Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

PUMA with Sebastian Vettel in Singapore In the racing arena, who could have not known about the youngest man who finished the season with an astonishing milestone? He is the World Champion in Formula One history – Sebastian Vettel. PUMA, as the official supplier of Race and Team wear for Red Bull Racing, was delighted to host Vettel in Puma Somerset 313, Singapore store to meet with the lucky Singaporean fans. Vettel was on a tour for the Singapore Grand Prix (GP) where he took some time away from his hectic schedule on track, for the fans ‘meet and greet’ session. Unlike typical ‘meet and greet’ sessions, Vettel talked to the fans who have won the opportunity for the meet-ups through PUMA competitions on Facebook along with in-store promotions, about his prospects on the race and what drives him to be the best of all. In addition to the sharing session with the crowd, he also played exciting games like “Brain-controlled raving cars” and “foosball matches” with them, while not m...

Crafting a Unique Brand for a Ubiquitous Market Combining both brand development and public relations, Orchan was involved in the conceptualisation and launch of Arvio – a sleek brand under the Alpha Home Appliances name. Different from the run-of-the-mill ceiling fan, Arvio offers sophisticatedly designed ceiling fans, aimed for those who want something different when it comes to a cool spinning blade in a room. Forget the RM150 hypermarket offerings; these are a fashion statement, and that doesn't come cheap. Alpha realised an interesting potential; to tap into a niche segment of an already saturated market. The parent brand has been around for quite some time, supplying Malaysian as well as international households with two of their main product ranges – fans and water heaters. Being in the ‘fan business’, they often find that their customers would purchase fans as more of an afterthought, rather than an important part of the design process. It’s common to see that custom...

Mainstream v's Specialist Media At a guest lecture recently, Craig was asked about the difference between mainstream and specialist media. On many levels, there is an overlap, but it's down to the special details that determine which category work best in a clients campaign, and for what purpose.  Today's "questions from the floor" segment explores this; how we, as PR practitioners, engage with both categories of media, or what purposes, and how.   

Servcorp Media Experience | A New Place to Work The serviced office industry in Malaysia is evolving rapidly in the marketplace. From co-working spaces which offer hot-desking and couch-surfing options, through to five star fully-serviced offices in MSC-status buildings, there's something for everyone. It steadily fits into the broader business culture in becoming the viable solution for the SMEs or larger corporations to house their employees. As the world’s second largest provider of managed workspace solutions which also pioneered the Virtual Office concept in 1980, Servcorp has been around in Malaysia for more than 20 years, with three facilities in Kuala Lumpur (KL).   Situated at Grade A buildings with easy access to KL’s major transportation arteries, Servcorp is known for its diverse range of smart, flexible, and professional solutions; and advanced workspace technology solutions to businesses of all sizes. Following from the launch of Servcorp’s Ilham Tower suites, ...

The Value of Finding a Mentor Craig J Selby I started my career far too long ago – 1993 to be precise – that’s over 25 years ago. I don’t feel that old personally, but professionally, yes. I have had one major career change during that quarter century – but both career trajectories overlap somewhat, so it’s hard to say that I truly jumped ship in any true respect. What I have come to learn as my career has developed, is the importance that having a mentor, or mentors play in career development. Be it official, or “by-the- way”, mentors help shape our decision-making processes, and invariably teach us valuable industry lessons (be them good or bad lessons – yes, I screwed up quite a bit; still do sometimes – but that’s being human) so that we can develop, and ultimately, pass on the baton to the next generation as we rise through the ranks. Source - www.bricksandclicks2.org.uk In 1993, I started my career at the University of Auckland. I spent seven years involved ...

Talking Change Not every industry is perceived as sexy, but some are way more dynamic than we would ever expect. Orchan's Founding Director, Farrell Tan, chats with Nicholas Gan from EGAN, a well-established family business, which on the surface is in an industry which hasn't changed for 50 years - but deeper down, is experiencing significant change to stay ahead of the competition.

Quote of the Day | Continuous Improvement When Orchestrating Change, perfection is often an unrealistic goal.  Continuous improvement on the other hand shows that change is headed in the right direction, and that it's happening.

Stakeholder Relations v's Public Relations? Many people choose to see the glitzy side of PR – the parties, the celebs, and the events that happen. A few think of PR as reaching out to the media, getting your (brand) story across, or getting published. Making you famous! But PR is more than that. It is communication, to others, at all levels, for a variety of purposes. It doesn’t need to result in publicity – it needs to result in a message being conveyed that helps to influence the recipients’ perspective. In today’s short video, Craig responds to the question - What is the difference between Stakeholder Relations and PR? Using the case study of Plaza Phoenix / Cheras Sentral, he explores the interrelationship between the two, whilst highlighting the differences and unique challenges of each mode of engagement.

Unlocking Value? Innovation and change can be difficult, especially when you are looking from inside. Resistance can be a key factor slowing down the inevitable. But in order to progress, change and innovation are essential.  Is your organisation looking to unlock value in new ways? Do you need a different set of eyes to look at the existing practice? Strategic advice on moving forward? Give us a call on 03-2110 9407 to have a chat about how Orchan can help your business innovate. 

Who is Panda’ing to Whom?   If you’ve been following the news over the past couple of weeks, you can’t have missed the little issue Food Panda has got itself in to. In a bid to streamline its operations and delivery effectiveness, the food delivery company restructured its payment strategy for its independent contractors, aiming to increase their overall earnings, but to also reduce lost time from waiting around. Effectively, they went from time-based plus per-delivery to a higher per delivery fee. This means that delivery teams no longer get paid for standing around doing nothing; the incentive is greater for them to go out and deliver. A good business move, really. But it ruffled some feathers, including a junior minister who stuck his nose in to the legal workings and operations of a privately held business. I remember not long ago when Trump did the same. Not well received. It’s not uncommon for businesses to make fundam...

The Duck that Helps You Shop Realising a great opportunity in the shopping-savvy market of Malaysia, a new hero had arrived; aiming to save Malaysians from deals-deprived shopping purchases. Saleduck, an online platform that specialises in coupon codes, discounts, and vouchers, teamed up with Orchan for its foray into Malaysia and the broader Asian region. Originated from the Netherlands, Saleduck operates as an aggregator by working with various e-commerce merchants in bringing online shopping deals to consumers, all on one platform. Before making their purchases, consumers can grab offers in the form of discount codes, from names such as Lazada, Zalora, and AirAsia, among other e-shops. This approach; promoted by the brand as one of the best ways to save money shopping, was influenced by a gap in the shopping trend in Belgium, where major nationwide sales would only happen twice a year. Saleduck aimed to offer online shopping deals all year round instea...