Adoi Malaysia 2000 September Issue by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd

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

SEPTEMBER 2000

KDN NO: PP 9995/7/2001

MITA (P) 058/08/2000

ExecutifeXIffir

OVER 30,000 READERS

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Notes from the editor My good friend Peter Wilken sprung a shocker on me recently when he announced that he had left his job as COO and Managing Director of Leo Burnett Malaysia and Singapore. In his usual unassuming but straightforward manner, he told me it was time to leave when his regional director informed him that the same team who hired him in KL, Yasmin and Ali, cited working differences and that their relationship could not continue anymore. Peter, who's impressive track record at LB KL in less than three years would more than fill this page, was stunned at this revelation and very quickly packed his bags. One could almost imagine him whispering 'oopsy daisy' under his breath while quietly tip toeing out the door. But the fact remains that another talented leader leaves our midst and I wish him every success in his new ventures. We'll miss you Pete. And just in case readers are still not aware, Tim Pinnegar, Regional Director of Starcomm (LB's media arm) also left the agency unceremoniously recently. He had worked for the Leo Burnett group for more than 14 years. As a run up to the Malaysian annual advertising awards, the Kancils, there'll be a two-day festival titled 'Outside The Box' which features faraway and famous speakers like Chris O'Shea, Barbara Noakes, Jimmy Lam, Piyush Pandey, Tom Pickles, John Bevins and Cindy Schersching. To book your seat, call the secretariat on 03-460 8535. Ticket prices have not been confirmed yet, but please attend and support this first-ever festival. Last month, Tourism Publications played host to the screening of the Clio Awards at the PJ Hilton. The event was a blast with a record turnout from the ad industry and this probably suggests that Tourism Publications certainly has an ace up their sleeves. We look forward to seeing more of their involvement in supporting such informative and entertaining shows. On Sept 1, CIA Medianetwork Malaysia launched their brand new worldwide logo. This new ID is a revamp of the old look which had been around for 25 years. Way to go Margaret! Did you know that Batey Ads in KL was on fire? I'm not talking about what departing sizzling hot creative director Ben Hunt left in his wake, but a real fire in the building on August 10. An ad that ran shortly after the incident (also on Page 20) says that the copywriters kept on writing (they were used to smoke-filled lungs), art directors kept on working and even Johnny Mun the COO claims to have been on the phone with the client, all through the fire. The ad which called the event 'just another day' at Batey Ads highlighted the level of staff dedication, through hell and fire. So if you're looking for an agency that will walk on fire for you, call Johnny Mun on 03-7727 2299. But catch him when he's not on the phone. Go Johnny go! And finally, the brand new Malaysian Advertising Directory (MAD) 2000 is out and on sale! Featuring thousands of updates and advertising industry listings, you can call Doreen or Joyce on 03-7726 2588 for a copy Please hurry, because there are limited copies left.

The fever worth catching...pg 12 The closest thing yet to Perfect Marketing?...pg 16 Write as you speak...pg 18 Thots of an advertising student...pg 26 First thingin the Morning?...pg 28 Thriller on13th Floor ...pg 38

From warehouseman's son to Chairman of the Board - Page 4, 5 & 6

Bottom's up first thing in the morning

FCB curves it right for adidas - Page 31.

Respectfully,

Psst...ADOI is now the official rep for Ad Age's worldfamous The Best Awards 2000 in Malaysia and Singapore. To enter, see our centrespread pullout for all detailsI T Ag* 429 ^

What's under the hood for Batey Ads SingaporeP - Page 34

MANAGING EDITOR: Harmandar Singh aka Ham PRINTER: Cetakrapi Sdn Bhd OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER: Jen Siow DESIGNER: So Tiong Cheng COLOUR SEPARATOR: Screen Gallery Sdn Bhd ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES (Malaysia): Call Doreen on 03-7726 2588, 03-7722 5710 or 019-370 9135 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES (Singapore): Marketing Concepts Group Pte Ltd 723A North Bridge Road, Singapore 198691. Tel: 297 2393, 297 2392 Fax: 297 7270 E-maii:mcg@pacific.net.sg DISTRIBUTION: Efficient Lettershop (postal), Mag Media Distributors (Malaysia) and MarketAsia (Singapore).

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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: 603-7726 2588. Fax: 603-7726 2598. ÂŠAll 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.

Meet the Market Research In the mid-1980's Taylor Nelson was a custom survey firm - headed by Tony Cowling. The company operated solely in the UK and had annual revenues of circa US$28 million with modest profits. Thanks to the drive and vision of Tony Cowling the company, some 15 years later, has become the fourth largest global market information company with 150 offices in over 40 countries. Today, Tony Cowling is Executive Chairman of Taylor Nelson Sofres pic and a darling of the London Stock Exchange, with revenues of about US$640 million and shares selling for P/E of 45+. That's why Inside Research recently voted him Market Research Executive of the Decade. Between then and now, Tony has presided over 25 market research acquisitions worldwide, one of the biggest of which was the acquisition of Paris-based Sofres Group S.A. Tony Cowling entered the business in a roundabout way after leaving school at 18 and doing National Service. He always liked maths and science and finding out about things, so "some form of research appealed to me" he says. "But market research was such a fledgling industry then, it never occurred to me that this was what I would end up doing". After National Service, Cowling completed an electrical engineering qualification and his first job was with a small engineering company. But in 1959, he saw an ad for a job at Benton & Bowles as a market researcher, applied for it and got it. It was at B&B that Cowling met Elizabeth Nelson (the Nelson in Taylor Nelson Sofres) and she and Cowling together went to join another company, Mass Observation, because there was a chance of going on the board there. After a couple of years, Cowling and Nelson met Stuart Taylor, an American with a little family money who at that time, was working for the EIU, and who proposed that the three of them set up on their own, which they did in 1965. The venture got off to a slow start and made a small loss in its first year, but built up successfully from there. Being blessed with a

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 4

constitution that does not require more than about six hours sleep a night, sometimes less, Cowling also finds it easy to catnap and bounce back quickly. Music and periodic visits to watch Chelsea Football Club fill in the remaining leisure hours. Travel for pleasure does not seem to be a high priority, either now or for retirement. Last year was quite phenomenal for the Group. Tell us... In 1999 we further strengthened our key sector operations through acquisitions and organic growth, while continuing to benefit from the merger that created Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). 1999 was also notable for the speed with which we adopted the Internet as a data collection and delivery tool and for the launch of Taylor Nelson Sofres Interactive, which is spearheading our business with dot.com companies. Our results reflect the success of the year. Turnover in 1999 was up by 11.4 per cent at ÂŁ380.9 million (1998 - ÂŁ342 million). At constant exchange rates, the improvement is 11.9 per cent. This reflects growth in all geographic regions, with our syndicated businesses performing particularly well. Our operating margin increased to 8.9 per cent from 8.3 per cent. We are achieving steady margin improvement, from a base of 7.9 per cent in 1997, as a larger percentage of our business comes from higher margin syndicated and tracking contracts. At the same time, it is important that we retain our technological lead and, as stated previously, we have been and will be making further investments in 2000 to achieve this and further develop our Internet-related activities. How does TNS stack up against the other market research players? Taylor Nelson Sofres is the fourth largest global market information company, operating in a market valued at around US$13.4 billion in 1998 and estimated to have grown a further 8-9 per cent last year. We are the leader in

Europe, the leader in France, the leader in the UK, Spain and Scandinavia. We are the second largest operation in Asia and so on. We are one of the leading companies in Consumer Purchase Panels in Europe and we have taken the lead in driving these panels into Asia. We can now start to provide our multi-national clients with similar information in other parts of the world. Consolidation is set to continue and Taylor Nelson Sofres remains at the forefront, as economies of scale become increasingly important in terms of

investment in new technologies, the Internet and new product developments. Our clients have driven our industry's growth and consolidation. We are implementing a strategy, which responds to their needs, while maintaining our record of strong profitable growth. Our success is based on our ability to provide consistent and comparable information to clients as they market their brands internationally. What will be your priority specialist sectors? Yes, we have identified the

Executive of the Decade! sectors that have the greatest growth potential and, we have made a number of acquisitions to reinforce our position in these specialist sectors. The sector that has seen the most acquisition activity over the past year is media monitoring. As advances in technology add to the range of media to which consumers are exposed and Internet activity forges ahead, the importance of competitive media intelligence increases. Last year, we reinforced our European presence in media monitoring

through some key acquisitions in France, Spain and the UK. This year, we purchased GMR, the largest advertising tracking company in the US. It brings to the group the leading US internet advertising expenditure tracking business - GMR Interactive. Our ability to offer the world's major media, communications and consumer companies a consistent and comprehensive tracking service on an international basis is greatly extended and we have the opportunity to leverage CMR's

strong client network.

base

across

our

What about internal growth? We will continue to extend our activities organically. The development of our international Monitors business in the Healthcare sector is just one example of how we broaden successful services. Our consumer panel businesses have had a busy couple of years. In 1999, we extended our strong Asia Pacific presence by establishing panels in Korea and Thailand and

we are broadening our activities in China. This year, we are setting up panels in Malaysia, the Philippines and Hong Kong. Our recently announced Latin panel joint venture with NPD and IBOPE provides consumer purchase information in Brazil, Argentina and Chile and opens up to us the expanding Latin American market. In the UK, Superpanel is being increased from 10,000 to 15,000 homes using our newly developed Palm technology, and scanning has been successfully introduced successfully to our panels in Spain and Ireland. What's new with television tracking? That's interesting! We realised further opportunities in television audience measurement by launching the first ever, truly, national PeopleMeter service in China. We have already implemented a PeopleMeter operation in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The BBM panel in Canada is being rolled out to a full national panel using PictureMatching, one of our technologies that measure TV audiences in 18 countries around the world. The set up of new industry contracts in Norway and Denmark is complete and new panels have been launched in Korea and Greece. This year, we won the television audience measurement contract in Singapore. The power of our data and our ability to link TV and consumer panel information has been recognised, as ITV extended the UK tvSpan contract to 3,000 homes in the UK. How far are you stretching your involvement with the internet? Taylor Nelson Sofres Interactive (TNSi) was established as a separate unit in 1999 to drive forward our Internet-related businesses. Its dedicated team has three main activities: developing direct business with dot.com companies, providing Internet solutions for existing clients and managing the application of the production platform and delivery solutions required for such projects.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 5

"I don'tagonise over taking decisions, even big ones." Dot.com companies do business differently from our existing clients but they all need the same measures of performance and effectiveness. Taylor Nelson Sofres is already a leading provider to them. These companies are involved in projects that need considerable investment and require evaluation at each stage of their development. Using our increasing range of Internet brands including WebEval and AdNetTrack, we supply market and competitive intelligence. The CMR acquisition has added the online advertising tracking product, Interwatch.

Do you mean interviewing consumers via the internet? The Internet has already revolutionised our data collection and delivery and we are taking full advantage of the opportunities it offers to provide a fast, efficient, flexible and cost-effective service. Market information really is already to some extent an internet based industry. Like many other companies, we are already conducting surveys over the internet, delivering information over the internet. To give you some idea of the rate

of growth, this time last year we were commissioning a project where we collected data via the internet at the rate of about one a week. Currently this year, it is running at one a day so we are getting 20 to 25 projects a month where we collect the data via the internet in some way. We have a global CAWI platform (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) for collecting the data. TNS, in line with the industry as a whole, is in the process of building up panels of individuals, who will co-operate with us on internet surveys covering both the business to business and consumer markets. Please update us in the area of acquisitions in the interactive arena? We are looking for joint ventures and co-operative deals with organisations, which are running parallel to us in what we are doing in information and market information. Our latest venture is to be the service provider to NetValue, one of the companies building internet usage panels. These panels are in operation in the US, UK, France and Germany and new panels are being built in Spain, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore. We are the company building up those panels and ensuring that the research elements are carried out correctly and that the panels are representative. How many people are there in the TNS family? We employ over 7,000 people around the world and, as our operations develop internationally, we use technology to bring them together into virtual teams. Our challenge is to employ knowledge management to provide them with the common skills and language that enable these teams to function successfully. Our innovative training and international reward systems, including our Worldwide Employee Sharesave Plan, are designed to

COMMUNICATIONS

help us recruit, retain and develop the highly-skilled people vital to our future progress. We welcome into the group the many people who have joined us as a result of our acquisition programme and appreciate the valuable contribution of everyone involved in the successes of the past year. What's your take on Asia Pacific markets? Asia Pacific appears to be recovering from its lower levels of growth in 1998. We reported a 16% growth rate for the region and on a like for like basis, its growth rate was 10.7% in 1999. The increased investment that we have made over the last two years within panel businesses which we now operate in Korea, China, Taiwan and in Thailand are clearly delivering additional revenues to our business. So what's the long-term strategy ? We are a global company with a presence in all the major markets for our industry. The few remaining gaps have been identified and targeted. We expect our existing operations to achieve steady and ongoing organic growth, supplemented by acquisition as we reinforce our specialist sectors. Recognising the importance of being at the leading edge of webenabled research and providing clients with the information they need on their online activities, we will continue to invest into the internet. With our clients' growing demand for syndicated and tracking information, we will continue to place emphasis on developing the higher margin side of our activities. Is it getting more stressful for you these days? I haven't found my job get any more stressful as time goes on, in fact rather less so. I used to find meeting clients and pitching for business far more stressful than what I do now. I don't agonise over taking decisions, even big ones.

Winning across three markets? It's got to be Gordon. Gordon Stewart is a soft spoken man and you get constantly reminded of his homeland when you hear his phone ring with the bright chirp of bagpipes. Always calm and collected, his demeanor belies the immense stress that comes with his huge and varied responsibilities. And as Managing Director of the Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) Group in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, Gordon keeps an eye on three different markets, all at the same time. Gordon joined the Taylor Nelson Sofres Group in 1997 and helms a group that keeps tabs on more than eleven different industry groupings. ADOI caught up with Gordon, in between cities, to confront him on the Group's big wins of late... There's been quite a buzz at TNS with the awarding of some landmark contracts, namely the Media Corporation of Singapore (MCS) deal. Can you elaborate on these developments? We were of course delighted that MCS selected us as their supplier of Television Audience Measurement (TAM) services. We believe we beat the competition primarily by our technological solution to measure the changing face of broadcasting and audience viewing habits. The tender process was handled very professionally and thoroughly by MCS and we look forward to extending this relationship well past the five year original contract term. It was a great win for the Singapore team and one which was strategically very important to our Group. Some quarters suggest that TNS' proposal on managing the MCS contract may not yield profits for TNS. Any comments? I'm amazed that anyone would think this. We certainly believe in providing our clients with a quality and value for money solution, but we are also businessmen and have responsibilities to our stakeholders to return a profit. We would never consider taking on a project of this magnitude and duration without making a reasonable profit. You oversee operations in Malaysia, Singapore and

Indonesia. What's your feeling on the Indonesian market with much of the dust still waiting to be settled? I'm delighted to say that we have always made a profit in Indonesia - even during 1998 with all the social and economic disruptions. I have a great deal of faith that when some of the current problems are resolved, Indonesia will return to a very healthy pattern of growth and prosperity. The international business world simply cannot ignore a market of 210 million people for very long! I hear you've been on a hiring spree with so much new business on your plate. Have you been successful in finding the right people? Yes. I'm delighted by our new recruits, which have been mostly in Singapore and Malaysia. Really bright, client-focussed, good, people. Our standards have been raised with the addition of these recent recruits. One of the most recent 'jewels in the crown' is the new General Manager of the Malaysia office - Siti Norbaya Abdul Manaf - who joins us from Kellogg's. Siti Norbaya brings with her a unique combination of research and marketing skills, having started her career in research and then progressing through to her most recent role as Marketing Director, Malaysia & Singapore for Kellogg's. I look forward to her raising the levels of understanding of our client's marketing problems and opportunities amongst the Malaysian team. With better understanding of the marketing environment we will be in a better position to provide our clients with better solutions. Another great recent addition to the Malaysia team is Yang Bee Yoke who has rejoined us as a Director, after a period of working in the advertising world. Bee Yoke has some 14 years of experience in research and it is great to have her back with us. We are also in the process of establishing a Consumer Panel in Malaysia and we have 'imported' two great panel experts from the U.K. - Ian and Alex McAlister, whom many of the clients in Malaysia will already have had meetings with. The Consumer Panel business obviously opens up

many other opportunities within the Malaysian business. In Singapore, we have been lucky to secure the services of Phil Jones as General Manager of the TV sector. Phil has around 15 years experience in Television Audience Measurement gained in Australia and Malaysia. We have also made numerous other appointments in both countries, but suffice to say, I'm really happy with the current teams. However, we are always on the lookout for talent! Are there any plans in the pipeline for acquisitions by the TNS group? The group has been very active in acquisitions during the last year or so. Indeed, a prominent Market Research Industry watcher, American Jack Honomichi, credits us with the largest number of recent acquisitions - some 15 in the past 18 months. These acquisitions have been made to fill some geographic gaps in our global coverage as in the case of the acquisition of NIPO, the Netherlands largest market information group, and more recently in Argentina. However, most of our previous acquisitions have been to strategically strengthen our focus on key business sectors, like Telcos and Media Monitoring in particular. I'm pretty sure that we will plug the few remaining gaps in our geographical coverage. However, it is more likely that we will continue to make acquisitions that strengthen our key business sectors. How do you see the market research landscape changing in the region with the advent of globalisation? Globalisation and specialisation have been the two main drivers in the market information industry over the past few years. Taylor Nelson Sofres has structured its business to respond to these key developments. As clients increasingly define their business in global terms and market their products around the world, they demand and expect, consistent and

comparable market information on an international basis. We have been investing a lot in developing our own solutions to assist in this regard - a good example is our tracking solution Miriad which is enjoying enormous success throughout the world. These consistent, comparable solutions have been developed to satisfy a recurring need from many different clients - in a cost effective manner. Specialisation has also led us to structure ourselves to recruit and develop people with experience and specialist skills in the areas of healthcare, automotive, telecomm, I.T., etc, and we are very lucky to be able to call upon these resources throughout the world to help clients locally. We see these two trends continuing, and welcome them, as it generally means that marketers are becoming more sophisticated - and whilst international uniformity is important, they also require a higher degree of local input - which means that we all become more professional. Adex is bouncing back quite nicely in Malaysia and Singapore. What do you think of consumer confidence in the marketplace? Do you read positive signs? Yes. I see improvements in both markets. I hope we have all learned from the 1997/98 crisis and that these recent improvements will be more sustainable as we move forward. I'm pretty confident that will be the case.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 7

LAJ Letter to Editor Dear Editor, ADOI is an excellent advertising magazine, in bringing to us in-depth articles, insightful yet interesting interviews, that cannot be found in other titles of the same genre. ADOI stands up tall against the best titles from all over the world. Heartiest congratulations again for putting together such a fine magazine. Also congratulations for running the well regarded advertising courses. Whenever I come across photos of your goodself together with your students, I always have a sense of pride that the industry has such dedicated people as yourself to look after practitioners as well as aspirants to join the industry. Without the efforts such as those put in by you, our industry will be deprived of oxygen and new entrants. Which is saying that you deserve the widest support from the industry. Best regards Julian Ng Maximize Singapore

Knighthood for Martin In mid June, WPP CEO Martin Sorrell was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen. He received the honour for services to the communications industry, announced in the UK's New Year honours list. The Prime Minister's office said the list rewarded people who 'had left a mark on the century and will be beacons for the next century.'

ASTRO's Super Connections Promo ASTRO has launched a new "Super Connections Promotion", which offers new customers huge discounts, rebates and super-value deals with leading telecommunications operators. The satellite operator also announced that the price of its Digital Multimedia System (DMS) would be temporarily reduced to RM799 from its regular retail price of RM999. Speaking at the event was ASTRO's executive director C.Y. Chin who said, "Recently ASTRO announced that we would be carrying 'live' and delayed telecasts of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games

on six additional channels from 13 September to 1 October. The temporary price reduction of the DMS to RM799 is to enable the tens of thousands of sportsloving Malaysians whom we expect to sign up with us in time for the Games broadcasts to do so at a lower cost." Chin continued, "The rewards and savings offered with the Super Connections Promotion are exclusive to new ASTRO customers only, by special arrangement with the providers of Maxis Hotlink, DiGi and Celcom. The deals offered are extremely attractive and are not available anywhere else".

Outside The Box 2000 is the first 8d forum of its kind in Malaysia, centred on creativity and brand building. The itinerary includes talks, an open question and answer session with the speakers, and refreshments. Do register now to ensure your place on 17th and 18th October. The venue is the extremely au fait Shangri-La K.L.

The Shangri-La K.L. is preparing itself for the ad event of the year.

speakers ; chris o'shea executive creative director, banks hoggins o'shea fcb, london barbara nokes executive creative director, grey, london john bevins chief executive officer, john bevins communication, Sydney piyush pandey executive creative director, oglivy & mather, mumbai jimmy lam creative director, d'arcy, greater china torn pickles senior marketing director, mcdonald's, asia pacific cindy schersching associate accounts director, millward brown (research), london andre nair managing director, starcom, greater china; also invited are michael conrad, worldwide creative director, leo burnett and craig davies, regional creative director, saatchi & saatchi, hong kong - for enquiries, call (603) 460-8535, fax (603) 460-8532 or e-mail aaaa@macomm.com.my

2000 CREATIVITY + BRAND BUILDING

Reach out to Mo. 1 Tourism Guide Book in Malaysia! Want to be seen in hotel rooms ? Visitors'

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A comprehensive, full colour guide book on Malaysia's tourist attractions. Placed in hotel rooms (5 star and below). Placed in local & overseas travel related establishments. Also sold at major bookshops, hotel drugstores and airports. Published annually since 1990.

* Endorsed by: • Ministry of Culture, Arts & Tourism. • Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. Seksy<n Bahasa NVaVavva: NVuVa sural 267

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•gfigsj Official Travel Directory

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J O^ruly Asia

Reach out to No. 1 Motoring Guide Book in Malaysia! Want to reach the car owners & drivers ? MB'Tkmi

Put your advertisement in... (Malaysia Motoring Guide)

* A comprehensive, full colour, handy guide book with write-ups on car care, how a car's components work, safety, trouble shooting of common problems, motoring laws, motoring insurance... * Circulated to AAM Members. * Also sold at major bookstores and news vendors * Published annually since 1994.

EE)

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Tourism Publications Corporation Sdn Bhd (i82603-D) Kuala Lumpur Office: 5th Floor, Wisma Chinese Chamber, 258 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: (603) 451 2288 Fax: (603) 457 2868 Email: info@tpcsb.com Penang Office: Lot3.1, 3rd Floor, Wisma Leader, 8 Jalan Larut, 10050 Penang, Malaysia. Tel: (604) 229 1700 Fax: (604) 229 1706 Email: tpcsbpg@po.jaring.my

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.(A)

Is On-Line Marketing the New DM Messiah?

by Kurt Crocker, Creative Director and Partner - Drayton Bird, Crocker & Mano.

Everybody talks about it. More and more marketers are doing it. And a few are getting very rich. So is on-line selling really the end-all answer-ofanswers in the world of Direct Marketing? Will traditional forms of Direct Marketing exist in the new millennium? Or will the websites and e-mail completely replace mail order, land-delivered catalogs and perhaps even retail outlets? The question is not whether e-commerce is a good thing or a bad thing. The question is whether e-commerce will become the consumer's preferred method of buying stuff. Frankly, my dear, I don't have an answer to that. But let's keep our feet firmly planted by dealing with a couple of realities. First, most estimates indicate that only about one in twenty people around the world are on-line. In Malaysia, there are more. About 900,000 Malaysians have registered with an ISP, and there are about 18,000 new registrations each month. But there are around 4,000,000 users nationwide so approximately one in five Malaysians are on-line. That's a lot of local prospects. Are they buying stuff on the net? I don't think anyone really knows yet. We should find out. But for now, forget about the e-commerce potential of Malaysian consumers. You probably wouldn't construct an order-friendly website strictly for national buyers. So what about the rest of the world? Well, there's good news and there's bad news. And both the good and bad news contain some very grounding facts. The good news is that, according to a Direct Marketing Association report, 70% of direct marketers are claiming on-line profits this year. Only 49% said they made money last year. That's the good news. Sales-oriented websites are beginning to pay for themselves and make money. The bad news is that almost a third of the people who ordered on-line returned the products they purchased. Can you imagine that happening at a retail outlet? One-third of what you sell really isn't sold at all? Worse, 41% said they would have liked to return what they bought, but it would have been too much of a hassle. In other words, a huge percentage of those who buy online end up with

a product they don't want. That's not just bad news, it's scary. It means that too many websites are not managing their customers' expectations. And, most importantly, they are failing miserably to nurture a feeling of comfort and satisfaction that is absolutely required if profitable, long-term customer relationships are to occur at all. Without long-term relationships with your customers, there's really no point in being in business. It costs too much money to constantly acquire. Loyal customers tend to purchase more often, and buy in larger volumes. If you don't keep this crucial customer goldmine, you're dead. So what the deal? Direct Marketers who use e-commerce are becoming increasingly profitable. So either more people are ordering online, or these marketers are selling more efficiently. But too many online consumers are buying what they don't want, and sending it back. Long-term relationships are in serious jeopardy. Clearly, e-commerce offers a tremendous marketing opportunity. But it seems equally clear that much of the fundamental knowledge we've gained through traditional forms of advertising and direct marketing is being ignored or just not applied. It's as if the basic truths about how people make buying decisions, and why they keep buying, are somehow irrelevant in an electronic medium. That's just nonsense. The trick, I believe, is to create a balance between the cold, human-less vacuum of virtual reality and, well, real reality. The first step towards that goal is to revisit what we know about what works and what doesn't - starting with our view of the consumer. David Ogilvy reminded us that "The consumer's not a moron. She's your wife." And consumers are not mouse-clicks either. They are the same flesh-andblood beings they've always been, who need better care and attention that e-commerce has yet to give them. The second step towards more reality-based online marketing is to keep the full spectrum of communication possibilities at your command. The powerful tools of direct mail and catalogs, advertising and public relations all have a role in building your brand-strength and solidifying customer loyalty. And if you have retail outlets, take heart. About 22% of consumers are more likely to buy online if there is a nearby retail presence. Marketing will always be a people-process, no matter when or where.

Greg Paull is Regional Director IDF 2000 rides the Internet Wave into the 21st century

Greg Paull has joined DraftWorldwide as Regional Director, corporate development for Asia/Pacific from Ammirati Puris Lintas Singapore (now Lowe Lintas). Paull is currently relaunching DraftWorldwide's Singapore office, and will move to the agency's Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Paull reports to Perry Miele, President of International at DraftWorldwide. Prior to joining DraftWorldwide, Paull was Managing Director at APL Singapore. During his tenure, the agency was voted Ad Agency of the Year by the Singapore Advertising Industry, for their integrated work on Audi Asia/Pacific, Microsoft and Sony. Paull's duties at DraftWorldwide include business, client and brand development. He is charged with building a greater regional network with expanded capabilities in the brand, promotional and digital domains; expanding DraftWorldwide's U.S. client base into Asia Pacific; and enhancing DraftWorldwide's brand image among the advertising and marketing industry in the region. "DraftWorldwide's vision of the future is quite unique in the industry they are the only independent marketing services brand with global reach relying not on their 'parent agency' for business, but on brains, ideas and results." said Mr Paull. With offices in 26 countries, billings of more than $2.7 billion and a bluechip client roster that includes Compaq, The Coca-Cola Company, American Express, Nike, General Motors and Kellogg's, Chicago-based DraftWorldwide is one of the industry's leading integrated global marketing agencies.

AD0IMARKETINGC0MMUNICATI0NS 10

Be the first to preview the region's first-ever print and design portal that will streamline and integrate all your corporate and individual print and design processes, with a few simple clicks of the mouse. Design and order quality print jobs, and have everything delivered to your doorstep, no matter what you want to print and how many you want to. These are just some of the showcases visitors and delegations can look forward to at the International Design Forum (IDF) 2000 in Singapore come October. Initiated by the Singapore Trade Development Board (TDB) with support from the local design community in 1988, the objective of IDF is to actively promote design

awareness, to build, explore and expand design capabilities in Singapore. The IDF 2000, with the theme, D-Commerce: The New Landscape, is set to be the premier forum where international names meet and explore this century's wave of design and internet solutions. Over 25,000 trade and public visitors, 300 delegates and 14 distinguished speakers from Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States will witness the reality of this year's theme as creative ideas, internet information technology and design-driven solutions merge and come alive in the new electronic economy. See you there!

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The Fever Worth Catching By Jullie P. Lingan

The psychology behind the success of films on earthquakes, tornadoes, plane crashes and whatever calamities one can think of. If one has been checking my heartbeat religiously for the past six months, the pattern would be crystal clear: the cardiac monitor goes ballistic every other weekend, specifically Sunday evenings whenever I watch the fever that is Fl. Though I am not exactly an F1 'motorhead', I consider myself to be a borderline case crazy enough to stay loyal to Mika Hakkinen yet not fanatic enough to fly to these races and physically shout my lungs out every time. After one frustrating Sunday (remember when Schumacher was out after 5 seconds and there was this lunatic who wandered out on the race track, hence my favourite, who was by far the leader, had to slow down because of the safety car? It was that same weekend when the McLaren guys had to change to wet weather tyres and Barrichello won

partly (because he didn't?), after my hysteria had died down and I was back on earth, I had an interesting chat with my psychologist husband as to why maniacs like me are addicted to Fl. I'd like to share it with you, for whatever it's worth, especially since the Fl fever is fast spreading in Malaysia. He attempted to explain, in layman's terms, the psychology behind the adrenalin rush, the 'ecstasy' high, the blood curdling screams and other symptoms that take over our lives from the time the gentlemen start their engines to the time the first one flies past the checkered flag. He says it is similar to the psychology behind the success of films on earthquakes, tornadoes, plane crashes and whatever calamities one can think of. Difference is, the Fl borders on positive excitement as opposed to

Bad News by Dean Johns

If survey and circulation figures are any indication, more and more people are deciding that no news is good news. Since 1993 the percentage of the U.S. population watching the evening news on the three major TV networks has steadily fallen from 60 to 38. In Australia, since 1990 network television news ratings have dropped by over 30 per cent, and annual sales of weekday newspapers in capital cities has ebbed from 1059 million copies to 881 million last year.

disasters (negative). It is human nature that makes us empathize with the race drivers and the movie stars, cheering them on against all odds as they navigate their way through hairpin curves and earth shattering tremors, deathdefying challenges and seemingly impossible hurdles, nightmares and dreams. The prognosis is, what innocently starts as empathy, gradually turns into a vicarious experience. One minute we're ourselves, rallying behind our heroes, and before we know it, we are behind the driver's seat stepping on the gas like our lives depended on it, lost in a surreal world, half conscious only of the smell of burning rubber and the sounds of zooming tires and through it all, cheers so deafening it's practically muffled. Suddenly, I am Hakkinen (despite the fact that I don't drive)

and you are Schumacher, passionately wanting to win, whatever it takes. For a limited magical number of minutes, we are suspended in limbo, caught between dream and reality, victory and defeat. This is heaven, the escape we all need perhaps to cushion us against the proverbial harsh realities of life. The therapeutic overwhelming feeling of being 'healed' follows. A catharsis of sorts, pretty much like you-know-what after an hour or so of torrid you-know-what again. Ah! Release! An overwhelming sense of peace. At which time the victorious race driver and the movie star (whoever has survived) come out like heroes and we have just left their 'beings' to be ourselves once again. And somehow, it's always good to be back. No matter how much we berate ourself for not being the person we want to be. So go ahead, catch the fever and bask in the symptoms. While it lasts.

unemployment, drugs, crime and other perennial issues to concern us on a local level. In fact most commentators believe that the reason news is proving such a turn-off is that there are so many evil tidings that audiences are overdosing on them. This would explain the fact that viewers are not so much abandoning the mass media as switching their attention away from bad news and 'real life' in favour of lifestyle. Cooking, gardening and home improvement programs are booming on TV, and newspapers are staunching their advertising if not their circulation losses with big thick wads of lifestyle and other news-free sections and supplements. But lest we write-off the news too lightly, let's not overlook the fact that many people these days get their current-events fix not from newspapers or free-to-air television, but from cable and the net. Which is doubly bad news for many advertisers, as these defectors from the mass media tend not only to be the most affluent, but they also become more expensive to reach. The worst news of all for me, though, news junkie as I am, is that the news isn't good and it's steadily getting worse. In its desperate scramble to win its audience back, commercial television news grows ever softer and more superficial, and the newspapers more sensational and self-serving. The net skims the surface just as commercial radio always has. And even the dedicated news channels on satellite and cable TV reach nowhere near their potential. What they promote as 'world' news actually covers very few countries, and their '24 hours a day' service is much the same daily bulletin repeated 24 times. So perhaps the drift away from news is because it's not only bad, but also poorly done.

In fact, most commentators believe that the reason news is proving such a turn-off is that there are so many evil tidings that audiences are overdosing on them.

This reportedly worldwide trend is of course very bad news indeed for the commercial mass media, impacting as it does on their advertising revenue. And they're at something of a loss to comprehend its causes. One U.S. pundit recently proposed the theory that news was a casualty of the ending of the 'cold war'; that public anxiety and therefore interest in world affairs had been reduced following the lessening in political tensions resulting from the break-up of the U.S.S.R. But I'm not buying this, and I doubt anyone else is. There's been no shortage of wars, cold, hot or otherwise during the past ten years. And no dearth of other newsworthy issues, either, what with everything from AIDS to globalisation to excite our interest and anxiety on the world scene, and economic problems,

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 12

Dean Johns is a partner in Sydney-based regional creative)motivational consultancy CreAsia and strategic! creative hotshop StrADegy. Website www.stradegy.com.au

Receptionist

Economist

Forbes

00-231

SPACE WAN -Exeamvs sura

want to talk to the people who run the global economy? Or the people who report to them? 51% of Forbes readers are in top or senior management. 60% of Economist readers aren't. (Source: Europe 2000)

Master the Web with free half-day seminar Global Updates, you can streamline your web development process and free more time for creativity and imagination. What you will learn: Web site creation, from concept to production, professional quality digital video production, Interactive web pages with animation, Flash and QuickTime video integration, Media streaming over the web. Experience great products and solutions: Products & Solutions from Apple: PowerMac G4, PowerBook G3, mac OS 9, Mac OS X, Final Cut Pro, Quick Time Streaming, Quick Time 4 Pro. Solutions from Macromedia: Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, Director and Free Hand.

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Register now to book your place at this Master the Web Seminar with Apple & Macromedia. Confirmation is based on a firstcome-first-serve basis. All you have to do is email your particulars to shah@asia.apple.com, or fax 03- 653 4364.

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The Master The Web Seminar with Apple and Macromedia Seminar will be held at 2.00pm on 19th September 2000 at Wisma MCA, 163, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. And for more information, please call Shah on 03-653 4369.

"I challenge you! Give me 5 minutes and I'll show you how to expand your sales." Jay at EXPAND, Tel: 03-254 3518

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

housewives? Business executives? What's the location?

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

High rise foyers? Business complexes? Supermarkets? We can

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

advise you on what works and then your roadshow using

the new year.

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

Why EXPAND?

quality - which means superior reliability and durability.

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

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

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

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

versatile with lots of different ways to get your message across

What have you got to lose?

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

5 minutes is all I ask, so call me now at 03-254 3518 or

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

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

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

customers and EXPAND does it effectively and profitably.

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

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

so you can go to your customer instead of waiting and waiting...

show you how. Don't wait! Call or better still just drop in and

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ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 14

TWO WAYS TO GIVE YOUR MEDIA PLAN A BUZZ

\ â&#x20AC;˘ /

www.axn-asia.com

AXN is scaling even higher peaks with 300% growth in distribution

over the past two years and is now seen in 39 million households. AXN is now buzzing in 18 countries across Asia.

With such tremendous success, haven't you noticed the momentum of the network?

Action-Adventure Attractions: Eco-Challenge 2000, Mild Seven Outdoor Quest 2000, World Extreme Games 2000, North Face Expedition, 7 Summits and Silverstone 4x4 Rally of Asia.

Oh, nevermind. by Hwa & Szu, CDs at BBDO Malaysia.

Malaysia is our home. There are many things that we dearly love about her. The people, the food, the sights, the sounds, the food, beautiful beaches, the food, rainforests and in case we haven't yet mentioned it, the food. Yet there are also things that irk us just a little... Public toilets, the parking attendant on a power trip, wrongly subtitled movies, the neighbour's sexually active cat... But, one thing tops our list. It's what we call the Nevermind Syndrome. Almost everyone we have come across here is inflicted with it. Some more than others. Wife: "Take the laundry in, dear. It's going to rain and I'm

bathing the baby..." Husband: "Aiyah...nevermindlah. After the football match." Or... Contractor: "Eh, boss, sorry wrong measurement, lah. I put 5.5 foot built-in wardrobe in the 6 foot space. Nevermind, lah still looks good." Or... "Why argue...nevermind-lah, God will get him at the gates of heaven." Get our drift? And this very thing is affecting the work that gets produced in advertising. FA guy to Art Director: " Eh, this one, very hard to do." Art Director to FA guy: "Errr...okay-lah, nevermind." Of course, it goes way beyond this. It manifests itself in the very

The Closest Thing Yet To Perfect Marketing?

by Drayton Bird

"The light at the end of the advertising tunnel may well be that of an oncoming train called direct marketing... Don't ignore it. Life is full of nasty surprises; and one to me is that today, 14 years since I first came to Malaysia to preach the Gospel of direct marketing, it still really hasn't taken off. This is probably my fault for explaining it badly, so I must try harder in future. But the reason for my surprise is that direct marketing now attracts as much investment as advertising in many markets.

There are three reasons, all simple. First, you can measure your results, and as competition becomes fiercer, many firms like this. Second, it is ideal for retaining customers; and keeping customers is several times more profitable than acquiring them.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 16

Third, all transactions on the fastest growing medium in the world - the internet - are direct, and the same principles and techniques apply. But there is another reason; and it is one that, oddly enough, occurred to me just after my first visit to KL. It is that direct marketing is the closest thing yet to perfect marketing. Quite a claim, so let me explain.

What is marketing? Marketing is defined by the British Chartered Institute of Marketing as: "Identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably". There is another, pithier definition I prefer. It was given by an American millionaire many years ago who said: "Find out what people want and need, and give it to them - and you'll get rich". Peter Drucker wrote that the aim of marketing is to "know and understand the customer so well that the product fits him and sells itself." This is, if you agree with him, perfect marketing. And it is

ideas we produce. In the way Account Management writes briefs. In the way an Art Director supervises a photo shoot. In the copy a Writer writes. In the way the production guy looks at materials before it's sent to the papers. Yes, ladies and gentlemen this problem does leave an impression that lasts and lasts, much like underarm deodorant. So what can an ad agency do? Well, we could move to Germany, for instance. That way, nothing will be left to chance. Everything will be scrutinized to the last detail. Much like their cars. Start with an idea, get the best technicians, engineers and go build the ultimate driving machine. Things will run like clockwork. There will be sufficient time for the initial client brief. There will be sufficient time for what direct marketing does better than any other tool. First through the use of postal, telephone and internet questionnaires it establishes very cheaply what people say they want, though as we all know, research is very fallible. But then it establishes very clearly the answer to a much more important question: will they buy it? And it does so by asking them to do so. As my old boss David Ogilvy put it, "General advertisers can only guess. Direct marketers know." As a result of this I can tell you the answers to all sorts of interesting questions. Like what happens if you run long copy rather than short copy. What happens if you put someone's face in an advertisement. How long you should have a phone number on the screen if you want to get the most replies. Where your headline is most likely to get read - and so on.

The perfect advertisement Peter Drucker also said, "The perfect advertisement is one of which the reader can say, 'This is for me, and me alone.' By definition, therefore, no mass advertisement can be perfect; but one addressed to individuals, via direct mail or e-mail or on the phone can be. Most of you reading this are, I imagine, advertising folk, and if you are like your colleagues elsewhere, feel you are at the centre of the marketing universe. As the saying

Account Management to write great briefs. There will be sufficient time for the creative team to produce great ads. And time to execute it accordingly. There will also be sufficient time for the Creative Director to say yay or nay. Hint. Then we'll obviously have the ultimate ad. Until then, we will just have to mosey along until we sort ourselves out. As a cab driver once told us: "Nevermind-lah, Wawasan 2020 what. What's the hurry, got 20 years still." goes, "To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail." But advertising is only one part of marketing and, I would suggest, not always the most important. Product development and pricing usually play a much greater role. Your belief that advertising is the best answer to most marketing problems, allied to a commendable desire to prevent clients spending money on anything else is a chief reason why they have taken so long to embrace direct marketing. Certainly every major advertising group in the world appreciates the importance of direct marketing and has a division handling it. They sometimes call it other things, like Customer Relationship Management, or Dialogue Marketing, but these are all little more than prettied-up direct marketing. More to the point, not only clients understand money; the big advertising groups do, too; and direct marketing agencies, whatever you call them, are far more profitable than ad agencies. So it is worth reflecting that the light at the end of the advertising tunnel may well be that of an oncoming train called direct marketing. You can get run over, get out of the way, or get on board: but whatever you do, don't ignore it.

Three years after starting their own agency they're still living on cat food. It's very easy to be a man of principle when you're a creative person working in a nice, big agency on a nice, fat salary. You can politely lecture clients who think

for funeral parlour campaigns a month before the cut-off date for the Kancil awards. Combined with a sound strategy it has been known to actually work.

the best way to build brands is to stack ten

Perhaps we ought to give you a few examples

lucky draw coupons on top of each other in

lest you find it difficult to grasp such a

the one print advertisement.

radical concept.

Berate management whose vision for the

First up.

In their defense (and we feel obliged to defend them now that most of us are going to be working under them) it should be noted that we weren't the first agency to approach them by any means. Or the agency that waved the biggest wad of cash under their noses. But rather the only one they could hop into

agency rarely extends beyond the balance sheet

Bali.

bed with and not wake up every morning

that lands on their desk every quarter.

Before OT's launch campaign it was an

feeling like they'd been,well... you can probably

As well as belittle account executives who

island in Indonesia.

guess the rest. So now Omar is our managing director and

couldn't distinguish the creative merit of a

Now it's a nightclub in PJ.

D&AD Gold from a dubbed Latin American

Then there was the office property launch

Thomas our associate regional creative director.

Omar and Thomas orchestrated for the same

Where they're not only on packages you

weight loss infomercial. Safe in the knowledge that, at the very worst, you'll end up on the street. Probably with more money than you would have saved if you'd slogged it out for another three years. Makes you wonder why any creative would bother setting up his own shop, doesn't it? And, to be perfectly frank,very few worth their salt actually do.

client. Sold out in two months and this when

couldn't fit into a Jumbo Box.

most landlords were having trouble giving

But also working for a worldwide network

away space to create the false impression that

that comprises 131 offices in 75 countries

at least someone was willing to move in.

and last year alone racked up (US) 5.6 billion

Remember the print ad for the Malaysia Nanban Tamil newspaper?

in billings. On accounts like Whiskas (that's the headline

Research showed that ninety per cent of

finally explained), Procter & Gamble, HyattThe

those living in metropolitan KL did, of which

Australian Tourist Commission, Bristol-Myers

only ten per cent actually understood Tamil!

Squibb and Philips, to name but a few. With a group of people who have not

Not in Asia and certainly not in Malaysia.

We could go on.

So when Omar and Thomas decided to open

But this advertisement isn't a treatise on

OT three years ago there were many who thought

the value of sticking to one's principles, or the

but who also know how to sell such work

inspiring story of a couple of local boys who

to real clients.

them a tad misguided. A theory that gained significant momentum

made good or any other such thing.

only won a bunch of awards themselves

The advertising equivalent, if you will, of

two days later when the entire Asian economy

Actually, it's to announce something which

not only having your cake and eating it too

went kaput and they found themselves with

will no doubt strike you as running contrary

but also getting a date with the girl that

no clients and enough money to keep them in

to everything we've gone to great pains to

jumped out of it.

instant noodles for three weeks.

explain here.

Which brings us back to the somewhat sticky question of principles. Specifically, whether or not they were tempted to completely abandon them. You know, sacrifice art for profit. Or, at least, a plate of Char Kway Teow. Well, if the truth be known, they did the occasional menu design when they were really hungry. But, by and large, they we were able to continue worshipping at the alter of creativity, even if they had the sneaking suspicion they were being sacrificed like goats on top of it. Not out of stubbornness. Or blind pride. But because they knew that to do otherwise would have been commercial suicide. For their clients. Yes, despite what you may have heard, creative advertising isn't an indulgence that's best saved

Omar and Thomas have just sold out the hypocrites! Yep. To us at D'Arcy KL. And for quite a bundle too, if you really must know.

And proof, if ever there was any, that it's possible to sell out without selling your principles or your soul. If you'd like to know more contact Omar at D'Arcy KL on (603) 705 1988.

Write as you speak

•

Put yourself in the reader's shoes and check to see if you are on his 'wavelength'. Being on the right frequency means that there is a higher chance of the message being understood or acted upon.

•

Close your piece in an impactful manner.

by Indira Nair - Professional Development Leader for Asia Pacific, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

Why not? Why do we have to write and speak differently? be formal in writing. NRules' that we learnt over the years. Yet when we're actually holding a conversation, there really is no vbox'. We say pretty much whatever we like as long as we're prepared to face the consequences. In letters, we often see phrases such as: "...enclosed please find our brochure for your perusal".

Have you read an article and wondered: what does that really mean? Have you had to read a letter 10 times because you couldn't quite figure out what you needed to do? Seen a sentence with five big words but couldn't quite grasp the point? I have often been told that my written material makes the reader imagine that I am standing there, right next to them, and having a conversation with them. Believe it or not, I have also been asked: is it acceptable to write in a conversational manner? Why not? Why do we have to write and speak differently? Because we are governed by 'rules' that force us to think inside the box.vRules' based on the totally false presumption that you have to

"...trusting that our action meets with your approval". Can you imagine going up to someone and saying: "I remain forever your humble servant". Writing effectively appears difficult. But why should it be so? I've often seen poorly written material produced by people who speak well. Till today, I have not solved this mystery. When you write well, it makes it easy for the reader to grasp the point you are making. Which then means that the reader is involved and engaged. He wants to continue reading, he needs to know how it ends. When it becomes difficult for the reader to understand what he is reading, you lose his attention. And you've lost a great opportunity to get your message across. Sustaining someone's attention

BBDO Singapore killing big So far this year, BBDO Singapore has scored big with quite a few big names client list and major wins including Channel NewsAsia, Chinese88.com, Carrier, OUB and OUB Card Centre. The Overseas Union Bank business, one of the 'Big Four' local banks, is worth

about US$8 million. The OUB account includes retail banking, commercial banking and credit card marketing. Just received Tourism awarded

last month, the agency word from the Singapore Board that it had been the Meetings, Incentives,

CCA 2000 promises a party! It's time once again for the Singapore Creative Circle Awards (CCA). This time an illustrious panel of overseas judges are in the line-up - Michael Mazza (Hal Riney & Partners, San Francisco), Clive Pickering (BMP DDB, London), Mike Lescarbeau (Fallon Minneapolis) and Nick Cohen (Mad

AD0IMARKETINGC0MMUNICATI0NS 18

for a period of time is a challenge. Not only do you have to get noticed, then you have to make sure that the point you are trying to make has registered. While an immediate reaction is too much to hope for, you want to make sure that you've at least started a thought process in the reader's mind. Here are some simple tips for Writing Right: • Be clear in your mind about what you want to say • Then arrange the points in a logical sequence so that one thought leads into the next. •

• •

As you start writing, imagine that the person is seated in front of you and that you are engaged in a conversation. Grab your reader's attention early.

•

One last reality check: The tone and manner of what's been written. Be extremely careful about how you put forward your point of view. While you may have the best of intentions, you have no control over the reader's frame of mind. The written word is often harsher as it is not backed by a friendly facial expression, or a soft human touch. Writing effectively can be done if you put your mind to it. Try it. You'll see your written material improving. And you'll see that you are able to engage your audience in a meaningful, engaging conversation. The only way you can learn something is if you actually try it. Thank you for reading the entire article. I remain, as always, your trusted servant.

Link from your opening, establish a flow. Build purpose into your messages so that you open your reader's mind to your ideas. Edit your written material and delete all redundancies ie. very beautiful, simply great, wonderfully delicious, terribly big... This helps ensure that messages come through clearly, concisely.

PS: As a PR consultant, I have often been asked to write \politically correct' or 'diplomatic' statements. In my books, these statements require the writer to be sensitive about what's happening in the marketplace. It's not about writing shallow, meaningless sentences. Statements such as: We are investigating the matter (for a month?) and we'll let you know the outcome (don't hold your breath!).

Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) part of the business, taking over from Leo Burnett who has been handling the MICE business for almost 10 years. The pitch involved four agencies: Batey Ads, Leo Burnett, Euro RSCG Partnership and BBDO. In a memo to office staff, BBDO Singapore Managing Director, Arto Hampartsoumian congratulated the

team working on the pitch and pointed out triumphantly that "it's now 8 out of 11 pitches we've won since the beginning of the new year." Plans for re-building the office showcase go into full swing with the winning of 3 Finalist Certificates at Cannes 2000, 3 Finalists at the New York Festivals, 3 Finalists at AdFest and a Bronze at the 2000 Clio Awards.

•

Dogs and Englishmen, New York). The first round of judging will be held on Tuesday, 26th September at the Reception Hall, South Tower, Mandarin Orchard with about 21 judges. Paul Ruta, M&C Saatchi CD, is riding herd. The big CCA'2000 presentation dinner is on Wednesday, 25th October 2000 at The Ritz Carlton, Ballroom. It will no longer be a sitdown boring affair. The presentation will be done in the Ballroom followed by a free standing buffet so all can mingle in the hot reception area. No hot receptionists lah!

NEW YORK

Round-the-clock visibility, islandwide.

A Business Division of Comfort Transportation Pte Ltd

To hear more about the benefits of advertising with Comfort Ads, reach Thomas Ang at 450 0248 (phone), 552 7553 (fax), or thomas@ctpl.com.sg

APAC WebSites-All Flash, No Substance by Josh Sklar, CEO and Executive Creative Director CCG.XM Asia. The trend in the Asia Pacific for the development of marketing focused Web sites these days seems to be to go for the bang, rather than the buck. At least from a typical user's perspective. I, for one, am happy that traditional creatives are getting more involved in the process but one thing they and the young, hot shot, fresh-from-school designers need to internalize is the Web is not TV. Not yet. Until Sony, Philips, Hitachi and the other major consumer electronics guys develop a high-definition WebTV appliance that requires no more ability to operate than a cable-ready television (and has enough bandwidth so users don't have to wait for downloads), then other skills need to come into play. Skills other than being punchy and clever, that is. By profession, when you strip away the ancillary bits I do and subsequent labels, I'm a graphic designer. As a designer, I naturally appreciate and am drawn to sexy graphics, smooth animation and great style. Get this: 99.95% of users are not graphic designers. Most people want to quickly find the information they came to the site for. They've dropped everything else they were doing to type in an address or click on a link (thus leaving what they were doing) and simply want instant gratification. News services like cnn.com, cnbc.com, msnbc.com, cnet.com, adageinternational.com, etc. are perfect examples of this. You go to their main page, see a headline with perhaps a synopsis, click on the link and you get the story you wanted to read. Wham, bam, thank you...Webmaster. The problem I have with most of the online marketing vehicles in this region is that they are largely created entirely within Macromedia's Flash

Shockwave technology. Don't get me wrong. Flash, Director and other plugins are fantastic. Nearly everyone in a market like Singapore has it installed in his or her client Web browser. But in other markets, it's an entirely different situation. I still, personally, feel strongly that sites should give people options: Plug-in and non-plug-in versions so users aren't forced to download and install a technology they don't have just so they can visit a particular site.... but that's another column (maybe in another year or two it won't really be an issue). However, the danger of a development environment such as Flash is it allows the designers to forget their audience. Because this platform makes it extremely easy to create graphic animations, input sound and make typography zoom in and out, developers are keen to include them. When WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) Web tools came out a few years ago, there was a disturbing pattern where nearly every site one went to looked and functioned exactly the same way (all mysteriously like cnet.com). This is because the tools guided the designers through their ease-of-use facilities. Rather than thinking about who will be using the site and why, developers went for the 'what can I do quickly and simply with these options I have at my disposal' approach. The very same thing is happening with Flash. There are some wonderful examples of beautiful layout and art direction out there, but they are all Flash and no substance. There is no thought given to the user interface (UI). I take that back, there is thought into how clever the UI can look but not for usability. If a person is going to be a repeat user (the main goal of any Webmaster/site developer), they do not want to go through these long-winded (or even short-winded) animated openings. A small 'skip' button won't cut it. And when you get to the page, having to go through a process of learning how to get to the heart of the content is a frustrating challenge. At the end of the experience, the sad thing is - there usually isn't much there that was worth going through the extended commercial. The wake-up call is this: the World Wide Web is a medium to allow people to find as much or as little information as they want in a clear, concise manner. Animation and sound can help with the educational process but it is the process not the content.

Just another day at Batey Ads.

Her art director finished his visuals before he shut the power. Even our COO refused to leave the building until he was through talking to the client on the telephone. At least that's what he claims. And a few brave men tried to put out the fire. So brave, in fact, they forgot to call the firemen. Such dedication has made us a formidable agency in year 2000. How else would you explain our success rate? Securing accounts like Petronas lubricants, Overseas Union Bank, Samsung handphones,

Our office caught fire on 10 August.

ZA cosmetics, MEC electrical appliances, Lois

It was 11.30am on a Thursday.

apparel, Ibumie, Adabi, just to name a few.

But like any other working day, things weren't i different.

If you're looking for a dedicated agency, unafraid of taking the heat, and sweating it out

One of our copywriters continued writing, oblivious to the smoke choking up her lungs. She's used to it.

for our client's best interest whatever the situation, give Johnny Mun a call on 7727 2299. We'll take it all in our stride.

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***2000*** Name

Ti~e

Company

Phone

Tick one:

Agency

Entry information:

Submitted by:

Tick one:

Advertiser

Production House

Other

Address

Out-of-Home

Commercial/Print Advertisement

Client Country Product or Service

Phone

Fax

Signature

E-mail

Agency

ADVERTISING AGE 1 THE BEST AWARDS 1 RULES • Any consumer-oriented television, outdoor board or print advertisement (magazine or newspaper) that FIRST aired or appeared in 2000 is eligible. • Each commercial or ad is considered a separate entry. • Any non-English language entry must be accompanied by a typed English translation. TV commercials may also be dubbed in English or have English sub-titles. TV: Individual commercials only - no campaigns. Up to 10 TV commercials may be put on the some NTSC 3/4" cassette, but each commercial must have its own entry form. There must be a 10-second lead-in and bar at the beginning of each cassette and three seconds of black between each spot. Commercials must be clearly labelled on cassette or cassette case in order of appearance. Only NTSC tapes will be accepted. Print: Entries must be in the form of either a proof or a tearsheet as the ad apeeared. Each must be centre mounted on a black showboord, clearly labeled and have a separate entry form affixed to the back. Outdoor: Entries must be in form of 35mm colour slides. Each entry must be accompanied by an entry form and enclosed in a separate envelope. . Fee: RM420 or S$190 for each TV commercial, and RM 320 or S$1.45 for each print or outdoor ad entry. Deadline: All entries must be received by us no later than February 1, 2001 . Winners will be announced in Advertising Age at the end of May and Advertising Age International's June issue.

Ti~e of Ad or Commercial

Objective

Creative Solution

Evidence of Effectiveness (increased sales, volume, awareness, response)

Send Malaysian Entries to: Sledgehammer Communications Sdn Bhd, No 228, Jolon Tun Mohd Fuod Sotu, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 7726 2588, 7722 5710. Fox: 7726 2598, 7722 5712 E-mail: hom@pop.jaring.my Make all cheques payable to SLEDGEHAMMER COMMUNICATIONS SON BHD. Send Singapore Entries to: Marketing Concepts Group Pte Ucl No 723A, North Bridge Rood, Singapore 198691. Tel: 297 2393, 297 2392. Fax: 297 7270 E-mail: ham@pop.jaring.my, mcg@pacific.net.sg Make all cheques payable to MARKETING CONCEPTS GROUP PTE LTD. Entries become the property of Advertising Age. Materials will not be returned. Entrant has permission to submit entry and grants Advertising Age all or any portion of the entry in the form selected for purposes of illustration, comparison or critique.

Pig Ears, Needles, Fingers and Thumbs.

Client: The Penny Black Agency: DDB Singapore Copywriter: Scott Lambert

Call for entries...and tables! by Rod Strother; Manager- Grey Direct Malaysia.

Last issue of ADOI I was under Kurt Crocker's piece (will I ever be that photogenic Kurt?) and I loved the part where he was extolling the benefits of receiving well-targeted direct mail. Well I hope I am not the only one who agrees with Kurt as the Direct Marketing Association of Malaysia (DMAM) has just mailed out this year's 'call for entries'. At this moment on your desk should be a mailing pack that looks a lot like those dreaded exam papers we all sat at one time (oh my god - is it really that long ago?) Last year's theme was all about the celebration of the best relationships we had created between the client and their customer or the brand and their target audience. For anyone who doesn't remember, we used the wedding concept carrying it all the way through to the confetti-filled invitation pack. This year the creative team at Grey Direct (thank you Nina, Khairul and Avene) wanted to use the trials and tribulations of the end of term exams to promote the 2000 Awards (see pic on right). As Khairul put it to me "it's about the people graduating direct marketing to the next level" . Having set a very high standard with the quality of the judges for last year's awards we've managed to keep the bar up at that level this year. If you're about to fill in your entry forms, these are the guys the work has to impress this time round: ~

Rob Burr, Regional Director, FCB Direct. ~ Tan Kien Eng, Creative Director, OgilvyOne Worldwide. ~ Gareth Gwynne, ACD, Grey Direct Malaysia. ~ Geoff Ketcher, Creative Director, LBCW Direct Singapore. ~Barry Low, Creative Director, impiric. ~ Simon Si, Business Group Director, Euro-RSCG, Epic. ~ Mano Stickney, Partner, Drayton Bird, Crocker and Mano. ~ Liew Swee Lin - Senior Manager, Customer Development & Marketing Communication, Standard Chartered Bank. It's a squad that even Ferguson couldn't make excuses for (or should that

Aftftllâ&#x20AC;˘anllrnll~l'ftUUIIIIIf'AnnNC:

Art Director: Scott Lambert

be Vialli Rob?) Back by popular demand, to manage the whole process, basically refereeing the fights , will be Jeff Orr the Regional Executive Creative Director at Grey Malaysia. Or to be a fly on the walls of the MAA offices when the judging kicks off ori 20th September. This year also sees the inclusion of a couple of new categories. We have now separated off DRTV from Interactive Media. What would be really encouraging to see is some really strong responsive TV work, from what the judges said last year TV was an area that should grow over the year. We await the proof. Following on from the comments, we have also divided up the direct mail campaign category. We are now taking into account both business and consumer mail alongside high and low volume. I think we all appreciate the differences in sending out a BZB pack where we are targeting 500 customers on the benefits of XYZ's call centre technology as against mailing 175,000 housewives extolling the virtues ofMiaow Miaow cat food! Both challenging and both aimed at generating a response but whereas the first example might generate a ROI on a handful of converts; the cat food might have to work a bit harder to cover the costs. So, the categories for judging will reflect this. Having taken the trouble then to 'sit your finals', we all want to find out who has passed with honours. Last year OgilvyOne were Valedictorian with their chilli pack. Who will be top of the graduating class this year? The winners will be announced at the DMAM Annual Dinner, which will tike place at the Renaissance Hotel on the 22nd of September. Tickets are priced at RM1800 for a table for 10. If you haven't received your invitation pack by then, Paul Danker is the man to speak to - he can be reached on 012-292 9099.

Find out how television will never be the same again. Call us at Brand Energy 03 255 1177

Brand Energy is affiliated to Natseven TV Sdn. Bhd. (323221A)

Thots of an advertising student Contributed by a full-time student of Institut Sledgehammer School of Communication Studies

My baby steps into the advertising world. That is what I want to call my introduction to the world of advertising. Just like everyone else, I thought that advertising meant those ugly signs the likes of Kedai Kopi Ali and the cluttered silkscreen banners found at every imaginable nook and cranny across town. I was at the drifting stage; you know, the stage where you don't like what you are currently doing and have no idea what to do next, when I tuned into a local radio station and heard about this advertising school, which well, sounded different. I decided to check it out, hoping that I may find my calling there. After having a chat and taking a tour of its surroundings, it dawned on me that advertising it is. In no time, I was officially an advertising student. Boy, what an eye-opening time I had. I began to realise that there was more to advertising than the signboards and the banners. Heck, there was a whole new world out there. Anyway, touching on misconÂ ceptions, being a student of advertising can be really thriving, or frustrating at times. Especially when it comes to explaining to my folks at home on what I have been up to. Take, for example... 'Pa, I'll be going to view the Gunn Report today.' 'The what?!?!'

'The Gunn Report, Pa, at the PJ Hilton.' 'Don't you dare! No daughter of mine is going to learn firearm usage, even though it is held at the Hilton.' 'No, Pa. The Gunn Report is a showreel of the world's 100 best tv advertisements.' 'Oh...' See what I mean? It's bad enough that my own flesh and blood thinks I'm trying to be a professional banner painter one day and then a professional hitwoman the next, but it gets most trying when it comes to my peers. In the ad world, I am not only thought to think from one angle. I am thought to think like an allrounder. I am thought to think from the consumers' point of view, the marketing view, the promotion view, and of course, from the advertisers' point of view. I've realised that advertising cannot stand on its own. It needs other aspects like promotion, marketing and public relations, to name a few. I've also discovered a lot in myself. I've discovered many hidden traits and potentials that I previously didn't know I had. Most of the people I have met in the advertising world are honest and straightforward. They seldom beat around the bush. Nor do they waste time. If they think you are good and deserved to be praised, they'll tell you outright. And if they think your

hits town Contest junkies will have a new high when they access this new website. OneStopContest.com touts itself as the place to get your fix for winning prizes. Best of all, membership is free. All you have to do is register online and start participating.

Left to right: Lawrence Lee - Vice President, Netvigator Mass Portal Cable & Wireless HKT Asia LimitedNic Lim - COO, Catcha.Com; NgHeok Seong - CEO, Guava Interactive.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 26

work is rubbish, be fully prepared to be criticised openly. That's how I learnt more of myself, through good-natured criticism and honest appraisal. This is also how I learnt to think out of the box. There's more substance to advertising than what most people think. Some of my lecturers are totally out of this world; they're awesome. Take for instance, Mr. Bong. He may not sound like a lecturer to you, but mark my words, he can make you toe the line. He is like this big box of energy, and nothing seems to dampen his colourful vocabulary. His friendly and shiny face is constantly in a 250 mega-watt smile, and he's ever ready to pull a fast one on you. Mr. Bong once remarked, 'Good advertising kills a bad product, fast. Good advertising also sells a good product fast,' Then there's Ms Janet. Ever heard of a lecturer that makes you 'shake your bon-bon' in the beginning of a class to wake you up? Well, she's the one. Miss Janet exudes warmth whenever she's around you. She makes you feel wanted, loved and cared, she makes you feel special and not lousy. I've just remembered something equally important in the advertising scene. Deadlines. Yup, because of deadlines advertising people work around the clock like

I mentioned earlier. You see, the frightening thing that I have learnt is that all work, no matter how big or small it may be, is always due yesterday. Thank God for the person who thought of traffic managers, because without them, I bet an advertising agency will definitely go berserk. Since I'm on the subject of time here, I might as well go into punctuality. Punctuality may not be the top priority of every firm, but when it comes to the advertising world, punctuality must be observed at all times. In this world, there's no such thing as being a little late. Just like there's no such thing about being half pregnant. You're either pregnant, or you're not. This also reminds me never to be late for Mr. Bong's class, or I'll surely be a target for his constant stream ' of questions and comments on that day. Anyway, I think that in the short span of time I've been exposed to advertising, I've learnt quite a lot from both my lecturers and also the professional people that I have met. I shall continue to trudge with baby steps through this wonderful world armed with the quote by the infamous man in the advertising world, as one lecturer said, the most important rule of thumb I must adhere by at all times, 'The consumer is not a moron, she's your wife.' by David Ogilvy.

The website is another project by Guava Interactive, the guys behind the successful online modelling agency - Modelzoom.com. According to Project Director Josephine Kok, the website offers all kinds of contests ranging from the simple 'fill in the blanks' type to complex puzzles for those looking for a challenge. Among some of the prizes offered are Compaq Aero Palm PCs, Panasonic AK series mini hi-fis and VCD players, Fuji digital cameras, Ericsson handphones and DiGi Prepaid cards.

Left to right: Josephine Kok - / Pfoject Director, Onestopcontest.com Guava Interactive; Amy Ro&mezar - Advertising & Promotions Executive, MPH Magazines.

Left to right: Edward Ong - Founder, Grocer E-Run; Nikt Wong - COO, Asianauto.com; Patrick Lee - CEO, Asianauto.com; Khoo Hsu Chuang - Chief Editor, Asianauto.com; Derrick lee - Head of Marketing, Asianauto.com; KC Lee - COO, Guava Interactive.

I ft

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Adball 2000 - Goes Spacey

The Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA) are holding Adball 2000 themed Space Invasion at the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel (Grand Ballroom) on Friday - 15th September 2000. Space Invasion signifies the

advent of the new millennium and the significant strides in the advancement of space technology and the information age, which has made a tremendous impact on our lives, transforming the way we conduct our everyday business.

The Women's Weekly launches in Malaysia

The Women's Weekly, one of the world's best known and most effective magazines, has set its sights on Malaysia. Published by ACP Asia, the company behind Malaysia's bestselling English-language women's

title Cleo, The Malaysian Women's Weekly is a contemporary reflection of what women want and what is happening in their lives today. If readers are looking for quality that is value for money, they'll find it in The Malaysian Women's Weekly.

JWT Singapore wake-up call JWT Singapore has created a series of posters for the launch of Streats the new morning paper for commuters in Singapore. As well as news, the paper

contains light-hearted sections to entertain people as they travel to work. The campaign is built around the platform of, 'Are you getting it

first thing in the morning?' The posters draw attention to the different sections in the paper. 'Travelling to work is not usually the most enjoyable part of the day -

the posters are meant to cheer people up, the same way as the paper will do', says Andrew Spurgeon, Executive Creative Director of JWT Singapore.

#••••••• FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

Essential news, sport, entertainment> competitions, comics and special offers. Are you getting It first thing in the morning?

Essential news, sport, entertainment, competitions, comics and special offers. Are you getting it first thing in the morning?

Client: Singapore Press Holdings Creative Director: Andrew Spurgeon Copywriter: Simon Jenkins Art Director: Andrew Spurgeon Designer: Elvis Chau Photographers: Mark Law and Peter Lau Typographer: Ann Kelly Retouching: Procolor Client Executive: Tham Kai Wor, Executive Vice President, Marketing Division, SPH Holdings.

AD0IMARKETINGC0MMUNICATI0NS 28

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Hallmark offers sneak preview of Emmy award nominations The National Library in Singapore was the venue for many regional advertising agency executives who gathered recently for Hallmark Entertainment Network's Coming Sensations on Hallmark event recently The centrepiece of the evening was a preview of four new miniseries and movies that will be among the highlights of Hallmark

Entertainment Network's new programme schedule - earthquake drama Aftershock that has been nominated for an Emmy Award; Sally Hemings, the story of the AfroAmerican who was the mistress of American President Thomas Jefferson; crime drama Inspectors 2 and the airborne action drama Nowhere to Land.

Left to right: Jenny Tan (Ad Sales Manager), Anna Lee (Associate Director, Marketing and Communications), Melina Chua-Clark (General Manager, Grant Communications), June Chow (Senior Account Manager, Grant Communications), Valencia Lu (Account Director, Dentsu Mandate Singapore)

Introducing the evening, Gregory Ang, Advertising Sales Vice President and Director for Hallmark Entertainment Network's owner, Crown Media, told the audience: "We offer high quality viewing that provides an occasion for the family to watch TV together. This exclusivity has helped attract advertisers to Hallmark Entertainment Network, not to mention the potential of reaching 10.4 million households in the key

markets of India, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and mainland China. Hallmark Entertainment Network Asia Pacific has also strengthened its advertising sales with the appointment of three experienced industry figures - Simon Lai, Jenny Tan, and Yipo Sung. Simon, Director of Sales, Asia Pacific, brings a wealth of sales and broadcast experience to the channel. He was previously General Manager Affiliate Sales for ESPN STAR Sport's Beijing office and headed up the channel's China operation. of

Jenny Tan was one the pioneers of

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FCB Singapore having a good run with adidas! In the last couple of years, FCB Singapore has enjoyed a fairly consistent run on the local adidas account. Ever since the highly successful World Cup campaign created for France 98, the agency has always jumped on any

opportunity to create ideas, using minimal budgets to make a lot of noise. Recent messages include outdoor work for the new Predator boot, and print ads for one-off messages such as the adidas Roll Bag launch amd so on.

ttuvuu.

Don't miss the adidas warehouse sale.

Title: Kit Bag Ad Art Director: Nick Tan Copywriter: Chris Kyme/David Goh Photography: Stock

Title: Warehouse Sale Art Director: Nick Tan Copywriter: Chris Kyme/ David Goh Photography: Stock

Title: Banana (Football Boot) Art Director: Dali Meskam Copywriter: Chris Kyme/Robert Gaxiola Photographer: Hannibal Barca Illustrator: Alva Oh

Title: Weapons (MRT/Bus Ad) Art Director: Dali Meskam Photographer: Hannibal Barca Illustrator: Alva Oh

Copywriter: Robert Gaxiola

Title: Instruments (MRT/Bus Ad) Art Director: Dali Meskam Copywriter: Robert Gaxiola Photographer: Hannibal Barca Illustrator: Alva Oh

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 31

McDonald's Ignites Olympic Flame in Singapore f " \

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In line with McDonald's worldwide sponsorship of the Sydney Olympics 2000, McDonald's Singapore have taken the opportunity to connect the Olympic spirit with Singaporeans, and also support the national agenda of 'Striving for Sports Excellence in the new millennium'. McDonald's and Leo Burnett Singapore have developed a two

minute commercial featuring Tan Howe Liang, who won an Olympic silver medal for weightlifting in the Rome 1960 games. The idea is simply 'if we could do it before, we can do it again'. The commercial, directed by David Tsui, one of Asia's most respected and accomplished film directors, is based on Tan Howe Liang's life, portraying the hope,

Here are some boo-boos we made in the new edition of the Malaysian Advertising Directory (MAD) 2000. B B B Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Malaysia Sdn Bhd should read Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Malaysia and their MD's is Jeffery Seow and not as printed. TVR Media is a member of the 4As and their MD's name is Chee Chin Chong. The address for George J.S. Gill, under Audio-Visual, No 31, Lorong Setiabistari Satu, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur. Event management company Lobo's new contact details are Lot 559, No 4,5 & 6 Jalan Subang 6, Subang Heavy Industry, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor and their numbers are tel: 03-732 5085 and fax: 03-736 6086. Studio Hansa's photographer is S. C. Shekar. Total Sports Sdn Bhd, under Events Management, correct e-mail address is totalsports@totalsportsasia.com, and their website address is www.totalsportsasia.com. Under Web Publishing, we should have featured

•• I

endurance and self- motivation of an ordinary man, who, against the odds, made history for Singapore. It depicts the different stages of his life, from a star-struck kid admiring 'side-show' weightlifters, to a young man struggling for recognition, and finally, to a determined Olympian making his final push at the Olympic Games in Rome. The commercial ends with

Total Sports Asia Sdn Bhd (Sports portal, Internet Content provider) 1310, 13th Floor, Block A, Phileo Damansara II, No 15 Jalan 16/11, 46350 PJ, Selangor. MD: Marcus Luer. COO: Andy Jay. Tel: 03-460 9611. Fax: 03-460 9622. E-mail: info@totalsportsasia.com. Website: www.totalsportsasia.com. Ad agency People 4n Rich Sdn Bhd's correct billings are RM20 Million (1999), RM25 Million (2000 projected) and their address is 6, 8 & 10, 3rd Floor, Plaza Damansara, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur. Their major clients are Epson Trading, Ericsson, Auric Pacific, Ace Canning, Britannia Brands, Toshiba Air-Conds, Auto Bavaria, E-Pay, Enseval Megatrading, Fuji Photofilms, Fedflour Marketing, Glomac Goodyear, Hawk Rent-a-car, Jacy Industries, Johnson Sanitec International, Nekta Kiosks, Ricoh Malaysia, Rangkaian Segar Touch & Go, STAR LRT, Telemas Corporation, Total Health Concept, Tractors Malaysia, Time Telecommunications.

Singapore, Hong Kong lead Newsweek Growth Newsweek has reported circulation figures for the past six months that show strong growth of 8% in the key Malaysia/Singapore/Hong Kong market. According to the Publisher's Statement of the Audit Bureau of

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 32

Circulations, 'Newsweek's growth was strongest in Singapore, where circulation was up 10.3% compared to a year ago. Growth in Hong Kong was a close second, at 9%'. Commenting on the circulation

the present-day Tan Howe Liang looking back on himself as a little boy, who says proudly, "You did it." "As a principal sponsor of the games, we at McDonald's Singapore are very proud to be able to convey this message of inspiration and hope to all Singaporeans," said Fanny Lai, Director of Marketing, McDonald's Singapore.

growth, Frank Proctor, General Manager, Pacific Edition of Newsweek, said: "Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia are strategically important markets for Newsweek, because of the very

upscale demographic profile of our readership there. Our rapid growth in these markets is very encouraging for us." The latest Asian Businessman Readership Survey (ABRS) by IPSOS-RSL showed that Newsweek was Asia's most widely-read magazine among senior business executives, and ACNielsen's recent Asian Target Markets Survey (ATMS) indicated that Newsweek's readership is growing faster than any other international or regional publication.

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Straits Times 'Ad of the month' campaign by Batey Ads lor Starhub

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Copywriter: Matthew Cullen

wÂŽwfm Malaysia's latest radio station

we'll get you there J While the whole nation was sleeping, the country's first leisure and travel station, WOWfm kicked off with its first segment recently, The Midnight Itch. And the response has been overwhelming. WOW's. operating philosophy is to provide listeners with the best in leisure, travel, music, and information 24 hours a day. WOW is a brand that's working hard to become synonymous with leisure and travel.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 34

WOW covers the Klang Valley, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang (97.6fm), Penang, Kedah and Perlis (88.2fm), Ipoh (104.5fm), Johor (90.1fm), Sabah (87.7fm) and Sarawak (94.3fm). WOW was founded on the 'infotainment concept' with emphasis given to leisure, in particular travel. WOW is poised to become the only radio station, which will act as an electronic travel guide.

It's ALL new media

The Impact of Transformational Technologies on Media & Communications Businesses Introducing the CASBAA Strategic Issues Forum

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Asia's Cable and Satellite Convention

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I A short guide to your new millennium daily I I The Sun vision I We will serve our readers the news that matter in the best manner possible. We treat news seriously so readers will be informed, entertained, engaged, and provided with the best opinions possible in order to make educated choices.

New millennium approach I The new urbane, Euro-style (not UK-tabloid!) design is not just aesthetics but gives priority to user-friendly reading, allowing smooth movement from headline to headline. The layout balances the big indepth stories with infographics and quick briefings for the executive in a rush.

I The world I Globalisation, WTO, regional conflicts nowadays affect our everyday lives. The Sun expands its coverage of foreign news and features to clear the haze and get to the point. Readers will also be guided where to follow up on the Net.

Ex-g°>'ernor omeNews

PENINSULA RMV , 2644/12/200°

Tax exemption to spur stockbroking mergers

AUGUST 11, eh after they pleaded ced before magistrate guilty plea. lad entered the ttayed to work at

^port growth not likely to show

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jctory producing »failing tosubmit Ruction for four flacnamara of Neap Sdustria! Estate here \ Chong under Rule ^rtunerations).

Only an e-mail away I We stand by our stories. And every journalist is only an e-mail away. If you have another view, a tip, or a correction, tell us. We work on Internet time.

) sale W was among lay in connection the Internet The raphtc designer, jre ordered today

Ahead Today on Page 2 I Breaking nc rules in roc!

Inside, the first page gets you ready for the day. It alerts you to today's major happenings, news and events, weather, and even a useful website of the day. Get an edge for your morning meeting every day.

Students se for'Battle c the Bands GetWpi1—-^1 I

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I Your free personal classifieds I

Get it on the Net The new Sun daily is a Net enabler. Every day, our team of web editors will search and give you the links and resources to follow up on a major story or event from the Internet. No other paper gives you such a Net guide.

Make The Sun your personal paper to announce a birth, greetings, farewell, plea, whatever. It's free. Any day. Once a week. And, coming soon, say it for free on the Net.

A nation talking to itself The Sun brings you arguably the best commentators and columnists of the day. Agree or disagree, we encourage you to respond

Karim Raslan 1 Eye on Asia

I SUNVALLEY I

I SUNBIZ I Looking for seamless business and investment

From Kuala Lumpur north to the Kinta valley, and

news? Only The Sun gives you SunBiz, the FT-style

south to Seremban and Cyberjaya, the "silicon valÂ

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ley" of Malaysia; the all new SunValley pullout gives

analyses from www.theedge.com.my, the "today's

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cosmopolitan communities of Malaysia. Every day

portal. Get breaking news same day via the Net, or

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read it in print at SunBiz.

news team gives you the line on what's up, where

Ahead Today in businessISunBiz in 3 minutesI

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E-Business & IT 1 Internet Insider 1Management 1

City and community news I City businessI Valley

Detailed dividend and market dataIGet it on the Net

voices I Councilman watch I Local sports I Time out

Askiah Adam I Second Opinion

1 Radzuan Halim I Reason With...

I A. Razak Baginda 1 Thinking Aloud

I Patrick Teoh I Merdeka Square

I Oon Yeoh I Internet Insider

Serious sports The Sun takes sports seriously. We have arguably the most stirring sports commentators, both from outside and the newspaper. They're not armchair champions, but tried and tested veterans. Also, The Sun's Sport on Sunday is the only all-sports pullout in town.

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I SUNISLANP I Oh, my island in the sun. The Sun celebrates the islands with a fresh breezy special for readers in Penang, Langkawi and the northern peninsula. It's an everyday take-away pullout. An expanded and dedicated editorial team at Penang now gives you daily coverage of news, business, and life on the

I And don't forget The Sun on Sunday I

islands, bazaars, towns, of the emerging "northern

Grab a copy of the recently re-launched The Sun on

triangle" market; stretching across the straits to

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Wan Jamak Hassan From the sidelines

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your leisure reading and a complete total sports pullout. Penang shoppers' "don't miss" bargains I Ahead Today in the northIEvents 1Seen & Heard 1

Comment & Analysis I Investigative reports I Sport on

Northern businessILocal sportsIBaba/Nyonya

Sunday I VOX I Fashion I Merdeka SquareI Serious

society 1Swimming/sailing tidesIIsland gourmet

fiction I Not so serious fiction i Attitude

Abdul Rahman Ibrahim I Extra-time

Edelman KLhas AloysiusYapas MD

pitches. Aloysius has also successfully developed and implemented PR programmes for Edelman's clients, ranging from corporate reputation management, crisis and issues management, investor relations, employee relations, public affairs, and business-to-business communications programmes. Aloysius will be responsible for managing the operations of the KL office, while continuing to develop businesses for Edelman's three specialist practices - Consumer & Healthcar, Corporate & Financial and IT & Technology. Currently, Edelman Kuala Lumpur clients include both local companies as well as large multinationals.

Edelman Public Relations Worldwide Sdn Bhd has announced the promotion of Aloysius Yap to Managing Director. Aloysius Yap joined Edelman Kuala Lumpur in October 1997 as Director its Corporate & Financial Practice. During this time, he had proved himself to be a strategic PR specialist and has spearheaded the company in several major

"Thriller on the 13th Floor" 400 one-inch thick, paperbacks were sent out. Title? "The 13th Floor". This was the special 'invitation card' to Publicis Malaysia's office-warming do at its

spanking new premises on the 13th Floor of Menara Choy Fook On in new town Petaling Jaya. Publicis Malaysia staff, clients and partners had a two-evening

Left to right: Janet Yeo, Chairman (Publicis Left to right: David Ross, Marketing Manager (New Malaysia); Victor Ng, ECD (Publicis Malaysia); Zealand Milk); Janet Yeo; Sara Geofrey (New LT Soon, CEO (Publicis Malaysia). Zealand Milk; Richard Tan, Marketing Manager (New Zealand Milk).

including many new people. Pretty exciting stuff. We also have a gym, a cafe and access to a swimming pool to get the juices going.

bash at the Penthouse. Said Soon Le Teck, CEO of Publicis Malaysia, "compared to where we came from, this new office is a complete reimaging. Everything is new,

Left to right: Monita Goh, Marketing Coordinator (LOreal Malaysia); KK Tan, Account Director (Publicis Malaysia); Ong Nguk Lui, Group Product Manager (LOreal Malaysia); Audrey Kong, Business Unit Manager (LOreal Malaysia).

Publicis Malaysia was formerly Union 45. It is now part of the Publicis network, the world's fifth largest communications group.

Left to right: Sathes Kumar (Publicis Malaysia); Lee Ann, Customer Service Manager (TOPS); Regina Loo, Marketing Director (TOPS); Lily Lee, Promotions Manager (TOPS); Leon Chan (Publicis Malaysia).

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Ogilvy Launches Refreshing New Campaign for American Express Gold Card Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong has just launched a new campaign for American Express Gold Card with objectives to revitalise the Gold Card and introduce its new "No worries Guarantee". The TVCs use sophisticated humour to deliver the message of reassurance from the new guarantee feature. The first, Polka Dot shows a woman enjoying a coffee break in a busy cafe during her weekend shopping spree. As she sits watching the world go by, some things start to catch her attention: first a passing truck emblazoned with colourful polka dots, secondly a woman who enters the cafe wearing a dress with the same polka dot pattern as the truck, thirdly the polka dots on a man's underwear as he leans forward in his chair, and finally, the same polka dot pattern on the bag the woman herself has just bought. The words "Return guarantee" appear. The penny has dropped and our heroine smiles with reassurance as she sits back to finish her coffee. The second TVC, Computer shows a home-scene with a man at his computer and his wife in the background reading a magazine. The PC has broken. The husband smiles to himself, expecting this to be the perfect excuse to buy a new computer. "It's broken" he tells his wife. "It's still covered" she tells him. "The warranty's expired", he replies. "It's still covered" she repeats, and the words "Extended Warranty" appear on screen. The final TVC, called Abseil features two men on a climbing trip. Only the Cardmember's voice is heard and only his friend is seen as he gingerly scales down the rockface. The Cardmember offers tips and words of encouragement. Stopping halfway down the rope, the friend seems to be suffering a panic attack. "What's the matter?" the Cardmember calls. "You don't have to worry about the rope. It's

brand new." The friend seems relieved, until the Cardmember finishes "If it breaks, they'll give me a new one!" The words "100 days cover" appear on the screen. All films were shot by Alfred Hau of Such Partners. The three television commercials were first seen last month and will run until the end of

the year. They are being supported by a print campaign. Other team members behind the campaign include Troy Sullivan, Annie Wong (creative directors), Simon Handford, Valeria Au Yang (copywriters), Sammy Law, Aaron Lau (art directors), and Catherine Wong, Denise Tsang and Sharon Tang (account service).

Extended Warranty

If it breaks they'll give me a new one!

"Polka Dot"

"Computer"

"Abseil"

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 39

FCB Singapore gets going on Compaq While FCB Worldwide plans and prepares its first global brand campaign for Compaq, since winning the entire worldwide account in April, local FCB offices

within Asia have already begun handling many interim projects for their new client. One of the briefs was given to FCB Singapore, the regional hub for the account, to

create a campaign of low-budget TVCs for the Compaq Presario series of desktop and notebook PCs. The campaign was conceived and executed within the space of a few

weeks, shot in Kuala Lumpur with new local production company Vdot Films and Cine FX Productions of Singapore, and broke across Asia last month.

Copywriters: Chris Kyme, David Goh Art Directors: Chris Kyme, David Goh Film Director: Ivan Thian (Vdot Films KL) Producer: Helene Garcia (Cine FX Productions Singapore).

JWTSingapore Escapes J. Walter Thompson Singapore has developed a campaign for a customer loyalty programme that doesn't look like one. Launched on in July in The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, the campaign for Shell's Escape Rewards Programme was an instant marketing success. "Sales increased after the launch," said Moses Ng, Brand and Communications Manager for Shell. "From a branding perspective, the creative concept also

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 40

strengthened Escape's proposition of connecting the man in the street to a world of relaxation, holidays and enjoyment." Creative directors on the campaign were Andrew Spurgeon and Norman Tan. Copywriter was E Keat Soh and art director, Shannon Tham. The account management team was led by Dinesh Sandhu and Jenny Chin. Eric Seow was the photographer and digital imaging was rendered by Yau.

Radio Corporation of S'pore goes yippee!

Cheers! We're on candid camera! (if only there was another picture showing the behind of this scene)

The MAN behind the Party and the theme of the night James Yip, VP for Sales, Please bear in mind that the theme has no relationship to his real name.

Sexy models doing their stuff with Tequila filled Super Soakers. Shoot me baby!

"I've got two" (from left) Gary See, Georgina Chang, Jasmine Yeo, Bernard Tan.

Batey wins Asian Markets for STB After re-tendering for the Singapore Tourist Board (STB) account, pitching against renowned international agencies, Batey Ads has consolidated its relationship with this prestigious, long-time client. In its role as lead agency, Batey Ads not only retains responsibility for the Board's global brand work

and the in-country needs for western markets, but has now expanded its role to include handling the Asian markets too. Batey Ads and STB have had an unbroken partnership since STB first appointed Batey in 1979, and in 1999 Batey Ads was awarded the 'Outstanding Contribution to Tourism' Award.

Batey expands dotcom portfolio MetroAge.com has appointed Batey Ads Singapore to be their communications agency. MetroAge.com will target Singapore's social scene, providing

information on local leisure and lifestyle choices along with unique travel opportunities within Asian countries. Dot's the way

The Radio Corporation Of Singapore (RCS) organised its first ever Yippee party on 27th July at Venom. The party received an overwhelming response from the exclusively invited guests. About 150 people turned up for a wild nite of food and drinks. Yippee Party got its name from RCS' Vice-President for Sales, James Yip, who proposed the idea of having a party for our working partners, especially our advertisers. Being a rather fun guy himself, the entertainment element was kept in high priority throughout the preparation. It was fun galore at our first Yippee Party. Guests were treated to a free flow of alcohol and tantalising shots of Tequila that came in Super Soakers served by sexily dressed (read scantily-clad) models. There was also a Henna Tattooist who created pretty Tattoos for the guests at the Party. Kumar hyped up the zest factor when he presented the guests with a half hour segment of stand up comedy.

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For details and subscription rates, call PRWire Malaysia-Global at:

Tel: 603-296 2124, 213 4425, 296 2150 Fax: 603-294 1021/1022/1023 Website: www.asiapac.net/bemama/prwire E-mail: prwire@bernama.com 5th Floor, Wisma Bernama, 28, Jalan 1/65A, Off Jalan Tun Razak, P.O. Box 10024, 50700 Kuala Lumpur. Website: www.bernama.com

ADOIMARKETXNGCOMMUNICATIONS 41

Saatchi Vietnam Creative ADOI showcases some excellent work by Saatchi Vietnam for readers. One is for Saigon Children's Charity and it is a poster that was sent around all the major corporations in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to remind people about the charity and its work in Vietnam. It features two traditional

conical hats in the shape of a fast-for5ward symbol, and it talks about the direction the charity aims to take Vietnamese kids. The second ad is another poster for Procter & Gamble as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. It features Li Xi envelopes into which new, clean money is placed for children as a symbol of good luck and prosperity for the coming year. The ad is for the Safeguard Soap brand and the headline reads, 'Clean Money, Clean Hands.'

cieN SKCn tAV s*ch Agency Saatchi & Saatchi Vietnam Creative Director/Copywriter: Paul Ewen Art Director: Le Due Thang

AXN powers Asian motorsports In the spirit of action and adventure, AXN Action TV drives into highpowered motorsports racing with its sponsorship of a team of off-terrain rally drivers and cars that competed in the Silverstone 4x4 Rally of Asia - The Millennium Run that took place from 5-13 August. AXN holds exclusive broadcast rights for the event across Asia, excluding Malaysia. Team AXN Chinese Taipei, comprising four rally cars and eight highlyexperienced Taiwanese rally drivers, competed against almost 50 teams from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, China, Myanmar, USA and Europe for the coveted Prime Minister of Malaysia Challenge trophy. The grueling 9-day race flagged-off in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and took

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 42

drivers through unforgiving off-road terrain in Thailand and Myanmar before finishing in Kunming, China. Silverstone's 4x4 Rally of Asia, designed to promote a spirit of adventure and competition, and foster inter-country relationships, is fast becoming Asia's most respected and competitive 4x4 rally event. AXN's VP of Advertising Sales and Marketing, Ricky Ow, said that the competition was in line with promoting the AXN brand. "The Silverstone 4x4 Rally of Asia is a highly-charged event that tests the skills of some of the best drivers from around the world, and is set to put Asian motorsports on the world map," he added.

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