A study by Bain in 2021 indicated that the Malaysian eCommerce market expanded by 68% annually. At the same time, Malaysia saw a 47% increase in online shopping from year to year, with 14.43 million doing so at the beginning of 2022.

Despite this dramatic shift towards online shopping and a great urgency for digital transformation, the vast majority of businesses continue to operate in a conventional manner. For instance, as part of their daily promotional activities, they still hand out paper coupons, vouchers, and brochures to customers when they should be offering e-vouchers or eGifts. 

With eGifts, there is no need for printing or keeping tabs on distribution expenses or voucher redemption, making it a more simple and straightforward alternative to further refining the digitisation and innovation of their business.

Supporting the Malaysian Digital Economy Blueprint

As Malaysia launches its Malaysian Digital Economy Blueprint, many Malaysian businesses have begun implementing their digital transformation plans. However, some are still battling and catching up.

Malaysia’s digital economy has grown rapidly in the past few years, which has given birth to new businesses, forced traditional brick-and-mortar businesses to pivot online, and seen millions of people to go digital for the first time.

To survive this significant shift, businesses must attract their customers where they already are, on social media and online. Big and small businesses alike will need to expand their digital marketing strategies to compete for their interest in order to stay afloat.

And one way to distinguish your company from others is to start embracing eGifts. eGifts can be sent effortlessly via email and social media platforms and can be redeemed for goods or services at restaurants, coffee shops, or other retail establishments. Giving digital gifts to customers for better engagement is increasingly becoming a popular strategy to build and maintain relationships.

Online gifting is now an integral part of the digital revolution that firms undergo. As a country with a very high rate of smartphone and internet usage, in Malaysia, eGifts are a great way for local business owners to flourish in the digital economy and help foster a completely digital integrated ecosystem.

Going forward, eGifts will thrive as it continues to fulfill our basic desires to rejoice and connect. From expressing a small thank you to your loved ones to supporting Malaysian businesses in becoming digital-first organizations, they may even weave in unique digital gifting experiences to keep the virtue of gifting alive.

Leveraging eGifts for growth  

eGifts are a great way to engage and acquire new customers, create stronger relationships, increase brand awareness and boost sales. It is also an especially effective form of digital marketing as it emphasizes personal connections- acts as a way to encourage customers to keep coming back to your brand, especially during special occasions and celebrations. 

Consumers and businesses in Malaysia are starting to see the efficacy of eGifts. Sending a URL to the receiver is all it takes to give an eGift. This translates for businesses into lower campaign costs. The lack of actual objects to transport also helps to reduce CO2 emissions from logistical services and packaging waste, which are enticing considerations to Malaysian consumers who are becoming more environmentally conscious.

It has also proven to be adopted across a wide range of industries to streamline manual procedures and reduce the burden on human workers. Paper vouchers frequently become cases of forgery, whereas eGifts allow for easy tracking and monitoring. This is because there is no risk of the gifts being misplaced, mishandled, or defrauded, providing recipients with a sense of security.

Businesses can also incorporate eGifts to offer rewards to customers who fill out surveys, encourage customers to visit their stores, participate in social media campaigns, and even recognise their own staff for their hard work- making everyone’s digital gifting experience more meaningful and personal. 

It is also advantageous to give eGift recipients a gift of their choice. This is because the option to choose whatever they want at the point of receipt helps to develop a deeper connection by demonstrating that businesses are aware of their interests and preferences. 

The future of eGifts 

In a nutshell, moving to the digital realm is no more a choice and being smart about consumer engagement online is a must. Malaysian business owners can deliver unique value to their customers that go beyond what they can offer through traditional marketing– by leveraging the potential of a simple eGift. It is imperative that business owners start thinking about how to make the most of their marketing strategies. 

As businesses begin to digitalise gradually, Giftee Malaysia aspires to encourage Malaysian businesses to innovate and strengthen their brand presence digitally, particularly now that the pandemic has made consumers, retailers, and businesses recognise the value of digital gifts and digitizing business.

This article is written by Ryo Okubo, Chief Operating Officer of Giftee Malaysia

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