Malaysia Day versus Merdeka Day: Where should your ad spend go?

Malaysia boasts two national celebrations: Hari Merdeka (Merdeka Day) and Malaysia Day. While both commemorate significant milestones in the nation's history, they hold distinct cultural and commercial potential for marketers.

Merdeka Day, held on 31 August, celebrates the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957. It marks the beginning of Malaya as a self-governing nation and focuses on national independence and sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Day, held on 16 September, celebrates the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. It commemorates the union of Malaya, later-expelled Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia. The day emphasises national unity and the coming together of different territories to form the nation. 

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Understanding their unique significance and audience appeal is crucial for crafting impactful marketing strategies and with advertising budgets tight, the question arises: Which of these patriotic occasions should marketers channel their advertising dollars into? 

What aligns with the brand?

Casey Loh, creative chief of The Clan, says the choice largely depends on the brand's objective and target audience. If constrained by budget, brands should focus on the day that aligns most closely with their marketing goals and audience engagement strategies, saying that: 

Choosing one over the other should be based on which message aligns better with the brand’s core values and the story they wish to tell.

Brands can determine the relevance of each day by considering their core message and target demographics, he added. Conducting audience research to understand which celebration resonates more with their consumers is crucial.

On top of that, analysing social media trends and engagement data from past years can also provide insights into consumer sentiment and behaviours around these dates.

Collaborating with local influencers or cultural experts can help align the brand’s message with the values and emotions associated with each day too, said Loh.

"The danger of picking one over the other without considering the audience and the brand relevance can often lead to a sense of detachment, much like the common Merdeka or Malaysia Day sale thrown about by brands these days with no real thought about why it matters to them or their customers," he added. 

Merdeka Day 

According to Loh, Merdeka Day stands as a day of national identity and independence, which evokes a sense of pride and patriotism. Malaysia Day, on the other hand, is a milestone that represents unity and cultural diversity, commemorating the day Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore came together to form Malaysia.

"For tight budgets, if a brand aims to tap into deep-rooted national pride and historical significance, focusing on Merdeka Day might be more impactful, explained Loh.

However, if the objective is to celebrate Malaysia’s unity and diversity, Malaysia Day might offer a more relevant focal point. 

Douglas Tan, director of Ironwoods Agencies, agrees, adding that the more informed go-to approach would be to evaluate brand-specific research and past-campaign performance. 

"Generally put, Merdeka does arrive as the more nostalgia-driven of the two, with more visible celebrations, and more initiatives in the past that sit top-of-mind. The Merdeka event itself is also typically larger than Malaysia Day, and there is more commercial value to ride on," said Tan. 

Malaysia Day 

However, Malaysia Day carries a larger sense of identity and more importantly, inclusivity, said Tan.

"A simple but meaningful example here can be found in the fact that East Malaysians do not generally find relevance in the Merdeka Day celebrations. Malaysia Day, in that sense, is the more inclusive occasion," explained Tan.

It is also worth noting that there is a political element hovering around as well, as Malaysia Day was introduced by a government that was questionable during its tenure, said Tan.

"Having said that, there doesn't appear to be too much negative sentiment attached to it," he added. 

A unified campaign

Tan added that the easy way out would be to run both to celebrate Malaysia's history of being an independent country and celebrate Malaysians. 

"We've definitely found that it more inclusive and more meaningful when Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day campaigns run as a unified campaign season, spanning both days of observations," said Tan. 

Syahriza Badron, general manager at FCB Shout strongly believes that both days carry equal weight and significance, adding that: 

Any sharp marketer understands that both days are crucial. It's not about picking one over the other - they're a package deal.

"A savvy marketer knows how to craft a campaign that resonates with both occasions, stretching it across the entire festive period," said Syahriza. "Budgets are always tight, but that's where creative collaboration between the agency and the client becomes crucial to make it work." 

According to Syahriza, brands should invest in designing a unified theme that works seamlessly for both days and run the campaign throughout the period. 

Both days hold deep importance for Malaysians, she said. "Frankly, it's a bit of a letdown to see a brand go all out for Merdeka Day and then go silent on Malaysia Day," added Syahriza. 

What to look out for 

Syahriza observes that brands should avoid being tone-deaf in the rush to go viral. "Tread carefully around our cultural and religious sensitivities," said Syahriza. "Do it for the right reasons, not just for clicks." 

Adding on to her point is Loh, who says community-led campaigns is a rising trend. 

"We live in a time of splintered views and opinions so care must be taken to ensure that no group or community is forgotten or wrongly represented," said Loh.

"As seen in a fair bit of social media content and memes, campaigns that are community-led and driven by hyper local insights tend to generate a lot more buzz and brand love," added Loh. 

Meanwhile, Tan is of the opinion that diversity and inclusivity should be a focus for a successful Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day campaign. 

"It’s often times about unity, togetherness and tolerance, isn’t it? And to be fair, those are great values, as repetitive as they may be but the one thing we’ve been valuing more during conversations internally and externally, is the importance of being genuinely inclusive and diverse in campaigns - of East Malaysians; of other races beyond Chinese, Indians and Malays; of even the unique types of Malay cultures, dialects etc," said Tan. 

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