Want Stability In 2026? Grow Slower, Serve Deeper, Stay Real
Business growth is often seen as a race. You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it. That’s how the business world works. The faster we grow, the better. This is what we’re told. But experience has shown me something different. Chasing growth at all costs often leaves a business unstable. The business becomes overstretched, […]
AAR & Company Rolls Out RM350,000 Marketing Boost for 100 Malaysian SMEs
In a bold move to level the playing field for small businesses, AAR & Company will fully fund a marketing support program worth RM350,000 for 100 SMEs across Malaysia. The initiative kicks off this October and aims to prove that strong marketing results don’t require deep pockets or a full-time CMO. The selected SMEs will […]
300th: A Platform Built For SMEs To Be ‘Heard’ On Search Engines
As a marketing strategist and entrepreneur, I know it is very important for my firm, AAR & Company, to be found. I also know that that to get my articles or media releases published would be easy. Those mainstream publications will have their own reasons not to publish articles produced by a nobody like me. The […]
Malaysia is attracting more and more FDIs into the country. And, I begin to feel a little nervous
No, it is not because FDIs are bad. In fact, they’re great. They bring capital, technology, and exposure. They help build our ecosystem. However, I become uncomfortable because I believe we are not celebrating a complete victory here. We are celebrating the arrival of foreign companies, while many of our own SMEs are still struggling […]
Marketing Advisory Isn’t Sexy, But It’s Incredibly Profitable
Marketing advisory doesn’t sound exciting, I know. There’s nothing to shout about. It’s a quiet business. Yeah, the one that quietly fixes broken funnels, repositions brands, and brings businesses out of plateaus. It’s a boring business, I’ll admit. But the revenue? That part’s never boring. Never. There were so many moments, and the latest one […]
People Keep Saying Marketing Is A Young People’s Game. I Disagree.
I keep hearing this over and over again that marketing is a young person’s game. That if you’re not in your twenties or thirties, you’re already behind, no longer relevant, or obsolete. You are already a dinosaur, and your opinion is no longer needed. While those Gen Zs out there who are born with social […]
The Day ChatGPT Recommended Me As A Speaker, And I Didn’t See That Coming
Something unexpected happened earlier today that made me pause and rethink how opportunities come knocking. I had a Google Meet call with a big event organiser this morning. This call was arranged after he emailed me an invitation to become a speaker in this particular event happening in September. The call was great. After telling me […]
Abu Mansur Manaf, Principal Consultant Of Persis, On Building A Business Where Reputation Does The Selling
As a consultant for the last 25 years, focusing on helping other businesses, specifically in the IT sector, with highly specialised solutions, I had a blast and was paid really well for it. For example, for SUN Microsystems, I helped them shape public policy around their solution sets via IP software licensing, work with IT security policies […]
Why Fast Marketing Doesn’t Work Without Strong Fundamentals
Someone I know is on the verge of closing down her business. Revenue is at its minimal, razor-thin margin and inconsistent leads are among the reasons. I know her last year. We briefly worked together to establish her company’s initial marketing strategy. It took off pretty well. Despite her busy schedule, she continued to stay […]
AAR & Company To Launch “What Is”, A Marketing Glossary For SMEs
AAR & Company is set to launch What Is, a practical and easy-to-understand marketing glossary designed for small-medium enterprises. Going live on 15 June 2025, this glossary aims to simplify complex marketing terms with clear, real-world explanations. What Is breaks down marketing language into short, useful definitions that reflect how terms are actually used in […]
How To Choose The Right Marketing Consultant In Malaysia If You’re An SME
If you’re running a small or medium-sized business in Malaysia, chances are you’ve considered getting help with marketing. Maybe your internal team is stretched thin. Maybe you’ve tried campaigns that didn’t convert. Or maybe you just want someone to cut through the clutter and guide things in the right direction. But here’s the thing. Not […]
AAR & Company Evolves Solution Strategy Via Templates In Productising Its Services At Scale
On 1 June 2025, AAR & Company will officially launch Templates, a new product built to scale its strategic marketing expertise through structured, ready-to-deploy systems without consulting. Templates distil the firm’s core advisory frameworks into clean, practical toolkits. Delivered through a structured folder format, each set includes editable templates, strategic instructions, and campaign systems designed […]
You Can Try To Establish Credibility For Your Business, But Without A Proper Website, The Effort Will Fail
If your business doesn’t have a proper website, any effort you make to build credibility is on shaky ground—and this is the reality of today’s business nature. Of course, you can post regularly on social media, build trust, collect glowing reviews, or even get a feature in a major publication. But when people get curious […]
Azleen Abdul Rahim: Think Marketing Advisory Firm In Malaysia, Think AAR & Company
I’ve had many conversations with entrepreneurs and SMEs almost regularly, and the pattern I noticed in almost all conversations is this: “Azleen, we’re doing everything—Facebook Ads, email, events, podcasting, SEO and all, but nothing feels like it’s working.” I get it. These people, they are not short of activity actually. They’re short of clarity. The […]
How To Build A Brand People Will Remember: A Complete Guide For Entrepreneurs
Branding is all about making people remember your company, product, or service—but not in a shallow way. It’s deeper than just slapping on a logo or choosing a pretty color scheme. A brand lives in the minds and emotions of people. It’s what they think of when your name pops up. And with the way […]
300th: A Haven For Critical-Thinking And Thought-Provoking Content
I noticed that living in the Internet era revolves around social media most of the time. Most of the content is parked predominantly on social media platforms. We are talking about Meta-owned platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Thread, TikTok, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and others. The rest are at the other corner of the internet—websites. […]
I Thought There’s No Such Thing As Readers Anymore, But I Was Wrong
No, really. I thought everyone was pretty much into videos now—thanks to the ever-rapid growth of platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts et al. And, I also thought there was no such thing as readers any more—gone with the wind, completely extinct. I guess I was completely wrong. Bookworms and readers are completely alive and kicking. […]
AAR & Company Introduces Ghost Strategist Service To Elevate Executive Thought Leadership
AAR & Company, a Malaysia-based marketing advisory firm known for its strategy-first approach, has launched a new offering aimed at professionals who want to build meaningful thought leadership and authority without losing their authentic voice. The service, called Ghost Strategist, is designed to help entrepreneurs and professionals sharpen their presence online and offline—strategically, not randomly. […]
300th Is Now on Lumi News Malaysia—A Big Win For Writers And Ambitious Brands
Here’s a big one: 300th is now officially live on Lumi News Malaysia, the country’s #1 news app. That means every article, media release, and idea you publish on 300th now has the potential to reach a much larger, more engaged audience, without jumping through the hoops of traditional media. For writers, this is a […]
Here’s How To Run Marketing Effectively Without Knowledge and Experience
Marketing might seem like a game reserved for experts, but in reality, you don’t need years of experience, deep knowledge or a degree to make it work. Many businesses assume that successful marketing requires all those stuff to create magic, but the truth is, it doesn’t. You can still achieve great results without years of […]
What Is Going To Happen If The Terrorist-State Of Israel Wins The War?
First things first. The militant Israel won’t be able to win this war. And, this is not even a war after all. It is called genocide. That’s my take. This terrorist state doesn’t have what it takes to secure it. Let me tell you why. Despite being equipped with the latest tech, aircrafts, rockets, bombs, […]
I’m Using These Productivity Rules To Declutter My Brain In This Distracted, Modern World
I noticed that many people out there, their precious brain juice is constantly bombarded with information, notifications, and distractions. As a result, they felt significantly cluttered, making it challenging for them to focus, stay organised, and maintain a sense of clarity. It is time to do it right . Here, let me share with you […]
Some Companies Don’t Even Know Why They Exist And What’s Their Purpose. This Is Not Good
Exactly 7 days ago, we had a conversation with this one entrepreneur who couldn’t tell us why her company exists beyond “to make money.” How amazing is that. It’s hard to build and establish a marketing strategy if the business foundation is not even established. And if you, the entrepreneur, have no more profound reason […]
4 Ways To Build A Sustainable Business. You Should Consider This Too
This is important for our survival.
Don’t Follow Others. To Succeed In Business, Prioritise Your Effort On This One Thing
We are a marketing strategist. After more than two decades in marketing advisory, we’ve seen many businesses trying their level best to achieve growth—from revenue and profit, to cash flow, market share and brand reputation. Most of them started off the journey by copying what’s trending, tweaking what’s working for others, and hoping it takes […]
Now I Know Why Certain CEOs Distrust Marketing To Produce Real Business Results
I’ve seen a lot of them many years ago, I’ve seen some last year, and I just crossed paths with one last month. I’ve seen it too many times—CEOs treating marketing as nothing but an evil, a cost centre or an unnecessary expense which needs to be minimised to zero if possible rather than using […]
I Decided To Delete All Social Media Apps On My Mobile Because They’re Wasting Time
That’s right, I deleted LinkedIn, X and Reddit from my mobile devices two days ago. Since then, I feel really great. I feel calmer too. For the last couple of years, I’ve accomplished more than my typical days. I write more articles daily. I don’t have TikTok, else I’d have deleted the app too. The […]
Working From Home Is Bad For Me? I Don’t Think So
There are a number of articles out there telling me that working from home is bad. Some of the negative effects include distractions, less productivity, being cut off from colleagues and so on. While I tend to agree on the most of the reasons, there’s a caveat to it. You need to be discipline and […]
Most Startups Ignore This One Marketing Channel—And It Could Make or Break Their Success
Most startups are quick to jump on social media, pour money into paid ads, or chase influencer collaborations. These strategies work, but they often overlook one of the most critical marketing channels—one that requires little to no spending yet has the power to bring in high-intent customers consistently. That channel? Searchability. It is done through […]
4 Powerful Platforms To Drive Internet Traffic Beyond Google And Social Media
When we talk about driving traffic online, social media and Google are often the first things that come to mind. But here in Malaysia, there are other platforms that can work wonders for reaching a larger audience. Being a co-founder of two internet platforms, I’ve tested a few, and these alternatives are not just effective—they’re […]