MyPermohonan

Tag: #MyPermohonan

  • How Gen Z is Transforming Snacks into Expressions of Culture, Identity, and Shared Values

    How Gen Z is Transforming Snacks into Expressions of Culture, Identity, and Shared Values

    How Gen Z is Turning Snacks into Cultural Symbols of Identity, Purpose, and Belonging. In today’s hyper-digital world, Gen Z is redefining the rules of consumer engagement—and brands like PepsiCo are paying close attention. For this socially connected and value-driven generation, a snack is no longer just a snack. It’s a statement, a digital accessory, and a reflection of their lifestyle and beliefs. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram aren’t just social media—they’re shopping destinations and stages for self-expression. Here, flavor alone isn’t enough. A product must look good in a selfie, align with personal values, and generate likes before it earns a purchase. Recognizing this shift, PepsiCo is no longer simply selling food; it’s curating experiences that resonate with Gen Z’s culture, identity, and digital habits.

    PepsiCo’s approach is exemplified by its launch of Lay’s Double Crunch, an intensely flavored, deep-ridged snack crafted to enhance the moments Gen Z values most—late-night study marathons, gaming sessions, and creative hangouts. The product’s bold packaging is designed for digital impact, built to stand out not only on store shelves but on TikTok feeds and Instagram Stories. The strategy came to life during the launch of Lay’s UEFA Jumbo Pack featuring football legend Lionel Messi. A livestream on TikTok Shop showcasing the pack accounted for a staggering 70% of total Gross Merchandise Value in a single session, proving the power of timely, exclusive, and visually striking content tailored for social platforms.

    But the evolution goes deeper than visual appeal. PepsiCo is turning digital engagement into real conversion, particularly in Malaysia where the company has leaned heavily into livestream commerce. With an average of 25 hours of live selling a month and over 30,000 shoppers reached through interactive sessions and influencer-led product drops, PepsiCo is transforming platforms like TikTok from mere brand awareness tools into engines of direct commerce. This strategic integration of content, commerce, and community recently earned the brand the Foodpanda Collaborative Excellence Award—recognition of its agile and shopper-centric model.

    More than just sales and screen time, PepsiCo is aligning its purpose with the values that matter to Gen Z. The company’s efforts to support local communities and promote wellness are integral to its brand identity. In 2024, PepsiCo collaborated with The Assembly Soup Kitchen (TASK) to distribute 1,000 food packs to underserved communities in Kuala Lumpur’s Chow Kit area. The initiative benefitted refugee students, homeless individuals, and B40 families, reflecting the company’s broader commitment to tackling food insecurity. Globally, PepsiCo has contributed over USD 14 million to the World Food Programme, reinforcing its role in addressing critical social issues.

    Meanwhile, health-conscious choices are shaping the way Gen Z consumes. PepsiCo is reformulating products like the Quaker 3-in-1 range to reduce sugar and sodium, striking a balance between nutrition and taste. Its Jom Quaker Fit programme goes a step further by rewarding consumers with wellness perks—spa passes, gym vouchers, and healthy dining offers—making each purchase a gateway to a healthier lifestyle. This kind of thoughtful innovation reflects how PepsiCo is embedding wellness into the everyday lives of its consumers.

    Equally important is building a sense of belonging. Football, a cultural cornerstone in Malaysia, serves as a unifying passion. PepsiCo tapped into this through its UEFA Champions League campaign, not just with giveaways, but through real-life activations in 60 locations that brought together over 80,000 fans. Through community games and interactive experiences, everyday places became hubs of celebration and connection. These campaigns didn’t just entertain—they fostered shared moments that felt personal and communal. Looking ahead, PepsiCo aims to replicate and scale this success with its upcoming FIFA 2026 partnership, reinforcing Lay’s place at the heart of football-loving communities.

    As Gen Z continues to reshape the consumer landscape with every scroll and click, PepsiCo’s strategy in Malaysia offers a roadmap for brands seeking relevance. By designing with purpose, showing up in the digital spaces Gen Z inhabits, and building campaigns rooted in authenticity and connection, PepsiCo isn’t just keeping up with trends—it’s becoming part of a generation’s everyday culture. As Aditya Ahuja, Cluster GM for PepsiCo Foods Malaysia and the Philippines, puts it: “Today’s generation doesn’t want to be spoken to—they want to be invited in.” And that’s exactly what PepsiCo is doing—one snack, one story, and one shared experience at a time.

  • ICAEW: Malaysia’s economic growth is expected to moderate due to global challenges, but monetary easing will help sustain domestic demand.

    ICAEW: Malaysia’s economic growth is expected to moderate due to global challenges, but monetary easing will help sustain domestic demand.

    Malaysia’s Economic Growth to Slow in 2025 Amid Global Uncertainties, ICAEW Reports. Malaysia’s economy is expected to grow at a slower pace in 2025 as external challenges weigh on the country’s trade-dependent sectors, according to the latest ICAEW Southeast Asia Economic Insight: Q2 2025 report. The nation’s GDP growth is projected to moderate to 4.3% in 2025, down from 5.1% in 2024. The slowdown reflects the impact of escalating global trade tensions, softer demand from major export destinations like the United States and China, and overall subdued external sentiment.

    Despite a temporary export boost early in the year—particularly in April 2025, when goods exports surged by 26% year-on-year due to front-loaded shipments ahead of U.S. tariff hikes—the uplift is expected to be short-lived. Export growth had already slowed sharply in Q1 2025 to just 1.6% year-on-year, well below the 7.1% average of the preceding three quarters. Malaysia’s heavy reliance on external markets, especially the U.S., which accounts for more than 4% of GDP and around 11% of gross exports, continues to expose the economy to volatility. The imposition of a 10% U.S. tariff on Malaysian imports, while less severe than the initially proposed 24%, still poses a considerable downside risk.

    China’s weakening demand adds further pressure, as it remains Malaysia’s largest export destination. However, one of the country’s saving graces has been its resilient electrical and electronics (E&E) sector. Global demand for semiconductors and related components—key segments in which Malaysia plays a vital role—has helped E&E exports grow by approximately 20% year-to-date. This sector remains critical to sustaining export performance amid global headwinds.

    GDP, private consumption and goods and services exports trends

    Tourism also continues to support economic activity. Visitors from ASEAN nations, who made up 67% of all tourist arrivals in 2024, are helping to stabilize the sector. In Q1 2025, tourism-related service exports grew by 17% year-on-year. Nonetheless, the outlook for further growth may be tempered by income and employment uncertainties in key source countries.

    With limited room for fiscal expansion due to elevated public debt, monetary policy is expected to take the lead in supporting domestic demand. Inflation remains modest at around 1.5%, creating the conditions for Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to potentially cut interest rates by 50 basis points later this year. The central bank has already indicated an accommodative stance aimed at mitigating the effects of sluggish domestic investment and consumer spending.

    Speaking at the ASEAN Investment Conference 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Dato’ Mohammad Faiz Azmi, Executive Chairman of the Securities Commission Malaysia and an ICAEW Council Member, emphasized the importance of ASEAN collaboration. He noted that the region’s collective strength lies in its unity and shared goals, urging deeper regional investment and cooperation to cushion against global volatility.

    ICAEW also pointed to a clear trend of deceleration in Malaysia’s key economic indicators between March 2022 and March 2025, including GDP growth, private consumption, and exports. Nevertheless, the report concludes that Malaysia’s economy remains on a stable course, underpinned by robust sectors and responsive policymaking.

  • AMD Unveils Latest Radeon GPUs and Ryzen Threadripper CPUs at COMPUTEX 2025

    AMD Unveils Latest Radeon GPUs and Ryzen Threadripper CPUs at COMPUTEX 2025

    At COMPUTEX 2025, AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) took center stage with the unveiling of its latest innovations in high-performance computing, showcasing new products that redefine the landscape for gamers, creators, and professionals alike. The tech giant introduced the Radeon™ RX 9060 XT and Radeon™ AI PRO R9700 graphics cards, alongside the powerful Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 9000 Series processors—each purpose-built to meet the growing demands of AI development, immersive gaming, and data-heavy creative workflows.

    Powered by AMD’s next-generation RDNA™ 4 architecture, the Radeon RX 9060 XT delivers ultra-smooth 1440p gaming, featuring up to 16GB of GDDR6 memory, 32 compute units, and significantly improved ray tracing capabilities—doubling the throughput of its predecessor. With integrated second-gen AI accelerators and support for FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4) and HYPR-RX, this GPU brings machine learning-powered performance boosts and immersive graphics to the forefront of gameplay and creative expression.

    Targeted at professionals working with AI workloads, the Radeon AI PRO R9700 is built for scalability and efficiency. With 64 compute units, 32GB of VRAM, and PCIe® Gen 5 support, this card offers high-throughput local AI inference and model finetuning. It leverages AMD’s ROCm™ software stack, and its multi-GPU compatibility allows for expansive parallel processing capabilities—ideal for rendering, simulation, or training AI models.

    Alongside these GPUs, AMD introduced the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 WX-Series and Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series CPUs, raising the bar for workstation and enthusiast desktop computing. The flagship Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX features 96 cores and 192 threads, 128 lanes of PCIe® 5.0, and up to 480MB of cache, making it ideal for demanding tasks such as VFX rendering, real-time physics simulation, and localized AI training. These processors come equipped with AMD PRO Technologies, offering enterprise-grade security and management.

    For high-end desktop users, the standard Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series still offers up to 64 cores and benefits from massive memory bandwidth and high boost clocks of up to 5.4 GHz, ensuring a smooth workflow for content creation and complex compute tasks.

    AMD also highlighted its role in the expanding world of AI PCs, collaborating with ASUS and Lenovo on new Copilot+ commercial systems. The ASUS Expert P Series and Lenovo ThinkStation P8 are among the first to leverage the new Ryzen AI PRO 300 Series processors, delivering over 50+ TOPS of NPU performance with enterprise-ready features for the modern workplace.

    Overall, AMD’s announcements at COMPUTEX 2025 reinforce its leadership in high-performance and AI-accelerated computing. From workstation powerhouses to next-gen gaming graphics and AI-capable PCs, AMD continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

  • AMD Launches EPYC 4005 Series Processors, Offering Tailored Performance for Entry-Level Enterprise Workloads

    AMD Launches EPYC 4005 Series Processors, Offering Tailored Performance for Entry-Level Enterprise Workloads

    AMD Launches EPYC 4005 Series Processors to Deliver Scalable, Efficient Performance for Entry-Level Enterprise. AMD has officially announced the release of its EPYC™ 4005 Series processors, purpose-built to empower small and medium businesses (SMBs) and hosted IT service providers with enterprise-grade features, right-sized performance, and outstanding efficiency. Designed for today’s dynamic digital environments, the EPYC 4005 Series CPUs deliver the compute power needed to drive everything from enterprise applications and virtualization to 24/7 hosted cloud services.

    Built on the proven AM5 socket platform—the same as the EPYC 4004 Series—the new EPYC 4005 lineup brings a versatile and scalable solution to a wide range of enterprise form factors, including servers, blades, and tower systems. The flagship EPYC 4565P, equipped with 16 cores and 32 threads, has shown significant performance leadership by outperforming the top-tier Intel Xeon 6300P by up to 1.83 times in the Phoronix Test Suite. This positions AMD as a top choice for businesses seeking high performance at a compelling price point.

    According to Derek Dicker, Corporate VP of AMD’s Enterprise and HPC Business Group, the new processors aim to ease the common pain points of SMBs and hosters—offering simplicity, affordability, and the performance needed to solve real-world business challenges. With configurations ranging from 6 to 16 cores and TDPs between 65W and 170W, the EPYC 4005 Series offers flexibility for a broad range of deployment needs.

    Major OEM and cloud partners are backing the new CPUs. Lenovo highlights how the 4005 Series helps small businesses prepare for the AI era, while OVHcloud praises its energy efficiency and strong price-performance ratio. Supermicro is integrating these processors across multiple platforms, including its 1U, 2U, and 3U MicroCloud servers, emphasizing their support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory. Cloud provider Vultr has already made EPYC 4005-powered bare metal and cloud compute instances available, reinforcing AMD’s commitment to immediate and scalable deployment solutions.

    The EPYC 4005 Series features six processor models:

    • 4565P: 16 cores, 170W TDP, up to 5.7 GHz boost, $589
    • 4545P: 16 cores, 65W TDP, up to 5.4 GHz, $549
    • 4465P: 12 cores, 65W TDP, up to 5.4 GHz, $399
    • 4345P: 8 cores, 65W TDP, up to 5.5 GHz, $329
    • 4245P: 6 cores, 65W TDP, up to 5.4 GHz, $239
    • 4585PX: 16 cores with 128MB L3 cache, 170W TDP, up to 5.7 GHz, $699

    Backed by a wide ecosystem of partners including ASRock Rack, Gigabyte, MSI, Altos, MiTAC, New Egg, and others, AMD is clearly focused on democratizing enterprise-class computing. With the EPYC 4005 Series, AMD strengthens its position in the entry-level enterprise and hosting space—delivering high-performance, cost-optimized solutions that are easy to deploy, energy-efficient, and ready for the challenges of modern IT infrastructure.

    For more information, visit AMD’s official website or connect with the company on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

  • Vivo Malaysia Introduces Its First Compact Flat-Screen Phone — Meet the vivo X200 FE

    Vivo Malaysia Introduces Its First Compact Flat-Screen Phone — Meet the vivo X200 FE

    Vivo Unveils Its First Compact Flat-Screen Flagship in Malaysia: Meet the vivo X200 FE. Vivo Malaysia is redefining flagship smartphones with the introduction of its latest innovation — the Vivo X200 FE, the brand’s first small flat-screen phone in the country. Crafted to combine top-tier performance with compact design, the X200 FE delivers a powerful user experience that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Featuring a sleek 6.31-inch flat display, this device offers smooth and responsive control, whether you’re capturing memories, scrolling through social media, or enjoying your favorite content on the go.

    A standout feature of the Vivo X200 FE is its 50MP ZEISS Super Telephoto Camera, which brings flagship-level photography to a smaller, more portable form. Users can expect stunning clarity, precise zoom capabilities, and professional-grade portraits—all in a slim, stylish package. Designed to appeal to a wide range of personalities, the X200 FE comes in four striking colors: Pink Vibe for bold expression, Yellow Glow for a sunny, uplifting feel, Blue Breeze for calm, modern coolness, and Black Luxe for timeless sophistication.

    To mark the debut of the Vivo X200 FE, vivo Malaysia is organizing an Exclusive First Preview at selected stores nationwide, giving fans a chance to get hands-on with the device before its official launch. The preview events will take place at 3:00 PM on the following dates: June 21 at the vivo Experience and Service Centre in Mid Valley Southkey, June 27 at the Vivo Concept Store in Setia City Mall, and June 29 at the Gurney Plaza Vivo Concept Store.

    Attendees will enjoy exclusive door gifts and refreshments, while the first 10 early bird registrants at each event will receive a complimentary perfume workshop experience worth RM150. Slots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

    For more information and updates on the Vivo X200 FE and its official release, visit vivo Malaysia’s website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.