Baidu pact for M'sian businesses to reach China’s booming Net market

By Digital News Asia May 9, 2014

MoU potentially reaches over 618 million Internet users in China
Locus-T to manage Baidu’s Internet professional services here

Baidu pact for M'sian businesses to reach China’s booming Net market

MALAYSIAN Internet marketing company Locus-T has signed a memorandum of understanding with China search powerhouse Baidu, which they said would give Malaysian entrepreneurs and businesses an all-new digital platform to reach out to China’s businesses and consumers.

The partnership between the two would allow Malaysians to access the largest Chinese-language network in the world through Internet advertising and promotional activities, they said in a joint statement.

“Businesses and individuals from Malaysia will be able to reach out to 95% of the Internet users in China through Baidu,” said Locus-T founder and head of sales Joseph Ting.

“We hope this will be one … channel to increase bilateral trade and business between Malaysia and China,” he added.

Locus-T, with 14 years’ experience providing Internet marketing and website development services in Malaysia and Singapore, would be the first authorised agency in Malaysia to be accorded ‘Strategic Partnership’ status by Baidu, the biggest Chinese-language search engine in the world.

Locus-T is also an accredited Google Partner and Yahoo! Search Marketing Authorised Reseller for South-East Asia.

Baidu’s pay-per-click (PPC) Internet marketing service utilises its 81% share of the search engine market in China and a network of 600,000 affiliate websites to create a platform linking the needs of hundreds of millions of Internet users and businesses, the China company claims.

It also claims a user population of over 618 million as of 2013. It hopes to expand and solidify its market in Malaysia by leveraging on Locus-T’s technical expertise and business development experience in Internet marketing.

The aim is to help local businesses and entrepreneurs enhance their internet presence, and to ensure that their business reaches their target market in the most cost effective manner, the two companies said.

“Baidu has confidence in Locus-T’s capabilities in marketing its services in Malaysia … it runs its business in a systematic manner, with quick response times,” said Bob Bao, Baidu’s regional director of South-East Asia.

“Malaysian businesses can now subscribe to Baidu Search Engine Marketing (SEM) tools with a better service level from Locus-T,” he added.

Locus-T will manage a series of Internet professional services provided by Baidu, including the latter’s Search Marketing, Content Network, Brand Zone and Travel Portal.

Both companies are looking especially at businesses in the travel, education, real estate, food and beverages, and e-commerce industries.

Services offered by the partnership are available starting from US$2,000 package (approximately RM6,500) onwards.

Baidu will also assist Locus-T in providing data and information analysis, experience and expertise in different industries, as well as technical and marketing consultancy.

Locus-T is expected to report minimum revenue of US$1 million to US$2 million (RM3.27 million to RM6.55 million) per annum and is targeting between 200 to 300 companies to register this year.