dentsu Malaysia has appointed Nick Drew as managing partner, data, and tech, reinforcing its ambition to integrate data, technology and media as Malaysian brands navigate an increasingly complex digital ecosystem more tightly. Drew will report to Bala Pomaleh, CEO of dentsu Media Malaysia, and will lead the agency’s expanded data
By 2026, marketing’s central problem is no longer attention. It is judgement. That is the quiet but consequential idea running through Kantar’s latest mapping of the forces shaping brand growth this year. After a decade obsessed with reach, scale and speed, brands now face a more uncomfortable question: are the
What does a runaway monkey in the United States have to do with Malaysian marketers? More than anyone would like to admit. Earlier this month, authorities in St. Louis went looking for a group of vervet monkeys spotted near a public park. It should have been a routine animal recovery
TikTok has been named FIFA’s “Preferred Platform” for the FIFA World Cup 2026, marking the first time a social media platform has been given this designation for the world’s biggest sporting event. The partnership positions TikTok as a central destination for behind-the-scenes access, creator-led storytelling, and monetised match-adjacent content across
Assembly has completed the rebranding of all former ADK Global offices across Asia, bringing the network’s regional operations under a single brand, platform, and operating model. The move follows Assembly’s acquisition of ADK Global last year and marks the completion of the first phase of the merger. From January 2026,
Malaysia is edging closer to a regulatory line many markets have debated but hesitated to draw. By mid-2026, the government wants all major social media platforms to cooperate in restricting access for users under the age of 16. The signal from Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil is unambiguous: this is no
There is a hard truth every good marketer learns early—usually after a bruising pitch loss or a failed campaign: You don’t get to decide what your brand means. The market does. Which is why the recent saga involving firebrand UMNO Youth Chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh is not really a political
Let’s stop flattering ourselves. In Malaysia’s marketing industry, people aren’t losing jobs because they forgot how to think. They’re losing jobs because thinking has become inconvenient. Budgets tighten. HQ panics. A regional mandate lands with a slide titled Operational Efficiency. Suddenly, experience is “legacy cost”. Judgment is “subjective”. And anyone
For years, telcos have sold speed, coverage, and affordability. But in a country where digital life now stretches from e-wallets and online banking to gaming, shopping and social media, connectivity alone is no longer the value proposition. Trust is. That context makes the recent collaboration between Tune Talk and Mastercard
Malaysia’s influencer economy has just crossed a legal Rubicon. The conviction of influencer, Shuib Sepahtu, for promoting vaping products online marks more than a public-health milestone. It signals a fundamental shift in how marketing, advertising, and creator-led endorsements will be scrutinised under the law. For brands, agencies, and influencers alike,
