D51 Annual Conference 2018: Testimonials

I knew, right from the start, marketing would be critical if I am to make the D51 Annual 2018 a success.

 

I need to do it differently. Marketing textbooks refer to it as "targeted marketing".

 

And so, I went personal. I build relationships. I go to the ground.

 

I connect with Toastmasters everywhere and anywhere.

 

To enhance communication, I also added visual assets. These can be photos, videos, illustrations and infographics and they surely help me to effectively promote the District 51 Annual Conference 2018. Primarily on social media.

 

Toastmasters organize conferences annually. And in peninsular Malaysia, there are already two “competing” conferences. Simply claiming to be "the best" is not enough to convince people, more so Toastmasters to sign up.

 

One marketing method I am using is “testimonials”.

 

'Testimonials in marketing' is powerful. Always has been. For those who know, it is easy-to-use and certainly, it is a 'cheap' marketing tool. When you are in my situation – where the marketing budget is capped at zero – testimonials are a godsend. Really. 

 

Testimonials create an emotional appeal. They increase trust. They increase my social media engagement.

 

The people I have invited to give testimonials represent the Toastmasters universe in this part of the world. They are the most representative of my target audience – I have made it as diverse as I possibly can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above are been released daily over 30 days. Since July 16.

 

The theory behind this, if you don’t already know, is “implicit egotism” – the psychological phenomenon that explains why we gravitate toward the choices made by people who resemble us.

 

Testimonials, therefore, are an integral part of my social media marketing strategy.

 

Footnote: My "testimonials" are different in that my conference registrants may have "bought" the product, i.e. the conference package” – BUT that is all there is to it! There is NO CONTENT as yet. Absolutely zilch.

 

I am "selling" the so-called conference with only a venue in place, an admission price and a conference theme. And oh yes, I am letting it known that I am the Organizing Chair. That's it!  

D51 Annual Conference 2018: The Origins

Sometime in January of this year, an innocuous proposal was brought to my attention – to seriously consider hosting the District 51 Annual Conference 2018.

To be honest, I was disinterested, detached and just plain indifferent about  it. It was an immediate and expected response. Most likely, I was spooked by the gargantuan responsibility that came with the job. I already knew it would be one onerous obligation that was best avoided. 

 

For some strange reason, I did not say 'No'. 

 

On April 28th, two Toastmasters made a "bid" presentation at the D51 Annual Conference 2017 in Penang and two days later, I received the "flag" – affirming that the hosting right had been awarded to me.

 

And from thereon, I realized very quickly that this was not just another Toastmasters event. It was bigger in terms of scale and scope, definitely demanding and certainly, very much more challenging.

 

Still, I was not cowed, daunted or even fazed by it all. You can say, I took it in my stride. And slowly but surely, I began to put a team together.

Soon after the ideas came fast and furious. And just as speedily, they were translated into action plans.  

 

The following were some of the initiatives developed to promote and sell the event! Obviously, it has to begin with marketing, my area of specialty:

 

Anwar Ibrahim Defends Arch Nemesis

On Sunday, Anwar Ibrahim stoutly defended his former arch nemesis Mahathir Mohamad against detractors who questioned the former premier’s prominent involvement in Pakatan Harapan.

The jailed Opposition leader said he understood and accepted the skepticism that many “loyal and caring friends” have towards Mahathir, who is now Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and PH chairperson.

However, he offered assurances that the Opposition would not be veered off course by the former prime minister as the pact’s brand of politics does not limit power to the elite few.

Anwar said that Mahathir's and PPBM’s presence was strategically part of a plan to increase the network of support for a struggle that is more widely agreed upon.

“Personally, I welcome Dr Mahathir’s readiness to join us in this struggle”, Anwar added.

“The personal pain and injuries are small compared to the people’s interests and the future of this country”, he declared.

And his plea: “He should be given the space to help expand the people’s movement”.

I thought it was well-put but only time will tell whether Mahathir is an ally or he is pushing his own agenda.

We can only wait with bated breath.

Open Arms for Zakir Naik in Malaysia

In April this year, televangelist and Islamic cleric Zakir Naik (left) created a furious furor among non-Muslims when he came to conduct a series of lectures in Malaysia – with many claiming he had demeaned other religions in his provocative sermons.

 

They also demanded Zakir be barred from speaking as his sermons could harm the harmony in Malaysia’s multi-religious society.

 

The Malaysian government's response was telling. They supported and embraced him.

 

Zakir who is from India is not without controversy. He came under the media spotlight after Bangladeshi authorities said that one of the gunmen responsible for an attack on Holey Artisan Bakery, a Dhaka café on July 02, 2016 and which left 22 people dead – had been inspired by him.

 

Following the bloody assault, both India and Bangladesh launched investigations into the controversial Zakir.

 

In November, India's counterterrorism agency, the National Investigation Agency, filed a First Information Report, an official police complaint, against him and the Mumbai-based non-profit Islamic Research Foundation that he established in 1991, accusing him of indulging in unlawful activities and promoting religious hatred.

 

The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi also responded by imposing a five-year ban on the IRF under the country's anti-terror laws.

 

His Peace TV has been banned in both India and Bangladesh. The Islamic channel broadcasts from Dubai which Zakir founded in 2006 and which claims to reach 100 million people worldwide.

 

It had aired inflammatory talks in respect to Hindus, Jews and Christians, and even the Sufis and Shias, calling them qabr parast (grave worshippers) and thus mushrik and kafir (polytheist and infidel).

 

The Office of Communications (Ofcom) – the British government’s regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries – had investigated the programs aired on Peace TV and its research findings confirmed in 2011 that it contained extremist messages.

 

To top it all, there is a bounty on his head. Not one but two.

 

On Tuesday, an India-based Shia group reportedly offered Rs15 million rupees (RM884,033) on Facebook, declaring that anyone who kills Zakir will receive the cash reward and also rewards in the afterlife.

 

According to the Hindustan Times, Hussaini Tigers’ president Syed Kalbe Hussain Naqvi claimed that Zakir is a “khalnayak” (Hindi for villain) and a “kafir” (heathen) for insulting “the Prophet of Muslims”.

 

And on Thursday, a Hindu nationalist politician Sadhvi Prachi, declared a 50 lakhs (RM2.94 million) reward in her personal capacity for Zakir’s beheading.

 

“I have announced the reward because Zakir Naik is not a religious preacher, but a terrorist”, she was quoted telling Indian daily The Indian Express in a report published Friday.

 

She also reportedly urged India to investigate the terror links of all “such preachers working in madrasahs” in the country.

 

The UK, Canada and other countries have already barred Zakir from their countries.

 

And yet, Malaysia welcomes this hateful heel with open arms. What’s wrong with my country?

Complaint about Not Wearing a Seatbelt

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles are driven to the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament in London last month. Reuters pic

A member of the public had reported Queen Elizabeth for not wearing a seatbelt.

 

According to news reports, the unnamed party dialed 999 as the British monarch was driven to the State Opening of Parliament in London in her official car on June 21, 2017.

 

West Yorkshire Police confirmed the call really was made in a tweet that read: “999 call received reporting that the Queen isn’t wearing a seatbelt #not999 #notevenwestyorkshire”.

 

Noted but I wonder if she was issued a ticket?!

 

Kajang in Selangor is not just a small town that is about 20km south of Kuala Lumpur. Yesterday, I dropped in at Vicky Chen's place called Red Clementine and this is what was being served:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you happen to be in the vicinity, do drop by because it is well worth the visit. in to Vicky Chen's place called Red Clementine. It is located at G3A in MKH Boulevard, Jalan Changkat.

 

I assure you it is well worth a visit.

Pakatan Harapan Logo

Finally.

Pakatan Harapan unveiled their logo at a press conference on Thursday night – it features the word “harapan” (hope) against a red backdrop – and with a vertical arrowhead pattern representing the “A” alphabet in the middle.

 

President Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said it conveyed the message that the opposition coalition would scale the mountain of hope, as indicated by the design, in wresting Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional.

 

If you look at the logo carefully, you may notice that the “A”-like element closely resembles the Star Trek insignia – from the popular sci-fi TV series and movies.

 

Wan Azizah explained yesterday that she had no issue with the association.

 

“It is like a famous line from Star Trek. In the past, no one has been able to defeat BN”, she said, referring to the famous mission statement of the starship USS Enterprise from the series – “to boldly go where no man has gone before”.

 

Well-said!

A Lesson on Living Life

We often forget to live in the present. How to live Life. Meaningfully. Purposefully.

More importantly, to be happy and make others happy.

That aside, I attended a Toastmasters meeting.

 

And I delivered my CC#8 “Delusional”. It was totally impromptu because the speech title was given to me by the Toastmaster-of-the-Day just before the actual meeting started. I also used two props that I found at the venue itself.

 

And still, it was a good speech, if I may say so myself! I deserve a pat on the back.

Cow Masks

Behind the mask: the project questions whether it is safer to be a sacred animal than a woman in India. Photographs: Sujatro Ghosh

They are all pictures of women doing everyday activities: A woman on a street, a woman playing the piano in her home, a woman lounging in a boat, a woman at a table in a restaurant. All are unremarkable – except that they are wearing a cow mask.

 

The photos aim to highlight the growing violence against women in India, while also drawing attention to a wave of attacks on religious minorities accused of eating beef or slaughtering cows – considered sacred by many Hindus.

 

“People are getting lynched in this country to protect cows. But women’s safety is neglected and violence against women is rising”, Kolkata photographer Sujatro Ghosh said of his project.

 

“If we can protect cows, then why not women?” Violence against women has been under the spotlight since a fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi, India in 2012 sparked nationwide protests about entrenched violence against women and the failure of authorities to protect them.

 

Since then, India has enacted tougher jail sentences for rapists and promised to try those accused through “fast-track” courts but rape, acid attacks and domestic violence remain prevalent and commonplace.

 

More than 327,390 crimes against women were registered in India in 2015, an increase of more than half since 2010.

 

But activists say many crimes go unreported because women are afraid of reprisals from their attackers, or because they are ashamed to report them.

 

There has also been a surge in violence against people accused of harming cows. Earlier this month, a 16-year-old Muslim boy was stabbed to death on a train on suspicion of carrying beef – the latest victim of about 28 people murdered in cow-related violence since 2010. 

 

Most were killed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party won elections three years ago. Modi last week finally decided to break his silence and condemned the violence by so-called cow protection groups, some of which have links to his party.

 

Ghosh, who began by photographing his friends and family in Delhi and Kolkata wearing the cow mask, said he has been flooded with offers from women to pose for his project since he began posting the pictures on social media.

 

He has taken about 30 photographs so far, and is raising money via crowdfunding to take the project across the country.

 

But he has also been attacked on social media for the project, which some people see as belittling the cow.

 

“I hope people get the message and realise we need to protect women with at least as much zeal as we protect cows”, Ghosh said.