Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

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...

We talk a lot about “brand awareness” in Malaysia. Campaigns, events, social spends... everyone wants eyeballs. But let’s be honest: awareness is the easy part. What most brands can’t seem to crack is trust . And without trust, all that awareness is just noise. We’ve all seen it. A campaign goes viral, hashtags trend for a week... and then… silence. Or worse, the brand takes a hit when people start asking: “Okay, but do I actually believe them?” The Malaysian Trust Deficit Here’s the kicker: Malaysians are naturally sceptical. Years of over-promising (and under-delivering) have made audiences sharper, quicker to call out BS. Add to that the megaphone of social media, where one bad review on TikTok or a rant in a WhatsApp group can undo months of brand building. And let’s not pretend we haven’t seen brands get dragged in the comments -- sometimes deservedly, sometimes not. That’s the reality of reputation management in Malaysia today. We’ve sat with brands that had all the awarene...

A major Malaysian telco announces a flashy sustainability pledge on Earth Day: green filters, eco-hashtags, celebrity endorsement etc. Thousands of likes overnight. Weeks later, customers discover nothing has changed in their carbon-heavy operations. Cue viral thread, boycott calls, and corporate comms teams breaking into a cold sweat. Sound familiar? In Southeast Asia’s hyper-connected markets, “performative” moments aren’t just awkward - they’re career-enders. Performative communication is smoke and mirrors; the virtue signaling without the virtue. The glossy press release that promises the world but can’t even deliver a paper straw. The diversity campaign launched for PR points, while the boardroom still looks like it’s stuck in 1985. Purposeful communication ? That’s the real deal. Stories rooted in intent, backed by action, delivered with consistency. And in a region where 25 million Malaysians (74% of the population) live online, the watchdogs aren’t asleep. One skeptical TikT...