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ASTRO BETS ON ASEAN CONTENTHENRY TAN, CEO DESIGNATE, ASTRO

ISSUE228END-SEPT20182

The seventh case study in the ‘Winning Partnership Series’ discusses how Astro’s exclusive collaboration with SmartStudy in bringing the worldwide phenomenon of Pinkfong to Malaysian shores. Pinkfong and Baby Shark became the latest phenomenon in kids’ animation when the Pinkfong Baby Shark dance and sing-along racked in over 3 billion views online worldwide. With this breakthrough partnership, Astro offers a great platform for marketers to leverage on this global viral phenomenon to win over parents and kids together.

PINKFONG’S INTERNATIONAL DEBUT IN MALAYSIA CREATES ROARING WAVES OF SUCCESS

SEIZING OPPORTUNITIESThe journey of Pinkfong and

Baby Shark in Malaysia began in 2017 when they first visited our shores to engage with their fans. The magenta-coloured fox first met Malaysians in December last year at Astro’s Fun Escapade event which saw a 30k turnout. This was followed by Dive into the World of Pinkfong which took place in March this year and attracted over 50k fans, on top of driving subscription to Astro’s kids channels. This was the first standalone mall event exclusively for Pinkfong, together with the adorable Baby Shark making its first appearance in Malaysia.

A month later in April, Astro created another first - Pinkfong & Baby Shark Mini Concert which stormed 1 Utama. All concert passes for Rock & VIP zones were sold out across all four days. It was also the first licensing partnership with an ice cream manufacturer to launch the Pinkfong Baby Shark Ice Lolly! This tremendous response has led to the launch of the Pinkfong & Baby Shark Live Musical. The highly-anticipated live musical has made its first international debut in Malaysia, after its sold-out launch in Korea in 2017, featuring the original musical from Korea, complete with its full Korean cast and crew.

Home Of GenNext IPs In early July, Astro

announced their partnership with SmartStudy, a Seoul-based global entertainment company, for its hit animated characters including Pinkfong and Baby Shark, over multiple fronts from merchandising to character licensing and signature events in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

In addition to that, Astro also has a strong kid and parents fan base through its original shows, and Pinkfong has joined its list of wonderful characters such as Didi & Friends, Malaysia’s number 1 pre-school brand, Cam & Leon, an animated, non-dialogue comedy series and Omar & Hana, a music and faith-inspired animation.

Didi & Friends8.1 million reachOmar & Hana8.5 million reachCam & Leon8.0 million reachBased on year to date August 2018

Pinkfong & Friends was released around mid-July 2018 and has already reached 5.8 million, catching up quickly with the rest of the IPs.

E-COMMERCE EXTENSION Following Astro’s exclusive

partnership with SmartStudy, special Pinkfong merchandise were produced for the events, such as plush toys and sound books which were selling fast on Go Shop, Astro’s 24-hour online shopping platform. Baby Shark plush toys were sold out within 24 hours during the launch in April. At the recent Pinkfong

& Baby Shark Live Musical, the Mummy Shark and Daddy Shark plush toys were launched, together with the first ever CD compilation of Pinkfong songs. This attracted a long queue at the merchandize counter after each show.

360 MARKETING PUSH Numerous marketing

initiatives were executed across

multiple Astro platforms to promote and create anticipation around the much-awaited Pinkfong & Baby Shark Live Musical. Customised Pinkfong content was curated for television and digital platforms such as Gempak, Xuan, Siakap Keli and Rojak Daily to create high noise level.

Aggressive launch promotional video campaigns on

WITH OVER 3 BILLION VIEWS GLOBALLY, WHO DOESN’T KNOW THE BABY SHARK SONG? HERE IS THE MALAYSIAN STORY.....

ISSUE228END-SEPT2018 3

ASTRO WINNING PARTNERSHIP SERIESPINKFONG’S INTERNATIONAL

DEBUT IN MALAYSIA CREATES ROARING WAVES OF SUCCESS

the launch event, sharing the limelight with Pinkfong and Baby Shark.

Marigold also ran a digital contest to win musical tickets with proof of purchase. Customised branded capsules were curated with strong integration of Pinkfong and Baby Shark to drive contest submissions, as well as attracting high engagement among the kids. The capsules ran across Astro TV channels and digital platforms to maximize reach and impact. Another version of the Marigold branded capsule with Pinkfong and Baby Shark will be launched in November to continue the partnership initiatives.

During the ticket launch event in Pavilion and nine days of the live musical in KLCC Plenary Hall, there were booths activated by Marigold and other partners such as Carrie Junior, VKids and Photobook, added more spark to the jam-packed event.

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

As part of a CSR initiative driven by Astro, a total of 500 tickets were allocated to bring joy to the children from Kiwanis Club Malaysia and Ti-Ratana Welfare Society. It was a once in a lifetime experience for the kids and their parents, thus giving meaningful value to the musical.

RESULTSThe first ever international

debut of the Pinkfong Baby Shark Live Musical proved to be a giant hit amongst parents and children.

Over 15,000 fans watched the show, with 88% of VVIP and VIP tickets sold. Merchandise sales doubled during the event period with a total of 3000 pieces sold. The best-selling item was the Song Book which sold out before the event ended.

It was a great campaign for Marigold as the main sponsor. Brand awareness and engagement improved significantly among their key target audience, associating Marigold UHT Milk with happy families. The contest to win musical tickets received a high response, attracting over 100 entries within two weeks, coming from various states as far as East Malaysia, Alor Setar and Johor.

Carol Goh, Brand Manager of Cotra Enterprises said, “It was a great team effort from Astro and they were committed to deliver and assist in making this campaign successful.”

Astro Circle reached over 48K online views and 650 shares within 10 days.

In addition to that, four special episodes of Pinkfong & Baby Shark Kidipedia were aired on Ceria’s YouTube, followed by exposure on Astro Ceria channel a week later to engage the kids and ultimately drive ticket sales. PinkFong & Kidipedia hosts visited kindergarten children

to teach them simple and fun Pinkfong dances. Astro also engaged celebrities and KOLs with young families to leverage on their influencing power to promote the musical via multiple social media posts.

Pinkfong musical giveaway contest was run on Astro On Demand platform, as well as with various partners like Marigold UHT Milk, Tesco, Pinkfong

Baby Shark Ice Lolly, VKids and Pavilion. Astro subscribers enjoyed a 20% discount during the early bird period. Maybank and Digi also joined as partners to give special ticket discounts for their customers during the campaign period.

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Marigold has come on

board to be the main sponsor of

Pinkfong and Baby Shark Live Musical, a perfect platform to engage the parents and kids as their key target audience. The campaign kicked off from the ticket launch event in July, where Marigold had a dedicated booth to sell their bundled UHT milk and hand out attractive Pinkfong stickers to draw in the crowd. Happi Cow, Marigold’s mascot also made its appearance during

WITH OVER 3 BILLION VIEWS GLOBALLY, WHO DOESN’T KNOW THE BABY SHARK SONG? HERE IS THE MALAYSIAN STORY.....

IDEAS: THE MOUSTICIDESTORY

A BRIGHT CONTENT FUTURE LOOMS FOR ASTRO

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07

The journey of Pinkfong and Baby Shark in Malaysia began in 2017 when they first visited our shores to engage with their fans. The magenta-coloured fox first met Malaysians in December last year at Astro’s Fun Escapade event which saw...

The number of dengue cases and dengue deaths have been dropping steadily over the last three years. From January to June this year, 32,435 cases of dengue fever with 53 deaths were reported nationwide- a decrease of 34.8 per cent compared to the same period last year.According to Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, speaking at the 8th Asian Dengue Day 2018 celebration, the falling numbers come from the “cooperation of various ministries and agencies through the Dengue Special Task Force Committee platform.” Volunteers for the Communication for Behavioural Impact (COMBI) programme also helped by eradicating mosquito breeding grounds. If we’re going...

Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil is pushing for a change in reverting Kuala Lumpur’s Bangsar South to its original name Kampung Kerinchi as...

As the original OTT (Over-The-Top) in Malaysia with tonton, we met Johan Ishak, CEO of Media Prima Television Networks (MPTN) about their collaboration with Viu, the first time a regional OTT brand has partnered with Malaysia’s largest TV broadcaster on content for same day airing. Kingsley Warner, GM-Director for Viu Malaysia, says, “There is a common misconception...

PINKFONG’S INTERNATIONAL DEBUT IN MALAYSIA CREATES ROARING WAVES OF SUCCESS

POINT OF VIU: WHERE ARE OTTS HEADING

02

ASTRO WINNING PARTNERSHIP SERIES

CREATIVE SURGE

EDITOR’S NOTE

OTT MEETS FTA

COVER STORY

ISSUE 228/// END-SEPT2018

Regional CEOProfessor Harmandar Singh ham@adoimagazine.com

Content OfficerReena Sekaranreena@adoimagazine.com

Business Development ManagerJarrod Sunil Solomonjarrod@adoimagazine.com

Art Director / DesignerChemical Aliali@adoimagazine.com

Events & Workshops Ruby Limruby@adoimagazine.com

Web & Digital: Nurul Amira Ibrahim

amira@adoimagazine.com

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24 OCTOBER DRAGONS OF MALAYSIA & ASIA AWARDS 2018

16 NOVEMBER MALAYSIAN CMO CONFERENCE& AWARDS 2018

7 DECEMBER MC2 AWARDS - IDEAS OASIS

BANGSAR SOUTH OR KAMPUNG KERINCHI: A LESSON IN BRANDING

For the second quarter of 2018, Malaysia retail industry reported a growth rate of 2.1% in retail sales, as compared to the same period in 2017 (Table 1). This latest quarterly result did not meet market expectation. Members of MRA projected the second quarter growth rate in June 2018 at 6.0%. Retail Group Malaysia estimate for the same period was 6.3%. Thus, the latest result was at least 65% below market expectation. During the month of June, the Goods & Services Tax (GST) was reduced from 6.0% to 0.0%. Hari Raya was also celebrated during the same month. In addition, school holiday, World Cup and Father’s Day took place during this period. These occasions should have brought exceptional sale results for many retailers. However, Malaysian consumers did not go all out to spend on all kinds of retail goods mainly because they did not have extra incomes to do so. For the month of June 2018, increase in sales varies among retailers. Some retailers enjoyed 30% increase in business, while others only 10%. Some did not see improvement in sales and some even suffered from negative growths in sales...

RETAIL MARKET REPORT

05

DRAGONS OF MALAYSIA

EVENTS CALENDAR

ISSUE228END-SEPT2018 5RETAIL

MARKET REPORT

Members of Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA) were interviewed on their retail sales performances for the second quarter as well as the rest of 2018. Here are the findings..

LATEST RETAIL PERFORMANCE

For the second quarter of 2018, Malaysia’s retail industry reported a growth rate of 2.1% in retail sales, as compared to the same period in 2017 (Table 1).

This latest quarterly result did not meet market expectations. Members of MRA projected the second quarter growth rate in June 2018 at 6.0%. Retail Group Malaysia’s estimate for the same period was 6.3%. Thus, the latest result was at least 65% below market expectations.

During the month of June, the Goods & Services Tax (GST) was reduced from 6.0% to 0.0%. Hari Raya was also celebrated during the same month. In addition, school holidays, World Cup and Father’s Day took place during this period. These occasions should have brought exceptional sales results for many retailers. However, Malaysian consumers did not go all out to spend on all kinds of retail goods mainly because they did not have extra income to do so.

For the month of June 2018, increase in sales varies among retailers. Some retailers enjoyed 30% increase in business, while others only 10%. Some did not see improvement in sales and some even suffered from negative growths in sales. Increase in sales varied among retailers, depending on the additional offers given by retailers.

High value-added retail goods (such as luxury items, sporting goods, electrical goods, electronics goods, gadgets and furniture) enjoyed higher sales as compared to basic necessities, household goods and general fashion items.

For the first 6 months of this year, the retail sales growth rate was 2.3%, as compared to the same period a year ago.

COMPARISON OF RETAIL SALES WITH OTHER ECONOMIC INDICATORS

For the second quarter of 2018, Malaysia’s national economy recorded a slower growth rate of 4.5% (Table 2, at constant prices), as compared to 2.1% for retail sales (at current prices). Growth was driven by private sector spending.

During the second 3-month period of this year, sale of Pharmacy and Personal Care sub-sector increased by 5.9%, as compared to the same quarter a year ago.

The Other Specialty Stores sub-sector (including toys’ stores, sporting goods’ retail stores, optical stores, photo shops, second-hand goods’ stores, TV shopping channels as well as retail stores selling baking ingredients) reported a strong growth rate of 11.5% during the second quarter

MALAYSIA RETAIL INDUSTRY REPORT

Compiled and written by Retail Group Malaysia

of 2018, as compared to the same period last year. This is the best performer among the retail sub-sectors.

NEXT 3 MONTHS FORECASTMembers of the Retailers

Association maintain their optimism on their businesses for the next three months. They estimate an average growth rate of 6.1% during the third quarter of 2018 (Table 4). The last two months of the tax holiday should encourage Malaysian consumers to spend more as we expect prices of retail goods to increase after that.

The department store cum supermarket operators expect their businesses to improve further with 6.0% in growth rate for the third quarter of this year.

The department store operators are expecting their businesses to rebound with a positive growth rate of 7.1% for the third 3-month period of this year.

Supermarket and hypermarket operators are expecting to stop their continuous decline with a near-zero growth rate of -0.2% for the third quarter of 2018.

Retailers in the fashion and fashion accessories sector expect their businesses to grow at a faster pace with a growth rate of 5.1% during the third quarter of 2018.

The average inflation rate during the second quarter of 2018 slowed down to 1.3%. During the month of June, inflation rose by 0.8% only. This was the first time in 40 months that inflation recorded a value below 1.0%. The reduction of GST to 0% was the main reason for the low prices.

Private consumption climbed higher by 8.0% during the second quarter of 2018. This is the highest growth rate since the first quarter of 2015. The tax holiday in June was the main reason for this encouraging growth.

During this latest quarter, the Consumer Sentiment Index (by MIER) soared to 132.9 points. This was the highest quarterly growth rate recorded over the last 21 years. The announcement of zero-rated GST boosted consumer confidence level during this quarter.

Unemployment rates during the second quarter of 2018 maintained at 3.3%.

RETAIL SUB-SECTORS SALES COMPARISON

Despite the tax holiday in the month of June, sales of all retail sub-sectors during the second quarter of 2018 were mixed (Table 3). Not all retail sub-sectors benefited from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. All retail sub-sectors did not meet the projected growth rates made by MRA retailers in June 2018.

The Department Store cum Supermarket sub-sector reported an encouraging growth rate of 3.8% during the first 3 months of this year.

On the other hand, Department Store sub-sector

suffered a decline in sales during this period despite the 1-month tax holiday. During the second quarter of 2018, this sub-sector declined by 4.2% as compared to the same period a year ago.

The Supermarket and Hypermarket sub-sector recorded a disappointing result of -7.9% during the second 3-month period of 2018. This sub-sector was the worst performer during the latest quarter.

The Fashion and Fashion Accessories sub-sector achieved a moderate growth rate of 3.2% during the second quarter of 2018, as compared to the same period a year ago.

Retailers in the Pharmacy and Personal Care sub-sector are very optimistic of their businesses in the next 3 months. They expect their businesses to expand by 11.4% during the third quarter of 2018. This is the highest projection among the retail sub-sectors.

Retailers in the Other Specialty Stores sub-sector (including toys’ stores, sporting goods’ retail stores, optical stores, photo shops, second-hand goods’ stores, TV shopping channels as well as retail stores selling baking ingredients) are hopeful their businesses will expand by 10.3% during the third quarter of this year, as compared to the same period a year ago.

REST OF YEARWith consideration of the

latest market performances, Retail Group Malaysia has revised the retail sales growth rate for the third quarter from 6.8% (estimated in June 2018) to 6.1% (Table 5). This revision took into consideration the remaining two months of tax break before Sales and Services Tax (SST) was re-introduced from 1 September 2018.

The main bulk of purchases were made during the last week of August. This was especially so for high value-added retail goods. Malaysian consumers rushed to retail stores to buy more in order to save more.

For the month of September, many retailers maintained their prices in order to attract shoppers to buy.

For the last quarter of this year, the retail growth rate has been revised upwards from 3.5% (estimated in June 2018) to 4.3%. This higher adjustment took into consideration the shopping behaviour and patterns during the 3-month tax holiday and the current economic environment.

Based on the latest quarterly adjustments, the projected retail sales growth rate of Malaysia retail industry in 2018 by Retail Group Malaysia has been revised downwards from 5.3% (estimated in June 2018) to 4.1%.

For more information, please email tanhaihsin@yahoo.com

YEAR ON YEAR PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN RETAIL SALES (WEIGHTED), 2017/18

TYPE PERIOD % GROWTH

Retail sales Apr-Jun 2017 4.9

Jan-Mar 2018 2.6

Apr-Jun 2018 2.1

Jan-Jun 2018 2.3

Source: MRA/ Retail Group Malaysia

TABL

E 1

COMPARISON OF RETAIL SALES WITH OTHER ECONOMIC INDICATORS, 2018

ECONOMIC INDICATOR 1ST QTR

2ND QTR

GDP (%) 5.4 4.5

Inflation rate (%) 1.8 1.3

Private consumption (%) 6.9 8.0

Retail sales (%) 2.6 2.1

Consumer Sentiment Index 91.0 132.9

Unemployment rate (%) 3.3 3.3

Source: Bank Negara/ Department of Statistics/ MIER/ Retail Group Malaysia

TABL

E 2

YEAR ON YEAR PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN RETAIL SALES BY RETAIL SUB-SECTOR, 2018

RETAIL SUB-SECTOR 1ST QTR

2ND QTR

Department store cum supermarket 2.6 3.8

Department store 4.6 -4.2

Supermarket and hypermarket -3.8 -7.9

Fashion and fashion accessories 2.8 3.2

Pharmacy and personal care 9.2 5.9

Other specialty retail stores 3.3 11.5

Source: MRA/Retail Group Malaysia

TABL

E 3

3-MONTH RETAIL SALES FORECAST BY RETAIL SUB-SECTOR, OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2018

RETAIL SUB-SECTOR % GROWTH RATE

Overall (weighted) 6.1

Department store cum supermarket 6.0

Department store 7.1

Supermarket and hypermarket -0.2

Fashion and fashion accessories 5.1

Pharmacy and personal care 11.4

Other specialty retail stores 10.3

Source: MRA/Retail Group Malaysia

TABL

E 4

MALAYSIA RETAIL INDUSTRY QUATERLY GROWTH RATE 2018

QUARTER % GROWTH RATE

First 2.6

Second 2.1

Third (e) 6.1

Fourth (e) 4.3

Whole year (e) 4.1

(e) - estimate

Source: Retail Group Malaysia

TABL

E 5

“GO TO HEAVEN FOR THE CLIMATE, AND HELL FOR THE COMPANY.”MARK TWAIN

“BUSINESS HAS ONLY TWO FUNCTIONS - MARKETING AND INNOVATION.”MILAN KUNDERA

“TECHNOLOGY INTERRUPTS OUR ABILITY TO HAVE A THOUGHT OR A DAYDREAM, TO IMAGINE SOMETHING WONDERFUL, BECAUSE WE’RE TOO BUSY BRIDGING THE WALK FROM THE CAFETERIA BACK TO THE OFFICE ON THE CELL PHONE.”STEVEN SPIELBERG

6 ISSUE228END-SEP2018

EDITOR’SNOTE

LEMBAH Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil is pushing for a change in reverting Kuala Lumpur’s Bangsar South to its original name Kampung Kerinchi as part of his election campaign pledge. Bangsar South, a 60-acre development by the UOA Group, used to be known as Kampung Kerinchi until the name was changed by DBKL in 2012, to reflect its upgraded image.

The backlash to his plan was fast and furious with netizens concerned that as a name Bangsar South is more valuable than Kampung Kerinchi.

But residents say Bangsar South means nothing to them and they want back Kerinchi. One Nor Ahmad says he didn’t see the point of renaming Kerinchi as Bangsar South when Bangsar was just ‘on the other side’.

Apparently, Kampung Kerinchi’s history can be traced back to the 18th century when the area was occupied by a group of Kerinci people from Jambi, Acheh and Minangkabau, Indonesia, who settled there upon reaching Malaya.

A far cry from the “sikit atas”

who occupy Bangsar South now. On the property market side,

one consultant said, “It is not advisable to change the name Bangsar South to Kerinchi as foreign buyers are not familiar with Kerinchi.” He was making the case for the value of branded development.

Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents ex president Siva Shanker told theSun paper that “branded developments and developers sell, which is why a branded developer can sell 75% of his project within two months, while a not-so-branded developer can only sell 20% in the same area.”

What is keenly obvious is that many businesses and offices have bought into the allure of Bangsar South, just as how Kajang South, Sentul West and KL North have come into being.

The question is, will investors in Bangsar South feel cheated if this gentrification of Kerinchi reverts back to its old name?

To make my point, check out the fancy addresses now in Bangsar South, where many agencies are happy to house their talents.

BANGSAR SOUTH OR KAMPUNG KERINCHI: A LESSON IN BRANDING

“BRANDED DEVELOPMENTS

AND DEVELOPERS SELL, WHICH IS

WHY A BRANDED DEVELOPER CAN SELL 75% OF HIS

PROJECT WITHIN TWO MONTHS, WHILE A NOT-SO-BRANDED

DEVELOPER CAN ONLY SELL 20% IN THE SAME AREA.”

Note the chic references to anything urbane, Manhattan-like and some say, a great job by the developer when it comes to star branding…

Level 6, Tower 9, Avenue 5, Horizon 1, Bangsar South.

Level 13, Lobby B, Avenue 10, The Vertical, Bangsar South.

These will sound different if YB Fahmi has his way:

Level 6, Tower 9, Avenue 5, Horizon 1, Kampung Kerinchi.

Level 13, Lobby B, Avenue 10, The Vertical, Kampung Kerinchi.

I wonder if the rebranding will affect highly invested spun-off names like SouthLink, SouthView and so on.

And will Nexus Kerinchi or The Sphere Kerinchi still sound sexy?

By the Turbanned Stranger | ham@adoimagazine.com

ASTRO POWERS NEW GROWTH TRAJECTORY WITH LOCAL AND ASEAN CONTENT

In today’s digital economy, organisations are faced with the critical challenge of reinvention. For Astro, this translates to continuous innovation, while embracing new ideas and trends that allow the media company to deliver the best experience to the consumer.

From subscriber churn to evolving marketing models, the fact remains that Astro is consistently out-performing most media businesses around the world.

Astro has delivered increases in the penetration of TV households, customers, Adex and viewing share while holding on to ARPU.

Their ‘same day/date’ screening of international and regional content has lent to a unique combination of premium and freemium models, which in turn have allowed the company to expand revenues.

Astro’s expanded OTT services, connected set-top boxes with access to Astro’s On Demand library, and aggressive expansion into mobile streaming services with NJOI Now and Astro GO, point to a media company that is wholeheartedly embracing the future.

Today, Astro has also turned a new page by investing in pioneering local and regional content that offers pan-Asian appeal through unique IPs; thereby bringing revenue potential from an ASEAN-wide footprint.

After successfully championing Malaysian content, with runaway hits such as OlaBola, Astro is now advocating premium Nusantara* content series with DO[S]A.

Astro’s latest horror comedy Hantu Kak Limah garnered more than RM38 million in ticket sales and has become one of the biggest local hits of all time…

trumping even Hollywood’s blockbusters ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ and

Marvel’s ‘Deadpool 2’.We talk to Astro’s CEO

designate Henry Tan on his plans for change in this

age of dramatic media disruption.

* Nusantara is a Javanese term which literally means “archipelago”. In Indonesia it means the Indonesian archipelago, while in Malaysia it has been similarly adopted to mean the Malay archipelago.

COVER STORY

ISSUE228END-SEPT20188

Astro’s commitment to engage across all platforms has resulted in a 76% penetration of TV households in Malaysia. They offer both Pay TV and NJOI Prepaid, a freemium service that is comparable to FTA services. In addition, Astro creates, aggregates and produces all manner of content genres from long form to short form videos, fact-based and kid-focused programmes, movies, drama series, and live events to serve an audience of 23 million.

Today Astro commands over 50% of the top 10 local Malaysian box office hits. In fact, its latest movie, Hantu Kak Limah has rivalled Hollywood movies in the box office performance, and its upcoming movies, Paskal and Polis Evo 2 are expected to be just as successful.

We’re excited to see what Astro has in store next. Let’s hear what Henry has to say.

The content industry in the Nusantara region commands an addressable market value of RM48 billion. How is Astro playing into this market?

Because we share similar folklores, stories and cultural practices across ASEAN, it made sense for Astro to champion both local and Asian content. We successfully embarked on this initiative some years back, and we know we can further strengthen our efforts with regional co-production partnerships.

We have already successfully collaborated with regional players, award winning directors and talents for our Asian originals designed for the Nusantara audience: DO[S]A, Polis Evo 2 and Sembilan with Indonesia; Doors with the Philippines; and 3AM with Thailand.

In addition to our premium Nusantara vertical, we also saw an opportunity to tap into Asian Horror, Kids and eSports. Asians love their ghost stories, and BOO - Asia’s Most Haunted Channel, is now available in several countries.

We’ve also amassed strong global interest in our children’s animation IPs. Didi & Friends and Omar & Hana for example, garnered over 1 billion views and 500 million digital views respectively with a strong following in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, eGG Network, our Malaysian-owned eSports brand, has already landed in eight different countries in the region. eSports is not an easy business, so you need scale in order to make economic sense.

We’ve also recently introduced Tamago, a live streaming service with a built-in gifting element, that is very popular with young people. It’s a very new and young service but

the numbers are tracking really well.

Engagement is the new marketing mantra but is it hard to achieve; reaching real people to secure long term brand equity and growth?

That’s precisely why Astro offers a strong line up of premium and compelling content, with high levels of engagement. Take football, which is practically a religion. Our fanatical super fans are engaged on all screens. Typical engagement sees them viewing a live match while simultaneously searching for statistics, actively participating in match analysis with football pundits, and engaging in friendly banter with fans of rival football clubs on social media.

We also found that our signature local content like Maharaja Lawak, Hua Hee Karaoke and our Chinese New Year campaigns occupy this high engagement category in their respective communities.

Even The Journey, OlaBola and Vedigundu Pasangge movies resonated so well within their specific communities that we had huge turnouts at our ground events. Savvy advertisers need

to look for these kinds of 360° engagement in order to go beyond mere advertising.

What’s the latest on your partnership with Karangkraf which extends Astro’s online presence with the Malay-language audience to about 10 million?

We truly believe that vernacular is the new premium. This is already evident in TV, and we see it extending to digital. We are convinced that digital vernacular is the next wave, and we will continue to champion local content on that platform.

This brings us to our partnership with Karangkraf as part of a strategic longer-term growth portfolio. Karangkraf’s IPs have evolved beyond print onto exciting new platforms thereby leveraging Astro’s capabilities, while growing reach and 360° engagement. We’re pleased that Pa & Ma has grown into a family show; Mingguan Wanita into a talk show; and Rasa into a weekly cooking show across multiple platforms.

We are further spurred by the encouraging initial results for our digital vernaculars: Gempak is the No.1 Malay portal, and

XUAN is Malaysia’s No.1 Chinese portal.

Instead of trying to take on the global brands - the FAANGs (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google), we’re setting our sights firmly on digital vernaculars.

With so much free content out there, how do you see Astro differentiating itself?

Astro’s biggest strength lies in our customer base. Currently, 76% of Malaysians are engaged with us for more than 4 hours a day.

Although we see our key differentiator as being content, with local content as our flag bearer, we know we have to diversify. To use the term ‘sell’ broadly here, we see an opportunity to sell all that is relevant to our customers. This is something we need to fully capitalize on.

Our strength remains the fact that we are already in homes. We intend to deepen our relationship there, and to extend beyond homes to individuals. We have already started on this journey, but in all honesty, I don’t think our numbers are good enough and we should

drive that individual growth more aggressively.

You’ve said disproportionate attention to data digresses from real communication in marketing…

Yes, I believe that the key lies not so much in data, but in how that data is used. The mistake many marketers make is that they get excited over the data and miss the point that they need to turn that information into actionable insights in order to win over consumers.

You once used a metaphor, “You may know everything about the girl next door but that doesn’t mean you are successful in wooing her!”. Explain…

Many mistake having rich data with automatically winning the consumer over. But knowing the consumer is not enough, how you win them over is key. Digital may be data rich but it is poor in the emotional connection area. Likewise, conventional TV or video is weak in real time data, stuck with archaic measurements and reporting, but its strength lies in emotional

VERNACULAR IS THE NEW PREMIUMHOW ASTRO’S NEW BOSS IS STEERING THE COURSE FORWARD

ISSUE228END-SEPT2018 9

“ANYONE WHO SAYS THAT DIGITAL IS STEALING EYE-BALLS IS NOT TELLING YOU THE TRUTH.”

engagement and persuasion. We are working towards providing both: the data to know our consumers, and the emotional connection to win them over.

Is digital taking over TV viewers?

Anyone who says that digital is stealing eye-balls is not telling you the truth! I can attest to the fact that digital does not cannibalise content nor television. Instead, digital and social media have given our content performance a healthy boost.

We actually saw a cumulative 13 million viewership on TV, Astro GO and Stadium Astro for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In the past, if you didn’t like football, you didn’t bother watching the World Cup. But in this age of FOMO, fence sitters are getting converted because everybody’s talking about it on social media. As a result, we’ve seen all key IPs, international and local, grew significantly. Some of the content properties saw a 30% - 300% increase in viewership!

Tell us something new that will interest marketers?

TOP GROSSING MOVIES IN LOCAL BOX OFFICETitle Hantu

KakLimah

Vedigundu Pasangge

Ola Bola TheJourney

Year 2018 2018 2016 2014

Amount grossed RM38mn RM1.3mn RM17mn RM17mn

It used to be that TV viewing, radio listening, magazine reading and chatting were separate activities, independent of each other. In this new world, everything is intertwined. You can now visit a single portal to read, listen, watch or chat... the lines have blurred.

We need to realise that siloed product systems no longer apply. Organizations, be it us or anybody else, have to change because it’s now all about ecosystems and networks, not silos.

Today’s competition isn’t another product, but an entire customer ecosystem.

That’s why Astro aspires to create a data rich customer ecosystem, which engages our consumers on multiple formats, selling multiple products and services.

We aim to be a data-driven marketing network that will help us sell our content, products and services more efficiently and effectively. This will also allow us to provide businesses, especially SMEs, with the intel to identify and persuasively win over consumers. It will be a new world of marketing.

PASKAL The Movie, a highly anticipated homegrown action movie of 2018 tells the true meaning of courage besides paying tribute to our unsung heroes.

November 16 is a great day for marketing communications and media players in Malaysia as we are hosting the CMO Conference & CMO Awards in one day.

Marketers have never been in a bigger dilemma than today, and also have never been in a more connected time than now. AI, AR, machine learning and the chance to integrate data with intelligence. Programmatic, Blockchain, Chatbots, Brand Safety, trust deficits, and the list is endless. Marketing happens everytime you engage with your consumer.

Date

16 November 2018 (8.30am – 6.00pm)Venue

The Grand Ballroom, Sime Darby Convention Centre

marketingmagazine.com.my/cmo2018/conference

Tai Kam LeongHead of Brands & PartnershipsMaxis

Norsiah Juriani Johari VP, Brand & Group Comms Johor Corporation

Rishi Pahwa Head of Marketing Wipro Ginvera Marketing

Arvind Sethumadhavan Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific

Timothy JohnsonSVP of Marketing Product & PartnershipsINTI International University & Colleges

Kenny Wong CMOUEM Sunrise Berhad

Dato’ (Dr.) Hussamuddin Hj. Yaacub Chairman, CEO & Group MD Karangkraf Media Group

Jayaram Gopinath Nagaraj General Manager Blaze Digital Malaysia

Ben Mahmud Head - Strategy & Business Development, Downstream Marketing, Petronas

Prof. Dr Lee Karling INTI International University

Srikanth Ramachandran Director, Moving Walls

Datuk Seri Dr Hasmiza Othman (DSV) Founder - Vida Beauty

Schrene Goh Head of Marketing (Global Market)Malaysia Airlines

Damien CrittendenVP - Client Strategy Xaxis APAC

Juliana Chua GM of Marketing Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Lim Imun General Manager, Marketing Munchworld

Malaysian CMO Conference 2018

Goodbye Marketing Hello Engagement

Time to recognise Malaysia’s Best Marketers!

Brave and brilliant marketers deserve fame too. The first ever Malaysian CMO Awards are here to reward the best in the business of marketing.

Winners Announced: 5 November, 2018Awards Evening: 16 November 2018(6.30pm – 10.30pm)

FREE TO NOMINATE: marketingmagazine.com.my/cmo2018/awards

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES19 OCTOBER 2018

Best Marketer in B2B Marketing

Best Marketer in SME Marketing

Best Marketer in Omni-Channel Marketing

Best Marketer in Millennial Marketing

Best Marketer in e-Commerce Marketing

Best Marketer in Travel & Hospitality Marketing

Best Marketer in Sustainable Brand Marketing

Best Marketer in Education & Training Marketing

Best Marketer in Media & Content Partnership Marketing

Best Marketer in Customer Experience Marketing

Best Marketer in Event & Experiential Marketing

Best Marketer in Retail & Promotions Marketing

Best Marketer in Festive Communications Marketing

Best Marketer in Data & Technology Marketing

Best Marketer in Loyalty & Engagement Marketing

Best Marketer in Influencer Marketing

Best Marketer in Social Media Marketing

Best Marketer in Mobile Marketing

The Marketing Trailblazer Award will be betowed on the marketer who is never afraid to push the boundaries of innovation within their category. This award will go to the brave marketer who has made a difference with fresh thinking and breakthrough work. Marketing Trailblazer - Telco Marketing Trailblazer - Financial Services Marketing Trailblazer - F&B Marketing Trailblazer - Digital Marketing Trailblazer - FMCG Marketing Trailblazer - Media & Entertainment

The Rising Marketing Star is awarded to the most promising young marketer under 30 who is making waves in the local industry with ground-breaking ideas, strong strategic skills and has a tenacious will to grow in this industry. Rising Marketing Star - Financial Services Rising Marketing Star - Telco Rising Marketing Star - F&B Rising Marketing Star - Digital Rising Marketing Star - FMCG Rising Marketing Star - Media & Entertainment

Malaysian CMO of The Year 2018 (no entries required)  There can only be one! This coveted award honors the marketer who checks all the boxes. The judges will be selecting the deserving winner for this award and will be looking for a leader who has pushed the boundaries and shown the way for new posssibilites. The true game-changer!

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES19 OCTOBER 2018

COVER STORY

ISSUE228END-SEPT201814

mosquitoes which know how to hide from fogging, and emerge earlier to feed- when people are not protected by bed nets or mosquito coils. This begs the question: exactly how big is a mosquito brain and can we train it to take job briefs from clients?

Left alone to breed, a single female mosquito can produce, together with its offspring, as many 90 million mosquitoes in just 60 days. That’s pretty scary. All around the world, we tried all kinds of ways to get rid of these pesky creatures: GMO mosquitos, mosquito-repelling plants, electric killer racquets and more. All of which produced some degree of success.

Within a couple of years however, mosquitoes are able to build up immunity against most, if not all, kinds of man-made anti-mosquito deterrents.

“The trick therefore,” says Dr Neil, “is to find a compound they will never develop immunity against: A cell from their own DNA.”

AnswerTrypsin Modulating Oostatic

Factor (TMOF) is a protein found naturally inside an adult mosquito’s system. When a female mosquito has taken enough blood, TMOF tells its body to stop digesting. Otherwise, the mosquito will become too heavy for its wings to carry.

After years of research, scientists have successfully extracted TMOF and fused it onto rice husks. Why rice husks? Because rice floats and mosquito larvae are filter feeders- they hover near the surface of the water and devour whatever

IDEAS: THE MOUSTICIDESTORY

THE number of dengue cases and dengue deaths have been dropping steadily over the last three years. From January to June this year, 32,435 cases of dengue fever with 53 deaths were reported nationwide- a decrease of 34.8 per cent compared to the same period last year.

ObjectiveAccording to Health Minister

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, speaking at the 8th Asian Dengue Day 2018 celebration, the falling numbers come from the “cooperation of various ministries and agencies through the Dengue Special Task Force Committee platform.”

Volunteers for the Communication for Behavioural Impact (COMBI) programme also helped by eradicating mosquito breeding grounds. If we’re going

Edward Ong is on a quest to discover and create Malaysia’s best ideas. He is an award-winning Writer and Creative Director, and can be found at IdeasAreBorderless.com

we give them credit for,” says Dr. Neil Ranaweera, co-founder and Managing Director of EntoGenex, a Malaysian-based biotechnology company. “Which is easier to kill,” he asks, “An adult mosquito which won’t stay still, or its larvae trapped in stagnant water?”

“Aedes larvae breed in still waters. When they’re contained in a small space, there’s no escape. Sure, you can easily tip or overturn containers with water. But what about water in hard-to-reach places? Mosquito larvae have been known to breed in the water inside an overturned bottle cap.”

TruthMosquitoes are one of the

most adaptable and hard-to-kill creatures on the planet. Genetic selection has produced

to win the fight against dengue, it will be through a combined effort from all parties, including home owners.

In this case study, the objective can be defined as: To reduce incidences of dengue. That’s the general goal. To find a great solution, it helps to narrow down the problem. When you think about it, preventing dengue is not so much a health problem. Treating dengue is. Preventing it is an environmental problem.

No stagnant water. Clean, neat surroundings. These two factors alone greatly reduce the chances of contracting dengue.

Challenge“Mosquitoes have been

around for a very long time. They’ve survived all kind of predators and are smarter than

happens to be floating at the top. Sort of like your colleague who’s always hungry and will eat cardboard if the office pantry is empty.

When larvae consume TMOF, it works exactly the same way: the creature feels full and stops eating. Over the next few days, it dies of metabolic starvation. Scientists have added BTi, a natural larvicide that creates holes in the larva’s gut, onto the rice husk. Combined with TMOF, the effect is said to be 35 times more potent than any other larvicide in the market.

The product is called Mousticide. The name itself is made up of two words: Mous (the French word for mosquito) and -cide (the act of killing). In 2015/16, through a community programme called Komuniti Bebas Denggi, it saw a 54.7% reduction in dengue cases.

Will the scourge of dengue be finally eradicated within the next decade? It’s high time we stopped a black and white mosquito from stealing the colour in our lives.

CREATIVE SURGE

HOW A PRANK BY 2 STUDENTS TO IMPROVE MCDONALD’S AD DIVERSITY TURNED INTO A MARKETING CAMPAIGN

YouTuber Jevh Maravilla revealed on that he and a friend snuck a fake-branded poster of themselves enjoying some McDonald’s meals onto an actual McDonald’s wall–for 51 whole unnoticed days.

According to Twitter, Maravilla’s reason for making the poster is that he simply noticed a blank wall in a McDonald’s and wanted to fill it.

The top brass at McDonald’s was so impressed with a recent “diversity” prank in Texas that the men responsible were rewarded with $25,000 each as part of an upcoming marketing campaign.

EDELMAN’S MAZUIN ZIN MAKES IT TO THE PRESTIGIOUS FT HEROES GLOBAL LIST

Mazuin Zin, MD Edelman Malaysia was applauded for her body of work as a champion of women in business at a recently held ceremony in London. She was named in the FT HERoes prestigious list of 100 Female executives from across industries who’ve been inspiring women leaders within their organizations and area of influence.

“It truly is an extremely humbling experience. And representing Malaysia at such a prestigious global stage makes it all worth. This is truly a win for all of us who believe in the power of individuals, and look at the real potential of people beyond gender,” said Mazuin.

NIKE MAKING A MISTAKE, SAYS DONALD TRUMP

Nike made a mistake when it made NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick the face of its new ad campaign. Nike announced that it was reprising its “Just Do It” campaign with Kaepernick tweeting the message “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything”.

Colin made headlines in 2016 when he started kneeling for the national anthem, claiming he could not stand for the anthem because blacks are oppressed in America. Colin who was with the San Francisco 49ers at the time, has since not been picked up by any NFL team.

Trump said that Nike was wrong to have embraced Kaepernick. “I think it’s a terrible message. Nike is a tenant of

mine. They pay a lot of rent,” said Trump.

“What Nike did is a game changer,” said sports marketer Mark Williams, according to CBS. He said Nike is catering to young customers and a diverse audience.

TURBANNED STRANGER LEADS BOISTEROUS PANEL AT PROGRAMMATIC MALAYSIA

At a recent event organised by the Star Media Group, shamelessly neutral magazine publisher Harmandar Singh, ended up as moderator of a high-tech group of panelists on the topic Being a successful publisher in the programmatic world. The panelists were (from

left in picture) Paul Moss, GM of Data Services at Media Prima Digital, Jayaram Gopinath Nagaraj, GM of Blaze Digital and Hari Shankar, CEO of the Singapore Media Exchange.

The session was about the media ecosystem where sellers have the responsibility to produce inventory that meets both scale and quality requirements. This includes programmatic integration across all platforms (display, mobile, video, native), adhering to data

quality standards, viewability metrics and more.

First off the bat was a question of how publishers were going to make money in a world dominated by programmatic automation and tech jargon.

The panelists shared real life experiences and it was enlightening to hear some really brutal but frank answers. To safeguard the speakers from any liability issues, nothing more can be shared with readers at this point. See you at the CMO Conference on Nov 16.

THE FINALISTS

SEE YOU ON OCTOBER 24!Check out the list of Finalists. Malaysian agencies also made a good showing and are on the road to glory across AsiaPac this year. Come October 24, celebrate with your clients at our Grand Gala like never before. The 2018 Dragons of Malaysia Marketing Communications Awards is coming soon. Finalists are all winners of Gold, or Silver or Bronze Dragon Trophies.

This year our awards show takes on a cinematic feel (like how they do in Cannes) as it’ll be held at TGV Cinemas in One Utama, Petaling Jaya. Showtime starts 5.30pm. Awards Evening (screening, cocktails, buffet, exhibition) admission @RM400. Contact Ruby on ruby@adoimagazine.com

SPONSOR

PRODUCTIONPARTNER

OFFICIAL VENUE

COVER STORY

ISSUE228END-SEPT201816

EntrantM&C Saatchi MalaysiaCampaignCALPIS Multiply The Goodness WithinClientEtika Malaysia

EntrantWatsons Malaysia CampaignWatsons Get Active

EntrantEntropia Malaysia CampaignWonda Brews Surprising Gift Boxes via Ezibox ClientEtika Malaysia

EntrantTrad3mark Malaysia CampaignAIA Vitality Wellness Festival ClientAIA Malaysia

EntrantDentsu LHS Malaysia CampaignGoodday Milk Fest ClientEtika Malaysia

Entrantessence Burson - Marsteller Malaysia CampaignProud Supporter of Dreams Campaign ClientPrudential Assurance Malaysia

EntrantNaga DDB Tribal MalaysiaCampaignXUAN Web Drama. May I Love YouClientAstro Malaysia

EntrantDentsu LHS MalaysiaCampaignPin-Pin The Pinata ClientAbbott Laboratories Malaysia

EntrantPrudential BSN Takaful MalaysiaCampaignMedical Awareness #TipsPruBSNClientPrudential BSN Takaful Malaysia

FINALISTS

2018 Dragonsof Malaysia Finalists

Entrant PHD Media MalaysiaCampaignOur AI Bot Gave Audi +81% Conversion!ClientAudi Malaysia

EntrantLeo Burnett MalaysiaCampaignMcCafe InstaBillboardClientMcDonald’s Malaysia

EntrantGeometry MalaysiaCampaignCIMB DebitjerClientCIMB Bank Malaysia

EntrantBBDO MalaysiaCampaignMagic BeepClientVisa Malaysia

EntrantDentsu LHS MalaysiaCampaignReady for SchoolClientAbbott Laboratories Malaysia

EntrantOrion Social Media MalaysiaCampaignSlurpee Count & WinClient7-Eleven Malaysia

ISSUE228END-SEPT2018 17

FINALISTS

EntrantEntropia MalaysiaCampaignHow Etika Created 3,000 Celebrities with One ‘Me’gazineClientEtika Malaysia

EntrantEdelman MalaysiaCampaignShell Emotion Tracking StudyClientShell Malaysia

EntrantConsider iProspect MalaysiaCampaignAbbott Mommy ScoopClientAbbott Nutrition Malaysia

EntrantPHD Media MalaysiaCampaignLet Your Mood Feed YouClientIKANO Corporation Malaysia

EntrantLeo Burnett MalaysiaCampaignAyam Goreng McD Delicious DecibelsClientMcDonald’s Malaysia

EntrantBBDO MalaysiaCampaignFernleaf CalciYum. Kids Choice Mum ApprovedClientFonterra Malaysia

EntrantGeometry MalaysiaCampaignCNY2018 ‘Probably The Most Victorious Year’ClientCarlsberg Marketing Malaysia

EntrantTruth Communications MalaysiaCampaign#PerfectTogetherClientMission Foods Malaysia

EntrantNaga DDB Tribal Malaysia CampaignProjek#DarihatiClientAstro Malaysia

EntrantGrey Worldwide MalaysiaCampaignUnforgettable BagClientTesco Malaysia

EntrantOMD MalaysiaCampaignMcCafe Mocha Kau BahagiaClientMcDonald’s Malaysia

COVER STORY

ISSUE228END-SEPT201818

THEFINALIST

EntrantTrapper Interactive MalaysiaCampaignLife’s Good when You know How to Do It ResponsivelyClientLG Electronics Malaysia

EntrantOMD MalaysiaCampaignMcDonald’s Spicy Korean Burger So Spicy So DramaClientMcDonald’s Malaysia

EntrantEntropia MalaysiaCampaignWhen Wonda turned the Radio Jockeys into Sales JockeysClientEtika Malaysia

EntrantDentsu LHS MalaysiaCampaignInternational Wonda Coffee DayClientEtika Malaysia

EntrantOMD MalaysiaCampaignMission HijackClientVolkswagen Malaysia

EntrantPHD Media Malaysia CampaignGone in less than 20 minutes! ClientVolkswagen Malaysia

EntrantIsobar MalaysiaCampaign32665ClientMudah.my Malaysia

EntrantGeometry MalaysiaCampaignDigi BorderlessClientDigi Telecommunications Malaysia

EntrantOrion Social Media MalaysiaCampaignDreamworks KouKouClient7-Eleven Malaysia

EntrantDentsu LHS MalaysiaCampaignMAHB 25th Anniversary Shopping CampaignClientMalaysia Airports Holdings

EntrantEntropia MalaysiaCampaignWonda Brews Surprising Gift Boxes via EziboxClientEtika Malaysia

EntrantPHD Media MalaysiaCampaignIPC Raises HopeClientIKANO Corporation Malaysia

ISSUE228END-SEPT2018 19

OTT MEETS FTA

AS the original OTT (Over-The-Top) in Malaysia with tonton, we met Johan Ishak, CEO of Media Prima Television Networks (MPTN) about their collaboration with Viu, the first time a regional OTT brand has partnered with Malaysia’s largest TV broadcaster on content for same day airing.

Kingsley Warner, GM-Director for Viu Malaysia, says, “There is a common misconception that OTTs are here to challenge the TV industry. But we see real synergies between linear TV and digital audiences in Malaysia. Our partnership allows Media Prima to benefit from Viu bringing international formats and premium Malay dramas to their audiences.”

We ask Johan to elaborate…

How do you see partnerships with OTT players like Viu working towards your goals? Since Viu is an OTT highly focused on local content.

This partnership is about making sense from two perspectives, they are: audience reach for free-to-air (FTA) TV advertisement revenue play and targeting segment for subscription video on demand (SVOD) revenue play. The former goes for the mass audience and the latter for niche audience. That way Media Prima TV can earn advertising revenue from a production cost investment that is far more superior and Viu can benefit from a widespread FTA reach that will drive viewers onto Viu on SVOD basis.

On regional budgets: Has partnering with Viu to produce original content with higher production values been something that works towards your goals?

This is the first of its kind where we partner with a competitor OTT such as Viu even though we have our own OTT. For us, it is easy, we uplift restrictions for greater good. If the content works better on other platforms than ours, so be it, we will use that better avenue. It is also about the best of two scenarios on the tv side: profit margin from our own program cost investment of a particular slot vs profit margin from a combined effort with Viu in the program for the same slot. So it is a trial and error game, case on case basis. So far, we have just started and it is gaining traction on viewership. The advertisement revenue side should follow suit.

What sort of OTT business models do you think will thrive in the current ecosystem?

This depends on the type of content. Content that is mass generally caters for lower income earners who do not have the propensity to subscribe. Thus, you should go for Advertising

POINT OF VIU: WHERE ARE OTTS HEADING

Video on Demand (AVOD) which is free and what tonton.com.my has become today. For more premium and urban programs that cater to higher income brackets, a SVOD can work provided that a sweet spot for pricing is achieved.

On the marketing front, has working with Viu helped you with your marketing agenda?

It works well for both sides. On the tv side it certainly capitalises the power of mass audience and the inclusivity of Viu as a content partner and

opens the eyes of our non-traditional viewers, i.e. the more urban and less mass. This is a unique position of both ‘divide and conquer’ as well as ‘combine and conquer’.

Do you see benefits with Viu for your content to travel?

Yes we do. Having a strong regional player not only gives us a wider footprint in the industry, it also enhances the

depth of content programming to produce what we traditionally won’t do. Our usual content will reside on tonton.com.my as well as our entertainment portal xtra.com.my as an extension of reach; whereas partnership such as with Viu will ride on regional and urban based consumers.

You see a future with your production working on content that’s OTT first with Viu?

Definitely. Our sister company, Primeworks Studios is negotiating with many parties to arrive at mutually benefiting co-productions that includes partners from other OTT players like Viu as well as production houses, broadcasters and more. As mentioned, we keep the door open and democratising both content and revenue sources can only mean more opportunities.

In democratising content, will we see more of MPTN’s library along with new shows on OTTs like Viu?

We had just democratised tonton.com.my in August 2018 in conjunction with the ‘Merdeka’ month. What it means is that all of our tv content that we own will be made available first on tv and live on tonton.com.my and xtra.com.my as powered by Daily Motion.

And then, on those same portals as well as on You Tube, the catch up window will resume in a matter of hours after the first tv transmission. The next step is to play with the window of opportunity within the catch up phase. If revenues from distributing to other OTTs or broadcasters or other buyers make better sense, then it is worth switching off those free platforms for a specified time frame. Go to where the money makes better sense.

Viu is the first regional premium OTT brand offering premium videos for free in 16 markets with 20 million monthly active users, supplemented by brand advertising and video on demand. This is being coupled with same day airing from September onwards on Media Prima’s NTV7, with Viu Originals ‘Salon’, ’Jibril’ and ‘The Bridge’.

Kingsley Warner, General Manager-Director, Viu Malaysia

Johan Ishak, CEO, Media Prima Television Networks

... For us, it is easy, we uplift restrictions for greater good. If the content works better on other platforms than ours, so be it, we will use that better avenue...

2018 Dragons of Malaysia: The Finalists

The 2018 Dragons of Malaysia Marketing Communications Awards is in its final stages. The following Companies (in alphabetical order), are all Winners of Malaysia Gold, or Silver or Bronze Dragon Trophies. Our 2018 Finalists & their Brands are:

7-Eleven Malaysia Leo Burnett Malaysia Abbott Laboratories Malaysia LG Electronics Malaysia Abbott Nutrition Malaysia M&C Saatchi Malaysia AIA Malaysia Malaysia Airports Holdings Astro Malaysia McDonald’s Malaysia Audi Malaysia Mission Foods Malaysia BBDO Malaysia Mudah.my Malaysia Carlsberg Marketing Malaysia Naga DDB Tribal Malaysia CIMB Bank Malaysia OMD Malaysia Consider iProspect Malaysia Orion Social Media Malaysia Dentsu LHS Malaysia PHD Media. Malaysia DiGi Telecommunications. Malaysia Prudential BSN Takaful Malaysia Edelman Malaysia Prudential Assurance Malaysia Entropia. Malaysia Shell Malaysia essence Burson-Marsteller Malaysia Tesco Malaysia Etika Malaysia Trad3mark Malaysia Fonterra Malaysia Trapper Interactive Malaysia Geometry Malaysia Truth Communications Malaysia Grey Worldwide Malaysia Visa Malaysia IKANO Corporation Malaysia Volkswagen Malaysia isobar Malaysia Watsons Malaysia

This year’s Winners will be announced at the special Dragons Awards Gala Evening at the luxurious TGV Cinema in One Utama PJ, at 6pm, Wednesday, 24 October. The best of this year’s winning work, from all over the Asia Pacific Region, will be revealed, in full glory. To attend the Gala, which includes cocktails, buffet and the display of winning work, contact Ruby on 0377262588 or ruby@adoimagazine.com See you soon ! Mike Da Silva Dragons of Asia, Marketing Communications Recognition Programme The Winners Release will be posted on: dragonsofasia.org after the live announcement and then emailed to all entrants.SPONSOR PRODUCTION PARTNER OFFICIAL VENUE