
Advertising isn't dead, it is evolving
KUALA LUMPUR: Advertising is not facing extinction—it is evolving rapidly, say media industry leaders.
Speaking at the 'Is Advertising Dead?' plenary session during the Digital Media Awards (DMA) 2025 on Wednesday (April 23), Mark Challinor ( pic ), international media advisor for News Media UK, emphasised that advertising can still thrive if approached with the right mindset and tools.
'Advertising success now hinges on a fundamental shift; leaving behind outdated rules and embracing a technology-driven, customer-centric model.
'There are wonderful opportunities in advertising with Artificial Intelligence (AI), allowing for more precise targeting of relevant and new audiences,' he said.
Challinor added that media sales teams and advertisers need to embrace innovation, prioritise customer experience and privacy, and adapt to the evolving landscape.
'The future of advertising lies at the intersection of emerging technologies, ethical standards, and shifting audience expectations,' he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Marcelo Benez, Chief Commercial Officer of Folha de S.Paulo, said publishers and advertisers to view changing consumer habits as an opportunity.
'In the past, people read the newspaper every day. Today, they read it all day long.
'This is the new reality,' he said.
Benez added that modern audiences demand more engaging, emotionally resonant advertising.
'Brands that can evoke emotion, spark thought, or generate buzz are more likely to achieve lasting impact.
'Audiences are becoming increasingly selective about what they engage with—and where it comes from,' he added.
Challinor also noted that success requires more than just strategy—it requires talent.
'We need solutions-based sales teams and staff with strong technical competencies like digital literacy, proficiency in navigating digital platforms, keeping up with emerging technologies and trends, ability to analyse and interpret data.
'That's how we show we're creative, trustworthy, and in tune with our audience.'
Organised by the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), DMA marks its 17th edition this year since its inception in 2009.
The session examined whether advertising is truly in decline or poised for reinvention, highlighting how publishers can still capture a share of the projected US$818bil in global ad spend in 2025, as forecast by Dentsu.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
25 minutes ago
- The Star
Bursa pares gains to close lower on cautious sentiment ahead of US tariff deadline
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia pared earlier gains to close lower on Monday, as investors adopted a more cautious posture ahead of the US tariff negotiation deadline on Aug 1. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 4.38 points, or 0.29 per cent, to close at 1,529.38 from Friday's close of 1,533.76. The benchmark index opened 4.29 points firmer at 1,538.05 and moved between 1,528.34 and 1,539.38 throughout the trading session. In the broader market, losers led gainers 554 to 420, while 488 counters were unchanged and 1,091 untraded, with 43 suspended. Turnover improved to three billion units worth RM2.30 billion from 2.86 billion shares worth RM2.16 billion on Friday. UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd head of investment research, Mohd Sedek Jantan, noted that the FBM KLCI commenced the week's trading on a firm footing, posting early gains during the morning session. However, the momentum proved unsustainable into the afternoon, with the index closing lower as investors adopted a more cautious posture ahead of Thursday's US tariff deadline. "Among the FBM KLCI constituents, plantation and utility counters led the gainers, aligning with our weekly view that investor positioning would favour domestically oriented sectors amidst heightened external uncertainty. "We anticipate markets will continue to consolidate in the near term, awaiting further signals from the Malaysia-US trade talks or any fresh tariff-related announcements from US President Donald Trump,' he told Bernama. Mohd Sedek noted that regional peers delivered a mixed performance on Monday, weighed by profit-taking and concerns over global trade developments. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.68 per cent to close at 25,562.13, South Korea's Kospi garnered 0.42 per cent to 3,209.52, while Singapore's Straits Times Index lost 0.27 per cent to 4,249.48, and Japan's Nikkei 225 shed 1.10 per cent to 40,998.27. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the local benchmark index closed below the 1,530 level due to late selling. He noted that market sentiment was subdued as investors awaited more details from the US-China trade discussions, set to begin in Stockholm later today. Thong said the local bourse remains in consolidation mode, hovering around the 1,530 level due to a lack of fresh catalysts. "For the moment, we expect the FBM KLCI to trend range-bound, hovering within 1,510-1,540 points for the week. We notice crude palm oil (CPO) futures remain above RM4,000 per tonne, and we believe this is an opportunity to accumulate plantation stocks,' he added. Of the heavyweight stocks, Maybank, CIMB and IHH Healthcare were all flat at RM9.54, RM6.75 and RM6.66, respectively. Public Bank fell four sen to RM4.25 and Tenaga Nasional slid 24 sen to RM13.36. Petronas Chemicals jumped eight sen to RM3.61, and Nestle surged RM2.50 to RM88. Among the most active stocks, Ekovest added four sen to 44 sen, NexG inched up half a sen to 53 sen, and Tanco grew one sen to 92.5 sen. Zetrix AI went down 7.5 sen to 83.5 sen and YTL Corporation slipped three sen to RM2.45. Among top gainers and decliners, Sam Engineering and Equipment rallied 13 sen to RM4.20, while Fraser and Neave and Infomina were 10 sen higher each at RM29 and RM1.1, respectively. United Plantations dropped 32 sen to RM21.90, and Petronas Dagangan lost 26 sen to RM21.44 to lead the losers. Across the broader market, the FBM Emas Index dropped 34.62 points to 11,472.20, the FBMT 100 Index slipped 37.27 points to 11,232.45, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index lost 38.94 points to 11,490.04. The FBM 70 Index fell 77.16 points to 16,530.41 while the FBM ACE Index shaved 2.42 points to 4,636.60. By sector, the Plantation Index grew 28.44 points to 7,463.23, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched up 0.25 of a point higher to 157.39, and the Energy Index climbed 0.94 of a point to 740.79. The Financial Services Index sank 45.86 points to 17,408.37. The Main Market volume improved to 1.67 billion units valued at RM2.03 billion from 1.26 billion units valued at RM1.85 billion. Warrant turnover slipped to 1.01 billion units worth RM161.01 million from 1.28 billion units worth RM218.03 million previously. The ACE Market volume rose to 323.13 million units worth RM106.95 million from 313.89 million units worth RM90.97 million. Consumer products and services counters accounted for 236.86 million shares traded on the Main Market; industrial products and services (218.34 million), construction (182.64 million), technology (469.30 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (63.27 million), property (170.58 million), plantation (13.29 million), REITs (15.88 million), closed-end fund (900), energy (110.48 million), healthcare (42.84 million), telecommunications and media (33.72 million), transportation and logistics (39.83 million), utilities (71.07 million), and business trusts (27,000). - Bernama

Barnama
27 minutes ago
- Barnama
Bursa Pares Gains To Close Lower On Cautious Sentiment Ahead Of US Tariff Deadline
At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 4.38 points, or 0.29 per cent, to close at 1,529.38 from Friday's close of 1,533.76. KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia pared earlier gains to close lower on Monday, as investors adopted a more cautious posture ahead of the US tariff negotiation deadline on Aug 1. Turnover improved to three billion units worth RM2.30 billion from 2.86 billion shares worth RM2.16 billion on Friday. In the broader market, losers led gainers 554 to 420, while 488 counters were unchanged and 1,091 untraded, with 43 suspended. The benchmark index opened 4.29 points firmer at 1,538.05 and moved between 1,528.34 and 1,539.38 throughout the trading session. 'Among the FBM KLCI constituents, plantation and utility counters led the gainers, aligning with our weekly view that investor positioning would favour domestically oriented sectors amidst heightened external uncertainty. However, the momentum proved unsustainable into the afternoon, with the index closing lower as investors adopted a more cautious posture ahead of Thursday's US tariff deadline. UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd head of investment research, Mohd Sedek Jantan, noted that the FBM KLCI commenced the week's trading on a firm footing, posting early gains during the morning session. 'We anticipate markets will continue to consolidate in the near term, awaiting further signals from the Malaysia-US trade talks or any fresh tariff-related announcements from US President Donald Trump,' he told Bernama. Mohd Sedek noted that regional peers delivered a mixed performance on Monday, weighed by profit-taking and concerns over global trade developments. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.68 per cent to close at 25,562.13, South Korea's Kospi garnered 0.42 per cent to 3,209.52, while Singapore's Straits Times Index lost 0.27 per cent to 4,249.48, and Japan's Nikkei 225 shed 1.10 per cent to 40,998.27. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the local benchmark index closed below the 1,530 level due to late selling. He noted that market sentiment was subdued as investors awaited more details from the US-China trade discussions, set to begin in Stockholm later today. Thong said the local bourse remains in consolidation mode, hovering around the 1,530 level due to a lack of fresh catalysts. 'For the moment, we expect the FBM KLCI to trend range-bound, hovering within 1,510-1,540 points for the week. We notice crude palm oil (CPO) futures remain above RM4,000 per tonne, and we believe this is an opportunity to accumulate plantation stocks,' he added. Of the heavyweight stocks, Maybank, CIMB and IHH Healthcare were all flat at RM9.54, RM6.75 and RM6.66, respectively. Public Bank fell four sen to RM4.25 and Tenaga Nasional slid 24 sen to RM13.36. Petronas Chemicals jumped eight sen to RM3.61, and Nestle surged RM2.50 to RM88. Among the most active stocks, Ekovest added four sen to 44 sen, NexG inched up half a sen to 53 sen, and Tanco grew one sen to 92.5 sen. Zetrix AI went down 7.5 sen to 83.5 sen and YTL Corporation slipped three sen to RM2.45. Among top gainers and decliners, SAM Engineering and Equipment rallied 13 sen to RM4.20, while Fraser and Neave and Infomina were 10 sen higher each at RM29 and RM1.1, respectively. United Plantations dropped 32 sen to RM21.90, and Petronas Dagangan lost 26 sen to RM21.44 to lead the losers. Across the broader market, the FBM Emas Index dropped 34.62 points to 11,472.20, the FBMT 100 Index slipped 37.27 points to 11,232.45, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index lost 38.94 points to 11,490.04. The FBM 70 Index fell 77.16 points to 16,530.41 while the FBM ACE Index shaved 2.42 points to 4,636.60. By sector, the Plantation Index grew 28.44 points to 7,463.23, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched up 0.25 of a point higher to 157.39, and the Energy Index climbed 0.94 of a point to 740.79. The Financial Services Index sank 45.86 points to 17,408.37. The Main Market volume improved to 1.67 billion units valued at RM2.03 billion from 1.26 billion units valued at RM1.85 billion. Warrant turnover slipped to 1.01 billion units worth RM161.01 million from 1.28 billion units worth RM218.03 million previously. The ACE Market volume rose to 323.13 million units worth RM106.95 million from 313.89 million units worth RM90.97 million. Consumer products and services counters accounted for 236.86 million shares traded on the Main Market; industrial products and services (218.34 million), construction (182.64 million), technology (469.30 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (63.27 million), property (170.58 million), plantation (13.29 million), REITs (15.88 million), closed-end fund (900), energy (110.48 million), healthcare (42.84 million), telecommunications and media (33.72 million), transportation and logistics (39.83 million), utilities (71.07 million), and business trusts (27,000). -- BERNAMA BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @ @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Can taxis and ride-hailing services co-exist in Hong Kong under new rules?
Hong Kong's proposed regulation of ride-hailing services shows that the government intends to take a slice of the market while reining in platforms and supporting the taxi trade, but the plan hinges on balancing the competing interests of all players, experts have said. Industry insiders added that the Transport and Logistics Bureau faced several challenges in achieving all three objectives. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan, who took office last December, told lawmakers on Friday of her determination to resolve the long-standing conflict between taxis and ride-hailing services. Taxi drivers have repeatedly raised concerns that many Uber drivers do not hold valid hire-car permits while platforms have argued they provided better service. The bureau unveiled its regulatory blueprint earlier last week, outlining a comprehensive framework for governing drivers, vehicles and platform operators. Besides listing the necessary licences and permits that operators and drivers must hold, the proposal also includes a yet to be specified cap on the number of vehicles providing ride-hailing services and a levy imposed on platforms for each trip. Officials have cited the experience of the Australian state of Victoria, which introduced a levy to compensate cabbies affected by the legalisation of ride-hailing platforms. The government will also charge platforms a licensing fee based on the number of vehicles they operate. US-based Uber started operating locally in 2014 and had taken a dominant position until recent years as Tada, Amap and Didi Chuxing entered the market. Amap is operated by Alibaba Group Holding, which also owns the South China Morning Post. 'Once the ride-hailing sector is opened up and legalised, it will be the beginning of a new era,' lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun said. 'I think that the demand is very big, especially with how severe extreme weather is nowadays.' Tien added that he believed demand in the city in the next five years could support a similar number of ride-hailing vehicles seen in Singapore. The city state currently has 59,371 such cars as of 2024, according to official data. Observers also noted that the government aimed to take a slice of the lucrative ride-hailing sector, curb the influence of platforms through regulation and charges, and support the taxi trade, a move which comes amid the launch of a premium cab fleet. Although the planned legal framework is pending further details, Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, governor and honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, said the effectiveness of these strategies depended on whether the government could balance the different interests of all sides. Lawmaker Tien said he believed that the regulatory regime could meet the government's multiple goals. He said he did not think that cabbies would be forced out of the market as they still had the advantage of being able to pick up customers on the street, despite competition from ride-hailing operators. The bureau's survey conducted between November last year and January led to an estimate that showed ride-hailing services accounted for 22 per cent of 880,000 point-to-point trips with passengers a day, with the rest being taxis. In response to complaints about taxi drivers from tourists, who often cited cherry-picking of passengers and overcharging, the government issued its first of five taxi fleet licences earlier this week. The premium taxi fleets are designed to offer enhanced services at a higher fare. Walter Theseira, associate professor of economics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said that the ride-hailing sector had expanded rapidly with legalisation in Singapore and other markets, and he expected that the situation would be similar in Hong Kong. 'When ride-hailing becomes either legal or more tacitly endorsed, it expands very quickly and it [does so] largely because ride-hailing offers a superior consumer experience to traditional taxis,' he said. 'The main innovations actually being the online booking systems, tracking of your vehicle and everything, feedback, as well as fixed fares that are based on supply and demand.' He added that in Singapore's experience, many drivers had also decided to switch to ride-hailing after realising the greater earning potential afforded by these platforms. Whether ride-hailing platform operators could stay ahead, however, depended on if the taxi sector could implement practices such as app-based bookings, ratings and driver management. The academic said that taxis were unlikely to disappear from Hong Kong's transport landscape. Instead, he expected cabbies might prefer ride-hailing systems or apps to find customers. Theseira also raised concerns about the fairness of potentially only charging a levy on the ride-hailing sector, as well as how the taxi industry should be supported by authorities. 'Taxi drivers and operators, if you're going to support them, they should be supported to adapt to whatever market practices have been proven to be commercially successful by commuters in terms of those ride-hailing practices,' he said. 'It is not to support them to do the same old thing, unless that is really what commuters want.' -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST