Digital marketing experts and Cambodian businesses convened in a workshop on leveraging e-commerce platforms, in the first of a series of events held by a digital coalition set up to help businesses rebound after the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on enterprise.

The event, part of the “Stronger with Digital” Coalition, was held virtually on the evening of February 9, with participants from Cambodia’s top digital marketing agencies promoting e-marketing platforms to strengthen and elevate the sector for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Kingdom.

Launched in August, the “Stronger with Digital” Coalition focuses on supporting MSMEs in Cambodia to strengthen their online presence and utilise e-commerce platforms effectively.

Suon Buddhisatt, project coordinator for the “Stronger with Digital” Coalition, told The Post that the online workshop hoped to give local businesses an opportunity to meet and discuss, as well as receive special offers from major e-commerce platforms in the Kingdom.

He added that the workshop would aid growing businesses explore opportunities for expansion through online sales.

“MSMEs businesses in Cambodia are growing. This workshop gives them a presentation of their goals for e-commerce for the future, and whether they are at a stage where they can consider international expansion,” he said.

Buddhisatt also stressed the importance of digital marketing, saying that it had been a lifeline for many businesses during the pandemic.

The discussion also aimed to provide businesses with an understanding of the changing nature of Cambodia’s market demand as it relates to their own production lines. It will also introduce them to digital marketing resources focused on supporting local MSMEs.

The “Stronger with Digital” Coalition is a collaborative effort from UNDP Cambodia, the Australian embassy, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, and several other smaller partners.

In a recent Facebook post, the telecommunications ministry said the coalition had made a sizable impact on training MSMEs in Cambodia last year.

“With the efforts of our trainers and partners in 2021, 1,000 MSMEs were successfully trained and 66.76 per cent started to sell online,” the ministry said.

It also claimed that since launching, the commerce coalition has reached up to 4.2 million consumers and business owners through its online marketing campaign, and that more than 100,000 businesses in Cambodia have begun participating in e-commerce as a result.