Shaping marketing's next generation
President of the Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA) Claudian Navin Stanislaus affirms that while marketers need to keep up with new skills, they must always stay rooted in marketing's core values.
'Tools will keep changing. It was digital yesterday, it is artificial intelligence today, and tomorrow it will be something else.
It's not about mastering the latest technology for its own sake, but rather using these tools to connect with people,' he told StarBiz.
'Understanding people is still at the heart of what we do. This applies not just in how we market to consumers, but also in learning to work with people across teams, agencies, and clients, because marketing isn't a solo act – it's a contact sport.'
Instilling these foundational principles in young marketers today is thus critical to shaping the course of the industry's future.
For this reason, the MAA has been focused on efforts to engage with the next generation of marketers and steadily expanding its initiatives with higher learning institutes and their marketing and communications faculties.
'We're actively integrating brands into final-year projects, exploring internship placements, sharing industry expertise for talks, and opening up mentorship pathways,' Stanislaus said.
'Our goal is to bridge the gap between academic proficiency and industry readiness.'
One of its recent initiatives aimed at nurturing future-ready advertising talent was the Trailblazers: The Ad-venture Challenge, an action-packed, people-focused competition which brought together university students, agency professionals, and industry veterans from across Malaysia.
The Amazing Race-style event, designed to recreate the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of the marketing field, saw teams of students and marketing professionals dash between multiple locations to complete industry-related challenges.
At each pit stop, participants were given creative tasks that put their teamwork and improvisation skills to the test, with challenges involving rapid-fire ideation, multitasking, delivering ideas under client-like scrutiny, and knowledge of industry regulations.
For the students, it was also a unique opportunity to learn from chief marketing heads of RHB Banking Group, CelcomDigi, Grab, and MRT Corp, who served as mentors for each team and offered valuable guidance and encouragement throughout the competition.
'Both the mentors and judges were genuinely surprised by how quickly the students dissected some challenges and how instinctively they integrated tech, all while racing across town,' Stanislaus recalled.
The competition culminated with both the champion and runner-up positions both won by university student teams.
'Seeing them take the top spots was a nice twist to the day. It sends a clear message about the bright future of our industry,' he said.
He added that feedback for the event was overwhelmingly positive, with both students and seasoned marketers appreciating the chance to actively participate, interact and learn from each other.
'Several have already asked to be on the list for the next one, which tells us our intent had hit home.'
On how industry players can further cultivate and attract fresh talent to the marketing and advertising field, Stanislaus shared that more efforts can go towards reaching both marketing students as well as young people who are still deciding on their career paths.
'At MAA, we work directly with universities to engage students already on the path to ensure they are well-prepared to enter the workforce with relevant skills and expectations,' he said.
'However, the reality is that most career choices are made before we even meet these students.
By the time we encounter them, many of them are already on their chosen degree tracks. Yet this is often the first real chance we get to shape their perception of the industry.'
The opportunity, he said, then lies in taking steps to create interest in marketing and advertising among students at an earlier stage.
For instance, collaborations could be made with the Education Ministry to bring career talks into schools.
'That said, there's little point inspiring young minds if we can't offer enough opportunities for them when they graduate,' he added.
'It's a balance that requires alignment between industry, education, and government, and I can confidently say the MAA is ready to play its part.'
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