by Andrea Mathew of ADOIMAGAZINE.COM

In its early years, it was one of the few Malaysian web solutions companies to develop and retail its own Content Management System (CMS). Amphibia Digital previously known as Digital Commerce (M) Sdn Bhd is now an established interactive company specialising in web development and design. Andrea Mathew speaks to Gary Tay and Harish Subramaniam, CEO and deputy CEO Amphibia Digital.

Amphibia seems to connotate ‘living a double life’. Can you explain the meaning of the name?

“We would still look back and laugh about it, the reason why we chose the ‘frog’ as our logo and mascot for a digital agency. And we each have our own interpretation of it. If you ask me, in Chinese culture we believe, when frogs come to your home, it’s interpreted as ‘good fortune’. Also, frogs are among the few robust creatures that can be found in every continent of the world, they are survivors and most frogs are able to leap 20 times their body length. Something that we see as attributes of the brand,” explains Gary in his typical lengthy-logical style. Harish rationale however is driven by a simple line, “Live long, leap far.” He adds, “The fact we transformed from Digital Commerce Malaysia (DCM) to Amphibia Digital, alphabetically we moved a couple of notches up in the Malaysian Advertising Directory (MAD).”

Whatever the explanation, the goals of the re-branding have met its objective – to stand out from the crowd. “Over the 8 years in business, we have transformed from a web application solutions business model to a digital agency. The transformation took its first step forward with the capture of Harish in mid 2007, who was then heading Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide digital interactive. After a 9-month gestation period, finally I managed to convince Harish to join me. Harish was on board March 2008,” narrates Gary.

The Amphibians
Many refer to both of you as the pillars of Amphibia Digital. Can you give us some background information on your careers in the field of new media?

“I started my career in advertising from local ad agencies in the late 80s to multinationals like Backer Spielvogel Bates (BSB) and Leo Burnett in the early 2000s, spent 12 years in the industry moving on to head the Interactive unit, Leo Burnett Interactive in his final 2 years in Leo Burnett. We were among the first movers in the Internet space,” recalls Gary. “We were already running online campaigns for Sony and Celcom in 1997 and 1998 on Alta Vista Skali, Lycos and Yahoo!”

Harish narrates a longer story of which started in 1997 with Poppe Tyson/Modem Media, “Poppe Tyson was then one of the leading Interactive companies globally which setup in Malaysia. I later joined NeuroWeb where I worked on Maxis, BonusLink, Shell, AIG, and Celcom. It wasn’t until 2000, that Gary and I first met when we teamed up as colleagues in Leo Burnett Interactive. I took over from Gary, and ran the interactive unit for eight years before we teamed up again at DCM (or Amphibia Digital).”

Harish, during his tenure at ARC Worldwide digital interactive, garnered a reputation for growing the business, hiring key talents and winning awards in Kancils, DMAM and Asia Interactive Awards. “I worked on clients such as Malaysia Airlines, Petronas, Philip Morris, Yahoo!, Johnnie Walker and many other local and multinational clients. I was involved in Formula 1 related events developing digital interactive solutions and developed probably the only Formula One and MotoGP 3D motion simulators.”

Regardless, both Gary and Harish were early starters in the Internet space and have both worked on various local and multinational brands along the way.

How would you describe your business?

“In one sentence, I’d say: ‘Internet Grease Monkeys’. Over the years we have delivered hundreds of sites and micro sites, from online business models; strategies to online campaigns. We have worked with MBF Cards, Bonuslink, Samsung Malaysia, YTL Hotels, E&O Hotels, Iris Corporation and today, we work on brands such as Al Rajhi Bank, Aeon Credit Service, Subang Skypark, Qualitas Medical, 4As and Adoimagazine. Most recently, we picked up DiGi’s Happy Prepaid, INTI Education Group, Schick Malaysia, including taking assignments from Ogilvy One, MRM and Bates141. The simple truth is we focus on delivery,” says Gary.

“The key to the internet is to ‘simplicity’, while some brands and marketers even agencies look towards applying flashy complex technologies, the mass market is still fairly elementary. Get back to basics, fulfill your fundamentals. Content is king. Being current is a currency,” advises Harish.

What’s been keeping Amphibia busy for the last 12 months and an what are you plans for the months ahead?

Between the both of them, Gary and Harish take pride in the hard work that has brought them to where they are today. They say, than securing new business and day-to-day work, it has been a hectic 12-months. Re-structuring the business is an on-going exercise outside multiple initiatives that are happening concurrently.

“The transformation of Amphibia Digital into a leading digital agency has been happening in stages. In the past 6-months, we have been working hard on building our horizontals such as building key pillars in account management, creative, content and development. In the coming 6-months, we’re now concentrating on each vertical, strengthening our talent pool, in terms of building skills, knowledge and quality,” says Harish.

Gary picks up where Harish leaves off to describe the events that have brought Amphibia to where they are today. “Besides the principal agency, we re-launched Amphibia Labs as a Digital Media Agency. Online advertising veteran, Janet Chan of Tyraco took on the position of CEO, joined by Thomas Verghese (ex-Planner from Ogilvy and Leo Burnett). The new outfit manages online media buying and planning, including data management and online advertising sales representation. They are the official online ad sales representative for Adoimagazine.com, Marketing magazine, MySimplifieds and the database management service for the MyTV3 database.”

The biggest challenge for Amphibia as explained by Gary and Harish, is to shift the perception of Amphibia Digital from being ‘internet grease monkeys’ to becoming a homegrown digital-agency-force to be reckoned with.