1) KL Loh left his successful career at Fuji Xerox after 20 years to start his own cross-media marketing company called Golden Hope with business partner MK Leong. 2) They pioneered the use of personalized cross-media marketing campaigns in Malaysia by investing in technology from Fuji Xerox. 3) Their first major campaign for Armani Dolci chocolate was a success, with a 43% response rate that convinced many of the potential of cross-media marketing.

1. print+
PERSONALITY
“KL Loh, Managing
Partner, GHC”
24 VOL.3 | ISSUE 16 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013

2. print+
PERSONALITY
SHINING
THROUGH
TRAILBLAZER GOLDEN HOPE
FINDS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
IN CROSS-MEDIA MARKETING
L
EAVING a career that has of merging printing and cross media
given one everything, from marketing,” added KL.
money to recognition and “I was convinced that KL was on the
moving into uncharted right track and Golden Hope needed to
territory is something an move with the times,” chipped in MK, the
average person would not managing partner.
only not do but won’t even Asked if the company had any
dare to dream. connections with the plantation group
But KL Loh, the former general of the same name, Leong explained that
manager of Fuji Xerox Malaysia is many thought, “we were a subsidiary of
no ordinary person. Armed with two the mega plantation group.”
decades of marketing experience and “No! No! Nothing like that! We formed
driven by a vision KL took the plunge. the company way before the plantation
“I have seen the marketing trends group came into existence,” he pointed
and I see a big scope in cross-media out.
marketing and personalising the On why the name ‘golden hope’,
services,” he told Print+ at his office in MK looked bemused momentarily,
the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. then quickly added that he wished for I FIRST CAME
“I believe this is the next evolution in “golden” days everyday. While MK
marketing and more and more clients are took care of the company’s traditional
TO KNOW MK
looking for newer ways to position and business, KL went to work, developing SEVERAL YEARS
market their products and services,” he cross media solutions. AGO WHEN OUR
stressed. After some 20 years Golden Hope
Despite facing a horde of opposition took on a new turn – it became an TEAM SOLD HIM
from friends and associates, he made the integrated marketing boutique agency A FUJI XEROX
switch, moving out of the shadows of Fuji
Xerox after some 20 years and went his
specialising in 1 to1 marketing branding,
data, print, and digital media. Backed
PRINTING
way, on an uncharted course. by two decades’ worth of software and MACHINE. FROM
“It is quite difficult though making a marketing management experience, THEN ON WE
decision to leave Fuji Xerox. It is a huge KL steered Golden Hope towards the MET REGULARLY
company and I was really comfortable. targeted ‘right-touching’ strategy.
And having been in the company for 20 “The biggest challenge was breaking AND EXPLORED
years it was something like my second through to convince business owners of THE IDEA OF
home,” he said. the merits of the cross media solution,”
“Besides monetary rewards I got noted KL, Managing Partner who takes
MERGING
to travel and I had the pleasure of the care of the IT operations and marketing PRINTING AND
company of leading businessmen and aspects of the GHC. CROSS MEDIA
industry leaders,” admitted KL “No company in Malaysia had yet
But deep inside he was craving to start employed personalised cross-media MARKETING.”
something on his own and while toying technology”
with the idea of cross-media marketing, Moving forward to the third year
he befriended MK Leong, the owner of and investing over a million ringgit
Golden Hope Communications Sdn Bhd, a the two managed to turn around their
traditional offset printing company, who business model to become a pioneer 1 to
subsequently bought KL’s idea. 1 integrated marketing service provider
“I first came to know MK several in the country. In the beginning when we
years ago when our team sold him a Fuji decided to give it a shot, we knew the
Xerox printing machine. From then on long-term potential of emerging cross- KL Loh
we met regularly and explored the idea media technology.
VOL.3 | ISSUE 16 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 25

3. print+
PERSONALITY
Golden Hope
team
“Sadly there were no company in the expertise and support from both regional Golden Hope was now ready to
country that had successfully employed and local teams.” execute a complex 1to1 cross-media
this breakthrough technology for To qualify for accreditation in the Fuji campaign. After much deliberation the
personalised marketing. Xerox 1to1 Ignite Agency Programme, ‘Chocolate Campaign’ was launched.
Besides, he added there were no local GHC invested in a powerful solution “The campaign not only offered
case studies to prove its success in the composed of a 1to1 integrated cross- delectable Armani Dolci chocolates
Malaysian context. media software called XMPie (a Xerox to delight clients, but a friendly,
partner product) and the Fuji Xerox 700 personalised message was effectively
RAY OF HOPE Digital Color Press (DCP). deployed through different media to keep
There was only one hope – KL turned With the XMPie suite of software the message of cross-media marketing
to his ‘mentor’; Fuji Xerox to gain solutions, GHC could create and deploy fresh in customers’ minds,” noted KL.
certification under the latter’s 1to1 Ignite variable data campaigns for a range of The Campaign received a positive
Agency Programme and purchased Fuji media from print, email, electronic direct response rate of 43%.
Xerox hardware and software technology. mailer, text messaging (SMS), individual “We were surprised because generic
“Our overall experience working with and personalised URL address that leads mail yields less than 1% and electronic
Fuji Xerox is one of great satisfaction,” to a personalised web site—all in one direct mailers (EDMs) reach only 3% to
recalled KL. “We benefited from the integrated platform. 5% of total responses,” enthused KL.
“Our solution is implemented via According to MK, the campaign
various communication to deliver “shows how much a targeted and
personalised experiences to the Right relevant communications message means
audience at the Right time-no matter to all marketing people.”
which channel they interact with Out of the 43% of the recipients who
(website, mobile, social media, email, responded, nearly 88% completed the
print) optimizing the customer experience whole campaign experience—attesting to
at the heart of your marketing strategy.” the effectiveness of GHC’s four-channel
“On the other hand is the goal of strategy to sustain genuine interest in
using visitor data, such as behaviour and cross-media marketing.
preferences, to personalised all content “ ‘More remarkably, 88% were convinced
Now it was time for KL to put the that cross-media communication is the
potential of cross-media marketing to future,” concluded KL.
the test by launching an integrated And the future towards a golden era
campaign advertising its own services. has finally begun for Golden Hope . With
GHC decided to meet this challenge by 2013 in full swing and progressing in third
launching an integrated B2B campaign phase, a new strategy will be unveil.
that advertised its own services.
“We knew that if the campaign
turned out to be a success it would not
only demonstrate the strength of 1to1
cross-media marketing. It would also help
GHC up-sell and cross-sell to its current
clientele and in the process re-brand
our own image as a versatile provider
of industry-leading print and digital MK Leong
marketing solutions,” KL added.
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