theSun | THURSDAY JULY 23 2009 17

media & marketing

At the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) Malaysia’s 14th media workshop

SHIFTING the focus away from

Developing survival strategies

recession and towards recovery may
well be the best action a business can
take to survive the economic crunch,
concluded experts at the Audit Bureau
of Circulations (ABC) Malaysia’s 14th
biennial media workshop held in
Shenzhen, China recently.
Aimed at providing answers and
solutions to the decline in spending,
consumer confidence and advertis-
ing expenditure, the workshop was
themed Re-Session: Back to Basics.
“The trading conditions are expect-
ed to last for the foreseeable future and
rather than seeing them as irreversibly
gloomy, we need to source for oppor-
tunities to ease substantial financial
pressures,” said ABC chairman Peter
A, Das in his address to participants.
“Identifying openings and im-
plementing changes will lead to the
growth of our businesses; the trick
remains when and where we discover
these breakthroughs,” he added.
Recommendations on uncovering
these breakthroughs were revealed
at the workshop which featured 11
speakers from various industries in-
cluding trade, media and banking.
The 130 participants of the four-
day event comprised members of the
media, marketing and advertising
industries.
The sponsors included theSun,
Alliance Cosmetics Sdn Bhd, Three
Communications & Design Sdn Bhd,
Utusan Media Sales, Sin Chew Media
Corporation, Airtime Management &
Programming (AMP), and ASTRO
Media Sales / Measat Publications.
Speaking on the topic “How can we
weather this economic turmoil?”, Ma-
laysia External Trade Development
Corporation (MATRADE) chief execu-
tive officer Datuk Noharuddin Nordin
admitted he had no magic formula.
The only solution is to stimulate
and increase spending, intensify trad-
ing and spur the growth of small and
medium enterprises (SMEs), he said,
adding that rather than withdraw from
the export market, he would advocate
taking a more aggressive approach
towards seeking new opportunities
within the global market.
“Trade will not cease as there’s a
strong dependence among countries,
creating the need to trade,” he said.
“We should thus be innovative and
creative with our endeavours and cau-
tious about being too preoccupied with
the current situation. Recovery will
happen, so be prepared,” he added.
Alliance Investment Bank research
head Soh Meng Hui, meanwhile, said
although the current financial crisis
has spared no economies, the crisis
today is not as bad as the 1997 crisis
because Malaysia has learned.
“We have improved our trade bal-
ances and kept our external debt low.
The banking system today compared
to 1997 is much stronger and compa-
nies have lower debts,” he said.
“Commodity prices have also
improved so we can weather the
economy better than the last round.
The only problem stems from the
manufacturing sector due to the global
economic slowdown,” he added.
Meanwhile, NBD Worldpanel Asia
regional director Nelson Woo, who
spoke on “Change in Consumer Buying
Behaviour”, said although consumers
are buying less and downgrading to
local brands and private labels, com-
Das Vogiatzakis Thappa
panies should resist downsizing or “To co-exist, newspapers need
cutting prices. to specialise and tailor their content
“The first reduces sales volume to meet the demands of readers
while the second devalues a brand,” who are willing to pay for high
said Woo, who suggested that com- value, topic-specific publications,”
panies rework products to offer he said.
better mileage or design multiple Meanwhile, Ogilvy & Mather
usage products. Beijing worldwide effectiveness
“Slashing ads is not the answer director Tim Broadbent showed the
because advertising speaks to the workshop participants charts which
consumers. Rather, invest in ads that indicated billion-dollar losses for
bring value companies
to the brand whose mar-
and think of keting budget
alternative was cut.
advertising “Market-
methods,” he ing works,
added. even in a
Speak- recession.
ing on “The Marketing
Changing Media Landscape”, creates brand loyalty, grows sales,
Mindshare Malaysia managing increases market share and acceler-
director Rahul Thappa noted that ates brand penetration. Those who
today’s digital age has changed the spend on marketing come out better
business of wooing customers. after the recovery. Think recovery,
To continue to deliver results not recession,” he said.
to advertisers, Thappa encouraged During a recession, customer
Noharuddin
the importance of customer rela-
tions,” added Robertson in his talk
on customer retention.
New to the workshop was the
introduction of a case study analysis
that revolved around SilkyGirl, a
Malaysian cosmetics brand owned
by Alliance Cosmetic Group.
Teams that projected a clear
understanding of the situational
analysis and presented ideas and
solutions that were feasible and rel-
evant to the brand won RMB6,000
(RM3,100), RMB4,000 (RM2,080)
and RMB2,000 (RM1,040) for the
first, second and third prizes.
“From all the insightful sessions
by industry experts, one common
point stood out – the era of digital
media advertising is vital for the
survival and advancement of brands
through and beyond the current
recession,” said Yellow Brick Road
business director Ong Sea Yen and
the winning team’s leader.
“I strongly urge more brand
marketers to attend the next ABC

Win up to RM30,000
newspapers to offer bite-sized infor-
mation that is search-friendly and
concentrate on news with exclusive
local content.
defections become a growing con- media workshop as this is highly
cern as acquiring new customers relevant and an eye-opener,” he
cost more than retaining existing said.
customers. Advertisers and creative agen-

with Shell As to whether the print media is

SHELL Malaysia is rewarding its
customers by offering them a chance
to win up to RM30,000 for every
Shell product purchase of more than
RM30.
Every week from now to Aug 31,
Shell will be offering cash prizes to
customers who buy Shell fuels, lubri-
cants or any Shell Select items that
amounts to a minimum of RM30.
Customers simply have to fill up a
contest form, attach the original sales
receipt as proof of purchase and drop
the forms in the contest drop boxes
located at participating Shell stations.
Shell will reward one lucky
grand prize winner every week with
RM30,000. Three lucky first prize
winners will receive RM3,000 while
another 300 winners will also receive
RM300 consolation prizes.
“We believe in rewarding our
loyal customers through contests like
these as well as through our range
of quality fuels and lubricants. Shell
remains committed to helping drivers
to get the most out of every drop of
fuel especially during trying times
when most are tightening their belts,”
under threat with newspaper read-
ers switching to mobile phones,
“The best way to retain cus-
tomers is to treat them the way
you would treat your partner in
cies would have benefited from the
diversity of the topics presented at
this year’s workshop due to their
said Shell Malaysia Trading managing online and television to obtain in- a marriage,” said The Concilium relevance to the changing media
director Datuk Mohzani Wahab. formation Omnicom Media Group Group managing director Guy landscape and the impact they
The contest has already rewarded Malaysia’s managing director Robertson. would have on developing com-
many for their Shell purchases. Andreas Vogiatzakis’ view was “yes “Get to know them, build a rela- munication materials, he added.
“I’ve been using Shell petrol since I and no” as 71% of Internet users tionship and live up to your prom- The workshop was a brave at-
started driving back in the 70s and did still read the newspapers. ises. Never do to your customers tempt by the organising committee
not expect my loyalty to be so gener- “They only look at the headlines what you won’t do to your spouse,” to put together ABC’s signature
ously rewarded!” said Sa’ari Md Nooh, and breaking news online, but they he said. media event despite the economic
the first week’s grand prize winner of still read the in-depth story on hard “The biggest challenge now is and social obstacles that stood in
RM30,000. He plans to use the money copy,” he noted, based on a survey. changing people’s attitude to see their way.
to add more books to his collection.
“I have been encouraging my
friends and family to enter this contest
as anyone and everyone has a good
chance of winning,” he said.
Second week grand prize winner
was Catherine Chua who fuelled up at
a Shell station in Subang Jaya.
“I was on the way back from work
when I dropped by the Shell Subang
Jaya station. The pump attendant gave
me two contest forms
which I filled up For more information about
without giving much the contest, log on to
thought. The win left www.shell.com
me in shock!” said
Chua, adding that she
plans to invest the money she won in
the stock market and unit trusts.

Sa’ari
(right)
with his
grand
prize.