PUBLISHED BY: ADVERTISING + MARKETING MALAYSIA
14 Jul 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in the plans of agency heads, who all started this year with optimism. That said, they did not let it hinder their operations and made sure to evolve and adapt. R3’s whitepaper titled “Marketing Continuity Assessments” said going into 2021, the growing emphasis on digital capabilities is apparent for agencies. The adoption of digital platforms by consumers globally during enforced social distancing is testament that the future is online, on mobile and virtual.
The whitepaper also cited a 2020 survey by the ANA and R3, which said 84% of senior marketers believe that future brand growth will be tied to marketing innovation and technology, and this translates as a greater need for agency partners to be able to think strategically and creatively across digital platforms. While it might seem too early to be planning for 2021, agency heads in Malaysia have already gotten the ball rolling. Those who A+M spoke to cited areas such as upskilling employees, remaining nimble, talent and being an entrepreneurial workspace as some of the ways they are preparing their agencies for the next year. Find out what our co-founder and CEO, Jeff Chang said:
Jeff Chang, co-founder and CEO, FOREFRONT
As the nation recovers from the pandemic, FOREFRONT continues to anticipate the changing market needs and uphold resilience amongst the teams under our group. In the face of shrinking advertising budgets and rising uncertainty, data listening alongside empathy are key in ensuring that we answer our clients’ needs. We plan our strategies around the real-time responses, intensified by the rising importance of digital-first campaigns, and the magic ingredient is really the intuition and experience our strategists inject into our work, which makes it extra special. We will continue to build new capabilities and broaden our reach within the Southeast Asian region. For example, we have been taking on branding, creative, and CGI work for Masteri Waterfront and Masteri Smart City in Vietnam.
