kensolusi

2012-02-09T08:03:00.000+08:00

In the midst of difficulties, lies opportunities... A good commercial rightly placed at the superbowl halftime.

London Looking Good

2012-02-07T02:58:00.001+08:00

Looking Good - The Run Up to The London Games.

Puchong's New Town

2012-01-30T18:36:00.000+08:00

With the new growth focus centred around Bukit Puchong at the south gate of the Puchong LDP, Bukit Hitam Development Sdn Bhd (BHD) has strategically named their newly launched commercial area BP:NEWTOWN™. The new projects launched in the immediate surrounding areas (D'Island, Zen Residence, The Wharf, D'Alpinia, 16 Sierra) by other developers are all premium priced. This has thrusted BHD to the foreground with their more than 600 acres of prime land bank. Already, news is out that TESCO is moving in, in addition to the TAYLOR'S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL already being built. The new branding thus positions the new commercial area in BUKIT PUCHONG clearly as the PUCHONG NEW TOWN.

ref: puchongnewtown.blogspot.com

2012-01-23T02:47:00.000+08:00

2012-01-09T21:45:00.000+08:00

How Golf Clubs Can Improve Their Bookings Through Social Media Marketing - Artipot

2012-01-07T11:21:00.000+08:00

Why is now called THE PRESENT.

Time Waits for Noone Movie:

You must make the most of every moment you have.brbr"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back."br~ Harvey MacKaybrbrTo purposefully bring into your life the things you truly want you MUST take advantage of every moment you have. Below is a very clever video that puts this all into perspective...sit back enjoy and share it with others.

2012-01-06T08:06:00.000+08:00

The beautiful photographs of Doug Rickard's Google Street View project: Observatory: Design Observer

The Best Pork in Bangsar. Word gets out...

2011-12-22T09:06:00.000+08:00

This small and simple card will be distributed over the year end. It acknowledges the parking problem in Lucky Garden, Bangsar and leverages on the problem as a worthwhile process in getting the best pork in Bangsar.

www.sanbanto.com.my

From the menu:

SANBANTO ORIGINS

Sanbanto started with a clear vision of producing the best quality pork in Malaysia. For many years, we have been supplying to some of the best restaurants in Malaysia.

Sanbanto means Jemaluang, a district in Johor, from where originates the high quality Sanbanto Pork, in much the same way Kobe Beef is known for.

SANBANTO QUALITY

Quality water, no harmful drugs or illegal injections and grain feed with probiotics are some of the very careful steps we take to produce high quality pork.

Sanbanto’s Cold Chain delivery method ensures fresh meat is consistently kept at 0 to 4 degrees Celsius right from the farm to the cold room at your Sanbanto Cafe.

Sanbanto is certified with ISO22000: 2005 and the Moody International Food Safety Management System, both assurances of our high quality standards.

SANBANTO CAFÉ

What better way to make sure you enjoy quality pork than to serve it to you in deliciously creative and also traditional ways at our Sanbanto cafés.You may also buy home the cold cuts and enjoy your own delicious pork creations at home.

Enjoy high quality Sanbanto Pork “FRESH FROM THE FARM TO YOUR PLATE.”

2011-12-22T09:00:00.001+08:00

"Business networking is not a linear process. It is radial." ~ alwaysken

2011-10-07T14:18:00.000+08:00

2011-10-06T07:58:00.001+08:00

R.I.P. Steve Jobs. Thanks for everything!

2011-09-21T00:26:00.000+08:00

2011-09-15T23:53:00.003+08:00

Social Media Backlash on Nike's new shoe launch.

Backlash To The Future. Overpricing.

THE VIDEO

2011-08-23T08:56:00.002+08:00

My yearn to teach and share has come back again.

2011-08-23T08:49:00.001+08:00

My Book...

The writing begins at long last after simmering at the inside back of my skull for 2 years. The trigger was after writing a message to a prominent entrepreneur about a certain agency's pitch for one of his accounts. I mentioned the importance of SQ in the branding of a company. I contemplated on this SQ (spiritual quotient) all this while.

But after writing that email 2 days back, the right 'S' came about - Social Branding.

Where Stephen Covey left off in The 8TH HABIT - SQ, PQ, IQ and EQ were on the same plain - with SQ driving Gandhi or missing SQ for Hitler.

I delved on this for the longest while. Each company, CEO needs to drive the brand and company with very high SQ and summarised with a SQ statement - be it in the form of a tagline, vision or mission.

Each SQ statement drives a benefit for humanity and is not about financial gains.

My struggle was the word Spiritual. Now I have found and realised its already used - which is also good - Social Quotient.

Hence, for every company - while the business objectives should be on financial gains or sustainability, the passion and drive will come from non-financial references. It comes from a social benefit.

TESCO - "Helping you spend less"

AIRASIA - "Now everyone can fly"

2011-08-19T08:05:00.001+08:00

Double branding at Costco...

2011-08-02T23:56:00.002+08:00

I have only recently discovered another fabulous Malaysian Voice.

2011-07-22T12:55:00.008+08:00

This I got from a fwd email this morning ~

When we listen to what someone is saying, we constantly predict ahead, trying to work out what they are going to say. It is thus relatively easy to set up expectation and then dash it. This causes confusion and hence makes the person review and re-think what you are really saying.
The confusion and subsequent realization of Paraprosdokian makes it a popular formula with comics and other humorists. Paraprosdokian comes from the Greek words for 'beyond' and 'expectation'.

Here are some, then again some uttered by well-known people:

- Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
- The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.
- Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
- If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.
- War does not determine who is right -- only who is left.
- Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
- Evening news is where they begin with "Good evening," and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
- To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
- A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. My desk is a work station.
- How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
- Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
- A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.
- Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says "If an emergency, notify:" I put "DOCTOR."
- I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
- Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
- Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?
- Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
- A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
- “If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving might not be for you.”
- The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!
- Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.
- A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.
- Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.
- Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.
- I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.
- You're never too old to learn something stupid.
- Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
- A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.
- Some people aren’t appreciated until after they’re gone, so I’d appreciate it very much if you’d leave.
- The car stopped on a dime, which unfortunately was in a pedestrian's pocket.
- Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, you will be a mile away and he won't have any shoes.
- To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
- "You can always count on Americans to do the right thing — after they've tried everything else."- Winston Churchill
- "She got her good looks from her father; he's a plastic surgeon." — Groucho Marx
- At a concert, a gentleman leans over and says, “I love good music.” Groucho replies, “I do too. Let’s get out of here.”

2011-07-03T09:02:00.000+08:00

Branding tip:
"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." - Mark Twain

Social Media Revolution 3 (4:15 version via Erik Qualman)

2011-07-01T09:15:00.000+08:00

2011-07-01T09:05:00.003+08:00

SOCIAL MEDIA vs TECHNOLOGY

Just recently I have witnessed and believe it's quite common that the social media business is seen as a technology or technical business. Hence programmers, designers and arty directors are put in charge of such divisions in their companies. By all means the social media animal is a people business. You will need people people.
Tech can be hired or bought. Freelancers can be sourced.

Hence engagement writers, writers, PR people, or the people-type of designers/art directors should lead the team or divisions or companies.

Presentation to clients should thrust communications, business trends, consumer speaks and happenings. Not platforms, gadgets and infrastructure.
Just imagine the KFC people loading you with all the info about their hi-tech ovens, chicken breeding technology and air circulatory systems when all we want is 'chicken'. Just give me chicken.

2011-06-29T05:22:00.002+08:00

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy.
The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f".. This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi TU understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl.

2011-05-19T12:58:00.001+08:00

Douglas Lim's H-O-N-D-I

2011-05-18T16:38:00.000+08:00

BRANDERTAINING! Daring but it surely works.

2011-05-18T08:17:00.001+08:00

COMING VERY SOON!

This is the re-engineered property newly named KIARA EAST. After more than a year of hard work by the team, it's finally rolling out within months time. Comprising Sky Lofts, Designer Suites and Parkfront Villas. Find out more at the link provided. The new brand and product reflects the market wants and needs currently. A "Verve Suite" without the Mont Kiara price yet only 5 minutes from Mont Kiara (tested and proven fact).

2011-03-28T09:04:00.001+08:00

Pantone Reveals Color of the Year for 2011:
PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle

http://www.pantone.com/pages/MYP_mypantone/mypInfo.aspx?ca=75&pg=20824

2011-03-04T10:45:00.001+08:00

Premier serviced apartments near KLIA.

Actual directional view from ERL station - Salak Tinggi. Only 200 meters from property.

Gema Padu will be launching soon their 4 towers of serviced apartments.
It is only 5 minutes to KLIA by the ERL transit train which is barely 200 meters from the property.

That also means it is only 25 minutes to KL Sentral.
Why then do you ever need a car if you are a regular traveller. Fly. Train and you are home.

Your home,
KLIA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, World.

2011-02-19T16:14:00.002+08:00

The Simple Truths of Service Movie

2010-12-24T14:49:00.002+08:00

2010-12-06T19:03:00.003+08:00

Property Branding:
KL's Newest Walkable Community

Client: SBC Corporation Bhd
Project: A-Kiara East
Type: Mixed development
Media: The Edge
Insertion: Week 12 December 2010

2010-12-06T06:52:00.007+08:00

Nippon Menard Malaysia launches AUTHENT.

Menard is a very established and trusted brand in skincare. Menard in Malaysia is doing something very refreshing with a totally new team of energy.

http://nipponmenard.com.my/authent/index.html

It costs not little for the 50g / 1.7 OZ. So it must be really good. You may like to know more about the recipe for its efficacy. I understand they tried it on half faces over time and the effects were spectacular.

Taken from website: "A multi-function cream with a composite effect on skin that develops various problems with age. The moment you apply AUTHENT CREAM to your skin, you can experience a sensational feel. The cream gently spreads over every part of your skin and leads to clear supple skin. Your skin is covered with a fine-textured veil of the cream, just like new skin.
As time passes, your skin approaches a bright future. AUTHENT CREAM provides the skin around the eyes and mouth with a velvet smoothness. A moist, supple and fine-textured skin ensuring a beautiful makeup finish is now yours. The feel of comfort changes on the skin moment by moment, something you will have never experienced, as this rich cream smoothly spreads over the skin. It is absorbed into the skin surface like it is melting, and you can feel as if the cream is becoming one with the skin. The fragrance of AUTHENT CREAM is produced from quality natural essential oil of roses, orange flowers, and violets blended with ambrette seed oil*, and full of femininity."

* Ambrette seed oil: Natural essential oil extracted from the seeds of a plant called Abelmoschus moschatus, a kind of hibiscus.

2010 TRENDS

2010-12-02T10:12:00.000+08:00

2010 TRENDS in Brand Design

2010-11-26T13:42:00.000+08:00

The Power of a Brand. Living It everyday.

--------------------------------
Wife's diary vs Husband's diary

WIFE's DIARY:

Sunday night - I thought he was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a cafe to have some coffee. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment.

Conversation wasn't flowing so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk, he agreed but his mind was far away. I asked him what was wrong - he said, "Nothing." I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it had nothing to do with me and not to worry.

On the way home I told him that I loved him, he simply smiled and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior; I don't know why he didn't say, "I love u, too."

When we got home I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there and watched TV; he seemed distant and absent.

Finally I decided to go to bed. About 10 minutes later he came to bed. I decided that I could not take it anymore, so I decided to confront him with the situation but he had fallen asleep. I started crying and cried until I too fell asleep. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.

HUSBAND's DIARY:

Today Manchester United lost again

THE LAUGHING TIGRESS: No Left Turns

2010-11-14T22:46:00.000+08:00

THE LAUGHING TIGRESS: No Left Turns: "An old but evergreen story by Michael Gartner, an American journo who won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 1997. On the streets o..."

2010-11-08T07:42:00.001+08:00

DEX MARKET SQUARE

A democratic space for exchange of ideas, public community space, expressions and total chill.

The canopy for the market square.

Side elevation

The top view - I call the lizard's torso

Material study

2010-11-05T20:54:00.000+08:00

DEX is launching on 11/11/10.

2010-09-08T13:45:00.006+08:00

Brand Your Life. Live Your Brand.

Branding is an internal process. For companies, it is best to identify the internal brand champion - which usually leads from the founder, business owner or CEO. For some it may be difficult to articulate the brand properties - essence, values, etc. Hiring a branding coach to work with is one good way - just like a business coach, coaching builds the internal capability. Engaging a full branding campaign may be sensible for larger corporations as in most corporations the original founders, pioneers may no longer be in the company - thus making it difficult to establish the 'voice' as pronounced in 'The 8th Habit' (Stephen Covey).

Whichever way it is to be, do eventually bring the branding process to home ground. It is an ever ongoing endeavour. If you need to appoint a brand agency, do look at working out a retainer team on your brand. Sometimes, the client ends up hiring the brand executives from the agency.

Brand Your Live:
In establishing the brand of your new service or product, start looking within yourself. You may find the reason(s) why you started on the project. Sometimes, it may be from a childhood experience (eg: to share nature, to build toys that kids really like, to make shelves lower, etc.). Look at the reason why and not just the form. You may find some feel factor and turn that into a brand factor.

Live Your Brand:
What you think, you act. And that is really true. If you cannot accept the values of your brand, either you have someone else champion the product or you get out of the way. OR perhaps, the brand is not reflecting your original intentions. Perhaps someone else wrote the brand for you. THEN, back to square one - Find the original brand values within yourself - your intentions....

2010-09-07T17:31:00.004+08:00

Our New Graphic Insignia

+ Our new tagline which we really like as it clearly synergises with Kenneth's work philosophy and character ~ for better or first™.

2010-08-31T11:23:00.002+08:00

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Is your brand a carrot, an egg or coffee?

As with all emailed forwards, I will discard after reading. But this one below did struck on to me to be of relevance to brands and branding esp in handling relationshoip situations.

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked,
'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

May we all be COFFEE!! and Cheers, I just sipped my expresso, like always.

--- end---

Your brand is a relationship between your product and your customer. In all, your brand is a living 'thing'.

2010-08-23T23:02:00.003+08:00

At times, even I get lost in the branding industry's thicket of terminology and it's own thick explanations. I tried to find some better explanations for some different things...

Measuring Brand Equity

View more presentations from Carol Phillips.

2010-08-22T01:44:00.004+08:00

If you have an hour to spare, you will need to spend it on this video. Creative economy - a very good narrative by Richard Florida. i am sold.

2010-08-21T09:51:00.003+08:00

John Howkins on the Creative Economy

2010-08-19T02:13:00.001+08:00

2010-08-19T02:02:00.002+08:00

2010-08-19T01:52:00.001+08:00

2010-08-07T15:34:00.002+08:00

CREATIVE WORK SPACE for sale soon:

The last 10 months, I have been working with a client SBC Corporation Bhd, in developing a new property product which meets the expectations and needs of the new market - Gen-Y, in particular. About 30% of these units will be offered for sale by invitation to the creative industry especially.

The soft launch will take place in October while the special invitees will be offered the first option from end August - with a price advantage.

Some preview hints:
City fringe, city centre > Kuala Lumpur address > 80 acre green park existing within 500 metres > direct access off highways > dedicated train station > some units with view of KLCC... These units are built to commercial specifications - hence are suitable for creative work spaces > very high ceilings for you to opt for additional deck floor above > enhanced floor loading to bring in a harley for a photo shoot > means larger lifts to accommodate such a feat > no walls within > no columns inside > .....

Price? Similar to a residential condo price. AND... built to be able to sustain habitation - when you need to work round the clock.

MORE TO COME... (pls email me if you would like to be on the invited list. We will send a questionaire for pre-qualification. No obligations - both ways).

2010-08-02T23:48:00.002+08:00

DRiViNG CREATiVE ECONOMiES

2010-08-01T05:10:00.004+08:00

It still does surprise me that many people have not ever read Sun Tzu's: The Art Of War:

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." ~ sun tzu

I guess that keeps strategists occupied.

2010-07-30T00:53:00.000+08:00

"Branding is Not the No.1 Factor in Property Development."

Every time I reach the part of my presentation to prospective clients (property developers), the chairs shift. It is the utmost truth in this statement - at least for the most part in relation to the property market in Malaysia.

   30 years ago or more recent to that, any block of concrete  that resembles a house will be sold very quickly in all parts of Kuala Lumpur. Land was readily available for construction of homes and shops. Most were in good locations. The buyers get to choose by location. There was a mad rush for homes - booming industries brought much money to people in general.

   Fast forward to current times - all the great locations are already filled up. If someone were to be buying by choice of location, they can easily buy any existing house to be torn down and rebuilt. Taman Tun, Bangsar, and now Damansara Utama, Damansara Jaya.... all in the Klang Valley.

   Hence, the most important factor is now 1. DIFFERENTIATION, then 2. BRANDING and only then 3. LOCATION. This rule of course do not apply to properties that are in good locations. I am talking about new large scale or medium scale projects.

   This approach has been proven true in Desa Parkcity, Sentul YTL, Lake Edge, Setia EcoPark... Not great or favoured locations when the projects were conceived. But they answered well the buyers' questions of "WHAT WILL IT DO FOR ME?   WHAT'S IN  IT FOR ME?   HOW WILL IT CHANGE MY LIFE?".

   Today these projects have made the locations highly appealing as they have drawn in new migrants from across other areas in the city and created a new buzz to their respective areas.

   Branding is very important only if you have a good product to offer. Branding alone will not sell homes. Branding enhances the value of good projects and draw in the right clients.

2010-07-23T21:33:00.004+08:00

Active CEO Blogger

If you want to meet a Malaysian CEO who actually blogs in the true sense, go to www.fingertec.com and click bottom left "Blog-CEO". With all sincerity. Cheers to another good Malaysian company.

THE FINGERTEC GLOBAL BRAND AUDIT
Conducted by Kensolusi 2009-2010.

2010-07-23T21:18:00.003+08:00

Sure Good News!

Our client Sure-Reach Records Management has teamed up with Tricor to form Sure-Reach Tricor Records Management Sdn Bhd. This expands the business reach tremendously tapping into Tricor's impressive list of clients. Sure-Reach is the World's First RFID Integrated Records Management centre (Still the only one at this moment).

2010-07-19T13:56:00.004+08:00

Kenneth believes:
“Branding is an internal process that companies
must endeavor continuously to develop their
internal passions to nurture and live their own
brand values for the true success of their
businesses.”

Branding is not a task to be accomplished.
It is a living part of business processes.

Hence, the responsibility of your brand must always lie in house and not to be outsourced. While Branding Agencies may lay the groundwork for a brand direction etc., internal personnel MUST be trained or sourced to live the brand.

The time has now come for me to realise one of my passions - teaching and sharing.

Introduction:
Kenneth is 46 years of age and is getting younger with each new media technology
that rolls out. Kenneth brings fresh thinking and certainly new perspectives to any
task at hand. He has been Blue Ocean in his approaches long before the term was
coined.

Having spent more than 20 years of his professional career with international
advertising agencies, Kenneth spent the recent 10 years being the customer,
consumer, award-winning technopreneur, retailer, father, shopper, inventor, trainer,
business-builder and a strong advocate for change in typical business mindset.
Currently, Kenneth is writing his first book - TOTAL BRANDING FROM THE
INNER CORE: FINDING THE SWEET SPOT.

He consults out from his company KENSOLUSI™ CONSULTING.

Kenneth has also newly embarked on sharing his knowledge and understanding via
coaching and training arrangements for companies and individuals.

2010-07-18T01:30:00.001+08:00

"A great brand - looks good, sounds good and feels good." ~ kensolusi

2010-07-16T12:09:00.002+08:00

"Branding is the proactive process of influencing 'current emotional perception' of a product or service." ~ kensolusi

Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh)

2010-06-30T15:10:00.000+08:00

Sinfully Stylish: Loft 5 Luxury Lofts and Condos in South Las Vegas

2010-06-29T18:13:00.000+08:00

2010-06-29T17:42:00.001+08:00

Loft culture is finding its place in Gen-Y and designers preferred habitat in Malaysia. What exactly is a 'loft'.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A loft can be an upper storey or attic in a building, directly under the roof. Alternatively, it can be a loft apartment which is a large adaptable open space either created or converted for residential use.

Loft apartment

Warehouses converted into loft apartments in Hoxton, London.

Loft apartments are apartments that are generally built from former industrial buildings. When industrial developments are developed into condominiums instead of apartments, they may be called loft condominiums. The general term warehouse-to-loft conversions may sometimes be used for development of industrial buildings into apartments and condominiums. "Loft-style" may also refer simply to developments where a street-level business occupies the first floor while apartment "lofts" are placed above the first floor.
Sometimes, loft apartments are one component of municipal urban renewal initiatives that also include renovation of industrial buildings into art galleries and studio space as well as promotion of a new part of the city as an "arts district."
Originally popular with artists, they are now highly sought-after by other bohemians, and the gentrification of the former manufacturing sectors of large cities is now a familiar pattern.^[1] One such sector is Manhattan's Meatpacking District. The adoption of the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (2001) in the City of Los Angeles (primarily the Arts District) is another example of such legislation to encourage the conversion of no longer economically viable industrial and commercial buildings to residential loft communities. Such is the demand for these spaces that real estate developers have taken to creating ready-made "lofts" in urban areas that are gentrifying or that seem primed to do so. While some of these units are created by developers during the renovation of old buildings, a number of them are included in the floor plans of brand new developments. Both types of pre-fab loft offer buyers or renters proximity to urban amenities afforded by traditional lofts, but without perceived safety risks of living in economically depressed formerly industrial areas.
Real estate industry distinguishes between "hard lofts", which are former industrial buildings converted to residential or live/work use, and "soft lofts", which are loft-style residential buildings built entirely anew as described above.

Commercial loft

A commercial loft refers to a building that has ceilings over 17 feet (5 m) in height and a second story area for storage or offices above. These are usually industrial spaces with an added office element on a second level.

Live/work loft

A live/work loft is a space designed to house a resident and their business. This concept has been a vital part of the redevelopment of major downtown cities' inner cores.^{[citation needed]} The concept of cutting costs on space, travel and more is essential in the live/work loft.

2010-05-27T21:46:00.002+08:00

Managed to get these old shots of the first total wrap LRT we did at BBDO, Malaysia back in 2004. Photographer Loo worked tediously with the very tenacious Chee Wee, who in his first year of work chalked up more portfolio than anyone else I know. Working with young and bright people is always an enjoying experience for me.

2010-03-10T09:14:00.002+08:00

“I could not have put the book down. The last chapters were drawing close but unstoppable. The café was where it all happened. And the men, they were in another world right then. ~ Freshly-minted croissants now permeating the air. The comfort of cheese was well salvaged with black olives. Were these words that I heard spoken by the kind-faced lady or did I just read them the previous page. The story was immersing with reality at coffee speed now at the sunlit spot where I was sofa-ed. For an hour and more. Till the croissants above perforated the story.”

Thought I'd share the prose that will position a off-the-beaten-track spa I hope to be working on. Meeting the client this afternoon. Ken.

2010-03-08T13:51:00.004+08:00

"The Branding & Communications Department"

In all the years I have worked with SMEs and SMIs, I have not seen this department meaningfully manned by experienced and branding-enlightened personnel. At best, they are more like the advertising and promotions department.
Still, that gets better than having no department at all. Right? But that's where my peace ends.

OPPORTUNITY COSTS.

The impotency of a company's branding 'efforts' has much more to lose than time, money and sales. Consumers and customers alike, today are on a fast moving train. Not doing your branding properly is NOT like a station just watching trains go by. Not doing your branding right will get your station taken off the route and mental map.

A company with good branding gets people coming not just to enjoy the products and services.

The customers enjoy the buying experience as well. They feel you identify with their needs, values and ideals. And they will recommend that friends on other trains must make a stop at your station too. Because they feel you understand them.

2010-01-07T19:52:00.004+08:00

NEW SEXY POWER SUPPLY GADGETS AT CES 2010.
Power Strip, Home Theater Power Strip, Power Block, LCD Digital Image screens...
www.menontechnologies.com

CES 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada, Booth: South 4 36712

Company Overview:

Menon Technologies is a manufacturer of computer & home theater hardware with specialization in Power Surge Protection & Universal Power Adapters. MENON 'Beautifully Design' series includes Digital Power Strips & Surge Suppressors, Home Theater Power Conditioners & Universal Notebook Power Adapters.

Brand Names:

MENON - DIGITAL POWER STRIP (DPS) MENON - HOME THEATER POWER CENTER (HTPC) MENON - UNIVERSAL POWER ADAPTER (QUBE) MENON - DIGITAL PICTURE FRAME (MOMENTS)

This Exhibitor offers products & services in the following categories:

• Accessories

» Audio Accessories

» Computer Hardware and Software Accessories

» Electronic Gaming Accessories

» High Performance Audio Accessories

» Home Theater Accessories

» Mobile Office Accessories

» Mobile/Vehicle Accessories

» Small Office/ Home Office Accessories

• Computer Hardware and Software

» Accessories

» Other Computer Hardware and Software

» Other Computer Peripherals

• Ecofriendly Products

• Home Theater

» Accessories

» Other Home Theater Products

• Mobile Office

» Mobile Office Accessories

» Supplemental Power Systems

• Small Office and Home Office

» Other Small Office and Home Office Products

• Video

» Accessories

» Digital TV Products

2010-01-07T02:41:00.000+08:00

USEFUL ELECTRONIC TIPS on energy conservation from MENON site.

Paying too much for your electricity?

Many people use their home/office electronic appliances continuously without knowing how much power they consume, both in the ‘switched on’ state and ‘switched off’ state.
Power display, such as those show provided with MENON products will show you that you're probably using more electricity than you thought - and how much it's costing.
MENON meters are more accurate as they use the actual VA (power) values from your devices, and not just theoretical values.
Even when your home appliances are switched off, there is still a small amount of current that is used even when these devices are switched off or in standby mode. This term is coined ‘Vampire loading’.

Save electricity – get rid of Vampire Loading

Once the standby devices are de-activated (typically by a button on the device or by remote control), all power supplied to the ‘automatically switched on’ devices is stopped so they will not be able to draw current that they would normally be consuming when they are off.
Power displays with LCD readouts will help you monitor and subsequently reduce your daily power consumption and which particular device is drawing the most loads with the use of this function.

Why is it good to switch off my computer peripherals?

When an electronic device is left on continuously (standby mode), there is heat building up inside the device that weakens the electronic components and leaves them more prone to premature failure. Simply turn off / switch your device to low power sleep mode to save electricity and extend its life span.

2010-01-07T02:17:00.002+08:00

CES Consumer Electronics Show 2010

This is the biggie of all new launches in the consumer electronics sector. New stuff, new gadgets, new anything electronics. It is held at Las Vegas, Nevada from 7 till 10 January, 2010.

Our client and now friend Sanjay Menon is launching his new brand MENON by Menon Technologies. Kensolusi has just completed the website over the holiday weekends - in the hands of our super duper web developer Juliane. So were the peripherals with the help of Addresser. The link is menontechnologies.com

Be amazed with what your power strip and the Home Theatre Power Centre could now look like and it comes with a remote control to switch everything off at one click. Reducing your carbon footprint when you go to sleep at night.

Do watch out for this new consumer electronics brand. If you are familiar with Belkin etc... then you will be interested to know more about this business.

2010-01-04T10:41:00.000+08:00

WORK IN PROGRESS

Developing logo for the World CSR-SRI event in May.

2009-12-18T01:07:00.010+08:00

recognising
your new
brand

Your brand must be recognised in 3 different ways.

1. SIGHT - Color and/or: shape, size, font, style, etc. Close your eyes and you can remember Air-Asia's signature font and red, Apple's apple, IBM's IBM, Mercedes' Tri-star, BMW's circle with 2 black quarter sections within, Audi's 4 hoops........ and so on. The nike swoosh, coke's wave are other classic examples.

2. SOUND - Describe to someone on the phone a name of a brand you recall. Difficult names will never be able to be communicated on the phone without spelling it our a few times. It is even more difficult for the person on the other end of the line to decipher. Imagine trying to recall such a brand. 'Carrefour' in Asia is a mouthfull. In the end people did not care and just called it Care Four.

3. FEEL - The overall brand communication via graphic, advertising etc must be able to leave you with an experience which is the 'feel' factor you retain emotionally or otherwise. And of course most importantly, after you have tried the brand - what is the lingering thought and feel you have. Does it correspond with the 'brand' advertising?

2009-12-16T01:13:00.001+08:00

Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology | Video on TED.com

2009-12-11T09:34:00.002+08:00

生 - The stylised chinese character of 'Life / Growth'
is shaped into a mariner's sextant.

Ark Navigation Sdn Bhd is a shipping and chartering agent
covering local and international routes.

2009-11-14T22:29:00.003+08:00

PJX's new meetin9 place. From 2010.

2009-09-20T07:58:00.002+08:00

2009-09-14T04:48:00.006+08:00

Some of our current clients.

SBC CORPORATION BHD - Also known as Siah Brothers
BSG PROPERTY - A division of Boon Siew Group
SURE-REACH GROUP
FINGERTEC

NIPPON MENARD MALAYSIA - Web work in progress
INFINITE QL - Web work in progress
THE SUBMERSIBLES
RUSS CONSULTING
KONQUIP - Concrete Polishing

2009-09-14T04:30:00.002+08:00

Kenneth Tan's career experience.

Kenneth’s 22-year creative career spans International & Regional Advertising Agencies including J.Walter Thompson, Bozell, BBDO, FCB, Interface & Us Advertising.

He is a creative person with strong business acumen & marketing instincts. He attained his marketing qualifications midway through his advertising career. Among awards he has won, one that stood out was not from the advertising arena. In year 2000, he garnered an award in a nationwide competition organized by by Mesdaq and McKinsey for new technopreneurial business ideas, while running a dotcom brick and mortar retail business.

Kenneth has also spent time immersing in industries such as the outdoor media, sports & event marketing, mobile technologies, retail & distribution, manufacturing and the internet media.

Kenneth is passionate with new media technologies and its applications to business and daily life. While creating effective campaigns, he never loses sight of current trends, people sentiments and the need to simplify communications for the audience.

Kenneth now specializes in creating, promoting & communicating brands across the industry.

2009-09-14T04:19:00.003+08:00

Solely consulting work.

We are currently re-aligning our services to focus solely in consulting work as it is the most critical area in need for our clients. As for graphic designing & advertising; we believe such services can be sourced from other parties; which can provide more time and focus. Web communications consulting wise, we will continue to nurture the the division which has been blooming tremendously over the last months under the care of Juliane. She's our web biz manager. In 2010, the plan is to have this web consulting biz standing on its own entity as a company. This week, will find me writing letters to explain to clients about our new business alignment and redirect the business flow.

Some critically huge branding projects have now been contemplated and will most likely be confirmed before the end of September. There will be more traveling to do but mainly within the country.

kentan

2009-07-09T05:09:00.002+08:00

THESUBMERSIBLES.COM is up.
The landing page will let you choose if you are a kid diver or an adult diver.
I think that will change to land on the "adult" page first and then for kids to go for the submarine.
Enjoy. and join their facebook list too.
Juliane has managed to link their facebook photos with the site gallery. So there will be less work for Esther, or client when she posts from Sipadan, maldives or Layang-Layang.

http://thesubmersibles.com/adult/

2009-06-15T00:01:00.001+08:00

June 3, 2009 Critical thinking will set you free!

Filed under: Alternatives, philosophy — hornbillunleashed @ 12:51 AM
Tags: Anak Sarawak Bangsa Malaysia, Barisan Nasional, Kuching, Malaysia Politic, sarawak, save sarawak, sim kwang yang, sky
By Sim Kwang Yang

Our mind and our heart are our most precious and free possessions, and yet all through life, we allow our minds and our hearts to be enslaved by others and ourselves. We can free ourselves from such external or self-enslavement only through critical thinking.

The imperfect Wikipedia gives the following various definitions of “critical thinking”:

“Critical thinking is purposeful and reflective judgment about what to believe or what to do in response to observations, written expressions, or arguments. Critical thinking might involve determining the meaning and significance of what is observed or expressed, or, concerning a given inference or argument, determining whether there is adequate justification to accept the conclusion as true. Hence, Fisher & Scriven define critical thinking as “Skilled, active, interpretation and evaluation of observations, communications, information, and argumentation.” Parker & Moore define it more narrowly as the careful, deliberate determination of whether one should accept, reject, or suspend judgment about a claim the degree of confidence with which one accepts or rejects it.”

- What a mouthful of words. -

Essentially, critical thinking is not just a skill, and it is far more than skills in problem solving. It also includes thinking about thinking, which in western philosophy courses, is categorised as the Philosophy of Mind.

Critical thinking is not just about finding means to an end, but thinking about the end also.

Critical thinking begins with questions. We ask, “How to solve this problem” very often in our daily life. But we should ask questions about ends like, “What is the purpose of life?” “Who am I?” “What should I do about myself, and how should I live?” “What is justice?” “What is a good society?” “Does God exist?” “Why should obey the laws of our land?”

Critical thinking is also about questioning our own questioning. Are those questions posed above legitimate questions? If so, what kind of answers are we looking for? When do we know a question is illegitimate?

In a logic class I attended over 35 years ago, I was taught many “illogical fallacies” commonly accepted by logicians for being illegitimate. Their aim was to shoot down opponents, and end a reasoned search for Truth. That is called sophistry, against which Socrates fought against all his life and eventually gave his life up in the process.

One of these illogical fallacies is the common “rhetorical questions”. A rhetorical question requires no answer, as it assumes its own answer to the right. One such fallacious question is “What is the use of philosophy?” It is illegitimate because it thinks that everything must be of use to the ego or else it is not of any worth. This fallacious question is rooted in the idea that the Utilitarian Doctrine is the only philosophy that is true. There are many doctrines floating around.

To make it simple, just ask Mother Teresa this question, “What is the use of you giving your life to help and serve the untouchable poorest people in Calcutta all your life?” She was indeed very useful to those poor people whom she helped. From the Utilitarian selfish point of view (which I am sure she did not embrace), we could answer that her work probably earned her a revered place in heaven.

Rhetorical questions like that enslave the mind, and so I hate them. I have to face them endlessly all my life. Fortunately, some rhetorical questions are legitimate, because they free the mind. To tell the difference, you need critical thinking.

“Hate” is a powerful word. It means a strong emotion. We are often advised by various shades of politicians not to be swayed by our emotions, but we must be rational in our decision, especially in voting. Again, we have to be critical in our thinking. That kind of advice looks good, but is it true?

The statement is partly true, like most of our statements. Hate is not a very healthy emotion most of the time. But what if I hate injustice inflicted on the innocent, the dispossessed, and the weak? I can not hate the person inflicting the injustice, but can I not hate the phenomenon of injustice, out of moral outrage, as Mother Teresa did?

Then again, the division of a single individual into emotion and reason (with a possible third addition of a spirit) is an arbitrary one. We are always one single living thinking entity.

Without going into the details of the debate going back 2,500 years in the Western and other civilisations, we can safely say that in fact, until to-day, we do not know fully what reason is and what emotions are. Otherwise, professors in the philosophy and the psychology departments in the world’s universities will not be able to make a living teaching and writing books on the subject.

I can just posit this simple statement from years of thinking about this subject: reason without emotions is sterile, while emotions without reason are blind – and probably dangerous.

The great 20^th century philosopher Martin Heidegger said it better. He said that there is rationality in our emotions, and there are emotions in our reasoning.

I mention the philosopher’s name not to lend his authority to my point of view. Heidegger was a greater thinker than most of us, but he was still human and fallible. Like all of us, he did not have the ultimate Truth.

This is another thing about critical thinking, often taught to secondary students in North American high schools onwards.

When you are taught anything new, do not accept it as gospel truth on any authority. You have to examine it, test it, learn more about it, and if you accept it at the end, it must be your personal truth, and not truth given by other people. Again, critical thinking needs a questioning mind. In the liberal arts college, they pursue this independent questioning of authorities to a fault.

Malaysia is an Asian country. From a very young age, we are taught to accept what our parents and teachers said to us as absolute truth. When we become adults, we are taught by elders, social and political leaders ..who dictate to us our values and our knowledge. Our formal education systems tell us to pass exams, and nothing about pursuing truth on our own through critical thinking. The mainstream media is the prime culprit in repressing this freedom through their denial of critical thinking on their pages.

When we question our very imperfect system, we become social outcasts, political pariahs, and persecuted misfits. RPK is the prime example.

That is why the Malaysian mind is so much shackled. They are still living in Plato’s Cave of accepting shadows dancing on the wall as the real deal.

I am one of those people who have gone outside the cave and seen the real sun. I am back in the Cave with my memories of the bright sun.

That is why I am telling you: only critical thinking can free your mind and your soul. Don’t take my word on authority. Do your own research on critical thinking, discuss with friends, and look up materials on Google on critical thinking and Plato’s Cave. Then, come back to debate with me if you disagree with me.

I started out thinking of writing about our language as our self-imposed prison. That will have to wait for another day.

(SKY can be reached at kenyalang578@hotmail.com )

2009-05-28T12:50:00.000+08:00

SEMINAR CANDY.

"Advertising & Marketing: Gaining Critical Edge"
- event at Maya Hotel on March 26.

It was certainly pleasing to the eye, the writing kit that Maya Hotel provided. Made of plywood, the nice looking box contained the customary pencil, a good quality Faber-Castell eraser, a metal-cast sharpener and a 6-inch mini steel ruler which my daughter has kindly possessed.

The little more money spent goes a longer way in keeping the brand top-of-mind.

I like. I keep.

alwaysken