Saturday April 11, 2009
Where dropouts can catch the TRAIN to work
By RICHARD LIM and LEE YEN MUN
Where dropouts may TRAIN for the world of work
KUALA LUMPUR: School dropouts need not despair now that there’s a TRAIN to catch.
The Technical Resource and Internship Network (TRAIN) provides vocational training skills to help the less academically inclined secure jobs.
“TRAIN was established to provide opportunities to our youths to get an equally good start in the job market,” said MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat during the programme’s official launch at Wisma MCA yesterday.
“I am pleased to note that the TRAIN programme is non-partisan and multi-racial. This reflects MCA’s multi-ethnic and Malaysian outlook. We believe that every Malaysian is equally deserving of a chance to have a shot in life.”
Ong added that TRAIN’s courses would be conducted in more than one language if needed, to address the multi-racial mix of students.
Managed by Yayasan Pendidikan Bistari foundation, TRAIN has made available more than 5,000 courses that are pledged by 99 institutes and training centres located nationwide.
Eligible trainees under the programme will enjoy scholarships, subsidised fees, as well as private and government loans.
Presently, the foundation is ready to disburse more than 1,000 scholarships a year.
Also, the foundation is ready to help youths secure government and private loans for skills development available through the Human Resources Ministry.
The TRAIN programme has successfully attracted 1,000 applicants since its soft launch two months ago.
“Internship will better expose the trainees to the industry and make them career-ready,” said Ong.
“The entire process will be audited, monitored and certified.
“Also, accreditation from local and international professional bodies mean that the qualifications awarded through the TRAIN programme will be recognised internationally,” Ong said while thanking TRAIN’s media partners, including The Star, for their exemplary commitment in ensuring that the programme benefits the people.
Also present at the launch was MCA Youth chief and Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong who urged school dropouts to participate in the TRAIN programme.
“We need to equip them to be more competitive for the working world,” he said.
“They need to expose themselves to new forms of vocational training and it is important that they receive accreditation from the Department of Skills Development and City and Guilds, among others.”
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Branding remains vital despite trying times
Saturday April 11, 2009
Branding remains vital despite trying times
By RACHAEL KAM
THERE is a perception, especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs), that branding is a game only for the “big boys”, but “this is a very wrong thinking,” says Lewre Lew, president of the Branding Association of Malaysia.
“Yes, a branding exercise can cost a lot of money but it also can cost very little,” he says. “One can even start branding with a small investment like with a uniquely-designed name card.”
The philosophy of branding is to make a company’s product or service stand out and be recognised by people, and to achieve that, positioning is very important, Lew explains.
One must have a clear idea of the company’s direction and know its customers well, he adds.
Lewre Lew ... branding is for long term
“It is all about what (business) you do, what is your product, what kind of service you are providing and what is so good and different about your company and product compared with others.
“It actually relates to product differentiation, the company’s culture and belief, and even the story about the company and its founder,” Lew tells StarBizWeek in an interview.
He notes that local manufacturers in places like Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Johor produce world-class products.
However, the association is disappointed that many such SMEs have failed to capitalise on that advantage to build their brands.
“It is the mindset of people. Some companies have big operations but no brands, but some small companies have very loud brands,” he says.
Hence, the Branding Association of Malaysia is trying to educate SMEs on the importance of brand building.
“If everyone has this mindset and start branding their products or services, I am sure we will have a lot of emerging top brands in the world in the next 10 to 20 years,” Lew reckons, citing Coca-Cola and McDonald’s which started their branding work when they were still small companies.
“Branding is long-term investment. You don’t see the results immediately,” he says, adding that if a company has a good product, it should protect it by registering the product and brand it.
Lew speaks from experience, having the foresight to brand the Lewre shoes produced by his company Lewre International Sdn Bhd.
“I never thought of branding when I started the business. But later I realised that one day, if I don’t brand my products, they will disappear from the world or other players could take my designs,” he explains.
Lew believes that “it is a good time to do branding during the downturn because there are less activities and less competition in the marketplace.”
“When the market is quiet, you can make something unique with quality, then people will remember you,” he adds.
Lew says while companies tend to be more prudent in their spending during an economic slowdown, they will need to work extra hard to create better and more unique products.
“Consumers will buy less during the tough time but they will be more selective and buy unique stuff that offers value for money.
“So, uniqueness and innovation are the ingredients to make a company’s products and services more outstanding and gain more trust from consumers. That is how a brand stays in people’s mind,” he says.
The Branding Association of Malaysia believes that more Government support such as incentives, grants and industry expertise are needed to help SMEs develop their brands.
He adds that with the support from the Government, more successful local brands will be created.
“Because if we do not go out to the world, the world (foreign brands) will come to us and capture our local market,” he warns.
The association has been talking to the Government about having a local brand awards event.
Branding remains vital despite trying times
By RACHAEL KAM
THERE is a perception, especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs), that branding is a game only for the “big boys”, but “this is a very wrong thinking,” says Lewre Lew, president of the Branding Association of Malaysia.
“Yes, a branding exercise can cost a lot of money but it also can cost very little,” he says. “One can even start branding with a small investment like with a uniquely-designed name card.”
The philosophy of branding is to make a company’s product or service stand out and be recognised by people, and to achieve that, positioning is very important, Lew explains.
One must have a clear idea of the company’s direction and know its customers well, he adds.
Lewre Lew ... branding is for long term
“It is all about what (business) you do, what is your product, what kind of service you are providing and what is so good and different about your company and product compared with others.
“It actually relates to product differentiation, the company’s culture and belief, and even the story about the company and its founder,” Lew tells StarBizWeek in an interview.
He notes that local manufacturers in places like Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Johor produce world-class products.
However, the association is disappointed that many such SMEs have failed to capitalise on that advantage to build their brands.
“It is the mindset of people. Some companies have big operations but no brands, but some small companies have very loud brands,” he says.
Hence, the Branding Association of Malaysia is trying to educate SMEs on the importance of brand building.
“If everyone has this mindset and start branding their products or services, I am sure we will have a lot of emerging top brands in the world in the next 10 to 20 years,” Lew reckons, citing Coca-Cola and McDonald’s which started their branding work when they were still small companies.
“Branding is long-term investment. You don’t see the results immediately,” he says, adding that if a company has a good product, it should protect it by registering the product and brand it.
Lew speaks from experience, having the foresight to brand the Lewre shoes produced by his company Lewre International Sdn Bhd.
“I never thought of branding when I started the business. But later I realised that one day, if I don’t brand my products, they will disappear from the world or other players could take my designs,” he explains.
Lew believes that “it is a good time to do branding during the downturn because there are less activities and less competition in the marketplace.”
“When the market is quiet, you can make something unique with quality, then people will remember you,” he adds.
Lew says while companies tend to be more prudent in their spending during an economic slowdown, they will need to work extra hard to create better and more unique products.
“Consumers will buy less during the tough time but they will be more selective and buy unique stuff that offers value for money.
“So, uniqueness and innovation are the ingredients to make a company’s products and services more outstanding and gain more trust from consumers. That is how a brand stays in people’s mind,” he says.
The Branding Association of Malaysia believes that more Government support such as incentives, grants and industry expertise are needed to help SMEs develop their brands.
He adds that with the support from the Government, more successful local brands will be created.
“Because if we do not go out to the world, the world (foreign brands) will come to us and capture our local market,” he warns.
The association has been talking to the Government about having a local brand awards event.
Brand managers should consider all mediums
Saturday April 11, 2009
Brand managers should consider all mediums
By THEAN LEE CHENG
BRAND managers must consider various forms of communication with customers in today’s challenging times.
These include branding exercises like events, interviews, business partnerships and tie-ups, other than the normal type of advertising over the airwaves or the print media.
These type of exercises, together with advertising, can help maintain brand presence, says Media Prima Bhd group CEO, TV networks, Datuk Seri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan.
He says while it is natural for companies, large and small, to be tempted to cut their advertising budget, it is imperative that they maintain a market presence.
“Advertising, depending on how it is done, can be a form of branding. Companies must stay relevant and be in touch.
“Bad times do not last forever and when the upswing comes, a brand may lose its position if it does not maintain that presence although it may be at the top,” says Farid.
Datuk Seri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan says companies must stay relevant and be in touch.
He says there is a tendency for some big brands to cut their budgets only to be upstaged by second and third-placed challengers.
Speaking more as a marketer rather than a captain of the media industry, Farid says his previous position as executive director of Leo Burnett Advertising Sdn Bhd has allowed him to see how important branding is, especially in today’s economic scenario.
“Yes, in the newspapers and on TV, we read and hear much concerns about the economy. If you talk to bankers, they will be all gloom and doom. But this is not the end. Malaysia and other countries have been through both economic and financial crises before.
“Many have likenend the current situation to the 1929/30s global depression, but do you know how many brands have been built as a result of the recession?”
He notes that AirAsia was set up around the unsettling moments of the Sept 11 attacks by terrorists who hijacked planes to hit their targets. Today, that no-frills airline is going places.
Farid says whether it is the print media, TV, radio, outdoor branding and advertising or other forms of branding exercises, they are willing to offer competitive and integrative packages to meet the budget needs of all industries. “Talk to us,” he says.
Farid says his diverse experience with Celcom, Kodak, DHL and Land & General has given him a big picture of branding while his work at Leo Burnett helped to consolidate that experience and expertise.
Now that he is in the media department, he is once again able to have an overall view of the entire picture and it is from this vintage point that he is speaking today.
“No matter what industry – airline, oil and gas, banking – the principle is to promote, position, distribute and communicate the brand. What is your target market, which segment of the market do you want to capture and what is the value proposition of the brand?
“The ingredients are all the same, it all depends on what dish you want to cook,” says Farid.
He says every product has a life cycle – infant, growth and maturity stage – and in the last stage, there is a tendency for the brand to just fade away. “At this stage, you have to reinvent yourself and go back to that cycle to introduce new elements,” he says.
Taking Kodak as an example, he says the company did not cope with times. It did not foresee the technology that was coming into its path and what consumers wanted. Kodak was subsequently taken over by Nikon.
“Apple computer, however, rode on the ride of change. iPod was very much in touch with customer needs and demand and they came out with iTune, where clients can download songs for free, and that was a brilliant move.
“So it is all about company philosophy and how they foresee market demand and forces.”
Farid says clients want to stretch their dollar. Today’s advertising is more of a hard-sell – like “Buy my product.”
It is a very in-your-face sort of advertising.
“The thematic approach is less of a hard sell, more of a tug-at-your-heart sort of branding and the effects of this form of advertising is more of long term.
“Both approaches complement the branding process. But because of today’s challenges, clients tend to want to maximise their dollar and want a bigger return on investment.”
Farid says as a benchmark, a brand will spend between 3% and 5% of sales of products on branding and expect more than the norm, particularly those in the household goods segment.
On branding and the new media which uses mobile technology, he says TV remains the fundamental platform. There will be a convergence of the electronic and new media, he says.
Brand managers should consider all mediums
By THEAN LEE CHENG
BRAND managers must consider various forms of communication with customers in today’s challenging times.
These include branding exercises like events, interviews, business partnerships and tie-ups, other than the normal type of advertising over the airwaves or the print media.
These type of exercises, together with advertising, can help maintain brand presence, says Media Prima Bhd group CEO, TV networks, Datuk Seri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan.
He says while it is natural for companies, large and small, to be tempted to cut their advertising budget, it is imperative that they maintain a market presence.
“Advertising, depending on how it is done, can be a form of branding. Companies must stay relevant and be in touch.
“Bad times do not last forever and when the upswing comes, a brand may lose its position if it does not maintain that presence although it may be at the top,” says Farid.
Datuk Seri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan says companies must stay relevant and be in touch.
He says there is a tendency for some big brands to cut their budgets only to be upstaged by second and third-placed challengers.
Speaking more as a marketer rather than a captain of the media industry, Farid says his previous position as executive director of Leo Burnett Advertising Sdn Bhd has allowed him to see how important branding is, especially in today’s economic scenario.
“Yes, in the newspapers and on TV, we read and hear much concerns about the economy. If you talk to bankers, they will be all gloom and doom. But this is not the end. Malaysia and other countries have been through both economic and financial crises before.
“Many have likenend the current situation to the 1929/30s global depression, but do you know how many brands have been built as a result of the recession?”
He notes that AirAsia was set up around the unsettling moments of the Sept 11 attacks by terrorists who hijacked planes to hit their targets. Today, that no-frills airline is going places.
Farid says whether it is the print media, TV, radio, outdoor branding and advertising or other forms of branding exercises, they are willing to offer competitive and integrative packages to meet the budget needs of all industries. “Talk to us,” he says.
Farid says his diverse experience with Celcom, Kodak, DHL and Land & General has given him a big picture of branding while his work at Leo Burnett helped to consolidate that experience and expertise.
Now that he is in the media department, he is once again able to have an overall view of the entire picture and it is from this vintage point that he is speaking today.
“No matter what industry – airline, oil and gas, banking – the principle is to promote, position, distribute and communicate the brand. What is your target market, which segment of the market do you want to capture and what is the value proposition of the brand?
“The ingredients are all the same, it all depends on what dish you want to cook,” says Farid.
He says every product has a life cycle – infant, growth and maturity stage – and in the last stage, there is a tendency for the brand to just fade away. “At this stage, you have to reinvent yourself and go back to that cycle to introduce new elements,” he says.
Taking Kodak as an example, he says the company did not cope with times. It did not foresee the technology that was coming into its path and what consumers wanted. Kodak was subsequently taken over by Nikon.
“Apple computer, however, rode on the ride of change. iPod was very much in touch with customer needs and demand and they came out with iTune, where clients can download songs for free, and that was a brilliant move.
“So it is all about company philosophy and how they foresee market demand and forces.”
Farid says clients want to stretch their dollar. Today’s advertising is more of a hard-sell – like “Buy my product.”
It is a very in-your-face sort of advertising.
“The thematic approach is less of a hard sell, more of a tug-at-your-heart sort of branding and the effects of this form of advertising is more of long term.
“Both approaches complement the branding process. But because of today’s challenges, clients tend to want to maximise their dollar and want a bigger return on investment.”
Farid says as a benchmark, a brand will spend between 3% and 5% of sales of products on branding and expect more than the norm, particularly those in the household goods segment.
On branding and the new media which uses mobile technology, he says TV remains the fundamental platform. There will be a convergence of the electronic and new media, he says.
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