As Malaysian marketers march into 2026, one question keeps surfacing in boardrooms, WhatsApp chats and agency war rooms: What does “meaning” actually mean now?
For years, the industry treated it as a feel-good ideal — purpose, empathy, emotional pull. Inspiring, yes. But abstract.
In a Marketing Magazine exclusive, Nizwani Shahar, Havas Malaysia CEO, pushes the conversation into harder territory.
For her, meaning is no longer a philosophical side dish.
Meaning, in 2026, must operate like a business instrument — and prove it.
“Meaning matters only when it creates real business impact,” she says.
That single line collapses the gap between creativity, culture, and commercial performance.
In a Malaysia where consumers are hyper-contextual and platforms evolve weekly, meaning cannot remain conceptual. It must deliver.
Meaning With Teeth: What Now Counts
For Nizwani, meaning is only meaningful when it is measurable.
It shows up in three outcomes.
1. When Meaning Changes Behaviour
This becomes the new currency.
“Whether our work shifts habits, drives adoption or moves culture — that’s the clearest indicator of relevance.”
Likes and views are applause; behaviour change is proof.
When parents choose differently, riders act safer or SMEs adopt new tools, meaning shows commercial and cultural weight.
2. When Meaning Lifts Conversion
Meaning, she stresses, is not soft.
“When trust, clarity and simplicity translate into commercial uplift, clients stop questioning whether meaningful work pays off.”
At board level, one question dominates: does it work?
3. When Meaning Aligns the Organisation
Often underestimated, but crucial.
Meaning cuts through internal fragmentation by unifying brand, digital, CX and product under one narrative.
Alignment removes friction; friction is the invisible tax on growth.
The Human–Machine Treaty
While many networks are still negotiating with AI, Havas takes a pragmatic position.
“At Havas, anything requiring judgement, empathy, creativity and cultural intuition remains human,” Nizwani says.
Malaysia’s cultural layers — humour, propriety, political temperature — cannot be decoded by machines alone. AI can detect signals, but it cannot interpret them with lived nuance.
What gets automated?
Everything that drains creative energy: production workflows, versioning, data hygiene, dynamic content assembly.
“We free humans to do the work only humans can do — and let machines do what they do faster, cheaper and more consistently.”
Global Networks: Advantage or Anchor?
Does global DNA empower or restrict?
Nizwani offers a balanced view, “Network DNA is an advantage only when applied deliberately and not imposed blindly.”
Havas uses global intelligence and technology selectively. The entrepreneurial heart stays Malaysian. The guiding principle: global scale, local soul.
And in 2026, local soul is competitive strength. Malaysian audiences reward understanding, not instruction.
If Havas Were a Challenger Today
When asked what a new Havas-style challenger would excel at, Nizwani is concise: “A challenger would excel immediately in focus and simplicity.”
It would be integrated from Day One, AI-native, and sprint without legacy constraints. But it would lack the essentials Havas has earned: trust, cultural fluency, long-term relationships, and the coherence of a Village.
Challengers move fast. Havas scales. In 2026, scale with soul wins.
The Mandate for 2026
Nizwani’s doctrine cuts through industry noise:
“Havas isn’t trying to be everything. It’s trying to be what matters,” she says.
Meaning only matters when it creates impact — shaped by human insight, cultural fluency and technology used with intent.
And that is Havas’ bet for 2026 — aligned with where Malaysian brands are heading next.
Share Post:
Haven’t subscribed to our Telegram channel yet? Don’t miss out on the hottest updates in marketing & advertising!
