Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

In October 2017, UNICEF teamed up with Petrosains Malaysia to host an inclusive designing and prototyping competition, as known as “Makeathon” in conjunction with the release of a study which shows that six (6) in ten (10) Malaysians surveyed lack knowledge about disability. With this kind of perception going around society, we have to take action to build a more inclusive Malaysia. UNICEF’s Malaysian Representative, Marianne Clark-Hattingh, delivered the summary of the study to guests and media. Popular Malaysian actress Lisa Surihani, UNICEF’s National Ambassador was also there to congratulate and present the prizes to the “Makeathon” winners. The “Makeathon” competition proved that disabilities don't limit a person from being creative and innovative. Take 7-year-old Branden Lim for example. Branden's team developed an assistive device which enables children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) like Branden to move his wrist to draw, write, and paint. His parents claim...

Well – sort of. No matter what industry you are in, networking is an essential skill. Events and other opportunities to meet people from all dimensions of industry not only provide the (hoped for) business opportunities), but the opportunity to share ideas with fresh faces, garner new perspectives and insights, and even to just catch up on gossip with friends new and old. Although not a member, both Farrell and I are supportive of AMCHAM , the American Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia. We met the Executive Director last year at another event (book launch) and have held many fruitful discussions since.  Just a couple of weeks ago we headed to AMCHAM’s “Business Speed Dating” event. Hosted jointly with the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, it was a fun event with plentiful networking opportunities.  Approximately 40 people. Two circles. Sixty (60) seconds each for a quick elevator pitch. Wow, not only does time fly, but saying the same things nearly twe...

Interning with the Orchan family can be quite a roller-coaster experience, in a good way, of course! Just ask Richard Low, Orchan’s most recent intern, who finished up a rather successful four month stint last Friday. Quiet, meek, shy, timid – all words once used to describe Richard. Now confident, more articulate, and eager to take on the world. Richard came to us with one goal in mind – to improve his communication skills. He studied PR, understood the ‘industry from the textbook’, but wanted to improve himself first, prior to graduating. And that he did! During his internship, in addition to all the usual clipping reports, media calls, and client research, Richard got involved in other areas too – being part of the team to brainstorm and craft proposals, working with Orchan’s Directors to prepare and execute corporate training opportunities for clients, draft posts for the company blog, attend a few industry events (both talks, ceremonies, and even the occasional party), ...

Orchan’s Christina How and Craig J Selby discuss the landscape for food and beverage operators and how they can stay current / relevant to their patrons. 1)       What are some of the challenges restaurant operators face in this competitive climate? CJS: There are many challenges operators face. At the coalface, finding suitable and appropriately-trainable staff is a major hurdle; sourcing reliable and consistent suppliers of quality ingredients at non-fluctuating prices. But deeper the issue is staying relevant. It is building a recognisable brand and keeping your customers loyal – getting your customers as unofficial brand ambassadors, and building the business from strength to strength. Restaurants come and go, and in an industry as fluid as this, its important to be able to react positively to trends. 2) We are seeing a “hipsterisation” of the food & beverage industry. Is this shaking things up, or is it simply a fad? CJS: I pers...

Intern Richard Reflects on the Product of the Year Awards 2017 Looking at shelves filled with various brands, I often wonder which brand is someone else’s favourite. I got some answers when Orchan went along to support Harmandar Singh, Director of Product of the Year Asia, in his showcase revealing the best-loved products available in Malaysia. Product of the Year has been around for over twenty-five (25) years, sharing insights to consumers best-loved products.   Through votes from over 2,000 Malaysian households , Product of the Year assess a product’s consumer satisfaction, attractiveness and innovation, to conclude with winners for each category. Held at the Sime Darby Convention Centre; Harmandar Singh announced the winners of household goods from twenty-five (25) categories. From green tea to chocolate, and energy drink. In case you were wondering, Oishi Green Tea won the green tea category, Kit Kat Crunchy Peanut Butter won the chocolate category, and our cl...

Source - Ipoh Echo Ipoh is known for being a melting pot of various delectable local dishes that get Malaysians from all over the country to come and  savour the flavours . This state capital’s uniqueness was something that Ipoh Parade (IPM) chose to realise in launching Next Food Avenue (NFA), the mall’s unique food court concept. Offering a wide-range of mouth-watering dishes, the food court takes pride in cooking up Ipoh’s best cuisine under one roof. This is where shoppers are given the option to have their favourite local food in comfort without having to bath in the warm sun. They can rely on the fact that the food quality and taste are maintained, as the hawkers at NFA are the very people owning the original favourite stalls. The food court gained popularity due to its commitment to cater to all ethnicities wanting to get their food fix. It implemented a dual concept approach; separating pork-free and non-halal sections. This unique feature made the food court e...

As with all incidents that go around, there’s a smattering of truth, some of the untold story, and a whole lot of people with very strong opinions, myself included. Most recently, an international air incident involving AirAsia – an issue with an engine, a pilot who safely landed the plane with no injury or death, and yes, oh, he asked his passengers to say a prayer in the heat of the moment. I won’t espouse my personal opinion on this, although you can probably guess what it is. I do however want to go a bit deeper. Our global news media hooked onto an incident – one that was quite serious in nature. No, not a unilateral conversion attempt, but a genuine mechanical failure mid-air that could have resulted in loss of life. Instead of applauding the pilot and his crew for an awesome job of bringing the plane in safely without harm to anyone (or property), and focusing on what actually happened to facilitate this incident, media, and the general global netizen, jumped on to the ‘rel...

Source - Cédric Dhaenens | Unsplash The not-so-recent proliferation of shopping malls in Klang Valley has led many operators to look into ways they can stay competitive. With extensive experience in supporting clients in the retail industry, Orchan Directors – Craig J Selby and Farrell Tan share with us what mall operators and owner can do to survive the competitive climate. 1.     What are some of the challenges malls face in this competitive climate?  There are simply a lot of malls out there. There are a lot of the ‘same outlets’ and the ‘same A & P initiatives’. The challenge is keeping relevant to your core demographics, keeping relevant to the new customers that you are attracting, and staying fresh with ideas to bring in new customers. No one wants to see the same roadshow at four consecutive malls – customers want variety. Additionally, customers want convenience. Parking. Retail. Food and beverage. Convenience. They want to be considered...