SCCyberworld

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Malaysians made the difference for those in need


RM 140, 980.00 donated by Malaysians in 300 hours in support of 17 local charities

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 NOVEMBER 2012 – In yet another demonstration of the kindness of everyday Malaysians, 14,098 people contributed a total of over RM 140,980.00 to the “Be The Difference” campaign, an online collaboration by Groupon Malaysia, Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation and GRIM FILM to create greater awareness and support for 17 Malaysian charity organisations.

“From the tremendous support which we’ve seen from Malaysians, we are pleased to say that the ‘Be The Difference’ campaign has been an overwhelming success both in raising funds and awareness for those in need and as a demonstration how social e-commerce has empowered Malaysians to take meaningful action.” said Joel Neoh, Vice President and General Manager of Groupon Southeast Asia and India.

Mr. Joel Neoh & Ms. Nadine Ann Thomas, Representative of Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation at the Media Q & A Session.

Through a special microsite hosted by Groupon, Malaysians had over 300 hours to contribute to 17 separate causes which were chosen by the 17 finalists of Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 and the full proceeds generated by ‘Be the Difference’ campaign has been channelled to 17 charity organisations including Shelter Home for Children, HOPE Worldwide, Rumah HOPE, SPCA Selangor, KIWANIS Job Training Centre, Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better, Rumah Kasih Nurul Hasanah, Dyslexia Malaysia, the House of Joy, the Good Samaritan House, the Shepherd’s Centre Foundation, the Saint Barnabas Home, the Precious Children Home, SPCA Sabah, SPCA Sarawak, Malaysian Nature Society and Yayasan Chow Kit.

According to Ms. Katy Lee, Executive Director of HOPE Worldwide, the ‘Be The Difference’ campaign by Groupon has helped organizations such as HOPE Worldwide to reach out to far larger audiences than previously possible, which is largely due to its social engagement capabilities. “Being leaders in social engagement, Groupon has greatly assisted in bridging the gap between charitable organization and the members of the public, and providing actionable means for them to show their support.”

Ms. Lee’s sentiments were shared by Ms. Sharon Woo, Marketing & Partnership Manager for the Malaysian Nature Society who added that “We are grateful that Groupon is actively involved in initiatives such as this which has re-invigorated support for worthy causes. We believe that the advent of social media has given birth to a new era of civic responsibility and look forward to similar engagements in the years to come.”
Mr. Joel Neoh and Ms. Nadine Ann Thomas along with the 17 finalists of Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 and the representatives from the 17 organizations at the cheque presentation ceremony of ‘Be The Difference’ campaign.

“Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation is proud to once again be doing what we can to raise awareness and support for the underprivileged throughout Malaysia. Through this partnership with Groupon we’ve been able to encourage even more Malaysians to be the difference in improving the lives of others and we hope that the awareness and goodwill which has resulted from this campaign will continue even after its conclusion.” said Miss Nadine Ann Thomas, Miss Universe Malaysia 2010, representative for Miss Universe Malaysia.

At a special cheque presentation ceremony hosted by Groupon Malaysia, Joel re-iterated that the success of the ‘Be the Difference’ campaign was a strong indication of the power of the group buying phenomenon, which has the potential to achieve more than just business success.

In an effort to further boost engagement with Malaysian netizens, the popular local indie production team known as GRIM FILM were also engaged by Groupon and Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation to further spread the importance of taking proactive action through a special “Be The Difference” video.

“We’re a generation that lives in an era of social connectivity which is an exciting, entertaining but also empowering phenomenon. As film makers who are passionate and believe in the power of film we grabbed hold of the chance to share our contribution to the “Be The Difference” campaign, and are proud of the results which have been achieved.” said Mr. Jared Lee, founder of GRIM FILM.

“I am very proud of the entire team at Groupon Malaysia who are incredibly determined to prove that group buying can and does serve a beneficial role to our community, a fact which has been demonstrated by the success of the ‘Be The Difference’ campaign as well as other initiatives which were held earlier this year with UNICEF, the World Food Programme, HOPE Worldwide and World Vision Malaysia. Moving forward we will continue advocate the support for deserving causes in Malaysia so that we may all enjoy amazing life experiences.” said Joel.

Since its introduction in 2011 Groupon Malaysia has grown to become the national market leader in group-buying with over 1.8 million Malaysians currently subscribed to its website which offers up to 200 weekly. The business has emerged as a key shaper of the Malaysian social e-commerce industry and aims to grow even further throughout Malaysia.

For further information visit www.groupon.com.my

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