Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

Oh, Merde!   The first lesson in writing is always always always always make sure that you understand the meaning of words used in your narrative!   Be it text or image-driven, accuracy and nuance of meaning is important. And this applies when crossing cultural linguistic boundaries too. Renault’s Malaysia team recently discovered (unexpectedly) the importance of double checking their creativity . With a supposedly smart ‘play on words’, the team clearly hoped to create a Merdeka-inspired campaign, but fell a little short into a pile of poop! Oops … or, poops I guess!         Doesn’t help that Renault is French – so the oopsie should have been even easier to spot (no one would blink an eye if it were an Asian brand).   Much like Susan Boyle’s infamous #Susanalbumparty (you read it as you wish, but it should be #SusanAlbumParty – dirty minds;P), MerdeCARfest didn’t quite create the intended brand image.   Now, Google ‘Merd...

An EV is more than just a Vehicle; it’s a Lifestyle! They say "all good things come in three's"; so join Orchan collaborators Qommune+ on 22 June 2023 (7:30 pm) to enjoy fantastic networking, three great Electric Vehicles (test drive available), and three insightful industry speakers discussing the Malaysian EV market! An EV is more than just a vehicle; it’s a lifestyle! EV drivers build their daily habits around sustainable practices, and this presents lots of opportunities for other brands and businesses like yours. Join the Qommune Networking Event in Lalaport BBCC Kuala Lumpur. Gain valuable insights on the Electric Vehicle (EV) market! 🚗🔌, meet industry experts, and network with fellow entrepreneurs, industry players, government agencies and others who are part of this vibrant industry! You will also get the exclusive chance to explore AEVEKL23 EV mini roadshow and EV test drive. Register now to secure your spot! Please register here: https://eventsize.com/@qommune...

Orchan Heads Back to School | Jakarta Style Through the Eyes of the Intern | Dini Craig and I in Jakarta. Welcome Back to Jakarta!! What an exciting day it is for this Indonesian intern to return home. However, this is not a simple leisure trip; this is an Orchan project to develop Speaking Opportunities at Universities and Co-Working Spaces in Jakarta. It was just Craig and I on the project, while Farrell, Ravin and Jordan went to Penang for a client event. I arrived four days before Craig, heading-off on Tuesday 24 July 2018, touching down in Jakarta! Arriving after a relaxing flight, I wasn’t looking forward to meeting the jam J . Rather, I took the new train to Jakarta Kota Station, which was way far faster than a taxi.   Heading Home! I was reunited with Craig on Wednesday in a small café around Sarinah called ‘Saudagar Kopi Sabang’ (apparently, Craig’s favourite Jakarta food hang out), to have lunch and prepare for the next day. We ordered some deli...

Any Publicity is Good Publicity, Right? The PR world is messy enough as it is. You’ve got teams jostling for quality exposure, strategies trying to keep up with shifting landscapes, and the endless battle of beating back fake news. And just when you think you’ve got the game figured out, along comes a new irritant cluttering our feeds: “Nuisance PR.”   Publicity born out of sheer nuisance - not merit. A tactic where the goal isn’t to add value, but to rile people up. Do something outrageous, annoying, or just plain pointless - so long as people can’t stop talking (or ranting) about you. Harry & “Mememe’ghan” have turned this into an art form: endless headlines, endless drama, zero actual contribution. It’s not about substance; it’s about noise. And here’s the kicker: Nuisance PR works. It breaks the internet, fuels hot takes, divides audiences, and keeps a brand at the top of the conversation - even if that conversation is mostly groans and eye-rolls. The problem? While...

It doesn’t take much. One employee. One “innocent” post. One opinion too far. Next thing you know - it’s blowing up online. Offense taken. Screenshots shared. Keyboard warriors in full attack mode. Even if your employee deletes it, too late - the internet never forgets. And now the mob has tracked them back to you , their employer. Suddenly, your brand is in the firing line. PMs roll in. Hashtags trend. A campaign starts to pressure you into action. What started as their personal post has become your PR nightmare. So, what do you do? That’s exactly what we unpacked in Orchan’s recent Safe Social workshop . We dug into: How to create ethical, practical social media guidelines that actually work. How to empower employees to pause before they post. How to shield your brand when online crises come knocking. Because this isn’t about stifling voices. It’s about protecting reputations. And in today’s climate, that’s survival. At Orchan, we don’t do dusty, forgotten policy PD...

  Social media can be a brand’s best friend - or its biggest headache. Even if your company doesn’t officially “do” social, chances are your employees do. And whether they mean to or not, what they post can create a public perception of your brand. Sometimes flattering, sometimes… not so much. Here’s the tricky bit: companies can’t just slap down draconian rules and call it a day. A smart social media policy balances protection of the brand with respect for employees’ rights. It’s not about muzzling people - it’s about setting clear expectations, creating awareness, and avoiding those dreaded “viral gaffes” that have taken down more than one careless brand. When drafting (or refreshing) your policy, make sure it actually works in practice. That means it should: Give employees a safe space to raise concerns before they go public. Spell out what counts as confidential (so no one accidentally leaks the next product launch). Be upfront about consequences — clarity beats sur...

Got a Crisis, 'Spare'? With the inevitable publication of 'Spare', I bet the Palace ran through quite a few unexpected scenarios too!   You don’t have to be a member of the Royal Family to ‘war-room’ your brand response to any potential issue though. It's simply good common sense for brands to be prepared.   War-rooming is a fantastic tool to help your brand prepare for potential crises. As an exercise within your corporation, it links together all those involved in crisis response, and can be conducted as part of the Crisis Planning phase – developing your Crisis Playbook, or as a team-building activity to get everyone on the same page. It can also be used regularly to update your playbook in response to potential new threats, or to involve newly appointed team members.   Orchan runs War Room training for crisis, among other training options and consultancy to ensure your brand is ready should something turn south. Reach out to us changenow@orchan.asia ...