Osaka-based Aussie expat VFX artist Roger Bolton, who has worked in Australia at The Moving Picture Company and Emerald City Design, and put the flames and reflection on the ring in the first Lord of the Rings film, has posted a stinging attack on ad agencies on his Facebook page, accusing them of ripping off clients and treating him like scum.

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ADVERTISING and branding agency People N Rich-H Sdn Bhd, which is part of Japan's worldwide Hakuhodo group, achieved a strong 20% growth last year thanks to new business wins.

People N Rich-H also spearheaded the launch of a series of Hitachi home appliances from refrigerators to air-conditioners and washing machines, and the Suzuki Nex a fun, trendy, and spirited scooter targeted at the younger generation.

The agency's expanded scope of services for existing clients ranged from Fujifilm's launch of Fujifilm Instax, Fujifilm X-Pro1, and Fujifilm X-E1 Premium interchangeable lens camera.

It says in a statement that the wins included National Gas Company, KL Metropolis by Naza TTDI, Saito Academy of Security Management, Saito College, Astalift, and Meditag.

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He says local advertising agencies, with their local market understanding and skill sets, have sufficient avenues to strengthen the advertising market.

“There is a tremendous potential to build and promote Sarawak products and services, with an upside in creating a global presence by adhering to proper branding principles.”

4As president Tony Savarimuthu says: “The Sarawak economy is well poised for real growth with SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) playing a leading role with indigenous brands, arts and culture, festivals, travel and tourism all thriving.

The association, which has about 130 members, currently has no Sarawak-based member agency.

THE Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As) plans to attract agencies in Sarawak as members with a view of establishing a local chapter there, it says in a statement.

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StarBizWeek reported earlier that at the IAA regional meeting in Pattaya last year, about six countries registered interest to be host, including Australia, India and Bahrain. As of last month, only Malaysia and China were in the running.

At the time of this writing, it is not known why the chapter decided to pull out of the race.

Sources tell StarBizWeek that the chapter, following its executive committee meeting this week, decided to withdraw its bid.
THE Malaysian chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has withdrawn its bid for the World Advertising Congress 2014, paving the way for China to be the next host of the biennial event.

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IT is not any conference where the event's co-chairman, in his welcoming address, would remind the participants about their mobile phones and say: “Please don't turn it off.”

Well, this is the Market Research in the Mobile World conference, an international conference that had been held in the United States and Europe, and this year it is hosted in Asia for the first time in Kuala Lumpur. The co-chair, incidentally, does add that attendees should put their mobile devices in silent mode.

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Below is a marketing manifesto of the big shift we are all living through. In fact, it’s a business manifesto of what is already happening combined with the inevitable.

This eclectic aggregation of phrases and explanations represents our generational shift from the industrial age into the technology age. It is a reality-based scenario of what must be known if we choose to succeed in a digital world.

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In the past, when marketers would like to advertise, ad agencies would readily say, “let’s make a TV commercial or a print ad or a radio ad” and that was it.

Media specialists were excluded from the picture from day one of the thought process. They only came in on implementation day.

They, too, were always in the last sequence of every imaginable presentation (brand campaign launches, pitches, reviews, etc). They only hugged the spotlight when ads were already in the can, ready to roll, be seen and heard by audiences.

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The Advertising Association claims advertising contributes £100bn annually to the UK economy and will help drive the economic recovery.

The report, which aims to rebuild advertising’s often tainted perception by highlighting that it makes a significant contribution, found for every £1 invested in advertising, £6 is generated for the wider economy.

More than £16bn was invested in advertising in the UK in 2011, and is set to increase this year.

Advertising is often criticised for encouraging irresponsible consumption, but the report aims to highlight its role in addressing social issues and driving much needed growth.

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Digital marketers spend a lot of time pitching new ideas -- to their clients, to their bosses, to their own teams. And that's a good thing. New ideas are what make this industry such an interesting place to be.

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Industry observers are cautiously optimistic that the Malaysian retail industry will see good growth in the first quarter of the year, boosted by promotional activities in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) festival.

“The retail segment is cyclical. It will pick up leading up to Chinese New Year and then will taper off after that,” said Malaysian Association for Shopping and Highrise Complex Management past president Richard Chan.

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