10 Things You Can Do to Better Cope with The Impact of Covid-19

WITH Covid-19 cases breaking new record highs almost every day, coping with the impact has become increasingly difficult for many.

 The unprecedented rate of change over the last few weeks has stretched some people over the limit, as it affects their current social, lifestyle, health, and financial well-being.

So, it is completely understandable for people to feel overwhelmed and maintain a  mind-body-spirit balance to better cope with the situation.

Here are some tips to cope with COVID-19’s impact.

1. Keep Perspective.

Be realistic with your level of concern. Follow the experts’ recommendations on social distancing and staying home, which goes a long way towards keeping everyone safe.

2. Stay calm.

Once you have done what you can to stay safe, it isn’t productive to ruminate over what would happen. This is a good time to check yourself by asking what’s probable versus what is possible.

3. Embrace the situation.

Look for the silver lining to change your mindset. Are you on lockdown? Take this opportunity to spend the extra time with your kids, partners or pets.

4. Be Creative.

Since you aren’t commuting to work, you can use that time to start a hobby. If you want to learn the guitar, start crocheting, or painting, this is the best time to give it a whirl.

5. Be Patient.

Even if you are feeling a little bit grumpy, you should keep your composure when communicating with your family members and friends. Try to be calmer and patient -- pause, reflect, and take a few deep breaths before responding.

6. Seek Balance.

Work-life balance has new challenges for those who are starting to work from home. These will be magnified if two people are sharing the same space, with home-schooling kids. Designate your workspace and set your working hours, to get on a  good start.

7. Stay active.

Being fit and active can help to improve your mood substantially. Take time to go for a walk or try some new yoga moves. Keep-up with the body-weight exercise routines, you see on  YouTube.

8. Stay connected.

Social isolation can take a toll even on those who are normally introverted. If you are starting to feel bored, you can organize video chats with family and friends. Some video platforms allow for multiple users so that you can have a virtual house party.

9. Shop Local.

This is the time to support your local small businesses as they rely on your patronage to stay in business. A bonus is there may be fewer people in the shop compared to the malls or hypermarkets.

10. Limit Negativity.

We want to stay current on what is happening in the world. However, more is not always better. With today’s 24-hour news cycle, it can be emotionally exhausting. Unfortunately, the news out there is unrelenting. Consider limiting how long you consume these  news updates, and take a day off every now and then.

DRKK SUCCESS QUOTE: Take a Break to Breakthrough

 “Take a break to breakthrough.” – DrKKJohan

An entrepreneur's life is not an easy one. Usually, they are so passionate about their business that they fail to understand the importance of taking out time for themselves. Therefore, it is important for every entrepreneur to take a break to break through once in a while.

When they associate too deeply with their venture, they cannot differentiate between their personal life and their business.

Deadlines, late nights, very often become all-nighters. They are always hurrying, achieving one target after the other which doesn't give them time for themselves.  

Taking a break from your routine will give you a fresh new perspective on your business. You too need to recharge because the business needs you to be the strongest when times are tough.

Taking a break also helps you to look at life from a bigger perspective, which in turn helps you to take your business to a higher level. 

So, it is important to take a pause, refresh yourself and come back for a fresh start.

THE 10 MOST-AFFECTED COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES

WITH Covid-19 cases breaking new record highs almost every day, it is time to pause and reflect on some of the most affected countries in the world to remind us that the danger is real.

Let these numbers be a stern warning and reflection to the rest of us that the worst-case scenario can erupt in any part of the world, if the government and community still  adopts a lackadaisical attitude.  

It is time to stand together as one, to control the spread of the pandemic through the vaccination program, lifestyle changes following the SOP and social distancing, maintaining personal hygiene and staying at home.

Here are 10 of the most affected countries with the highest number of COVID-19 cases to put things into perspective.

As of Friday, May 21, 2021,  the total number of Covid-19 cases in the world stood at 165,253,588, while the death toll has increased to over 3.42 million according to the Johns Hopkins University.

• 1.    The United States leads the world, with the highest number of cases and deaths at 33,055,801 and 588,531 respectively.
• 2.      India is now the second most corona-affected country as it surpassed Brazil, Russia, Italy and the UK, with its total corona cases standing at 25,772,440, with 287,122 deaths.
• 3.      Brazil with more than 15,894,094 cases is the second-worst affected country with 444,094 deaths.
• 4.      France's coronavirus tally crossed the 5.9 million mark on Thursday with the death toll rising to 108,343, according to John Hopkins University.
• 5.      Turkey reported 5.1 million COVID-19 cases as of May21. The country's death toll due to coronavirus stands at 46,787.
• 6.      Russia reported more than 4,917,906 cases of coronavirus infections so far with 115,393 deaths. The country has the fifth-highest number of infections behind the United States, Brazil, India and France, but the number of new cases has seen a stellar rise every day in the past month.
• 7.      United Kingdom has 4,471,061 coronavirus cases todate and has seen a sudden spike in the number of active cases with over 127,963 deaths.
• 8.      Italy's total active infections stood at 4.1 million cases. Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 124,810. The country has seen a rapid surge in the numbers of coronavirus cases recently, with daily recorded deaths reaching new highs.
• 9.      Spain is now ninth in the line of worst-affected countries with 3,631,661confirmed cases.
• 10.   Germany is the 10th worst-affected country, with at least3,638,504 confirmed cases and 83,711 according to the John Hopkins tally.

(Article reference: https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/check-out-the-10-most-affected-countries-with-the-highest-number-of-coronavirus-cases/slidelist/76275918.cms)

Bitcoin Has Fallen More Than 50% From Its All-Time High

BITCOIN fell 13% on Sunday after the world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency suffered another sell-off that left it down nearly 50% from the year's high.

It fell to US$32,601 at 1800 GMT, losing US$4,899.54 from its previous close. It hit a high for the year of US$64,895.22 on April 14, 2021.

Ether, the coin linked to the Ethereum blockchain network, dropped 17% to US$1,905 on Sunday, losing US$391.31 from its previous close.

Bitcoin markets operate 24/7, setting the stage for price swings at unpredictable hours.

Bitcoin had been under pressure after a series of tweets last week by billionaire Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive and cryptocurrency backer Elon Musk, chiefly his reversal on Tesla accepting bitcoin as payment.

In addition, on Friday, China cracked down on the mining and trading of the largest cryptocurrency as part of ongoing efforts to prevent speculative and financial risks.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/cbovaird/2021/05/19/bitcoin-has-fallen-more-than-50-from-its-all-time-high-whats-next/?sh=35c6b841ea30

Becoming a Great Brand: #INNOVATION

GREAT brands are those that understand how to innovate and continuously fine-tune their efforts to achieve balance and synergy, in order to achieve their goals.

·     They regularly realign their objectives with customer insights and use that data to ensure they can be the first and the best at doing something cutting-edge, new and beneficial to consumers.

·     Think of Apple, in the 1980s they pioneered personal computing to the mass majority but throughout the 90’s they were relatively quiet in the eyes of the ‘general consumer’.

·     During the Apple revival in the early 2000s, the company evolved from a computing business to a consumer-facing giant.

·     With the launch of the iPhone, iPod and Macbooks, Apple reinvented itself and instantly propelled itself to the forefront of the luxury lifestyle sector, with an innovative approach to technology for the new Millennium.

·     Brand innovation is an essential component of branding strategy, and it helps businesses implement new marketing projects.

·     It nurtures new ideas, encourages creativity, and helps marketing departments take their organization to the next level.

DEVELOP A CREATIVE BRIEF FOR YOUR BRAND

A brand value, a positioning statement, a mission statement, and brand essence may all sound right when designing a creative brief for your Brand, but applying them to design and judging whether a shape, a color, or font is good maybe a tricky and subjective matter.

In order to write the brief, you may already know what your brand stands for, how it differs for each of your target audiences -- information about these customers, how your Brand sits in relation to its competitors, and how you differentiate from them.

If you don’t, it’s time to “Animate Your Brand. Shape It. Shake it. Share It… to show the power of your Brand.” – DrKKJohan.

The World's 10 Best Food

 

1. Massaman Curry, Thailand

Emphatically the king of curries, and perhaps the king of all foods. Originated from "The Land of Smiles" it is spicy, coconutty, sweet, and savory. Even the packet sauce you buy from the supermarket can make the most delinquent of cooks look like a Michelin potential. Thankfully, someone invented rice, with which diners can mop up the last drizzles of curry sauce. 

2. Neapolitan Pizza, Italy

Always delicious no matter the size. Spare us the lumpy chain monstrosities and "everything-on-it" wheels of greed. The best pizza was and still is the simple Neapolitan. With just a few ingredients -- dough, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and basil (the marinara pizza does not even contain cheese) -- the Neapolitans created a food that few make properly, but everyone enjoys thoroughly.

3. Chocolate, Mexico

Chocolate is the ultimate tasty treat. The Mayans drank it, Lasse Hallström made a film about it and the rest of us get over the guilt of eating too much of it by eating more of it. The story of the humble cacao bean is a bona fide out-of-the-jungle, into-civilization tale of culinary wonder. Without this creamy, bitter-sweet confection, Valentine's Day would be all cards and flowers.

 

4. Sushi, Japan

The Japanese don't live practically forever for no reason -- they are fueled by nothing more complicated than raw fish and rice, but it's how the fish and rice is put together that makes this a global first-date favorite, and the world can't stop eating this stuff. 

5. Peking Duck, China

Obsessed with Peking duck? The maltose-syrup glaze coating the skin is the secret. Slow roasted in an oven, the crispy, syrup-coated skin is so good that authentic eateries will serve more skin than meat, and bring it with pancakes, onions, and hoisin or sweet bean sauce. Other than flying or floating, this is the only way you want your duck.

 

6. Hamburger, Germany

Who can resist a juicy hamburger?  When something tastes so good that people spend $20 billion each year in a single restaurant chain devoted to it, you know it has to fit into this list. McDonald's may not offer the best burgers, but that's the point -- it doesn't have to. The bread-meat-salad combination is so good that entire countries have ravaged their eco-systems just to produce more cows.

 

7. Penang Assam Laksa, Malaysia

One of Malaysia's most popular dishes. Poached, flaked mackerel, tamarind, chili, mint, lemongrass, onion, pineapple... one of Malaysia's most popular dishes is an addictive spicy-sour fish broth with noodles (especially great when fused with ginger), that'll have your nose running before the spoon even hits your lips.

 

8. Tom Yum Goong, Thailand

A must-eat Thai dish. This best food Thai masterpiece teems with shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. Usually loaded with coconut milk and cream, the hearty soup unifies a host of favourite Thai tastes: sour, salty, spicy and sweet. Best of all is the price: cheap.

 

9. Ice Cream, global

You may have just gorged yourself to eruption point, but somehow there's always room for another scoop of  ice cream with nuts, marshmallows and chocolate sauce. Thank God for extra long spoons that allow you get at the real weight-gain stuff all mixed up and melted at the bottom of the glass.

 

10. Chicken Muamba, Gabon

Oh, the insanity. The proper recipe calls for chicken, hot chili, garlic, tomato, pepper, salt, okra and palm butter, an artery-clogging African butter that will force you into a second helping and a promise to start using your gym membership.

Nicko Jeep Manufacture Sdn Bhd: Interview with Founder and Managing Director Kenny Low

 Congratulations to the founder of Himalaya Salt Sports Candy,  Kenny Low for winning The BrandLaureate BestBrands e-Branding Awards 2020 in the category of Confectionery – Candy.

The popular salt candy is suitable for those who love outdoor sports.

Made with natural Himalayan Salt with a refreshing minty flavor, it is ideal for anyone who wants a fresh breath after food, before a meeting, or during a hot day…  or if you need some extra sodium after an intense workout.

The  inspiration behind this sports candy came about during a hiking trip one day when Kenny suffered bad cramps due to decreased sodium, after excessive sweating, which inspired him to create this Himalayan Salt Candy.

 

INGREDIENTS

The key ingredient of this sports candy is the natural Himalayan Salt, believed to possess many health benefits.

It contains over 80 natural traces of minerals such as Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium which can be found naturally in the body.

Besides promoting the absorption of minerals and nutrients into the bloodstream, Himalayan Salt is also known to help maintain hydration in the body.

Kenny said: “There are many soothing benefits of the Himalayan Salt when combined with pure lemon juice which is rich in vitamin C, especially after a strenuous sporting activity.”

The Himalaya Salt Sports Candy comes in a convenient packaging on the go -- a handy ‘pick me up’ when you need some extra healthy natural salt and glucose after a good workout.

Both the Himalaya Salt Sports Candy (15g) and Himalaya Pastilles Peppermint (25g) are certified Halal, and can be found in leading pharmacies, supermarkets and hypermarkets nationwide.

Click the link to learn more: https://www.himalayacandy.com

Becoming a Great Brand: #1 Audience

What does it take to make a great Brand in the eyes of consumers, stakeholders, and the wider market? More often than not, it is a combination of understanding, market demand, and a bit of luck.

• Don’t be in such a rush to create something cutting edge, while forgetting who you are and what your customers truly want.

• Rather than trying to appear edgy or cool, Brands need to understand their audience and focus on what makes the brand experience unique for them.

• Investing time and effort into understanding the Brand and developing the marketing materials can create an experience that reflects the target market and makes it feels more personal.

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Mexico’s Andrea Meza wins 2020 Miss Universe crown in Hollywood

 MISS Mexico was crowned Miss Universe on Sunday night (May 16) in Hollywood, Florida; while fellow contestant Miss Myanmar used her stage time to draw attention to the bloody military coup in her country.

Andrea Meza, 26, from Chihuahua City, finished first ahead of the Brazilian and Peruvian finalists in a flashy televised event, hosted by American actor Mario Lopez and television personality Olivia Culpo.

She is the 69th woman to hold the title.

Sunday night marked Miss Universe competition's return to television after the pageant was canceled in 2020 for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event which attracted 73 contestants from all over the world, was held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood.

Meanwhile, during the national costume portion of the Miss Universe pageant, Miss Myanmar Thuzar Wint Lwin wore an outfit beaded in traditional Burmese patterns and held up a sign that said, "Pray for Myanmar."

She used the pageant to urge the world to speak out against the military junta, whose security forces have killed hundreds of opponents since it seized power in a Feb 1 coup.

"Our people are dying and being shot by the military every day," she said in a video message for the competition,

"I would like to urge everyone to speak about Myanmar. As Miss Universe Myanmar since the coup, I have been speaking out as much as I can," she added.

Thuzar Wint Lwin was among dozens of Myanmar celebrities, actors, social media influencers and sportspeople who have voiced opposition to the coup, in which elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown and detained.

 

For more info:

https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2021/05/17/mexicos-andrea-meza-wins-2020-miss-universe-crown-in-hollywood-video/1974708

 

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10 COOL GADGETS: Best New Tech for 2021

(Reference: https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/cool-gadgets/)

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of buying a brand new gadget. Opening the box, pulling it out, slowly peeling off the protective stickers… it’s always a thrilling moment for any tech fan. If you’re missing that feeling, here is a  list of the Top 10 coolest gadgets for 2021.

DJI FPV drone

Fancy yourself as a drone pilot? DJI’s new drone beams the view from its camera straight to a headset back on terra firma. You see what the drone sees.  It’s a user-friendly version of what drone-racing pilots use in competitions. The drone can move at a max speed of 140km/h (87mph) and can reach 0-60mph in just two seconds and has a max range of 10km.

Logitech G915 TKL gaming keyboard

The new Logitech G915 TKL quick-playing keyboard has low-profile keys combined with LIGHTSPEED wireless technology, to  offer  a blisteringly-fast 1-millisecond response.

Skullcandy true wireless earbuds

They have come a long way and are available in four new models -- ranging from the budget Sesh Evo to the sporty Push Ultras, which gives you water, sweat, and dustproof resistance, besides rapid charging, and a range of funky colors.

Fitbit Charge 4

This new fitness watch comes with a new touchscreen, GPS, and NFC as standard, with a wrist-mounted wearable. By tweaking its software, Fitbit now uses its pulse monitoring hardware to keep an eye on the volume of oxygen in your blood as well.

MiniBrew CRAFT home brewing kit.

This all-in-one home brewing machine takes you from raw ingredients to a keg of around five liters of freshly poured beer in around 10 days.

Trust GXT 258 Fyru streaming microphone

The mic is primarily aimed at streamers and gamers. Inside the cylindrical unit are three microphones pointing in different directions, so you can pick between cardioid for recording your own voice, or omnidirectional, for picking up 360 degrees of sound.

Logitech StreamCam

Logitech, no stranger to computer peripherals, has pimped out the humble webcam to a streaming behemoth, recording at HD 1080p at 60 frames per second, with AI-enabled face tracking to keep you in focus.

Nike Air Zoom Alphafly

These are the shoes Eliud Kipchoge wore when he ran the world’s first sub-2-hour marathon in October 2019.  The trainers rely on carbon fibre plates, foam and air pods – to reduce the energy lost when a runner’s foot strikes the ground.

Cowboy 3 electric bike

The Cowboy electric bike is now in its third generation and packed with clever bike tech. Along with the built-in battery in its 16.9kg frame and single-gear automatic transmission, this new bike has an oil-free carbon belt transmission, lower gear ratio, and puncture-resistant tires.

HyperX wireless gaming setup

This 7.1 headset has seriously good surround sound. You can control chat/audio balance from the headset itself, without interrupting play. The swiveling ear cups on the headset allow them to sit comfortably around your neck when you need a breather.

IFKITCHEN: Interview with CEO Mohamed Rizal Md Salleh

Congratulations to IFKITCHEN CEO Mohamed Rizal Mohd Salleh for winning The BrandLaureate SMEs e-Branding Awards 2020 in the category of Kitchen Cabinet Solutions.

For nearly 17 years, IFKitchen has been designing and remodelling kitchens ranging from traditional to modern design -- and everything in between.

Based out of Kedah, Penang and Perak; the company builds Kitchen cabinets without the limits of pre-set designs.

With accessible, state-of-the-art showroom, IFKitchen offers a one-stop experience to clients in Northern Malaysia.

Their Kitchen Remodelling Approach helps to transform your kitchen with a proven design build process.

During an interview with CEO Mohamed Rizal Mohd Salleh during his visit to the Brand Gallery recently, he said a beautiful and functional kitchen plays a central role in every home.

“We are an experienced kitchen cabinet specialist with over 17 years  in the industry. Our goal is to design and build your dream kitchen while making the experience enjoyable to all in the family.

“We can create your dream kitchen, by combining your inspiration and our experience,

“Throughout the entire process we have one goal – to bring your kitchen vision to life.”

Working together as one. the entire IFKitchen team -- from designers to project managers and craftspeople, bring decades of creative vision, space planning and innovative building techniques to provide you with a dream kitchen.

Rizal said, whether it’s selecting cabinets, choosing flooring and countertop materials, making structural changes, or exploring universal design elements, their  kitchen remodelling experts pay attention to the smallest details, and carefully guide you through each step of the way -- -from the initial consultation to the design phase,  product selection, and finally installation, to ensure your 100% satisfaction.

 

Click on the link below for more information: https://ifkitchen.com.my

KOPETRO FOOD SDN BHD: Interview with Board of Directors

CONGRATULATIONS to Kopetro Food Sdn Bhd (KFSB) for winning The BrandLaureate SMEs e-Branding Awards 2020 in the category of F&B – Frozen & Ready-to-Eat Product.

KFSB was founded on 1st September 2015 as a food and pastry provider in Malaysia. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koperasi Kakitangan PETRONAS Berhad (KOPETRO). 

The company’s products are catered to existing market demands -- including frozen food, pastry, ready-to-eat food, and for the export market and new future businesses,

During an interview at the BrandLaureate Gallery on Dec 28, 2020, Chairman of Kopetro Berhad Khairu Najhan Zainuddin said KFSB’s 

mission is to supply variety range of Ready-To-Eat (RTE), Ready-To-Cook (RTC) and Frozen Production with consistent outstanding quality, value and pride to satisfy customer expectations.

“At Kopetro Food, we identify and create opportunities by rebuilding and realigning our core businesses and capabilities to meet the changing needs of the economic demands to stay competitive,

“And we aspire to become the first cooperative owned subsidiary to venture into international market.”

Meanwhile Chairman of Kopetro Food Sdn Bhd Datuk Haji Abdul Razak Hussain said their central kitchen is Halal and HACCP compliance, and is designed to provide services such as: 

Packed Foods, Fruits, Sandwiches, Pastry & Malay Kuih, Frozen & Chilled Cooked Food Products, and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).

TIK TOK TRENDS & TECHNOLOGY

TIK TOK is still the leader of the pack and shows no sign of slowing down.

The Chinese application is once again the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide in April 2021, with over 59 million new downloads recorded in the space of a month -- outstripping Facebook and Instagram, and saw its largest number of installs in Brazil.

According to data from Sensor Tower, the Chinese social network was once again in demand among users in April 2021, with Gen Z's favorite social network maintaining its top spot in the monthly ranking of the world's most downloaded non-gaming apps.

Read more about it in The BrandLaureate Blogazine:

== > http://thebrandlaureate.net/2020/08/29/tik-tok-trends-technology

BRANDING TIP #10: Make sure that your customers always come first

 BRANDING TIP #10:  Make sure that your customers always come first

As you focus on building a strong community presence, you will come into two-way contact with your customers.

1.      Irrespective of what the competitors are saying, you need to ensure that you are serving and satisfying your target customers.

2.      Do not forget to take their feedback into account. Their reviews and complaints can help you review your Branding strategy.

3.      There are great CRM systems out there to help build long-lasting relationships.

4.      Take this as part of your brand journey, since your company and its products and services need to evolve at par with customers’ demands.

5.      Branding is not just a one-day effort or a short-term investment. It takes a lot more than just a team of marketing experts and a lavish marketing budget to build a trusted Brand

6.      Start working on your brand today to define your market presence.

10 DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS YOU CAN'T IGNORE IN 2021

Make no mistake: We live in a time when technology marketing moves fast and consumer interests and behaviours are hard to predict. The same old methods and educated guesses will not work forever.

If you want to help your business not just survive, but thrive in this age of innovation, checkout some of these latest trends and find a way to get started:

 

1) Artificial Intelligence

If you haven’t already realized it, the dominance of artificial intelligence (AI) is here.  AI can analyze consumer behaviour and search patterns, and use data from social media platforms and blog posts to help businesses understand how customers find their products and services. It will be at the heart of global business and industry in the future – and it’s already taking over many simple jobs.

 

2) Chatbots

Chatbots will continue to be an important part of digital marketing in 2021. This AI-based technology uses instant messaging to chat in real-time, day or night, with your customers or site visitors. Top benefits of chatbots are 24-hour service (64%), instant responses to inquiries (55%), and answers to simple questions (55%)

 

3) Conversational Marketing

Conversational marketing facilitates a one-to-one, real-time connection between marketers and customers. When consumers have a question, 82% want an “immediate” response. The reality of modern marketing is clear: it’s more conversational. People want it that way, so brands are reacting.

 

4) Personalization

If you want to stand out in 2021, you need to personalize your marketing – and that means personalized content, products, emails, and more. Kevin George from EmailMonks asserts that “personalized, triggered emails based on behavior are 3x better than batch-and-blast emails.”

 

5) Video Marketing

Video marketing is by far the most important marketing trend today, and the most popular way customers want to learn about new products. If your site includes video, it’s 50X more likely to drive organic search results compared to text, and this trend is likely to stay on for the next 5-10 years.

 

6) Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is word-of-mouth type marketing from key leaders to amplify their brand message to a larger audience. Influencers can be well-known celebrities, or social media personalities with a huge niche to spread the word about their businesses or products through social media channels.

 

7) Social Messaging Apps

The top three social messaging apps are: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and WeChat. They have more combined users than Facebook or YouTube. If you think that social messaging apps are just for sending emojis to your friends, take a look at these numbers: WhatsApp has 1.6 billion active users and 55 billion messages are sent via every day

 

8) CamFind

CamFind is a visual search mobile app that enables you to search for anything from your phone simply by snapping a picture. Instead of typing queries into a search engine, you can directly search via images to find similar images, price comparisons, local shopping results, etc.

 

9) Voice Search & Smart Speakers

The increasing use of voice search has made it important for companies to rethink their digital marketing strategies in 2021. Voice search plays an important role in providing relevant information that people are searching for through audio content. 72% of people who own voice-activated speakers say their devices are used as part of their daily routines. Overall, people expect to be using voice search far more in the future:

 

10) Social Media Stories

First, Snapchat came out with the concept of “My Story,” then Instagram and Facebook stories were introduced, and then YouTube unveiled their own story format. The benefits of using social media stories include: increased brand awareness, constant engagement with followers, and increased traffic to your web page. People will watch it for fear of missing out.

 

PANDELELA WINS MALAYSIA'S FIRST-EVER GOLD MEDAL AT DIVING WORLD CUP

Congratulations to Pandelela Rinong, the BrandLaureate Sports ICON award winner for winning Malaysia's first-ever Diving World Cup gold medal  at the Diving World Cup, women's 10m platform individual final in Tokyo on May 5, 2021.

The Sarawak-born diver, claimed the Gold medal after finishing with 355.70 points at the end of the five-dive competition held at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

Pandelela was awarded The Brand Laureate Grand Master Brand Icon Leadership Award in 2012 for her achievements in diving. She has come a long way since then.

The 28-year-old diver is the first Malaysian to make it to the top of the World Cup podium. It is her second individual career medal and third overall. Earlier, in the 2018 edition, Pandelela, grabbed the bronze medal after qualifying from the semi-final in third spot with a score of 333.00.

The Malaysian diver is also a two-time Olympic medalist and has won a total of five medals at the World Championships.

Pandelela earned her first medal – a silver – while partnering Cheong Jun Hoong in the women's 10m platform synchro in the 2016 edition in Rio de Janeiro.

The duo subsequently clinched the Gold medal in the women's 10m platform synchro event at the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Australia.

Congratulations to Pandelela Rinong once again, for making Malaysia proud!

For more info:

https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/diving/2021/05/05/diving-pandelela-takes-gold-in-diving-world-cup

 

 

 

was headed to her fourth Olympics campaign in July,

 

*Note: For more info about BrandLaureate, check out our sites below:

 

 

#SHOWBIZ: BTS & JUSTIN BIEBER TEAM-UP ON THE WAY

 

Fans of superstars #JustinBieber and #BTS rejoice.

The two luminaries of pop music are collaborating on a new song, according to New York Post’s #Page Six.

Quoting a source, the track could be part of a deluxe release of Bieber’s recently released album #Justice to keep the album on the charts.

The two parties were reportedly taking their time to make sure the release is done right.

The news comes following a merger between the artistes’ respective record companies early this month.

Early this month, BTS' record label, #Hybe, formerly known as  Big Hit Entertainment, had bought Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings for a reported US$1 billion (RM4.1 billion).

Besides Bieber, #Ithaca Holdings also has #ArianaGrande, #DemiLovato and #JBalvin.

In a YouTube video posted by Hybe earlier this month about the deal, BTS’ members said they hope to “grow and share positive influence with all the artists” in Braun’s stable.

The Dynamite singers are known Bieber fans having named him as their musical influence.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2021/04/29/justin-bieber-bts-to-collaborate-on-new-song/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BRANDING TIP #9: BUILD AN ONLINE COMMUNITY

Many Brands do not realize that strengthening their presence on social media can also contribute to a wholesome user experience.

Today, thanks to a flurry of online platforms, it is easy to create a community of followers and customers.

Whether you want to capitalize on your presence on Facebook or spend an extra dollar on Instagram…

·      You can create your community of satisfied customers, who generate positive branded reviews, stories and content.

·      This community can inspire new customer’s confidence in your Brand and build customer loyalty among the existing followers.

·      Apart from website developers, you can contact Social Media influencers and reputation managers to create a fool-proof reputation for your company.

·      Increasing the number of mentions can also boost your online presence and make your Brand more discoverable to each potential consumer out there.

 

 

 

 

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By Mirriam MacWilliams

BRANDING TIP #9: BUILD AN ONLINE COMMUNITY

Many Brands do not realize that strengthening their presence on social media can also contribute to a wholesome user experience.

Today, thanks to a flurry of online platforms, it is easy to create a community of followers and customers.

Whether you want to capitalize on your presence on Facebook or spend an extra dollar on Instagram…

·      You can create your community of satisfied customers, who generate positive branded reviews, stories and content.

·      This community can inspire new customer’s confidence in your Brand and build customer loyalty among the existing followers.

·      Apart from website developers, you can contact Social Media influencers and reputation managers to create a fool-proof reputation for your company.

·      Increasing the number of mentions can also boost your online presence and make your Brand more discoverable to each potential consumer out there.