Global Entrepreneurship Movement launched in Malaysia

Source: GEM Facebook page.

The Global Entrepreneurship Movement (GEM) was officially launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today. The non-governmental organisation (NGO) providing a networking platform for entrepreneurs from different sectors such as social entrepreneurship, technology, and halal to converge.

“I’m joined on this NGO by community leaders from different networks who will support a strong partnership for Malaysia and our entrepreneurs. We’ve got some incredible entrepreneurs, business leaders and innovators who are present today. They see the promise of internationalising Malaysia and will support GEM’s vision where no one is deprived or denied from being an entrepreneur," said YBhg. Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, the patron of GEM and Secretary General Treasury, Ministry of Finance. 

“GEM will be the first NGO that focuses on connecting, networking whilst fostering collaborations to internationalise Malaysia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.” 

GEM aspires to build, promote, internationalise and connect the Malaysia-based entrepreneurship movement with the world, including the investment sectors, business angels, private equity firms, venture capitalists and the like. It also aims to align with current entrepreneurial initiatives and agencies by bringing them together.

YBhg. Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan said, "By placing greater emphasis on entrepreneurship via GEM’s strategic programmes, locally, regionally or at an international level, everyone will be provided opportunities to rise which will ultimately unleash the possibilities of creating jobs, spurring innovation and strengthening Malaysia’s leading position in entrepreneurship.”

GEM is set to invest in a capacity building programme via a two-day hackathon for 300 university students at Gathering of Rising Entrepreneurs, Act Together (GREAT) Kuching in Sarawak on April 2 and 3, 2016. GREAT Kuching is the ultimate gathering for all stages of entrepreneurs, startups and funding vehicles led by the National Strategic Unit (NSU) and the National Entrepreneur Development Office (NEDO), supported by the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC). There will also be a year long programme done in partnership with Malaysia Debt Ventures (MDV) to help entrepreneurs who have failed.

According to GEM’S President, Dash Dhakshinamoorthy, “Today, we have people from all walks of industries. Some are startups, some in growth stages and some are in the multi-million dollar revenue stage. However (the) one common thread that runs through the fabric of this group is the desire to make Malaysia the go-to place for launching ventures.

“The government has played a pivotal role for many years to spur entrepreneurship in the country. From setting up the MSC to launching various venture capital funds and also by investing in various agencies to catalyse and grow different clusters of entrepreneurs – grassroots, university entrepreneurship, startups, agri-entrepreneurs, creative entrepreneurs just to name a few. The time has come for independent and private sector players to synergise and weave the ecosystem together by building trust, collaboration and most importantly to be able to dream together to make the Malaysian entrepreneur truly global.” 

Interested?

Membership in GEM is open to students, individuals and companies. Membership fees begin from RM50.

Asian trademarks in a globalised world

Brands from emerging economies do not have the luxury today of taking decades to establish an international reputation, said panelists during the International Trademark Association's (INTA's) 136th annual meeting, it was reported in a newsletter published by IP Mirror, a domain name registry which also offers cloud hosting services and brand protection.

Source: INTA website.

According to IP Mirror, some of the suggested options for Asian brands focused on global expansion that were discussed at the event in early May in Hong Kong include:

• Adapting localised products for the international market while maintaining trademarks in the new markets.
• Spending more time and money on establishing what the brands represent, as most Asian brand names are likely unheard of, so paying attention to how the mark is presented and what message it invokes is just as important as what name is being registered.
• Buying overseas trademarks to gain access to new channels to market to foreign shoppers, or bringing those brands back home to local consumers seeking established overseas brands. 

"As with any expansion, getting the appropriate localised or regionalised domain names help to secure your online brand in the respective markets," said the company in the newsletter.

INTA separately announced that wage premiums in industries with intensive intellectual property rights (IPR) are significantly higher when compared with other industries: 41% in the European Union* and 42% in the US**.

"Innovation supports millions of jobs worldwide… but only when it is protected by IP rights,” said INTA President Mei-lan Stark (Fox Entertainment Group, US). “Today, the most successful economies, fuelled by the most highly paid workforces, are those in which innovation is encouraged and IP rights are protected.”

INTA coverage on World Intellectual Property Review can be viewed here. New Legal Review did an INTA 2014 roundup here.

*Intellectual property rights intensive industries: contribution to economic performance and employment in the European Union published by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) and the European Patent Office in 2013.

**IP and the US economy – industries in focus published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2012. published by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) and the European Patent Office in 2013.

Mobile marketing the McDonald's way

McDonald’s is thinking of new ways to engage the customer on a long-term basis with mobile marketing. Its Surprise Alarm app not only helps people get out of bed every morning, but also gets people to the restaurants to actually buy something, said Andrew Knott, Vice President, Media & Digital, McDonald’s during the Mobile Marketing Association Forum 2014 in Singapore.

The secret to the hit app, which made it to no. 1 on both the Apple App Store and on the Google Play store, is an offer every morning. It could be a cash prize, or a free treat that is stored in a digital wallet to like, share or redeem. “There is more incentive to head to a McDonald's for redemption,” said Knott. “It remembers what you like so it can tailor what it offers.”

In two months, McDonald’s was able to garner 15% of the smartphone population in Singapore, and 90% of those who downloaded the app actually activated it. The company saw a 15% redemption rate for the offers, which are only valid for a 24-hour period.

Ad on a table at a McDonald's in Singapore

Knott said the potential has moved from a campaign approach to a platform for on-going engagement, suggesting that there might be tieups with music companies for the morning alarm part of the app. 

  

Apps do not have to be dry when they provide information, either. Knott shared that the Track my Macca’s app used augmented reality to recognise the food that had been ordered, consults supply chain information and then transforms dining tables into cartoon villages in order to deliver customised information to the user by his or her location. “It is a good way to tell our nutritional story in a very transparent way and also in a compelling way,” he said.

For McDonald’s, mobile does not standalone but is complemented by other channels. “Mobile is a critical part of our future journey as a brand but TV will play a significant role,” he said. For example, McDonald’s through its mobile commerce partnership with NTT DoCoMo, which began letting DoCoMo subscribers buy food from the restaurant chain by using their mobile phones in 2007, has captured tens of millions of names from their delivery service. 

“We’re leveraging the data on a campaign basis, and populating it across all our platforms,” Knott said.

Hashtag: #MMAF2014