Make sure it leaves imprint on consumers' minds

 

MARKETING campaigns in the current economic uncertainties should effectively promote the clients' brands and ensure the value of the brands stay in the minds of targeted consumers, Matrade chief executive officer Datuk Noharuddin Nordin said.

Noharuddin said the gloomy global economic outlook has prompted companies to strive harder too differentiate their products and services to sustain their markets and survive. These efforts should be accompanied by effective marketing communication strategies.

"As most companies react to the uncertainties in the global situation, 'more for less' perhaps would be the dominant thought.

"Hence, campaigns must be able to not only bring life to the clients' brands, but also ensure that the brands remain in the minds of the targeted consumers, reminding them the value of the brand," he said at the Malaysia Effie Awards 2008 gala dinner in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday night.

The Effie Award, created by the New York American Marketing Association in 1968, is presented annually in recognition of the year's most effective marketing communications campaigns. The awards are currently available in nearly 40 countries around the world.

For the inaugural Malaysia Effie Awards, the gold awards went to Lowe & Partners and Universal McCann for their work on "Johnson's Baby Oil Touch Infant Massage"; Ogilvy and Mindshare on "Maggi Tribute Campaign"; and Naga DBB and Mindshare on "Astro's RM2 a day".

The gold winners will have the opportunity to compete with others at the regional and possibly the global level.

Another five agencies bagged silver awards and eight agencies bronze awards.

Noharuddin, who is also the award executive council chairman, said the first Malaysia Effie Award is extremely timely during the current difficult times.

Also present at the ceremony were Malaysia Effie Awards chief judge Dr Sattar Khan, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific regional director Tim Broadbent, Association of Accredited Agents Malaysia president Datuk Vincent Lee, Malaysian Advertisers Association president Peter Anthony Dass, Media Specialists Association president Tan Siang Lin and organising chairman V Kanesan.

A total of 68 entries were judged by over 40 individuals from the communications industry, including The New Straits Times Press Bhd CEO Datuk Syed Faisal Albar and marketing director Mimi Megawati Abdul Wahid (aka Pat Wahid J).