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Showing posts with the label Communications Agency

Hyper-Personalisation and AI: The Future of MarTech in Southeast Asia

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Southeast Asia’s marketing game isn’t just changing - it’s mutating. The ET MarTech+ Summit 2025, dressed up under the theme “The Art and Science of Personalisation Beyond Transaction,” made one thing clear: brands in this region can’t keep coasting. Hyper-personalisation, AI-driven MarTech, and the messy but inevitable convergence of MarTech and AdTech are rewriting the playbook for how businesses connect with 650 million restless, mobile-first consumers. Let’s cut through the noise and get practical. Here’s what this actually means for brands in SEA. Hyper-Personalisation in Southeast Asia: More Than Just Product Push 88.9% of Southeast Asians go online through their phones. That’s not just a stat - it’s a warning sign. These consumers expect marketing to know them, not stalk them. And they’re quick to swipe away when brands miss the mark. FAQ: What is hyper-personalisation in MarTech? It’s using AI and real-time data to create experiences so tailored they feel one-to-one, n...

Reputation Isn’t Built by Press Releases

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Reputation isn’t built by press releases. It’s shaped by what people say when they think no one’s listening. Here’s how unseen chatter can derail your brand, and what to do about it. Companies love their press releases. Glossy language, approved quotes, carefully chosen words. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: your reputation isn’t built in those polished paragraphs. It’s built in the conversations you don’t control. The comments whispered at the coffee shop. The WhatsApp messages between frustrated customers. The grumbles employees share at lunch. That’s where reputations are shaped; and often, where they’re broken. The Story No Press Release Could Save A few years ago, a well-known brand (no names, but you’d recognise them instantly) invested heavily in a “positive PR push.” Press releases were flowing, coverage looked great on paper, and the leadership team was confident. But beneath the surface, informal chatter was telling a different story. Customers were quietly compla...

Driving Change: Orchan at the Launch of the DFSK EC35 All-Electric Van

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At Orchan Consulting Asia, we’ve never believed in being “sector bound.” Whether it’s consumer brands, tech, F&B, or, in this case, sustainable mobility, we roll up our sleeves and get in the trenches to make sure our clients are seen, heard, and remembered. Recently, we had the opportunity to work with QC Fleet Management Sdn Bhd and DFSK for the launch of the DFSK EC35 all-electric van at the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii), Cyberjaya. Beyond being another launch event, it was a milestone moment: an EV designed for last-mile delivery, SMEs, and businesses looking for sustainable fleet solutions . Why the DFSK EC35 Matters “Going green doesn’t have to be expensive.”  - Lim Khoon Yee, Managing Director of QC Fleet Management Sdn Bhd The EC35 proves that sustainability and practicality can co-exist. With zero carbon emissions, lower running costs, and practical design features , it’s positioned as a true workhorse for Malaysian businesses navigati...

PR for Startups in Malaysia: Standing Out in a Noisy Market

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Startups don’t have the luxury of time, and they sure don’t have the luxury of big budgets. You’re running lean, fighting for market share, and probably pitching to investors in the same week you’re onboarding your first customers. So why bother with PR - or even consider a PR agency for startups in Malaysia  - when every ringgit counts? Because in Malaysia’s crowded startup ecosystem, credibility isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s survival. Why PR Beats Ads (Especially for Startups) Let’s be blunt: you can buy ads. Anyone can. But attention isn’t the same as trust. A Google ad might get someone to click. A social campaign might rack up likes. But the right kind of PR gets you something money can’t buy: belief . People believe what third parties (media, thought leaders, even communities) say about you far more than what you say about yourself. And when you’re a startup - unknown, untested, and maybe a little misunderstood - credibility is the currency that opens doors. Investors, custom...

Revisiting (Again) | Change or Evolve in 2025? Commentary by Farrell Tan

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Back in 2020, I wrote about the tension between “change” and “evolve.” At the time, the big “C” dominated everything, and we were all asking ourselves: does real progress come from forcing change, or from allowing ourselves to evolve? I shared a simple anecdote then: a teenager insisting his parents had changed him, while they countered that he had simply evolved i.e., picking what to adopt, what to ignore, and how to apply it in his life. It stuck with me because it’s true beyond families: people rarely change because someone else tells them to. They evolve because the environment nudges them, and because they choose to. Fast forward to 2025. Different buzzwords, different fires to put out... but the same question is playing out on a much bigger stage. Do we change, or do we evolve? Change is noisier than ever In Southeast Asia, the forces of change are everywhere: AI disruptions  -- Malaysian SMEs are racing to plug in tools, while Singapore is already regulating usage. T...

Dirty Consultant: Part 3 - When Algorithms Replace Empathy

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At Orchan, we’ve seen consulting at its best - and at its glossiest. Dirty Consultant is our no-nonsense series calling out the theatre, the buzzwords, and the shiny distractions that get in the way of real change. Because true consulting isn’t about polished decks or clever algorithms - it’s about rolling up sleeves, getting into the grit, and facing the messy human reality head-on. Data is sexy. Dashboards glow. Algorithms hum. Today’s consultants sell you the dream: “real-time insights” into how your people feel. Red dots for disengaged. Green dots for high performers. Charts that promise to decode human behaviour. But here’s the problem. People aren’t data points. They’re messy. Irrational. Emotional. And no algorithm in the world can tell you what it feels like to drag yourself into a night shift after a 90-minute commute. Numbers tell you what . But only people tell you why . When consultants replace empathy with algorithms, they miss the heartbeat of the organisation....

Dirty Consultant: Part 2 - Death by PowerPoint

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At Orchan, we’ve seen consulting at its best - and at its glossiest. Dirty Consultant is our no-nonsense series calling out the theatre, the buzzwords, and the shiny distractions that get in the way of real change. Because true consulting isn’t about polished decks or clever algorithms - it’s about rolling up sleeves, getting into the grit, and facing the messy human reality head-on. Some consultants think their job is to build slides. Endless slides. Perfectly formatted, pixel-perfect decks. Buzzwords stacked higher than the Petronas Towers. Slide 12: Vision. Slide 27: Mission. Slide 43: Engagement Strategy. Slide 89: "Key Takeaways.” By the time they’re done, your people are asleep - or worse, politely nodding while thinking about lunch. Because here’s the problem: No slide has ever fixed a culture issue. No chart has ever built trust. No bullet point has ever sparked a movement. Real change doesn’t live in PowerPoint. It lives in conversations. It lives in unc...

Reputation Management in Malaysia: Building Trust Beyond the Headlines

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Reputation isn’t just PR fluff anymore. It’s not about glossy press clippings or a viral stunt that gets you trending for a day. Reputation is a business currency;  and in Malaysia, it’s often the difference between being trusted or being torn apart. Why Reputation Hits Different Here Here’s the thing about Malaysia: people talk. And they don’t just talk... they share, screenshot, forward to family WhatsApp, WeChat or Telegram groups, and pile on in the comments. One slip, one badly phrased remark, one campaign that misses cultural nuance… and you’re not just facing a PR headache. You’re facing community outrage. It’s not just about customers either. Regulators are watching. Investors are watching. Employees are watching. Everyone wants to know: can we trust you? That’s why “just keep quiet and hope it blows over” isn’t a strategy. It’s a gamble - and one that rarely pays off. Short-Term Noise vs. Long-Term Reputation Publicity? That’s short-term. It’s the sugar rush of marke...

Why “Content Is King” Falls Flat in Southeast Asia’s PR Game

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Let’s be blunt:  “content is king” is a lazy mantra. It gets tossed around so often in Malaysia’s PR and marketing circles it’s basically wallpaper. Sure, content matters - but if all you’re measuring is likes and views, you’re not strategising, you’re scorekeeping. Jim Macnamara nailed this in his piece for the Institute for PR. He argues content isn’t the crown jewel; outcomes are. And people? They’re not “audiences” sitting quietly in the cheap seats. They’re stakeholders; with opinions, with demands, and with the power to make or break your brand. We agree with him. But let’s add a twist. In Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, the stakes are higher. We’re mobile-first, multicultural, and ridiculously fast-moving. A clever TikTok might blow up today and vanish tomorrow. If you’re chasing virality without strategy, you’re just adding to the noise. The real game is turning content into outcomes that actually move the needle. Content Isn’t King - Outcomes Are Every festive season...

How to Choose the Best PR Agency in Malaysia: A Practical Guide for Brands

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When you search “best PR agency in Malaysia ,” you’ll find endless lists, awards, and glossy websites. Every agency claims to be the most creative, the most connected, or the most “integrated.” But the truth is: the best PR agency for your brand depends on more than hype or a clever tagline. At its core, public relations is about trust, reputation, and relationships. Choosing the right partner can make the difference between a campaign that fades after a press release, and one that builds lasting credibility. So, how do you separate the buzz from the substance? 1. Look Beyond the Hype A slick website or big client logos don’t tell the full story. Ask: What measurable impact did the agency deliver for those clients? Are there long-term relationships, or just one-off projects? Do they have sector-specific experience (e.g., fintech , lifestyle, NGOs) that matches your needs? The best PR partners don’t just chase headlines. They help you build brand equity over time. 2. Test Their Crisis...

N-E-X-T: Where Strategy Meets Storytelling

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  We've been a little quiet, but there's been good reason for that – we've been busy evolving. Oh, and we launched The Third Degree somewhere in there too. (Sleep is overrated, right) The communications world has shifted dramatically, and frankly, so have we. What started as traditional PR work has grown into something much more strategic. We're calling it N-E-X-T because this feels like a genuine upgrade in how we approach client partnerships. What's Different Now Honestly? We've become more selective about the work we take on, and more focused on the work that actually moves the needle. These days, we're spending more time in boardrooms than press rooms – helping brands think through their long-term positioning, not just their next social media post, op-ed or press release. That behind-the-scenes strategy work we mentioned? It's become our sweet spot. We're the team you call when you need to figure out your story before you tell it to the world....

Are You a Dirty Consultant? She Was! (Part 1)

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At Orchan, we’ve seen consulting at its best - and at its glossiest. Dirty Consultant is our no-nonsense series calling out the theatre, the buzzwords, and the shiny distractions that get in the way of real change. Because true consulting isn’t about polished decks or clever algorithms; it’s about rolling up sleeves, getting into the grit, and facing the messy human reality head-on. Are you a dirty consultant? She was. Back then, she didn’t sit behind a shiny desk. She pulled night shifts. She rode shotgun with truckers. She sweated it out in the warehouse. She asked the tough questions: to managers in ties, and to workers in boots. She refused to give advice until she knew what the advice meant for the people who had to live with it. That was consulting. Now? Consultants stroll in polished and perfect. Designer suits. Fresh slides. Laptops glowing like neon signs. They sell “platforms” and “solutions” and “engagement dashboards.” But they won’t get their hands di...

Orchan 4.1.2

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Hey there … yes, you! Glad you stumbled in. This is Orchan’s corner of the internet - part soapbox, part diary, part sounding board. Here you’ll find our thoughts on the industry, lessons we’ve learned the hard way, a few rants (constructive ones, of course), and maybe even the odd video when we’re feeling fancy. So, who are we? Orchan’s a comms agency born and bred in Kuala Lumpur, with arms stretching into Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and wherever else clients drag us. We’ve been called many things -  strategic, fast, occasionally loud - but what we're not is cookie-cutter. If you’re after a “copy-paste” campaign, you’ve probably knocked on the wrong door. We believe PR is for everyone. Big multinationals? We’ve worked with PUMA, Dyson, Pernod Ricard, Garmin, and the like. Scrappy start-ups and even hawker stalls? Been there, done that, and loved it just as much. For us, the job is always the same: find your story, polish it up, and get people talking. We also train. Crisi...