Media Prima bounces back in the new normal

 This post is sponsored by Media Prima.

2020 has been a challenging and unforgettable year for most businesses, including small business owners who have had to adjust to new rules and restrictions which have now become part of the “new normal”. 

There are people who are still working from home while some are back to their workplace adhering to rules and regulations that didn’t exist before. But that did not stop Media Prima from advancing to become Malaysia’s leading digital content and commerce company.

As Malaysia’s leading and largest integrated media company, Media Prima plays an important role in the nation’s social fabric – especially in a time full of uncertainty – by keeping Malaysians informed, updated, connected and entertained. 

While the media industry was heavily impacted by the ongoing economic challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Media Prima returned to the black having recorded a third-quarter profit in 2020. Media Prima’s commerce and digital platforms also experienced a surge in traffic as more Malaysians go online.

Pushing digital-first

REV Media Group has been the driving force behind Media Prima’s digital initiatives. Being the host to more than 30 most-preferred authority brands such as SAYS, OHBULAN!, Viralcham, NST Online, My Metro, BH Online, Mashable SEA and IGN SEA, it has a wide distribution network reaching out to at least 15 million Malaysians monthly. 

This amount accounts for 75% of the country’s latest internet population. One of the top achievements for REV Media Group during this year’s third quarter was the record of a 14% increase in revenue, amounting to RM60.6 million. Comparatively, it was only RM53.2 million in the same duration last year. 

Going along with the company’s nature, REV Media Group continued to invest more in esports through Squad Up, a PUBG mobile tournament hosted in partnership with YouTube Malaysia, powered by Samsung Galaxy A51 | A71 and fuelled by McDelivery. The tournament featured 250 teams and reached a whopping 600,000 views on the video-sharing platform.

Delivering the best commerce experience to Malaysians

Media Prima’s home shopping network WOWSHOP has been one of the driving forces behind the group’s better revenue. In August, Media Prima fully acquired the business after seeing how well commerce was doing, especially during the pandemic. 

Since its launch in 2016, WOWSHOP has become one of Malaysia’s most innovative home shopping networks that is accessible across television, online and mobile platforms, bringing Malaysians a uniquely visual, interactive and immersive experience. 

For the nine months of the financial year, WOWSHOP recorded a net profit of RM9.5 million and a 36% increase in revenue against the previous year. This segment has also benefited from the higher viewership from Media Prima television channels, which has prompted new customers and greater sales from its ecommerce and mobile platforms. 

WOWSHOP has more than 2.3 million customers, while its eCommerce and mobile commerce platforms contributed over 53% of its total sales in the past nine months. WOWSHOP’s strong performance underscores the success of Media Prima’s commerce venture and the new normal has become an opportunity to capture new businesses.

Photo credit: WOWSHOP

WOWSHOP launched new products under the home and living, and kitchen categories and received high demand, especially during the ongoing pandemic. 

Apart from that, it also incepted a new show based on the “shoppertainment” concept — Fikree’s Kitchen featuring Dato’ Chef Ismail and Chef Naem where professional chefs share their product insights, tips and recipes. What’s more, to make things more interesting, the show’s host occasionally delivered the items right to patrons’ doorsteps. As of date, the show has garnered a 53% boost in its viewership and a 9% sales increment.

Embracing the new normal

The group’s better performance profit is also attributed to Media Prima’s ongoing business transformation initiatives. This includes the launch of two new businesses, Media Prima Omnia (Omnia) and Print Towers, to generate new revenue and optimise available capacity within the group. 

Omnia was formed to spearhead the group’s advertising sales function and provide clients with the opportunity to market their brands across Media Prima’s broad range of media assets which include Media Prima TV Networks, RIPPLE, New Straits Times Press, Big Tree, REV Media Group and Primeworks Studios. Print Towers, formed out of The New Straits Times Press Production and Distribution unit, will operate as a standalone printer.

Photo credit: NSTP

In embracing the new normal, Media Prima has leveraged its digital capabilities to organise its most popular events online such as the Karnival Jom Heboh di Rumah and the Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian, with strict adherence to the standard operating procedures suggested by authorities to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The Karnival Jom Heboh di Rumah was broadcast live on TV9 over two days, allowing Malaysians to enjoy the thrill of the event while in the safety of their homes.

Photos credit: NSTP

Meanwhile, the 33rd edition of the nation’s long-running reader’s choice entertainment awards, Anugerah Bintang Popular, was held without a live audience. The awards show clinched a record six million viewers or 43% of local viewership, an increase of 200,000 viewers compared with last year’s event. This sets a new benchmark for local entertainment events in adapting to the new normal.

While tough conditions will continue to persist, businesses will have to adapt to the new normal. Media Prima is always looking for creative and effective ways to deliver unique services to audiences and solutions to advertisers. 

Moving forward, a few projects are set to be executed, including SPARK by REV Media Group, a new business unit that was created to grow and consolidate all sponsored social media content and influencer marketing within Media Prima.It will be formed to productise its valuable social media assets and variety of talent and influencers to create a staple social media product for advertisers across the group’s digital platforms, news, TV and radio networks.