SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IN MALAYSIA RETAIL SECTORS - SELF ANALYSIS BY NIK ZAFRI

 ("stories"" from the marketplace - these are just a self analysis)

Major retail sectors (including big names/brands) in Malaysia are experiencing great turbulence especially post pandemic are still haunting them.

Retail sales are dropping badly, layoffs are slowly happening, signs of inflation, branches are closed, public listed ones are reentering PN17 despite great CDR plans, high operation cost, big lawsuits, failure in seeking new buyers/investors for takeover, failed rebranding - even the ratings are low.

I wouldn't mention names - those that I've identified facing problems are department stores, fashion/apparel/footwear and furnitures.

Surprisingly the ones that I never expected are low budget marts (RM2/3 ringgit shops), makeups/personal care, Coffee beverages/baked goods and grocery stores.

ONLINE AFFILATE MARKETING

Online affiliate marketing have reached an (my guess) estimation $3.0 billion (or more) of payouts between 2016-2017 to webmasters/"blog"masters.

From a humble beginning in the late 90s, it has now become one of the main source of "passive" income that can be done on a part-time basis - even on full time. 

Basically it requires you to have :

a. A blog/website - either paid or free with ads - to me, that's not really important - what is more important is how to draw crowd to your site. (Keywords, Hashtags, Labels, Meta etc)

b. Products/Services - Be specific and put down some information on what you really do or what you are really good at. It helps to state your experience and successful stories as well. Additionally, photos, tables and diagrams will enhance your internet presence.

c. Affiliate with those selling similar Products/Services

Note : It helps to first google "e-book affiliate" - and understand what it is all about

This is the part where you need to choose which affiliate that suits you most...(do not be greedy..I've seen one simple banner on someone's website that have made so much money).

There are so many of them but I like to recommend you :

a) PayDotCom
b) Google AdSense 
c) Commission Junction
d) E-Junkie

and many more.

(Note : You should have PayPal account by now!)

Affiliate yourself with merchants with site publishers and help them sell their products/services (Tip : Find something similar to your products/services - because you know better what you're good at)

Vice-versa - ask merchants to help sell your product as well.

There are many more things to learn about online affiliate marketing...there are so many resources for you to read and understand.

CHINA COMING DOWN? NO WAY!! - NIK ZAFRI



This is up to 2005...look at the figures..you all can calculate - can you not?


Once again, some speculators are trying to 'underestimate' China. Last time it was Dubai - now it goes further. The 'bubbly' thing again...there will be bubble in China? What would they think of next? Relive the decoupling theory?

Some people didn't read figures or not bothered with figures and I find this less surprising as these so-called forecasters are not from China. I do not know if the speculators have actually been in China to see for themselves what's happening - US bluechips are coming into China even GM besides than Hewlett Packard & Intel.

Memory serves - In 2009 - China's GDP almost 14% - and this surprised every major banks of the world!! - this year 2010 - it's gonna get BIGGER. The figures originally forecasted by "smart Alexes" were a lot lower and now - they are wrong and still wrong!

One thing I can tell you all that most developing East Asia countries like to stay 'below radar detection' - not to distract too much publicity. China is definitely one of them. They are actually much bigger (as big as Russia) than the formal economists estimation or calculations.

It would not be proper for me to say that China will stay strong in its growth; as well as to other EA countries as well. There may still be minor subprime mortgage crisis elements (I'm saying 'maybe') but China will emerge.

One thing I learn from China's economic aspirations is that the conventional economics 'supply and demand' + 'equilibrium' or 'elasticity' point of view still work on them - where there should be less government intervention (not that we do not need them at all) but to let the market correct by itself. I also share the following views :

a) that (accurate) data collection, analysis and action plan based on these datum are so important,

b) organizations must adopt true corporate governance principles - that is....transparency,

c) bribery must be reduced or better - eliminated!,

d) all taxes must be paid,

e) Work attitude need to be changed - not the system - the system is fine. Don't come out with good figures or window dressings to impress the top management or to get stimulus packages but come out with the REAL figures based on data collection & analysis.

f) Wireless technology/e-commerce/B2B/B2C and all the likes are assets not foes.

g) White Collar Crimes need to be reduced - not on the dumb ones/scapegoats/pawns but on the 'smart ones' abusing their skills

Extracted from http://www.brint.com (Knowledge Management Portal)

Internet Marketing Conquering The Airwaves?

With society becoming more and more "connected" to the internet and the increasing bombardment of internet advertising, does anyone think that one day internet marketing/advertising will make commercial TV advertising obsolete? Is it already happening?

Benjiq - Australia

Nik Zafri replies :

A good question indeed! Well, you can say 'YES' and you can say 'NO'.

Let's start with 'NO' first.

a) Is internet advertising/marketing effective enough today even though the internet has been introduced for many-many years? What I've seen today are negative responses mostly - e.g. irritating pop-ups ads, net A & P not adhering to laws, people are not getting the quality they have bargained for etc. etc.

b) Look at the post-offices/postal services/couriers, they are still working are they not? despite there are e-mails and faxes?

c) Look at the newspapers, tabloids etc., they are still in the market - are they not? despite there are online-newspaper and tabloids.

d) People still say 'good morning' and still 'shake hands' with another colleague despite there's intranet with mail and SMS (on both computer and mobile phone)

e) Foreign Direct Investment are still coming (by proper visit) despite the K-Economy and globalization age of ICT, smart partnerships are still happening, the stock market still require people to help them out etc. etc.

Based ONLY on this 5 factors, the answer will definitely be 'NO'! It would be a 'Miracle' if people can get out of this era and go ONLINE on everything!

We still need 'hard copies' and TV advertising. Although, what you said has actually been happening and related to what I termed as a kind of 'digital-divide', but the effect is still not that bad.

Let's now go to 'YES'

a) If people started to re-realize the core 'humanity-based' objective of why ICT was introduced - be it internet marketing or for whatsoever thing - where the objective states - 'to protect the environment, trees esp. so that less trees are being cut to make papers', probably, this will one day replace 'hard copies'. Even that is so, TV is also; in a manner of speaking; helping out the preserving natural environment as well (in this context)

b) If everyone learn how to follow rules and know how to be patient in helping another online business and follow the flow of e.g. MLM. Then one day, what you say will happen.

But what I see today are attitudes that goes something like these :

"Mr. X saw an online advertising about products and services of 'Y' Company. He thought that, if 'Y' can do it, why not me? So he gets online, build another website similar to 'Y'."

"Mr. X saw a 'value click banner' on 'Y' company's website. The URL clicked will also state 'Y's ID so that if Mr. X intended to buy something through this 'value click banner', then Y shall be entitled to a certain 'commission'.

But Mr. X again said, why must I click on 'Y's 'banner' when I can create another on my website? Why must I give money to 'Y', when I can get money on my own? So Mr. X approached the company directly using 'Y's URL and applied for another value click banner for his website...."

What I'm trying to say here is : "When there are only 'Sellers' or everybody wanted to become a "businessman", who's going to become the 'Purchasers' or whose going to become your 'customers'?

Today, newbies in business tend to create very unhealthy competition (even in reality) - spoiling other businesses with low price + low quality.

c) If the top people in the government knows how to enforce regulations properly on the online ads , perhaps again, what you say will work. But in today's environment, it is hard to control these online ads despite how many regulations (e.g. intellectual property, BSA and FBI regulations even) etc. etc.

But you can still see people actually 'smart-shopping' on TV, CableTV etc. etc. The people is still confident with the formal advertising as these advertisements are still subject to rules before they can be displayed on TV...making people feel secure.

I heard the internet users are no longer considering internet advertising due to doubtful over some of the contents - unscrupulous people posting 'false bid' on the net and some 'get-rich-quick' scheme through so 'called' projects, money-'investment' (actually laundering), 'black money' , undelivered goods etc. etc.

Again, maybe, we should stick back to the original culture, once you have advertised on the net, you should be able NOT to force people to BUY from the internet although you may have all the measures like digital cert, firewall etc. etc.

But why not ask people to enquire first - give them some space to think ...and try to make appointments with them (not the digital appointment like video-conferencing). See them in reality, get into conversation, let them be 'used' to you first, give them hard copy surveys, only then, you can ask your customers to purchase ONLINE! Give them some 'free gifts'..perhaps they would like to go for your web (then you may consider your online software and web as 'user-friendly' but by 'forcing' people to buy or 'go', it's not 'user friendly' at all although the 'web-functionalities' are easy to cope up with)

I noticed that these methods are working on 'freeware' and 'shareware' concepts, MP3 and other multimedia format downloading (including use of Adobe PDF) etc. etc.

Big companies like Yahoo, suffered first before they reach this level you have seen now...

'E-commerce is NO 'brick and mortar' plus 'overnight business'

Remember this phrase?