Category: International Communication

Written by Nur Hawa Shafiqa A Zulkefli

Agoda was established in 2005. It was quickly expanded through Asia. It was found by the world’s largest seller of rooms online known as Priceline Group. The group owned more than five companies including Agoda. Agoda, the world’s fastest-growing online travel booking platform headquartered in Singapore and with 53 offices in major cities over 30 countries. It has approximately 3,700 staff worldwide.

The main goal of Agoda is to provide a network of more than 2 million accommodation properties, including apartments, villas, homes and hotels backed by more than 15 million traveler reviews. Besides, Agoda started up with non-hotel accommodation, offering villas and homes throughout the countries in the first place.

Technology has changed the face of travel bookings. Agoda, a global online accommodation reservation provider, allow the travelers to book hotels, resorts, apartments or villas online. It helps travelers to find and explore new experiences in new destinations worldwide. With the reviews from other travelers, a traveler may find it easy to book the reviewed hotels based on the previous traveler’s experience.

Agoda International (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. is located in Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Kuala Lumpur Sentral. Different departments in Agoda provide an environment with originality, teamwork, and experimentation to the employees.

Competition

The survival of Agoda does not allocate other online accommodation platforms to stop operating. It is not just Agoda which provides the travelers with hotels and flight accommodation, there are also Expedia, Traveloka, Trivago and many more. It is quite difficult for Agoda to stand strong in the industry. The airline booking platform itself offers the passengers with hotel information. Therefore, it is easier for them.

In order to compete with others, Agoda offers the clients with variety of advantages such as hotel discount for its member. They are entitled to a discount when booking a room via Agoda. Agoda may offer its regular clients with breakfast or hi-tea coupon after the discussion with hotel representative. Agoda has similar characteristics with other competitors in term of their services. One thing that differentiates Agoda is the brand itself.

Communication tools

Agoda most used e-mail to communicate with clients. Any information for instance reservation receipt and other type of important information would be sending to nominee as a reminder. E-mail receiver, on the other hand has option whether to print the receipt out or not. In order to attract audiences, Agoda need to place more advertisements. Hence, the most preferable social platform is Instagram and Facebook.

Instagram may have won young user’s heart, but Facebook can create greater performance. Both platforms may reach larger audiences. Majority of business people used Facebook. Similar to Facebook which famous with share button, repost apps in Instagram allow Agoda to repost client’s photos using hashtag. Agoda shares photos, as well as videos, advertising and promoting hotels and interesting places to go.

Challenges

Apart from competitive challenges, another challenge faced by Agoda Malaysia is language. Although one of the requirements to get a position in Agoda is English, English seems to be a barrier for the employees to deal with clients. English is an international language. But it seems to be difficult to understand with accents. English with accents is not easily understood by others.

In dealing with international company, Agoda faced difficulties in identifying true market need. It is because there are so many competitors out there. What Agoda need is market research. Hence, Agoda applies an approach by sending out survey to their clients via mail, asking their satisfaction using Agoda and its performance. In competing with other brands, more research has been done to provide its clients with best service.

 

Written by Norafiqah Jamal

Sime Darby is a key player in the Malaysian economy as well as a diversified multinational involved in key growth sectors, namely, plantation, industrial equipment, motors, property and energy & utilities, with operations in more than 20 countries. With a workforce of over 100,000 employees, Sime Darby is committed to building a sustainable future for all its stakeholders. It was established in 1988, Auto Bavaria, a division of Sime Darby which is the motors, it is the biggest retail and service organization for BMW, MINI and Motorrad in Malaysia. Sime Darby Motors is the automotive arm of Sime Darby Berhad and is involved in the retail, distribution and assembly businesses. It has a presence in ten countries across the Asia Pacific region. Over the years, Sime Darby has successfully built BMW into one of the most desirable luxury automotive brands in the country.

Today, Auto Bavaria’s nationwide network infrastructure comprises five branches, namely Glenmarie, Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru. Auto Bavaria Glenmarie and Penang also houses the BMW Motorrad and MINI showroom. In addition, the BMW Premium Selection centre is located in Glenmarie and Kuala Lumpur. Every Auto Bavaria branch is staffed with passionate professionals dedicated to providing world-class sales and aftersales service that exceed expectations. In benchmarking themselves against the best BMW dealers in the world, they make customer satisfaction the top priority at Auto Bavaria.

They record possibly the highest man-hours in training annually in the local automotive industry to keep the staff on top of the latest innovations and technologies and constantly review processes to improve efficiency. At Auto Bavaria, they are committed to making your BMW experience extend beyond your purchase. In Sime Darby, there are five divisions which are Industry, Property, Energy & Utilities, Plantation and Motors that are handling by Global Service Centre (GSC) that consist of GSC HR, GSC FA and GCS IT.

On May 2010, Sapura Auto was selling BMWs and MINIs in Malaysia were selling their showroom and land to Sime Darby Motor Division which operates the Auto Bavaria dealerships. Sapura Auto Sdn Bhd where the former acquire a piece of freehold land include the showroom with the facilities with cash around RM 50 million. Today, known as Auto Bavaria Jalan Tun Razak showroom.

So the challenges faces by Auto Bavaria are competition from international companies who had a same business as Auto Bavaria. The main challenge for this vehicle company is to find a way of achieving a sustainable competitive advantage over the other competing firms in a market. Auto Bavaria is a well-known company which have a lot of business in and out from Malaysia. But this firm must have strategic short and long term planning that involves managerial decisions and production in order to stay in this globalized market.

Written by Irfarina Ahmad Nazli

Background

Taylor’s Education Group (TEG) is one the most well-established and reputable organizations in Malaysia’ education industry. Comprised of 7 international schools, 2 private colleges and now a university of its own, its humble beginnings in 1969 has much to contribute in shaping the company’s current success.

The company’s motto focuses on ‘wisdom, integrity and excellence’. It has served to be a motivating factor for all its staff and students toward achieving the best academically as well as being a well-rounded individual.

List of Education Institutions in Taylor’s Education Group

This list is a compilation of education institutions owned by Taylor’s Education Group. The group also manages and collaborates with other institutions from neighbouring countries.

International School – Primary and Secondary Level

• Nexus International School, Singapore
• Nexus International School, Putrajaya 
• Garden International School, Kuala Lumpur 
• Garden International School, Kuantan 
• Australian International School, Malaysia 
• Taylor’s International School, Kuala Lumpur 
• Taylor’s International School, Puchong

College – Tertiary Level (Certificate Level)

• Taylor’s College Subang Jaya
• Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas

University – Tertiary Level (Up to PhD Level)

• Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus,

Subang Jaya

International Network and Collaborations

According to Mr Ahmad Fairuz Effendee, a Senior Executive at Marketing & International Student Recruitment Taylor’s University, the institution has come a long way since its establishment in 2010. From its 7 years of operation, it has enjoyed the privilege of working with multiple ASEAN countries, among them Singapore and Vietnam, and they are working hard to be recognized on a global platform.

In terms of its partnership with Vietnam’s University, Duy Tan University, both have agreed to introduce a dual-degree programme for students in Hospitality Management, based on a 2.5+1.5 course structure agreement. It launched in 2015 and students from this university will spend its final year with Taylor’s University whereby at graduation, will be granted degrees from both universities.  

As for its partnership with Western countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Mr Ahmad mentioned that such relationship was formed by their American Degree Programme (ADP), where students are to complete the remaining duration of their studies in these countries as a form of educational exposure. These students are expected to use this advantage to transform Malaysia into a better country in their future service, or become role models in their field of choice.

In reference to the partnership Taylor’s shares with the United States, it is also worth mentioning that Taylor’s University once hosted the “Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative” (YSEALI) event in November 2015, which saw the attendance of Barack Obama, the former U.S. President in its premises, and attended by over 500 YSEALI members, the biggest congregation held for the said event.

Whereas, in their partnership with Australia, specifically Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Taylor’s University has been enjoying a short-term mobility project funded by the Australian Federal Government, allowing its students to complete their internship in Taylor’s University. Students sent here will also undergo an intensive short course, of about 2-3 weeks on Malaysian food and cuisine.

The course outline for this programme gives emphasis on Malaysia’s cultural heritage, and is reflected in the making of our cuisines and gastronomy.  Not only were the Australian students given a chance to prepare Malaysian cuisine with specialist chef-Lecturers, but the Taylor’s management went beyond in showing Malaysian hospitality by inviting them to stay at an agri-tourism homestay in Kuala Selangor. This idea was proposed to broaden the students’ perspective of the local practices here, through activities like rice planting, visiting palm oil, rubber, coconut and tapioca plantations, as well as first-hand experience in buying local produce at traditional farmers markets.  

Such opportunities for transfer programmes are developed by Taylor’s University’s Global Mobility Office (GMO). Their effort has been tremendous, as Taylor’s now will see a larger pool of global partnership in 30 countries by year 2018. Austria, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands, France, Spain and Italy are all eager to start their partnership with Malaysia, as they want their students to have the Asian experience in a well facilitated environment for international students. Mr Ahmad said they are placing high hopes on signing more partnership agreements with other potential countries, including Macau, Ireland and Norway.    

   

Written By: Nur Maizatul Akhma Binti Ab Latif

Background of company

Today, fragrances can be found in the form of scented candles, bath product and others. There are numerous reasons why people wear perfumes. People wear fragrances because it stimulates sexuality and desire. Other than that, there is a strong connection between fragrances and memory. Normally people recognize people from their people from their perfume brands.

Based on this reason, Puan Nurul Akmar Zulhairi, founder of AJ De ‘release their own brand perfume. She chooses to market fragrance because of the wide prospects, and optimistic. She also thinks there’s great opportunities in that field. She has a great experience in the online business of various types of products from head to toe for three years, so she was determined to venture into this business.

Located at No.14, Jalan Uranus AH U5/AH,Taman Subang Impian, Seksyen U5,40150 Shah Alam and has 10 employees that give so much effort to make AJ being recognize. AJ De ‘Parfum has its own uniqueness as it has over 40 international fragrances for men and women. After conducted research and using her own formula, AJ De Parfum released after a year. According to Puan Nurul, AJ De ‘Parfum is 100 percent Bumiputera product and it indeed an exclusive international fragrance because of the smell like as original. Other than that, it’s enhanced with user-friendly and high quality. From that reason, there is also a great selection of perfumes.

Name: Wan Ziraida Binti Wan Musa

Position: Marketing executive

Company: AJ De’Parfum

Social media marketing is a good platform to promote business because it quick and easy for people to use it nowadays. In this digital era, new media is more reachable to people because people can easily access a single electronic media for example digital ads are everywhere. It also can be seen on the websites consumer visits, mobile phone, social media channels, and smart watch.

AJ De ‘Parfum has 400 agents nationwide. AJ Parfum are targeting sales of 100,000 bottles by the end of this year. Besides that, this target is driven by the addition of agents and enter the Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore markets..

Through this social media, it helps AJ Parfum to understand the current trend that happened among social networks users. Thus, it can give the benefits to advertiser to follow the current by following the current trends on social media in order to positioning their product and brand outside the Malaysia.

Kak Wan added , AJ De’Parfum use an english language in promoting their product through social media where it can be easier for people from all around the world to understand what they are actually want to inform the viewer about its product because through Facebook and Instagram it has a lot of people who come from various country. Thus, it can help AJ De’Parfum to expand their product to world widely.

Kak Wan also state, that social network sites are a platform for AJ to keep connecting and engaging with their customers and target audiences because the interaction between AJ Parfum and their target audience getting closer have direct interaction and relationship with one another. That was meant the social media has change the way marketers promoting their business towards target audience.

Instagram and Facebook as a tool for AJ Parfum Marketing

Written by Farah Hanani

KRU Studios (KRU) is one of the leading media and entertainment companies in Malaysia and founded in 1992, KRU has since diversified, and now provides a comprehensive range of services related to the media and entertainment industry, specializing in both production and distribution capabilities. The company is known for its superior photo-real visual effects, digital audio and video production, which is attributed to its highly trained personnel, cutting edge technology and state of the art equipment. With offices and representatives in Malaysia, Singapore, Germany and the United States, KRU is determined to deliver world class services in areas related to the production of feature films, television programs, music, events and other media content.

KRU Studios also has successfully selling over a million albums, sold out tours, box office films hits and winning multiple awards, locally and internationally. Besides, the company also has successfully transformed its popular pop icon band name into a prominent brand. Apart from having in-depth understanding and experience in B2C marketing, KRU has also served many MNCs, GLCs, and government agencies for branded content and production services.

Transnational media corporations are actively export and produce information or entertainment across national borders for their global audience. Their audience can consume the information or the entertainment materials through varieties of medium such as internet, radio, TV networks, motion pictures and print media. For example, transnational media corporations that are actively producing such entertainment are Sony Pictures, Universal Studio, and Walt Disney etc.

Most of the transnational media corporation aims to reach audience globally as many people as possible. They have to produce best films to winning as many awards and help them to be known globally. KRU Studios also wants to achieve the same objective like other transnational media corporations. There are many classification of transnational media corporation such as news agencies like BBC and CNN etc. It also can be classifies in Social Media and Film Industry and KRU Studios is being classified under film industry.

In order to become a global media corporation, KRU Studios also has planning few global media strategy. For example, KRU planned to produce another version of the Hollywood movie, Black Hawk Down and the battle that took place 20 years ago on the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia. KRU Studios also planned to cast a Malaysian. It will be a international film as Black Hawk Down was directed by the award winning director, Ridley Scoott and adapted from a book of similar tittle written by Mark Bowden. Other than that, KRU Studios has appointed Los Angeles-based Epic Pictures as its sales agent for its slate of international features film and Epic successfully closed pre-sales for their feature film entitled Deadline in around 30 countries. Starring Brittanny Murpy, psychological thriller Deadline was shot in the United States while visual effects were carried out in Malaysia under supervision of visual effects director Yursy Abdul Halim.

However, it seems that KRU Studios have to compete with other international production that already known globally. In Malaysia, KRU Studios is the most successful production, where the company itself has winning lots of international and local awards, somehow KRU Studios still need to find a good strategy to improve their film quality and to make sure in achieving their objective in becoming an internationally film industry.

 

Written by Nazmi Suraya Bt Ruslan

Background

3M is a diversified technology company serving customers and communities with innovative products and services.  There are five (5) of them and each of the five businesses in Consumer, Electronics and Energy, Health Care, Industrial and Safety and Graphics has earned leading global market positions.

3M is a global innovation company that never stops inventing. Over the years, the innovations have improved daily life for hundreds of millions of people all over the world. They have made driving at night easier, made buildings safer, and made consumer electronics lighter, less energy-intensive and less harmful to the environment. They even helped put a man on the moon. Every day at 3M, one idea always leads to the next, igniting momentum to make progress possible around the world.

History

3M was established in June 1967 as Minnesota (3M) Sdn. Bhd. The company housed its 9 employees and all its inventories in a 1,500sq.ft.room. In order to accommodate its expanding operations, the company relocated to bigger premises with proper warehousing facilities in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, in just over 3 months after its establishment. By 1971, extensive renovations were carried out to accommodate rapid growth and the subsequent increase in employees.

In 1972, the company’s name was changed to 3M Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. to reflect its international image. In the same year, 3M Malaysia was awarded three 3M International recognition for achieving outstanding performance. Despite rising levels of competition over the years, the company has continued to undergo rapid expansion. 3M Malaysia’ expeditious growth is undoubtedly attributable to it commitment in satisfying its customers’ need through a wide range of innovative and quality products. 3M’s product diversity and technological expertise have helped it gain a reputation as a total solutions provider.

3M Malaysia’s superior understanding of its market environment has enabled it to deliver unparalleled quality, value and service. This understanding is the foundation that allows 3M Malaysia to maintain high customer loyalty and sustain its outstanding record of achievements.

International Network and Collaboration

Being as an international company, 3M should have the medium of communication either in local or international branch. When 3M wanted to expand the reach of its innovation process it deployed an internal social network to access all the global employees, bringing in hundreds of new ideas. As for 3M already established in many countries around the world including Asia such as in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Japan, they are always looking to collaborate with innovative companies that share the values and commitment to better business. Other than that, 3M also always open the job opportunities to the public.

3M’s reputation for innovation is well established, but the company wanted to include more staff in the ideation process. Traditionally, access to the company’s annual Markets of the Future brainstorming sessions was limited. By employing a new internal social networking platform, 3M was able to foster creativity and collaboration among all its employees around the world. As a result when the tool was open to employees, it attracted more than 1,200 people, who generated over 700 new ideas, which resulted in nine new markets for the company to explore.

3M’s Corporate Strategy group conducts an annual exercise to define future markets. The organization sought to broaden the scope of this process and challenge employees to focus on the future while the economy tried to correct itself. According to the knowledge management strategist at 3M, although it’s not an easy task, leaders should recognized that this was the ideal time to inject new fuel into the process for defining future markets.

3M’s Corporate Knowledge Management group partnered with its Corporate Strategy and Corporate IT groups to deploy Enterprise 2.0 technology to expand and manage its innovation process. Access was open to all the global employees in 42 countries participated during the idea-gathering period. For another period, more ideas were generated and filtered into 26 market clusters. All told, the new process yielded nine potential future markets for 3M.

The group dramatically broadened access to its innovation strategies and learned a new technology in an exceedingly short period. In only few weeks, it was able to reach out to tens of thousands of global employees and identify multiple viable potential markets. The biggest benefit was that this new approach supported efforts to enhance employee engagement. Additionally, there’s now a strengthened partnership between the Corporate IT and Corporate Knowledge Management groups. The strategy also demonstrates 3M’s ongoing commitment to investing in its future.

Written by Putera Muhammad

Suria Records (also known as SRC) is a recording label company and music production which started on 1970 at Kuala Lumpur. It is one of the pioneer recording company in Malaysia and still able to maintain in the industry until now. Its subsidiary company, Suwah Enterprise Publishing (Production & Distribution) had a hundreds amount of albums and songs in its catalogue.

SRC also a members of Recording Industry Association Malaysia (RIM), the national industry trade association set up to represent the locally incorporated recording companies in Malaysia. RIM currently represents 170 such companies and businesses, all of which are involved in the production, manufacturing and distribution of local and international sound, music video and karaoke recordings.

Throughout the long path of Malaysia music history, Suria Records had develop a successful artiste such as Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, New Boyz, Sofaz, Noraniza Idris, ND Lala, May , Handy Black, Mazleela, Anis Suraya, Liza Hanim, Aqasha, Datuk Jeffrydin, M. Sharrif, Datuk Dj Dave and many more.

After few year focusing on Indonesian artist’s promotion in Malaysia, SRC are now starts to work on the local talents by recruiting new singers and band.

Suria Records in International Collaborations

Besides local content, Suria Records also is actively promoting Indonesia music in Malaysia. Well-known artiste that had been brought in are Peterpan, Rossa, Ungu, Afgan, D’Bagindas, Sherina, Naff, Maudy Ayunda, Gamma1, Indah Dewi Pertiwi, Ayu Ting Ting, Kla Project, and many more.

Apart from that, Suria Records also promote Singapore artiste like Taufik Batisah, Hady Mirza and Sarah Aqila.

Suria Records had organized an Indonesian music band, Ungu’s concert titled The Mozaik Tour in 2015. The concert is jointly organized by Trinity Optima, Ungu’s label in Indonesia and ERA fm in Malaysia started on September 21^st, 2015. The band performed in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching before coming to Kota Kinabalu.

Writer with Suria Records Managing Director, Edwin Tan & Feros Sayna, Senior Manager at SRC’s headquarters.