Page 1 - 8.pdf - Brand Equity Magazine

CONTENTS
FREE!
03 Premium Position
04 Brand Experience
08 Category Creation
16 Category Snapshot
12 Cover Story 18 Breaking Category Clichés
28 Social Media Strategy 40 Event Marketing
27 Cool Ambient Ads
32 Destination Brand Evolution
36 Branding & Blogs
38 Brand Development
Brand Equity and the
Global Marketing Network have
teamed-up to offer you a complimentary
90-day Standard Membership.
Details in Page 24 & 25
Brand Equity Volume 2, 2010 1
20 Mobile Tipping Point?
22 Change Journey
24 Global Marketing Network
26 Social Media ROI
42 Ads: Saudi Arabia
44 Customer Ecosystem
46 Sustainable Marketing
48 Brand Evolution
www.brandequitymagazine.com

Corporate Philanthropy or Sheer Arrogance?
Of late, the little world that we live in has become a victim of
inconsiderate corporate brands. The timing we allude to is by itself an
understatement, because nature has become a casualty of corporate
greed this past two decades in particular.
Time and again the impact of the unrelenting rape of nature and the
accelerating destruction that follows is always downplayed. That
is why we must replay and remember for years to come the fi asco
perpetrated by British Petroleum in the Gulf of New Mexico. It was a
disaster waiting to happen, and for unacceptable reasons.
An uncompromising posture is needed in matters such as these. And
zero tolerance must be exercised when corporations choose to place
unacceptable cost-cutting measures, profi ts and dividends to the very
few privileged shareholders above nature and entire societies itself.
Do corporations ever care – or specifi cally, do the people behind
these inconsiderate companies ever care about the legacy they are
leaving for their children, and future generations? The evidence is not
encouraging.
Initiatives undertaken by large corporations to protect our world’s
natural assets seems at best to be at a token level. The lack of
selfl essness is unbelievable.
At the very least, are they ever concerned about its impact on brand
value in the long run? The evidence is to the contrary.
Can environmental destruction erode brand value rapidly? Has it ever
happened at dramatic levels? Never before; but BP’s experience with
rapid brand value erosion will be discussed for years to come we
hope.
And will this episode and others issue a wake-up call to the more
sensible and sensitive corporate chieftains; or members of the Board?
Datuk Marimuthu Nadason
Executive Publisher
2 Brand Equity Volume 2, 2010
Executive Publisher
Datuk Marimuthu Nadason
Publishing Director
Dato’ Thomas Iruthayam
Chief Editor
CGN Raghunath
(email: brandman@tm.net.my)
Staff Writer
Chris Krishna, R.Venkateswaran
Administration
Chan Kah Chi, Siti Salwani Ismail
Creative Designer
Hemalatha Nalarajah
Contributors
David Shaw
Erich Joachimsthaler
Kim Faulkner
Tammy Tan
Circulation & Marketing
Tel: 03 8070 6624
Printed By
No. 5B, Tingkat 2, Jalan Pipit 2
Bandar Puchong Jaya
47100 Puchong Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Tel : 03 8070 6624
Fax : 03 8070 0642
Published by
Brandedge Sdn Bhd (727377-P)
No. 5B, Tingkat 2, Jalan Pipit 2
Bandar Puchong Jaya
47100 Puchong Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Tel : 03 8070 6624
Fax : 03 8070 0642
Distributed by
MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd
Ground Floor Warehouse, Bangunan TH
No. 5, Jalan Bersatu, Section 13/4
46200 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: 03 7958 1688
Brand Equity is published by Brandedge. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
adapted, performed in public, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means or by any
process without the prior authorization of Brandedge Sdn
Bhd. Requests for permission should be addressed to the
chief editor.
The articles in Brand Equity do not necessarily refl ect the
views of Brandedge Sdn Bhd. Please notify the chief editor
of any error, omission or inaccuracy in writing.
Any letters to the chief editor must include the writer’s name
(or pseudonym), address and contact details.
Please contact the chief editor if you wish to contribute
content. Brand Equity is a quarterly and is published four
times every year.

BRAND: SMUCKER’S
CATEGORY: BREAD SPREAD
Talk about reverse psychology
in action! The company behind
the brand relentlessly insists:
“With a name like Smucker’s,
it has to be good.”
It’s a classic lesson for every brand
builder – that one must rally behind
the brand, and passionately scream its
benefi ts despite having a name that will
raise eyebrows. And in tow is a 110year
heritage (to shout about) as well.
The brand manager charged with
growing Smucker’s Sugar Free Jam
in Malaysia explains its premium
positioning; “Its sugar free,” he insists.
“Within the category, Smucker’s clearly
stands out because it has perfected the
PREMIUM POSITION
art of making high quality preserves
that not only are delicious but also
healthy.”
And it’s targeted at health conscious
people living in market centres; as
well as mothers harbouring the desire
to provide a solid breakfast for their
children.
Smucker’s retails at RM8.90 in
Malaysia. This signals that affordability
plays a key role in growing the brand.
Trade marketing is concentrated mainly
in the modern trade.
There is a trade-off here. And it’s a
battle often fought – price against
health benefi ts. Consumers have
Brand Equity Volume 2, 2010 3
two options to grapple with – opt for
a breakfast that is quick and less
nutritious or make a quick healthy meal
with Smucker’s.
Shelf off-take is in part reliant on aisle
traffi c. And retail bays are crammed
with many competing brands. It’s a
crowded category, given the variety
that every brand offers.
And how is brand growth delivered?
Publicity, samplings at High Traffi c
Outlets, and presentations at Non
Governmental Organization’s events
that proliferate a healthy lifestyle. In
addition, the fruity variants do their bit
to elicit shopper interest - by default
that is!

Sean Koh
[ BRAND EXPERIENCE ]
Shifting
Thresholds,
Absolutely
Engaging
By Raghunath
Rewind to Q4, 2009. The Year of the
Tiger looms; and murmurs about a
lackluster 2010 are spreading. The
byword shared is “caution”. But what’s
that got to do with any brand? Just
this…fl irting with rooted beliefs the
wrong way will weaken brand affi nity.
But what if once every 12 years, your
brand has a close encounter with the
Tiger year? The reunion can be a
double-edged sword; depending on
how you fl irt that is.
The Tiger year and Tiger Beer -- we
asked marketing manager Sean Koh
about his take on the encounter, “Not
everyone can claim the opportunity to
make their brand more interesting and
impactful in a year that is considered
not as normal.”
Optimism is what every brand could
deliver. Explains Koh, “Our single
minded purpose was to spread hope;
we wanted people to embrace the Year
of the Tiger. So we went on a mission
to fi nd out about all the good things that
happened in many of the past Tiger
years.”
And out popped this – many Tiger
years gave hope; they were a tipping
point, changing forever the way people
lived; and for better. Sample this – the
economy recovered in 1998 (the last
Year of the Tiger), and that was after
a previous year of serious lows. The
Year of the Tiger also delivered the fi rst
4 Brand Equity Volume 2, 2010
TV, including Khaki’s with side-pockets.
Add to the list the remote control, the
fi rst visit by a US President to the
People’s Republic of China, the fi rst
world cup and yes – the ubiquitous
“blue pill” was invented in the Year of
the Tiger!
“2010 is a year of winning for us and
for our customers; to be embraced
with pride and passion. We launched
a series of countdown ads between
November and February to drive the
message home. More interestingly,
we revealed all of the Tiger year
inventions, happenings and other
related breaking news through
our social media platforms to build
excitement,” says Koh.
Tiger Beer claims a heritage that goes
back to the year 1932. Originating from
Singapore and owned by Asia Pacifi c
Breweries, the beverage in Malaysia
is bottled under license by Guinness
Anchor Berhad, a leader in a duopoly
market.
And its core attributes? “Tiger is
progressive, modern, bold and edgy. It
is a new school brand that celebrates
the winners in life. We would like to
believe that Tiger is a bit more fun, at
times witty, prefers to take things a bit
edgier and push the boundaries; if only
to win,” says Koh.
“Bring a mainstream brand we target
everyone aged 21 to 35. These adults

have a progressive kind of mindset
and are from urban and sub-urban
areas. They choose a brand they can
connect with, believe in the spirit of
camaraderie and want to have a good
time,” adds Koh.
With younger adults accounting for
over 50% of Malaysia’s population,
Tiger may be sitting pretty in terms of
opportunity; or so it seems.
Category growth is driven by non-
Muslim consumers! Declining birth
rates, smaller families, and emigration
among the lot has inhibited growth.
The increasing excise duty isn’t helping
either.
And as the economy
expands, so will the
options for consumers.
Beer brands have to
contend with competition
from other categories
– such as other exotic
alcoholic beverages,
or even coffee. And
the beer market is
crammed with popular
brands from GAB and
Carlsberg Malaysia,
imported brands
as well as lower
priced generic
alternatives.
“We are very
well aware of the
opportunities and
challenges. Our
objectives are
specifi c; maintain
Tiger’s share of
throat, nurture
consumers once
they move into
the legal drinking
age and erode the
share of competing
brands,” says Koh.
That said, the
marketing of Tiger
has moved along. The traditional
approach most often taken to maintain
interest and increase consumption
– advertising, POS materials, other
printed collaterals and promoters –
may not be a thing of the past but they
are inadequate given changing media
habits.
“Our brand must not only be visible but
also seen as a thought leader,” quips
Koh. “We have to rise above the clutter,
stand out, be more visible and elicit
consumer interest at all times.”
That said and backed by research,
GAB moved to launch several key
initiatives to stir interest in the brand.
“Research revealed that younger
consumers liked to associate
themselves with brands that are
seen as cool, trendy and made them
stand out. We organized a ‘Stand out
with Tiger Beer’ campaign with the
introduction of three designer bottles
based on artistic and music themes.
The campaign targeted our loyal
consumers and fence-sitters,” says
Koh.
“We got in touch with our community
of over 20,000 Tiger fans in facebook
and notifi ed them of activities as they
were rolled out in phases. A photo
submission contest went viral, created
more buzz and had fans share their
views.”
“We also promoted the designs through
bloggers and then organized a blogger
party, a fi rst by an alcohol brand. We
secured online endorsements from
popular bloggers and eventually
thousands of pictures and videos of the
party found their way to Twitter, Flickr
and YouTube.”
Brand Equity Volume 2, 2010 5
The results? “The consumer’s r’s
perception of Tiger as ‘a beer for good
times and fun’ increased by 14 per
cent; an additional 12% described
Tiger as one their friends approved
of; category growth went up by 2%;
and consumption among the intended
target increased by 6%. We also won
a bronze for this campaign at the Asian
Marketing Effectiveness Awards 2010,”
says Koh.
And investment into one of Malaysia’s
favorite passions has consumers
calling it a football beer brand. The
initiative dubbed TigerFC is fronted by
Tigerfc.com.my.
Explains Koh, “This is a community
program that brings together like
minded football lovers. We pioneered
this initiative and the Tiger fan club

6 Brand Equity Volume 2, 2010
has over 120,000 members. We host
a calendar of regular football viewing
events at the consumer’s favorite
hangouts. This viewing party rides
on the fact that Malaysian drinkers
like to socialize. Obviously members
will have their privileges and receive
updates though facebook, direct
mailers and email as well. Tiger
beer is also the offi cial broadcast
sponsor for Barclays, ESPN and
Star Sports.”
But the unrelenting push for
cutting through clutter had Tiger
tinkering with off-key ideas; one
of which called on Alliance Bank.
The partnership now positions
Tiger as the only beer brand
in Asia that offers a pre-paid
card to the TigerFC community.
“The differentiator is that it
encourages responsible usage
because it has to be topped-up
before shopping,” explains Koh.
Elsewhere, and nearing 15
years, Tiger beer has helped
Chinese schools raise close
to RM190 million. Explains
Koh, “This CSR campaign uses
music to raise funds. We bring in
popular local or international artists and
the schools rally community support to make
the concerts a success. More than 400 schools
nationwide have benefi tted since we
started the initiative.”
Every campaign or activation for
Tiger beer bears a common thread;
its single minded proposition –
“Passion for Winning”.
Tiger beer has over 40 medals
to showcase to date. Recently
and once more, Tiger won
the Gold in the World Beer
Cup competition dubbed the
“Olympic of Beers”. And the
Tiger brewed in Malaysia
is the only one to win the
Tiger Quality Award for 2
consecutive years.
“This proves that Malaysians
drink the best Tiger beer in the
world,” says a cheerful Koh.

JUSTHOW
NEWISTHENEW
PUBLICIS?
Slapping ‘NEW’ on a clapped-out old wreck doesn’t make it new. Far from it.
So what’s so new about ‘New’ Publicis?
To fi nd out just how much has changed, e-mail Dean Bramham at dean.bramham@publicis.com.my
Come on over. Kick a few tyres.
Brand Equity Volume 2, 2010 7
PUBLICIS

By R. Venkateswaran
It’s common knowledge that the e health
and wellness market in Malaysia ia is a
minefi eld. It is highly fragmented, ed, and
the fi ght for share of mind and heart
kicks-off fundamentally between n 2
distinct channels – direct and through hrough
the trade.
And the past ten years has borne ne
witness to a shift of sorts – from m
health to wellness. Consumers
are dramatically warming up to
platforms such as nutraceuticals ls and
cosmeceuticals – the deft combination bination
of nutrition and cosmetics with
pharmaceuticals, alluding to the e idea a
that products have undergone rigorous rigorou o s
testing and therefore delivers quality uality to
consumers.
And peddled in both channels are
a myriad of products - herbal and
[ CATEGORY CREATION ]
Beauty Nurtured from the
Inside-Out
Cerebos Malaysia Creates eates a Blue
Ocean in a Highly Fragmented agmented Market
Beautiful Eyes Search Finalists & Koh Joo Siang
traditional, slimming products, products ts ts, ,
sports nutrition, vitamins and dietary
supplements. su supp pp p le leme me m nt nts. s. s Of f late, la late te te, , prebiotics pr preb eb ebio ioti ti t cs and nd
probiotics bi ti are claiming l i i the th limelight li li ht as
well.
8 Brand Equity Volume 2, 2010
An aarr
array rray ay a of overwhelming options
can only mean one thing – confusion;
unless a brand offers a clear value
proposition – that it is different different, unique
and like no other. And one that can
elicit consumer interest.
Operating within this growing market
is Cerebos Malaysia, a company best
known for its range of “BRAND’S
Essence of Chicken”; a heritage brand
that comes with 175 years of quality
and credibility.
But the company has since moved
on to claim its own space in the
fragmented health and supplements
market; and with considerable success.
“We created our own category and own
it entirely,” says the company’s general
manager, Koh Joo Siang.
The central plank of this initiative is
held by the premise that beauty has
to radiate from the inside out, and the
resulting external beauty delivers