Choose words that are easy to remember, say
thanks to the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong. A FULL-PAGE advertisement in an English daily by Bukit Gambang Resort City recently caught my attention.
I had no idea where Bukit Gambang or Gambang was until I saw the slogan “1st Resort City @ Kuantan”.
Reading the captions, I gathered that the resort is just 35km from Kuantan.
Malaysians ought to be aware that if we wish to attract international business, it is imperative to choose a brand name that is easy to remember and will stick easily in the minds of foreigners.
For example, mutiara is the Malay word for pearl, which sounds beautiful to those who understand what it means.
However, it means nothing to those who don’t. Apart from being a mouthful, it is also difficult to remember.
Likewise, some local companies are fond of using “European-like” words to make their products sound exotic, which Malaysians cannot pronounce or remember.
As a result, these products are not popular, and the only beneficiaries are those who enjoy the syok sendiri exercise.
The exception must surely be Genting, a Malay word that is worldrenowned, thanks to the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, who named his resort in Genting Sempah, “Genting Highlands Resort”.
Today, the Genting brand name is known globally, the latest being the Genting Olympic Resort, which is being constructed among snow-capped mountains 200km northwest of Beijing, China.
Covering 100sq km, the resort will be the venue of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Similar to Genting Sempah in the 1960s, there are yet to be roads, water and electricity in the area where the new resort will stand.
The main difference is that Genting is located among tropical jungle-clad mountains, while the winter resort will be among snowcapped mountains, where there are cold weather and harsh terrain.
Both are tourism development of epic proportions, separated by vast distances and four decades, but founde d b y t h e i ndomitable entrepreneurial spirit of a father and son, respectively.
The Bukit Gambang Resort City has much to offer, but at the same time, is difficult to identify. Addressing the image issue could work wonders.
For example, I was amazed to learn that its grand ballroom can seat more than 3,000 guests and is the largest pillarless ballroom in the country.
The resort has more than 2,200 rooms, which can easily cater to large meetings, conferences and exhibitions.
It also has a large safari park, with animals roaming within a fenced jungle area.
Its special unit can organise teambuilding programmes for 500 people, with activities including telematches, night jungle trekking and riding all-terrain vehicles.
In 2011, its water theme park won the Best Large Water Park award from the Malaysian Association of Amusement Theme Park and Family Attractions.
Even with so much to offer, and for a long time now, the resort has not been on the radars of many. Perhaps, changing its name to “Kuantan Resort City” would bring better fortune.
Genting proved to be a huge success when two Chinese words that sound close to Genting in Mandarin were chosen. The words mean “peak above the clouds”.
The Genting Highlands Resort in the Titiwangsa Range and the Genting Olympic Resort among the snow-capped Dama Mountains are exactly that.