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#FridayFuel Changing Innovation? As we rush to rethink how we are doing what we do right now, the message that comes through is very clear: Evolve Retool Realign These are the "hows" - the ideas are already taken; it's how we go about activating them that will set us aside from the rest! Need help? Check us out at: www.orchan.asia or find out more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Evolve #BusinessAsUnusual

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Covid Likely to Accelerate a Business Environment Revolution The Need Not to be There Will Grow Murray Hunter | Asian Sentinel Pretext: On Wednesday, Michelle and Craig hosted a webinar on Brand Recovery (Business as Unusual), where they discussed the scenario that Covid presents "opportunities" too for businesses. Post-webinar, one of the participants emailed the team the following article, highlighting how it echoed our discussion. We thought we'd share it as is. Read it on: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-need-not-to-be-there-will-grow.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Evolve #BusinessAsUnusual

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*** PR FOR STARTUPS *** | Evolve Your Brand Story Using Practical PR Tools You’ve got it right, start-ups are different. Even if you’re not bootstrapping it, the eco-system for startups is perceived differently, and the way in which compelling stories win over traditional media is juxtaposed against the need for digital PR. This workshop looks at how to embrace PR from a startup perspective, offering insights to develop a communications strategy that becomes a win-win for you and the media. Join Dr Craig J Selby, Farrell Tan, and Michelle Nunis as they share practical steps your startup can do right now to build its story, gain traction in media, and start its PR journey to support your startup success. RSVP: webinars@orchan.asia #OrchanTraining #OrchanPR #Startups #ChangeNow #Evolve #OrchestratingChange #BusinessAsUnusual #BrandCommunications #BrandStrategy #SurvivingCovid

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#TuesdayThoughts We are in lock-down - living vicariously through our social media idols. Our favourite influencer uploads an 'unboxing' clip; you know, those posts or videos where the influencer receives a surprise “gift parcel” from a brand; perhaps opening it live on their social media channel/s, and showcasing some fancy free stuff that s/he received from a popular brand. I mean, brands care too, right! Not an unusual event, especially for us in the PR industry – we love influencers and how they work synergistically with ourselves and the brands we represent, to help you, the audience, want what they have. But there’s a problem. The keyboard warriors start in … criticising the post. Loyal followers soon follow suit, gleefully showing their distaste at the action. A normal PR activity. Client sanctioned. Nothing offensive. Or is it? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/03/covid-operations-perhaps-not-time-for.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Evolve #BusinessEvolved #BusinessAsUnusual #InfluencerMarketing

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#WokeWednesday What two weeks ago – may have been a fantastic campaign – could today be accused of being tone deaf or completely offensive. That’s OK. Pull it. Re-jig it. And put it out there again in an evolved / realigned format. It’s not the time to be complacent and sit back, cancelling promotional and online communication activities. Now more than ever, your brand must be heard – but the right message must be heard to retain loyalty and customer interest. Step up your communication, especially online through whatever platforms affordable to you; but be heard. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/03/recovery-planning-considerations.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Evolve #BusinessUnusual #BusinessEvolved

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Happy Birthday, Jeevan! Jeevan. You'll probably learn one thing about us through this post - never send your boss images that aren't serious business ones - they will be used against you 😈 That aside, we want to wish you a Happy "25th" *ahem* Birthday! We know the ideal birthday isn't you working from home. We know you were meant to be with your family this past weekend, and that because of 'life', that couldn't happen. Congrats on turning your internship into a permanent position. We look forward to more birthdays with you (there will be cake for future ones, I hope), and to having a proper celebration once the lock down is over! Click below; a couple of surprise videos for the birthday boy :) https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/03/by-jeev-its-birthday-time.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Evolve #BusinessUnusual

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#MondayMotivation These are challenging times. Such a cliché. We don’t mean to be disrespectful, but the truth is, it is. But every time has its challenges – some tougher than others. But whatever happens, we have to continue looking forward – planning, mitigating, re-strategising, realigning – functioning as “business as usual” even when its “unusual”. With so much uncertainty, what do businesses need to do in order to stay afloat and forge ahead? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/03/business-as-unusual-into-second-week.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Evolve #BusinessAsUnusual #BusinessEvolved

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Business as unUSUAL We've always been a bit different from the 'others', so why let that stop just because of changed circumstances. For us at #OrchanPR, it's business as unUSUAL -- our phones are still working, we have our laptops and stable internet connections, and we're still delivering at #OrchestratingChange for our clients. We might be in our pyjamas though - #JustKidding Things are changing fast, and your brand needs to be agile and adapt to these changes. Don't be left behind, and don't get overwhelmed by panic. Reach out to any of us if you or your brand needs help navigating the (temporary) new world order of PR, social media content or strategy, or if you'd like to explore any of our custom webinar training options (while you have some down time): Craig J Selby | craig@orchan.asia (PR / Training) Farrell Tan (PR / Training) | farrell@orchan.asia Jeevandran Raghavan | (PR) jeevandran@orchan.asia Michelle Nunis | (Training) michelle@orchan.asia #ChangeNow #Evolve #StaySafe #FindingOpportunities #BusinessAsUsual #BusinessAsUnusual

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#TuesdayThoughts Courage, Cowardice, & Conformity ... And conformity means we follow the herd, not lead it. Time to rethink. Find out more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Evolve #Courage #BeTheChange

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#MondayMusings Everyone knows that businesses need to manage their reputation when something bad happens, whether it’s a negative Twitter comment, a poor Yelp review or something on a bigger scale. However, when crises strike, there is no magic pill that will save your online reputation. That’s why you need to take a proactive stance when it comes to digital reputation management. Your first impression online or any negative perception, whether accurate or not, can jeopardise your company’s appeal to current and future customers and partners, ultimately impacting its growth. The court of public opinion is not fair but often final. To that end, here are a few steps that can you can take right now to make sure that your business is well protected when it needs to be. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2015/10/thought-leadership-prepare-to-protect.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Evolve #OnlineReputation #Crisis #CrisisPrevention #CrisisManagement

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Learn | Innovate | Change They say that "change is the only constant" and ultimately must be embraced to develop and grow. Truth is, so too are "learning" and "innovation". If you are not doing these at some level / scale, you are putting yourself and your brand on the back foot. Explore how Orchan can collaborate with your brand for training and/or consultancy, helping you to learn - innovate - change. https://lnkd.in/f2uJkPT #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Evolve # #reinvention #communicationsstrategy #grow #innovate #develop #collaborate #learn #scale #change #changeistheonlyconstant

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Reinvention Part III - The Reinvention Formula Following on from the Six Deadly Blindfolds, The Reinvention Formula looks closely at what is important to factor in to change within an organisation, and to what extend various organisational level factors influence the opportunity for growth and development. When this notion was first presented to us by the authors of Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption, like with much of what they were saying, it struck a chord and resonated with our own thinking. We may not be perfect at embracing all that was said, but we do recognise how, over time, each and every influencing factor has been important, and upon reflection, see where we could have done things better. Hindsight is always a valuable tool, but foresight, and the ability to really hone in on what is important, is even more so. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/reinvention-iii-reinvention-formula.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Reinvention #Disruption

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It’s the 1930s, on Jalan Tokong, the west side of Melaka River. We’ve stepped back a century, to a narrow lane just west of the river. Six family homes, joined to form an impressive house for a single family. Heritage is restored at Liù Mén Melaka, a Préférence Hotel. Liù Mén Hotel rejuvenates the 1930s colonial architecture and Paranakan heritage with sprinkles of Art Deco. Welcoming with warm smiles and traditional cookies, she’s more than a sight for sore eyes! As with the Peranakan culture it embodies, Liù Mén celebrates the perfection of harmony between cultures. From the hotel lobby, to the most comfortable bedrooms, distinctive Eastern twist of vibrant reds have been added to compliment bold shapes symbolising joy and luck. The stay here isn’t all about the decor and the out of the world comfort, Liù Mén steps right onto a street of intricately carved walls of the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, the calling of Kampung Kling Mosque with the most uniquely designed roof and pagoda shaped minaret, and to top the celebration of religion off is Malaysia’s oldest Hindu temple, the Sri Poyyatha Vinayaga Moorthy Temple, just a stone throw away. It would be extra difficult to get out of this beautifully decorated, cosy hotel if Liù Mén wasn’t situated in the centre of Melaka’s most vibrant area. Liù Mén is the place to stay for an all rounder experience of the city of Melaka on foot. Thank you Leila Louise Fitton for the wonderful review. We couldn't have said it (or put it into words) better! Read the full article here: https://harpersbazaar.my/travel/city-guides/bazaars-pick-liu-men-hotel-a-restored-beauty/ #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #LiuMen #LiuMenHotel #DiscoverLiuMen #LiuMenStories #LiuMenReviews

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#BlastFromThePast: Neymar Jr "N5" Global Tournament After hours of continuous matches, crowds cheered as TOT United rose as national champion, and ultimately scored their trip to Sao Paolo, Brazil, to represent Malaysia at Red Bull Product of Europe’s (Red Bull) Neymar Jr’s Five World Finals. Since early April 2017, qualifying rounds took place across Malaysia; UiTM Shah Alam, Taylor’s Lake Side, Educity Sports Complex, Ferro Futsal, Azman Hashim USM Sports Arena, and Real Sports Arena. From a total of 111 teams, 24 teams were selected from each qualifying rounds to compete at the national finals. TOT United who hails from Selangor have been playing together since 2015. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2019/04/blast-from-past-neymar-jr-n5-global.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #RedBullofEurope #RedBull #Neymar #NeymarJr

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Six Deadly Blindfolds (Reinvention II) At the launch of “Reinvention: Acceletating Results in the Age of Disruption” by Shane Cragun and Kate Sweetman, Kate spent time highlighting the Six Deadly Blindfolds that impact upon entrepreneurs, managers and decision-makers. These resonated strongly with the entire audience, as we all recognised that at some stage along our managerial career path, we have been guilty of at least one, if not several, of these. Whilst we cannot change the past, we can become increasingly more proactive in our critical analysis of the events surrounding us, and as such, will be better placed to strengthen our choices for our respective organisations and stakeholders into the future. The Six Deadly Blindfolds analogy is apt for business decision-makers to contemplate. Recognise when these blindfolds have held influence over your decisions, and more importantly, use this framework to think through future decisions. If you answer ‘yes’ to the following question, then you know what you need to do – “am I missing something in the bigger picture as I analyse the scenario that I face”? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/six-deadly-blindfolds-reinvention-ii.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Reinvention

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No one likes change! That's a fact. But its inevitability means that like it or not, we must embrace change, be it incremental or significant. It is always better to be proactive rather than reactive. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow

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Any business in today's fast-moving environment that is looking for the pace of change to slow is likely to be sorely disappointed. The world is changing everyday: the population is changing, customer trends are changing, technology is changing and the economy is changing. Businesses who fail to embrace change can easily wind up as dinosaurs – out of touch and unable to compete under current trading conditions. Technology has affected how we communicate. Customers who were satisfied with doing business during regular opening hours just a few years ago now expect your business to be always open – and available with the swipe of a smartphone. Today's burgeoning communication technology represents changes that allow organisations to learn more, more quickly, than ever before. The ability to manage both ends of the spectrum – a strong or weak economy – are also critical for organisations that want to maintain a strong brand and strong relationships with customers as well as employees. Need help with any of the above? Drop us a line at: changeNOW@orchan.asia or give us a call at: +603-2110 9407. After all, everyone has to start somewhere right? #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #changing #changes #communications #communicationsstrategy

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#MondayMotivation Regardless professional manager or entrepreneur, it is always good for us to take a step back to re-frame ourselves and our business, and to experience what we do through a fresh lens. We had the good fortune of attending a book launch in Kuala Lumpur a while back. The authors were not Malaysian, nor to be honest, was any of the content. But, it struck a chord – offering fresh insight into the interactions we have every day, and with respect to the advice we as a business give to our valued clients. Reinvention by Shane Cragun and Kate Sweetman (Kate was the presenter) brings together current practice in business. It focuses on how businesses (and their people) can look forward positively, knowing that the operational landscape shifts on a daily basis, to create positive and supported change for the organisation. This is essential, as we know “the only constant is change”. It was reassuring to see that many of the themes discussed throughout the afternoon paralleled recent themes we at Orchan had been expanding on – many very new to the Malaysian context – and thus validated our interest in continuing to pursue these new approaches to client cooperation. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/reinvention-revisited.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Reinvention #ChangeIsTheOnlyConstant

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#ThrowbackThursday To Tea or Not to Tea? Well, that is the question – the eternal question. To which, there is only ever going to be one acceptable answer for that question. Yes! The quintessential tea professional was the tenth generation descendant of the Twinings tea family; Stephen Twining. Majestic Hotel's Orchid Conservatory served as the platform for the Twinings Global Ambassador to showcase the newest release of Twinings blends. With vibrant and picturesque floral displays, the event location offered visual appeal for members of the media, an allure soon to be eclipsed by what was to come. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2016/10/twinings-310th-anniversary-majestic.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Twinings

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#TuesdayThoughts Effectively-worded business communication is imperative. The message/s become purposeful, professional and easily understood by the target audience; without guessing at the writer’s intent, transposing misplaced words or deciphering poorly-constructed sentences. Messages that are error-riddled often feel off-putting. Poor grammar is often associated with ignorance of, or disregard for, established rules, as well as laziness or rushing. Businesses should strive to create thoughtful, polished messages that represent their commitment to accuracy and thoroughness, and reflect the effort put in to all dimensions of their branding. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-importance-of-good-grammar.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #WriteRight

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The Power of Technology & of Being Small Be it positive or negative, your narrative is going places because of technology. Size no longer matters, as social media empowers the smaller players to reach greater heights. Local issues can become international discussions. Think about platforms like LADbible, bringing local community news from all over to the world. Never underestimate just how far a small story can go. It just needs one person to pick it up and push it through to kick-start something viral. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-power-of-technology-of-being-small.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow

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#FridayFuel Great Brand Stories Scott hit the nail on the head with this quote! A great brand leads us in the right momentum, but it never fully shows its cards. For once the story is complete, the brand is ended. Leaving elements untold generates curiosity; but it also means the brand has more narrative to share, thus ensuring opportunity to carve out its future. As storytellers and brand guardians, always leave some wiggle room for more to be told. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/great-brand-stories.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Brand #BrandStory

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Building Brand Credibility Through Micro-Influencers (Commentary by Jeevandran Raghavan) When one thinks of social media influencers, who or what comes to mind? Is it a group of the most highly-followed social media stars with millions of followers, or is it someone more approachable and relatable, with a smaller, yet immensely niche following? If it’s the latter, they are most likely micro-influencers. Brands and marketers are now increasingly focused on the interaction between influencers and their audiences, and that is measured through likes, comments, and the ultimate trust followers have in the message of the influencers they subscribe to. Ever wonder how can Micro-Influencers be Linked to Brand Credibility? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/building-brand-credibility-through.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #MicroInfluencers #BrandCredibility

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#MondayMusings Just last week, a partial building collapse in Kuala Lumpur had the developer writing the following as their official statement via social media: " We note your concern on the [collapse] … we acknowledge of the occurrence of the incident … We will spare no effort in ensuring our obligations under the SPA are fulfilled … have our assurance on that". Ignoring the poor English, the tone of the communication was flatter than the building portion that collapsed, and done in such a monotone style as to come across as cursory and perfunctory - absolutely no emotion or concern involved. There was no mention of the staff members trapped, and/or potentially injured was made, despite media highlighting this way prior to the developers communique. All up, the meaning conveyed was one of arms length interest, "just another industrial accident", and no genuine empathy for any stakeholder involved, least the injured staff. Trying to sound cool, calm, and collected, in fact backfired, as they come across callous and unconcerned. Perception, not words, is everything; and the perception provided was not a positive one. Words are political. By that, we mean, each and every word chosen in a dialogue or prose has a political slant – they take on a select and specific meaning in the context they are used, and are chosen to enhance or water-down the statement being made. They include, just as they exclude; and they embrace, just as they show disinterest. The problem here, as society and language develop, and with thanks to social media disseminating information so much faster on the time-space continuum than ever before, our audiences are beginning to see through the facade of PR speak, and realise the real meaning of the words being used – the terms “cover-up” or “whitewash” come to mind. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-politics-of-meaning-be-careful-what.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Politics #PoliticsOfWords #PoliticsOfMeaning #CrisisCommunications #CrisisPrep #CrisisReady

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#TBT When Staedtler engaged Orchan (they were one of our first retainers; woohoo!), they had just collaborated with Erra Fazira – a Malaysian beauty queen, actress, singer, TV host and film producer – to help her creative vision come to life, which is to establish her own art club. As such, we were tasked to launch the art club, on top of other on-ground activities including a showcase where children were shown how pencils were made from scratch in the past. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2019/02/blast-from-past-client-close-up.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Staedtler #ErraFazira

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#ThursdayThoughts As the World Health Organization just declared the Wuhan virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the high-profile speculation and coverage of the virus’ evolution bring back memories of past major global health issues like the SARS outbreak in 2003 and H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009. The parallels drawn between the Wuhan coronavirus and SARS prompted us to reflect on some significant changes since these past threats in how our society consumes and expects information. In the healthcare space, confusing language, jargon, and acronyms reign supreme. Even the names of viruses can be difficult to socialise with the general public—no, the coronavirus doesn’t have anything to do with the beer—and the public isn’t always able to associate a specific illness with its common symptoms. To overcome this, organisations and individuals must work together to ensure everybody is using consistent terminology and talking about viruses like the Wuhan coronavirus in the same, digestible way. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/going-viral.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Wuhan #Coronavirus

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We live in an age where attention spans are short, and instant gratification is an expectation. That’s why, as entrepreneurs, we’re taught to embrace simplicity. The simpler the product, the easier it is to get people to adopt and utilise it. This, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. As da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” But is it possible to take this sentiment too far? At what point does the quest for simplification of products, stories, and experiences become damaging? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/why-oversimplification-is-bad-for.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow

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Good PR can be one of the biggest drivers for startups looking to grow their user bases, and as a result, a pretty important component for success. Early-stage startups all have one thing in common: a need to garner awareness. But this can be a challenge for unknown startups as budgets are tight, the product might not be ready to launch and explaining a new concept is difficult. Not to mention in the beginning, startups usually employ a handful of people with the primary focus on product development, meaning marketing and public relations are often tackled ad-hoc by whomever has time or not at all. So what’s the solution? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/for-startups-right-comms-strategy-can.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Startups #Communications #Strategy #CommunicationsStrategy

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#MondayMotivation Go on, Uber it! The ultimate respect for a brand used to be when its name becomes the generic, go-to-term for the entire product or service category. Beyond that, technology brings with it further transformation - when the brand becomes an action term. Google, Waze, Facetime, Uber, .... As language evolves, so too does the way in which we use brand names. No longer just nouns or names, they become a way of life, an action description! So what are you waiting for? Orchan it too! https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/go-on-uber-it.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Uber #Google #Waze #Facetime #verb

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#BlastFromThePast | Playing with New Toys Even as adults, playing with new toys still holds a special quantum of amazement. We still love to explore, discover, deconstruct (and hopefully reconstruct), as well as learn from the experience. On one memorable occasion, the Orchan team headed to Dyson’s sole Malaysian distributor to have a hands-on product experience. Orchan won the Dyson account some time ago, and we were just blown away by their state-of-the-art engineering and technology! The product immersion experience was to get us familiar with the various Dyson machines, and complimented an extensive Dyson induction and planning period with some awesome hand-on work to really understand how it works. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2015/07/client-close-up-dyson-product-training.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Dyson #ProductImmersion

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#QOTD | Branding The interplay between brand and product is often seen as overlapping by consumers, but there is a far more subtle relationship that influences our psyche. https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/02/qotd-branding.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Brand #Product

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Most of us can’t deny that we have a strong need to be connected to our friends and families. We want to share our moments, stories, and information; like the food we eat, our dine-in experience, the menu and location of the restaurant; just so that we can keep the connections alive. There’s nothing particularly wrong with that, but we somehow need to think about how our need to be ordinary citizen journalists engrossed by information sharing has implications far greater than just that of the regular updates we send out. Previously we were a focused set of individuals, accompanied by low number of distractions; so low that we were always in the moment. Now, we are bombarded with a barrage of relevant and irrelevant news and social feeds on our portable toys, playing tug of war with our attention as the rope. From these observations, a question arisen, are our lives taken over by social media? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2017/01/are-our-lives-taken-over-by-social-media.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #SocMed #SocialMedia

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#FridayFuel Most mistakes are made by employees who are trying to follow processes set up by managers. Often, it is easy to make mistakes because of the process that has been set up. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/01/fix-your-process-not-person.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Process

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#ThursdayThoughts Truth! Be it brand planning, curating messages for effective public relations plans, managing organisational change, or navigating your way through a crisis, truth is what resonates best and holds things together most effectively. As they say, the truth will always prevail. Be on the right side of it. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/01/truth.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #TruthPrevails

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#ThrowbackThursday What makes a shopping mall visit a worthwhile experience especially for hard-core shoppers, is the fact that the mall has established itself as a fashion hub, and it’s where you can get some great quality stuff you might not get elsewhere. This is the case at Ipoh Parade; a wide range of fashion and accessory stores; some unique to the mall – but all contributing to a great fashion retail experience. Something special, a little different from elsewhere, and definitely something for the newly refurbished mall to shout about. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2016/03/blast-from-past-ipoh-parade-fashion.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #IpohParade #ARA

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#TuesdayThoughts We can go on-and-on about how different ‘millennials’ are compared to the rest of the generations, but we can’t deny the fact that millennials are creating substantial change in how work gets done, as they work more in teams and embrace technology more. Their social mind-set, however, is also a significant factor. Coupled with the socially-minded millennial comes their desire to be creative. Millennials have grown up in a time where information has become available instantly, thus creating engagement strategies is one of marketing’s big goals. Question is: Why can’t millennials gel with traditional marketing? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/01/commentary-getting-through-to.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Millenials #MarketingtoMillenials

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#ThursdayThoughts The nature of the workplace climate is very akin to that of … (for lack of a better word) nature itself. There are constant shifts which revolve around the organisational structure, such as personnel changes, retrenching of departments, and even promotions amongst colleagues – all of which could potentially disrupt familiarities which we have established for ourselves. The onus is on us to realise the effect of these changes, and respond accordingly. For instance, how should you approach the situation differently when your peer is now your boss / when you are now your peer’s boss? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/01/in-case-of-promotion-break-glass.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #PeersvsBosses #PeersandBosses

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#FridaysFoodForThought Need Drugs? | A New Perspective on CSR - Craig J Selby I personally hold the view that CSR should be a behind-the-scenes initiative, done out of the goodness of one's heart, without the need for publicity. Multinational corporations issuing larger-than-life cheques for a few thousand ringgit, taking orphans to lunch at a fancy restaurant – it’s all good, but it’s usually for the publicity. My cynicism aside, the publicity opportunity, and the stakeholder outreach, is valuable. It showcases the contributions an organisation makes to its wider community, and most importantly, it shines some light on the recipient (either person or organisation) – who are often underrepresented not only in society as a whole, but in media opportunity to share their story. But what happens when you are on the wrong side of the law? Traditional media are not going to support your activities; or will they? Read all about it at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/01/giving-back-from-bad-side.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #CSR #CorporateSocialResponsibility #Australia #Bushfire

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Every organisation is vulnerable to crises. The days of playing ostrich – burying your head in the sand and hoping the problem goes away – are gone. You can try, but your stakeholders will not be understanding or forgiving because they’ve watched what happened with Volkswagen, MAS and many others. If you don’t prepare, you will incur more damage. Experience demonstrates that organisational leadership often does not understand that in the absence of adequate internal and external communications: - Operational response will break down. - Stakeholders will not know what is happening and quickly become confused, angry, and negatively reactive. - The organisation will be perceived as inept, at best, and criminally negligent, at worst. - The length of time required to bring full resolution to the issue will be extended, often dramatically. - The impact to the financial and reputational bottom line will be more severe. The basic steps of effective crisis communications are not difficult, but they require advance work in order to minimise damage. If you’re serious about crisis preparedness and response, but don't know where to begin, drop us a line at: changenow@orchan.asia or give us a call at: +603-2110 9407. #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #CrisisPlanning #CrisisPrevention

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Not everything we do at Orchan is about the clients; sometimes it involves the broader community, and not just from a CSR perspective. We give Guest Lecturers, we attend Conferences. All part of the broader ‘job’ so to speak. In December 2016, we were invited to present at an International Conference on Communication in Jakarta. An easy accept for us, especially as we love Jakarta, have many friends there (including a couple of former staff, who are now trail-blazing their way through the Indonesian communications industry). But more than that, it was an important opportunity for us to share our viewpoints on Crisis Management; more specifically, Crisis Management and Communications in the Digital Age. Extracting some resources from our earlier guest lectures and corporate training offerings, we curated a best practice paper, exploring issues of Managing Crisis in the Digital Age. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/01/conference-throwback-communication.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Conference #Jakarta #CrisisManagement #Communications #DigitalAge #CrisisManagementInTheDigitalAge

43.

#WokeWednesday: Don't Become the Crisis We are often asked: what is the most important thing to ensure happens in order to minimise the negative impact of a crisis? Other than fixing the problem, showing sincerity as a brand (and as a spokesperson) was our answer. For spokespeople to stay credible during a crisis, they need to show empathy, not stress! Is your brand ready for a crisis? Is your spokesperson? Drop us a line (changenow@orchan.asia) or give us a call (+603-2110 9407) for a no-obligation chat about how we can help you to ensure that you don't "lose your head"! https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/01/qotd-when-crisis-strikes.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #CrisisReady #CrisisPrep #CrisisMitigation

44.

The Unreal World of Social Media We engage with social media at a greater frequency than ever before. As we sift through photos of children, commentaries about food, explosive reactions on current political events, and the plethora of pictures of cats and dogs and of our friends who are always on the go travelling here-and-there, we probably wish we were in their place too. But all too often, the increased social media exposure does pose the question: how accurate is the information that we see on social media? Or more specifically, how honest are people when posting on social media? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-unreal-world-of-social-media.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #SocialMedia

45.

#ThursdayThoughts As so many people and organisations grapple with the concept of change, we wanted to look at it from a slightly different perspective. What about when brands come full circle? Having disrupted an industry with a different approach, only to find that in the end, customers force a change back in an almost 360? There’s still disruption, and change has still happened, but often it is realised that what was needed was not a dramatic shift, but a simple realignment or rethink. We see this happening in several areas. Retail is one. Bricks and mortar stores closed due to online sales; but now netizens want to touch the product before purchasing, online. Brick and mortar still has its place in the consumption process; it has only declined in the final purchase stage. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2020/01/not-all-change-stays-changed.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #360Change #Perspectives

46.

Just a few days ago, Orchan coordinated a public event for our partner organisation, the Asia Centre, a regional think-tank based out of Bangkok and Johor. Bringing together several prominent voices from the Malaysian media and activist scene for a public debate, the event was not only a forum to discuss issues of where journalism is heading in Malaysia post-BN, but an opportunity for Asia Centre to launch, in conjunction with Oxfam in Asia, a journalism award, “Journalism for an Equitable Asia”. This award recognises journalistic talent and commitment in the Asian region, by highlighting and acknowledging journalists, across platforms (print, broadcast, social and digital) who have 'dug that little bit deeper', and shared untold stories to enlighten and move other people into action. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2019/12/journnalism-for-equitable-asia-award.html Or: https://asiacentre.org/malaysia-launch-journalism-for-an-equitable-asia/?fbclid=IwAR1zd_iFgUBK0SVy4fHgr205KKj7ExUilVqqYVqMxRaNIBHv9F7cUuaZnJk #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #OxFam #AsiaCentre

47.

#BlastFromThePast On 29 June 2018, Luk Fook opened their new store at Sky Avenue Shopping Mall, Genting Highlands Resort, and kicked off the event with a grand-ribbon cutting ceremony led by Mr Wong Wai Sheung, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Group, and many other distinguished guests. Among them were Ms Normah Osmah, Senior Director of Multilateral Trade Policy and Negotiation Division, Datuk Henry Yip Choong Hung, Vice President of Hong Kong-Malaysia Business Association. Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2018/07/luk-fook-grand-opening-genting-sky.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #LukFook

48.

#HotOffThePress Unless you’ve been living in a cave the past couple of days, you probably can’t help but notice the lovely billboards in Bangsar and Mont Kiara promoting an ‘ethically-questionable’ dating site. Here we have a business that is hard to market through traditional channels. In fact, only online promotion, most likely via other apps, is going to facilitate this type of advertising in Malaysia (and in other generally-conservative southeast Asian countries).The marketer's problem: How to bring attention to the brand in a pretty comprehensive way? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2019/12/hey-sugar-whats-all-fuss.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Sugarbook

49.

It is often the image seen at first sight that captures someone’s attention. Visually appealing pictures have the power to not only make people drool, but to enhance our hunger pangs. If a photo of a dish inheriting such after-effect quality was to be posted on Instagram, there’s a huge chance that it would lead the viewers to double-tap, make comments on the post and eventually pay a visit to the outlet. We found this interesting article by Brian Sozzi that talks about that ‘little something’ you can do when taking Instagram food pics that can mark the difference between having likes and having a number of likes, and between getting comments and getting good comments. And it’s not as tricky as you might think... Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2016/07/how-to-take-amazing-instagram-food-pics.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #InstaFood #Instagram

50.

Create! Many people say that they are "not creative", but the truth is, they really are. Creativity is not defined by single criterion; creativity may manifest itself in so many ways. Art, music, writing, thinking, debating ... We all have it! Now isn't it time we all use it? Read more at: https://orchanpr.blogspot.com/2019/12/quote-of-week-generate-creativity.html #OrchanPR #OrchestratingChange #ChangeNow #Creativity