As with many Malaysian-based companies, the past two years have been exceptionally turbulent on communications agencies.
However, one homegrown storytelling outfit has remained bullish during these trying times to emerge jubilant as it powers into 2022 with an expanded client portfolio while fortifying its staff count and leadership team to sustain its quantum growth.
GO Communications (GO), which celebrated 15 years of service last year, saw a marked increase in client activations across the board with an array of new clients and brands, including Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Berhad, iQiyi, Lyre’s and Linc KL, among others.
The year also saw the agency increasing its scope of work with existing, longer-term clients, including GoPro, Coway and Sim Leisure Group, a renowned themed attraction specialist for which the agency manages communications across a number of the group’s brands including the ESCAPE brand of themed parks and KidZania Kuala Lumpur.
During the height of the pandemic, which saw companies scaling back their operations and laying off staff, GO not only maintained all its staff, salary and benefits, but also almost doubled the size of its now 50-strong workforce. In an atypical bid to boost company-wide efficiency and productivity while promoting a work-life balance, GO also made history in recent times by implementing a four and a half work-day for all its colleagues.
The GO-to “Dream Team”
The past year also saw the agency solidifying its leadership lineup, captained by Founder and CEO, Peter de Kretser.
Sheree Qua, a GO stalwart since inception, joins de Kretser in leading the agency as General Manager and Chief Financial Officer. Meanwhile, Choulyin Tan has been promoted to Communications Director, Client Services Director At-Large. Also joining GO’s core leadership is Zalfian Fuzi, who will leverage on his extensive marketing background as Communications Director, Business Development.
Lim Huei Yuih, who began her career at GO as an intern seven years ago has been promoted to Brand Director, leading her own client servicing team, while Laura Kang takes the reigns of the agency’s Digital team as Digital Director, leading its growing portfolio of digital accounts. Fresh into GO’s leadership lineup as Art Director is Leonard Lee, who brings with him a wealth of global experience and expertise.
Meanwhile, GO’s Chief Editor, Sanjay Jacob, will helm the agency’s Editorial Team while Tham Yin Ling has been promoted to Senior Finance and Administration Manager.
“Despite a number of challenges brought about by a relentless pandemic, 2021 was a decent year for the agency. Besides rising to the occasion, the team has also shone through by producing some of our best work for our clients to date. I have always maintained that we have the best team of colleagues in the industry. Our fortified leadership team, or ‘cabinet’, strikes the perfect balance between a number of senior colleagues and new hires, charting a dynamic course for the agency moving into 2022 and beyond,” said de Kretser.
The GOld Standard
Bearing testament to GO’s industry leadership is a slew of award wins – it’s biggest haul yet – over the year. De Kretser himself was conferred the first-ever GOLD award in the inaugural Agency Leader of the Year category at the 2021 Agency of the Year Awards by advertising+marketing magazine, which are judged by an independent panel of high-calibre, client-side marketers.
GO also took home the SILVER award in the PR Agency of The Year category – for which it was also bestowed the Local Hero title – as well as the BRONZE awards for Consultant of the Year and Experiential Marketing Agency of the Year.
The agency also picked up several MARKies titles at the event, which celebrates the most innovative, creative and effective campaigns and projects. These include Most Creative Influencer campaign, Most Creative PR campaign, Most Creative Content Marketing campaign and Most Effective Use of Events; for numerous campaigns and initiatives for a number of the agency’s clients, including Coway, Modanisa, Moët Hennessy Malaysia and GoPro.
Not long after at the Dragons of Malaysia awards, GO bagged two GOLD, two SILVER, two BRONZE and one BLACK (special mention) award for numerous client campaigns and initiatives – taking the agency right to the top of the national leaderboard. Meanwhile, in the regional Dragons of Asia awards, GO also took home a Gold and two Black awards.
Despite all its growth and accomplishments, GO Communications is certainly not resting on its laurels moving into 2022. Though the pandemic rumbles on, the agency is out with guns blazing, setting its artillery on taking the year head-on with a bold, innovative and results-oriented approach.
De Kretser poignantly sums up GO Communications efforts and recent wins by putting his spin on an old saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough get GO-ing.”
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