Rise of the Tribes: How Malaysia’s media can find its humanity again.

By Prof Harmandar Singh – Chairman, Malaysian Media Conference (MMC) 2025

Once upon a time, marketing was about mass. Mass reach. Mass impressions. Mass delusion. But 2025 changed the playbook. The Malaysian Media Conference (MMC) didn’t just talk about audiences; it talked about tribes. Real people bound by belief, behaviour and belonging.

Under the theme “Rise of the Tribes,” this year’s conference became a cultural lens into how Malaysians live, love, shop, pray, play and protest in the algorithm age. The day wasn’t a parade of PowerPoints; it was a masterclass in modern humanity. From family rituals to fandom, from eco-consciousness to faith-fuelled loyalty, every speaker reminded us of one eternal truth… media doesn’t move people; people move media.

THE NEW ORDER: WHEN MASS CULTURE DIED, TRIBES ROSE

Sue-Anne Lim – CEO, Universal McCann (UM) Malaysia

Once upon a time, marketers believed mass reach was the holy grail.

Today, the crowd has splintered into communities and culture has become the new currency. Sue-Anne opened the 21st Malaysian Media & Marketing Conference (MMMC) with a bold declaration: “Algorithmic media fractured shared culture. Tribes are the new cultural operating units.”

She dismantled the outdated funnel that has haunted boardrooms for decades. Purchase intent, awareness, consideration…linear nonsense in a non-linear world. People don’t move down funnels anymore; they move across cultures.

Her framework – the 3Vs of Visibility, Vibrancy, and Variability — revealed how brands grow not through impressions but by embedding into communities. Visibility attracts. Vibrancy engages. Variability sustains.

Sue-Anne’s rallying cry was clear: “Stop chasing demographics. Start decoding culture.”

Brands that thrive today, she argued, are co-created with their audiences. They don’t talk at people; they build with them. And in an age of AI-powered marketing, she warned, “Automation might make us efficient, but it can also make us forgettable.”

THE FAMILY TRIBE: LOVE IS THE NEW MEDIA PLAN

Rachel Tan – Founder, The Nurts

When Rachel Tan took the stage, she began with a question her three-year-old once asked: “Daddy, what is a parent, and what is our relationship supposed to be?”

That question birthed A Parent’s Promise…. and eventually The Nurts, a homegrown brand transforming playtime into a space for connection.

Rachel’s talk was a heartfelt reminder that families are not demographics — they are culture carriers. Grandmothers pass down brands the same way they pass down recipes. Children learn gratitude through bedtime rituals, not banner ads.

“Kids don’t ask for brands — they ask for belonging,” she said.

Her data revealed that most household decisions happen through “collective dialogue” — a three-generation conversation spanning the dinner table and the family WhatsApp group.

Brands that disrupt sacred family moments, she warned, don’t just lose attention — they lose trust.

Key takeaway: Be the brand that supports connection, not steals it.

The Nurts’ own “Heart-to-Heart” cards and The Nurts Day festival proved how family-centred experiences convert joy into loyalty. Over 3,800 attendees, 60 brands, and countless hugs later, the Family Tribe tribe has become a marketing masterclass in empathy.

THE SHOPPER TRIBE: THE NEW RETAIL ROMANCE

Winnie Chen-Head – CEO, Omnicom Media Group Malaysia

In the age of “shoppertainment,” Winnie painted a vivid picture of how Malaysians buy with their thumbs and hearts at the same time.

Today’s shopper scrolls, clicks, compares,and converses…. all before breakfast. The line between content and commerce has evaporated. Winnie called it “the golden blur” where entertainment, influence, and impulse collide.

Her mantra: “Discovery is entertainment. Purchase is participation.”

Retail media is now storytelling with a buy button. From social platforms that double as storefronts to livestreams that feel like theatre, shopping has become a shared cultural act.

Winnie urged marketers to balance “deals with delight” — to make buying an experience, not a transaction. Because in a world of one-click convenience, loyalty is earned by the brands that make people feel seen.

THE FAITHFUL TRIBE: WHEN VALUES OUTSELL DISCOUNTS

Farhan Hafetz – Head of Brand Management & NPD, Jasmine Food Corporation

Farhan didn’t talk about rice. He talked about respect.

For him, faith is not just belief – it is behaviour.

Halalan Toyyiban, karma, ethical sourcing — these are moral GPS systems that guide consumption far deeper than any promotion ever could.

“Faith influences not just what people buy, but why and from whom,” he explained.

His presentation cut through the industry’s lazy symbolism. Jawi calligraphy and token religious imagery, he said, don’t build trust. Authenticity does.

He introduced “The Evangelists” — loyal consumers who become brand ambassadors because the brand aligns with their values. They are forgiving when you make mistakes, but ruthless if you fake sincerity.

Farhan’s rulebook: Empathise, don’t assume. Partner, don’t posture.

When faith and marketing meet ethically, brands don’t just sell – they serve.

THE GREY TRIBE: AGE IS A DATA POINT, NOT A DESTINY

Ramakrishnan CN – Co-Founder, Greytt

“Don’t call them seniors,” Ramakrishnan CN began. “Call them the generation that invented the Internet.”

The Grey Tribe is redefining aging. 88% are optimistic about their future, 75% want flexible work, 90% shop online multiple times a week. These are not retirees — they’re reinventors.

“They don’t scroll for distraction… they scroll for discovery.”

Rama exposed how AI algorithms often ignore or stereotype older users, recommending youth-centric products and entertainment. His plea to brands: “Build with them, not for them.”

He described the Grey generation as co-creators of culture – people who have no patience for gimmicks but endless appetite for meaning.

His final note landed like a mic drop:

“Authenticity isn’t optional…. it’s the entry fee.”

THE GAME TRIBE: PASSION IS THE NEW PLATFORM

Roshan Bose – CEO, Living Minds

If you think sports marketing is about jerseys and sponsorships, Roshan Bose will school you.

He calls sports “the last living theatre of passion” — where identity, community, and adrenaline collide.

From Selangor FC’s fan-owned jersey etched with supporter names to its collab with streetwear label SVG, Roshan showed how fandom has evolved from spectatorship to participation.

“Fans don’t follow teams – they follow emotions.”

In the new era of sports x lifestyle, fandom is culture. Football meets fashion. Badminton meets memes. F1 meets TikTok.

Roshan’s golden rule: treat fans as tribes, not targets. They are not audiences… they’re allies in storytelling.

THE ECO TRIBE: SUSTAINABILITY ISN’T A SLOGAN

Datuk Lai Shu Wei – Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, Sime Darby Property

Datuk Lai Shu Wei spoke elegantly but left the room with blunt truths.

He started with one truth: “Silence is a missed opportunity. But greenwashing destroys trust.”

The Eco Tribe demands action, not adjectives. They expect transparency, traceability, and truth.

Datuk Lai shared Sime Darby Property’s real-world initiatives…. the Elmina Rainforest Knowledge Centre, the Bandar Bukit Raja Wetland Townpark and KL East Park. All designed around nature-based sustainability, not token gestures.His advice:

Show the process, not just results.

Share progress — and imperfections.

Let communities tell the story.

He summed it up beautifully: “Audiences don’t just want to see your sustainability. They want to be part of it.”

THE INFLUENCER TRIBE: MEDIA WITH A PULSE

Datuk Jake Abdullah – Strategic Advisor, Media Prima Audio

Jake Abdullah called influencers what they truly are… human media owners.

In a world where 70% of Malaysians trust influencer recommendations over traditional ads, Jake warned brands: “If you want control, buy an ad. If you want connection, buy trust.”

He dissected influencer tiers, from mega to nano, but flipped the pyramid upside-down: micro creators drive the deepest engagement, not the biggest reach. Jake’s advice to marketers:

Stop over-scripted briefs.

Pay fairly and on time.

Build relationships, not transactions.

And on AI-generated influencers?

“AI can simulate charm, but it can’t simulate soul.”

THE CONNECTED FUTURE: WHERE TRIBES BECOME TIDES

Amit Sutha – CEO, Publicis Groupe Malaysia

In closing, Amit opened many eyes.

“What use is reach if it isn’t noticeable?” he asked.

He challenged marketers to think in ecosystems, not campaigns.

His message, “Platform perfect. Culture-shaped. Platform-tune,” crystallised the narrative. Amit called out lazy metrics and shallow engagement.

“Reach without notice,” he said, “is just noise.”

He ended with ten provocations and one promise:

“The next era of marketing belongs to the connected… not the collected.”

And the Malaysian Media Conference 2025 did not end…

It was just beginning another conversation. As I watched the final applause fade, I realised this wasn’t a conference – it was a mirror.

We didn’t just discuss tribes. We became one.

From The Faithful to The Family, from The Eco to The Grey, each tribe reminded us that people are the heartbeat of marketing… not the data points.

The Rise of the Tribes was more than an agenda. It was a reckoning.

We rediscovered what makes our craft meaningful: resonance over reach, connection over convenience and empathy over efficiency.

So here’s my call to every marketer reading this:

Don’t chase impressions. Leave an impression.

Don’t sell to tribes. Stand with them. And above all…don’t automate the soul out of storytelling.

I want thank you every speaker, delegate, friend, sponsor and supporter who made all this possible. It had been an amazing 21 years since we started the Malaysian Media Conference.