SME Stories power the #1 film on iQiyi, made by a bank!
1. Film & Branded Content Kancils [1.4 Best use of user-generated film content]
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Links:
Product/Service:
Financial Services
Client:
Alliance Bank
Brief:
Once a pioneer in SME empowerment, BizSmart® Challenge had lost its edge as competitors copied its pitch competition model. The programme risked becoming just another contest with little differentiation or real impact. Meanwhile, research showed that 60% of SMEs were still unaware of available funding options, though over 90% were active on digital platforms and increasingly discovered brands via social and search. The challenge was to reignite relevance, re-establish thought leadership, and drive participation among modern entrepreneurs who wanted more than prize money, they wanted visibility, credibility, and connections. The brief: reinvent BizSmart® into a dynamic SME accelerator that merged venture capital, equity, and banking into one ecosystem, while engaging digital-first audiences through an innovative content experience that could inspire, educate, and convert — positioning the bank not just as a funder, but as the ultimate growth partner for Malaysian SMEs.
Solution:
We transformed BizSmart® from a pitch fest into Malaysia’s top SME Accelerator, a hybrid of funding, mentorship, and storytelling. The campaign introduced the first 60-second “Ultimate Elevator Pitch”, where entrepreneurs had just one minute to convince real Venture Capitalists (VCs) inside a moving elevator. No retries, no filters — just raw ambition and real stakes. The best stories became part of Malaysia’s first SME pitch film, released on iQIYI and YouTube, turning business competition into entertainment. Supported by broadcast, cinema, digital, and social, the campaign drove record engagement in a decade’s record: 593 entries (highest ever), 3.4M views, 23M impressions, 2.4M engagements, and RM3.2M PR value. The Ultimate Elevator Pitch was the #1 movie on iqiyi for 3 consecutive weeks! Beyond awareness, it redefined brand experience, transforming a bank into a movement that connected capital with credibility, and made SME growth both accessible and aspirational.
