Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry to cooperate with influencers on promoting local products

ALOR SETAR - The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) will be working with social media influencers in the effort to promote local products via Malaysian Goods Carnival (KBM).

KPDN Trade, Distribution and Business Sector senior director Datuk Rohaizi Bahari said the collaboration is seen as assisting to highlight local products especially those that are new and not well-known.

"KPDN is committed to ensuring the popularity Malaysian products or brands is expanded in the domestic and foreign markets and they are not limited to only selected items such as food, drinks and beauty products,” he told reporters at the northern zone 2023 Malaysian Goods Mini Carnival Tour here today.

The three-day carnival, being held at Aman Central Mall, Alor Setar is participated by 20 entrepreneurs from the northern zone (Perlis, Penang and Perak) and it is also one of the initiatives of KPDN under the Buy Malaysian Goods Campaign (KBBM) 2023 to encourage the people to give priority to local products.

Meanwhile, Zes Aneka Idaman Enterprise owner, Syafiqah Sobri, 35, who is in food products such as cakes and biscuits said the carnival is very good for helping local traders to introduce their goods to the people.

"Although I've been running the business since 2006, this is the first time I've participated in a carnival like this. Earlier, I was shy and afraid to promote my own products because they did not appear as good as other products, partly because the cookie packaging is still using plain plastic bag.

"I also feel that if influencers can help promote local products, it is good...they can help because like us, we are promoting (products), we have no experience but they already have a name so they can help the products of small traders," she said.

For Diamond Cosmetics marketing manager, Nor Haslina Mohd Pisol, 36, the carnival can prove that the locally produced goods by her company are of high quality comparable to leading brands that have made a name for themselves in the market.

"We have been selling health and beauty products since 2020 but they are still not known to Malaysians, while they have been well received in Singapore and Indonesia...maybe with the help of these influencers we can promote the product faster because there are many followers on their social media sites," she said. - BERNAMA