What would Abdul Razak do with a free elephant?

On 15 November, 35 inspiring marketers were celebrated for their outstanding achievements during the CMO Awards 2019. Curious to find out who they are beyond their accomplishments, we emailed our winners five simple questions to answer. We’ll be publishing their answers in this mini series we’ve decided to call “What would this marketer do with a free Elephant?”  

Today we are featuring Division Head of Group Strategic Communications at DRB-HICOM Berhad, Mahmood Abdul Razak who won the award for Best Marketer in Media & Content Partnership Marketing.

What do you wake up every morning excited to do?

To face the challenges of the day. My job is not a cookie cutter job. The Group is large and diversified, and there is always something new challenging my mind. From the smallest divisional issues to the largest subsidiary crisis, these make for a varied career, and I am thankful for this.

If you woke up one morning and found yourself in a perfect world with no limits on budget and resources, what is the one marketing campaign you would make happen?

I have to say public transport (PT). I don’t think operators do near enough to promote PT as a viable alternative. For example, not many know you can get from Subang Jaya to OneUtama using only the LRT, the MRT and the feeder bus systems, almost door-to-door. And yes, PT and private car ownership can co-exist. It must.

What is something you would never change about your team?

Wherever I am, whichever team I am managing, the one thing I won’t change is a team’s desire to explore. I have been blessed because teams I have had the fortune to lead always have a few individuals that want to challenge the norm. It can quickly become infectious if you know how to manage and make it work.

Please complete this sentence: 

As a marketer, you must know… how to reach as many people using all the available platforms at the most cost-effective price.

Tell us something quirky about yourself, not many people know.

As a former editor, new staff tend to be shocked when I notice a spelling or grammar error as soon as they hand over a printed draft, before I even complete reading the entire document end-to-end. It’s a curse, I tell you, for them and for me. 

You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with the elephant?

Name it Norman Vincent Peale (after my last pet cat), and nurture it.