Adoi Malaysia 2004 December Issue by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd

Whether it be sponsoring a particular tv programme , creating a niche TV show or simply looking for special tv commercial spots, our team of brand-building experts can fulfill your needs. Call 03-255 1177 to find out more. think beyor""!

EDITOR'S NOTE SURFING is an increasingly popular pastime. Be it waves surfing, web surfing or channel surfing. I enjoy channel surfing, I realise however, it is the act of channel surfing that I enjoy. Just knowing the fact that I have the choice of many channels to browse through. Attention span for each channel is of course, quite short. Recently, I realised that majority of the channels would have some form of reality tv ~ shows on screen. The most talked about shows ranged from 'The Apprentice' , 'Amazing l Race' , 'Malaysian Idol' to 'LG Life 's Good Home Challenge'. What exactly is reality tv? I had thought it was supposed to be natural reactions to circumstances when placed in a situation. No doubt, those that we watch on tv are ~ extremely entertaining, but some seemed like a ·case of pretty weak acting. Do people actually react with such dramatic flair? Or is it simply a bad infection of 'camera-titis '? Is reality tv really

real, or is it only real in the world of tv, where dramatisation of reaction is only natural? If it is indeed the way we react when faced with certain situations, we would make pretty good comics, won't we? In short, I think it is time to reflect, are we actually being ourselves; or our reactions are what we suppose is natural, according to tv? Complaining is natural however. Who could pass by a good put down session? Not many I suppose. On top of that, problems are practically a daily routine. There are good problem solvers and those who thrive in lamenting. I am pleased to introduce 'Ask Simon ' which will debut in our next issue. This column is where creative director Simon Beaumont writes a new 'ad-gony aunt' column for ADOI. Simon explains: "There are a lot of scared and frustrated people in agencies and client companies everywhere. By reaching out I can make use of them to provide material for my column and save myself a ton of writing." Anyone seeking honest and forthright advice about advertising ,

marketing and agency life in general is encouraged to write with their problems to simonbeaumont@email.com. All correspondence will be held in the strictest confidence. Also, I take this opportunity to invite all Creatives to e-mail me thir favourite works at monica@ham.com.my for our monthly feature .. Other than that I am pleased to announce that our very own turbanned stranger has managed to woo Mark Waites, Creative Director, Mother London who was also a jury member of Cannes, to join the judging panel of Malaysian Creative Circle Awards for 2005. This is a season of love and joy, with Christmas and a New Year just around the corner. So let's set aside all differences and may ADOI readers have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas and fantastic New Year!

/J1tw..T

Respectfully, Monica Wong

Hot Duu illuD~ issue HIGHLIGHTS

REGIONAL PUBUSHER ' Harmandar Singh aka Ham ham@pop.jaring.my CONTRIBUTORS Dean Johns Kurt Crocker NickWreden Josh Sklar Greg Pauli Gareth Gvvynne

OFFIQAL PHOTOGRAPHER Jen Siow/Jen Studio ·

....

COLOUR SEPARATION Far East Offset & Engraving

STAFF WRITER Monica Wong mc,:lica@ham.com.my

~DIRECTION/ DESIGN Trv1 Ali Basir aU@ham.com.my Amirul Hafiz @Faisal mi!lJI@ham.com.my

PRINTER Hin Press & Trading Sdn Bhd

DISTRIBunON Five E-Comm Sdn Bhd

ADOI magazine is published f!Very month by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd 228, Jalan Tun Mohd. Fuad Satu, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, AD\JERTISING EXECunVE 60000 Kuala Lumpur. Rameshvinder Singh Malaysia. ramesh@ham.com.my Tel: 603-7726 2588 M6 ile: 012 205 6217 Fax: 603-7710 0522

06 08 10 10 12

Nick Wreden : The Importance of Branding Systems Dean Johns : Christmas No. 2004 Kurt Crocker: The Malaysian Apprentice From Hell Greg Paull : Evaluation Matters Gareth Gwynne : Dark Days Ahead

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 04 Michael Chan : The Supernova behind Novacomm 24 MFX : Hub for Creativity 28 Ted Lim : Pattaya Invites Ted

INTERACTIVE 12 Josh Sklar : Slogging Down an Election

SPECIALS 14 18 22 26 32 34

Harnessing The Flow of Creativity Yesterday's Traditions, Tomorrow's Trends TV3 : Festive Greeting The Gunn Report 2004 India, Malaysia and Singapore Boleh! What's in Santa's Goody Bag?

Member of

© All rights reserved by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn. Bhd. No parr of this magazine may be reproduced in any fo rm without prior permission in writing from the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in chis publication, the publisher and the editor assume no responsibi lity for errors or omissions or fo r any consequences of reliance of information in this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication do nor necessarily represent the views of the publisher or editor. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertisers.

·JI .

a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS il

_CoverStory

"I JOINED the Jesuits to train for priesthood, I had wanted to save the world. But then during my training I realised the need to have some working experience. And so I left to get a job in the "big bad world" says Michael Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Novacomm Integrated. Meet the man who works with a conscience. Before joining Novacomm, he had a morgasbord of the industry, from copywriting to account management to managing a business. The roller coaster ride in his career has only increased his strength and advantage. Due to his widely varied experience, his expertise is not limited to one field. Michael can now run in different fields, playing different ball games and still score goals. AOOI delved further as we squeezed into his tight schedule for a chat.

rn ind

Tell us a little about yourself. What were your career ventures before Novacomm? I began in this industry at Ogilvy & Mather. I was a Copywriter who mainly wrote letters. Then four of us upstarts decided to leave Ogilvy and start an agency, taking away a sizeable chunk of O&M's business, as well as landing the Maxis account. Drayton Bird Crocker & Mano (DBC&M) was (and still is, I believe) a real hotshop. We won Gold at the Asian DMA in our first outing. Gavin Simpson, who is now the CD of Y&R was my partner. But even then it was evident he could write better than I could, and he was an Art Director! That must have been one of the reasons I made the transition to account servicing . At Euro RSCG I was told that I was the youngest Account Director ever in an international agency at only 26 (that was then) I had the privilege to

_CoverStory

to be working on then. I believed soon after that to truly understand the industry I had to see things from both sides of the table, hence the transition to the Client side at DiGi. We launched DiGi Prepaid then, and also "relaunched" the DiGi brand, which was the fore-runner of the DiGi brand today. I was then headhunted to ASTRO where I headed up the Interactive TV initiative. That was real fun . I got to travel all over the world to learn about the various technologies and business models for iTV, as well as work on various "special projects". A regional dotcom then offered me a position to run their Singapore office with the understanding that I would eventually set-up the operations in Malaysia. I jumped at the opportunity. But unfortunately before I could take up the offer my then 2-year old son had pneumonia, and we decided to stay put. ntv7 beckoned. It was just the right opportunity. I had the agency and client side of the business covered, and now the prospect of being a media owner! It was exciting being the VP of Brand Marketing at ntv7. Shaz (Dato' Shazalli Ramly) is possibly the most creative person in the entire industry, and I got an opportunity to work with him and more importantly, learn from him. I was known in the industry as Mr. Feel Good, but the truth is Shaz is the original Mr. Feel Good. After a very brief stint running my own business I went back to the advertising side of the industry at Grey Worldwide. It was an eyeopener seeing how agencies had changed. It was different from what I imagined. And frankly, I found it rather disconcerting. What brought you into this industry? What is your proudest moment? My best friend saw an ad for a copywriter and put me on to it. I remember his exact words: "you know how to write right? Copying should be a cinch .. . " Neither of us had any idea what the ad entailed. Fast forward a dozen years and I'm on the cover of ADOI. Ute's like that. Needless to say I never went back to the Jesuits. I guess I'll have to be content saving the world one ad at a time. Proudest moment? Greatest achievement? There's so many to talk about. But I must admit that my greatest achievement is not something within the industry at all. My best piece of work has got to be my son. And even then, my wife did most of the work. We brought him to visit a shelter home as part of our family's outreach some years back. He was so touched by the needy children that he felt a need to contribute. Though he was only four years old at that time, he began to write stories to raise money for what he called "the poor children". We compiled all these stories into a book. "Junior's Short Stories" was published last year, with all the proceeds going to UNICEF for their work here in Malaysia. My son Michael (yes, not very creative) has even been ac knowledg ed as Malaysia's Youngest Author and even got an award from the Prime Minister!

Why did you choose Novacomm? Well, it was really the opportunity to take a known agency and use it as a platform for some of the ideas I had. Our owners, the Berjaya Group, are also one of the country's largest and most dynamic conglomerates. What more can anyone ask for? Novacomm Integrated was previously known as Inter Pacific Communications Sdn Bhd. It was initially set up some 20 years ago to place the results ads for Spots Toto. A couple of years back there was a change of name and a renewed focus on the creative side of the business. We unbundled our media buying and worked with large international media independents.

"... What is even scarier is that some clients actually reduce the role of their agency to just merely designers of ads. Pretty pictures versus real solutions to a marketing problem. David Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, Bill Bernbach. These guys understood that it was more than just selling ads. They worked hard at growing brands, increasing market share and yes, delivering the bottom-line for the Client, because it ultimately meant their . grew..." agenc1es When I first arrived, I discovered a distinct lack of what I would term ''fighting spirit". Novacomm seemed content with the businesses we had and the culture was one of complacency in the lap of comfort. Why not? It was a fairly profitable agency with blue-chip clients. But I saw the tremendous potential to not only do things better, but also to do things differently. And to take on the world! What are the changes you feel the company needs? We will need to re-engineer ourselves from

within. We face competition not only from the international franchises, but also other local agencies, and some " mercenaries" who are even cheaper than we are. There is always a need to demonstrate our value to our clients, to consistently go beyond the brief and even beyond the call of duty. This is what we already do. I would like to make it a more structured approach. As a consistent modus operandi. What are your plans for Novacomm to stand out from other agencies? The advertising business as we know it is no longer a sustainable business model. I already mentioned that others are offering even cheaper services. With razor thin margins this is bad news. What is even scarier is that some clients actually reduce the role of their agency to just merely designers of ads. Pretty pictures versus real solutions to a marketing problem. David Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, Bill Bernbach. These guys understood that it was more than just selling ads. They worked hard at growing brands, increasing market share and yes, delivering the bottom-line for the Client, because it ultimately meant that their agencies grew. I'd like a return to that kind of thinking. The opportunities for us are really in the areas of convergence. Where the lines are blurred between advertising and entertainment. Where it is equally as important to build a platform for the marketing or brand message to reside on as it is the ads that communicate the message. Marshall Mcluhan once wrote that the "medium is the message". This is more relevant now than ever. A huge percentage of our population is below the age of 30. Research has unswervingly indicated that this age group is less susceptible to advertising than any other generation, and yet we continue to "bombard" this segment with just that. We at Novacomm are developing "products" (for want of a better word) to deliver the relevance between our clients' products and services and these consumers. We need to be with our client at the product development stage for that to happen. It takes a lot for a client to "open up" to their agencies at this crucial stage. But if they do, it should make the difference between a good product or service and a "great" product or service. We are also going to introduce methodologies from the US, which is the world's largest consumer market. These tools will be essential to clients from the conception stage all the way to a product introduction in the market. We are not talking about some rnumbo jumbo from the "strategic" planner. It's about real accountability. Something that would keep most agency heads up all night. What are the barriers and breakthroughs that you foresee? Barriers. We would be limited by an industry that is largely happy with the status quo. The Breakthrough? A better deal for the consumer, because it would be relevant. Content that appeals not only to the heart, but more importantly to the wallet. Making selling superfluous!

.... aJOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS II

--------~---------------.

Letter to Editor Dear Ed, I think it's good that "Award-Winner'' (last issue of ADOQ has sought to oonfess his/her feelings of anxiety, insecurity, jealousy, egoism wheriever the awards are up. it takes a "Big Man" to admit such conceitedness and ill-will, especially when it has become so much a part of him. Although one would think that after winning such awards, he would likely be able to rise above such emotions. I also like the "awardsare-not-my-bag-baby, I'm into saving children from Sudan or my neighborhood or whatever". And he writes to a well-respected ad magazine to announce his glorious and sanctified cause. And lo-behold he of course wouldn't naturally use his name but sign-off as "Award-Winner" as if to imply that he's been there, done that and he's on to bigger things (did anyone else hear the soundtrack to "Superman????''). Ok I'm done with that. Unless Mr Award-Winner expects to live in some utopian society, he needs to realise and understand that children will die. Not just of hunger. Malnutrition. Abuse. Neglect and a whole load of other stuff. They have died and they will continue to die. And staying away or banishing awards will not change that and I think it's a little presumptuous of Mr

Award-Winner to think so. Perhaps in his own perverse way Mr Award-Winner is looking for "Awards". To be recognised for his deeds. Well I guess it's cos with all the thousands upon thousands of peace corps volunteers, aid workers and all the others working quietly and tirelessly to ease the suffering of millions of people around the world (and some of them have been doing it all their lives), here in Malaysia you have the Award-Winner with his holier than thou, saying awards are not honorable, achievements and accolades are useless, people with credentials are unworthy. Communist! I think he would have done better if he had taken the time to see the organisers of the awards show and perhaps oonvinced them to donate some part of the proceedings to certain charities and so on. Ok i'm done with this. But just before I end, let me restate the last para Award-Winner left us with, "...the people who make a difference are the once who care". Now that, left me with a tear in my eye, lump in my throat and a little shit in my fart. Cheers. Lionel Jackson, via email

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRANDING SYSTEMS â&#x20AC;˘av NICK WREDEN nick@fusionbrand.com

PEEL open the top of any agency, and you'll uncover a glorified assembly line that has changed relatively little during the past 40 years. Ads or collateral are passed in job bags from concept to execution to quality control and then to production, aided by such tools as email, spreadsheets and even sticky notes. This process has numerous problems. Data collection is difficult. Changes or approvals slow the process considerably. Worst of all, the redundant process adds little value to clients. Ps a result, agencies need to move away from their time-honored processes toward branding systems. Branding systems have multiple advantages. They add structure and discipline to processes. They ensure uniformity in internal and client interactions. They institutionalize knowledge so that the wheel is not always being re-discovered. And, most important, they establish measurement and accountability. Without such measurement, branding's organizational role will continue to decline. In a suiVey among companies from The limes 1000, only 57% of finance directors- the people who ultimately write the cheques to agencies- believed marketing investments helped long-term corporate growth; 27% believed that marketing was only a short-term tactical measure; and 32% said marketing was the first budget they would cut in hard times {such a surprise). The first type of branding system is strategic. These consist of scorecards, which involve a matrix of interrelated goals, activities and measurements,

II aDOI MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

and the well-known Six Sigma, which seeks to reduce defects through measurement and the elimination of variability. Not only will these strategic systems help agencies reduce redundancies and improve both profitability and accountability, they also represent an important value-add to clients. Unless agencies incorporate strategic systemic skills into their offerings, they will undoubtedly find their strategic role usurped by the top accounting finms and other consultancies. The second type is tactical. Marketing perfonnance management {MPMQ systems automate the routine- but still critical - activities that form the backbone of branding execution. Lead management systems track a lead from prospect to customer acquisition; campaign management systems manage acquisition segmentation and/or customer communications; and resourre management software helps ensure that jobs get out the door on time and on budget. These MPM- also known as Enterprise Marketing Management {EMMQ- systems not only ensure that agencies run more efficiently but also help meet the increasing CEO and CFO demand for branding accountability. The CMO {Chief Marketing Officer) Council studied MPM and concluded that "companies with a formal comprehensive MPM system significantly outperformed companies that had not even entered the consideration phase, with mean perfonnance ratings 29%, 32% and 37% better in relation to sales growth, market share and profitability... .

ADOI FREE CLASSIFIED Garbis is the world 's preeminent visual solutions provider, licensing images seen by millions of people daily in adverlising, books, new papers, magazines, on TY, and in films. Communication professionals turn to our photography, art, and footage to differentiate brands, support news stories, sell products, and entertain audiences with maximum power, creativity, and emotion. Headquartered in Seattle, with offices in New Yorl<, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Paris, DUsseldorf, Vienna, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo, we are looking for young, dynamic talent who would like to build career in an environment characterized by open cu ~ure, teamworl<, customer focus and creativ~. SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS- PHIUPPINES, INDONESIA & THAILAND I KUALA LUMPUR /INDIA (3 POSITIONS) REPORTS TO: SALES MANAGER, SOUTH ASIA

Responsibilities ResP,Onsible for meeting or exceeding assigned revenue targets in designated key accounts and territories. Use a proactive, co nsu~Â tive selling approach for long-term relationship building and structuring large strategic deals. Worl< under the direction of the Sales Manager, South Asia and with the local sales team, to convert targeted Key accounts into active and strong customers. Requirements Demonstrated success in a resu~s-driven sales environment, with a track record of achieving and exceeding demanding sales targets.6 to 10 years of experience including a minimum of 5 in strategic, Key Account consu~tive selling for a service company prospecting and developing accounts, including all phases of sales development. English and either Chinese, Hindi or Bahasa language fluency required. Regular travel within designated territories for client visits, networl<ing opportunities and Garbis company meetings. Please send your resumes and expected salary to klrecruit@corbis.com by 15 Dec 2004.

Generally the greater the adoption of MPM, the more satisfied the CEO". Traditionally, lead management has been a responsibility of sales. But increasingly, that role is being handled by marketing in measurement-conscious companies. Lead management software can track how many leads marketing is actually delivering, including where they come from, how they get handed off to sales and whether or not they lead to business. Campaign management systems can simplify the onerous task of media planning and placement, but are most commonly used today for targeted email campaigns. For agencies, the fastest growing segment is resourre management software. These increase productivity by recreating job-bags electronically in a secure online environment. lvJenc:y personnel - and clients- access the job bag to check progress, outline next steps and issue instructions and sign-offs. Resource management software also provides process and design templates, helping to ensure brand consistency across an enterprise. And such software considerably simplifies billing. Traditionally, the fragmentation of the agency business and the complexity of the processes has meant that agencies have considered themselves automated if they have email. But such ad hoc tools are no longer enough when branding investments are receiving greater hard-nosed scrutiny. To avoid commoditization of their offerings, agencies and internal departments must look closely at strategic and tactical systems to demonstrate tangible business value, cost-justify investments, calculate ROI, better allocate resources and demonstrate improvements in profitability. Nick lVreden the author of FusronBrandrng How to Forge Yow Brand for t!Je Futc~re 1:0 a managrng dllector at FusronBrand Sdn B!Jd d IJrdnd consultar,c\ based rn KL Contact Nrck at nrck, fusronbrand com

_Opinion

Christmas

No.2004 â&#x20AC;˘av DEAN JOHNS

deanejohns@optushome.com.au

EVEN at the best of times and at its most down-to-earth, marketing is a somewhat uneasy admixture of perception and reality. But in the dizzy realms of designer brands, and designer festivals like Christmas, it can turn utterly surreal. Take this season's new TV and screen commercial for the legendary French fragrance Chanel No. 5. A two-minute extravaganza starring Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and made by Moulin Rouge director Baz Lurhmann at a reported cost of US$33 million. In other words, here's an unbelievably expensive fantasy created by a master illusionist around a woman who's world-famous for being able to portray fake emotion, all to lend an air of factuality to the fiction that a bottle of parfum is worth paying through the nose for. And as if all this wasn't unreal enough to con-

vey the truth of the adage that "nothing exceeds like excess", there's also a movie of the making of the commercial , Chanel No. 5 the Film: Le Film du Film, which screened the other night on Australia's National Nine Network, or, if you prefer, Channel No. 9. Not that there's anything immoral or unethical about creating, packaging and above all pricing goods and services to appeal to people who imagine that cash can buy them class or cachet. Nor is the business of peddling outrageously costly odours, timepieces, jewellery, clothing, footwear or whatever as easy as some marketers make it look, thanks to all the fakers and rip-off merchants. The internet right now is teaming with peddlers of cheap Rolex replicas. The markets in Bangkok are no doubt still selling little packets of iron-on crocodiles

that can turn $1 Chinese t-shirts into Lacoste look-alikes. Entrepreneurs in India still, I'm sure, retail local rotgut in genuine recycled Johnnie Walker bottles. Business is as booming as ever for the world's music, movie and software pirates. And a woman named Danielle Lehrer has reportedly had the hide to try and register the name Kennel No. 5 for her homemade dog shampoo. But when it comes to fakery, nothing stinks quite like what's been done to Christmas over the centuries. This festival, as we're all aware, ostensibly commemorates the birth of a child named Jesus to Jewish parents in a town in then Roman-occupied Palestine, currently Israel. But since then this person has been retitled with the Greek word "Christ", re-packaged with a European appearance, and credited with inspiring a whole clutter of brands of Christianity each claiming the Original Recipe. No wonder some of us feel a little Scrooge-like about Christmas. Suspecting not only that its true spirit has largely been lost, but also that the once-a-year gush of goodwill is miserably insincere, that Santa's just commerce with its claws in consumers' pockets. The Yuletide Season? Yule be sorry, more like it, when the credit-card bills come due. Especially if you have lots of genuine designer goods on your gift list. But hey, here's wishing you lots of merriment for your money in the meantime, and a Happy New Year No. 2005.

I wish all my staff members to remain driven, passionate, healthy, committed and loyal, our creative products to be A-class, inspiring and result-driven, our strategies to be excellent, solid and well planned, our project management skills to be superior, reliable and consistent, we win many creative awards, both locai and international, we bag new accounts, both big and small, we have great CRM campaigns to shout about, proud about, laugh about, we have a great company trip across the ocean and many celebration parties, gain good reputation and more referrals from our clients, put ourselves on the map and network for great work, and still be happy, energized and sober by end of 2005! Rosie Hong, MD Rapp Collins

My wish is that the momentum gained at Cannes this year will be maintained.That this signals the start of a new surge in creative standards in KL.That it attracts new, exciting and passionate talent to our industry.And that it helps to resolve(once and for all) the MIM saga!

ADOI WISH LIST 2005 The year is about to end and ADOI did a little poll on what is going to be on the wish list of our industry's leaders. Uving our vision: Doing Extraordinary things everyday (true for me and the Agency) Charles cacJde/1, Managing Director, Leo Burnett

My wish for 2005, is to for peace in the world and lots of fun .... The wish for MFX in 2005 would be a fantastic bonus for all and to help the advertising industry in establishing itself as the regional player. And of course, to do more challenging work in the new year. Chan Moon Kien, MFX

And Now for some interesting versions... MyWishUst. 1. For people to stop asking me what TBWA stand for! 2. For client to limit pitches to 3 agencies' not the 30! 3. For more writers to be born! 4. For MIM to be finally cleared up. 5. For Kancil Awards to be less of scam fest. 6. For fewer gray hairs. 7. For a week at the Datai. 8. For a astro to stop running so many station trailers. 9. For the duty on booze to come down! 10. For Ham to serve drinks at MC2. Chris Howden, ECD, 7BWA

If there is a wish I'd wish for happiness, joy and success for everyone in Spencer Azizul. May their dreams all come true! And to all the rest have a good year!

A vastly improved mobile and Content/Solutions Providers industry in Malaysia with well regulated business codes, quality telecommunications infrastructure & network, healthy business models and fair end consumer pricing. 2005 is the first step to the dream that one day Malaysia can become the Mobile and Wireless Hub for the region. VIVA Mobility!

I conducted a random survey and found that our greatest wishes for 2005 were: 1) Bigger pay, 2) Shorter working hours and, 3) Better-looking colleagues. Some of the more interesting stuff cannot be printed here. One intern said we must aim to develop impactful, life-changing ideas, and find ways to inspire and spark creativity across all departments. I whacked him on the head with a layout pad.

Azizu/ Kallahan, Executive Chainnan, Spencer Azizul

Jasmine Lee, CEO MNC Consulting

Edward Ong, Creative Director, Y&R Malaysia

Stephen Fraser, Group MD of 0 & M, Malaysia

_Columnists

The Malaysian Apprentice from Hell â&#x20AC;˘av KURT CROCKER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

DRAYTON BIRD, CROCKER & MANO (DBC&M)

ALL right. Someone had to do it. Someone had to

pie of questions. What are the elements of a typical direct mail package? (The outer envelope, the letter, the leaflet/brochure, the response devise.) What does the leaflet/brochure do? (It is the showcase, the showroom; it tells about and demonstrates the product.) What does the letter do? (It is the sales person, the man/woman who closes the deal. It is the allimportant seller; person-to-person.) Now imagine marketing apprentices here in Malaysia, or in fact, imagine the group of would-be comers on Trump's " You 're Fired " series. I've watched this pretense for marketing know-how a few times. And I've always wondered: Why hasn't anyone employed the powers of Direct Marketing? There is little if any targeting. There is little or nothing of offers, to valued targets. The winning group, one week, imagined distributors to be a good target for the sale of a new Donald Trump-branded bottled water product. Duh. That could have happened on a grand scale, with a quick fax or e-mail to the distributors. They could have had thousands of orders in 24 hours. And the winners of the Apprentice show are guaranteed a multi-thousand U.S. dollars a year job. So imagine the same in Malaysia. Considering

link the formerly wildly popular American reality show to a marketing reality in Malaysia. Someone had to do it. And I guess that's me. Firstly, it might be handy to define Apprentice. The first image that comes to mind is the classic Disney animation. Mickey Mouse, Apprentice to an accomplished sorcerer makes a muck of it. Left on his own, Mr. M conjures up an unspeakable mess. I'm sure you've seen the movie. Now, to the reality. Direct Marketing is often, rightly, described as magical. Not because it is mystical. But because Direct Marketing, rightly applied, delivers magical results. For example, it is widely known amongst us Direct Marketing sorcerers, that an advertising communication directly sent, must be as personable as possible. Which is why spam addressed to me announcing new and improved ways to enlarge my penis are a wasted, though inexpensive, effort. (My intimate friends will tell you, "No need, lah." Question: When will the spammers learn to target? It is also magically known that letters are the most important element of a direct mail package. Why? I'll tell you the magician's secret, behind a cou-

EVALUATION MATTERS â&#x20AC;˘av GREG PAULL AS the year draws to a close, we wonder how many marketers and their agencies will use the time to professionally evaluate their 'marriage' at year end. When we walk in as a third party to help improve performance, we always ask for a copy of the "End of Year Evaluation" as a starting point. Our experience is that there are generally four types of response 'We said we did it, but we don't have it' - often the local marketer will go looking for it, but it was probably done two or three years ago. If not, perhaps there was some lunch last Chinese New Year where the agency was asked to "pull their socks up." Either way, there's no system for benchmarking and monitoring the strength of the relationship ''The Bottom Drawer or HQ syndrome" - the other type of evaluation is the one multinational firms have to do for their head office. It gets done blindly usually, the local marketer and agency having no real interest in it, other than not upsetting the bosses by not doing it. There's certainly no action items,

ml a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

and it's often not dissimilar to a school report card. ''The 360 degrees - but not really" - the more progressive marketers now have their agenc ies also review their performance - but for an agency in Asia, this itself is fraught with danger - "Is there an environment to be honest?" We recently reviewed one such regional series of evaluations - the clients have scored their agencies all over the map - from 4 out of 5 to 1 out of 5, depending on performance. When we looked at the agencies' view of the client? All 3 out of 5. You can see the collective agency CEOs now - "Well, they suck, but we can't give then a 2 - they might fire us. They certainly don't deserve a 4. So let's just give them a 3. The basis for action and incentives - make no mistake, the role of this end of year dance is taking on new meaning and focus - now over 50% of major marketers in the US pay their agency a PBR (Payment by Results) component based on it. And it is this that has totally changed the evaluation's role. Now it becomes the fulcrum for performance

Direct Marketing, of course. Imagine. A candidate for the top Malaysian Apprentice, asking a Direct Marketing consultant (who also happens to be a guru), the question: " So if we really make the brochure, like, really special, do we need a letter?" Then imagine the guru giving a calmed reply, "Of course you need the letter." Imagine further, that the Malaysian Apprentice was seen to chuckle. And the guru was asked, "But why?" The guru on this particular reality show has a choice. Choice number one. Conduct a 3-hour seminar on the fundamentals of Direct Marketing. Choice number two. Say, "Do what you want. I'll have no part of it." Or, choice number three: Say, "It's up to you, letter or no letter, up to you." Whatever approach you choose, the Apprentice wins. Because ultimately, the choice belongs to the Apprentice. Ultimately, that choice will provide for and prove his or her downfall. The problem is this. The consultants, the agency pundits, the gurus if there are any w ill also be blamed. Why? For not trying hard enough. For not explaining well enough. For not saying, strongly enough, in the face of chuckles, that the Apprentice you are facing is wrong. Wrong enough to lose your client's money. And, you know, that blame may be well deserved. It should always be the duty of those who know better, to disarm those who don't. Especially if it involves money. We can't allow the ignorant few, who have temporary power, to rob their bosses of potential profits. So I say to all of you who have the power of reigning in errant Apprentices, do it now. Or have the wrath of Hell shorten your well - deserved happy retirement. and reward, and the best basis for benchmarking and continuous learning. We've just finished helping Coca-Cola improve their agency evaluation format. To do so, we looked at the best ones we've seen from the world's top marketers. What we found interesting was a number of clear traits amongst them that hopefully you can incorporate into your own work this year end (0 Be fair - this is the chance to be honest and open. Quite often a consultant will come it to play this role to ensure the truth gets to the top (ii) Be specific - this is a people business. Identifying individuals for their results is critical in helping both teams work better together OiO Make it worth something - if the agency's revenue is linked to this evaluation, then it will be taken seriously. In the world's best cases, the marketer's team's bonus is linked to the way the agency reviews them (iv) Drive learning - we built an online tool that enables benchmarking and action from these evaluations. With this discipline, evaluations move from just being a report card to being a roadmap. And w ith the right navigation, all mar riages can be built to last. Greg Pauli rgreg a rthree com; IS PnnC!pal of R3 As1a Pacil1c the A s1an arm of a global client agenc y consult111g g roup sp eC!aiiS mg m agency remunerat1on refa tlonsh!ps and rev1ews

InterActive

Blogging Down

an Election â&#x20AC;˘av JOSH SKLAR, FOUNDER LOGICWORKS JOSH@LOGICWORKS.US

AFTER the much ballyhooed US Presidential election last month, I think it's fair to say that it will be hard to dismiss the influence the online community has upon the world. Yeah, I know, it's frightening, isn't it? I grew up with these people, you may very well have cause for concern. Still, that's progress, as they say. That which doesn't kill us, yadda yadda yadda. The facts that are undeniable: Democratic National Committee nominee hopeful Howard Dean raised USD$15 million in one three month period, beating the funding raising pace record set by Bill Clinton, and it is mostly attributable to small contributions made on Dean's Web site (John Kerry later used this technique to his advantage and raised so much, he still has USD$40 million in his war chest- and he was the loser); although many said they were disappointed by how many young people turned out for the vote after the reported huge increase in registrations, the truth is they did turn out in larger than normal numbers, it was simply that the other side came out in a pro-

portionately equivalent percentage - and those normally apathetic kids motivated each other through online news groups, chat rooms and personal Web logs; e-mail marketing campaigns increased the number of people attending the all important rallies and other presidential events that created the momentum that drove public perception; independent, Web-based critics and pundits reported over and over on a daily basis for at least 18 months what an historical election this was to be, creating a fervor of intense interest; and, finally, exit polling data was published in political blogs and forwarded on by less restrained members of the mainstream press - something that can influence those voters living in states within time zones that cast later. Exit polls are the data collected from questions voters answer as they leave the polling station. Questions such as: Whom did you vote for? Why did you vote for him? It's not brain surgery, but the problem is, you can't ask everyone and you also

DARK DAYS AHEAD? How Big Tobacco can follow the light of creative necessity â&#x20AC;˘av GARETH GWYNNE gareth_gwynne@yahoo.com

THE latest collector's item one-Bay: Malaysian coffee shop cigarette posters and branded ashtrays. Sound far-fetched? Maybe. Maybe not. Slowly, all the branding that goes on behind coffee shop and convenience store counters touting cigarettes is disappearing, thanks to new tobacco control regulations passed into law by the Malaysian government. But it goes a whole lot deeper than simple communications. These new regulations strike to the very heart of a tobacco company's connection with its consumers. What do these regulations dictate? Basically, the tobacco boys, or anyone else for that matter; cannot communicate tobacco product branding in any way, shape or form. This includes any name, pictorial representation, logo type, graphic device, and whatever else you care to name, associated with a brand. Fortunately for the cigarette companies, the government has seen its way clear to exempting the actual cigarette packs and cartons. Daunting, you say? Talk to any of the tobacco boys, and you'll receive a slight shrug and a knowing smile. It was nothing if not expected. One of those 'when, not if' situations that leaves you shaking your head and getting on with business. Looking back, the same kind of thing happened a couple of years ago, when the government banned tobacco-related mass media advertising. No one ran around like a headless chicken. They just braced themselves and turned to Plan B - direct marketing and events. And what a coup! Being the savvy mar-

Ill a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

keters they are, the cigarette companies, and the agencies with which they work, were able to drive some real buzz, if not major sales increases, through below-the-line communications and on-ground activities. They kept their brands alive and vibrant. But, indeed, the days of the truly Dark Market are upon us. No branded POS. No branded direct communications. No SMS, no e-mail, no web. No branded events (except at the Sepang International Circuit during a Formula 1 or otflEir scheduled motor racingrelated event - wouldn't want to lose all that glorious F1 money, now would we?). So, the key question now becomes: how do the cigarette boys build brand equity, let alone sales, without communicating their brands? Creativity. Yes, it is at the core of everything we do. But you know as well as I that we are not talking about the everyday creativity that we in the industry practice all the time. We are talking about reengineering the way an industry communicates. The future will be represented by the subtle association, and the colourcoded lifestyle appeal. As tobacco companies scramble to latch on to whatever non-branded equity they can find, we will begin to see all kinds of creative spin, with hints, both strong and soft, of the branding that went before. There will be all the previous vehicles - direct mail, events, contests, etc. - ad infinitum. But they will be doppelgangers, shadowy constructs created to simulate tobacco marketing. And you know what? They might be a damn sight

don't know if they're telling you the truth or are annoyed with the pollster and trying to intentionally give bad information. That doesn't stop average people who write these entertaining blogs that tend to preach to a particular audience type (mainly those who want to read articles that support and agree with their own personal views) from publishing the results with much hyperbole, speculation, rationalization and amateur interpretation. Good journalists have an ear to all relevant sources - so coupled with the ease of access, blogs are high up on their list. As the Internet begins to erode their formerly captured audience, they turn to it more and more to keep up with it and basically "fight fire with fire." Unfortunately this time those that dipped into that well found it poisoned and after a deep drink or three, the same could be said for their own colored reporting. In this case, the Net had a very negative influence. Of course nothing could stand in the way of the conservative moment from using religion to encourage the electorate to choose one candidate over the other by making the vote about homosexuality and abortion instead of the War in Iraq, the economy, healthcare, foreign relations and our own security. The Internet has come a long way, but I don't think

<s ..ady to take down oomelhng that ;s ~ plugged directly into how a person defines ~ him or herself. Not until people are literally ~lugged in~o the Internet, at least. <please ~ msert mamaca/ hacker laughter here> better than what is out there now. There is a lot of freedom in having to take on a new identity, in being legislated into changing the face you show the world. I can just see some of the more creative heads in agencies across KL salivating at the opportunity, even if their tobacco clients are not. With change of this scale, Malaysia's tobacco giants will also, finally, have to make a step they seem to have been avoiding all these years- Trade Marketing. The coffee shops and convenience stores are where the cigarette wars are won and lost. Ramping up and securing distribution, and cultivating those trade relationships will be key to winning. If I were you, I'd keep an eye on what the cigarette companies do from this point forward. You will learn a lot from some of the best, most innovative marketers around. They will always find a way to talk to their consumers - no matter what. Because they have to in order to survive. And while you are sitting back, catching up on the recall numbers from your latest lVC, or signing off on the same old media plan, they will be targeting consumers in ways you cannot possibly imagine, and hitting them in places no one has ever touched before. If you are in the alcohol or pharmaceutical industries, you should pay particular attention. Legislation is a funny thing. And while the beer boys are OK right now, who knows where they'll be down the road. And the pharma guys? Well, their direct-to-consumer communication options are already extremely limited. The benefits of learning from the cigarette boys are clear. It is just a matter of who bemoans marketing's forthcoming challenges as limiting, and who takes them on as opportunities. To the latter; I have just this to say: There is indeed a dark market ahead, but there's also plenty of light at the end of the tunnel. A creatt, e dlfector LJ.nd strdteg c ,JiaPr'et GcJteth Glt.

~nne

Ouector ano Pr I'CIOZli CO'lS /I'd!'' )f G I nne ConsultlfiQ SOP Bha a brond Ot 1C câ&#x20AC;˘eclt, e cn"s 11ta"C\ based lf7

KL Contact Ga1etf' at 9'-l!ett' g

r'ne

, nnoo con'

open your mind.

>> For really big headed creatives we recommend the cabriolet.

_PersonalityProfile

O&M Argentina, New Duracell

"GOING back to nature in the purest of Amazonian forests, I have spent time with Shamans in the land devoid of modem conveniences, that we have all taken for granted. With no internet to bother with, nor ringing phones to disrupt my thoughts, inner peace is composed. Being enshrouded by peace and serenity, a person can come to the centre of oneself where things are placed in perspective, that is lost in the world of extremities that we live in." Welcome to the world of Daniel Comar, Executive Creative Director of 0 & M, Malaysia, a man constantly in search for the essence of originality that is lost in today's creativity. With the choice of professional football looking bleak, Daniel chose to begin his career as a copywriter in his homeland, Argentina. The refusal to get complacent being in comfortable surroundings, urged him on to search for a challenge. This landed him in Vietnam, which at that time, paddy farming was more established than advertising. He nurtured and grew a small 0 & M set up into an award winner. Having accomplished his vision of installing a creative culture, he soon realised that there were

O&M Argentina,

use a condom continued on page16

Ill a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

EPSON

Greg Gorman, celebrity photographer who has captured many faces of fame, is coming to town. You'll be up and close to his stunning fine art EPSON prints and see first hand the techniques he uses to create award winning images from capture to output. Greg Gorman is a member of the exclusive EPSON Stylus Pros, an elite group of industry leading photographers, and will be conducting a series of exclusive seminars for select industry professionals in Asia.

Faces of Fame A Perspective by Grec Gorman Gree Gorman Seminar: Singapore 18 Nov 2004 Malaysia 22 Nov 2004 India 25 and 27 Nov 2004 Please contact your local EPSON office

for more Information.

SlnCAIPoN (65) 6337 ~

79111ndlll (91) 80 1600 440011 The PhlllppiMs (632) 813 6567 lncloMela (62) 21 572 3161 (6) 03 5628 8288 Thllll8nd/lndochlne (662) 670 0680 www.epson.com.my

_PersonalityProfile

very few challenges left. He felt the need to stretch his creativity on an international scale and not fall into a comfortable routine where you lose appreciation for things. After taking a break from the world at his secret hide outs and at the suggestion of Regional Chainnan, Tham Khai Meng, Daniel came to KL as ECDofO&M. The shoes of previous ECD, Sonal Dabral were not easy to fill. Since Daniel joined Ogilvy, he discov-

ered that the foundation for excellence had already been laid. Working on the existing platform, he believes that he just needs to remove the confinement of excessive meetings and simply allow each individual's drive for successful work to take over. This he believes will bring them to the next level. It is a fear for many to lose control. Thus endless updates and briefings, were not only necessary but also incessant. Daniel feels that most organisations concentrate too much on meetings that creative teams never have time, to get creative! "People need time to think, to let the ideas flow and not staunched by the rush of meetings after meetings." says Daniel. He intends to bring back the fun of advertising, which is simply, to seat great minds alike, to create ideas! He believes in the value of going back to basics. "To go back to the core of originality, not just assumed creativity." says Daniel. His artistic sensitivities nurtured the art of subtlety that is obvious in most of his work. With the creativity that he constantly garners just waiting to explode, Ogilvy is definitely one to be reckoned with. I shall leave you with his work to amplify this...

O&MArgentina,Whathaveyou been reading lately?

Client &TV Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia Title: The Bus ECD: Daniel Comar Creative Director: Peter Chan Copywriters: Darren Lee, Leslie Paul Malay Copywriter: Yusof Osman Art Directors: Justin Goh, Anthony Chew Head of AV: Eric Van Producer: Loo Seng Tuck Acd Exe:Jared Ong Business Unit Director: Gary Read Production House: Current Pictures Rim Director:Tunku Mona Risa DOP: Filus Ghazali Ass. Director and Producer: Faibo Sound Studio: 2 A.M. Composer: Anton Morgan Sound Engineer: Shawn Chia Ram

An epic of unconditional love that thrives during the festive season

mJ a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

With Valuable Practical Tips on Best Practice Marcom Strategies from Leading Experts Including: •

Andrew Baudinette, Chief Executive Officer

Avation •

Terresa Christenson, Senior Vice President & Managing Director Asia Pacific

Discover Solutions and Strategies on How to Drive Marketing Effectiveness from • Leading Corporations Including: •

New Demands and Challenges Confronting Marketing Communications Professionals in Today's Challenging Times - Rasila Hamzah, Director, Public Affairs & Corporate Communications, Bank Simpanan Nasional

•

21st Century Paradigms In Marketing and Communications- Victor Loh, Marketing Communications Manager, Bonuslink I BonusKad Loyalty

•

Case Study: How DHL Leveraged on Marcom to Enhance Its Branding Strategies - Fiona Liao, Communications Manager, DHL Malaysia

•

Optimising on Customer Relationship to Get the Best Results in Marcom Plan- Angelina Fernandez, Director, Marketing & PR, Getronics Malaysia

•

Case Study: Driving Corporate Marcom Forward through Effective Event and Sponsorship Campaigns - Hong Leong Assurance's Experience- Cheah Leng Sooi, Manager, Corporate Communications, Hong Leong Assurance

•

How to Make Sure Marketing Strategies Measure Up: Tracking Impact and Return on Public Relations Investment - Kim Stockham, Director of Corporate Affairs, ZUJI

•

How to Use the Powers of Information Technology, Media and Financial Markets to Spread Your Message- Lee Miller, Editor-at-Large, Bloomberg News

Brodeur Worldwide •

Matthew Godfrey, Chief Operating Officer

Bates Asia •

Magdalena Wszelaki, Vice President, Strategic Planning

Agenda Solution •

Nor Badron, Asia Pacific Director, Technology Practice

Edelman Singapore •

Chris Leong, President, SEA

Grey Global Group •

Ben Llewellyn, Project Director

Synovate •

Siva Sivanandam, Director, Sales & Marketing

Kyocera Communication Asia Pacific •

David Yong, Executive Director

Asia Stream Digital TV 1-Day Post-Conference Workshop 18 February 2005, Friday

"Developing and Implementing Integrated Marketing Communication Campaigns" Led by Terresa Christenson Senior Vice President & Managing Director Asia Pacific

Brodeur Worldwide ORGANISED BY:

·1 he .\sia O!DEIUJ

I· 0 R l ' \tf

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION:

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION:

I!M:lmMM~l1 I

r----------------------------------------------1 I would like full details of the conference 0 I am interested in Sponsorship Exhibition Opportunities 1

9313 MB/ ADO!

Name: --------- ------------------------------ ----------------Position: ------------------------------------------------------------ - I II Company: _____________________________________________________ Cou ntry: ______________________________________________________________ I I Address: I I Tel: ----=========================-=--=----=--==~=~~~F~~~-=============~~~=~~~-----------~~~-=---=-~~~~~~a~~:-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=~~=~============== I TEL: (603) 2070 3299, FAX: (603) 2070 3369 OR EMAIL: yvonne.mlranda@abf-asia.com I

L----------------------------------------------~

_Consumerlnsights

THERE is a silent revolution underway in Asia: until yesterday anything 'western' was fashionable, today the western faces competition. Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong are leading the change in trends, which are quickly picked up by Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Taipei and Bangkok but before one can label these places as 'followers' they have in turn set the trend for Bombay, Jakarta, Manila and Ho Chi Minh city. Certainly, Tokyo, Seoul and Sydney don't just feature prominently on the trend world's global map but they have created distinctive cultures for themselves by innovating and re-innovating trends inspired by fashion artefacts, technology based gadgets, lifestyle products and services. In the last five to six years, Asia has not only refused to adopt fashions from the US and Europe but it has successfully started to export trends to the western world. Asia has started identifying its history, ancient traditions, life philosophies, value systems and healthcare practices (in particular wellness rituals) as key platforms for the trend export market. These have already made their mark on society globally. India and China are leading the healthcare and wellness rituals trends while Tokyo and Seoul are making significant inroads in technology and hitech gadgetry trends. As the world is becoming more and more health conscious, two of the world 's biggest economies -India and China- have started imparting the 'holistic health' concept to the world. Health is not just a business in these two countries but it is regarded as part and parcel of a 'way of life' for the common man. This significant shift away from allopathic medicine and health towards holistic medicine and health has garnered a significant following in the western world. These age-old practices and ways of thinking have been lost in the pursuit of development and the west is enthusiastic about its newfound discoveries. More importantly in the United States, these practices are totally new as their society doesn't possess specific ancient practices and knowledge of its own (except for the historical practices and philosophies of the Red Indians). Some Asian marketers have identified these trends way in advance, have packaged the trends especially for the western world (for example Holistic Herbal Health) and marketed them in fast paced markets like New York , L.A. and California. Some of these key trends have been elaborated below. MEDITATION Meditation has become a buzzword in many of the world's busiest and most hectic cities. Because of its particular benefrts, it appeals to the most business savvy and commercially mature markets like New York and London. Certainly it makes perfect business sense for the marketer as these locations are also the world's wealthiest cities. Meditation is marketed as an ideal remedy for today's CEOs and members of the upper echelons of management as this is the group which is seeking qualities such as 'inner peace', 'concentration skills' and 'focus'. This group is ready to pay exorbitant prices to enrol into meditation centres and to acquire these elusive qualities. Meditation in this

Pratik Thakar, McCann's Director of Brand Strategy & Consumer Insights, has worked as a marketing strategist in two of the world's most complex markets, India and China. He believes strongly in ethno raphy - a branch of anthropology dealing with the scientific description of contemporary cultures. He has helped many multinational and local dients in not just developing advertising ideas and strategies, but also in crafting new market entry plans and brand portfolio planning. AOOI presents the excerpt of an article derived from McCann Knowledge quarterly, written by Pratik. scenario is marketed and branded with western style but packaged in an originally Asian manner. Hollywood stars are not very different from a New York businessman or CEO. These stars are very busy in marketing themselves as brands and positioning themselves as professionally managed brands. They end up adopting many professional practices such as meditation Clint Eastwood, Sting and Richard Gere are among stars who meditate.

HERBAL HEALTHCARE AND AYURVEDA Herbal healthcare is not just seen as a remedy to ill-health and medical problems but it has developed into a movement for those who understand the science of nature and the importance of leading lifestyles which are in balance with the earth's ecology. Brands such as The Body Shop provide not just a business opportunity but a conscious effort to express support for natural products and cause related marketing. These trends in western markets have given China and India a window of opportunity to market their traditional healthcare approaches such as Chinese herbal medicines, acupuncture/acupressure and Ayurveda in a new light. Hence the traditional has become in vogue. The U.S. government's National Institute of Health will spend $220 million on research and training in alternative medicines this year, a chunk of which will go toward the study of Asian remedies. The forces driving the burst of interest in Chinese medicine vary from national pride to pure intellectual curiosity; and, of course, money. Herbal an d other alternative medications clocked up a stunning $40 billion in sales in the U.S. alone last year. Business visionaries have understood the power of this ideology and future opportunity where organic food and vegetarianism have

brought about a paradigm shift in the way people perceive the food they consume and how it is inextricably linked with their physical and mental health. The concept of health supplements has given a new turn to the way people consume essential herbs and Ayurvedic products. Aromatherapy and herbal beauty treatments have emerged as the latest fashion and style concepts. Starbucks marketing herbal teas and Palmolive's skincare range selling aromatherapy based products tells of what one can expect in the near future. Businesses unrelated to health and medicine have also started marketing and promoting the concepts behind holistic herbal health as a lifestyle most prominently in the tourism, leisure and holiday business categories. Lifestyle spas and resorts have mushroomed dramatically. Spas have started offering herbal treatment remedies and 'reinvigoration-cum- relaxation therapies for western tourists and holiday seekers.

YOGA In today's world, Yoga is not just a healthcare practice but fashion for young and vibrant souls. It's not just for the who's who of the social circuit in fact, it is now becoming popular in mainstream culture. Madonna is a foremost celebrity proponent of a discipline, which enjoys the patronage of stars such as Jeniffer Lopez, Jeniffer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Drew Barrymore. Yoga is now becoming one of the highest revenue earner disciplines in international gymnasium chains like Fitness First and California Fitness Center. It has managed to develop its own modem and contemporary versions to frt any yoga enthusiast. Surprisingly, there are 'hybrid' versions of yoga such as yoga boxing, yogilates and power yoga which are more exciting and more energetic. Yoga Vacations are also quite popular in the tourism market. Traditionally percontinued on page 20

1m a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

OTIVE MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION

PROPERTY & INFRASTRUCTURE

IT, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL AND INSURANCE SERVICES

DRB-HICOM is one of Malaysia's leading conglomerates, and we are involved in key sectors of the Malaysian and economy, namely automotive manufacturing distribution , property and infrastructure, and services. We are focused in our quest for quality, in our drive to remain cost-effective, and in forging global relationships. Alliances that will benefit not just our partners, but Malaysia and her people. So when it comes to doing business in Malaysia, it pays to t alk to us at DRB-HICOM.

DRB-HICOM BERHAD (203430-Wl Level6, Wisma DRB-HICOM, No.2 Jalan Usahawan U1/8, Section U1, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: (603) 2052 8000 Fax: (603) 2052 8118 E-mail: info@drb-hicom.com www.drb-hicom.com

_Consumer! nsights

formed by practitioners in Hindu temples, Yoga has evolved into a discipline housed in stylish studios and performed in Nike's latest and sexiest apparel collection.

FENGSHUI Whether you call it science or superstition, it's the most happening business in the world. It's not easy to get an appointment with well known

Oientcadbury Adams Brand: Hafts Title: Salbble Designer: Ooi Toe Lee An DII'Ktor: Ooi Chok Ylln Copywriter: Gavin E Hoh ECD: Lee Szu Hung Group Brand DlniCtor: Dlnesh Sandhu Brand Manager: Chan Mlng Yen

THE latest work from McCann truly defined cool, literally for product Halls. Mist fans packaged like Halls Sweets were placed strategically around humid KL town to cool and refresh passers-by as their tag line denotes - "Cool and Refreshing".

Feng Shui masters and you may have to wait for a couple of months to get an official appointment. Many multinational firms have shifted their swanky office blocks to fulfil Feng Shui requirements. Without proper Feng Shui knowledge or a Feng Shui adviser, you can't even think of getting into real estate business. Feng Shui based on the belief of harnessing cosmic and natural energies help remedy one's luck either in business, career, family, love or money. Ms.Lilian Too is not only a Feng Shui adviser but she is a big celebrity in certain countries. Her Feng Shui luck charms are available in her exclusive outlets situated in the most prominent malls in Asia. Feng Shui influences can be found all over Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur in offices and in homes. Apart from the above examples, there are many areas where Asian traditions are setting trends: acupressure and acupuncture, martial arts, asian food (Chinese, Thai, Indian tandoori and curry style, Vietnamese and of course, Malaysian cuisine and Asian (especially Indian Bollywood) music. These examples go to prove that the Asian revolution is not just another bubble, but that these societies and their cultures are going to influence the world's viewpoint in the long run and significantly affect the way people regard and respond to lifestyle and healthcare marketing.

on target TBWA is the world's youngest, fastest growing network and the No. 1 Creative Agency, according to the Gunn report, with 41 awards at the year's Cannes alone. Right now TBWA and Tequila, our Direct Marketing agency, and Wizard Media Dynamics are looking for people to help us put Malaysia on the map. If you think you've got the metal, apply by visiting our website at -

.tbwamy.com

Senior Writers • Art Directors • Vernacular Copywriters Graphic Designers • Print Producer/PA Finished Artists/Visualizers • Account Directors Account Managers • Account Executives Account/Strategic Planner • Finance Executives/Managers Media Managers • Media Planners • Media Buyers

1 EQUILA-ISC\

••••

15/ f, Blk B, HP Tower, 12 Jln Gelenggang, Bkt Damansara, 50490 Kuala lumpur, Malaysia

iJ a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

MALAYSIA'S Adex is on target to hit a record high of between RM4.3 billion and RM4.5 billion. Figures are based on Nielsen Media Research. Having grown 20% to RM3.2 billion or the year up to September 2004. Newspapers continue to take the lion's share while television adex grew by 33%. 1V3 remains advertisers' first choice. Even though their share has been 'marginally reduced possibly split' with sister company BT\1. 1V3's ad revenue from January to end September this year was RM402 million. Malaysia's second new free-1V channel, Channel 9, third quarter ad revenues were RM7 million, down from RM15.5 million and RM17.5 million in the two preceding quarters. Malaysia's totai1V ad spend for the nine months was RM926 million.

A yellow D&AD pencil (or heaven forbid, the holy of holies, a black one) are the most sought after awards there are in advertising and design. They earn you fame and fortune and, above all, they turn every other creative person on the planet green with envy. To be sure of the right-colored pencil in 2005, submit your entries now.

D&AD Awards Call for Entries 2005 Go to www.dandad.org Last entries 04.02.05

_PrimeTime

WAR THST

"Today, we live in a very fast-paced world and hardly have time to reflect on who we really are and even socialise but we should not forget our own traditions and our past as it is our past and tradition that shape who we are today" - Dato' Farid

Iii aDOI MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

THE beautiful thing about being a Malaysian is the sharing and caring that stretches beyond race, culture and religion. As Malaysians, we celebrate many festivals in its truest sense. With mutual respect for each other despite our differences, and everyone shares the same holiday spirit in all merriment. This year, a first in many years that two festivals, Deepavali and Hari Raya came along so closely together, only two days apart, that the celebration simply continues. With this in mind, TV3 had combined this joyous time into one greeting wish. This celebration is not two separate religious festival but one true Malaysian festival, only with one apt wish, "Wonderful Deeparaya". I cannot describe a better way to convey this magnificent season other than through a heartwarming greeting. "The commercial tells a story and highlights the friendship which transcends racial boundaries. It also highlights the different cultures and traditions in Malaysia and reminds us how we should appreciate and respect the different cultures and traditions in our country. Most importantly, it serves to remind us on how lucky we are to be able to live in a country where we have racial unity where one has the freedom to celebrate a festival according to one's religion and culture," said Dato' Farid Ridzuan, Chief Executive Officer of TV3. Throughout the festival, TV3 aired its greeting to wish all a very Happy Deepavali and Hari Raya, or in its exact words "Deepavali Valthukel

IGH

and Salam Aidil Fitri " . In this heart warming commercial, it reflects how two friends, Suparjo, a Malay and Raju, an Indian, who are united many years later in their adulthood as neighbours. Raju, now known as Roger discovered that his new neighbour Joe, is actually his longlost Malay friend, Suparjo from his childhood days. It was the familiar old song, "lkan Di Laut, Assam Di Darat" that Suparjo used to sing that had rekindled their lost friendship. Besides the soul-touching and heart-warming sides to the commercial, there is also a touch of wit and humour with the presence of familiar TV3 commercial icon Adibah Noor. These many interesting elements and flavours had indeed made it truly Malaysian. "There is more to celebrating Deepavali and Hari Raya than having new outfits and serving delicious dishes. It is the time for us to foster and maintain close relationsh ips with others, not just within our race and community but also across cultures and society. Today, we live in a very fast-paced world and hardly have time to reflect on who we really are and even socialize but we should not forget our own traditions Âˇand our past as it is our past and tradition that shape who we are today," continued Dato' Farid. It would be sad that Malaysians need to be reminded of who we are and all that we can be proud of. But through these constant reminders and heartfelt sharing, perhaps, we shall yet relearn the traditions, culture and heritage that we had almost chosen to fade out once.

FRO

THEH

uHeart rending moments can only be recreated by the original artist. This is indeed the signature of Yasmin Ahmad. Executive Creative Director of Leo Burnett."

aDOI MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 111

MFX

NewsBriefs Malaysia •

GUAN TO JUDGE THE ONE SHOW 2005

Tay Guan Hin, ECD of South East Asia , Grey Global Group has been invited to judge next year in One Show, New York and Asian Media Advertising Awards, Shanghai. "Being invited as a judge in at the One Show is certainly going to be one of the more exciting highlights in my advertising career and I hope to learn from this rich experience! "says humble Guan.

•

RMSO,OOO GRANT FOR TRAILER

'House of Loo', an animation series produced and developed by Stephen Bristow and Bernice Low, has been short-listed for the Asia Animation Super Pitch, an annual competition for animation from the Asean region. A RMSO,OOO grant from the Cradle Investment Program (CIP) to produce their 3 minute 'House of Loo' trailer. This animated satirical series, glimpsed through the lives a typical Asian family, living in a modern suburbia.

•

MFX'S PRESENCE IN AUSTRAUA

Australian Effects and Animation Festival in Sydney had shortlisted two pieces of MFX project for Best Animation - Candyman Skeleton for production hse, Classic films,Mumbai and Best Special EffectsTech magic for Petronas, agency Leo Burnett, production House, Axis.

•

PRE-PAID TV

MiTV will leave an indelible mark in the domestic broadcasting industry with its prepaid subscription fee. The broadband decoder is priced around RM400 and monthly subscription fee of around RM80.

•

FROM POS AD TO MAXIS

Ng Keng Ming, group CEO for POS AD and Demo Power has left to join MAXIS as Senior General Manager and Head of Consumer Marketing Division . He takes over from Kiang Chew Peng . His responsibilities at POS AD is currently handled by Raymond Chew, Group MD/CEO while the search for a successor continues.

•

PR SCHOLARSHIPS

MDK had recently launched 2 scholarships, for Masters Degree and Bachelors degree in Mass Communication, majoring in PR. The scholarship is worth approximately RM30,000.

•

SWITCHING CEO

Khoo Kee Suan, who had left Bozell on ly months back, had surprised all by returning to replace Vivien Lee as CEO. Vivien is not available to comment.

•

Traditional caricature- beat this!

MOVES IN SAATCHI & SAATCHI

Andy Greenway filled the seat of Regional Creative · · . ' Director which had been long vacated by Craig Davis . On another note, when Matt Seddon moved to Manila, his place was filled by John Foley, who hails from Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore. In a strategic move to further strengthen their ere• _i ative team, Steve Hough has jumped aboard to join Henry Yap as Creative Director.

ill a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

Keppel Land Season, China

Candyman tattoo, India

Bank Mandiri, Indonesia

Pepsi rewind. Pakistan

MFX: Hub centre for creativity "We started out with lots of talent, an empty room and full commitment to have a new generation of technology that would see us into the future ." says Chan Moon Kien of MFX. This was their humble beginning three years back. Now, it has grown into a full fledged production house that is admired by top professionals in the world and they are still adding awards to their already ample collection. Adoi catches up with Moon for a chat.

ready to take them on? Yes, we are!

MFX has had a brilliant record for winning awards, tell us one that you are particularly proud of. And why?

Honesty, is our formula for success. We did not set up to make quick money. Our commitment to have the best team and a new generation

We are extremely proud of the recognition we get for our work. We do not do· projects for the sake of winning awards. We give our best to every project and we try to push it creatively, as we believe in the highest quality. When we win an award, it shows that our pursuit for excellence is recognised. We are especially proud of the recognition by The Australian Effects and Animation Award Festival for our work

of technology to serve our clients in Malaysia

the last two years because it is judged by the

have definitely proven to be an insight. We are determined to put Mfx and Malaysia on the map

peers of the industry on an international platform

as a serious player in the industry.

What are your plans for MFX in the near Mure?

What is your formula for success?

What is your next step?

We have just invested in a brand new flint on-

After years of learning and gaining experience

line system (linux based "flame") and the just

in the craft, we want to contribute. We want to make a difference in every job and everything that

released Liquid Chrome editing suite which has dramatically increased our capacity. MFX is still in

we do. This is a continuous challenge to our-

a building mode, constantly investing in the latest technology and operation systems. This is the

selves. It is important, as we are in a very competitive industry and the world has become a smaller place thus there are much more opportunities than ever before. The question is - Are we

next generation model of a post house. We have great respect for our team and we will continue to invest in them.

T H

GUN N

R T 2004

R E P •

THE MOST AWARDED COMMERCIALS IN THE WORLD IN 2004

THE MOST AWARDED PRINT ADS AND CAMPAIGNS IN THE WORLD IN 2004

Ad. Pis

1. HONDA ACCORD "Cog" 2. SONY PL.AYSTAllON 2 ~ Mcx..ntain" 3.

Great Britain Great Britain Thailard

S0KEN DVD PLAYER "KiH 8<11 KiH 8<11"/ "Trtitititan~"I'X.X.X"

4= HONDA CMC "E""'YdaY"r Sense" 5. UNIF GREEN TESA "Woons" 6.

EVIAN

,.,_ ,.,_ Great Britain Thailard Frarce

.,...rot

7. NIKiE "Musical Chai>" B. BUD LIGHT "RaW Men of GenkJs" canpaign 9. SONY PI.AYSTATKJN 2 "Gravity Bomb"/ "Tractor Beam" & campaign 10. mDAS WOMEN'S WORLD CUP "Wake-Up Call" 11 . BUD LIGHT INSTTT\JTE "Gieetings"rHistory" 12. TANGO "Banel"rPostman"fSeal" & campaigl 13. mDAS "Kicking H" (W11kilson & Beckham) 14. INUNGUA LANGUAGE SCHOOl "Elldllgo" 15. AEROIJNEAS ARGENTlNAS "Shadow" 16. AMERK'.AN LEGACY FOUNDATKJN "1200"/ "Replacement Smokers" 17. AGF INVESTMENT FUNDS "Co..n St~/ "Ag,!Att01danr & campaign 1B. MTV NETWORK "Gay/Straight"/ "3 Seoond Rule~ & campaq, 19. AUDI AU_ ROAD "Zoo" 20. UUF TSUBASA SECURmES "The Spy Ninja" l 'ooThlShcr.\Te<jofThlYear2003)

USA

,.,_ Great Britain

Germany Algentina USA

38 31 25 16 16 14 14 13 13 12 12 12 12 11 10 10 10

Canada

USA Spain

Wrre: Pts Pri1t

TOTAL

DDIB L.ordon 115=)

5. TBWA'Paris(2)

B. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 1B.

20.

3. CrisJjn Pater+ 13ogust<y (MOmij 111

19.

W.:.:.S Pts 1V

Wleden + Kemedy (london) 1-)

5. 6.

J_,

THE MOST AWARDED AGENCIES IN THE WORLD IN 2004

1. Almap88DO (Sao Pauk>)(15=)

1. VOU<SWAGEN POLO "Cops" 2. SISLEY OFACE EQUIPMENT "Barrode"/ "Chaos"fCiock" & campaign 3o mDAS SOCCER "1/erticaJ Football" 4. SPHERE ACT10N FtGUlES "16Air Assail"/

Ad. Pis 25

Great Britain Germany

"7th MaMes"f'Desert - · & campaign THE ECONOMIST "Brail" WERU NOISE PROTECTlON l'v1NOOWS "Garder>lr'r Construction III:Jri<er'r Policeman" VIRGIN ATlANTlC "Stories About My Gr.rodd1ildner"/ "Photocopier Salesnm" & campaign HARVEY NICHOLS SAUE "BikirN'Shirt"rTroos&'S" ED. ABRILMJA MAGAZINE "B<n ~·rBush"/ "Saddam"rCastro" NESTI.E QUAIJTY STREET "Pari<y"rT,;n"rwordy" SONY PI.AYSTATKJN 2 "Potato Head" STREAMUGHTTOACH "AIIgatOIS"r Snakes"f'Uon" PHIUPS UGHTlNG "Bench"fBox"rBridge" LES EQiOS BI.JSjNESS NEWSPAPER "Tank"f"SixWng"rGMO" & campaign VOU<SWAGEN GOlF R32 "SupeiTTiall" BMWX54.4i"Hol11el'owel" SONY PI.AYSTATKJN 2 "B<m" COCQ DE MER EROTIC SHOPS "'och!"rLAxql!"rYeah!B & campaign HEALTH PAOMOTKJN BOARD "Vicioos Circle" campaign CH-9 MEDIA 1V STATKJN "MisS~ Car"

Silgapore

16 13

Argentina 14)

Germany

Brazit l5)

South Africa

Spain (6)

10.

Calada(8)

Great Britain Frarce Thailard

11 9 9 9 9

11 .

~ 113)

Silgapore

Frarce

12. -

116o)

13. , . , _ l16o)

Sooth Africa 111 )

14.

15= Mexico l15)

-Zealard Germany Frarce Great Britain

17.

Malaysia 1-1

1B.

HaJy i1B)

19.

Czech Rep.t;~ (25=)

lrunbers il brrlets II ; ranking

THE TOP 19 AGENCY NETWORKS IN THE WORLD IN 2004 WO"'ee' PtslV

Wmer Pts Pri1t

TOTAL

1. DDIB WORLDWIDE l4/'l1312/1)

163

2. TBWA WORLDWIDE (21<1514=/J)

159

3. 8800 WORLDWIDE 1111/2/1 12)

155

21 21

ZeaJard 112)

16.

48 26

30 1B 15 14

2Q; Belgit.m (23;)

n 2003)

The Gunn Report 2004 Summary Commen:ial or TV/Cinema Campaign of the Year: Honda Accool "Cog" (Runners up: Sony Playstation 2 "Mountain" & Soken DVD Player "Kill Bill Kill Bill"f Trtitrtanic"f'X.. .X.. .x'}

4. OGILVY & MATHER (7;f816f1{/')

5. SAATCHI & SAATCHI (312/4/314)

6. LEO BURNETT (51511/4=16)

Print Ad or Campaign of the Year: Volkswagen Polo "Cops"

(Runners up: Sisley Office Equipment "Penect!y Organised" campaign; & Adidas Soccer ''Vertical Football", Sphere Action Ftgures "k. Real k. ~ Gets" campaign)

9. J. WALTER THOMPSON (7;/1 1/12115116)

10. EURO RSCG I1CV12f.llll/11)

11 . McCANN-ERICKSON (919/11 /1 1/1 4=)

12. DENTSU I14/1CV1 CV1CV10)

g; Amold- (Bostoo) 14)

10. DDIBICtlicago, DaJ...,_York,Seattle)(35=)

13. ARNOLD WORLDWIDE (')

11 . TBWA'I.ondon(5=)

14. PUBI..JCIS 117115/1511411 4=)

12; Euo RSCG Ftagst;p (Bangkok) 144o)

1B 11

1B 17

14 12 10

16 16

17; Leo Bl.m!tt ICtlicago) (38;)

15 14 14

Thailard (7) Silgapore 11 0)

12 11

19; Clenmow Hornby lnge (london) 1-1

7. B.

Great Britain Brazil

20. Lowe (london) 114)

168

7. TBWA\Chiat'Day (Sal Francisco & LA) (9)

1B. Ogilvy & Mather (Singapore) 1-1

Germany (9)

16. La Corn.o- (Miarri Bead1)(13)

117

Be<ln, Stuttgart) 1-1

Great8ritain (2)

B. l'v1EDEN+KiENNEDY (')

15= Jung van Matt (Hambu!g,

234

14. 180 Amsterdam 1-1

Frarce (3)

7; LOWEI616171615)

Rebbe \Verbeagentl.< (Hambug) 1-1

TOTAl.

158

Kol~

Wimer Pis Pl'nt

USA I1)

19 19

13.

Wimer Pis 1V

~ Silgapore

6. Dentsu (Tokyo & Osaka) (7;)

8800 (Bangkok) 1-)

THE MOST AWARDED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD IN 2004

15. YOUNG&RUBICAM 111/7/B/9/8)

16. BARilE BOGlE HEGAHIY (')

17. FAU_ON (')

1B. FCS I1211 3/13/1MI)

lrunbers ;, llrrlets I I ; ranking ;, 2003)

D a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

Production Company of the Year: Partizan (London, Los Angeles, Paris) (Runners up: Gorgeous Enterprises & @radical.media)

19. GREY 115=118114/13112)

!All others)

200

139

339

TOTAL

883

617

1500

lrunbels i1 brrlets after each name; ranking 20031'20021'2001/200Y1999) (') ; Wleden+Kemedy, Amold, BBH am Fa/k>n were pnMously -ed as "fledging" netwol1<s

and not ranked il theglobaJnetwon<stable)

GUNN REPORT 2004 rr is the time of the year again when winning lists of the most prestigious international awards are combined in The Gunn report to stake a claim for international standing. This year; DDB Worldwide is once again the Top Agency Network In The World followed by TBWA and BBOO. DDB had no fewer than eight agencies in the top 50 table this year. The agencies who made Top 50 in the World 6 years in the row are Almap BBOO (Sao Paolo), DDB (London), /lM\1. BBOO (London), Dentsu (Tokyo & Osaka), Arnold Worldwide (Boston), Fallon (Minneapolis and NY), Bartle Bogie Hegarty (London), Lowe (London) and DDB (Madrid & Barcelona). For 2004, we are including the best shows in the world for lVC and Print. On top of that, we have The Most Awarded Agencies, Countries, Advertisers, Production Companies and Directors in the World . The Grand Finale is of course the Gunn Report 2004 Summary. The level of award that counts for a given show is "Cannes Bronze Lion Equvalent". "Winner Points" is applied to Tables 3 to

Advertiser of the Year: Volkswagen (Runners up: Sony & Honda)

15 14

CountJy of the Year: USA (Runners up: Great Britain & France)

8 (Countries, Brands, Production Companies, Directors, Agencies and Agency Networks), are different from "Ad Points" is applied to Table 1 and 2 (

THE GUNN REPORT AND SHOWREEL OF THE YEAR 2004 THE 'official' screening & ref-

erence reel of the best new work in the world for the advertising, marketing & production communities everywhere . The Reel : The 100 most awarded commercials and campaigns in the world in 2004on DVD. The Book: The Gunn Report 2004 in full plus synopses/credits for every commercial. Our reformatted product is a hard-cover book with a specially designed, built-in compartment

Director of the Year. Suthon Petchsuwan (Thailand) (Runners up: Thanonchai Somsriwichai; Antoine Bardou-Jacquet, Frank Budgen & Traktor)

Agency of the Year: AlmapBBDO (Sao Paulo) (Runners up: Wteden + Kennedy (London) & Crispin Porter + Bogusky (MiamQ) Agency Network of the Year: DDB Worldwide (Runners up: TBWA Worldwide & 8800 Worldwide)

lVC and Print Ads). "Winner Points" - 1 point for each win at qualifying level and 2 points for Best of Show. "Ad Points"- to achieve more separation and spread, is doubled. 2 for a winner and 4 for Best of Show. 1 point for a 2nd or 3rd winner for the same ad in the same show and 3 points for a Cannes Gold, One Show Gold or D & AD Silver. housing The Showreel of The Year 2004 on DVD. The Book, in addition to the Showreel of the 100 most awarded commercials and campaigns in the world in 2004 (157 spots in total), contains: The Gunn Report 2004- findings, commentary and league, tables for the world's most awarded commercials, print ads and campaigns, agencies, agency networks, production companies, directors, advertisers (brands) and countries of the year. (Per the combined results of all the most important advertising award contests in the world - Top 32 shows for Tv. Top 20 for Print) The re-formatted Gunn Report & Showreel of The Year 2004 is available for £60 at www.gunnreport.com or email emma@gunnreport.com or call +44 (0) 1473 326 999.

Flying First Class is all very well, but in the end, it's still public transport. So spare a thought, please, for the absurdly rich. Not the merely well off, who get to pay ten times the price to sit in the front of the plane and get aglass of sour: fizzy wine. They still have to eat their congealing steak with a plastic knife and fork, and their chances of sitting next to a fat, fidgety foreigner with bad breath and an attitude to match is correspondingly (and satisfyingly, to the rest of us) high. No, not those poor: misguided, souls. If you're going to envy anyone, how about envying the people they envy: the bloated plutocrats, the absolutely rolling-in-it, the mind-bogglingly wealthy. The owners of that ultimate liability: the private jet. Consider their problems. Not the money: money they've got. Buckets of the stuff. Stolen, most of it. No, it's the constant hassle. The eye-popping, kniption-inducing, impotent frustration of the thing. Having to put up with wild-eyed madmen in oily overalls clambering about the innards of their (frequently-malfunctioning) million-dollar toys, to emerge clutching what looks like a bolt, and explaining with po-faced glee that this, the culprit, costs more than the gross national product of Guam. And that in any case the makers don't make them any more. Finding out that the caviar's gone rancid. Running out of the '83 Roederer Cristal, and having to settle for the vastly inferior '84. Horrid, horrid, horrid. Now, who do you think they envy? They envy you, that's who. You, who can get on an AirAsia flight, sit peacefully for an hour or so, and then get off again. You're exactly where you wanted to be, you never have to think about that plane again, and it all cost you less than a decent lunch. The rich, as someone once pointed out, are different from you and me. They have more money. They certainly don't have more sense.

_Ad Fest

INVITES TED

â&#x20AC;˘av MONICA WONG

TED LIM, a name that is linked to the creative gurus in the industry, a man that most have come to know and respect. With years that many have lost count in the industry, Ted had been the judge and jury for many prestigious Awards including Malaysian Creative Circle Awards. It does not come as a surprise that Ted Urn has been invited as a jury for Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (AdFest), to be held in Pattaya next march. His works has never failed to cause a reaction, be it surprise, shock, roaring laughter or simply a smile on the face. When I had a chat with him, it struck me that it was his profound knowledge and unusual insight that shine through. It is without a doubt that his outstanding talent and brilliance had placed him in this honoured position today. Adoi has a moment with the sophisticatedTed. How did you get into advertising? By accident. I was waiting for a friend at PekanBuku (University Malaya's bookstore) after my final year exams. Picked up a book that I normally wouldn 't to while away the time. Read a chapter and couldn't put it down. The book was Ogilvy On Advertising . Quite a departure for someone who spent the last three years reading Shakespeare.

GUARD FOR HIRE! EVERY year, Malaysians return to their hometown for the 'Raya' holidays, leaving their city homes unguarded . This year, Naga DDB has supplied many a personal security guard, in a Raya envelope (above). What a shock we had when we pulled out a life sized, glaring security guard neatly folded. This came with instructions on the reversed side to dangle the guard from the ceiling in its full length near ,lJindows, to create the impact of a person on guard. ~e lifelikeness of the life-size guard still shocks us ~when we walk into a dimly lit office in the mornings. Naga's Ted Urn he couldn't afford Ham as the talent and settled for a ferocious-looking sikh!

fm aDOI MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

You have produced so many creations over the years. Which would you say is your proudest work? This is a tough one. I'd have to say it's a tossup between the brand-building and award-winning work for Appeton, Hard Rock Cafe and DiGi. But more than the work, it's the people I've had the opportunity to work with that makes me feel I've accomplished something. Some of them are creative directors today. Some will be tommorrow. How do you feel having been selected as a judge AdFest next year? I learn something new at every award show I attend. Someone could say something really enlightening. I jot that down. Someone else could exhibit more ego than talent. I try to forget that. Award judging can be a very uplifting experience. The joy of discovering a brilliant idea, beautifully executed is rewarding, like reading a good book. It can also be

downright humbling, which is good as this keeps our ego in check. The idea is to keep an open mind, to share and learn.

You have judged in quite a few award shows now. Do share with us an interesting anecdote. An award jury, torn between giving a Bronze or nothing to an ad , was staring hard at the work. Then a juror said, " Let's turn it upside down . It looks better that way. " After which another juror concluded, "Yeah, it looks more like a Bronze now. " What makes an award winning ad? A fresh idea will win over something that's been done before. But execution has been known to swing votes, especially if it's pattern-breaking. Work that wins invariably has an original idea and

_CreativeCircleAwards2004

RANKING 1. Ogilvy & Mather

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

FINAUST

TOTAL

2. Foote, Cone & Belding

3. Kinetic Singapore

4. Saatchi &Saatchi

5. Leo Burnett

OF couRsE., ~TI4E M"N s Fu~~Y~ E ts A LUNAtic, I

IU'Jitftal':~l

Film Base Sdn. Bhd

(578582-P)

THE Creative Circle Awards have pit the best creatives in the

petition next year would be heftier as the CCA opens up to for-

Singapore against each other. The juries comprised of creative

eign entries.

luminaries like Adrian Holmes (Chairman and Chief Creative Offi-

Eugene Cheong (Chairman of the Singapore Creative Circle

cer, Lowe Worldwide), Steve Simpson (Creative Director, Good-

Awards 2004) said, ''That's the way it should be, awards should

16 - 2, Jalan PJU 8 I SC,

by Silverstein & Partners), S.F. Rossana Bardales (Creative

be hard to win. Otherwise, they are just worthless bits of plastic-

Damansara Perdana,

Director, Mother London), Justin Tindall (Head of Art, DDB Lon-

too light to be doorstoppers, and too thick to be coasters.

47820 PetalingJaya,

don) and Jureepom Thaiumrong (Executive Creative Director,

The highest accolade of the evening: the 'Best of Show'

Selangor, M alaysia.

Saatchi & Saatchi Bangkok). Standards were set high with 40%

award was presented to Ogilvy & Mather for their work for the

Tel: (603) 7728 7233

fewer awards given out compared with the last two years. Com-

Anglican Welfare Council (pix).

Fax: (603) 7728 5981

r Apple Solution Experts Conauttant

Jen

studio photography immersive imaging digital stock photography seminar profile facilities news contact

studio's

about

â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘

_CreativeProfile

NewsBriefs Asia •

REVAMPING DISCOVERY TRAVEL & ADVENTURE Discovery Travel & Adventure will relaunch as Discovery Travel & Living in January. Next to a reN look and title, this rebranding exercise expands i1s content to include lifestyle programmes, to include shopping and dining. • VISA TO ASSESS MEDIA ROI R3 Asia Pacific have been appointed to IM:>rk with VISa in Asia Pacific and their roster media agencies in five markets-Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India in assessing 2004 media performance. In 3 of the markets, R3 will use i1s software tool, MediaBiz, that directly matches agency bookings with local media researdl data ~ one spot at a time. With this laborious process, human error and manipulation is minimised. • SERIOUS ON MANAGING KNOWLEDGE McCann Work:tgroup Asia Pacific has appointed Neeraj Mehra as director of kooNiedge management. He will act as the key information and intelligence re;ource for McCann, with Singapore as the Central for information.

Matchbox''Worms"

INDIA BOLEH, MALAYSIA BOLEH AND

SINGAPORE BOLEH! both in terms of ideas and execution. Film is another story. Being a small place, film is not a big advertising medium here. As a result, very few films are created here. There have been exceptions in the past but I can say that India is better in film than Singapore. Malaysia has a good balance of both print and film though a lot needs to be done and its best is yet to come. Ogilvy's One Show Gold and JWT's recent Cannes Grand Prix are the signs of this already happening.

•

FROM TBWA TO GREY Mike Amour had been appointed Chairman and CEO, Grey Global Group Asia Pacific, based in Singapore. He will take on his reN role in January 2005, succeeding Jonathan Fox who has been interim regional director for Grey Global Asia Pacific since the beginning of this year. OIINESE KUNG RJ ACTION IN INDIA The ad for Bajajs latest bike, DiscOJer features Kung fu action star Jackie Chan as a monk. who falls prey to the Last Temptation. Created by 0 & M and shot entirely in China, the script was brought to life by internationally acclaimed Di-rector Prasoon Pandey. •

•

HALl OF FAME The Institute of Advertising Singapore (lAS) had recently held i1s 6th Annual Singapore Advertising Hall of Fame Awards this. MindShare Group Singapore had not only received the most nominations among agencies, it has also been awarded "The Media Agi!:rq of the Year 2004To add on to the gbry of the group, Manpreet Singh, Managing Director MindShare Group, Singapore was named Advertising Professional of the Year; an award that recognises outstanding achievement and excellence in his role. A first for a media agency head to get this prestigious award • MOVING UP AT MEDIAEDGE."CJA Two promotions were announced at Mediaedge:cia(MEC), Asia Pacific. Bertilla Teo is OON the Chief Executive Officer; of MEC China. Reporting to David Morgan, Chief Executive Officer; North Asia. And Soonthom Areerak, previously Channel Planning Director at MEC Thailand, is OON Managing Director; MEC Singapore who will report to Andre Nair; CEO MEC Asia Pacific. Andre Nair; CEO of Asia Pacific, commented "These promotions result from making talent management a top priority at MEC. Bertilla & Soonthom are fantastic performers. Its immensely satisfying to promote from within and, in this case, across countries."

il a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

MC2 2003 "Robbery"

Sonal Dabral

HE had star quality in him from his varsity days. As a popular Veejay in his bachelor days, he had his own horde of fans. One always senses a certain Bollywood magic in his presence. This magic first touched Ogilvy Mumbai, taking it from the zero to the hero setting and creative standards in India. From there, he once again worked his magic in helping win Malaysia's first Gold Pencil from the One Show Awards. This creative genius of Sonal Dabral has stretched beyond India, into Malaysia and now, Singapore. He had recently been invited to judge at the British D & AD and the American Andy Awards. ADOI catches Sonal in Singapore for more details.

How are the Creatives different, from Ogilvy India, Malaysia and Singapore? Having spent considerable amount of time working in India, Malaysia and now in Singapore, I've come to the conclusion that the creative people and the creative processes are probably the same all over the world. We share the same joy, same moments of happiness and same occasional cribs on briefs and tough clients! There are a few differences though when it comes to the quality of work produced. Unlike India and Malaysia, Singapore has been and still is very strong in Print Advertising. Some of the good print work produced here is absolutely world class,

You have achieved so much in the ad indusby. Is there a particular event that you are especially proud of? Why? That's a tough question. I just realized I haven't thought about this often or maybe because every proud moment was followed by generous amounts of alcohol, that my memory is failing me. There is not one but a few I can think of that I'm especially proud of. Seeing my Ammaji [my mother] dressed in a white Sari, surrounded by all my Ogilvy India colleagues in black. That was our traditional Awards shows attire at Ogilvy India] barely managing to control her tears as I received the very first agency of the year award on behalf of Ogilvy India in 1996 after Ogilvy had spent years in creative wilderness! Going on stage in New York to receive Malaysia's very first One Show Gold, waving a photo of the team that worked on the campaign. And the proudest moment: 3.05 pm, 25th of March 2004. Watching Mr.Jayden Neel Dabral arrive on this planet! You have been selected to judge the prestigious D & AD Awards and the Andy awards. How do you feel? Happy! And the judging of Andy awards take me to the beaches of Hawaii! Boring! In your opinion what defines an award winner? A piece of work with an idea that hits you straight on the face with its simplicity, freshness and flawless execution. And when you have recovered from the punch, one that makes you say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

I think I

look cool on this bike lah . .. You've seen it at mamak restaurants, coffee shops, colleges & universities, hypermarket food courts, cafes & delis. It's time to make your brand the topic of conversation amongst your target group. Consumers are no longer standing still. Capture them where they spend most of their time with TableTalk, the only medium with a unique prolong duration of exposure.

Tableview (M) Sdn Bhd (527844-M) Unit A503 & A505, Kelana Square, 17 Jalan 557/26, 47301 PetalingJaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Tel: 603.7491.8166 Fax: 603.7491.88122

E#mail: great2B@tableview.com.my URL: www.tableview.com.my

iew

FestiveTreat

YES, it's that time of year again and Astra is spreading the Christmas cheer and ushering in the new year with a bang! They are sharing a variety of Christmas delights for the whole family with feel good movies and entertainment programmes fi lled with fun . And that's not all, join them in the countdown to the New Year with an array of specials brought to you exclusively by Astra !

CHRISTMAS SPECIALS: ADAM SANDLER'S EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS {U) on HBO, 25 Dec at 10:30am Stars (voices of) : Adam Sandier, Jackie Trtone, Rob Schneider; Jon Lovitz Davey (voiced by Sandier, 50 Rrst Dates, Anger Management) is a crazy, tunloving Jewish guy who is involved in yet another brush with the law, this time for drunkenness. The exasperated judge is about to send him to prison but local youth basketball league referee Whitey speaks up for Davey and says he could use an assistant, so the judge reiEmes Davey to Whitey's custody. At first he stubl::x:lmly remains ill-mannered and selfish, but ~the holidays roll around, he is redeemed by Whitey and his twin sister Eleanore. Davey eventually has a change of heart, and he rediscovers the true meaning of Hanukkah and Christmas.

JUS11N TIMBERLAKE: DOWN HOME IN MEMPHIS on Star VVorld, 25 Dec at 5:00pm Get up close and personal with Justin's intimate Memphis homecoming - and his first network special! Performing live before a small, local audience, Justin lets his love of music shine through ~ he sings "Cry Me A River;" and many of his other hits. Plus, join â&#x20AC;˘. him~ he shows you around his hometown of Memphis, and discusses his upbringing, his values and welcomes some surprise guests. Justin performs his

hits including Rock Your Body, Gone, Cry Me A River, and duets with Black Eyed P~ on the #1 hit Where Is The Love, and AI Green for Let's Stay Together. Seamlessly interwoven into the live perfonnance are poignant hometown remembrances of growing up in Memphis amidst its legendary music scene.

A FARE TO REMEMBER on Star VVorld, 24 Dec at 9:30pm and 25 Dec at 1:30am and 2:00pm A high-powered business executive (Challen Cates) takes on an ac;signment on Christmas Eve, knowing she is to get married immediately after the holiday. Arriving at the SeatHe airport, she discovered all flights are cancelled and she has to get to LA She then hires an obnoxious cabbie (Malcolm-Jamal W~ to transport her to LA However, the cabbie eventually proves to be rather endearing while she maintains her upper cia$ posturing. This twcrhour television motion picture also stars Jerry Springer and John Ra1zenberger.

players meet in a one-on-one street battle to see who moves on and who is eliminated. The final episode will present the semi-finals and finals of "Battleground: Round 2" where only one man will be named the true king of the world of street ball. This international tournament will see New Yorkers playing Parisians on the courts of Paris, a native of Chicago playing in Germany, as well as a Los Angeles native taking on the courts of Spain. Each episode will also include international and local NBA stars and legends discussing their home courts and the importance of the street ball they grew up on.

on MN, 25 Dec at 10:30pm.

A CAROL CHRISTMAS on Hallmark, 25 Dec at 9:00pm Carol Cummings is the hottest thing on televisiorl--ood the most heartless. It's got her where she is today. But ~ the holidays approach, she's paid a visit by three spirits determined to show her the error of her ways. Can they really help the irresistibly beautiful, unfathomably rich, and impossibly rude modemday Scrooge to find her heart and soul? It's Christmas. Miracles can happen.

Every Saturday, 10:30pm Each episode of "Battlegrounds: Round 2" will highlight two players, the cities they represent, and the courts they grew up on, before the

FEAR FACTOR CHRISTMAS SPECIALS on AXN, 25 Dec at 1:OOpm Bored of jolly old Santa and his red-nosed rein-

BATTLE GROUNDS: KINGS OF THE WORLD

continued on page 36

II a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

Monday

Thursday

Saturday

Departure 0850

Arrival

1510

151 0

Stockholm, Sweden. Introducing the latest destination in our international network. Now you can fly non-stop from Kuala Lumpur to Stockholm every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. For reservations and flight schedules, please call Malaysia Airlines at 1 300 88 3000, your travel agent or log on to www.malaysiaairlines.com . Over 100 destinations across 6 continents.

-fimalagJiii! Going beyond expectations All hours indica ted in focal time.

CHRISTMAS SPECIALS:

deer? Join AXN when the Fear Factor Christmas Specials put a whole rtffN twist to that familiar old season! From eating reindeer testicles to being chained up under icy cold water, AXN's Fear Factor Christrlm Specials have everything to stave off the yawns this Christrlm Day.

Fear Factor (Season 3) Chrisbnas Show at 1pm Fear Factor (Season 3) Blizzard Show at 2pm Fear Factor (Season 4) Christrlm Episode at 3pm Fear Factor (Season 4) Family Fear Factor at 4pm Fear Factor (Season 4) Family Fear Factor 2 at 5.30pm

PROTEGE DE LA ROSE NOIRE on Astro Wah Lai Toi, 24 Dec 24 at 9:30pm The legendary Black Rose is back! Two young girls, Sa Zi and Lu Qiao (played by TWINS, Gillian Chung and Charlene Chol) first met when they made enquiries at and old house that has been put up for rent. Little do they know that within the four walls of the dilapidated mansion, lives a mysterious lady called Black Rose (feresa Mo), who imprisons the two young girls in the dungeon below and forces them to be her disciples .. . HAPPY NAKED CHRISTMAS on Celestial Movies, 24 Dec at 9:00pm This romantic comedy from Korea revolves around a rookie cop and his fateful entanglement with his cunning street boss nemesis. The plot thickens as both men are involved with the same girl working in the bowling alley! Starring Hong Gyeong-ln and Cha Tae-Hyun.

ELOISE AT CHRISTMAS TIME on Disney, 24 Dec at 12:00noon It's Christrl'm at the Plaza Hotel in Eloise at Christrlm lime and it's even more special as the hotel prepares for a wedding! While waiting for her mother to anive from Paris, Eloise decides to poke her nose into a wedding party and sniffs out that something's amiss. Turns out that the bride, Rachel (who is also the hotel owner's daughter), still harbors feelings for her old flame. Eloise becomes suspicious of the groom's true intentions and decides to take matters into her hands, all to ensure that true love will prevail and save the day!

FEEL 100% ONCE MORE on Celestial Movies, 24 Dec at 11 :OOpm In this sequel to the comedy blockbuster, "Feel 100%", Yen (Sammi Cheng) and Marco (Ekin Cheng) attempt to rekindle their romance during a bip to Japan. Things get complicated though when Marco meets and falls for a beautiful model named Gobby (Chingmy) while there. Thereby follows a series of comic situations before the young couple finally realize their true feelings for each other

VERY JERRY CHRISTMAS

NEW YEAR SPECIAlS:

on Cartoon Network, 24 Dec at 7:00pm Your favorite mouse, Jerry is joining your Christmas celebrations this year and he has brought our finest cartoon stars along with them! Celebrate Christrlm with the Powerpuff Girls, Dexter, ScoobyDoo, Johnny Bravo, the Jetsons and Courage the Cowardly Dog, in a 36 hours cartoon marathon, featuring some of your favourite movies like, ''The Little Polar Bear'' and ''Tom & Jerry: The Magic Ring", as wekk as Christrlm special including, ''The Powerpuff Girls: Twas the FIQht before Chrisbnas" and "A Johnny Bravo Christrl'm", only on Cartoon Network

II a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

MICHAEL JACKSON: 30TH ANNIVERSARY CB..EBRATION, THE SOLO YEARS on Star World, 31 Dec at 8:00pm and 11 :30pm It's the most talked-about musical event of the year! Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, The Solo Years is the television all-star salute to the "King of Pop," celebrating his 30 years as a solo performer. Taped before a live audience from New York's Madison Square Garden, this special earmarks Jackson's first live US performance in nearly 11 years and the first reunion with his brothers in 20 years. The ros-

ter of perfooners and guests reads like the Who's Who A-list and includes the talents of Male Anthony, Destiny's Child, Missy Elliott, Gloria Estefan, Nelly Furtado, Whitney Houston and many more.

FASHION ROCKS on Channel M. 30 Dec at 8:00pm This month, fashion and music fuse in an All-Star celebration at the 2004 Fashion Rocks concert, held at NYC's Radio City Music Hall. Massive names filled the stage and thrilled the crowd . These include superstars like Beyonce, Usher, Andre 3000, Avril Lavigne, Hoobastank, Alicia Keys and much more. Tune in to today's most extraordinary musicians on one stage for one unprecedented night of style and fashion. Style, music.. . bring them all together.... Fashion Rocks!

ALL THAT -100TH EPISODE SPECIAL on Nickelodeon, 31 Dec at 1:OOpm and 6:30pm An hour long special to celebrate the 1OOth episode of All That. Featuring a galaxy of stars, music, mayhem and lots of laughs!

IRANDAVATHU SANTHARPAM on Vaanavil, 1 Jan '05 at 7:00pm Regu is an alcoholic who completely neglects his wife and children. His selfishness for alcohol has got no limitations, until the day he finally meets with death and faces the light, the almighty Gcx:l for judgement

AUTOGRAPH on Vaanavil, 1 Jan '05 at 10:00pm Stars: Cheran, Sneha, Gopika, Mallika, Kaniha, Krishna, Rajesh, Director. Cheran, Music: Vldyasagar Senthil, who works in an advertising company, wishes to invite his old friends and other acquaintances to his upcoming marriage. As he travels to the places he lived in his past, his mind too travels to the past, reminiscing about the three woman who have played an important part in his life. Kamala, his first love (though he never realized it at that time), L.athika, the girl he fell in love with in college and Divya, his friend who was responsible for making him who he is today.

---------------------------~-------~---

'choice' it's just what you've been waiting for...

SINGAPORE

fu:.

Ill: 485 62213336 62212322 ,.,ltll@phDIDIIbllry.com

MALAYSIA

Ill: +IJIJ 3 m1 61162

tu: +IJIJ 3 m1 5172 myullllflphDIDIIbllry.com

THAILAND

Ill: M 2 233 BD20 lu: . , 2 233 8024

lhallllflp/HIIollbllry.com

_YoungGuns

â&#x20AC;˘av MONICA WONG

CREATIVE talents from 51 different countries

Celebration drinks! Mun and Tan Vee Klang with judge Laura Palmer

The winning entry, wonderbra "whiteboard"

II a001 MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

participated in the recent Young Guns Internat ional Advertising and Design Awards in Sydney. This Award is the Cannes equivalent for under-30s. It provides a forum and award scheme for bright sparks dreaming of setting the world on fire. It has in a short span of four years, secured prestidigitation in the international creative scene. Competition was intense as young talents all over the world , pit their skills against each other. This year, only one team had stood out for Malaysia. Naga DDS has once again bagged a Bronze bullet for Malaysia with its work "Whiteboard" to promote Wonderbra for EUT Fashion. The creative was conceptualised by Mun (Creative Group Head) and Tan Yee Kiang (Graphic Designer). This recognition was followed by richly deserved commendations. "Our young creative people are our future and no one is growing and teaching them better than Naga DDS. " says Bob Scarpelli, Chairman of DDS Chicago. When I caught up with Mun and Yee Kiang, I had to ask what was running in their head when they created the idea. The answer was not totally unexpected. (No prize for guessing!) Neither of them had expected to win, they were elated when the surprise came, and have not stopped hopping in joy since. Of course, the words 'increment' and 'added bonus' were mentioned briefly in our conversation. They are both excited and are working harder than ever to create more 'cool stuff'. They are definitely two talented young creatives to look out for. But where would a student be without the patient guidance of a teacher. "It takes talent to be the best in any class, the 'young guns' should be proud of their work as we are proud of them. You should be even prouder that whilst it takes talent to win, it takes even more talent to build winners." wrote John Ziegler, President of DDB Asia Pacific. The talent builder referred, is without a doubt Ted Lim, ECD of Naga DDB. Ted has groomed a pool of award-winning creative talents over the years. He attributed the success to his talented team and the agency's creative environment.

Plastic coffee cups, Twin Tower replicas, awards and other useless items.

ReshMal Are premiums gifts really of little or no value to customers? It depends who you source your premium gifts from. At ReshMal, we design and customize corporate gifts, premiums and other promotional items, cutting out the middleman. Everything from Umbrellas, Caps, T-Shirts, Clocks or even a Twin Tower replica. Normally, for as little as half the price of our competition. We have, at any one time, over 2000 various gifts at our I0,000 sq. ft warehouse. And we mean premium gifts, not the tacky ones you're probably accustomed to receiving. Why not call us for a quote. A very, very, very competitive quote. Rcsi!Mol Entrrp11sc Sdn Bl!d Lot l/6,jolan Scn10ngat, Selangor DE. Moloys10 Tel 603-795Âˇ1-3073. 603-7954-3060

Fox 603-7954-2973

E-rna1l 111(o@rcslunal corn 1 Wcbs1tc ww1v rrslunal com

MobileTech

NewsBriefs World •

CANNES YOUNGEST JURY PRESIDENT

P.J. Pereira, Brazil's most awarded online advertising creative professional, has been named president of the cyber jury at next year's Cannes Uons International Advertising Festival. He is the founder and creative director of the Sao Paulo interactive agency AgenciaCiick, Pereira, 31, will be one of the youngest jury presidents the festival has ever had, and the first Brazilian to head the cyber jury.

•

WPP ADDS ON $100M ACCOUNT

WPP Group has won the Samsung Electronics global account, worth up to US$700 million. Samsung said WPP agencies "will provide ongoing support for Samsung's core global brand marketing programs in strategic markets around the world." WPP agencies have already begun work on the account, with the aim of breaking an ad campaign in early 2005.

•

ONCE upon a time... the only reliable medium to

OMNICOM'S VICE CHAIRMAN RETIRING

Tom Watson, who was part of the team that created ad agency holding company Omnicom Group nearly 20 years ago and helped make it a giant in the field of integrated marketing, is retiring from his role as vice chairman at the end of the year. His position will not be refilled. He will continue as dean of Omnicom University.

•

BEERBRAWL

Budweiser has gotten into a beer brawl with Miller Brewing Co. Anheuser-Busch has been running ads mocking Miller's recent referee spots, in which refs "flag" drinkers for hoisting Budweiser or Bud Light (penalties include "roughing the palate"). They then replace them with Miller beers. Retaliation to this has been tremendous. Independent ad agency Cannonball, St. Louis, created the effort. This cat fight is definitely entertaining.

• BUILT FOR SPEED DGWB Advertising & Communications unveiled a creative campaign for Toshiba America Business Solutions, featuring Toshiba's Segment 6 copier, thee-STUDIO 1050, that is dubbed "Built for Speed." To demonstrate the speed of this machine, the ads created used 1947 race footage from Utah's world-famous Bonneville Salt Flats in which race cars were replaced with the Toshiba copier as it speeds through the desert. •

SCHEMBRI TO PLAN MEDIA FOR DISCOVERY NETWORK Former J. Walter Thompson senior partner and com-

·.

;- munications director, Chris Schembri has been i named vice president, media for Discovery Net'Works, U.S. In his new role, Schembri will oversee 1 · media planning and strategy efforts across Dis1

the.

• c'overy's 13 U.5. networks.

; t _ __ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ __ _

__J

11 CIOOIMABkErfNGCOMMUNICATIONS ' - ·-· ..

''Video Kill the Radio Star''... Or Did It? access news and information is the daily paper. It is during this time that the idea of media consumption is singularly focused. A person will read his daily news religiously. The print daily perpetually is his only window to the world. The most distinctive feature unfolding at present is a proliferation of new and old media; there are more dimensions to old media. There are more new forms of communicative interaction; the Web, COROM's, economical printing on demand, mobile phones, digital television, unified messaging, optical scanners, and many other media have become widespread in recent times, and more yet will be marketed soon. Perhaps these media will undergo a shakEHJut, leading back to the relatively homogeneous and simplistic days. But more likely, media will continue to multiply. Choice and variety is a 21st-century reality, even the mass media cannot escape this. Everybody's life will include a whole ecology of media; some will be voluntarily chosen and others will be inescapable parts of life in public places and workplace. Since the advent of the Internet, a new dimension is added on to old media, "real-time interactivity" and a click of a button. The convergence of the Internet technology and electronic broadcasting has brought about many possibilities in message dissemination. In Malaysia, this has happened with ASTRO and its digital set-up box as well as the promotion of Digital Radio where audiences not only listens to their favourite DJs but can view happenings in the studio as well as chat and interact with the DJs via the Internet. Perhaps the most glaring convergence trend now in Malaysia is of mobile phones and electronic broadcasting. SMS-to-lV is exploding on both free-to-air television as well as ASTRO as they realized that the penetration of mobile phones is much higher (currently more than 50%) than their set-up

boxes. We are faced with the reality of converged communication consumption - the new media consumers have low attention span and cannot focus on a singular task only. They can surf the Internet while listening to the radio or even the television. They can check on stock indices through teletext while watching television through "picturein-picture", they can even watch television while driving today!!! The real challenge, as media proliferate and change; is for the designers. "Designers" include the writers, directors, producers, composers, performers, public speakers, editors, marketers, advertising agencies, media planners and others who make the decisions about the format and content of communications media whether for others' purposes or their own. Designing the right message with the right angle for media, and particularly for new or converged media where stable conventions have yet to be established requires many kinds of effort research, experimentation, rational choice, iteration of prototypes, and learning from the work of others. The trick is however, to go back to the roots of communication and of integrated marketing. Designing the right message for the right medium means designing it for the way and the purpose this medium (or converged medium) is consumed. Understanding the consumer and their habits, the media and its possibilities will help designers use the new and old converged medium better. The worst thing to do today, is to hide and avoid the new medias and the obvious convergence possibilities. Designers will have more to loose. A positive view to all this confusion is that there are more possibilities today for designers to deliver their message across. The possibilities are endless today in the new genres possible through media convergence. Don't ignore it, take advantage of it! Converged consumption of media via SMS-to-lV

' .:· .- ·i..: .

· . . . .:.. ..~~ -- ·~tive

.._!i .. ~ ~/ .

- ... ·~

THE ~ .PRICE~

OF BEAUTY

"-....

•av MONICA WONG

•

~~.

• --.!_.

~ .·

:~.

-~ '",t .

"I DIDN'T ASK TO BE BORN FAT." Janice Lee, has always envied the slim figures of actresses and models. Having been a chubby baby, she grew to be a fat teen then an obese woman weighing over a hundred kg. She was introverted and has a low self esteem because of her size. Seeing Ally McBeal, drove her NUTS! She made a vow to lose weight. After three years and RM13,600, she had finally lost 6kg. She's still no Christy Chung, but definitely a happier person. This is the success story of only one person. How many obese women are there in Malaysia? According to TNS, Malaysia with 35% obese housewives ranks No.1 in Asia. Weight consciousness is increasing. This is the impact of anorexic slim models and movie stars portrayed in various medium surrounding our lives. It would be farthest from my imagination to see a fat woman endorse Cadbury or even Dove Shampoo. Consciously or sub consciously we are all influenced in a way or another by the things we see. · Slimming centres in Malaysia are gaining pop) . ularity as quickly as the demand grows. We all , .warit.a p~inless way to look good. They are mushrooming everywhere, from shopping malls to home consultation. It is a competitive game. The

weak lose not only weight, but also their sh~ of the pie. Thus advertising is rampant. By far, the advertising expenditure of the more established slimming centres is on newspapers, magm;ines and radio. Leading at the top, rides Marie France Bodyline spending RM2.9m in just 8 months. Slin.ming centres are not only aggressive in their mar~. .a keting, applies the same strategy on recruitment of members. They offer free packages, free trials or free maintenance, after consultation. That is where the trap is laid. I felt totally guilty whenever I ate after one consultation. The ads and consultation trigger the desire

.<¥.. .

~.·

:~-.:"4X .i~.·.·

of many. During peak season, there could 30 to 40 e~quiries per day. Adding the temptatic....1 . ,· of free trials, an average of 25 to 30 people si ·• ';,,!. J. up every month at the more popular centre~ if.,; • :../' Minimum enrolment charges ranged from RM1 ,000 to RM1 ,800, not inclusive of cream ··'· and whatnots. When asked of the maximum·. A · ..;., - _ consultant replied, "There is maintenance fee ro to.. consider and there is no limit to beauty." · -· i' Would we pay the price? Yes of c · most will, we love ourselves too much to y promise our vanity. And for some, it IS ot • luxury but a necessity.

'•

::....:-

.¥1

All MEDIA COMPETITIVE EXPENDITURE ESTIMA 1 Period: Jamy 2004 mhlgust 2004

~ -

www.era.fm

• A

o 1o

Er w o • r s

www.hltz.fm

AIRTIME MANAGEMEN T & PROGRAMMING SON BHD {403412·0) All Asia Broadcast Centre, Technology Park Malaysia. Lebuhraya Puchong-Sg Besi, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 603-9543 8888 Fax: 603-9543 3888