In Cambodia’s growing tourism industry, Stéphane Hebert, founder of Siem Reap & You, has created a new model for businesses to market themselves. Hebert, a former French journalist with 25 years of experience in the press and communication industry, spoke with Post Plus about his recent endeavor and what makes his business model successful.
Could you explain the background of Siem Reap & You and what type of business it is?
Siem Reap & You is an event and marketing service company created in 2014 and established in Siem Reap.
The company was quickly joined by Nathalie Brun, a Frenchwomen with more than 15 years of experience in the press, communication and marketing industry.
The company’s name was chosen because Siem Reap is our main operating base. And it also perfectly illustrates our commercial approach: to provide events and services that connect people with the local economic actors. While our activity is growing quickly, it is not just limited to Siem Reap. We are now working in Phnom Penh and will soon extend into Battambang, Sihanoukville, Kep and Kampot.
What are the services Siem Reap & You provides for your clients?
Our main product is called the KAMBODIA Resident Card (KRC), a card exclusively reserved for both locals and expats. While the card is free for the public, partners have to subscribe to an affordable annual plan to be registered within the KRC directory.
The holders of the KRC benefit from exclusive deals and discounts that we directly negotiate with our partners. What is new with the KRC concept is that we focus our product on the people who keep the local economy running even during the low season.
Thanks to this marketing approach, we have a win-win product. People can access exclusive deals provided by businesses that would usually not provide such large discounts, and businesses can effectively market and promote their activity throughout the year.
The KRC works with a variety of partners, not only with restaurants and spas but also with clothing stores, jewelers and beauty salons.
We also provide the SIEM REAP 4 FREE product, which consists of a flyer with coupons for free offers for a variety of businesses. As far as we know, this is new in Cambodia because most coupons only offer discounts, not totally free offers.
How does the KRC help businesses advertise? And who are your main partners?
First, the KRC by itself is a powerful and very affordable marketing tool that allows our partners to grow their business. They can promote their offers by using our website, Facebook page and newsletters. This allows for direct commercial feedback, something that is not possible using classical advertising.
About our partners, we are happy to include both small local businesses and national/international brands, covering a wide range of activities, as we believe the diversity of our partners is one of the big advantages of the KRC.
Who are the main target clients of your agency?
From the B2C side, the KAMBODIA Resident Card product is addressed to all the people living and working in Cambodia. From the B2B side, the KRC is designed to fit all kinds of activities without specific restrictions as long as they respect the Cambodian law and can provide a useful service.
What makes Siem Reap & You successful?
We provide new and original marketing tools to businesses in Cambodia, as we consider genuine innovation as the first point that can make the difference. Also, we are totally committed in the quality of our work, as we provide the best B2B and B2C services in our area of activity.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
