BRANDTHINK Malaysia

Media+Headlines #07: The Star’s Foray into Digital & Mobile

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:46:32 +0000

One of the things that we have waited for with bated breath is for The Star to create a digital edition of its newspaper for the iPad. And behold in April our wish was granted.

Malaysia’s most read English daily newspaper, The Star, strengthens its presence in the digital field with an e-paper available on computers, smartphones and tablets. One of the key industry milestone that led to this was the inclusion of e-paper readership into the circulation figures of the newspaper. So, whether readers read The Star in its printed form or in its e-paper format, they are both counted.

Not only do we feel that this move may enable The Star to recapture the declining readership newspapers have been experiencing in recent times, but this may also open up the possibilities of increasing The Star’s readership with a target audience that prefers newspaper-reading experience in a digital form.

The main features of The Star on iPad include clear, hi-res photos, interactive graphics, smart navigation, videos and soundbites. Readers are also able to share the stories within the app through multiple ways. With these modern, interactive elements, The Star is hoping to draw in a younger, more mobile and connected crowd.

For the time being, The Star is offering a special combo that bundles both the iPad e-paper edition with the printed edition. It’ll be interesting to see the figures of those who subscribe to this bundle as it will be a good barometer on whether future print readership can be salvaged in an e-paper format.

The Star Metro pullout focuses on entrepreneurship with MetroBiz

The Star’s community-centric pullout, Star Metro, introduces a new section called MetroBiz. The focus of MetroBiz is on entrepreneurship, SMEs and local business trends.

Every day, MetroBiz takes on a specialized focus. Tuesdays are dedicated to technology and gadgets and women at work, Wednesdays feature Face-Shui (face Feng Shui) and a bi-weekly watch focus, and so on. Every day, MetroBiz looks at events and product launches and young entrepreneurs or emerging trends.

MetroBiz provides a different view of the growing business and economic scene in Malaysia. The new, insightful perspective is peppered with local anecdotes and is bound to make waves and inspire a younger generation of entrepreneurs.

– E –

Media+Headlines is a brand new series of articles on what’s happening in and around the media scene. Combining resources from our PR, advertising and media agency teams in Malaysia, we’ll be bringing you updates and analysis on the latest trends in publishing, editorial and events related to newspapers, magazines, television and other media in Malaysia.

Related posts:

Media+Headlines #06: The Fashion Issue

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:23:30 +0000

In this special edition of Media+Headlines, we present to you a collection of notable and rising fashion-centric magazines in Malaysia. Our work in advertising and PR with some of our clients in the fashion industry (MaxMara, Bally, FitFlop) brings us in contact with some of these publications. Plus, with the Fashion Week season hitting major cities one by one this month, no doubt these publications will be devoting pages upon pages on the latest Autumn/Winter season collections.

High Fashion Magazines

The magazines on the top tier cater to people of substantial wealth. The similar theme throughout these publications are luxury lifestyle, travel and high fashion.

Harper’s Bazaar

Harper’s Bazaar Malaysia is a monthly publication by Singapore-based SPH (Ed note: The title has recently been acquired by the Blu Inc group in Malaysia). This magazine targets high-income earning women. Besides a focus on couture and high street fashion, Bazaar also focuses on social happenings in and around Kuala Lumpur, with socialites and personalities regularly gracing the Flash! section. Among brands most likely to advertise in Harper’s Bazaar are Louis Vuitton, Omega and Tod’s.

Icon Malaysia

Malaysia’s first and only premier Chinese luxury lifestyle magazine for women is a staple read for the affluent bilingual market. According to Icon, the magazine’s content is an “eclectic mix of high fashion, beauty trends and essential reads”, underlining sophistication and luxe above all. The magazine originally originated from its Singaporean parent, also called Icon.

Icon has a bilingual publication, Elite, as well as New Icon for Him. Cartier, Mercedes-Benz and Bvlgari are among its advertisers.

Glam

Malay publication Glam is another fashion and lifestyle magazine aimed at the affluent. It also has a men’s special (Glam Lelaki) and a home edition (Glam Deko) publication as well.

Most of the spreads in Glam are centered on the latest trends for the affluent members of the society, with a regular editorial on the Datins of the city. The publication counts Rolex, Dior and Shisheido as its advertisers.

High-Street Fashion

Female

Female, as its name suggests, is a magazine targeted at the female population. More specifically, the magazine caters to the fashion, lifestyle and beauty needs of the middle and upper class working women aged 20-39 years. Female is owned by media conglomerate BluInc. Touting itself as Malaysia’s leading fashion and beauty magazine,

Female, and its chinese twin sister NuYou competes for the readership similar to that of Cleo, Marie Claire, HerWorld and to a lesser extent Seventeen (focused on teens) and Women’s Weekly (married women with children). Key advertisers in Female magazine include Burberry, Lancome and Raoul.

旭茉 JESSICA

旭茉 JESSICA has been published in Hong Kong since 2000, and is one of the top selling women’s magazine. Launched in 2011, the Malaysian edition of 旭茉 JESSICA provides readers with the most comprehensive coverage of major fashion shows, international beauty trends, career, lifestyle, culture and current events. It’s a publication we think you should watch out for as it complements the need for quality Chinese-language fashion title in Malaysia.

EH!

As its tagline goes, “Fesyen. Kecantikan. Hiburan. Gaya Hidup”, this Malay publication for women is a trove of fashion, health and beauty tips. EH! also features news on local celebrities and happenings. Other Malay language fashion publications in this category are Jelita, Wanita, Nona, Cosmopolitan and Remaja.

Sisters

One of the longest-running Chinese magazines in Malaysia has been around since 1970 and considers itself to be one of the leading Chinese magazines in Malaysia. The fashion and beauty magazine targets the affluent women executives and professionals. Other magazines in this category are Feminine, Apple, NuYou and Jessica.

.. And of course, for the men

Men are not left out of the style race, what with the rise of metrosexuality -and the rush in men’s fashion and health magazines are a positive sign of that. Men’s Folio, Men’s Uno, August Man and Esquire are among those in the market. Men’s Folio Malaysia has a refined air to it, and seems to hold the phrase “The clothes maketh the man” as their mission statement. Geared towards the affluent metrosexual, Men’s Folio also covers art, music and travel, besides fashion.

In just two and a half years, August Man has established itself as the leading men’s magazine in Malaysia. Referred to as the intelligent man’s read, the magazine is geared towards the affluent professional. The magazine has continued to gain ground even generating international attention when its cover featuring Kellan Lutz from Twilight was mentioned on E-News’ Daily Top Ten.

Only recently debuting its Malaysian edition a year ago, Esquire already has its fair share of snarky editorials and a strong following of fans (calling themselves Eskies). Its editorials on the the clothes, shoes, bags and timepieces for men is casual yet detailed.

– E –

Related posts:

BRANDTHINK + Malaysia PR Awards 2011

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:38:24 +0000

We are excited to announce that our PR campaign for the Brand Launch of Kronenbourg 1664 has received a Certificate of Excellence in the 2011 Malaysia PR Awards, the highest accolade for the Brand Launch of the Year category!

Also at the Malaysia PR Awards 2011, our Chinese New Year PR campaign for Carlsberg Malaysia received an Honourable Mention in the Promotional Activity of the Year category (2nd highest accolade for the category). Our Carlsberg Brand Relaunch PR work also received an Honourable Mention in the Corporate Branding Campaign of the Year (highest accolade the category).

This tops off a year of amazing milestones for our agency, having also received the PR Agency of the Year (Silver) Award and the Direct Marketing Agency of the Year (Bronze) Award at the 2011 A+M Agency of the Year Awards.

We would like to thank all our friends in the media, our partners, our supporters, and most importantly the brand team at Kronenbourg and Carlsberg for supporting our work for Kronenbourg 1664 throughout its launch year. We dedicated our Certificate of Excellence in the 2011 Malaysia PR Awards to you! CHEERS!

And a good time as any to announce that we are STILL growing and hiring! Join the team!

Related posts:

Media+Headlines #05: Little Black Book of the Capital

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:12:44 +0000

What’s cooking in the Capital of Kuala Lumpur? Welcome to Issue #05 of Media+Headlines, our brand new article series focusing on the latest trends around media in Malaysia. This edition covers the new CapitalFM, Malaysian Tatler’s guide to Kuala Lumpur’s Who’s Who and the entry of Harian Metro’s magazine.

Capital FM tunes in to Women

In the middle of 2011, The Star Publications’ radio arm, Star RFM acquired 80% of Capital FM from its existing shareholder, Multimedia Distribution and Marketing. After a period of branding and repositioning, Capital FM emerged in December last year as a radio station tuned in to the needs of women. Calling itself Malaysia’s first women’s radio station, Capital FM 88.9 is targeted at the independent, urban woman aged 25-35 years old, living in the city.

Capital FM’s impressive line-up of DJs show how much it subscribes to its tagline – Effervescent comedienne Joanne Kam, former TV hostess Asha Gill, popular personality Xandria Ooi and TV personality/DJ Patricia K are among the DJs on air every day. The radio station is currently only available in the Klang Valley.

BRANDTHINK’s take: Capital FM is one of the few radio stations targeted towards a female demographic. With the growing female workforce in Malaysia, the radio station is bound to be a favorite among commuting office workers. As an advertising opportunity, it makes sense for campaigns that predominately targeted at women.

Tatler’s Society reveals the Little Black Book – 2012 Edition

The annual list of who’s who in Malaysia’s high society circuit has been released by Malaysia Tatler’s Society in their “The List Issue”. The brightest stars, socialites and personalities were discovered by Tatler Society through society events, parties and gatherings, along with some advice from trusted society stalwarts.

Almost 370 figures were chronicled in the Little Black Book, with most of them given at least one specialized award such as Most Invited, Style Icon or the Tatler Awardee. The personalities featured include Malaysian Rulers, CEOs, young entrepreneurs and political figures. The 2012 edition of the Little Black Book is presented by American Express.

BRANDTHINK’s take: The Little Black Book should be a handy guide for those in the PR agency and events industry looking to add glamour to their offerings, besides keeping tab on the wave-makers and influencers of the society.

Harian Metro to Spread its First Magazine

Malay daily Harian Metro is set to introduce a weekly magazine in its Sunday editions of Metro Ahad. The magazine, tentatively named Luminous, is angled as a condensed, lightweight lifestyle magazine for men and women alike.

To differentiate the magazine insert from the newspaper, Luminous will be staple-binded and its cover page and centre spread will be printed on 70gsm wood-free paper, giving it a different feel than the rest of the daily.

The special 24-page weekly insert is set to launch its first edition on 1st April 2012. Its editorials planned so far include a Hobby Column, a Relationship Column and a Bridal Column. The weekly features and highlight could revolve around Personalitiy stories.

BRANDTHINK’s take: Shorter, impactful editorials and visual-heavy publication similar to that of magazines are making its way to newspapers. The trend towards magazine-style publications in dailies could be an indication of change in reader’s preferences.

In that sense, Luminous is similar to English daily The Star’s Clove, which is a monthly publication focused on beauty and lifestyle for women. After a revamp a couple of years ago, Clove began to focus a little more on men’s lifestyle as well.

– E –

Related posts:

#04 Media+Headlines: New Looks for the New Year & A Gr8 Bash

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:32:37 +0000

Welcome to Issue #04 of Media+Headlines, our brand new article series focusing on the latest trends around media in Malaysia. As we greet the new year, we would like to highlight a couple of publications doing greetings of their own too.

Malay Mail returns

After a month-long hiatus in which the publication re-looked at its features and offerings, the Malay Mail returns with a new take on news.

Instead of a free afternoon daily, the Malay Mail is now positioned as an “evening tabloid covering Klang Valley”. In 2009, the paper was sold by Media Prima Berhad to the Redberry Group. Prior to Media Prima, the Malay Mail was one of New Straits Times Press’ publications and had a strong presence in classified ads.

To keep up with the times (and the competition, to an extent), Malay Mail is also solidifying its digital presence, with a dedicated website and a Twitter account which has almost 6,000 followers. The change in the paper’s business model comes with a focus on in-depth investigative reports. Its current editor is Yushaimi Yahaya.

Prestige Magazine’s New Look

“A new approach, a beautiful new look and exciting new contents” – according to Prestige editor Winne Yong, that’s what can be expected of Prestige magazine this year, as a result of its regional strengthening exercise. The magazine, now licensed under Burda Singapore Pte. Ltd. will see a change in the way it delivers luxury news and editorials.

With new sections in the monthly magazines such as Fanfare, The High Life, and The Good Life, the publication is set for a year full of excitement and glamour via its unique monthly offerings.

8TV 8th Anniversary Big 8 Bash

Local television channel 8TV marked its eighth year of broadcast in Malaysia by hosting a grand anniversary celebration for the public. Held at the 1Utama old wing car park, a stone’s throw away from its studio in Sri Pentas, the anniversary celebration kicked off with a carnival-like atmosphere, emphasized by games, petting zoos and other fun games. Two Twitter hashtags were created for the celebration: #Celebr8 and #Big8Bash

The celebration was topped off with the 8th Anniversary Countdown Concert in the evening, featuring performances by local artistes and celebrities. The Countdown Concert was also broadcast live to homes and available to stream on the internet.

8TV is owned by Media Prima and is catered to the young urban community, through its variety of shows and programs. The channel also caters to the Chinese community through selected programs, such as the prime time news – which is the only Chinese language prime time news in the country.

– E –

Related posts:

#Rewind2011: Our Most Inspiring Interviews of 2011

PR & Publicity — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:47:29 +0000

Part of our work as a PR agency involves arranging for interviews with members of the media in Malaysia on behalf of our clients. We sit in these press interviews many times and these are moments that we get to hear great clients tell their stories. These are some of the most inspiring tales from media interviews that we have arranged throughout 2011.

Dr. Markus Miele and Dr. Reinhard Zinkann for Miele (The Peak, December 2011)

In conjunction with the opening of the first Miele showroom gallery in Malaysia, interviews for the two Managing Directors for Miele Group, Dr. Markus Miele and Dr. Reinhard Zinkann. The two are heirs of the founding fathers of Miele – Reinhard Zinkann and Carl Miele, who got together in 1899. In the three-page spread interview with The Peak, Dr. Miele and Dr. Zinkann bantered on the shared timeline of Miele. Both families across four generations working at the same company for more than a century is an unmatched feat. In the interview, both of the managing directors spoke on the intricacies of decision-making with two heads and the importance of finding a joint solution.

Christopher Chong for Amouage (The Star2, September 2011)

The Creative Director of Oman-based luxury perfumer Amouage was in Kuala Lumpur in the middle of this year for the launch of its newest fragrance. Along with the Honour fragrance, Christopher Chong brought with him his sentiments on perfumes, its philosophy and its representation. The house of Amouage was an idea from the Sultanate of Oman, who wanted to create the world’s most previous scent inspired by Oman. The tall order was fulfilled by the late senior royal Sayyid Hamad Hamood Al-Busaidi. All Amouage fragrances are known to be extravagantly scented and even more extravagantly priced, rightly so considering its luxe ingredients.

In his PR interviews, Christopher touched on his eccentric career path and illustrated the inspiration behind Honour – an aria from Madame Butterfly, a world-famous opera.

Jeremy Lim for Cortina Watch (Prestige, December 2011)

The re-opening of luxury watch retailer Cortina Watch at its Fahrenheit 88 location was eagerly greeted by watch enthusiasts and socialites alike. BRANDTHINK arranged for media interviews with its COO, Jeremy Lim prior to the boutique’s grand re-opening ceremony. Prestige Magazine’s two-page spread for the interview, “Watch this Space” saw Jeremy speaking on what the Malaysian market look for in timepieces, watch trends and styles to look forward to in 2012, as well as the company’s continuous efforts to provide top-notch service to its clientele.

C.W. Goh for Dulux/AkzoNobel ICI Paints (StarBiz, November 2011)

Managing Director of AkzoNobel ICI Paints, C.W. Goh got up close and personal with StarBiz recently. The former shared his life journey that got him to where he is now – leading the Malaysian division of AkzoNobel, which happens to also carry the Dulux line of home and deco paints.

Goh associated parts of his life with certain colourss – grey for a sombre and self-reliant childhood, where he was a slow learner; orange for teenaged years representing the energy and risk-taking; and a calm blue for his university life, when he found a balance of sorts with studying and working. The year ahead is bound to bring new experiences and colours for him – as Dulux ColourFutures revealed the theme for 2012 to be Possibilities, accompanied by the color of the year, a blushing Tea Dance Red.

Theodore Diehl for Richard Mille (Icon Magazine)

The official spokesperson for Richard Mille Paris, Theodore Diehl, was in Malaysia in July 2011 for an intimate afternoon tea. Attended by select members of the media, the afternoon tea saw Theodore sharing his insight on the latest Richard Mille SIHH 2011 collection and aspects of watch-making. The attendees also had the opportunity to ask the horologist questions on watchmaking and timepieces in general.

Chinese monthly publication Icon interviewed Theodore while he was in Malaysia. The in-depth interview had him talking about the Richard Mille brand and the challenges in creating new timepieces, while not straying too far from its conservative roots. He also spoke on future plans for Richard Mille and the types of timepieces the brand will put forward in the years ahead.

Laurent Helbert for Kronenbourg 1664 (The Edge, January 2011)

Laurent Helbert is the international marketing director of Kronenbourg 1664, France’s best-selling premium beer. He was interviewed by The Edge under its Tastings segment, inviting the reporter to try out Kronenbourg 1664 with a selection of foods.

Laurent shared with the writer the intricacies of the beer and how it is best enjoyed. He also notes that the beer is widely received by both men and women, due to the delicate balance of bitterness and sweetness. Also mentioned in the epicurean’s delight of an article was how the Kronenbourg does not waste in the afternoon heat – on the contrary, its flavor is rendered and becomes more flavorful!

Goris Verburg for IWC & Roger Dubuis (Nanyang Siang Pao, December 2011)

Goris Verburg, the managing director for IWC South East Asia was in town recently for the launch of IWC’s Portofino collection and the reveal of Roger Dubuis’ La Monegasque collection. Both collections are momentous and significant ones for both brands – Portofino being the first collection to feature Friends of IWC along with legendary photographer Peter Lindbergh, and the La Monegasque being the first collection from Roger Dubuis after Richemont group bought a stake in the watch manufacturer.

In the press interview with Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pao, Goris spoke of the rebirth of the Roger Dubuis brand. Amidst the 2008 financial crisis, the watch manufacturer was bought over by the Richemont group and continues to maintain its prestige and exclusivity among the select few. He also touched on the foreseeable future of Roger Dubuis, noting that it is not a brand designed for mass consumption, but for the pleasure of a niche group of people.

As we close 2011 and look towards 2012, we are hopeful that we will continue to have more opportunities to sit in with our PR clients and be inspired by their stories. Perks of the job.

Related posts:

#Rewind 2011: Our Top 7 Favorite Events of 2011

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:59:18 +0000

We are fast approaching the end of the year 2011. Exiting the noughties and entering the “tens” has brought with it much experience and exciting times for the agency on both the PR and Creative sides. For the past 12 months, we have been involved with marketing campaigns that made us proud of what we do. In this multi-part year-end special, we look at the top seven favorite events that put smiles across our faces.

IWC: Timeless Memories in Portofino

On a starry night in Kuala Lumpur, IWC aficionados gathered at White Box, a hip contemporary art space at MAP @ Publika for a private viewing of Peter Lindbergh’s Portofino, an artistic collaboration between the legendary photographer and the renowned Swiss watchmaker, along with IWC’s famous Friends of the Brand.

For this event, the team went all out to recreate a 60s-inspired feel, infused with the essence of La Dolce Vita – the sweet life, as the Italians call it. Outside, for the grand entrance, the replica of a cinema theatre entrance of the past was constructed. Simple but commanding in appearance, it was dotted with lightbulbs and certainly did its part in setting the mood for the evening. A vintage Alfa Romeo and a Fiat were brought in to add to the feel of the era, as well as models dressed in 50s garb.

Dulux Color Futures 2012 Launch

A departure from our typical luxury events, BRANDTHINK was tasked with the launch of Dulux ColourFutures in Malaysia, encompassing PR, publicity and event management.

The launch event incorporated splashes of color throughout the venue. Colourful mats and posters were the order of the day, showcasing different Colours of the Year from previous years. A bright and energetic team of flash mob dancers brought a buzz into the room when they performed their routine, which ended with a bang – inviting the Managing Directors on stage, they tore off the white paper sealing the backdrop of the stage to reveal the Colour of the Year for 2012 – a blushing and lively Tea Dance Red.

Kronenbourg 1664 and Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc Launch

One of our most notable projects was the launch of Kronenbourg 1664 in Malaysia. The best-selling super premium French beer with a light taste is closely associated with the arts, fashion and all things creative. With the tagline of “The French Art of Pleasure”, Kronenbourg 1664 was ready to offer Malaysians a beer that came with a culture of its own.

What made this really special was that we worked intimately on introducing the philosophy, heritage and brand story of Kronenbourg 1664 months ahead of its official launch. The brand went on to capture the imagination of consumers and became one of the most talked about new brands in the beer industry.

Among the media and public relations we handled for Kronenbourg 1664 were the Kronenbourg 1664 launch, the launch of Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, the Kronenbourg Media Appreciation Night and Kronenbourg Who’s Next Designer Search in conjunction with Malaysian International Fashion Week 2011.

Häagen-Dazs Christmas Convoy

Häagen-Dazs, purveyor of slow-melting ice cream and indulgent moments greeted the Christmas and holiday season with a selection of new and limited edition menu offerings nationwide. As its official PR agency, BRANDTHINK developed and conceptualized the Haagen-Dazs Christmas Convoy to take its Christmas delight and merriment to the public.

In line with its Getting Closer tagline, the Christmas Convoy carrying lanky Santarinas and one hot Santa Claus made stops around high-traffic locations in Kuala Lumpur to meet and greet the public. Bearing Haagen-Dazs minicup ice creams, the Christmas Convoy was greeted with much fanfare from weekend shoppers and families crowding the shopping malls.

[FACEBOOK ALBUM] [PRESS RELEASE] [UNOFFICIAL BLOG]

DC Comics Super Heroes Store Launch

Superman? Batman? Wonder Woman? It should be pretty obvious why this landed our favorites list.

The world’s favorite house of superheroes, DC Comics Super Heroes recently opened its first boutique in Malaysia. Located on the sixth floor of Pavilion KL, the boutique is home to DC Comics merchandise, memorabilia and props from real DC Super Hero movies, including a Batmobile at the store entrance. The launch of DC Comics Super Heroes was long overdue – but better late than never. BRANDTHINK was tasked with PR and publicity matters for the launch.

The Big Launch(es)

We get a little excited when an Apple retailer opens shop in Malaysia. We are proud to have helped many resellers launch their stores as part of our work with Apple and this year, we took our launch concepts even further. The Big Launch for Machines Aeon Bukit Tinggi in Klang and The Big Launch for Machines Aeon Tebrau City in Johor Bharu was greeted with much fanfare, and there was a buzz surrounding the respective Machines store before it even opened.

Over 100 people were lined up at the stores for the 12pm official launch even before the mall opened at 10am. Some of the earlier ones in line were there the night before! These launch events were one of the most exciting ones we had and we’re really proud to be caught up together with all the excitement of everything Apple.

Roger Dubuis La Monegasque Launch

It’s not everyday we get to feel like a million dollars. Geneva-based watch manufacturer Roger Dubuis’ latest collection in 2011 features Monte Carlo casino-inspired timepieces. Aptly named the La Monegasque after the culture and people of Monaco, the collection of Chronographs and Automatics were introduced to the Malaysian press, glitterati and watch aficionados at an evening of dinner and entertainment called The Player’s Universe.

The highlight of the night was the after-dinner party, kicked off by Janet’s rendition of Hey Big Spender. The blackjack and roulette tables were open for the night. Guests were given RD money at the start of the event to use in their rounds of blackjack or roulette, and one very lucky player of the night walked home with a watch from the La Monegasque collection.

[FACEBOOK ALBUM] [PRESS RELEASE] [UNOFFICIAL BLOG]

Related posts:

Looking for a career in an Ad, Digital, PR agency in Malaysia?

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:29:38 +0000

Our agency is growing at a rapid pace. With record new business wins in the past 5 months, together with us being named one of the top direct marketing and PR agencies in Malaysia, we’re now looking for great people to join our team. So, if you’re interested in becoming part of the family, we’re looking for qualities that will make you jump out from the crowd.

PR Associate (Team Lead, Senior Position)

As a PR Associate, you will manage a portfolio of diverse and interesting accounts, demonstrate credibility with senior clients who will look to your counsel and advice for PR strategies and results. You must be a team player with the ability to lead, coach and motivate a team of PR executives while facing challenges headon.

You are independent, with at least 3-5 years of PR experience with at least 1-2 years experience within an agency team, preferably in similar positions. You would be expected to have well developed media relations skills, excellent writing ability and an in-depth knowledge of the business, consumer and lifestlye space.

Successful candidates will also be involved with new business initiatives and would be part of the team to shape the future of the agency. Should you be successful, you will be rewarded with a competitive salary and benefits package and excellent career development opportunities.

A BRANDTHINK PR Associate is:

Responsible for leading client accounts, and supporting all elements of the clients’ PR program.
Able to lead a team to drive media, bloggers and influecers campaigns.
Possess the ability to craft content stories, spot newsworthy angles and successfully pitch to the key stakeholders;
Be of leadership potential, of oneself, of peers and of superiors.
Able to inspire confidence and trust, demonstrating knowledge and understanding of marketing communications that will drive PR results
Initiate and lead the development of account strategy and tactics with team members.
Able to manage execution of projects including events, features, news announcements and review programmes.
Active on social media platforms and have experience in applying to communication campaigns

Requirements:

Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor’s Degree, Post Graduate Diploma, Professional Degree, Finance/Accountancy/Banking, Marketing, Advertising/Media, Mass Communications, Law or equivalent.
Required language(s): Bahasa Malaysia, English
At least 3-5 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.
Preferably Senior Executives specializing in Public Relations/Communications or equivalent.
2 Full-Time positions available.

Impress us with who you are.

PR Executive (Junior Position, Fresh Graduate)

As a passionate driver with at least 1-2 years of PR experience, you will work on great brands with campaigns that target media, online, bloggers and influencers. You are a self-learner who is able to hit the ground running and work with the team to drive the implementation of PR campaigns to achieve our clients’ objectives.

A BRANDTHINK PR executive is:

Responsible for client accounts as part of the team, and supporting all elements of the clients’ PR program.
Able to lead a team to drive media, bloggers and influecers campaigns.
Possess the ability to craft content stories, spot newsworthy angles and successfully pitch to the key stakeholders;
Be of leadership potential, of oneself, of peers and of superiors.
Able to inspire confidence and trust, demonstrating knowledge and understanding of marketing communications that will drive PR results
Initiate and lead the development of account strategy and tactics with team members.
Able to manage execution of projects including events, features, news announcements and review programmes.
Active on social media platforms and have experience in applying to communication campaigns

Requirements:

Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor’s Degree, Post Graduate Diploma, Professional Degree, Business Studies/Administration/Management, Finance/Accountancy/Banking, Marketing, Advertising/Media, Mass Communications or equivalent.
Demonstrated experience in all phases of client service, including execution of PR plans, media pitching, and research.
Required skill(s): Writing, Public Speaking, Presentation.
Required language(s): English
At least 1 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.
Preferably Junior Executives specializing in Public Relations/Communications or equivalent.
2 Full-Time positions available.

Impress us with who you are.

Web Designer (Web, Mobile, Junior Position, Fresh Graduate)

As a passionate self-starter who lives, breathes everything digital, you will work on great brands with campaigns that target all spectrums of digital marketing including web, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. You are a self-learner who is able to hit the ground running and work with the team to drive the implementation of digital campaigns to achieve our clients’ objectives. You must be able to learn new skills as they appear and adapt to changing technologies such as WordPress, HTML5, and mobile design.

Requirements:

Candidate must possess at least a Professional Certificate, Diploma, Advanced/Higher/Graduate Diploma, Advertising/Media, Art/Design/Creative Multimedia or equivalent.
Required skill(s): html5, WordPress, PHP, Adobe PhotoShop, Macromedia Flash, Macromedia Dreamweaver.
At least 1 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.
Preferably Junior Executives specializing in Arts/Creative/Graphics Design or equivalent.
2 Full-Time positions available.

Digital Brand Planner

As a Digital Brand Planner for BRANDTHINK, your responsibility will include crafting strategies that will assist our clients dominate the digital space, including social media, the web, and mobile internet. You will be responsible for strategy and direction of key clients in the digital space in Malaysia, and to manage and execute digital campaigns for new and existing clients.

We have a small but rapidly growing practice and we’re looking for aggresive and passionate catalyst to become the next Agency of the Year in this category.

Requirements:

To be successful in this role, a BRANDTHINK Digital Brand Planner must possess:

Understanding of social media, and how that works with the entire space of marketing communications
Proven experience in managing owned and earned communities\
Knowledge in mobile applications and how that affects communications in the digital space
Knowledge of social medial platforms
Ability to support and execute digital campaigns.
Possess 1-2 years of relevant experience and with a BS/BA in Communications, Multimedia, Graphic Design, PR, Journalism, Marketing, Advertising or Business.

Impress us with who you are.

We’re also on a constant lookout for great:

Web Designers
Graphic Designers
Event Producers

Why Join Us?

BRANDTHINK is one of Malaysia’s fastest growing marketing services agency. We have established ourselves as a growing agency providing not only advertising services, but PR, events, activation and digital. Since 2000, we’ve work with major clients in luxury, fashion, lifestyle and technology to launch iconic brands and products in Malaysia, Singapore and other countries in Asia Pacific, generating millions of advertising awareness, brand value and publicity. Our work seals our reputation as the go-to agency for marketing to the affluent. In 2011, we are voted PR Agency of the Year (Silver) and Direct Marketing Agency of the Year (Bronze) by Advertising+Marketing Magazine, making us one of the best agencies in Malaysia to work for.

For application tips, please read our CareerCentral guide.

Related posts:

PR+Events: Timeless Memories of Portofino with IWC in Malaysia

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:39:26 +0000

The International Watch Company (IWC) recently teamed up with legendary photographer Peter Lindbergh to create a photographic collection, “Peter Lindbergh’s Portofino” – named after the IWC Portofino selection of timepieces. The curated collection of black and white photographs travels around the world and made its one and only Malaysian pit stop at contemporary art gallery space, White Box at MAP @ Publika. As IWC’s PR Agency of Record in Malaysia, we had the opportunity to put on an exclusive exhibition featuring the iconic photographer on 16 November 2011.

Snapshot with Peter Lindbergh

Peter Lindbergh has shot many legendary figures and his images have graced countless magazine covers, most noticeably kickstarting the supermodel phenomenon with the British Vogue January 1990 cover.

Peter, along with IWC and Friends of IWC came together under the banner of Portofino for a photographic collection that featured IWC’s Portofino collection and for the first time ever, stars such as Kevin Spacey, Elle McPherson, Eric Dane, Cate Blanchett, Jean Reno and Zinedine Zidane.

Set in the small but picturesque fishing village of Portofino, the Italian theme of La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) resonated throughout the shoot and translated into simple, beautiful images.

From Idea to Birth

From the start, we knew that we had to create an arresting experience worthy of the masterpieces on showcase. Drawing the inspiration from Peter’s magical photographs, the glamourous personalities he captured and the allure of the Italian Riviera, we recreated the glam of a film festival. The concept called for a glamourous, glitzy Hollywood-style set that would transport our guests right into the world of the stars.

The entrance of the White Box was transformed into a beautiful grand entrance of a cinema reminisce of a Hollywood film premiere. Sharing the limelight at the entrance were two bright red vintage cars, an Alfa Romeo and a Fiat. These perfectly conditioned cars, manufactured in the fifties, were much sought-after for impromptu photo shoots throughout the night whenever guests arrived.

Those invited to experience “A Night in Portofino” include the crème de la crème of Malaysia’s high society, celebrities and watch connoisseurs. As they arrive and made their way up the red carpet, models dressed in fifties’ garb and bright smiles welcomed them in style. Accompanying the guests as they strode up the walkway, they were flanked by “paparazzi” flashing their cameras. The grandiose entrance certainly became a table topic for the night and had guests feeling like movie stars themselves!

Creating Timeless Memories

White Box was an empty canvas with movable walls that allowed for the creation of an art gallery. The framed pictures hung on these walls and created a flow to the event, allowing for guests to peruse the images one at a time at their own pace. Cocktail tables dotted the area alongside watchtowers that held another masterpiece – the Portofino collection. These allowed for guests to study the inspirational timepieces behind the photographs.

A Night to Remember

The “IWC Timeless Memories of Portofino” event was true to the IWC brand, bringing to life aspects of the Portofino culture.

From our experience, we knew that guests would love the idea of photo moments that they could take home and remember. That led to the creation of the Portofino corner, a scene right out of the Italian fishing village, complete with a Vespa and movie lights where guests could take a souvenir picture as keep-sake. Lovely models add to the prestige to give it a unique experience.

As for entertainment, guests were spoiled for choice. Portraiture artists were ready to sketch a true-to-life image of the guests, while a silhouette artist went around to cut out the profile of guests in a jiffy. These activities allowed IWC to created a lasting impression, memories guests could take home and relive. A live jazz band was on hand to provide the soundtrack to the night serving sounds of smooth jazz, samba and Italian themes.

There was also a live cooking stations serving a delectable palette of Italian canapés, washed down with Italian wine to suit the theme of the evening.

The charming Fay Hokulani was the host for the evening, engaging the guests as the night went on. Goris Verburg, the Managing Director of IWC South East Asia graced the event and introduced the guests to the scenic Portofino and the iconic IWC watches.

More Resources:

Press Release: IWC Southeast Asia Presents “Peter Lindbergh’s Portofino”

More photos at: BRANDTHINK Facebook Album or BRANDTHINK Google+ Page

Related posts:

#InTheNews: Sanuk Gets Social

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 07:02:54 +0000

California-based footwear brand Sanuk has launched its ‘A Date with my Sanuk <3‘ Facebook campaign with BRANDTHINK Malaysia’s social media team. The news story about BRANDTHINK Malaysia was published on Marketing-Interactive.com on Nov 24, 2011.

#InTheNews: Sanuk Gets Social

Malaysia – California-based footwear brand Sanuk has launched its ‘A Date with my Sanuk <3′ Facebook campaign to increase brand awareness among Malaysian consumers.

To take part, consumers will have to like Sanuk’s Facebook page and answer the question: How crazy will you go to get a date with our precious Sanuk? Upon submission, they will be in the running to win a 3 day 2 night stay at Hard Rock Hotel Penang.

Jui Hong Teoh, managing director for Brandthink Malaysia, the agency behind the campaign told A+M that the campaign was created to reflect Sanuk’s brand persona.

“Taking its name from the Thai word for fun, Sanuk’s brand is fun-seeking tying back to its roots in Southern California. Having a theme around vacations, island beaches, a stay in Hard Rock Hotel reflects that persona.”

Teoh added that platforms such as Facebook was becoming a major source of traffic to both online websites and offline stores alike.

“Having a presence in these social platforms, we hope to tap into the increasing use of the Internet by consumers to seek product information and leverage on the new social layer to gain referrals and recommendations,” Teoh said.

Within a week of the launch, Sanuk Malaysia has gained more than 3,000 new fans to its Facebook page.

The campaign targets the demographic of 18-40 years old, who are fashionable, love beaches and casual wear and are on the look-out for something distinctively designed.

Promotions for the campaign will run in the form of advertising on Facebook using Facebook’s social ads platform and a PR campaign targeted at online media and blogs.

Related posts:

#03 Media+Headlines: Newspapers’ Specials in Malaysia

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:35:05 +0000

Welcome to Issue #03 of Media+Headlines, our brand new article series focusing on the latest trends around media in Malaysia. Today, we take on the ever increasing competition between English dailies in Malaysia in its fight for readership, advertising dollars and marketshare.

Bid & Win with The Star Newspaper

On the 11th of November 2011, The Star, Malaysia’s leading English language daily revealed a contest for consumers in conjunction with the celebration of their 40th Anniversary this year.

The Bid & Win contest is based on the bidding mechanics. Every day from 11th November 2011 till 5th January 2012, different Star Points will be published on the front page of the daily. The points come in denominations of 100, 200, 300, 400 or 500. The highest bidder has to answer a question correctly to win the prize.

The bidding process happens every two weeks, and every cycle sees a new set of prizes up for grabs. So far there are laptops, massage chairs and home theatre systems on offer. The grand prize up for bidding at the last cycle (early next year) is a Peugeot RCZ.

BRANDTHINK’s take: If historical evidence is any indication, promotions like this from The Star is an instant crowd-puller. For readers who are eyeing the sports car, they may be stockpiling on as many The Star newspapers they can get everyday – which may not necessary be what advertisers want. But the increase in unique readership as a result will offset the small percentage of hardcore contestants who are hoarding multiple copies of the daily.

New Straits Times Special 3D edition

Also on the special date of 11th November 2011 (11.11.11), another English daily added some pizzazz to their daily edition. This time, it involved the power of 3D.

New Straits Times readers were greeted on Friday morning with a pair of 3D glasses in the Life & Times pullout and a 3D-ready newspaper. Almost all advertisements and several editorial content in the publication was published in 3D format. The 3D-ready content were marked by a “Best Viewed in 3D” symbol.

Also in the 11.11.11 edition of NST, the NSTP group managing editor, Abdul Jalil Hamid announced a convergence of content and presentation for the 166-year-old publication across four platforms: mobile, online, print and the iPad.

BRANDTHINK’s take: Not a bad way to make an impact in the industry. The 11.11.11 edition may even be seen as a collector’s item because of its the unique 3D content scattered throughout the daily. It is also valuable to advertisers – the added dimension to their advertisements that day may even see a higher-than-usual recall rate. But more importantly is the announcement of a multichannel strategy that would allow the paper to tap into a wider audience.

Google+: Sink or Swim?

Google’s homegrown brand of online social networking, Google Plus (also known as Google+ or G+), was one of the newest additions to the social networking scene. It has been almost four months since its launch, and how are consumers (not forgetting businesses and brands alike hoping to leverage on it) adapting G+ to their daily life cycle?

Initially available to a select few through beta testing (and later on, invites), G+ in its basic elements do not differ markedly from its main competitor, Facebook. Functions and appearances such as profile view, photos, updates and other shared media are similar to Facebook’s. There are differences unique to Google+, but its current feature sets are still under development and trails behind Facebook’s extensive platform.

However, G+ does bring a few brand new features to the table. “Hangouts” lets up to 10 people join in a video chat. The “+1” button functions like a “Like” button on Facebook, but we believe the “+1” function is currently, or will eventually play a big role in search results on Google. Something that marketers need to be aware of for Search Engine Marketing (SEO) purposes.

For more insights on Google+, read our comparison article: Trend Watch: Social Media Fragmentation – Facebook or Google+?

– E –

Media+Headlines is a brand new series of articles on what’s happening in and around the media scene. Combining resources from our PR, advertising and media teams, we’ll be bringing you updates and analysis on the latest trends in publishing, editorial and events related to newspapers, magazines, television and other media in Malaysia.

Related posts:

PR+Events: Dulux ColourFutures™ 2012 Launch in Malaysia

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:16:57 +0000

Every year, the international paints company Dulux comes up with a set of colour palettes for the year to come. The colour trend analysis of sorts is carried out by colour experts and members of the creative and design industry, who look at emerging international trends and synthesize it for consumers.

This year, BRANDTHINK was the agency tasked with the launch of ColourFutures™ 2012 in Malaysia (which also revealed the Colour of The Year for 2012). The agency was tasked with the planning and execution of the event along with the comprehensive media and public relations campaign.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D228IlRpoUU

Event Objective

To create awareness and to educate and inform people on the colour trends for the upcoming year 2012. This campaign was also tailored to enable all audiences – partners and consumers alike to get a feel of what ColourFutures™ 2012 will entail. We want people to relate in a tangible way to the themes presented.

Execution

Held at Black Box MAP in Publika, Solaris Dutamas, the launch saw media and guests of Dulux in attendance, including Managing Director of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints for South East Asia and Pacific, Jeremy Rowe and Managing Director of ICI Paints Malaysia, C.W. Goh.

The all-black venue was an appropriate backdrop for bursts of colours (colourful carpets, photowalls, props, laser lights), which served as a reminder of the theme throughout the evening. The movable walls provided flexibility to build and create a space as we deemed fit for the event.

From the props to the launch gambit, everything was carefully selected and choreographed to befit the theme of ‘Possibilities’, which is also the theme of the Colour of The Year 2012. With this in mind, what better way to unveil the Colour of The Year 2012 than to have a group of energetic dancers reflect the theme of possibilities. Just as the dance routine came to an end, both Managing Directors were ushered on stage and together with the dancers tore off the white wallpaper covering the stage background, revealing Tea Dance – a blushing, lively red shade that is at once whimsical and serious, dynamic and soft, thus bringing about the dominant concept for 2012 “Possibilities” for the Colour of the Year.

The unveiling took centre stage as a group of flashmob dancers brought the place to live with their energy and dynamism in celebration of the upcoming year 2012. The upbeat dance routine was a showcase of what 2012 is able to hold for us with regards to the Colour of The Year 2012. It is a celebration of what’s to come. With the Colour of The Year, 2012 will mark a year of endless possibilities, of new things and great successes.

Creative Tinkering

With the advantage of being integrated, our Creative team was also involved in ensuring a clear consistent message for the launch. The thematic walls and the staging was beautifully crafted by our designers in collaboration with our PR team and the result is a consistent messaging clarity that greets the audience the moment they enter the venue.

The wall of color at the reception alluded the audience to previous years’ Colour of the Year, to showcase AkzoNobel’s long standing tradition of color trend research.

Along with ‘Possibilities’ as the dominant trend, there was also 5 related key trends for ColourFutures™ 2012. For the unveiling of these 5 key trends, five photowalls were custom-made and built for the event. Each of these photowalls corresponded to the colour palette and theme of each of the 5 key trends of 2012 – One Small Seed, Delicate Mix, Rediscovered Heroes, Living Scrapbook and Different Worlds.

Because of the amount of trends we had, the challenge was to make each trend carry a distinct meaning to the guests – they had to leave the event knowing that each trend was a separate entity with a different story in itself. To engage the guests and create a connection between them and the five trends, we created the idea of attaching corresponding items to the theme. Each photowall with an accompanying model and props served as a simple recollection of the trend. For example, the key trend One Small Seed is about our personal bond with nature, and had real plants and gardening tools as the accompanying props for the relating photowall.

With relatable memes created and the use of photowalls and props allow Dulux’s message to be imprinted into the audience’s memory. Otherwise, the print-out photos given at the launch serve as a backup, just in case.

PR Executions

As part of this project, BRANDTHINK arranged for an exclusive media interview for the Netherlands-based Aesthetic Manager of AkzoNobel Decorative Coatings, Heleen van Gent. A noted colour expert, Heleen shared about the journey that the colour experts from all around the world take in the discovery of ColourFutures™ 2012. Heleen also provided an insiders view on how colours are able to invoke senses as well as provide opportunities. She also shared about various colour trends and how these trends translate into every day lives for people from all across the globe providing readers a more in-depth knowledge of what of ColourFutures™ is all about.

See Press Releases: AkzoNobel, Dulux Unveils Colour of the Year 2012 around Theme of ‘Possibilities’

Result

Lauches have a way to focus the audience in on key themes and messages and a well-executed event leaves the message to linger for months to come. That’s exactly what was achieved with ColourFutures™ 2012.

In the 3 weeks following the launch, Dulux ColourFutures™ 2012 secured media coverage across a variety of newsprint and publications, ranging from business to lifestyle. The message and news was disseminated across a wide mass of audiences.

Here are a selection of some of the coverage generated:

TV Coverage:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgjibQ_ggsM

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL79v3Z7quA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqoSJ_UQEME

Other Resources:

Press Release: AkzoNobel, Dulux Unveils Colour of the Year 2012 around Theme of ‘Possibilities’

Facebook Album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150471831778338.426078.37431508337&type=1

From our unofficial blog: Behind the scene look / Event Report

For more information about our PR and events services, please contact us at +60-3-22872255. We’ll be more than happy to assist you for your brand or product launch campaigns.

Related posts:

Trend Watch: Social Media Fragmentation – Facebook or Google+?

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:33:13 +0000

Over the past week, Google launched their Google+ pages for Brands in order to capitalize on the use of social media by businesses around the world. New networks in the social networking scene would no doubt create a potential sea of change in all social media campaigns in the coming future. How does Google+ currently stack up against Facebook Pages? What should you, as brand managers, or us as an agency take note of?

Facebook Brand Pages

A Facebook campaign created by BRANDTHINK Malaysia

The fact that Facebook Pages had a long head start allowed the company to tweak and improve the experience of engaging customers with brands via the platform.

But the biggest advantage Facebook page has over Google+ — apps. Apps can be created and run on Facebook pages and has been one of the major engagement opportunities for brands and consumers.

Facebook’s mobile applications also allow the experience to extend beyond the desktop to mobile phones. With the recent tweaks to the Facebook App for iPhone, even custom applications and games can be used on the mobile, something that would undoubtedly extend the reach of brands from the desktop to the mobile.

Coupled with a strong ad platform that emphasizes the social connection with friends and pages, integration with location services, customizability with the use of Custom Tabs has allowed Facebook to be the Gold standard for every brand’s social media strategy.

Google+ Brand Pages

When Google+ first launched, we had described it as Facebook meets Twitter. Having a go at the recently launched Google+ for brands, we have to conclude that it’s still not quite ready for prime time.

Nice features like public video chats via the Hangouts feature is overshadowed by deficiencies like the inability to assign multiple administrators to the Page. It will be difficult for any social media agency team to collaborate on a brand page with such limitations.

Google’s use of indecipherable address in the URL, unlike Facebook’s “vanity URL” is also a downside. Brands invest heavily through advertising to promote their social media platforms, and if they have to choose between facebook.com/mybrand or plus.google.com/107051503820974236811, it’s easy to see which they’ll pick.

More importantly, without a strong focus on building APIs that third-party developers can use to extend the utility of Google+ — something essential to the strength any social media platform – it will trail behind Facebook for the time being.

To be fair, Google+ Brand Pages was launched only recently a fix to many of the gripes is said to be in the works, so the future is long. But with its current limitations, it’s hard to say if it’ll be used for more than just being a new experiment.

Related posts:

#02 Media+Headlines: New Reality TV, Crowd-Sourcing StyleKandi

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:46:19 +0000

Welcome to Issue #02 of Media+Headlines, our brand new article series focusing on the latest trends around media in Malaysia. This issue we are taking a glimpse of Masterchef Malaysia, Crowd-sourcing trends on StyleKandi and 16 years of Cleo in Malaysia.

Breaking News: Google+ launches Brand Pages

Just as we’re finalizing this edition of Media+Headlines, Google launched it’s Google+ Brand Pages. This add yet another channel to the already crowded set of social media tools brand managers are required to look into for their social media campaigns. Can Google+ take the game to Facebook Page, the current gold standard? The jury is still out on that one. In any case, we’ve started our own page just in case. Our first gripe? The address is really ugly at: https://plus.google.com/107051503820974236811/

MasterChef Malaysia

The international television cooking show franchise, Masterchef, has finally landed on our shores in the form of Masterchef Malaysia. The locally-produced version of the reality show helmed by Astro Ria will see 24 amateur chefs pitted against each other to be crowned Malaysia’s first Masterchef.

Unlike the Australian or American version of Masterchef (which has a set of judges), the Malaysian edition has a panel of five judges who will rotate the duty of judging every week.

The series, which is airing on Astor Ria (Channel 103) and StarWorld (Channel 711) is produced and filmed entirely in Bahasa Malaysia. The main sponsor of the show is Panasonic, and the show has already attracted a steady stream of advertisers like Hong Leong Bank, Maggi and Jaya Grocers.

BRANDTHINK’s take: Not without controversy to begin with, the success of the show will come from the interplay of personalities of the judges and the contenders. In the American version, viewers look out for both the outlandish characters of the judges as well as the near orgasmic quality of the dishes created. We’ll see how Malaysians fare in the face of such high pre-set standards. Nevertheless, the popularity of the US and Australian versions would have given the Malaysian version a built-in audience to tap into.

StyleKandi – crowd-sourcing Asian trends

Mark Wills, StyleKandi co-founder: “We wanted to build a community around the love of brands and products for Asian people – a place where people, who applaud brands, could share, discover and learn. A place where brands could also be part of that conversation.”

StyleKandi is a new online sharing platform aimed at bringing together style and fashion-related media to its users. Unlike other content aggregator websites or exclusively-online editorials which are managed and maintained by computer software programs or hired hands, StyleKandi relies on its userbase of members to create, share and display content on the website. The crowd-sourcing method proves to be a pull, seeing as many are hopping on the bandwagon of Collective Inspiration.

Targeting Asian consumers between the ages of 18-34 years old, StyleKandi’s model is similar to that of popular microblogging website, tumblr and visual bookmark websites. Users stamp their approval on an item with the “Love It!” gadget and share their own content by uploading it from their hard drive or from an online source. There is also a Shopping Filter function on the website (which can be turned on or off), which is used to find out where an item is sold – a plus point for small business owners based online who want more visibility through the internet clutter.

StyleKandi is looking at businesses, brands and fashion designers alike to utilize the website as a unified platform of sorts to reach out to and engage with the consumers. The free membership is expected to attract big name brands, indie designers and fashion enthusiasts, where they can gain public exposure for their content and maybe even a loyal band of followers.

BRANDTHINK’s take: While we are quite enamored with the whole concept, two things will be required to keep the site relevant. The first being the ability for the crowd to continue to contribute very high quality content that isn’t repetitious, and second the ability to really filter out what’s hot from the not. Something we will be inclined to watch in the coming months. Do check out our experimental page on StyleKandi at http://www.stylekandi.com/brandthink

Cleo is 16

One of Malaysia’s English magazines turned 16 years old this month. Monthly women’s publication Cleo marked their 16 anniversary with a new competitive price (RM 5.00 from RM 5.80) and a promotional campaign to drive further growth.

– E –

Related posts:

#01 Media+Headlines: iPad Publishers, New Magazine

BRANDTHINK Malaysia — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:05:45 +0000

Print, Online or iPad? Trends in tablet publishing

Many publications in Malaysia are looking at the seamless integration of their traditional publications with the digital media. While most magazines and newspapers already have an online presence through their respective official websites, some have taken the plunge into bringing their offerings to iPad users through apps.

The Star, Malaysia’s leading English newspaper with a circulation of almost 300,000 daily, was one of the first publications to hop on the iPad app bandwagon. The Star, Malaysia app was released in the earlier part of 2011 and has become a staple for those who seek for daily news in Malaysia on their iPad.

New to the scene and launched in Oct 2011, The Edge Malaysia has released its own iPad app, bringing the Financial Daily newspaper to the tablet form. The app contains news contents aggregated from both The Edge Financial Daily and The Edge Malaysia weekly (focusing on business and investments).

Catcha-owned Juice Magazine recently threw a grand party to celebrate the launch of its iPad app. Boasting more than its regular themes and topics, the JUICE Magazine app features interactive content like videos and audio material.

All three apps are available for free from iTunes or the app store.

The Edge: http://itunes.apple.com/my/app/edge-tablet/id472052296?mt=8

The Star: http://itunes.apple.com/my/app/the-star-malaysia/id392881083?mt=8

Juice Magazine: http://itunes.apple.com/my/app/juice-magazine/id454728862?mt=8

The apps that we have seen so far have ranged from the effort to created iPad-unique versions of the publication to replicating the look and feel of the print cousins to the tablet format. It’s still too early to tell which strategy will work best but some advertisers have begun to run tablet specific advertising campaigns in this new medium, such as HSBC’s ad campaign within The Star’s iPad app.

WW Launches Fashionably

A new Malay-language women’s magazine debuted its inaugural issue in this past month of September. Headed by former Glam editor-in-chief Wirda Adnan, WW is targeted at affluent Malay and Malay-speaking Malaysian women aged 27 and above.

The magazine, owned by MPH Magazine Group and published by W Publication concentrates on fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

WW Magazine (which stands for Wanita dan Wawasan or Women and Vision) caters to the ambitious and educated woman of today and offers a fresh perspective on style and substance through its localized content, and can be identified by its covers featuring local celebrities and social figures.

Media Events and Happenings

Prestige Magazine recently held a Shakin’ Supper Party in conjunction with its annual edition of the “Top 40 Under 40” awards. The retro-themed bash held at The Elements Gallery in Ampang saw the attendance of who’s who in town – some members of the media and celebrities. Dominic Lau of E! News Asia fame was spotted, as was Fay Hokulani.

The main sponsors of the bash were BMW, Kronenbourg 1664, among others.

Prestige will be having another celebration in October, this time to commemorate its 10th Anniversary at the diamond-themed Infinite Ball. In its October 2011 issue, Prestige looked back at its past balls and themes.

Related posts: