When revenue growth slows and expectations stay high, how should SMEs rethink their marketing plans for 2026?


Nizwani Shahar, CEO of Havas Malaysia, outlines practical frameworks for allocating limited budgets, balancing brand and performance, protecting margins, and making disciplined decisions when conditions tighten. We examine what to prioritise when cash flow is constrained, how to avoid destructive discounting, what minimum viable measurement really looks like, and what separates short-term survival from long-term resilience.

When revenue growth slows and expectations stay high, how should SMEs rethink their marketing plans for 2026? Nizwani Shahar, CEO of Havas Malaysia, outlines practical frameworks for allocating limited budgets, balancing brand and performance, protecting margins, and making disciplined decisions when conditions tighten. We examine what to prioritise when cash flow is constrained, how to avoid destructive discounting, what minimum viable measurement really looks like, and what separates short-term survival from long-term resilience.

Marketing Mojo examines the dynamic world of branding and marketing strategies. We explore the latest trends, share expert insights, and uncover innovative tactics to help you ignite your brand's spark and captivate your audience. Get ready to drive your brand (and sales) to new heights with Marketing Mojo!!

Marketing Mojo

Building Marketing Plans For Tougher Conditions

Is your brand still visible if no one clicks anymore? As AI reshapes how people discover information, Jonathan James of Similarweb APAC joins us to unpack the shift from search to answers, and why traditional SEO may no longer be enough. We explore how brands risk disappearing from AI-generated decisions, and what it takes to win in the age of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO).


Tune In To Find Out:




The “Zero-Click Reality”: Why more users are getting answers without ever visiting your website, and what that means for your traffic and ROI.


From SEO to AEO: How search isn’t dying but quietly evolving into a new game of being cited, not just ranked.


The Visibility War: Why your biggest competitor isn’t ranking above you but being chosen by AI instead.


The Attribution Black Hole: How AI is breaking traditional tracking and why marketers may be flying blind.


The AI-First Playbook: What brands must fix internally (from FAQs to data structure) to even stand a chance of being surfaced.



This episode of Marketing Mojo was brought to you by BFM Brandfest. This event is happening on the 22nd and 23rd July at Nexus Bangsar South.

Is your brand still visible if no one clicks anymore? As AI reshapes how people discover information, Jonathan James of Similarweb APAC joins us to unpack the shift from search to answers, and why traditional SEO may no longer be enough. We explore how brands risk disappearing from AI-generated decisions, and what it takes to win in the age of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO). Tune In To Find Out:<ul><li>The “Zero-Click Reality”: Why more users are getting answers without ever visiting your website, and what that means for your traffic and ROI.</li><li>From SEO to AEO: How search isn’t dying but quietly evolving into a new game of being cited, not just ranked.</li><li>The Visibility War: Why your biggest competitor isn’t ranking above you but being chosen by AI instead.</li><li>The Attribution Black Hole: How AI is breaking traditional tracking and why marketers may be flying blind.</li><li>The AI-First Playbook: What brands must fix internally (from FAQs to data structure) to even stand a chance of being surfaced.</li></ul>This episode of Marketing Mojo was brought to you by BFM Brandfest. This event is happening on the 22nd and 23rd July at Nexus Bangsar South.

AI Is Eating Search: The New Rules Of Visibility

Is your marketing strategy optimised for an old TikTok behaviour? As two-thirds of Gen Z abandon traditional search engines for TikTok, brands relying on "viral lottery" tactics are facing a structural relevance crisis. Dulya Wijeratne of Cult Creative joins the show to reveal why the era of the "commercialised" platform is ending and how the shift to “visual proof” is redefining consumer trust. 



Learn More About: 




The Visual Proof Pivot: Why Dulya thinks that Google is losing the trust war and how TikTok’s "social proof" from real people is replacing traditional SEO for high-intent queries.


The Resonance Metric: Why views and likes are now considered "hygiene factors" and how to optimise for the three discovery metrics that actually indicate long-term brand equity.


The Lottery Trap: Why achieving a viral moment is a "wasted win" without a pre-planned “value capture strategy” to change audience behaviour within a 14-day window.


Beyond the Trend: How to move from "trend-heavy" to "intent-heavy" content by identifying the specific emotional triggers that drive 95% of B2B and B2C decision-making.


The Creator Moat: Why polished brand advertisements are failing to build authority and how to leverage a "pool of trusted creators" to speak on behalf of legacy brands.

Is your marketing strategy optimised for an old TikTok behaviour? As two-thirds of Gen Z abandon traditional search engines for TikTok, brands relying on "viral lottery" tactics are facing a structural relevance crisis.&nbsp;Dulya Wijeratne of Cult Creative joins the show to reveal why the era of the "commercialised" platform is ending and how the shift to “visual proof” is redefining consumer trust.&nbsp;Learn More About:&nbsp;<ul><li>The Visual Proof Pivot: Why Dulya thinks that Google is losing the trust war and how TikTok’s "social proof" from real people is replacing traditional SEO for high-intent queries.</li><li>The Resonance Metric: Why views and likes are now considered "hygiene factors" and how to optimise for the three discovery metrics that actually indicate long-term brand equity.</li><li>The Lottery Trap: Why achieving a viral moment is a "wasted win" without a pre-planned “value capture strategy” to change audience behaviour within a 14-day window.</li><li>Beyond the Trend: How to move from "trend-heavy" to "intent-heavy" content by identifying the specific emotional triggers that drive 95% of B2B and B2C decision-making.</li><li>The Creator Moat: Why polished brand advertisements are failing to build authority and how to leverage a "pool of trusted creators" to speak on behalf of legacy brands.</li></ul>

Forget Virality: TikTok Is The New Search Bar

As ESG expectations rise, brands face growing pressure to prove sustainability beyond messaging. Where does responsible marketing end and greenwashing begin? Margie Ong, CEO of Thoughts In Gear, joins us to unpack the shift from CSR to ESG, and why sustainability is becoming a core part of brand strategy rather than a side initiative.



We explore how businesses, especially SMEs, can approach ESG not just as compliance, but as a driver of risk management, efficiency, and long-term growth, while building trust with increasingly informed consumers.



In this conversation, we discuss:




The difference between CSR, ESG, and sustainability — and why it matters for marketers.


What actually counts as greenwashing, and how brands fall into it (often unintentionally).


How to communicate sustainability with credibility using data, transparency, and validation.


Why ESG is becoming a competitive advantage in both B2B and B2C markets.


Practical ways SMEs can start integrating ESG into their business and brand.



As scrutiny rises and standards evolve, the question is no longer whether brands should talk about sustainability, but how to do it in a way that is real, relevant, and trusted.

As ESG expectations rise, brands face growing pressure to prove sustainability beyond messaging. Where does responsible marketing end and greenwashing begin? Margie Ong, CEO of Thoughts In Gear, joins us to unpack the shift from CSR to ESG, and why sustainability is becoming a core part of brand strategy rather than a side initiative.We explore how businesses, especially SMEs, can approach ESG not just as compliance, but as a driver of risk management, efficiency, and long-term growth, while building trust with increasingly informed consumers.In this conversation, we discuss:<ul><li>The difference between CSR, ESG, and sustainability — and why it matters for marketers.</li><li>What actually counts as greenwashing, and how brands fall into it (often unintentionally).</li><li>How to communicate sustainability with credibility using data, transparency, and validation.</li><li>Why ESG is becoming a competitive advantage in both B2B and B2C markets.</li><li>Practical ways SMEs can start integrating ESG into their business and brand.</li></ul>As scrutiny rises and standards evolve, the question is no longer whether brands should talk about sustainability, but how to do it in a way that is real, relevant, and trusted.

Building Marketing Plans For Tougher Conditions

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