Speaking at a conference organised by the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) today, media leaders said this would allow them to better attract business partners to advertise through them, including event organisers looking to attract attendees to their conventions.

Chang Peng Kee, associate professor of communications at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said the media must leverage data to deliver content to its intended audience.

“It’s not mass media, it’s mass customisation,” he said.

By identifying specific audiences, media outlets would be able to cater their content and advertising packages to certain segments with greater accuracy, he said.

“Know your niche, and know who your customers are.”

Syamil Fahim Mohamed Fahim, CEO of Nu Ideaktiv Sdn Bhd, concurred, saying that local media outlets had certain advantages over Google and Facebook, which have largely dominated the analytics and advertising market.

“What they can’t do is go into the content like we can,” he said.

“We know our audience best, what they want to read and the style of it.”

Media companies are moving towards more accurately identifying individual audience members based on their consumption patterns, which will allow them to better understand their needs and interests, he said.

The forum was part of the Malaysia Business Events Week’s Meet in Malaysia conference, organised by MyCEB. It brought together players in the business event industry to discuss ways to adapt to the new conditions brought on by Covid-19.