Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

For years, silence has been treated as a kind of corporate virtue. Say nothing. Wait it out. Hope it passes. In theory, it sounds disciplined. In practice, it usually does the opposite of what brands intend. Silence is not neutral. It is interpreted. And in a real-time media environment, it is almost always interpreted badly. Why Brands Choose Silence Most decisions to stay quiet come from a reasonable place. Legal risk. Global sensitivities. Incomplete information. Fear of saying the wrong thing. In major M&A activity, restructuring, or crises, local communications teams often have limited room to move. Messages are cleared centrally. Words are scrutinised. Restraint is necessary. But somewhere along the way, restraint gets confused with disappearance. When nothing is said publicly, brands often tell themselves they are being careful. What they are really doing is outsourcing interpretation to everyone else. What Actually Happens When Brands Stay Silent Silence does not...

We recently came across a brilliant ET BrandEquity piece that stopped us mid-scroll. Amid all the noise about micro-moments and 8-second attention spans, the author dropped one perfect analogy: the humble travel neck pillow. Yes, really. In a world drowning in flashy gadgets and “disruptive” tech, the neck pillow category is quietly exploding not because it went viral on TikTok, but because it solves one tiny, universal pain point. You’re tired, your neck hurts on a red-eye flight, and this ridiculous U-shaped cushion just… works. No hype required. But travel isn’t the only friction point. The same dynamic shows up in daily life across Malaysia and the region e.g., the shop that tapes your takeaway drinks tightly, so they don’t spill in the car; the café that puts a charging station at every table; the courier who drops you a WhatsApp before arriving. Different setting, same principle: small, thoughtful friction removers build disproportionate goodwill. And that got us thinking: th...

When a crisis hits, speed isn’t a luxury... it’s oxygen. And in APAC , where social chatter moves faster than official statements, brands that hesitate don’t just stumble -- they fall flat on their face. The question isn’t if a crisis will hit. It’s when . And when it does, your response decides whether you come out scarred but standing or dragged through the mud for months. Case Study 1: Bitis vs. Khaisilk -- Apology vs. Denial Two Vietnamese brands. Two very different outcomes. Bitis , the footwear brand, ran a cultural campaign that backfired. Instead of stonewalling, they did the simplest, smartest thing: apologised quickly, corrected the issue, and kept moving. Consumers noticed the humility, and the brand survived with minimal scars. Khaisilk , on the other hand, was caught mislabelling “ Made in Vietnam ” silk that was actually from China. At first? Denial. Then, when the truth came out, scrambling apologies, recalls, compensation. By then, it was too late -- the damage w...

AI is rewriting the PR playbook across Asia . From chatbots fielding customer queries to generative tools drafting copy in seconds, the efficiency is intoxicating. But speed without ethics? That’s a reputational landmine; and in Southeast Asia , where cultural trust is everything, the blowback can be brutal. This isn’t just about “using AI responsibly.” It’s about whether your brand earns or loses trust every time you hit publish. AI Ethics: PR’s Next Crisis Waiting to Happen The warning signs are already here: Singapore : A retail chain faced backlash when AI-personalised ads misused purchase data without consent. Malaysia : A telco’s chatbot accidentally leaked sensitive customer info, triggering investigations. Thailand : A travel brand went viral for the wrong reason after an AI campaign used culturally tone-deaf imagery. These weren’t just “tech glitches.” They were trust failures, magnified by APAC’s hyper-connected, mobile-first audiences. Compliance Won...

In APAC, a crisis doesn’t escalate. It detonates. When crisis hits in Asia-Pacific, speed and nuance decide whether a brand sinks or swims. Social media storms in Jakarta. Regulatory crackdowns in Singapore. Consumer backlash in Bangkok. It’s a volatile region where reputations are built (or shredded) in hours, not weeks. And now AI is in the mix. Tools that can scan sentiment in real time, predict reputational flashpoints, or even draft holding statements are reshaping how brands respond. But here’s the kicker: AI doesn’t replace crisis communications. It simply raises the stakes. Brands that misuse it risk amplifying the very chaos they’re trying to contain. So, what lessons can we take from APAC brands already navigating this AI-crisis intersection? Lesson 1: Speed Is Useless Without Context AI excels at velocity. It can monitor thousands of conversations across Twitter/X, TikTok, WeChat, WhatsApp and niche local platforms like Line or Koo. But speed without cultural context is dang...

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...