Two Guys & A Cili Padi

MOHD Azhari Ahmad took a year to convince his business partner, Rizal Azim, to wear a tie, if not a suit, when they meet clients. In turn, Rizal took the same amount oftime convincing Azhari that in the advertising business, a clean shirt and jeans would do even for "formal" meetings.
"I don't feel at all comfortable if I am not dressed appropriately when meeting clients. Rizal, though, has no problems going to see them in shirt and jeans. He tries to drag me to meetings on days that I wear jeans but I simply refuse to go," Azhari says, immaculately decked out in a dark shirt and tailored pants and matching tie at the interview.
The two young men, both still single, helm the Caberawet Communications Sdn Bhd. Rizal at 31 years old and Azhari, 27, must be the youngest owners of a full-fledged advertising agency in the country.
"We're in the advertising industry, people dress this way," insists Rizal, who is in a grey dot-textured white shirt with the long sleeves rolled up nearly to the elbows, denim blue jeans, and rings on the thumb, and fourth and fifth fingers of his left hand.
His hair is fashionably close-cropped, a style in keeping with his "low maintenance" approach to personal upkeep, perhaps.
And the irony of their contrasting dress sense is that formal and proper Azhari is the creative director (and managing director), while relaxed and casual Rizal is the executive director, whose core responsibility in the partnership is to service clients.
They are entirely agreed on the approach to their business, though, and seem to get along famously, despite the fact that they only got to know each other four years ago.
It was Petronas which brought them together. This was in 1999 when they were working on separate jobs for the national oil corporation.
"I had clients and could find the jobs but no creative support. Azhari had the creative talent but had difficulty looking for clients. So, it's a merger of strengths," Rizal says, recalling their first meeting at The Dome at Suria KLCC.
Between them, they have handled, among other jobs, product launches, company family days, concerts, advertising campaigns, contests, roadshows, annual dinners, and dance and anniversary celebrations.
Azhari admits that he is not very good with company, especially in making small talk.
"When we first met, the first thing I noticed was that he didn't talk very much," Rizal laughs.
He, however, also saw the other side of Azhari - young, creative and extremely hardworking.
"This guy doesn't sleep... doesn't seem to need much sleep, anyway. When we started out, I used to keep him company when he did his work late into the night. I'd fall asleep while he continued on. When I woke up in the morning, all the things would be done and we'd be ready to make a presentation to the client."
Azhari acknowledges that Rizal is the talkative one. "Rizal excels in that area. He can talk about almost anything. I'm more at home with technical stuff. Ask me anything technical and I would probably bore you to death."
Rizal, on the other hand, confesses to being a complete failure when it comes to managing finances.
"I can bring all the money into the company but I cannot manage it. Azhari does that. You know what? He's the stingy one but it's good for the business. He has definitely taught me to be more disciplined about money," he says.
So disciplined is Azhari that he has refused offers from banks to bankroll the company. All expansions to date are funded internally.
It was at a millennium party in 2000 that they decided to team up. In April that year, they merged resources to form Caberawet.
From having a staff of three and doing only small jobs, Rizal and Azhari have expanded Caberawet into a company that provides creative solutions in all aspects of the business: brand consulting, design and concept, marketing communications and public relations.
The name Caberawet was suggested by one of their good friends, Mazlan Shariff. It was one of many proposed, which included Latin, English, Javanese and Malay words, or combinations of them.
"We didn't have any problems registering the name with the Registrar of Companies because it is unique. But the officials there laughed... it sounded weird to them," Rizal says.
Caberawet is Javanese for cili padi.
"The name was itself a challenge, initially. We were going into the business of commercialising brands... and the first brand we had to work on was our own."
They set up shop at Bandar Sri Damansara, Selangor, but in early 2001, both Rizal and Azhari decided to take a gamble and move to Bangunan SPPK in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
It was logical as their anchor client then was developer SPPK.
"When we were at Bandar Sri Damansara, I had to come out four or five times a day to SPPK. Moving here helped a lot in terms of cost and time saved," says Rizal, who was servicing the account.
He used up Caberawet's entire savings ofRM7,000 to pay the first month's rent at Bangunan SPPK.
"The office was sprawling and there was only me, Azhari and another designer. Friends thought we were crazy to get such a big place.
"We moved to where our client is to enable us to service them better. And that gamble paid off," Rizal adds.
Two years on, every corner of that big office is now occupied. Caberawet has grown into a group comprising five other companies, each one a profit centre and specialising in different areas.
It now has 30 staff and an equal number of clients who include developers, trading companies, oil and gas companies, banks and tourism-related companies.
It is considering leasing another floor in the SPPK building as Azhari is looking at doubling the team in light of increased business.
Not bad for a three-year-old company thatstarted from scratch, and especially in an industry as tough as advertising.
"Initially, we didn't believe we could go up against the international agencies. But after a while, our work starts to speak for itself.
"Since then, we've won pitches against some much bigger agencies. In the process, clients - and we ourselves - have gained confidence in our work. Furthermore, our pricing is much more competitive," Azhari says.
Last year, the company raked in RM1.2 million worth of billings. The company has surpassed that so far this year.
"I have to hand it to Rizal. It's his work. If he says he'll get this much of business for the company for the year, he works at it. He's a go-getter," Azhari adds.
However, far too many Malaysian companies still prefer to go with international agencies, although the local ones can offer the same, if not better, service, he laments.
"We've been told that our pitches are brilliant but still get turned away with the prospective client opting for an international agency.
"Why? Because of their name, never mind that most of the creative guys in the international advertising agencies are locals!"
Like most agencies, Caberawet is busiest between March and June when clients engage them to undertake production of things like annual reports and greeting cards.
The team also produces design "collaterals" such as corporate folders, marketing brochures, bunting, leaflets, corporate ID and other below-the-line materials.
Much of whatever they earn is ploughed back into the company - and as reward to the employees. Last year, Caberawet staff had a pleasant surprise when their bosses decided to give them a bonus before Hari Raya.
"We heard them checking with each other on the extra money they had in their bank accounts. It makes our staff feel good and when they feel good, we feel good too," Rizal says.
The company rewarded the staff again this year, only a handful of whom have experience working in the advertising industry before joining Caberawet.
Azhari believes in taking in fresh graduates, and training and moulding them.
"When you train them yourself, you get the quality ofwork that meets your expectations and specifications. And we train them to do everything," he says.
Both Azhari and Rizal spent their formative years with a number of printing and advertising agencies.
Azhari, a Lim Kok Wing Institute of Creative Technology graphic design graduate, started out as a colour separator at a printing company. He had also worked at McDonald's part-time while pursuing his studies.
"Eventually, I got a job as art director at Equatorial Bangi. You know the A3-portfolio bag? I was carrying it around to meetings, actually sitting on it when riding on my kapcai," he says.
Rizal, Perlis-born but whose family have moved to Kuala Lumpur ("no more balik kampung each Raya"), had basic training in graphic design.
"I've gone through a lot, even retrenchment when I was 26 years old. It was the lowest point of my life. My car was re-possessed and I had to schedule my meetings in-between my dad's and my sister's so that I could use their cars. Alhamdulillah, things are better now."
Rizal drives a Waja (with a prominent dent on the right side) and true blue KL-ite Azhari a Wira, which is a refreshing indication that the young men have their feet firmly planted on the ground. No high life and flashy cars for them - yet.
Still, where do they network for contacts?
The dance floor!
Rizal, the Salsa King of Caberawet (he took salsa lessons and "the floor literally parts when he does the dance," Azhari reveals), however, claims that his clubbing days are over.
"You bump into lots of people at clubs. They can be potential clients. Sometimes it's useful when you pitch for jobs because you already know the people socially," he says.
The two friends and business associates also share a favourite lepak destination - Langkawi. They go there so often that the people on Pantai Cenang greet them like old friends.
"The first time we went there, we had only RM200 between us but we stayed for a week. We've been there so many times we've lost count," Azhari says.
"And we always make new friends each time," Rizal adds.
The likeable duo are apparently also acquiring a widening circle of clients too.
(END)