Business

Saturday May 16, 2009

People ‘n Rich-H MD sticks to aggressive growth target

By M. HAFIDZ MAHPAR


TWO decades ago, Marilyn Mei-Li Teoh was so enchanted with the advertising industry that she took a massive pay cut – more than 50% – to join an ad agency as an account executive.

It was a big drop in rank as well, for she had been public affairs manager for the Putra World Trade Centre, where she handled major exhibitions like Defence Asia, festive events like the late Tun Ghafar Baba’s open house, and shows like magician David Copperfield’s.

Teoh has not looked back since. She rose to account manager and later to client service director, and today she is managing director of People ‘n Rich-H Sdn Bhd, a medium-sized agency whose clients include Hitachi, Sime Darby Property, Sime Darby Auto Connexion (Ford Ranger), Cotra Enterprises (Vitagen and Marigold), Abec Technology (Twinhead notebook) and Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur (a five-star hotel under the Boustead group).

Advertising seems a perfect job for Teoh, who did a double degree in social science at the University of Calgary in Canada.

“I was studying psychology, which is about individual humans, and sociology, which is about society,” she says in an interview. “One of the creative directors with years of experience told me, ‘If there’s one degree that you need to have in advertising, its psychology’, and I asked her why. She replied: ‘Because advertising is marketing – it’s all about consumers and psychology is about consumer insights.’ When I heard that, I said, ‘Yay!”

The learning during her university days has been useful. The experience Teoh had right after she graduated – working at the Merlin group in the 1980s – also serves her well, especially during this economic downturn.

It was at Faber Merlin’s sales and marketing unit that Teoh honed her marketing skills. “I marketed all the properties – the resorts, the inns and the city hotels,” she recalls.

“Because I came from sales and marketing in the hospitality industry, searching for business is ingrained in me,” says Teoh, who had been on the account management side prior to becoming MD three years ago. “When you’re managing accounts in an agency, new business is not part of the job scope.”

People ‘n Rich-H will do a concerted new business search. “We will be very aggressive this year, and we have a track record of delivering results to back us up,” she says, adding that it is targeting fast-moving consumer goods companies and financial institutions as potential clients.

“Annually we target at least 20% growth, and we achieved that target last year,” she says. “For this year, Malaysian fundamentals are very strong and I have a very good team. We have not lowered our target.”

People ‘n Rich-H recorded billings of RM32mil last year.

Asked about People ‘n Rich’s creative reputation, she says that in recent years the agency hasn’t submitted many entries for award shows.

“Firstly for me, it is important that a particular idea delivers results for the client. And if the idea wins awards at the same time, it’s definitely a bonus,” she says. “Especially in the current climate, clients appreciate that whatever campaigns we come out with focus on results first.”

“The main challenge this year is the same as what everyone is facing – the economic downturn. But having said that, we’ve set our targets and plans and we have a good mix of veterans and fresh talent in all the departments. I always tell our people to keep their eyes on the ball and we do weekly reviews.”

Teoh says one reason clients choose to stay with People ‘n Rich-H is they can see a holistic advertising campaign.

People ‘n Rich-H is one of the few ad agencies in Malaysia that still have a media planning unit.

“It means we’re truly a full-service agency. When we plan our campaigns and discuss things, our media director joins us,” she says.

“A full-service agency has tremendous value as it provides a totally integrated communication solutions.”

People ‘n Rich-H also has sister agencies involved in other aspects of marketing communications. They include Display Asia, which sells portable display systems for exhibitions and roadshows; Ambient Media, which handles ambient marketing; media-buying house Media Consortium Corp; and Star Media Malaysia, which designs retail counters.

Asked whether People ‘n Rich-H would set up a digital marketing agency, Teoh says there is always a possibility. It is already providing digital marketing services, she notes.

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story