AdEasy is an adtech startup that makes booking traditional ad space easy and effective for SMEs with a fully integrated one-stop-shop e-commerce platform
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- AdEasy was selected by Cradle out of 800 companies as one of its 13 DEQ800 recipients in 2017 to receive RM775K funding. Launched in May 2017, AdEasy enables SMEs to advertise in traditional media by simplifying the ad booking process to just three steps - browse, compare and book. With AdEasy, SMEs are able to save time, money and resources to find the right ad space from a comprehensive marketplace that offers all types of traditional media; compare prices with 100% transparency to maximise every ad dollar spent on a campaign; and book ad space directly from media owners.
“With this fresh round of funding, we will be working to expand our reach nationwide, and to optimise the platform further by introducing more automated solutions so that the experience of booking and listing traditional media on AdEasy will be further enhanced for both SMEs and media owners,” said CEO of AdEasy, Melissa Sim.
This Cradle funding is AdEasy’s second seed round, having raised its first through equity crowdfunding platform, pitchIN, where it closed RM242K in July 2017. To date, AdEasy has booked 15 campaigns with a total ad spend of more than RM950K for its SME clients.
SMEs account for 97% of businesses in Malaysia, and 67% of employment in the Malaysian workforce1. But only 13.4% advertise2.
“There is a huge untapped market of SMEs who are not advertising yet, 86.6% to be exact. This is because they lack the knowledge, data, and tools to make informed decisions. SMEs have modest advertising budgets, and have long been under the impression that traditional advertising is for multinational corporations and local giants who have deep pockets. We are on a mission to change that by offering SMEs free account signups to access information such as each media’s reach, audience profile, and rates, to name a few. To help maximise their advertising budgets, we run SME-friendly deals each month. We aim to equip SMEs with advertising knowledge, and media planning tools so they can confidently book ad space on their own on AdEasy,” explained Melissa.
42% of the campaigns booked on AdEasy are from startups. The startup scene in Malaysia is robust, as Kuala Lumpur’s ecosystem alone is ranked the 7th fastest growing globally in terms of startup valuations and exits3. In 2016, funding in startups amounted to USD33.1M4, and more government initiatives, corporate bodies and investment firms are getting involved to accelerate startups’ growth.
“This investment from Cradle is extremely strategic for us. Cradle has more than 700 startups in its portfolio, and provides them mentorship, networking opportunities, and growth guidances. Other than knowing we are in good hands, we believe AdEasy can add value to Cradle’s investee startups by being their go-to advertising support. Ultimately, like Cradle, AdEasy is focused on driving growth for them − through advertising,” Melissa added.
Chief Investment Officer of Cradle Group, Juliana Jan said, “ Digital innovation is at the heart of our investment strategy. Online marketplace for offline advertising space that allows advertiser to book offline ad spaces defines the future of traditional advertising and we are confident that AdEasy and its technology will be a game changer in the industry. We see huge potential in AdEasy and we are excited to support and be part of this company.
Total Malaysia ad spend in 2017 was RM4.65B, with Malaysian advertisers allocating 77% of their advertising budget for traditional media5. According to the Nielsen Consumer and Media View 2017 report, traditional media enjoys more than 70% reach across the board. More than 90% of Malaysians aged between 15-24 years old consumed both traditional and digital media, and only 1% of this demographic consumed digital media exclusively during the time period.
Evidently, traditional advertising in Malaysia is still thriving. Today, over 480 ad spaces are listed on AdEasy from more than 80 media options from big names in the Malaysian media such as GSC Cinemas, Astro Radio, BFM 89.9, The Malay Mail, Mingguan Wanita, Her World, Bernama News Channel, Astro Malay Channel, Grab On-car Ads, Hot Media, and more.
“We are continuously adding more media options to the marketplace every month, and plan to extend our ad space offerings to include neighbouring countries’ by the end of this year so that SMEs are able to easily book ad space anywhere, anytime in the region without barriers. We are determined to make AdEasy the leading online ecosystem for advertising in Southeast Asia,” concluded Melissa.
Sources:
1The World Bank: ‘“Small is the New Big” – Malaysian SMEs Help Energize, Drive Economy’. July 5, 2016.
2SME Corp Malaysia: SME Census 2011.
3MaGIC: ASEAN Startup Landscape – Policy Roundtable, GECS 2017.
4MaGIC: Malaysian Startup and Social Enterpreneurship Ecosystem Report 2016.
5Malaysia Advertisers Association: Malaysia ADEX – 2017 Full Year ADEX Report.
About the company:
Founded in 2017, AdEasy is Southeast Asia’s first online marketplace for traditional advertising. AdEasy helps advertisers discover, compare and book ad space in print, radio, television, cinema, and out-of-home media, empowering businesses big and small to launch real-life advertising campaigns in just a few clicks. The marketplace is committed to making the buying and selling of traditional ad space faster, more transparent, and as simple as booking a holiday online. Besides the marketplace, AdEasy provides creative services as well as an ad delivery service to make the whole advertising process easy and seamless. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, AdEasy is wholly owned by AdEasy Sdn. Bhd. View our website at www.AdEasy.co.
Connect with us:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoAdEasy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoAdEasy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/GoAdEasy
SOURCE : Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name : Therine Goh
COO
Tel : 03-6211.3075
Email : therine@AdEasy.co
Website : www.AdEasy.co
--BERNAMA
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