TADASHI OHYAMA

MANAGING DIRECTOR SHARP MALAYSIA SALES & SERVICE COMPANY SDN BHD

On how social media has impacted or promoted your business brand.

Social Media is rapidly playing a prominent role as a platform to promote our brand and products as we feel it is an ideal tool to build a strong connection with our customers due to its effectiveness in generating awareness, building loyalty and creating the sense of community for SHARP consumers.

On the company’s digitalisation efforts and how it has helped in branding.

We still maintain our presence on traditional media but at the same time we’re allocating more resources to digital marketing. We are more aggressive on Facebook and YouTube and this has borne early fruits. As of May 2017, SHARP Malaysia Facebook page is the fastest growing in Malaysia according to Social Baker and in terms of fan base, we’re steadily gaining on the competitors.

Challenges faced by your company in a challenging economic environment.

The challenges are the same as faced by other companies in this industry. These are namely higher cost of doing business due to the current exchange rate and slowing down of consumer demand due to the challenging economy which has resulted in stiffer competition.

On strategies put in place to boost the company’s brand image.

Brand-building is a long-term undertaking and the results may not be viewed overnight. However, we work on getting more positive exposure to the brand via continuous efforts such as through a more aggressive digital marketing, strategic sports sponsorships, corporate social responsibilities activities and closer media engagement.

The importance of a meaningful connection between a brand and a consumer in brand-building.

Consumers now are more discerning. The way that they choose a brand is no longer about the product features and price alone. What the brand stands for or the essence of the brand is equally important. To be relevant and accepted, a brand has to identify and nurture these connection points. That’s what we try to achieve in our branding efforts, manifested with our tagline of “Be Original” in that we want to project our brand as a leader that meets Malaysians’ aspirations in terms of technology, innovation and uniqueness.