Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

Mr Selangor! Drooooool ........ Bulging muscles. So much so that even the client blushes. That’s what it is all about! Bodybuilding is not an easy feat, and many have given up trying due to the intense training. Although what is considered the epitome of male beauty is different here than it is with contemporary ideals, you won’t find men brandishing explosive chests while striding onstage with chicken feet. This event showcases a sustained physical exertion, of which not many have the mental endurance necessary to sculpting a body that would make Greek statues drop off their ivory pedestals in shame. The Mr Selangor Body Building Championship celebrates the accomplishments of all these men who break away from conformity and who subscribe to a different sort of ideal – symmetry in strength. Held annually at Klang Parade, Mr Selangor is one of those “go to” events – whether you’re checking out the muscle men, or just admiring their hard work. Organised by the Selangor Amate...

Don’t Hide… You’ll Be Caught The number one rule in a crisis is to always be honest in your response. The moment you try to sweep the problem under the carpet, you have presented an opportunity for others to find your mistakes. Be brave, be honest, be transparent; do it right.

Blast from the Past | Nexus International School Boarding school typically has a reputation that is horrifying! Stodgy food, strict wardens, lights out at sunset, and cold drafty corridors are how movies portray them, but the modern boarding school is a true "home away from home". A few years ago Nexus International School hosted a regional conference for international schools that offer boarding facilities, with the mission to look at new practices in pastoral care for students. We invited a few media along to participate in the sessions, and to talk with some of the regions leading international school educators about the trends in boarding education, and how they keep students balanced and motivated in their studies. And on a more business side, it was at the time that the Singapore government allocated land for the expansion and development of international education. Nexus International School was awarded land to update its old facilities to a state-of-the-a...

Social Media Intimacy Whether it’s speaking directly to your stakeholder or posting a video on your social media, it’s important to understand not just how to approach people, but also how it may bring high-quality interactions with your stakeholders. The experience is as important as the execution. In this video, Craig discusses the levels of social intimacy that alter how you should approach communication.

Digital PR as the Next/New Normal? As our lives have been highly reliant on digital platforms, industries across the board are quickly adapting to the 'New Normal'. So, what does that mean for the communications field?  What platforms should we use? How are we sharing our brand's story? In this video, Craig discusses why Public Relations have shifted to new digital alternatives.

  Catch the Imposter! How often do you stumble upon an article link with a rather uncanny or dubious headline? Whether it’s through your WhatsApp chats or Facebook timeline, you must have come across one or two of these, but did you believe or share them?   With various platforms and content available at our fingertips, it’s not uncommon to find a couple news that are misleading or even fabricated to convince readers about a fake story. Are you able to spot the odd ones out?   Find out below on how to spot fake news.  

 Benefit Your Brand! There are many tools a brand may utilize to ensure they achieve brand awareness. One of those important tools is Public Relations; by understanding how it may benefit your brand, you are one step closer to success. By being creative with your strategy, you can accelerate the impact that your message has.

13 Golden Rules of Public Relations In the spirit of Chinese New Year, we thought we would be more auspicious, and share with you some great suggestions to help your brand stay safe.

Blast From The Past | Event: Launch of AEON BiG Visa Credit Card A while back, AEON Credit Service (M) Bhd, collaborated with AEON BiG (M) Sdn Bhd and Visa Inc to launch the AEON BiG Visa credit card, aimed to reward customers and improve their retail experiences. The credit card incorporates radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology with Visa’s patented payWave function. During the launch event, guests were first entertained by a live sand art performance. The performance was memorable as the artist drew beautiful sketches that highlight the collaboration between AEON Credit Service, AEON BiG and Visa. After the speeches by VIPs, the new credit card designs were unveiled to guests. A launch video was also shown to present the benefits of the credit cards, followed up by a Q&A session. The new AEON BiG Visa Credit Card was conceptualised to enhance value to customers from retail spening at AEON BiG stores through rebates offered by both AEON Credit and BE...

Humans of Orchan | The 'Professor' is in The House I’m the difficult one. My staff and my friends always say that. Their nicknames for me reflect it too, and I own these with pride. What I bring to the table is my unique point of view; perspectives on industries and people built up through three decades of multi-industry and multi-locational experience; two decades of that being at management and senior management levels. I am a consultant, an educator, a strategist, a coach, and a mentor. I’m a few other things too – but for that, you have to ask those who gave me my nicknames. I delved into Public Relations (PR) because of Farrell. My background is an eclectic mix of many things – all culminating in a unique melting pot of skills that can be tasked to any client’s need.  We founded Orchan over eleven years ago; that’s almost a longer timeframe than my two marriages combined! It’s a labour of love, an absolute passion. It’s given me the opportunity to work across and learn abo...

  Press Start to Brand As a start-up, it can be a rough journey to build your brand. The obstacles you face, the people you meet, and the achievements you obtain come from a sea of opportunity. You could say it’s like playing a video game.   If you have played at least one role-playing game in your life, you might be familiar with the common trope that each game utilises.   You start the game as a complete newbie. Your journey begins as you slay monsters and complete quests in order to gain experience and new skills that help you level up. Similar to a business, you accomplish tasks like creating a social media account, battling keyboard warriors, and strive for sales milestones in order to mature your brand.   Have you also heard of game tips from talking to every single non-playable character?   When you least expect it, you might part with insightful knowledge after networking not only with a well-known entrepreneur but also your Average Joe w...

Emerging Socio-Media Trends  As businesses adapt to the 'new normal', brands must understand how to best operate within these emerging trends. By grasping how the world has shifted, you can better plan the future of your business and communications, that takes account of existing and shifting changes. In this video, Craig talks about how the pandemic and lockdowns have changed businesses, which sectors were most affected, and the shift of consumer preference for online media.

Blast From The Past | Chef Tommes and Harley An eccentric individual with a unique personality, Chef Tommes is passionate about all things creative. Sometimes you need to look through different lenses to find the best strategy for your client’s brand. You can show a different and unique side by bringing fresh eyes that push your client’s brand to the right audience.   When representing a restaurant, you could easily promote just the food and the ambience, but how can you stick out from the thousands of other food establishments? Let’s look back on Chef Tommes and how his Harley story drove interest in his brand.   In the kitchen, Chef Tommes is a perfectionist – ask his staff, they’ll testify. But he isn’t merely a perfectionist in the kitchen, it resonates through to his life outside kitchen as well. In building his custom built Harley Davidson – a mechanical beauty he’s dreamed to have since he was a child – life imitates art and he demonstrates the importance of perfection....

Beyond Just Words Communication is not as simple as presenting your message, but understanding what is being expressed and how others may interpret or take action on it. By strengthening an understanding of this foundation, you can build a strong and reliable brand image.

  One Star Rating for Crisis Response! With consumers obtaining information at a fast rate thanks to social media, companies are unable to simply hide from emerging crises. You’ll be left with a negative brand image if you don’t approach the situation well. After all, your rivals are still an option for your consumers when you’re unable to deliver.   Just as when J&T Express Malaysia was unable to deliver customer’s packages due to their misconduct and lack of action to their employees. The company recently issued an apology letter regarding the ‘Employee Wages Incident’ and in all honesty, it was just a poorly written page full of unclear and insincere messages.   They did not address the issue of low commission rates for the employees, they lied about their calculations, and did nothing against the staff who committed damage of property rather made them only verbally apologise to the public. This form of crisis communication won’t suffice to the public who a...

  Touching the Heart or the Mind? When you are telling a personal story to your acquaintances, what details come up more? The factual information of how you overcame each obstacle or the emotional experience throughout the conflicting journey?   What about when you’re telling the story of your brand?   People proven in a recent study were more likely to respect others when they shared personal stories compared to numerical facts. This form of storytelling allows you to connect to the other party and humanises your argument.   Storytelling help connects your brand to your stakeholders as your mutual values align. Potential customers become supportive when they can emotionally connect with a person or brand as compared to numerical information that can’t always be pictured.   Which statement do you trust more?   “This skincare is very gentle on my five-year-old child’s eczema-prone skin” or   “Nine (9) out of ten (10) dermatologis...

  Be Relevant It’s not enough to simply have your brand’s name out there. There must be significance and credibility to build your brand

Employee Engagement on Social Media Social media is no longer that ‘new’ tool for organisations to build their brand image, but there are still several approaches you may not have considered for your digital platforms. As a business, having your employees share information about your company’s activities may prove beneficial as it helps to share the brand's ethos. Check out Craig’s short video on how you can guide your team members to responsibly utilise social media for both the brand and themselves.

  Proud to be a Kiwi? We Like to do Things Differently I like this campaign. It ticks two very important criterion for me regarding communications during this pandemic; one, it is positive and showcases moving forward; and two, it’s just damn quirky, ensuring the right type of attention will be received.   Faced with a crumbling industry (tourism), but a long term optimise (or desperation), it is fantastic to see the New Zealand Tourism Board thinking beyond the sh1tstorm; ie; looking at generating interest where it can, in an upbeat and relevant way. International tourist numbers may have withered away to close to zero; but local tourists are sufficient in numbers to prop up the industry in the short to medium term.   The solution, bring a bit of cheer to the public, as well as to the industry. Rallying consumers to be proactive, almost competition like, and have a little bit of fun along the way (all of society is in need of that) not only helps to promote the i...

  Reimagining Business-As-UnUsual Through Business Continuity Planning In late 2019, BCP had a different vibe. Business Continuity Planning was ensuring that your business could continue should an internal or external shock hit it. Such shocks were limited to (externally) interruptions of the supply chain, policy adjustments, shifts in significant clients; and (internally) staffing issues, succession planning, and the like.   A global pandemic was not quite on the cards; nor was the word “pivot” such an oft-used term as it is today.   Enter Business Continuity Planning 2.0 (2020) and now 3.0 (Malaysia, 2021) – how have we, as functioning business, adapted to the tectonic shifts in our business landscape, and how have we ensured that we stayed afloat, and continued to succeed and thrive under such dynamic and challenging conditions?   The pandemic poses new and unique sets of challenges for brands. Not only does the coronavirus spread from one person to th...