About the Campaign

The National Consumer Campaign aims to change behavior through enhancing awareness, challenging current held beliefs and through that changing consumer behavior.

It is clear from the changes taking place worldwide that the time for cheap food and fuel is over. With this continuing increase of food and fuel prices, the Malaysian consumer faces costs of living increases, decreasing quality of life, increasing debts and personal and family stress.

Much too often in the past, the Malaysian consumer is used to living a comfortable life, so heavily subsidized by the Government, that they continue to assume that it is their right. They continue to expect and even demand that the government intervenes in the market to keep the prices artificially low. 

To face the situation today, Malaysian consumers need to respond to these challenges differently than in the past.  Malaysians need to relook at their lifestyle and be willing to make fundamental changes to the way they live to adapt to this new global scenario. In facing these new challenges, one of the biggest obstacles is the mindset of the Malaysian consumer. Much too often they blame others and expect them to solve these problems. Additionally, much too often they are trapped with faulty belief systems and continue their past behaviors without seeking newer and more innovative ways to address these challenges more effectively.

It is to enable the Malaysian Consumer to make these changes that the National Consumer Campaign has been launched.

Objectives

The National Consumer Campaign aims to change behavior through enhancing awareness, challenging current held beliefs and through that changing consumer behavior.

Examples of desired behavioral changes would include:

• Changing form Branded to Generic goods
• Changing to Cheaper brands
• Changing to  Cheaper quality products
• Eating in instead of Eating Out
• Searching for Cheaper hotels
• Taking Cheaper flights through low-budget airlines or flying off-time
• Reducing luxuries
• Shopping at Cheaper stores (A Price-monitoring mechanism is being developed to assist consumers make decisions)
• More frequent use of Public transport
• Conserving Energy
• Reducing water wastage
• Participating in Home farming
• Focusing more on Budgeting and better Financial management
• Living Healthy lifestyle
• Recycling

Focus

The focus of the National Consumer Campaign is for Malaysian consumers to change their consumer behavior and to take greater responsibility to face these challenges.

Theme:

The theme for the Campaign:  “Change Begins With Me”

Period of Campaign

June 2008 – June 2012

It is indeed a challenge to persuade people to change their mindsets. Long term investment and commitment is thus needed to create awareness amongst consumers of the new global environment, and the impact of this environment on their daily lives.  To face these challenges, consumers need stop blaming everyone else, such as government, or oil producers, or food producers, or developed countries and to internalize values of greater personal responsibility.  Greater responsibility means making changes to one’s lifestyle and bringing it more in alignment to the real marketplace.