Posts

Showing posts with the label Orchestating Change

The Future of Strategic Communications in Malaysia: 2025 and Beyond

Image
Strategic communications isn’t a “nice-to-have” anymore. In Malaysia, it has become a core business function i.e., shaping reputation, steering conversations, and helping organisations navigate a world where trust is currency. And here’s the reality: the brands that still treat PR as decoration will lose ground fast. The ones that view communications as capital will win. At Orchan, we’ve seen both sides of that equation -- startups that built credibility from day one and corporates that paid the price for silence when it mattered most. So, what’s next for strategic communications in Malaysia? Here’s what 2025 (and beyond) is bringing our way, and why it matters to your business. 1. Trust Will Be the Ultimate Differentiator Malaysians have always valued relationships but now trust sits at the heart of survival. Communities aren’t shy about holding brands accountable; one misstep can spiral across WhatsApp groups and TikTok in hours. The cost? Lost customers, shaken investor confi...

5 Myths That Keep Brands Stuck

Image
PR and communications get more bad takes than pineapple on pizza. People love to boil it down to lazy clichés, quick fixes, or dusty old rules; then they act shocked when their campaigns flop, their reputation tanks, or their competitors run circles around them. Time to kill the nonsense. Here are five of the worst myths that keep brands stuck on repeat - and why they need to be buried, fast. Myth 1: PR is just “getting media coverage.” Cute. But that’s like saying a Swiss Army knife is just a toothpick. The truth: Reputation beats reach - trust can’t be bought. Real PR is strategy, not just spin. Media is only one channel; the playground is much bigger. Results are measurable, if you know how to look. Sometimes silence is the sharpest move of all. If you still think PR is just clippings, congratulations - you’re running a 2025 business with a 1995 playbook. “PR isn’t just coverage — it’s chess, not checkers.” Myth 2: “Any publicity is good publicity.” Please. That g...

Orchestrating Change: Stories from the Field

Image
How Orchan Consulting Asia helps brands navigate change - from Peugeot’s reputation rebuild, to DFSK’s first electric van, to Kao’s trust-building with parents. Change isn’t a slogan – it’s messy, unpredictable, and often uncomfortable. But it’s also where growth lives. At Orchan, we’ve spent years helping brands navigate that tricky space between “what was” and “what’s next.” This series, Orchestrating Change: Stories from the Field , takes you behind the curtain. Real brands, real problems, and the strategies that turned the tide: from rebuilding Peugeot’s reputation before a major launch, to helping DFSK break ground with Malaysia’s first electric van, to showing Kao Malaysia how to win not just market share, but parent hearts. Each story shows one thing: change doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you orchestrate it with purpose. When Reputation Hit the Brakes - Peugeot Malaysia and the 308 How Orchan Consulting Asia helped Peugeot Malaysia rebuild trust in the 308 throu...

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

Image
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...

Humans of Orchan | Farrell Tan

Image
Farrell Tan Founding Director "The Other Boss", but you better call him Farrell So apparently it’s my turn to share a bit about myself. Around the office, I’m often referred to as “the other boss.” And compared to the rest of the team, I’m definitely the more marcom person;  having cut my teeth in international agencies, mentored by some of the best in the business. Truth be told, I never pictured myself in this line of work. Never in a million years did I imagine co-owning an agency with a Kiwi (not the fruit, though some would argue otherwise!) - working with brands I admire and, in many cases, grew up with. Life’s funny that way. I grew up in a fairly utilitarian household in Melaka. My dad was a teacher, my mum a nurse, and like all good government servants, they preached the importance of education: tuition, extra-curriculars, the works. Luckily for us, there wasn’t much to distract us in small-town Melaka back then, other than tree-climbing, neighbourhood b...

#BlastFromThePast: When Orchan Wore the Cape

Image
It’s not every day (or even every year) an agency gets to wear a superhero cape. But in 2015, Orchan Consulting Asia did just that, taking home not one but two accolades at Advertising + Marketing Magazine’s AOTY Awards: PR Agency of the Year (Bronze) and the coveted Local Hero Award . The Bronze win recognised our results across three fronts: success for our clients, success as an agency, and contribution to the wider communications industry. In other words, it was a nod to the work we delivered throughout 2014 - campaigns that weren’t just effective, but cost-savvy, creative, and industry-shaping. The Local Hero Award carried its own weight. As a proudly Malaysian-owned boutique agency competing against mostly international heavyweights, being singled out as a “hero” agency meant our approach was cutting through. It showed that businesses value the way Orchan thinks and the change we orchestrate for their brands. Managing Director, Craig J Selby and Founding Director, Farrell ...

Recognising Excellence: Orchan’s AOTY Awards 2015 Wins

Image
In 2015, Orchan Consulting Asia was honoured with two significant accolades at Advertising + Marketing Magazine’s Agency of the Year (AOTY) Awards: PR Agency of the Year (Bronze) and the Local Hero Award . The Bronze recognition was awarded based on three key measures: client success, agency performance, and contributions to the broader communications industry. This reflected the body of work Orchan delivered throughout 2014, underscoring our commitment to cost-effective solutions, measurable results, and high-quality campaign execution. Equally meaningful was the Local Hero Award , which celebrates outstanding Malaysian-owned agencies competing in a field often dominated by international players. This acknowledgment highlighted Orchan’s position as a boutique agency that has consistently delivered value, demonstrated thought leadership, and contributed to the development of the local communications landscape. Managing Director, Craig J Selby and Founding Director, Farrell Tan st...

Blast from the Past - Orchan Wins MPRA B2B Campaign of the Year with Chocolate Box PR

Image
September 2012 marked another milestone for Orchan Consulting Asia, as we clinched the Business-to-Business (B2B) Campaign of the Year award at the Malaysia Public Relations Awards (MPRA), organised by the Public Relations Consultants’ Association of Malaysia (PRCA Malaysia). The winning entry: Chocolate Box PR . Launched by Orchan’s Managing Director, Craig J. Selby, Chocolate Box PR was designed to introduce start-ups and SMEs to the value of public relations. Many of these businesses had compelling stories to tell but lacked awareness of how PR could elevate their profile. Chocolate Box provided an accessible, cost-effective entry point - helping first-time users of PR services prepare, pitch, and gain exposure for their products and services. The package worked as a simple, three-step model: preparing and educating entrepreneurs, developing narratives, and creating media visibility. By doing so, it not only generated recognition for clients but also encouraged a shift in mindset...