Malaysia: Government brands itself with 1Malaysia concept

Malaysia is probably one of the very few that is banking a lot on government campaigns, with the consistent usage of the “1Malaysia” concept.

Launched two years ago by the Malaysia government under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak, the concept is about ethnic harmony, which is the foundation of Malaysia’s progress to unite the country.

It is said that the government has spent US$12.4 million (RM38 million) in promoting this concept. Since then, the government has launched different institutions with “1” in their names, such as 1Malaysia clinics, 1Malaysia email, 1Malaysia grocery stores, 1Malaysia Foundation, 1Malaysia Youth Fund and NAJ1B.

The general sentiment is that this campaign is meant to fish votes in the upcoming general election, which must be called by March. The country has experienced a political tsunami during the general election in 2008, where the ruling government won just 51 per cent of the votes and 63 per cent of parliamentary seats.

Some industry players describe the country's efforts as “an excellent example of a monolithic brand architecture in action”, adding that the campaign has succeeded in permeating all levels of Malaysian society.

A regional media veteran said the ‘1’ campaign is well-intentioned but that it falls short on the execution front. “It unfortunately comes across as rough around the edges and has failed to resonate with the public,” he said. “The core reason for its failure is that BN (the client) has ignored the golden rule in advertising: Great advertising can’t save a poor product and paper over the cracks.”

He noted that the general perception of the government is one of widespread corruption, race-based politics and pot shots at the opposition-run state administrations.

“The moneyed, educated and sophisticated middle-class segment in Malaysia is also a notoriously tough audience to connect to and convince,” he added.

Although the 1Malaysia campaign is professionally called a government campaign, the people generally perceive it as a party campaign, or even an individual campaign for Razak.

This is due to the rumour that the Prime Minister's office has a think-tank that helps address branding and advertising issues, as well as creating a 360-degree communications strategy.

Anything that the government does nowadays will ultimately get the party boosted, after all. Currently, the 1Malaysia campaign also goes together with the tagline “Janji Ditepati” (Promises Fulfilled), which was launched in April.

The “Promises Fulfilled” concept was used as the National Day celebration theme in August, a tool used by the government to send the message that the elected party BN has always fulfilled their promises.

Meanwhile, an initiative that people feel uses a more individualistic approach is the NAJ1B concept (Negeri Aman Jaya 1Malaysia Bersatu) launched last month, which is said to be about understanding people's problems and finding solutions. The concept is initiated by the Perak state government.

Earlier, Razak had been the focal point of an outdoor advertising campaign promoting his administration to Selangor commuters, targeting urban voters demanding more political and social freedom. According to sources, design work was done by Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, a private international university founded by an ex-ad man, and the rest was handled within the PM's office.

An advertising veteran based in Kuala Lumpur noted that while one can argue that Razak may get political benefits out of the campaign, no one can deny that ethnic harmony is core to Malaysian social fabric, nor that the campaign was perfectly timed.

The Prime Minister has also gone a long way to connect and engage voters, especially the younger generation, via social media—a move that is probably inspired by Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008.

Dinesh Sandhu, regional director, media, Southeast Asia at Hakuhodo Asia, said the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) has made great strides to make itself relevant in utilising social media as a part of its community outreach strategy.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “It demonstrates political intent, which is good. Rumour has it that the Prime Minister's office has an elaborate PR team pulling the strings. I see nothing wrong with that as all ‘brands’ need a marketing team. The team has employed a multi-prong digital strategy to connect with all strata of society. A quick check on social media reveals a tremendous amount of followers and fans.”

A large percentage of these followers and fans are expected to be party loyalists, the media and opposition politicians who keep abreast of his movements, news and policy announcements. 

“Unfortunately, the key targets of youth and PMEBs (Professionals, Managers, Executives and Business Owners) are a somewhat disenfranchised lot who will take a lot of convincing, much more than what a few populist tweets and mentions can deliver,” he said.

During the Malaysia general elections in 2008, the opposition utilised blogs, Facebook, Twitter and alternative news websites to make its campaign pledges, keep the public informed and execute its campaign strategy. The result was a resounding success as the opposition swept into power in five states.

On the whole, industry players said the phenomenon of politicians and political parties banking on advertising to build their “brand” is good for the industry and the country, and social media and the web accelerate and enhance that process.

“The fact that PM office has an advertising and 360 communication wing is extremely progressive and an ode to the relevance of our industry in the future of a society and country, beyond selling soaps and shampoos,” the advertising veteran in Kuala Lumpur said. “We must celebrate it.”