Behind the unity: Media Prima Digital and REV Asia unveil new branding

Media Prima Digital and REV Asia have officially unveiled their new name, REV Media Group, as part of their corporate rebranding initiative to further streamline business processes and functions. In a statement to A+M, Media Prima Digital's spokesperson said the plan to rebrand and officially bring these two companies together has been in the pipeline "for some time now".

Since the REV Asia team is leaving its office at The Penthouse in Petaling Jaya soon to officially join Media Prima Digital in Sri Pentas, the spokesperson said it would be "the perfect opportunity and timing" to complete the transition. Media Prima Digital announced the acquisition of REV Asia in 2017 for RM105.0 million, to focus on expansion in digital content and digital media platforms.

"Internally, this rebranding exercise is to mark and celebrate the unification of two digital media organisations into one common and recognisable brand and culture. Externally, we hope to continue delivering the best solutions to our customers under one unified brand with better clarity and synergies," the spokesperson said.

Moving forward, being in the same organisation will allow the teams to not only foster company culture, but to also further streamline its business processes and functions for a more efficient working environment, she added. Following the rebranding, Rafiq Razali will continue to lead the 300-man team at REV Media Group as CEO, along with these individuals:

• Sam Wee, director of business operations;
• Nicholas Sagau, group GM, MP Labs and operations;
• Paul Moss, GM, data services;
• Judith Yeoh, GM, English network;
• Hafriz Zulpakar, GM, business development and partnerships.

Meanwhile, Chris Wee and Adrina Choy will continue to support REV Media Group from their new roles at Media Prima Omnia as chief strategy officer and GM of digital solutions respectively. 

Done in-house, the new logo retains the iconic flame from the previous REV Asia logo, which the spokesperson said is "the ideal representation" of the drive and passion that both teams have. 

She also explained that both teams are constantly working to revolutionise the media industry by finding innovative ways to help clients engage and connect with the right audiences across its platforms. Hence, another important element was the name "REV" which stands for things that it believes in and work towards on a daily basis, such as revolution, revelation and revenue.

REV Media Group's new vision and mission is to be the number one Malaysian digital media company in terms of reach, retention and revenue and to achieve goals in a customer-centric, collaborative and transparent manner. The spokesperson said:

Speed, agility and adaptability are key qualities for us to stay relevant in this complex and fast-paced industry. 

Among the list of brands it represents include SAYS, OHBULAN!, Viralcham, NST Online, My Metro, BH Online, Mashable SEA and IGN SEA.

"Media Prima Digital and REV Asia have transitioned over the years to operate in a more collaborative manner, in terms of operations, consolidation of assets and workflow, and we want this to be reflected on all levels. The new branding will allow us to present a more united front to our customers - which is something that we would not be able to achieve by having two separate corporate brands," the spokesperson explained. 

When asked how the marketing for the new branding will be done moving forward, the spokesperson explained that being a content-driven digital media company, its marketing activities are mainly channeled towards digital campaign operations, platform growth and cross-marketing within its network while it continues to focus its efforts on delivering quality content across its platforms. 

"From a product perspective, we will continue to enhance our offerings to ensure that we provide the best possible platforms and solutions to our clients. As of today, we represent over 30 top authority brands with an extensive network that reaches out to more than 15 million people each month," she added. The spokesperson declined to comment on whether Media Prima Digital was impacted by the recent headcount cuts at Media Prima which resulted in 300 employees being let go.

Rafiq said the rebranding is an important milestone for the team as it officially marks the unification of two premier digital media organisations. "I believe that this new brand will drive us even further and help us solidify our position as the leading digital publisher in Malaysia," he said.

Meanwhile, Sam Wee said: "We are really excited to be able to work closely with everyone in REV Media Group now as we share the same goals and vision and I’m confident that this transformation will allow us to grow exponentially as a team."

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