Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

Sadly, it’s true - social media is not a safe space. Not for people. Not for businesses. Not even for brands that think they’ve got it figured out. But here’s the catch: avoiding it isn’t an option. Social media is where conversations (and controversies) happen. What you can do is engage smartly - with a plan, with purpose, and with your eyes wide open. We’ve seen it first-hand: a brand pours months of effort into a campaign, only for a single post (from an overzealous employee or an unhappy customer) to overshadow the whole thing. Suddenly, instead of celebrating wins, the brand is scrambling to do damage control. Because let’s be real: Brand saboteurs will test you. Keyboard warriors (and worriers) will come for you. One wrong move can be amplified in ways you didn’t see coming. That’s why having a solid social media strategy isn’t just “nice to have.” It’s your armour. It’s your shield. And knowing when to clap back - and when to stay silent - is as important as what ...

Short answer: Yes… and No. Sounds like a cop-out, right? Stick with us. In a perfect world: Sure. Keep everyone smiling. Stakeholders have rights, expectations, and some sense of entitlement baked in. We owe them that. In the real world: Forget it. The bigger and more diverse your stakeholder pool, the harder it gets. Their interests clash with yours. Worse, they clash with each other. You can’t keep everyone happy without losing your sanity (or your business). So what’s the play? Not happiness. Balance. 👉 Meet as many needs as you realistically can. 👉 Keep your organisation’s success at the centre. 👉 And communicate. Loudly. Clearly. Consistently. Because let’s be honest - you’ll never win the “happiness game.” But you can win the trust game. Stakeholders don’t need rainbows and cupcakes. They need to know where they stand. If you’re transparent and upfront, they’ll respect you even if they don’t love every decision. So, stop chasing smiles. Start building trust....

BFTP | When Media Shames the Little Guy  (Commentary by Craig J Selby) The whole world has been against a few Irish tourists who caused a bit of a fracas in my country of origin recently. British publications, Australian publications, Asian publications condemning the tourists for their “bad behavior”, and put their names and faces for all to see. Oh, wow! If only the same attention to detail was put to every criminal in the world. The world might be a safer place, NOT. The issue here is not when something goes viral, but it when something viral is perpetuated by mainstream media, and the “public shaming” goes far beyond the extent of the initial action/s. Daily updates from the New Zealand Herald propagated story after story regarding the tourists – where they are now, the latest thing they ‘did’, and people’s reaction to them. OVERKILL! Did the tourists do wrong? Yes. Did they deserve to be called out for it? Yes. Did they dese...

Safe Social | Protecting Your Business Reputation Online Craig J Selby It’s scary really. An employee posts a personal opinion online. It’s a tad controversial. Or perhaps just plan offensive. People willingly take offense. They share the post calling employee out for their indiscretion. Employee takes it down, but it’s too late. The dominoes have started to fall! Keyboard warriors stalk employee , and discover (deduce) that they work for your brand. The messages and threats start coming, first via PM, then via an orchestrated viral campaign to pressure your brand to fire employee . Chaos, expense (time and funds), and unwanted negative attention to your brand. What is your reaction? What do you do? I mean, it’s not even your company social media that made the post initially. Orchan recently hosted, in conjunction with UnionSPACE (thanks to Bruce an...

I decided to join Orchan Consulting’s Directors, Craig J Selby and Farrell Tan for lunch this past week, to discuss a few ideas on the broad topics of change management, crisis management, and reputation management – core foci to Orchan’s areas of expertise. 1. What is your take on the importance of change management strategies within a business?  CJS: Having a strategy, even if it is fluid in its approach, is always important. Change is always going to be hard, and its important to be aware of ramifications of each possible action. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take that action; it just means that you are better prepared. The old saying, “you cant please 100% of the people 100% of the time” will always ring true; hence, ensuring that there is a strategy and a direction to changes being undertaken is essential. Do all strategies work out? No! That does not mean the strategy was wrong – resistance to change is often greater than one can imagine. It just means...

My 5 Cents Worth   A few years back I was friends with a guy who managed a couple of F&B outlets as part of a bigger local chain of restaurants. I used to enjoy eating at the chain as the food was consistent, decent, well-priced, and of course, accessible to my home.   Late afternoon one day, I went to pick up some take-away for my dinner from an outlet I didn’t go to that much. The duty manager, as was the SOP, ‘manning’ the till (cash register), taking customer orders and processing payment. My bill: RM 19.95. I handed over my not-so-crisp RM20 note, and awaited my receipt (always ask for a receipt) and my change.   I got a receipt, but not my 5 sen (cents).   Duty manager shuffled off to get my order from the kitchen. When she returned with my order, I asked “where was my change”?   “Its only 5 sen lah, why do you care?” was her response. To which I gave her a very direct response: “Because it’s MY 5 sen and not yours”. She kept trying...