www.marketingmagazine.com.my popculture ISSUE #269 NOVEMBER2020 WEEKENDER The Emergency Issue! Checklist of critical roadblocks facing our industry... popculture WEEKENDER COVER STORY Can we be ONE again? I don’t know when or what EDITOR'S NOTE to call anything an Emergency Tales of the sunken anymore, but sofa Whatever we preach I have good about sitting up reasons to believe straight and working our industry 123RF at the table, the sofa is needs major our new island.... repurposing and it is clear... Cover picture by 04 08 17 22 The 7 Your list of Dimensions Malaysians of Effective In- who are House Teams shining As marketers need overseas! better integration to deliver on omnichannel customer experience... MARKETING WEEKENDER is published by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd 22B, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 603-7726 2588 [email protected]. www.marketingmagazine.com.my © All Rights Reserved By: Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd (289967-W) No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior permission in writing from the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions and/ or for any consequences of reliance upon information in this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or editor. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertisers. TRAITORS DIE A THOUSAND MISERABLE“ DEATHS ALONE. BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOTHING TO TRADE EXCEPT THEIR NAKED PURSUIT FOR POWER. Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary-General.” IN ALMOST EVERY INSTANCE, UNCOVERING“ TRUTH MEANS HEARING THE WORDS OF PEOPLE WHO AREN’T YOU. https://nyti.ms/2TNPhuJ” WE DON’T GET THEM TO TRY OUR PRODUCT BY“ CONVINCING THEM TO LOVE OUR BRAND, WE GET THEM TO LOVE OUR BRAND BY CONVINCING THEM TO TRY OUR PRODUCT. @AdContrarian” 4 ISSUE269NOVEMBER2020 | WEEKENDER EDITOR’S NOTE Tales of the sunken sofa 123RF Image from Whatever we preach about Binge watching has redefined sitting up straight and working the term couch potato as at the table, the sofa is our new weekdays blur into weekends island. And only if it could tell and you remain spoilt for choice, stories about us since an MCO of left with “nothing to see”. any kind began…. Any oaf, sitting on a decent Today, I touch upon some sofa, will tell you TV viewership truths which may explain why has gone through the roof, while sofas are caving in… the Guardians of the Media Galaxy still play cat and mouse ENTERTAINMENT to get their pound of flesh before Never before in recent modern confirming airtime for clients. history has television glued Shocking: media owners us to the sofa like ever before. spend up to billions to set up Add a tablet or two and some their stations/platforms and at mobile devices, you have a major the end of the day they are at happening party to rival any 72- the mercy of a media planner in hour Punjabi wedding. a multi-cubicled shoplot in SS2 5 ISSUE269NOVEMBER2020 | WEEKENDER EDITOR’S NOTE (great kway teow places there), A similar trajectory can be who has no clue where Simpang made of Media Prima stations. Renggam is, makes the buy call Where are the “real-time” from his/her RM50,000 paid-up experts now, who love to capital outfit. excitingly guide clients to where While Astro’s TV viewership the eyeballs are? Where? Where? increased by 43% as daily time spent rose 30% since the E-COMMERCE start of MCO, there has been Sofa shopping is the new no noticeable shift in media lifestyle. investment by advertisers According to Statista, as of Q2 accordingly. 2020, Shopee (with almost 1,000 6 ISSUE269NOVEMBER2020 | WEEKENDER EDITOR’S NOTE ... Well, my sofa may celebrating goals, birthdays, awards, elections, ride-hailing, never see a V but it has good food, travel offers and clear symptoms of Us more. and Ws all over... E-commerce players are also focused on Livestreaming events and in-app games to increase employees), led the Malaysian user engagement. e-commerce market as the most I feel marketers should look at clicked e-commerce site in the these new consumer behaviours country. Followed by Lazada, PG rather than the tired metrics from Mall and Lelong. The subsequent the same ‘pulse of the nation’ rankings depend on who you barometers. talk to. Use your heart when making As some say, the votes have your media decisions, the math yet to be counted! will only get you so far. There are With around 38.3 million already so many truths staring clicks, Shopee is the leading at your face right in your own online shopping platform in home. Malaysia and Southeast Asia. In the meantime, I wonder if Malaysia is expected to sofa sales have gone up... maintain a leadership role in According to Khoo Yeow online sales across the region; our Chong, President of the eCommerce sector was valued at Malaysian Furniture Council RM15.4 billion last year and this (MFC), furniture makers are was well before COVID set in. expecting a V-shaped recovery But laughing all the way to this year. the bank this year are global tech Well, my sofa may never see a giants (see chart on previous V but it has clear symptoms of Us page). and Ws all over. To all you sofa refugees out EVENTS there, throw me a pillow if you From webinars, Zoom agree. meetings and virtual learning, our sofa pillows are getting more learned than us these days. 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We need leadership with new thinking so we can progress beyond the same old same old….or is too late? 9 ISSUE269NOVEMBER2020 | WEEKENDER COVER STORY Emergency #1: Then in a strange twist of COMMON MEDIA destiny the government got CURRENCY involved last year through How can we have two media regulator MCMC. Personally, I currencies for television is do not see how a government beyond me. regulatory body can moderate Astro goes with Kantar an issue that serves commercial while the rest (including Media interests. We are certainly not Prima) use Nielsen figures. The discussing the price of essential fees for Nielsen and Kantar are goods here! astronomical and not many Anyway two-term ex agencies can afford them in these President of the Malaysian times. Media Specialists Association is More than five years have now helming that committee at passed since this dual dilemma, MCMC, at least he knows what’s with many overtures made by going on, having successfully many groups including trade resolved the double-taxation associations coming to the table. issue for agencies during the Result: zilch. introduction of digital tax in 123RF Image from 10 ISSUE269NOVEMBER2020 | WEEKENDER COVER STORY ... Only when the rules are clear, can we as an 123RF industry become accountable and thrive... Image from relation to billings from Google The issue of a common and Facebook. A curious example currency is the lifeblood of of MCMC brand policing here. a vibrant media ecosystem Radio audience measurement and stimulates growth and is also not streamlined and the innovation. Only when the rules Audit Bureau of Circulations are clear, can we as an industry (ABC) remains the only become accountable and thrive. alternative to print measurement. “As digital spend increases When many magazines pulled exponentially especially when its out of ABC some years ago, its fuelled by Covid-19, advertisers standing swayed in print. Then require more transparency as newspapers got trashed by walled gardens/media owners digital and started proritising (ie. Google and Facebook) are digital measurement…. not fully audited by independent Don’t get me started on digital third parties,” says Joseph Lim, measurement as ABC Interaktif Chief Marketing Officer at Tune which began with an ambitious Talk. aim of measuring digital media almost 15 years ago remains Emergency #2: just that: a project. Only an DIGITAL FRAUD organization like the Interactive Bernard Lee, Head Advertising Bureau (IAB) can of Marketing Services at Digi handle this, and Malaysia is not says, “Ad fraud and digital on their radar to the best of my accountability are big issues knowledge. for marketers, plus the privacy 11 ISSUE269NOVEMBER2020 | WEEKENDER COVER STORY “The biggest roadblock Customers everywhere are now is the peaking pulling back on spending, and unemployment at sticking to value buys or essential items only in anticipation of a 9%, along with the rough future 2-3 years.” impending or already- “Therefore, for marketers now, here recession. not only do we have to battle Customers everywhere changing legislation that seems are pulling back on to be updated daily, but also spending, and sticking shrinking discretionary income to value buys or where everyone is fighting for the last ringgit out there.” essential items only in “The rise of digital adoption anticipation of a rough is plagued with digital fraud.