VOL.6, APR-JUN 2005
BRAND EQUITY
INSIGHT THRU’ MARKET INTELLIGENCE
RM10.00
5/18/05, 12:50 PM
1
COVER final
We are simply delighted that this issue’s lineup
includes more homegrown products and services
Celcom is on the cover and its brand building
adventure is certainly tinged with loads of
excitement Nothing more need be said other than
the fact that the telco operators are treating
customers with undiminished importance
editor’s note
Raghunath
2
Customers are well into the frenzied adoption of
mobile phones and the amazing repertoire of
services That directed us to the doors of MNC
Consulting a mobile business solutions provider to
be reckoned with We believe that their tools are well
positioned to assist aspiring brand builders
Service providers such as FBI have given clients that
much needed opportunity to get closer to customers
at the ground level Drypers has made a comeback
with an inspiring story that says a lot about making
defensive as well as offensive moves as a market
leader
Arc Worldwide offers a repertoire of ROIcentric
multidisciplinary communications solutions for
brand ascension A case study featuring Arc’s
adventure with the Virgin brand is an encouraging
read
We welcome back our legion of multifrontier experts
in the area of brand protection personal branding
relationship marketing and well as SME branding
This issue also features the thoughts of an expert on
brand loyalty
As always ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research
have graced the pages with information of value
A lot has been said and written about brand building
Nevertheless it’s a mad world out there and things
aren’t getting any easier
The cobblestoned track offers challenges that must
be negotiated with innovative ideas and true grit as
well
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Brand Revisited | 06
The Passion Endures
Drypers makes a ‘Passionate’
comeback in this piece as a brand on the offensive
Cover Story | 10
It’s in Your Hands
Celcom’s analysis of customers delivers what matters to
them connection & control
features
Brand Equity
SME Branding | 48
Increasing Market Share & Profit Margins
A brand consultant presents his views about transiting
from sales to brand management
Below the Line Branding | 18
Fabulous Business Ideas
A cluttered media environment is driving brand builders to
onground activities
Mobile Marketing Solutions | 22
Solutions with Limitless Possibilities
A mobile business solutions provider offers a
repertoire of tools for engaging customers
4
Relationship Marketing | 35
The Proof of the Pudding
A relationshipmarketing practitioner proposes key
metrics for measuring direct marketing programs
BrandLaw | 32
Copyright & Consequences
Presenting the ninth in a series that carries constructive
ideas for defending brand value
Contemporary Communications | 27
Multidisciplinary ROIcentric Communications
Customer Loyalty | 42
Truly Loyal Customers do not Have to be
Bought!
Arc Worldwide rolls out a slew of communication disci
plines to deliver for aspiring brands
A critical look at some commonly held beliefs about
loyalty programs
Shopper Trends | 54
Malaysian Shopping Habits
Market Research | 44
Tracking Brand Performance
ACNielsen’s tracking activities gives a bird’s eye view of
shopping trends & nuances in A research agency offers a potent tool for tracking brand
equity
ACNielsen Update | 65
Fast Food Brand Mapping & Online Surveys
Brand Ambassador | 38
It’s all in the Stars
ACNielsen offers its insights and thoughts into a range of
areas and issues
Explores the logic behind moving the brand portfolio
with potent brand ambassadors
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Media Equity
Media Specialist | 57
The Media Maverick
A seasoned specialist behind the Images
Corporation has an enviable journey to tell
Nielsen Media Research | 60
A Bullish Adex Heralds Confidence
The Government a dogfight for eyeballs and
mindspace propels adex to meaningful levels
Personal Branding | 52
The Personal Connection
Weighty thoughts on Personal Branding from
Bill Arruda the world’s leading exponent on
the subject
Trade Fair Research | 74
Monitoring Trade Fairs?
Decisive ideas on the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ of
monitoring the success of trade fairs
Management
Publisher : James Selva
Executive Publisher : R. T. Selvii Publishing Director : R. S. Kumar
Editorial
Group Editor : Raghunath (email: brandman@tm.net.my)
Staff Writer : Chris Krishna Contributors : ACNielsen, Benjamin J. Thompson , CSeng Lim ,
Dr. Matt Hasan, GfK Research Germany, R. Venkateswaran, Salim Khubchandani, William Arruda
Media Marketing
Marketing Manager : A. Veerasingam, K.Sigamani
Marketing Executive : Anenda Sharma.
Production
Production Coodinator : R. Sangheeta
Design Team
Senior Graphic Designer : Mohd Ezral Bin Zaudi
Graphic Designer : Hemalatha N, Fazlly Ismail
Dtp Artist : S. Savithri
Administration : Kavitha
Printered By : BHS Book Printing Sdn Bhd
Member of :
Published by :
Perception Media Sdn.Bhd.
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Tel : 603-4043 0500 Fax : 603-4043 7648
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BrandRevisited
The
Passion
Endures
By Raghunath
YES IT’S ‘WELCOME BACK’ FOR
the brand featured in this tale And
one word sumsup the motive
behind such a moveappreciation
for an adventure laced with
PASSION!
Two years ago we penned a tale
about the exploits of a winning
brand’s wellcrafted firstmoves
that caught seasoned players off
guard and delivered stellar results
And we restate a fragment from
the piece’In a race peppered with
stirring miniepisodes the folks
behind
Drypers
flushed
convention down the tubes and
usurped the share positions of
leadingedge diaper brands such as
Pampers Pureen Basic BabySoft
Sealer and Huggies’
6
Eric Balinghasay
BRAND
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Since then it’s status quo of sorts
at least by position The folks
behind Drypers changed the rules
of competition by drummingup
and executing strategies plus
tactics that were somewhat alien
to the category players then
The challenger dumped the usual
‘blue liquid into the diaper and hey
presto; its dry’ creative The
package got redesigned and
translucent blue moved in looking
very inviting on retail shelves
Prices were at best consumer
centric competitive and quality
ascended
Ad campaigns tickled fathers and
kids looked adventurous Cloth
came in plastic ran for cover and
parents loved it Storybooks that
encouraged parents to read
bedtime stories came in and the
brand looked darn good A high
level of consumer awareness was
secured with a pitch as a new
modern and upcoming brand
And distribution took on an
intense stance
Drypers gave importance to
bonding in the family and
eventually took over as leader of
the category in It was a
sensitive personalityfocused
‘understand’s your baby better’
campaign that put Drypers in the
spotlight
Since then it’s business as usual
only this time the role has been
reversed they are under attack!
The brand’s posture has taken on
a hybrid facade; time for defensive
and offensive moves!
And there’s a whole lot of brand
passion that backs the brand
You’d like to talk with the brand’s
regional director of marketing Eric
Balinghasay to get a blast of it
To begin with this guy hasn’t
changed His passion for the
Drypers brand is still intact and
pretty much explicit
manner was conveyed through
emotive propositions’ said Eric
And since then a lot has happened
in the market Most brands
including global competitors
slashed their retail price At times
priceundercutting tactics were
deployed Competitor advertising
and promotions went into high
gear with new messages Some in
the pack followed Drypers closely
with somewhat similar pack
designs Amidst the skirmish
others relaunched their brands
With that background coupled
with their position the intent
became clear the brand had to be
associated with functional product
benefits; which changed the tone
and manner of communication
from last year Complementing
that was the desire to tell the
market that Drypers is the leader;
sans the uppity stance
‘Our priorities for had to
change We wanted to ensure
that Drypers is the topofmind
brand considered by most
parents when choosing a baby
diaper In addition we wanted to
defend our
position as a
market
leader rely on
our heritage
and widen the
gap with
competing
players’ said
Eric
That in turn called for changing
the way in which consumers were
engaged with the brand Trust had
to be piledriven into the mind of
new parents The consumer
Drypers experience needed to be
intense and immensely rewarding
And in line with tradition the need
He pointed out
that research
revealed gaps in
brand perception
‘We were not as
strong in terms of
function
and
performance at that
time Being a leader we
realized that we needed
to highlight Drypers’
functional features’ he
added
‘In the early years our
advertising
was
considerably personality
driven and reliant on
traditional abovetheline
media Our tone and
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to surprise plus shocknawe also
figured in campaign planning
Everything fell into place when a
multitude of touchpoints was used
to get the message across and stun
consumers And a series of
communications activities of the
degree type were rolled out
And here’s the repertoire
Drypers National Consumer
Promotion
Timing: Feb to April All
consumers had to do was purchase
any Drypers pack cut out the
barcode and attach it to a contest
form Entries had to be
accompanied by creative pictures
and illustrations either drawn
photographed or together
featuring the grand prize That’s
the firstmover element Naza
Ria MPVs aside from over
electrical prizes Eric said that
results exceeded expectations and
selected creative entries get to
flaunt on the walls of the
company SCA Hygiene
InStore Promotions
Infomercials
The idea was to create noise and
build excitement as well as linkage
for the brand amongst nonusers
The events reinforced Drypers key
selling messages which center
staged its material absorbency
and most preferred benefits
Two TV ad campaigns were aired
for the purpose of building trust
and credibility The creatives
validated the rationale behind its
position as the choice of most
Malaysian parents
TV Parenting Show
A ‘Comfort Rewards’ challenge
was executed instore All
shoppers had to do was aim and
throw a velcrowed dart at a board
that displayed the benefits of
Drypers to win prizes A
complementing ‘Drypers Perfect
Score’ enticed shoppers to drop a
ball through holes in a box that
carried a suspended diaper Prizes
were given away to shoppers that
dropped the ball onto any benefit
of the diaper
A reality show for a diaper brand?
Get out of here! But for Drypers
Abovetheline Advertising
Two new TVCs took to the air
between May and June last year
The message gave emphasis to
Drypers’ functional elements a
clothlike cover and absorbency
with a pitch that declared ‘Comfort
Inside Out’ In addition part of the
message and tone emphasized
that the brand remained the
choice of most Malaysian parents
Drypers gave importance to bonding
in the family and eventually took over
as leader of the category in It
was a sensitive personalityfocused
‘Understand’s Your Baby Better’
campaign that put Drypers in the
spotlight
Merchandizing
A
supporting
instore
merchandizing blitz was rolled out
in all market centers A repertoire
of pointofsalematerials was
displayed instore at key retail
establishments Some of them
included block displays flaglines
shelf talkers and wobblers
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it was just a case of the itch for
roping in just another innovative
touchpoint
To take off a promo ad called for
inthefamilyway couples to sign
up and take the challenge to get
natural under the lights Spread
over eight episodes the show over
TV featured real experiences and
tips shared by participating
couples on their way to
parenthood starting from the
eight month The idea was to
address elements such as
credibility and trust and in turn
highlight the funny tender and
anxious moments that pepper the
journey
A show that’s a first for the
category and went a long way to
strengthen Drypers ‘Understand’s
Your Baby Better’ equity
Drypers Super Comfortable Wee
Wee Stop
Yet another first from Drypers and
for the category The company got
in touch with PLUS with the
intention of generating trial and
interest for their disposable
variant and to reinforce their
‘super comfortable’ as well as
‘most parent’s choice’ key selling
messages
A truck was decked to generate
consumer awareness and interest
at PLUS’s R&R stops along the
NorthSouth Highway A team of
promoters descended at the stops
during the term holidays to
engage
consumers
with
information and offer free samples
as well as change of diapers
There’s a secret to the continuing
onslaught and success of the
Drypers brand The brand building
adventure remains tinged with
firstmover ideas strategic
thinking innovative moves plus
loads of passion
‘The gap is enlarging to Drypers
advantage its equity is high and
we are well into the relentless
pursuit of maintaining market
leadership’ said Eric
::: T H E T E A M B E H I N D D R Y P E R S :::
SCA Hygiene’s Marketing Team
Matthias Chan Melvin Leow Suzanne Loo
BBDO (Creative Agency)
Account Management Chong Tzin Nui Michelle
Achutan Michelle Nunis Phoebe Tan
Creatives Colin Yeoh Loh Chan Wai
FBI (BelowtheLine Agency)
Vincent Lee Avril Ong
OMD (Media Agency)
Loo Shu Fen Siew Wey Tng Theresa Quah
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c over st o ry
Celcom’s insightful analysis of
customers delivers what
matters to them
connection & control
Michael Lai
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c o v e r stor y
TM
Itʼs in your hands
By Raghunath
DEFENSIVE TACTICS OFFENSIVE TACTICS
GUERILLA TACTICS FLANK ATTACK AND IT’S WAR
DECLARED BY ALL PLAYERS IN THE MOBILE TELCO
SECTOR!
Never has Malaysian corporate history ever
chronicled an intense war of a type that continues
to rage with unyielding ferocity And never has the
Malaysian consumer been inundated with offers that
entice with absolute frenzy
It’s an unyielding battle that’s fought along several
fronts right from pricing to product development
And at times its shade of ruthlessness is prompting
the question where is this all leading to?
It’s apparent that consumers are going nuts over the
myriad of offers with none about to complain For
most it’s an opportunity to seize the moment and
trim their monthly tab even by a hefty ! And
for others time to be promiscuous!
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c over st o ry
Last year the three mobile telcos
spent hefty sums advertising their
products Significant portions of
their campaigns were product
centric and reignedin to support
tactical campaigns as well Maxis
topped the Top list of
advertisers in with RM
million (increasing over
) followed by Celcom at third
placing spending RM (up
) and Digi closing in with
fourth placing spending RM
million (up by )
subscribers and strengthen its
market position as well as bottom
line
Celcom Prepares for War
A New Persona
And in the welcome brawl giving
competitors a massive headache as
well as a run for their money is an
unrelenting Celcom In the past
year it has hit the headlines for
reasons
And as the gear shifted just under
two years ago Celcom’s first move
was to take on a new persona TM
Touch was dismantled and
absorbed by Celcom A new
refreshing identity remained vital
to its ambitious plan
Among others the company
scoured the talent landscape for
competent brand builders Enter
Michael Lai as Celcom’s Senior VP
of Branding & Communications in
with an experience bag that’s
replete with brand building
experiences
with
known
companies notably global
software giant Oracle
The inspiration behind the move
was triggered by insights revealing
that the consumer harbored the
desire to be in control; suggesting
that Celcom must be
considerably customer
centric or risk further
attrition
A new visual identity
was forged with a
contemporarized bird
in flight The
that are
aimed at moving
it smack into the war
zone as a force to be reckoned
with
With a history peppered with fault
lines that’s still fresh in the minds
of cynics the movers & shakers in
the nervecenter of its parent
Telekom (known now as TM)
decided to shift Celcom to high
gear with a clear mandate get
back on track entice more
12
brand’s persona was accentuated
with the tagline ‘It’s in Your
Hands’; simply reflecting the
customer’s desire to take charge
On Celcom’s tagline Michael said
‘It is our promise of empowerment
to customers We believe that
mobile technology is democratic;
people must use it in many
meaningful ways to enrich their
lives’
With that Celcom’s adventure
began and what followed was a
spate of proactive and reactive
moves that altered the rules of the
game
Customer Insight
But Celcom’s refreshed persona
and repertoire was rolled out in
phases on the back of insights that
were delivered from intense
market probing
A comprehensive study that
traversed
Malaysia
was
commissioned The investigation
probed every aspect of mobile
communications from a technical
personal and professional
standpoint
Michael emphasized that the
powerful insights directed Celcom
to what he labels as ‘Real
Malaysians’ ‘People out there
believed that the real values that
Malaysia stood for such as family
values unity of purpose and
understanding were under
threat of forces emanating from
the modern world In addition
everyone deep down inside their
hearts wanted to belong and have
more control over their lives’
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c over st o ry
Celcom’s Proposition
& Core Values
‘We provide the most extensive
therefore
most
powerful
telecommunication network
that’s available in Malaysia’
assured Michael ‘It’s with that
premise that Celcom ensures the
customers always take control
with their communications needs
With Celcom customers have the
power to connect and how the
customer uses it is entirely in their
hands The power to truly connect
to communicate in their own way
is what makes them who they
are’
So in place is the rationale
behind the exposure of ‘The Power
of True Connection’ a key
message incorporated of late into
Celcom’s
brand
building
campaigns
‘True Connections alludes to two
things: First and foremost the network and technology we
provide to our customers
Celcom’s network reaches places
other mobile telcos still aspire to
But that’s not what matters most
What matters most is how our
customers use this communication
power to truly connect hearts
souls dreams and aspirations’
added Michael
Target Customers
Without a doubt modish
technology offers new and
exciting changes for Celcom and
their competitors as well The
scramble to latch on and offer
highspeed data services (with G
almost in) opens new windows of
opportunity
This is the point at which content
becomes king New areas of
application must be explored to
fulfill the customer’s desire for
14
more and create new segments
In a businessasusual stance just
about everybody who needs a
mobile phone to communicate is
a potential Celcom customer As
Michael put it ‘Our ‘Celcom
Moments’ advertising campaigns
designed
to
celebrate life
demonstrate
clearly
that
Celcom is a brand
for
every
Malaysian’ Mass
is on!
Then there are the
price
conscious
teens and young
adults that find their
XPax
variant
appealing Get the
mind to work and
you’d find other options
corporate customers
from manufacturing and
service sectors The result
Celcom’s
service
repertoire and customer
options swells!
More segments spawn the
need for new products and over
time partnerships are needed to
sweeten the offer ‘We are one of
the world’s very first mobile telco
to develop a strategic partnership
with Microsoft We are working
together to leverage on each
other’s strength As a result about
corporations todate have
subscribed to our ‘Celcom
Integrated Business Solutions
(CIBS)’ service package which is
primed to deliver a seamless
experience beyond email Work
and productivity will continue
while their staff is on the move
Today Celcom can truly mobile
enable any enterprise in Malaysia
to enhance their competitiveness
productivity and bottom line It’s
much more that just providing a
mobile email system The world of
business unplugged is finally here
today with Celcom!’ he said
Celcom’s partnership is now
loaded to increase operational
efficiencies in sales force
management CRM
enterprise messaging
cash management
mobile advertising
mobile
banking
that’s in brief
‘A restaurant which
is WiFi’ed can use
Celcom as the
gateway for net
cruising patrons; a
sales executive
can dialup the
company’s
database and
confirm orders
as inventory
a
n
d
manufacturing
schedules are
verified Our
customers
can use an
application from
Microsoft’s office suite and
transfer the file wireless from their
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c o v e r stor y
mobile devices to their PCs They
can ‘google’ on their PDA’s with
our infrastructure It’s an exciting
new world’ explained Michael
On other possibilities Michael
cited a case ‘We recently tiedup
with Kenanga Securities; so we get
to penetrate a new and growing
segment The company’s remisiers
and also their customers now have
access to live streaming of all stock
quotes And their customers in
turn can manage portfolios and
even deal them’
He emphasized that Celcom is the
only company that’s ready to
provide a complete repertoire of
mobile communications solutions
for businesses corporate SMIs
SMEs and individuals
forces he said ‘Competitive
share of voice is always a
constant threat to be
watching out for Our
actions will impact one
another That is why it
pays to be a big step
ahead of the herd’
going nuts over football the brand
has linked itself to the
passionate
diversion for
m
a
n
y
Malaysians
‘Communications
must build strong
customer affinity
towards our brand
This
is
why
sponsorship is one of
few areas we focus on to
bring the brand closer to
the consumer’ said
Michael when asked about
brand communications
‘This is a competitive
b u s i n e s s
environment
Short term sales
objectives and
target
are
important in
order
to
survive;
however
being long
term branddriven
is still the key priority for
Celcom’ stressed Michael
Challenging Issues
Delivering the Brand Promise
There’s no escape from
maintaining an obligatory
eye on issues
such as share
ofvoice
revenue targets
brand delivery
consistency
c u s t o m e r
satisfaction and
among
others
competitive
onslaughts
Michael said that
challenges on several
fronts
remains
inherent
to
the
business ‘Commitment
and consistency in all
brand product and
service offerings is a must
for us In addition
simplicity in product
offerings and consistency in
communications is a priority
as well’
Touching on competitive
‘Fire at will’ It’s obvious that
of late the sector has been
peppered with a frenzy of
tactical campaigns A price
war has become an
indelible element in the
fracas between the
mobile telcos
Customers find their
new
package
somewhat ‘outdated’
in a few days post
adoption Additional
services have been
surfacing almost
every fortnight in
the
past
six
months
But Celcom has
made
some
decisive first
m o v e s Knowing that
Malaysians
have
the
habit
of
‘Celcom recognizes the
Malaysian passion for football
We would like to delight our
customers not only by providing
them with the best in
telecommunications but also in
entertainment and lifestyle We
enable our customers and
Malaysians at large to live the
passion for football through the
English Premier League and
‘Celcom InPlay’ In addition we
also enable our customers to live
the
magic
of
entertainment with ‘Celcom In
ShowBiz’ through movies music
concerts
and
other
entertainment’
‘Another area we looked at to
enhance our brand promise is
product branding In line with our
desire to simplify our product
offerings we consolidated our
range of xseries prepaid brands
under a single brand called XPax
From a branding perspective it’s
simpler and stronger’ explained
Michael
And XPax also carries some
elements that were not offered by
competing brands The key
advantages include airtime
transfer to a friend or loved one
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c o v e r stor y
and firstinMalaysia SIM card
back up; just in case you lose your
phone! Incidentally the package is
targeted at young adults women
teens and students
Amidst all that the brand has
taken the opportunity to stake a
territorial claim with a strong
message that declares ‘This is
Celcom Territory’
And strong TVCs imbue the idea
that life can be celebrated with
loads of fun Recall the ‘Celcom
Moments’ TVCs that lampoon a
hopeful trying to impress his loved
one with a SMS picture of ‘his’ Z
or an elderly hopeful getting
connected with his young tribal
wife and a chef’s escapist interlude
with a Bollywood dance scene? It’s
all very much an all Malaysian and
real Malaysians posture
But there is no let up in product
development either ‘We are the
first to help customers send an
SMS in Chinese many years ago;
and offer the first K SIM card
and
customized
menu
configuration We are the first to
introduce Microsoft Windows
Mobilebased email and business
solutions We are the first to
introduce special prepaid cards and
offerings for the women segment
And most recently we introduced
the Celcom Minutes plan the
country’s first postpaid plan that
truly charges the same low rate to
all millions mobile and fixed
phone numbers nationwide day
and night Not just within the
same network Now you don’t
have to pay higher rates to call just
because your friends or family
members are on other mobile
networks or home lines This is
definitely the FIRST in Malaysia’
he emphasized
And Celcom is very big into Futsal
a craze that’s germinating among
16
teens young adults and all those
who are ‘young at heart’ The
brand has sponsored the largest
Futsal Tournament in the country
themed Celcom inPlay Futsal
Fiesta since last year Celcom in
Play Futsal Fiesta is making
stops all over the country right
now on a city tour
Our branches Careline dealers
service quality solutions content
development and delivery everything must be coordinated to
deliver a brand that is trusted to
deliver what we promise flexibility and choices of True
Connections in our customer’s
hands’ he added
‘The aim of Celcom inPlay Futsal
Fiesta is to bring as many people
as we possibly could to come
together and celebrate the sport
of football We were more than
pleased when a total of teams
took part in Celcom inPlay Futsal
which spanned nine cities
nationwide’ he explained
As with many corporations
Celcom has received its fair share
of flak on their ARPU churn and
profit margin But with all that’s
happening what’s interesting is
Celcom’s competitive attitude they are prepared for anything
that the war has to offer And they
are not about to let up anytime
soon The next two years will tell
though!
‘ The KL event last year even made
it into the Malaysian Book of
Records and was named the ‘the
biggest Futsal tournament in the
country’ when teams
participated It’s a great honor to
be
recognized
for
this
accomplishment I am proud that
Celcom succeeded in bringing
people from many walks of life to
come together for one
purpose which is
FOOTBALL! This is a
testament to the power
of football and Celcom’s
passion for the sport’ he
added
So an assured Michael had this to
say ‘At the end of the day it’s not
about us but about the customer
We provide the power to truly
connect But what they do with it
to enrich life it’s always in their
hands!’
In responding to the issue
about price war Michael
said ‘To us price is about
giving value and we have
to cope with all that is
happening’
‘But the issue that matters
is how do we keep giving
value to our customers?
There are several other
components that must be brought
in to work together; and this is
about a degree approach to
customer management because
every touch point builds the brand
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Fabulous
Business
By Raghunath
BelowtheLineBranding
WWWFBICOMMY WE
often visit websites for obvious
reasons But this one took us for
one heck of an interesting ride!
The modest animation is worth a
trip!
And the man behind it all is no
greenhorn Vincent Lee and his
team can drumup surefire ideas to
enhance your customerbrand
connection in no time through on
ground promotional services and
events
His repertoire of services road
shows product launches contest
management sampling programs
product demos instore gondola
end merchandising design of
point of sale materials and
fabricating showcases and road
show structures
And in the battlefield belowthe
line customer engagement tactics
have become a force to be
reckoned with
Clutter in the media environment
powerful retailers with an eye on
KPIs eroding differentiation
between brands the tendency for
brand builders to realign budgets
for favorable ROI the high cost of
media advertising sophisticated
customers expecting relevant
brand experiences a mixture that
triggers the need for alternative
methods of communication; add
to the list the crusading disposition
of belowtheline specialist firms
18
ideas
An increasingly cluttered media
environment is driving brand builders
to interface with customers via
onground activities
such as FBI or Fabulous Business
Ideas
Vincent is FBI’s founder as well as
creative & marketing director A
passionate
veteran
fmcg
marketer the man comes with
matching skills that’s hard to find
The kind of jobs he has been
through after having left art
college with flying colors includes
sales production of commercials
account
management
merchandizing
brand
management as well as advertising
& promotions
As employee he has worked with
top brand owning firms an
advertising agency a production
house as well as a trading firm Add
to that the heavyweight retail
connections nationwide and what
any client is likely to gain are
potent AtoZ solutions And
sometime in between he topped
his personal portfolio with a
marketing qualification
It’s a journey that started in the
early s and took a different
tangent in when Vincent
unveiled FBI a promotion and
event management agency It’s
been five years; his client list reads
like a whoswho in the consumer
marketing arena
‘My forte is in developing
organizing and executing tactical
promotion activities for client
brands It is my intense experience
that helps me to understand my
client’s objectives and strategic
direction FBI’s goal is to support
clients with onestop promotional
solutions’ said Vincent
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More than ever speed is a source
of competitive advantage
‘Concept to execution we can get
everything up and running within
a week or two’ said Vincent
Can logistics cope? ‘That will
depend upon the client as well’ he
said ‘A large campaign requires
negotiations with retailers to book
and block space Once that is taken
care of a wellequipped sales force
supported by a team of
merchandizers can coordinate to
execute the campaign efficiently’
Vincent Lee
From idea generation to
execution
belowtheline
campaigns involve coordinating a
range of key activities
Case in point a contest must be
supported by of a team of
promotional staff Add to that the
sourcing of premium gifts
planning contest mechanics
developing contest creatives
managing the contest period
securing supporting sponsors and
retailers designing and producing
pointofsale materials planning
instore merchandizing designing
and printing trade presenters for
the sales team to rope in retailers
advertising to create awareness as
well as present details about the
contest
The sourcing and negotiations
that follow soon after and
eventual coordination of inbound
supplies
and
onground
coordination of activities to
support successful execution will
brand owners free up their time to
manage the show themselves?
And can FBI deliver a total
solution?
‘A typical belowtheline project
may be executed at several
locations Each retail or concourse
area with different character may
require adaptation of ideas and
pointofsale materials Our full
service capability is enabled by our
connections with a comprehensive
network of retailers printers and
premium suppliers In addition
FBI has a team of creative people
supervisors and promoters on
standby to deliver anytime
anywhere’ explained Vincent
But there is more to Vincent’s
adventure Is your brand pressed
for time? Are competitors playing
catchup too fast? Are consumers
getting edgy because they want
more from your brand? Are they
hardup for enriching experiences?
Is the management screaming for
more ROI way before the year is
up? Are retailers demanding to
getyourbrandsacttogether or
else?
Point isVincent knows his
business and the potential that lies
ahead He opined that since
consumers have numerous
options ‘it is important for brand
owners to organize innovative
road shows create an enticing
look secure the customer’s
attention and get them closer to
the booth and brand’
He stressed that onground brand
building events are one powerful
tool that manufacturers neglect
save for a few that understand its
deliverables Perhaps the usual
about which portion of your ad
budget really delivered comes into
play here A blind spot is a regular
with all marketing campaigns
‘Brand builders can see immediate
results if they are willing to
commit a fraction of their budget
for belowtheline campaigns’ said
Vincent
And what about budget
constraints? Assured Vincent
‘Creative campaigns can be
tweaked to accommodate smaller
budgets as well’
V in ce n t ca n b e c ontacted at
vlee@fbicommy
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19
FBI’s Noteworthy
Campaigns
JOHNSON’S BABY ‘SNIP
SNAP SMILE’
The intent was to strengthen
Johnson Baby’s presence and
increase sales volume A
nationwide road show got
underway So dig this Happy
parents were enticed with an offer
by J&J to give
their baby a
haircut A shot of
the ‘event’ was
framed
along
with a lock of the
baby’s hair And
purchasing
a
bottle of the brand’s shampoo was
part of the happy deal FBI helped
to execute the road show at locations nationwide receiving
overwhelming support from
consumers and the trade
DREAMLAND CHIROPRACTIC MATTRESSES
The idea was to get the brand moving forward The focus was
on caring for our ‘backs’ Endorsements were secured from expert
chiropractors The brand Dreamland introduced a premium range
that came with an advanced Miracoil spring system Alongside
provocative and evocative ads consumers were invited to
participate in a blind test on the mattress stripped of padding
and interestingly consumers feedback was positive for factors
such as firm support and less partner disturbance Market share
increased and sales doubled within months of the campaign
NEUTROGENA MOBILE FACIAL SPA
The objective was to execute a talkofthetown event for the launch of Neutrogena Facial Hydration Mask
An executive coach transformed into a mobile facial spa invited consumers on board at over high traffic
locations in the Klang Valley to experience minutes of free facial and demonstration The deliverables?
High impact and positive consumer response!
CLEAN & CLEAR DAILY PORE CLEANSER
A new range from the brand required
the support of a high impact ground
event The hero of the product was
its dualmicroscrubbers cleansing
20
system Highlights of the event
executed at major shopping malls
in the Klang Valley included a free
skin analysis to consumers
followed by a demonstration to
explain the brand’s features A
giant microscrubbers chamber
was developed and consumers
were invited to participate in a
‘Grab
the
Mircoscrubber
Challenge’ & win instant prizes
with proof of purchase Response
and
sales
were
beyond
expectations
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ANLENE GOLD
CONCOURSE EVENT
STAYFREE INSTORE
PROMOTION
The intent was to introduce a new
improved formula and strengthen
the brand’s position A Scratch &
Win contest to win instant prizes
was executed The purchase of an
Anlene Gold pack was rewarded
with a healthscreening package
which was redeemable at
concourse and road show venues
nationwide High sales turnover
was delivered throughout the
promo period
The relaunched Stayfree brand needed
to demonstrate the effectiveness of a
new feature its antileak channels
An interactive game challenge was
planned in which consumers were
invited to play and score Participants
won the New! Stayfree pack instantly
and samples were also distributed
What followed was the heightened
interest of new users and increasing
sales
NEXT FRUIT MILK
SAMPLING
The big idea was to reinforce brand awareness and educate
consumers on fun ways to enjoy Next Fruit Milk A
Mediterranean style mobile cafe bar was consigned to serve the
product to consumers and distribute new recipe leaflets days
and the sampled cups exceeded DRYPERS ‘PERADUAN PANDU RIA’
The objective of this consumer contest was to further strengthen
Drypers’ market share and drive incremental sales within a month
period A simple and easy to enter consumer contest with big prizes
was the strategy Two MPVs were the grand prizes to be won It was
supported with both above & below the line activities massive instore
merchandising and a mega display with the presence of the Naza Ria
MPVs as a prime temptation The contest received overwhelming
response and generated over entries Market share reached an
all time high
DRYPERS ‘PIT STOP’ SAMPLING
A first time ever for a diaper brand to roll out a nationwide sampling
program at PLUS highway R&R stops offering free diapers change for
travelers with babies to a fresh comfortable Drypers diaper for a better
journey home The sampling exercise was rolled out for a period of weeks during the school term holidays The result? High response that
enticed many new users
BRAND’S HEALTH SUPPLEMENT
BRAND’S ESSENCE OF CHICKEN
FOR JUNIOR
The introduction of Brand’s new range of Health Supplements via
a roadshow & concourse event A comprehensive ground event
concept was deployed to lure consumers to visit Brand’s roadshow
at selected shopping centers in various market centers They
received free Screening of cholesterol level blood glucose blood
pressure and fat analysis Over of people tested were instantly
converted to customers It was the first time that Cerebos Malaysia
adopted an onground program The overwhelming result proved
that roadshows were effective in both brand building and
generating instant sales
The big idea was to get children closer
to the brand Targeted at school kids
aged to a ‘search color and count
chickens’ contest was organized and
prizes given away included a ps game
console In addition selected winners
were also given the opportunity to
attend a free course at FutureKids a
leading IT school for children
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MobileMarketingSolutions
Solutions
with Limitless
Possibilities
By Raghunath
CONTENTGATEWAY
interactivity webbased short
code customized manager plug
nplayif the spread isn’t all that
familiar it’s possible that you are
not up to speed about the future
Yes the future!
But the need to know becomes
pressing if you are keen to ascend
your brand position Undoubtedly
these indelible expressions have
become part of the contemporary
brand building landscape
A mobile business
solutions provider
offers a repertoire
of empowering
real-time tools for
engaging customers
And just one compelling reason
will do to impress the need for
getting into the act and
contemporarising your brand
building initiatives last year a
whopping billion ( bil in year
) SMS messages went back
and forth between individuals in
Malaysia Secondly mobile phone
ownership enjoys a penetration
rate of more than ()
So we shift gear right about now
to surmise that as a loyal Da Ma
Cai (formerly known as Pan
Malaysian Pools) customer your
senses get tickled twice a month
with random luckypick numbers
in English or Chinese! And the
gaming company relays the
numbers to your mobile phone
Jasmine Lee
22
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marketing environment was the
right business to be in’ she added
And times have changed; the
marketer’s adoption of SMS and
mobile marketing is at an all time
high with room to develop and
MNC is on track
According to Jasmine MNC
Wireless is well on its way to
becoming the Microsoft of the
mobile marketing domain ‘We
have built standard platforms for
brand builders and marketing
companies to enable customer
communications within the
mobile domain and to date they
have delivered’ she explained
Soon after you’d like to get an
update on your BonusLink points
Just do the SMS thingy and the
numbers are beamed in an instant
Or zip an SMS for interesting
downloads from Samsung’s Fun
Club Or you’ve decided to
participate in a contest organized
by some weighty global brand via
SMS
What you’ve been served is a
sample from the seemingly endless
list of opportunities that await
brand builders within the mobile
marketing environmentAnd the
enablers include Malaysia’s
aggressive telcos other firms that
provide content plus those that
furnish the right tools or
applications
to
facilitate
communication between brand
builders and their endcustomers
Enter MNC Wireless Berhad a
leader in mobile business solutions
and an acknowledged ‘tool’
provider that delivers innovative
multiple solutions designed to
bridge the gap between your
brand and its customers
Innovative yes; but adoption by
local marketers is another matter
altogether Did the journey
present
challenges?
‘We
commenced operations in July
and were one of few offering
mobile marketing solutions
Marketers had a tough time
understanding the possibilities and
benefits offered by the mobile
marketing
environment
Regretably SMS was alluded to
spamming In addition marketers
did not see the benefit even
though SMS was more cost
effective than email marketing or
banner advertisements’ said
Jasmine Lee founder and CEO of
MNC Wireless
Much of what their platforms can
do is about empowering brand
builders to take charge and
communicate
with
their
customers at any time and at their
own pace
In the earlier days clients had to
direct MNC to create and send
messages The process was
considerably lengthy and client
servicing called for backnforth
communications before messages
could be sent to customers
Empowerment and responsibility
have their say in corporate
structures; befitting MNC’s mobile
solutions proposition
That view coming from a veteran
bears considerable merit Jasmine
then a pioneer played a pivotal
role in shaping the industry’s
growth Within a short period of
time she has acquired the support
of large clients such as TV Pan
Malaysian Pools Motorola
Unilever BonusLink as well as
ntv
So you’d like to harnass the power
of mobile communications or
specifically SMS marketing Call
MNC and are likely to do a need
analysis to help you get underway
You can get some advice on the
specifics
of
database
management including data
cleaning and updating
‘We hit upon the idea that
developing and marketing
softwarebased tools as the engine
for managing the customerbrand
connection within the mobile
It’s like plugnplay and very DIY
MNC moves their software into
your system builds an Internet
interface and all you have to do is
open the system with a password
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