Work

Small businesses were badly impacted by the Movement Control Order (MCO) implemented last year. Having worked with multiple SMEs on its platform, Grab knew it had to play an important role in helping these businesses stay afloat. However, not all of them might be familiar with advertising and digital marketing. Knowing the challenges SMEs faced, Grab took matters into its own hands and worked with Kingdom Digital to create an automatic ad builder for SMEs so they would not have to worry about being able to write effective copy.

As a result, the team won gold for Most Effective Use – Specific Audience at A+M‘s MARKies Awards Malaysia 2021 for its Enterprise-level Ad-Tech for the Smallest of Small Businesses campaign. Find out how Grab did it.

Challenge

The MCO resulted in the temporary closure of non-essential businesses and prohibited mass movements nationwide. Within a week, 70% of SMEs reported a 50% drop in business. According to the Entrepreneurship Development and Cooperation Ministry, more than 30,000 Malaysian businesses have folded since MCO was first imposed last March. The majority of the casualties were small single-outlet retailers, restaurants, and other micro-enterprises who struggled to make the transition from physical to online selling.

As a marketplace app that would not exist without its small business partners, Grab had a business motive and a moral duty to help the smaller companies survive and thrive. It wanted to target businesses that earn below RM30,000 a month and were granted tax exemption by the Ministry of Finance. The problem it faced was that small businesses are too small to have an agency or a marketing person. They were also too busy to understand apps, ads, and websites. Most of them also lacked the knowledge and resources to move their business from offline to online.

Grab sought to create a campaign that ensured no small business was left behind. Its goal was to help the littlest of businesses overcome the many hurdles to digitise, survive and thrive. To do so, it sought the help of Kingdom Digital.

Objective one: Digitalisation shortcut designed with the littlest guys in mind

Grab performance marketing had already been tested successfully by a handful of big brands such as McDonald’s, Wonda Coffee, Lazada and Maybank, and their ad agencies. But up until June last year, Grab said no small businesses had ever even thought about the Grab app as a marketing awareness and sales channel. The key metric for Grab and Kingdom Digital were to go from zero SMEs in the first 100 SME clients of Grab performance marketing by 31 December 2020.

Objective two: Help the little guys service and thrive through COVID-19

Grab and Kingdom Digital wanted to generate incremental sales to these small businesses measure in gross merchandise value.

Objective three: Improve brand imagery scores

Improve income opportunity imagery score measured as the percentage of Malaysians who agree that Grab offers good income opportunity for small businesses and individuals. Improve tech for good imagery score measured as the percentage of Malaysians who agree that “Grab is a technology company that contributes positively to people in my country”.

This resulted in the creation of the Grab Loves local: Enterprise-level adtech for the Smallest of Small Businesses campaign which ran from 15 August to 18 September last year.

Strategy

Many big companies are donating ad credits to small businesses but how will a 65-year-old wet market stall owner or a one-man shop making nyona kueh, for example, spend those Google and Facebook ad credits if there is no one to explain how digital ads work? Other questions small SMEs face also include how they should write a copy, what size should the banner be and what photo should they use if they don’t even have a logo.

According to Grab, these are all legitimate questions faced by the small, local merchants as they tried to pivot their business operations from brick and mortar shops to eCommerce during the MCO.

To genuinely move the needle and impact the livelihoods of these small businesses, Grab knows it had to offer more than free ad credits and instead, an easy digital shortcut for these businesses. This involves an end-to-end performance marketing solution that even the smallest, least savvy of businesses could actually use – media space, custom radius targeting, tailored creative (in all the correct sizes for the different spaces), and ruthlessly simplified analytics.

Grab wanted to solve two distinct problems – diversity and scale.

1. Solve for diversity: There are a variety of products on Grab, from laksa and nasi lemak, pet toys, Chinese herbal medicine, nail salons and boutiques. While some small businesses have websites or an Instagram presence, others only have a Whatsapp number. Meanwhile, others have tasty photos of menu items while others don’t even have a logo.

2. Solve for scale: How can Grab solve end-to-end performance marketing for hundreds of businesses and not just a handful?

Grab wanted to leverage its app as the medium to provide small businesses with free ad space. At the same time, it planned to utilise Grab’s social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as well as their website to drive awareness and share heartwarming stories about the local heroes.

With National Day and Malaysia Day taking place, it wanted to appeal to the spirit of patriotism among Malaysians and get them to support these small businesses, whether it’s by ordering from them via the Grab app or helping to generate more buzz by sharing the inspirational stories that it will be curating.

Execution

To solve for diversity, Grab and Kingdom Digital created a bespoke automated ad builder that required no ad-building effort from the small businesses, regardless of what they made or sold. The ad builder automatically pulled whatever information the small businesses had already submitted to Grab, including merchant name, address, opening and closing times, phone numbers, and any other information including store description, logos and menu items.

On the creative automation front, instead of having static templates, its automated ad builder worked more like legos. It would build ads with whatever bricks of information was available and where information was missing, there were layouts for that too.

The ad builder also had dynamic radius targeting, serving ads to Grab users within a 12km radius from the registered store address and automatically turned on or off only during the stores’ operating hours.

To solve for scale, emails describing the Grab Loves Local Heroes programme were sent to all eligible GrabFood, GrabMart, and GrabPay small businesses. Enrolled small businesses received personalised performance marketing creative as well as daily ad exposure on the home screen of the Grab app. For the five-week period leading up to Malaysia Day 2020, the space reserved for big brands such as McDonald’s was now used to drive exposure for small businesses to five million Malaysian Grab app users – at no cost to the local heroes. At the same time, Grab also designed nine new gift cards so that the Malaysian public could also do their bid to support local small businesses by sending gift cards to their friends and family.

Some of the most interesting stories Grab and Kingdom Digital received were also featured on Grab’s social media platforms as part of the Grab Loves Local Heroes campaign for Malaysia Day.

Results

Grab had aimed to go from zero SME clients in the first six months of 2020 to its first 100 SME clients of Grab performance marketing by 31 December 2020. During the campaign, it exceeded this target by five times. It also maxed out available ad inventory on the platform with 500 SME ad campaigns over five weeks. These included 263 GrabFood restaurants, 137 small grocers and kedai runcits, and 100 GrabPay small retailers, 30% of which came from smaller towns outside Klang Valley.

The campaign also brought about seven million house ad impressions served via Grab’s home screen banner and increased the income opportunity for small businesses an increase in income opportunity imagery score from 56% to 62%. Its tech for good imagery score also increased from 37% to 50%.

Originally posted on Marketing-Interactive

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – KSK Land, the lifestyle and design property company in Malaysia and the developer of branded residence 8 conlay, has partnered with digital and social marketing agency Kingdom Digital, to launch a digital experience teaser on how one can experience the ‘art of living’ with Kempinski – the world’s tallest twisted twin residential towers.

The teaser aims to showcase the exclusive, five-star services provided by Kempinski to residents of YOO8. It gives users the opportunity to directly experience the hallmarks of Kempinski’s hospitality services from a first-person perspective. In addition, users will also be provided with various scenarios that enable them to interact with these services.

The interactive video campaign features three different chapters focusing on different YOO8 ‘residents’ experiencing the luxury hospitality offered by Kempinski. The first YOO8 ‘resident’ is Mr. Leong, a loving husband who is planning a surprise anniversary celebration for his wife, and how the ‘Lady in Red’ steps in to help him perfectly plan the special occasion.

Another YOO8 ‘resident’ is Winston, a Malaysian businessman residing in Hong Kong who, through the aid of Kempinski’s services, assists his son Jacob to settle comfortably into his new home at YOO8.

And lastly, the third chapter is about Jillian, a YOO8 resident who was introduced at the end of the previous story. She utilizes Kempinski’s services to plan her trendy social lifestyle that involves deciding between hanging out with her friends after a long week or getting some coffee with her new neighbor.

Joanne Kua, the CEO of KSK Group and the managing director of KSK Land, shared that they have always looked at how they can uniquely provide an opportunity for people to experience what elevated living means by focusing on connecting emotionally with customers through crafted and meaningful experiences.

“This encompasses digital experiences as well which have become very much a part of modern-day life. The next step will be to translate these mini-movies into a physical experience that will take place at the YOO8 branded residences,” said Kua.

Meanwhile, Kingdom Digital’s CEO Ryan Ong commented that they are beyond excited to help KSK Land bring their vision to life through this interactive video campaign.

“We’ve been working closely with the client and our video production partner to complete the filming in March. Then, we developed a microsite to centralize the campaign and to ensure a seamless experience for viewers. It’s a wondrous feeling seeing the campaign coming to fruition,” said Ong.

KSK Land has also announced that the campaign is supported by monthly teasers for each chapter that will be posted on social media and on the new 8 Conlay mobile app.

Originally posted on MARKETECH APAC

Originally posted on Ads of the World

Malaysia – In this year’s celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Malaysian cleaning appliance brand Kärcher releases a touching short film that reminds the value of ‘home’ and ‘memories’.

The almost 7-minute film was done in collaboration with social media agency Kingdom Digital, and Lui Xiao Yee, its head for account servicing, said that while the tradition of families coming together to clean and spruce up their homes in preparation for the Raya festive occasion serves as a great bonding experience, “memories are often sidelined.”

Hence, the insight for the new short film, ‘Rumahku, Memoriku’ or ‘My Home, My Memories’.

The story revolves around the son, Zack, who is convincing his father to sell the family’s old house in order to gain money from it, but the father contests as the house holds many precious memories of the family.

As the family visits and sets out to clean and ‘prepare’ the house for sale, Zack is brought back to his fond memories of childhood which he had spent happily with his parents. This brings the important realization that his parents are right all along, and that family comes first before anything else.

William Kiew, general manager of Kärcher Malaysia, said, “We are excited to have released our first Raya short film on social media platforms. Besides showcasing the capabilities of our key products to ease Malaysians with the spring-cleaning process, we hope to remind them that remnants of our past can often bring back memories and help us remember what made us who we are today.”

Kingdom Digital produced the short film in partnership with production company Untitled Films.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri which marks the end of Ramadan will be celebrated on 13 May in Malaysia.

Originally posted on MARKETECH APAC

During the process of cleaning up his childhood home to put it on sale, Zack rediscovers some long-forgotten memories with his parents. Will he have a change of heart?

Film advertisement created by Kingdom Digital, Malaysia for Kärcher, within the categories: Electronics, Technology, House, Garden, Retail Services.

Originally posted on Ads of the World

Johnnie Walker has rolled out an animated video in Malaysia centred on the intricate heritage of the Cantonese, Hakka and Hokkien clans to promote its newly-launched limited edition John Walker & Sons XR21 – The Legacy Collection. The new collection aims to celebrate the rich heritage and diversity of the Malaysian Chinese communities.

Done in conjunction with Kingdom Digital, the second phase of the XR21 Legacy Collection campaign is set to roll out in December and will focus on a few other Chinese communities. Aside from digital asset development and video production for the campaign, Kingdom Digital will also be leveraging on Johnnie Walker’s social media channels for further visibility.

Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia selected Kingdom Digital to handle digital duties for Johnnie Walker and Singleton in September, following a pitch in April. The agency is responsible for assisting both brands in their content planning and creation, creative development, along with social media management and performance analysis. Due to the company’s calendar year, the appointment is for four months with the possibility for extension.

Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia is a joint venture between luxury group LVMH, represented in the wines and spirits business by Moët Hennessy; and Diageo. Established in 1970, the Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia office markets and distributes a range of luxury wines and spirits from both Moët Hennessy and Diageo, including Hennessy, Dom Pérignon, Terrazas, Ao Yun, and Belvedere.

Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia, Diageo brands, Rajesh Joshi, said Kingdom Digital has demonstrated a good understanding of its brands, digital strategy and goals in driving its business forward through innovative ideas. “We look forward to producing campaigns that resonate well with our brands’ audiences and deliver exciting work for the Malaysian market,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kingdom Digital’s Ryan Ong said: “It’s an honour for us to work with such esteemed brands. Through this partnership, we are confident that we’ll be able to assist Johnnie Walker and Singleton in strengthening their brand awareness and expanding their reach through a more digital-first approach.”

Separately in February this year, Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia tied up with seven agencies for its Moët Hennessy business. M&C Saatchi’s Design Factory was reappointed as its creative agency for the fifth year, while Group M’s L’Atelier continues to provide media thought leadership, planning and execution since winning the LVMH business in 2017.

GO Communications currently manages PR and communications while Colony takes on brand activation. Amoeba Creative was tasked to design and conceptualise MHD’s visual merchandise, while Sambal Lab is responsible for bringing to the table its brand of experiential activation and “dark marketing”. Black Sheep was appointed to manage social duties.

Just yesterday, Diageo launched its 10-year sustainability plan titled “Society 2030: Spirit of Progress”. Designed to make a positive impact on the world by 2030, the plan consists of 25 goals across three core areas: promoting positive drinking, championing inclusion and diversity, and pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability.

Additionally, Diageo has committed to working towards a low-carbon future. It plans to harness 100% renewable energy to achieve net zero carbon emissions across its direct operations, as well as working with suppliers to reduce indirect carbon emissions by 50%.

Originally posted on Marketing-Interactive

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Digital agency Kingdom Digital has been roped in by Malaysian beauty brand KOSÉ Malaysia to produce the “Girl Next Door” mini web series to celebrate the launch of its new SEKKISEI Clear Wellness range as well as to commemorate its 35th anniversary.

The series will be two-part and will star personalities, Alvin Chong and Jasmine Suraya Chin. The production by the agency is in collaboration with the production company Imagineers Film.

According to Edmund Lou, head of strategy at Kingdom Digital, the campaign’s objective is to educate consumers on SEKKISEI Clear Wellness’ star ingredient, ITOWA, and to demonstrate how simple, natural ingredients can be formulated to help them achieve healthy, clear, and smooth skin.

The short film tells a heart-warming love story between two neighbors, Josefine and Alvin. The story starts off with the flamboyant female lead going to great lengths to catch her love interest’s eye but her efforts were futile until she embraces the “less is more” concept.

“We decided on the ‘less is more’ concept as KOSÉ’s latest revamped range is a true personification of minimalism and simplicity. With this, we want to position KOSÉ SEKKISEI Clear Wellness as a brand that upholds the Japanese art of minimalism in both aesthetics and functionality. Working closely with the client, we selected Alvin and Jasmine as the stars of the “Girl Next Door” mini web series as these personalities’ fanbase and followers match KOSÉ’s target audience profiles – especially in terms of the Malay and younger demographics. We believe Malaysians will resonate well with this mini web series, as well as the campaign as a whole,” added Lou.

Meanwhile, Reuben Kang, founder, and filmmaker at Imagineers Film shared that their aim was to convey the agency’s “less is more” concept in a way that was relatable and engaging to KOSÉ’s target audience.

“These days we are seeing a shift towards messages of simplifying and removing unnecessary excess in our everyday lives. However, in the beauty world, this minimalistic lifestyle hasn’t exactly caught on – many young women still hold the misconception that heavy makeup is the must-have look. Through the “Girl Next Door” mini web series, we hope to translate this idea of simplicity and champion that less is, truly, more,” explained Kang.

Also, Annie Tay, marketing manager at KOSÉ Malaysia shared that the rebranding was spurred by the fact that consumers are now more conscious of products’ ingredients. This has resulted in an increase in the demand for skincare with natural ingredients.

“It was essential that we partner with an agency that understood what our brand stands for and the importance of brand-building. We are delighted to partner with Kingdom Digital who was able to seamlessly transform our objective into an entertaining and relatable web series while maintaining the essence of SEKKISEI Clear Wellness as the focal point. With the agency’s strategic approach, we will be able to engage more authentically with our audience through down-to-earth messaging and continue accelerating our online visibility,” expressed Tay.

To drive awareness and evoke consumers’ interest, the campaign will be supported by social postings along with a custom KOSÉ Instagram filter. The filter is currently live, and users can try it by clicking on the ‘Filter’ tab on KOSÉ’s Instagram. Aside from the stars of the web series, a few select influencers will also be promoting this new filter. The campaign will run from 2 October 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Originally posted on Marketech APAC