Phang (front row, centre), Chan (on her left) with the Sunway Velocity Mall team.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sunway Malls achieved significant recognition at the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) MAXI Awards in Las Vegas, USA. Sunway Velocity Mall, one of its malls, won two Gold awards, the highest accolade at the ICSC MAXI Awards.
ICSC, based in New York, is a global trade association that represents the mall and retail real estate industry. It advocates for the industry to be acknowledged for its vital role in enhancing social, civic, and economic vibrancy in communities worldwide.
Sunway Velocity Mall was the only mall from Malaysia to be honored at the awards, which featured 100 finalists from countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the United States, and China.
The MAXI Awards recognize innovative events, programs, and technology that add value to the mall industry. The awards cover marketing campaigns implemented in 2022 and 2023.
The mall received a Gold award for its Chinese New Year 2022 “100 Blessings” campaign in the Marketing Excellence Community category. It also won another Gold award for its New Year’s Eve Countdown concert celebrating 2023 in the Marketing Excellence Experiential category.
Previously, the “100 Blessings” campaign also won the highest accolade at the national level, the Platinum award at the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPK) Awards for Best Experiential Marketing during 2020-2022.
According to Sunway Malls and Theme Parks CEO HC Chan, “This global win is proof of how Malaysian malls have transformed from domestic players to global players in a short period of time.” He added, “Malaysia can be proud that its mall industry is globally recognized as one of the most progressive, vibrant, and world-class industries.”
The “100 Blessings” campaign was a corporate social responsibility initiative aiming to provide aid to 100 families severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The New Year’s Eve Countdown was an experiential campaign to welcome the new year.
Both marketing campaigns had successful outcomes. The “100 Blessings” campaign witnessed a 50% increase in footfall, surpassing the initial target of 20%. It benefitted 135 families, exceeding the original goal of 100 families. The New Year’s Eve 2023 campaign experienced a 39% increase in footfall compared to 2019, with a 20% growth in sales during the same period.
“We are particularly grateful that the response to our campaigns has exceeded expectations,” said Sunway Velocity Mall’s senior general manager, Phang Sau Lian. She stated, “The success and recognition of these campaigns demonstrate our continuous effort to help and give back to our community.”
Phang explained that the New Year’s Eve Countdown celebration presented challenges due to three other countdown events in close proximity to the mall. However, through a unique differentiation strategy, including free entry, live performances, meet and greet with local artists, carnival games, a food truck lane, and an extended shopping bazaar, the mall attracted a larger crowd of 100,000 people. This surpassed the pre-pandemic countdown turnout of 78,000.
She added, “We see that the community recognizes our contributions through our initiatives, and many have formed strong connections with us through these campaigns and events. Without their support, we would not have achieved our current position of doing good for others and providing a one-of-a-kind shopping experience to the community.”
Year-to-date, Sunway Velocity Mall’s sales performance continues to grow, with a projected 6% growth in Q3 2023 compared to the previous year. Similarly, Sunway Malls anticipates a 5% year-on-year growth by the end of 2023.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
