You know it is coming but the question is are you ready for the challenge? That’s right, we’re talking about the Effies and to get all you marketers out there ready for the challenge, the committee put together a series of talks. Here’s a run-down on the first of many more to come.
You know it is coming but the question is are you ready for the challenge? That’s right, we’re talking about the Effies and to get all you marketers out there ready for the challenge, the committee put together a series of talks. Here’s a run-down on the first of many more to come.
THE Effies are the only global award that honours achievements in meeting and exceeding marketing communication objectives. The Malaysian Effies were inaugurated last year. This was a testament to the growing strength of local agencies and Malaysian companies in marketing communication and execution of branding ideas. The Awards are jointly supported by Malaysian Advertising Association (MAA), Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As) and Media Specialists Association (MSA). The official magazine for the Awards is Marketing Magazine.
To build momentum leading up to the Malaysian Effie Awards, The Effie Effectiveness 2009 Talk Series is being held from March running up to the call for entries in May.
The first series of talks held on the 5th of March 2009 saw prominent speakers share their invaluable knowledge with about 150 potential entrants.
The talks kicked off with an insightful presentation by Arindam Chatterjee, Executive Strategic Planning Director of Publicis Malaysia on ‘Why Marketers and Communicators Should Make Effie a Way of Life’. He says that with digital technology, media messages are easily bypassed and this increases the task of effective communication. Citing what he called the most effective marketing communications campaign, the Obama campaign, he stressed that embracing digital technology to build a two-way relationship is ‘change’ the President took and is the way of the future for communications.
He closed by stressing the EFFIE mantra of effectiveness, E=mc2. For a communication campaign to be Effective, one needs to be Memorable, Contagious and stimulating Co-creation.
After a short tea break, the hall was packed to hear Huang Ean Hwa, Deputy Chairman and Executive Creative Director of McCann Worldgroup Malaysia speak on ‘The New Economic Revolutionary Disparity’, a title that piqued the interest of many. The title had no relation to the topic but summed up his presentation; intrigue your audience and they will seek to know more.
Hwa refers to multiple examples of advertisement spots to communicate on how to make an advertisement compelling to its consumers. From his experience he testifies to dual function advertisements; made to converse with the consumers and provide them with information while promoting the intended product. One of his most interesting and exciting marketing campaigns, which he shared, was TheTruthAboutPrepaid.com. No use of logos or product placements but just a good use of ideas and understanding of a brand.
Finally to close the session was Kent Wertime, President of Ogilvy One Asia with his talk on ‘Digital Marketing and Effective Brands’. Wertime explains that consumers are no more targets but initiators of the message, with the proliferation of digital media. Today unlike before he said, touch points are ubiquitous and addressable, messages are interactive as compared to being one way leading to customer’s feedback as an important source of insight to the market and your product’s stand among consumers.
If you missed your chance of listening to industry leaders this time around, keep an ear out for the monthly talks to equip yourself with some real good Effie-needed knowledge.