Tag: 4As

Malaysia – The Malaysian body of The Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As) has announced that it will be holding the ‘4As Consumer Insights Workshop’ on 16 June, a one-day masterclass about insight training. 

The workshop is an independent initiative of the industry body in Malaysia with the goal of raising industry standards and fostering continuous professional development for agency talent.

‘4As Consumer Insights Workshop’ is intended to provide account planners, account managers, and creatives with key skills in three areas – Understanding insights to a deeper level than others in the industry; Learning how to uncover, hone, and write more compelling insights that will catapult brand relevancy; Understanding what not an insight is and why data is different from insight.

“If marketing is about meeting customer needs profitably, then insight is the key tool that drives marketing. Products deliver functional needs. Brands also deliver emotional needs. The very best marketers and marketing companies invest in trying to understand their customers better than their competition. If you can uncover and tap into an enduring insight, you have created a sustainable brand. Thus, insight is the backbone of all marketing,” said Khairudin Rahim, 4As CEO.

The workshop will be conducted by Paul Arnold, an IPA UK-endorsed trainer with extensive experience in account management and planning for Saatchi’s and Grey for over 30 years, working across a large range of international brands, and winning five EuroEffies for Campaign Effectiveness. A

In addition, Arnold is also a trained Psychologist, with an MBA, an MSc in Organisational Change, as well as being a certified coach.

“Once again, the 4As is striving to provide our industry professionals with access to leading edge, bespoke and highly relevant training that’s not available anywhere else,” said Khairudin. 

“Additionally, we have sought out people like Paul Arnold and other IPA (UK) certified trainers who are the ‘cream of the crop’ to conduct this training, with the goal of raising the standard of competency across the industry,” he concluded.

Just this April, the organisation has elected its council office bearers who will serve the body for the next two years. Havas Group’s group managing director Andrew Lee has been re-elected as president whilst Ryusuke Oda, managing director of Hakuhodo Malaysia, has been named as new vice president.

Malaysia – In its recently held 16th Biennial General Meeting, The Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As) has elected its council office bearers who will serve the not-for-profit industry body for the next two years. 

The newly appointed leaders are the re-elected president Andrew Lee, group managing director of Havas Group Malaysia, who will be serving his fourth consecutive term, and Ryusuke Oda, managing director of Hakuhodo Malaysia as the new vice president.

Both Lee and Oda will work jointly with the council members as well as Dato’ Johnny Mun, managing director of Oxygen Advertising and 4As senior advisor, and En. Khairudin Rahim, 4As chief executive officer, to accomplish the association’s objectives.

The election also saw the induction of Council members from Dentsu Malaysia, Fishermen Integrated, Geometry Global, Grey Worldwide, M&C Saatchi, Monster Interactive, NagaDDB, Oxygen Advertising, Shinajii, and TBWA Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking about his re-election, Lee said, “I feel honoured to have been asked to lead the 4As Council once again, and to have the opportunity to continue the legacy of earlier leaders including the late Dato Tony Lee, Tony Savarimuthu, and 4As Honorary Life President Tan Sri Vincent Lee.”

Lee also added that he is looking forward to furthering the steps taken in the all-important area of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DEI) that the previous council had begun. 

“Other challenges ahead of us include the continuing post-pandemic recovery, understanding and co-opting new technologies such as AI and its subset ChatGPT, and more prosaic challenges like staff retention and continuous professional development,” he added.

The Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As), formed in 1971, is the Malaysian advertising industry’s foremost body engaged in promoting the value of advertising agencies in the marketing communications industry to advertisers, media, suppliers, government and the public.

Manila, Philippines – The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies (4As) in the Philippines has welcomed its new line of Board of Trustees from ad agencies in the country after its first-ever general membership meeting this year.

Its newly-inducted chairman is TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno chairman and chief creative officer Melvin Mangada, followed by the newly-inducted president Grupo Agatep president and managing director Norman Agatep, while Seven AD chief executive officer and chief creative officer Teeny Gonzales is inducted as 4As’ vice-president.

Serving alongside them are DDB Philippines Group chief culture officer Anna Chua-Norbert as board secretary; Grey Manila chief executive officer John Lucas as treasurer; and Dentsu JaymeSyfu managing partner and chief client officer Alex Syfu as corporate comptroller. 

Other trustees include BBDO Guerrero creative chairman and outgoing 4As chairman David Guerrero, WOO account management and business development senior director Hans Gahol, and Propel Manila 360 president and chief executive officer JC Valenzuela.

4As-Philippines-New-Board-Of-Trustees-Oath-Taking
Shown in the photo are the newly inducted board members (from left to right): Grey Manila Chief Executive Officer John Lucas (Treasurer); Grupo Agatep President and Managing Director Norman Agatep (President); DDB Philippines Group Chief Culture Officer Anna Chua- Norbert (Board Secretary); TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Melvin Mangada (Chairman); WOO Account Management and Business Development Senior Director Hans Gahol (Trustee); Seven AD Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer Teeny Gonzales (Vice President); Propel Manila 360 President and Chief Executive Officer JC Valenzuela (Trustee); and Dentsu JaymeSyfu Managing Partner and Chief Client Officer Alex Syfu (Corporate Comptroller) during the said ceremony.

The induction ceremony was presided over by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who delivered in her keynote speech a note of congratulations to the new board of trustees and expressed confidence in their capabilities in harnessing creativity to inspire Filipinos.

“I look forward to how the members of the 4As will use their talents and skills to enlighten, intrigue, inform, and inspire the Filipino consumer, rebuilding peoples’ confidence and giving local businesses that much-needed boost,” Romulo-Puyat said.

Commenting on his new position, Mangada said, “There is still fear and uncertainty but less of it. We are assured that our industry is evolving through the very nature of its existence – creativity. Staying safe is about our health, not about our work. It is during these times that innovative ideas are championed. And because creativity is our business, let’s keep the creative instinct alive amidst adversity.”

The new board of trustees will face new key activities slated for this year, including the Agency of The Year Awards, where all efforts by ad agencies from 2019 to 2020 will be considered, after a year-long hiatus.

“To encourage more participation from independent agencies, we are opening up indie awards for Best Creative, Market Performance, Management of Business, and Industry Leadership & Community Service,” Agatep said in a press statement.

Furthermore, they also stated that the Agency’s ‘ARAL Sessions’ which are learning events mounted by the association will resume by April this year. 

“We will begin by addressing fundamental gaps and branch out to key topics that build on the creative margin theme,” Agatep concluded.