MALAYSIA SPECIFIC RESULTS INCLUDED FOR FIRST TIME IN WORLDCOM CONFIDENCE INDEX
Kuala Lumpur (September 4th 2020): Global corporate confidence continued to improve in July according to the Worldcom Confidence Index (WCI), which uses a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) tool to track the sentiments and engagement of C-Suite Executives at over 54,000 leading businesses around the world. While overall confidence in July was just 0.2% higher than in June, this still marks the 3rd consecutive month of improvement from the low point recorded in April when COVID-19 started having a huge impact on global business confidence.
While previous editions of the WCI included research into the confidence and engagement of CEOs and CMOs at over 811 major Malaysian enterprises, as part of the overall global results, this edition is the first in which Malaysia specific results have been calculated.
In July, Malaysian executives received a WCI score of 18.58. This was slightly above the worldwide average, but just below the average for the 30 countries for which individual scores are calculated by the WCI’s AI tool.
The WCI AI tool collects and analyses the personal (but public) social media and blog postings of senior Executives at targeted leading businesses. Once this data has been collected the AI is able to interpret and calculate the engagement and confidence of the target group on the 23 business topics covered by the WCI. This provides incredibly valuable insights because it means the WCI not only shows what leaders are talking about, but also their confidence or concern in addressing each topic.
During July the topic which attracted the most global attention from executives was ‘Upskilling and reskilling’. This was followed by the topics of ‘Retaining talent’, ‘Impact and role of the media’ and ‘Reducing plastics and other sustainability issues’.
This was slightly different in Malaysia, where the primary topic that garnered most executive attention was ‘Retaining talent’.
When it came to the level of confidence in the 23 topics which are monitored by the AI, Malaysia’s senior executives had a lower than average score on all them, with the exception of ‘Upskilling and reskilling’.
Commenting on this, Niall Dologhan, Principal Consultant at TQPR (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, the Worldcom Group’s partner agency in Malaysia, said, “While the top two topics of attention for c-suite executives globally are ‘Upskilling and reskilling’ and ‘Retaining talent’, it is interesting that the order of priority is different in Malaysia. The fact that Malaysian executives have a relatively high level of confidence in the ‘Upskilling and reskilling’ topic, could demonstrate that Malaysian businesses are more confident that their employees already have, or will be able to acquire, the required skills. This may be why they are publicly engaging more on the ‘Retaining talent’ topic as they have less confidence in their capabilities in this area, yet it is still an important issue for them.”
Globally, the WCI also tracks changes in topic engagement each month. This provides an interesting insight into the corporate world’s shifting priorities as a result of the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other international issues. During July ‘Upskilling and reskilling’ and the ‘Retaining talent’ topics received significantly more attention from senior executives globally, whereas the ‘Government and legislative change’ and ‘Global trade agreements and tariffs’ topics received much less attention.
The full research includes many other findings, regional comparisons (i.e. Asia, North America, LATAM, Europe, Africa, etc.), key audiences for C-Suite attention and many more. The full results can be found at: https://worldcomgroup.com/confidence-index/june-2020-global-results/
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Methodology
The study is able to operate at this scale (over 54,000 senior executives), and in nine different languages, because the data is captured using a breakthrough approach powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Worldcom’s chosen research firm, Advanced Symbolics Inc (ASI), has developed a patented method of building large, but representative, samples and then capturing public information with their AI tool. The tool collects and analyses the personal (but public) social media and blog postings of senior Executives at targeted leading businesses. Once this data has been collected the AI is able to interpret and calculate the engagement and confidence of the target group on the 23 business topics covered by the WCI. This provides incredibly valuable insights because it means the WCI not only shows what leaders are talking about, but also their confidence or concern in addressing each topic.
More information
- If you would like more information about this research or Worldcom and its Partners, please contact Todd Lynch, Managing Director at toddlynch@worldcomgroup.com, or simply reply to this email. Alternatively, you can call Todd on +1 (904) 233 0123.
- If you would like more information about TQPR (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, please contact Niall Dologhan, Principal Consultant at nialld@tqpr.com or call him +60 362 034 300
About the Worldcom Public Relations Group
The Worldcom Public Relations Group (Worldcom) is the world’s leading partnership of independently owned public relations firms, with 143 offices employing some 2,000 staff in 115 cities across six continents. In total, Worldcom partners reported a combined revenue of U.S. $288 million last year from 3,034 clients. Established in 1988, the group was formed so that the strongest, most capable independent firms could inspire direct action from stakeholders in a way that delivers immediate results and lasting outcomes– wherever in the world a client needs support. Worldcom’s partners deliver unique connectivity to their marketplace. This provides clients direct access to the audiences they most want to take action and to specialists that can deliver on challenging problems. As a result, strategies and campaigns see immediate reactions that turn into sustained audience actions. Partners serve national, international, and multinational clients while retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent agencies. Through Worldcom, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture, and customs of the geographic areas in which they operate. Learn more about Worldcom at www.worldcomgroup.com or by calling 1-800-955-9675. Connect with The Worldcom PR Group on Facebook and LinkedIn.
About TQPR (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
TQPR Malaysia was founded in 1995 and is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. The company is part of the TQPR Group with offices in Thailand and Vietnam and is also a long-term member of the global Worldcom Public Relations Group. TQPR Malaysia provides a wide range of public relations services to local and multinational clients in the Malaysian market, utilising its in-depth understanding and relationships with the Malaysian media. TQPR understands the Malaysian landscape and works with clients to craft rich and relevant content that will resonate and connect with their target audiences. Connect with TQPR Malaysia on Facebook, by email at malaysia@tqpr.com or by phone on +60 362 034 300.