GroupM launches Ramadan themed content portal

GroupM has just launched an ‘occasion-based’ content portal called Jom Bazaar.As the name indicates, Jom Bazaar is a virtual portal for all things related to Ramadan, custom-built for Malay consumers. GroupM worked with various content partners Media Prima, iCarAsia and YouTube to provide Ramadan-specific video content for Malay consumers. It also provided clients with virtual kiosks to showcase their own season-specific content, messages and links to their other online assets.The entire site is designed, hosted and maintained by the GroupM platforms and design team. Brands such as Astro Go Shop, Nestle Maggi, Old Town White Coffee and Pizza Hut have worked with GroupM to up their virtual kiosks. Astro Go Shop and Pizza Hut also have buttons allowing visitors to make online purchases.“The site will be live from now until end of July and we are projecting more than a million visitors. We’ve had more than 100K visits to Jom Bazaar in just the first few days of the soft launch before even the online marketing has kicked in,” Girish Menon, CEO of GroupM Malaysia said. He explained that Malaysian consumers of all races look for season-specific or festival-specific content on all media, especially online.For Ramadan specifically, research by GroupM indicated that Malay consumers look for content related to following the right religious practices during the holy month. They also hunt for content related to food recipes, new clothing and fashion styles, tips for a safe and comfortable Balik Kampung and of course, general entertainment.“We thought it would be great to bring all these together in one space, to create a virtual Ramadan bazaar. Thus was born the initiative,” said Menon.As part of the content deals, GroupM also has traffic driving initiatives such as display ads, social sharing and posts and also TV promos. Client sponsors such as Astro Go Shop. Nestle MAGGI, Old Town White Coffee and Pizza Hut who have a virtual kiosk in the Bazaar, also have their own display banners to direct consumers to their specific kiosks.