Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

Peer Pressure Breaks Uniqlo’s Stance in Russia Commentary by Darius Khaw   Uniqlo had recently announced the closing of its stores in Russia after crumbling to peer pressure from customers and other businesses. As of March 10, Uniqlo took a U-turn on staying open in Russia after claiming it faced too many “operational challenges and the worsening of the conflict situation.”           Originally Uniqlo was adamant on keeping stores opening in Russia as the CEO of Uniqlo stated that "Clothing is a necessity of life. The people of Russia have the same right to live as we do." Despite the backlash from this statement, Uniqlo’s stance can actually be seen as ethically and morally correct. As shown by them giving Russian civilians at least one choice of a decent brand to buy from and not leave the civilians suffering as many international stores such as H&M had closed its doors.   Uniqlo’s decision can be seen as based on a ...

 The Fundamentals of Survival! Betty Greene was a pioneer in her field in her time. A female pilot in a male-dominated industry. Against immense pressure, she consciously chose to embrace the mindset of flexibility to ensure personal survival. That same approach resonates for so many today. To survive, one needs to "go with the flow", pivot, adjust, realign, and accept that new paths will lead to opportunity. The last two years have taught us that! This works for communications initiatives, too. Old approaches may not work as effectively; so bite that bullet, realign or adjust your message, and keep going. As Betty says, its better to bend than to break. Bending facilitates possibilities. Breaking, does not!

Holy Smokes Batman! Sometimes It’s Best to Stay Silent!   I don’t know the actual truth of what went on here, but I do know one thing; it’s always best to know when to shut up, especially when protecting your brand reputation.   So over the weekend a cinema screened a movie. Three quarters of an hour into the movie, it was stopped, reset, and the movie started again. In an open hall of customers.   A rather surprised customer went on to social media to highlight what had happened. Not the fact that the movie was disrupted; rather that it was restarted due to some ‘VIP’ customers. Ignoring my personal disdain for those who think in terms of us and them (plebs v’s VIPs) – the show must go on.   The post started receiving interest, and of course it spiralled from there.   First the cinema (or the chain, it’s still unclear) offered refunds plus free tickets, and apologised for the inconvenience.   That was an excellent first move. Before...

Ipoh Parade Goes Green 2 In continuing their effort from their first Go Green campaign, and to coincide with and Earth Hour, Ipoh Parade took the lead in the community to support a meaningful, charitable cause alongside the Lion’s Club of Ipoh (Mandarin), ULCC, and the Perak Education Department. With invitations extended to over 40 local kindergartens, primary and high schools, plus the participation of tenants and supporters alike, the event was an exciting array of activities, games, and competitions for everyone. Ipoh Parade’s Go Green campaign was held on the weekend of 19 - 20 April 2014. On the Saturday, the invited VIPs from the Perak Education Department, Tourism Board, were on hand to initiate and activate the launch; followed by dance performances from d’Artiz Street Dance Studio, and ended with a lively colouring contest that invited children to be as creative as possible, to stand a chance to win prizes sponsored by Faber Castell and other event partners. ...

When skincare meets makeup magic. Orchan was proud to play a part in introducing Jane Iredale - The Skincare Makeup® to Malaysia, marking the brand’s very first foray into the local beauty scene. What makes Jane Iredale different? Simple: it’s makeup that loves your skin back. Long before “clean beauty” became a buzzword, Jane Iredale was already ahead of the curve. Her products were created with micronised minerals, free from fillers, binders, dyes, and preservatives: a godsend for anyone conscious about what goes onto their skin. It’s this pioneering spirit that’s made the brand a trusted favourite among celebrities, physicians, and beauty aficionados worldwide. The woman behind the brand Jane Iredale didn’t start in a lab - she started in Hollywood. As a casting director working with the likes of Lauren Hutton, Jaclyn Smith, Cybill Shephard, Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, and Sarah Jessica Parker, she saw first-hand how much skin health impacted confidence and careers. Wat...

Blast from the Past: Plaza Phoenix (Cheras Sentral) When we took on Plaza Phoenix (now known as Cheras Sentral) as a client, we were challenged to step outside our comfort zone. As opposed to just announcing the rebrand and redevelopment to the community, we faced with a few other PR issues to restart the project. But, the hurdle did not end there. What should we do when the developer was unable to bring a group of over 125 strata title owners in order to move forward? Internal communication. Previously, we wrote about the importance of internal communication (if you haven’t read about it, you can read it here) and it became a vital component in our communication strategy. Considering it involved over 125 parties, it’s fair to say it took some time. But most importantly, we became the trusted go-between for the parties and were able to put across non-emotional information to all who were involved, in a straight forward manner. Besides undertaking the responsibiliti...

Humans of Orchan | Darius Khaw Look, I'm not good at introductions but I'll do my best. Let's get started. I'm Darius, a 23-year-old Malaysian, undertaking my Bachelor's degree in Public Relations at KDU University College. I am an AVID gamer; I love planting my butt in front of the computer and speeding my day in virtual worlds. But BOY OH BOY, do I love fish and nature as well. I could stare at them for hours on end. Gaming, looking at fish and nature is my ideal version of a relaxing time. Actually, I’m planning on starting an aquarium and terrarium someday.   Despite being an avid gamer, I'm not a typical one. I LOVE sports; no, I don't mean football, basketball or badminton. I mean proper adrenaline rushing sports. Paintball, rock-climbing, bungee jumping, jet skiing, paragliding; you name it, I'm there. If it's dangerous and gets my blood pumping, I'm up for it. What's life without a little excitement and thrill?   Before we g...