially a simple medium. Which of course, doesn't the word 'support' is most appropriate for poster's future role. Support in the mean it's easy to do. Quite the reverse. Here's what award-winning creative sense of sustaining, bearing the weight of. It is the platform upon which director Andrew Cracknell has to say, "While creating posters will embrace everything else in the brand's communication rests. It is not a supporting just about every talent a creative team has, it is advertising at its most player but the very stage itself. precise. To get as much information, mood and persuasion into a 30-second film is remarkable enough: to get the same using a two-dimensional static picture and seven words is miraculous. It's the process laid bare and, when it is done well, it's a delight." A simple medium that conveys a single message. The site bite. The site bite that encapsulates the brand. The idea that says it all in an image and a few words. It is the medium for a busy world. It was Thomas Carlyle who captured the soul of the poster when he saw the affiches on the walls of Paris during the Revolution: "that he who runs may read." Two hundred years later, it's the same, only more so. In closing, my message I hope is clear. It's time for outdoor to take the high ground. To evangelise (the born-again poster). To play to its strengths. Reiterate those strengths - but also see itself in a new way. To promote the medium to creatives as the ultimate creative challenge, to account people as an essential strategic tool. To assume responsibilÂ ity for training. To disseminate best practice. To lead in ways befitting a brand leader. And as a brand leader, as the one medium that is advertising and only that, to carry the flag for advertising as a whole. The brand name used to convey a benefit. Amoco, USA, 1984. Agency: D'Arcy McManus Masius. Thank you.

ADOIANYTHINGADVERTISING 51

Has your advertising any sting? by Manfred Knuth, Business to Business.

You need a plan to 'position' yourself correctly. To make a good impression, to somehow make yourself stand apart from the crowd.

Imagine it's Saturday Night you're at a party, and your looking to meet someone. You spot someone across the crowded room that does interesting things to your hormones. You simply have to meet the person, however competition is intense and fear of rejection is palatable. You need a plan to 'position' yourself correctly. To make a good impression, to somehow make yourself stand apart from the crowd. With high hopes, you work your way through the crowd, practising in your head what you are going to say, your heart is pounding, you try to be cool, you are right along side now. Suddenly, the

person gets up to leave, turning towards you. Your eyes meet. This is your one chance. Your mind goes blind as you burst out, "Hello! Haven't I met you somewhere before?" A hopeless cliche. You lost it! Creating good advertising is a lot like this crowded party. You've got about thirty seconds or less to make a good impression on someone, and its a very cynical crowd out there. Try introducing yourself with a line like 'Hello What's your sign?" or "What's it like to be the sexiest person in the room?" at a party. Ouch. Yet many advertisers are content in introducing their products with tired, over used, patronising cliches. Likewise, if the party is crowded with 'competitions' you don't scream and pull down your pants to get noticed (maybe you do?), or try to annoy someone into listening to you. Yet so much advertising does just that, if the people responsible could feel the 'slap' of their commercial being zapped or the page being turned on their ad maybe they would be more sensitive.

Maybe the reason so much advertising is boring or insulting, bland, or irrelevant is because the people responsible don't have to be present when it's viewed by a consumer. Good advertising peoÂ ple instinctively put themselves in a face to face situation when they create ads. Discussing the topic of presenting creative ideas to clients, Jay Chiat told his creative staff "Remember they're not just rejecting your ideas, they rejecting you!" Considering the amount of competition and noise in today's market place, advertising would do well to consider the crowded party analogy, but like a crowded party, just knowing what to do and being able to do it are two different things. Even the people who are very good don't always succeed. So just imagine how many failed brands and companies there are out there. A quick look at the daily press or TV will give you a good indication. That's only one side of the story; the other is the client themselves. But that's another party.

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52 ADOIANYTHINGADVERTISING

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