20 Nov 2008, Thu
Sledgehammer Blog

Advertising Agencies yet to cross Digital Divide

September 27th, 2008 - Ham

Ad agencies are still are not structured to handle the online media realities of today. And it got me thinking, which is not necessarily a good thing.
Walk into an ad agency today, and in the middle of the meeting, tell them you want to brainstorm about new media possibilities. Chances are, your hosts will back […]

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PERCEPTION VERSUS REALITY - A BRANDING ENIGMA!

September 15th, 2008 - Ham

SLEDGEHAMMER EXCLUSIVE: “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” Albert Einstein
‘Perception is Reality’ was actually first coined by Rolling Stone magazine some 20 years ago, who used it as a theme for an advertising campaign. The theme played off the idea that most people perceived Rolling Stone magazine as a publication that […]

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WHEN TWO MEDIA TITANS CLASH

September 2nd, 2008 - Ham

A storm brewing among two media giants is destined to shake up Indonesia’s broadcast industry!
Two of Southeast Asia’s richest tycoons, Malaysian T. Ananda Krishnan and Indonesian James Riady, who formed an alliance in recent years are now facing breaking point in their partnership. A Straits Times Singapore article revealed
some troubling details and I quote largely […]

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SINGH IS KING OR CLIENT IS KING?

August 26th, 2008 - Ham

OK, OK, I can’t help myself! The latest hit comedy with my namesake Singh is Kinng was too tempting to excuse from the headline. And let me just add that the title of this movie inspired this article.
Now back to earthly pursuits in the world of advertising. This week we’ll talk a little about clients, […]

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THE PAINFUL TRUTH FOR AD AGENCIES

July 26th, 2008 - Ham

As competition builds up in a tough economy, agencies find themselves becoming increasingly irrelevant!
When I returned to writing my regular column in this paper two weeks ago, the piece was too painful for some to bear.
The truth hurts when I write about how we have painted ourselves into a corner and shortchanged the industry by […]

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HOW ARE MEDIA AGENCIES MAKING MONEY?

July 13th, 2008 - Ham

BY THE SLEDGEHAMMER
How are media agencies making money?
After the poor sods painted themselves into a corner
the buck is now stopping at media owners….
My good friend SP Lee once told me: if you give an accountant RM100 to run a business, he’ll use RM80, save you RM20 and return that as profit. But if you gave […]

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WILL THE REAL WEB GURU PLEASE STAND UP?

June 12th, 2008 - mackattack

BY MAC ATTACK
Is there really such a thing? Well, perhaps. I know quite a few chaps who really understand the finer points in making the web work for their clients. They know their stuff intimately, have designed various methods of measurement and do deliver results that make the clients investment in them pay off reasonably […]

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NEW TOYS FOR THE BIG BOYS

June 12th, 2008 - mackattack

BY MAC ATTACK
This is a scoop that’s exclusive to this blog only.
Put aside your mouse boys and girls, advertising in Malaysia is about to get really high-tech. I spent a Saturday with a bunch of real moneyed kids – but the ones with good brains on their shoulders. Aside from the free single malts, they […]

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WHO GIVES ADVERTISERS THE RIGHT TO TOUCH MY TOUCHPOINTS?

June 6th, 2008 - mackattack

BY MACK ATTACK
I like driving. The kind of drive that is leisurely, while taking in the sights. And then I chance upon a billboard telling me that I should consider changing to a shampoo that is more effective in managing my dandruff. Darn, there’s another billboard up ahead encouraging me to change the fuel I […]

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WORLD’S LEADING ADVERTISER SEES GREEN AND CELEBRITY GETS STONED BY CHINA!

June 6th, 2008 - Ham

In an unprecedented chain of events almost a month ago, Unilever buckled at its knees in response to a fervent backlash by Greenpeace.
Greenpeace was successful in its protests against Unilever for the role of its Dove brand in destroying Indonesia’s peat rainforests. The protests were staged in Europe, where the NGO is granted more freedom […]

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