Top 5 brands in Malaysia that excelled in digital marketing

Without a doubt, the pandemic has pushed companies to double down on digital as consumers were cooped up at home and mainly relied on digital services to remain entertained. According to McKinsey's "The New Digital Age" survey, businesses today are looking at the adoption of digital technologies that have sped up by three to seven years in a span of months.

Meanwhile, a recent Adobe APAC Digital Trends report found that digital customer acquisition is prioritised in APAC over increased customer retention. The pandemic has also led to a surge in existing (78%) and new customers (77%) through digital channels in APAC.

Nearly half of the industry players in APAC are also considering improving the digital capabilities/skills of marketing teams as a key operational priority in 2022, and 42% consider driving operational efficiencies through automation to be a key focus this year.

With companies not taking their foot off the pedal when it comes to digital, the team at A+M turned to our Marketing Excellence Awards Malaysia 2021 results to find out which companies dazzled our judges with their digital marketing plans. Listed alphabetically, the top five winners below won over our independent panel not only by showcasing the work they have done for the clients but also through its smart and innovative use of digital. 

1. BMW Malaysia

BMW Malaysia hit the nail on the head when it comes to digital marketing by using a WebAR showroom to launch its X5 series. The Movement Control Order in 2020 might have impacted its highest-converting sales channel - showrooms - but BMW was unfazed.

Working with Entropia, part of Accenture Interactive, the automotive company came up with the world's first-ever WebAR showroom for its new X5, bringing the experience to consumers' homes. BMW knew that mobile is the main media and virtual is now where life happens, especially since individuals have adjusted to working from home and shopping online. Lastly, experiential is the new persuasion, with consumers exploring new and entertaining unique experiences that can pull them in, having been cooped up at home for so long.

BMW created the AR showroom to retain the interest of consumers on the X5; encourage drivers to engage with its showroom and spend time with the car; garner earned media; and receive more X5 bookings as well as convert more sales. The team created 3D models from scratch for the X5, each built through 3D engines, crafted with detail across 360° angles.

Drivers could immerse themselves with the car in new ways through interactions such as positioning the X5 in real-life environment, customising the X5 in different colours, scaling the X5 to a larger or smaller size, and testing the X5's unique features and car's performance.

Supporting this strategy was a livestream to unveil the online X5 showroom; earned media coverage from automotive sites; and using hyper-remarketing such as dynamic programmatic displays and Google search ads to target consumers.

As a result of this strategy, BMW was able to reach 94% of its audience and its showroom garnered 39.6 times in earned media value across publishers including The Star, The Sun Daily, and The Malaysian Reserve. At the same time, BMW said this campaign helped it garner 52% in market share, beating out Mercedes.

2. Danone Specialised Nutrition Malaysia

Danone Specialised Nutrition Malaysia found that one out of five children in Malaysia are stunted and that catch-up growth formula is not accessible to mass Malay mothers with growth-concerned children. Hence, the brand wanted to democratise catch-up growth solution with Dugro Complete, a new catch-up growth formula from Dugro. It also priced Dugro Complete 56% lesser than competitor PediaSure.

While this was done to ensure no child gets left out from receiving the best nutrition for their growth, Danone Specialised Nutrition also found that mothers have developed a blind spot to communications concerning catch-up growth milk formula. Due to not having an accessible catch-up growth solution for several years, mothers have lost interest in the category and immediately assumed that catch-up growth formulas are expensive.

Hence, the brand wanted its communications to have thumb-stopping content that would lead to increased trials and penetration. Working with Entropia, part of Accenture Interactive, the brand turned the ABCD nursery rhyme into a trojan horse packaging, which mothers are happy to invite into their households. Meanwhile, the catchy lyrics and messages on catch-up growth solutions represent the soldiers that will lead the brand to victory.

In line with the ABCD nursery rhyme, Danone Specialised Nutrition wanted to position its product to also be as easy as ABCD. Each letter represented the benefits:

1. Asas Susu Lembu (Sourced from cow's milk)
2. Berbaloi Untuk Mama (Affordable for mothers)
3. Citarasa Si Manja (Child's taste of choice)
4. DHA Tertinggi (Highest DHA)

These were then layered into the lyrics of the nursery rhyme, making it easier for both mothers and children to remember and follow. The brand then leveraged its existing Dugro Buddies mascots and developed new musical content around catch-up growth. It also partnered with The Factory Music Studio, the same composers that created the theme songs of hit cartoons such as BoboiBoy, Upin Ipin and Ejen Ali. The video was aired during weekends and after school, during bonding moments when mothers and children were tuning in to YouTube.

The next steps was to retarget mothers with tailored messages based on her concerns on growth formula. Multiple versions of ABCD creatives were produced based on whether mothers were concerned about value-for-money, sugar content, and brain development, among others.

The next step was to counter mothers' concerns with its one-stop centre for catch up growth reference. The brand made it easy for mothers to clear any doubts they may have through articles, tips, testimonials, and even a growth tracker on the website. The content produced are classified based on mothers' keyword searches such as "nutrition for growth", "catch-up growth", and "my child is short" were put in place to direct them straight to our specific articles.

Another strategy was native lead generation from wherever mothers are. A native Facebook lead generation form was utilised as mothers were scrolling through their social feeds. This helped with the ease of requesting for samples with automated filled in data and without mothers needing to leave the platform. They could even request for samples while watching TV from their couch. Once mothers wind down to watch TV with their children and competitor PediaSure shows up on TV ads, Danone Specialised Nutrition Malaysia will serve them a superiority messaging for sample request on their mobiles to counter PediaSure's messaging through TV sync technology.

3. Gleneagles and Pantai Hospitals

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women in Malaysia and about one in 19 women in the country are at risk. Gleneagles and Pantai Hospitals, a hospital under IHH Healthcare Malaysia, initiated a digital breast cancer awareness campaign in conjunection with Breast Cancer Awareness month in October 2020. Understanding that the world is very much digital these days, the company differentiated the normal pink ribbon symbol by rendering it in a more digital-oriented form.

It also hyped up awareness by naming the campaign "Turn Up the Pink" and executed it via hospitals, digital and OOH to maximise its talkability. Gleneagles and Pantai Hospitals also wanted to leverage the digital pink ribbon as a symbol for women bravely speak up - without any sense of shame or embarrasment - on a topic that they once shunned or only whispered about.

It created a microsite featuring the digital pink ribbon for anything related to Turn Up the Pink, and invited Malaysians to join the campaign with submissions shared on social media, featuring stories behind the submitted photos and artwork and including the hashtags #GleneaglesWarriors or #PantaiStrongerTogether.

On social media, the team also engaged influencers and used digital media ad buys to drive traffic towards the site. There were also weekly educational Facebook postings highlighting the importance of early screening, breast cancer symptoms, myths, and guides on how to conduct a self diagnosis.

On the event front, Gleneagles and Pantai Hospitals amplified Turn Up the Pink with digital pink ribbon projections on participating hospital's walls at the same time, on the same day, in the month of October 2020. It also held on-ground events with a photo booth and backdrop at the hospital lobbies. When it came to below-the-line materials, it created a key visual poster, brochure, and flyer on Turn Up the Pink, detailing the campaign and contest.

Ultimately, it was able to get people to share their stories through art, as well as start conversations around the topic of breast cancer, which they would have been initially uncomfortable with prior to the campaign.

4. PepsiCo Malaysia

Lockdowns in Malaysia over the past two years saw the rise in homegrown talent and content creators, especially on TikTok which catapulted to become one of the social media platforms of choice among consumers. With consumers being deprived of social lifestyles and live concerts during lockdown, PepsiCo Malaysia wanted to delight and excite consumers by bringing a concert to them in the comfort of their homes.

Its campaign idea had two objectives - create an influencer-led musical experience that would overshadow the impact of lockdown and pave the way for the next phase of launches; and push sales of Pepsi's new products and gain market share in the soft drinks scene.

Based on this, came up with the idea of an AR concert on a Pepsi bottle, inviting Gen Zs from across Malaysia to participate in one of the largest talent hunts on TikTok. Done in collaboration with Entropia, part of Accenture Interactive, all consumers had to do was to scan a bottle of Pepsi Black Raspberry. Upon doing so, an AR Pepsi bottle will load and the concert will play on the bottle itself.

The campaign unfolded in two stages. First, there was a nationwide talent hunt for the best TikTok creators and the winners got to perform with Siti Nordiana during the AR concert. Next, all fans got to experience the Ar concert on a Pepsi bottle through webAR tech. According to PepsiCo, the campaign was well-received by consumers. The brand also said in a press statement last year that its first-ever AR concert in the country was recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records.

5. Tenaga Nasional

When COVID-19 first hit two years ago, the pandemic sent the nation's confidence into a volatile state, with trust dropping by 15% concerns and concerns about Malaysia's future increasing by 14%. Everyone also had different opinions on how things should be handled across the nation, from elections and budget decisions to MCOs.

According to Tenaga Nasional, this dissent came from differences in opinion, stemmed from a lack of understanding and empathy. TNB wanted to step in and mend the fabric of the nation showing Malaysia that its differences are a blessing providing the country strength in the harshest of times. Deepavali presented the right opportunity of rooting for home instead of despair.

According to TNB, Deepavali wasn't just a cultural story about the fight between light and darkness, but about unity in perilous times. Metaphorically, culturally, and literally, TNB connects with Deepavali and it was going to show the nation how to come together as a united front, abating the ensuing darkness surrounding the nation. Hence, the brand set the following objectives:

1. Festive truth: Generate curiosity and buzz around its Deepavali campaign
2. Brand truth: Solidify TNB's position as a brand that champions the strength of nation's progress and unity
3. Consumer truth: Uplift Malaysians by showing power and hope in embracing differences

TNB wanted to allow Malaysians to learn more about the cultural experience that is Deepavali. Hence, together with Entropia, part of Accenture Interactive, it devised a three-pillar strategy formula to bring its message to life.

1. Expose consumers to unite through its family story
2. Engage them through the way its campaign will present the perfect balance between traditional media and innovative media
3. Have consumers endorse TNB's take on its own identity

Firstly, the brand kicked off its campaign with teaser videos across social media platforms, providing audience members hilarious cameos of major Indian celebrities and nuances. It made the grand reveal on the most watched format in Malaysia - YouTube Masthead and TV screen.

It also created the first-ever AR open house, allowing users to jump right into the film's setting and learn the meaning behind all of the cultural artefacts necessary to celebrate Deepavali. It also engaged with newspapers to develop double page ads that gave full view of the open house along with a QR code which people could scan and take a virtual tour of.

TNB also extended the festive cheer through its own social communications and enhanced that through word-of-mouth by some of the nation's strongest influencers shedding light on TNB's core message of embracing one's differences and uniting together for a much better tomorrow.

This campaign allowed TNB to reach 17.3 million Malaysians and generated an uptake in positive sentiments on social media of up to 81%. It also overachieved its media KPIs of views/clicks/engagements by 71% and its AR Open House also garnered 4,000 unique users.

Photo courtesy: 123RF

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