Thanks for taking the time write. One of the reasons the discount culture is ingrained into the Malaysian psyche is because few companies have delivered a quality product and offered high levels of service. As a result Malaysians have become jaded because they are tired of being ripped off.

So they demand a discount everytime they shop. The theory being that if they are ripped off at least they weren’t ripped off so much.

This leads to a viscious spiral because retailers increasingly look for cheaper products to then offer greater discounts to stay competitive. But the products don’t last so long and customers become unhappier and so on. But no company can survive by constantly slashing prices.

But those Malaysian companies that do offer a quality product and offer high levels of service are doing very well. Think British India, Composite Resources, YTL hotels, BRDB and so on.

I believe giving discount has been ingrained into our culture. Just look at the number of “mega sale” we have in Malaysia throughout the year. But I do agree with your point of not giving discount on luxury product. It kind of ruin the buying experience .

Thanks for dropping by, your comments and for re-posting the article.

I’m not so much trying to pit advertising against branding, more that destinations must look to brand building to build their brands and not rely on expensive creative campaigns that may work in the short term but do little to address contentious issues.

I’ll be in touch as I’d like to learn more about what you do.