KUALA LUMPUR: The Covid-19 pandemic has been shrinking the country's economy as it continuously disrupts business operations, especially for local small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs).
In the second year of this invisible battle, many have been pulling down their shutters for the last time and hanging up their shop's signs in defeat.
Media Prima Omnia Sdn Bhd is taking a stance to resuscitate their businesses, and free them from the exhausting Covid-19 anchor through the #KitaMalaysia campaign this coming National Day.
Its chief executive officer and executive director Datuk Michael Chan said the objective behind #KitaMalaysia is to return the liberty to SMEs for them to continue driving the nations' economy.
"As we know, local SMEs require consistent awareness to continuously market their products in order to sustain their business.
"We see an opportunity to help deliver this awareness and ensure that it will reach the highest number of audiences through our mass media platforms."
Chan recalled that the local SME sector has been the country's economic backbone in contributing an estimated 40 per cent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and employing almost two-thirds of its workforce.
"The pandemic has hit them unprepared as their growth is heavily reliant on local market realities and it's getting tougher to manoeuvre their way out from the current economic disruptions.
"Losing the SMEs to Covid-19 can be equivalent to losing the growth engine, dynamism and entrepreneurism of the country," he said.
In conjunction with the nation's 64th year, Media Prima Omnia has come up with packages to promote homegrown products and services on all of Media Prima's platforms.
"The #KitaMalaysia packages were designed specifically in time for National Day to signify the fight for freedom and the will to survive on our terms.
"This campaign will also be providing opportunities for large corporations and even government agencies to participate and support these entrepreneurs in getting back on their feet," he said in a statement, today.
There will be four SMEs packages offered under this campaign, which is one package under the Starter Pack and three packages under the Premium Pack.
"The Starter Pack package starts from an affordable RM5,000, which includes exposures for SME brands and products on Media Prima's home shopping and e-commerce platform from Aug 16 till Sept 30.
"While the Premium Packs are priced at RM10,000, RM15,000 and RM20,000 each, which offers wider media platform integration options for more exposure opportunities for the SME sector, including having their products listed in #KitaMalaysia Wowshop e-commerce with no limit to the number of product listing, also starting from Aug 16 till Sept 30.
"We will also be giving away RM1 million worth of media value during this campaign, which includes our television, print, radio and digital platforms to early birds who sign up for any of the four different #KitaMalaysia SME packages.
"We are going with the 'Small Action, Big Impact!' approach, where we will communicate with our audiences on how we can create an impact as an individual, when taking small actions, no matter how insignificant," Chan said, adding that a collective effort of small actions could make up a huge difference.