2012: A year of punches and departures

As A+M wraps up for the year, we bring you the top 10 most read stories of 2012 for the Malaysian market.1)     KFC: A punch in the face?2)     Media Prima top management changes3)     GAB's Yap Swee Leng leaves post4)     Tay Ai Leen resigns from post in L'Oreal5)     The new AirAsia : Less red, more iconic6)     MAS calls media pitch7)     Digital wins the night in agency awards8)     New marketing head for Dutch Lady9)     CIMB explains small agency decision10)   Carrefour calls media pitchNot surprisingly, the top stories are brand-driven, proving that Malaysians love to read about their favourite brands - ones they use and can relate to.KFC claims the top spot for most read story of the year. When a video depicting its staff attacking a customer went viral on social media, the fast-food brand became the most talked about topic in town, and the most clicked on story for A+M. When this story broke in February, A+M asked industry experts for their take on the situation.The second most read story listed a number of top management changes within one of the largest media conglomerates in the country. Notably, Seelan Paul, took on a bigger role as chief strategy officer of Television Networks, while continuing to head Media Prima's Radio Networks as its chief executive officer.'Stories on the departure and resignations of industry veterans Tay Ai Leen and Yap Swee Leng certainly got everyone's attention. GAB's Yap's departure from the brand came as a surprise for many. Yap led GAB to achieve its 11 consecutive years of growth. Tay Ai Leen, who held the role of corporate communications and media relations director at L'Oreal Malaysia, is also a council member of the Malaysian Advertisers Association and an active member of the local marketing and advertising scene.Advertising + Marketing's annual Agency of the Year also made it to list, when Arc Worldwide/ Leo Burnett Malaysia walked home with numerous awards, including the coveted Overall Agency of the Year, and three Golds and a Silver award.The other stories that made it to the top 10 list include Dutch Lady, Carrefour, CIMB and AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines.