Feature image creedit: VisionKL
There really isn’t any other festival quite like RIUH!, much less any other festival who executes it quite like their team, and they’ve been at the forefront of the local arts and crafts culture since their inception back in 2017. With a simple goal to enhance the creative ecosystem of Malaysia, the platform has successfully hosted 24 editions aross various areas including APW, Sentul Depot, The Gasket Alley, River Of Life, and Ipoh.
However, even this stalwart brand had to close it doors for the time being as a response to the Movement Control Order, but with every cloud, there is a silver lining, and RIUH!’s silver lining laid in them to fully utilise their Instagram, bringing RIUH! from one central location, and into everyone’s home instead. We managed to talk to lead team member, Marissa Wambeck on how RIUH!’s adaptation online may just be the change that they need to keep on going.
Marissa Wambeck
As RIUH! is a festival that welcomes all walks of life into its grounds, how has the coronavirus affected it as well as the plannings in the foreseeable future?
Marissa: RIUH, is a two-day, bimonthly event, held over the weekend. And being a large public event (we usually have an average of 10,000 visitors per weekend) – it has led to major interruptions – the postponement of Panggung RIUH which was scheduled for 29th Feb and 1st Mar, now pushed back to July 4&5, as well as the cancellation of upcoming RIUH Raya which was scheduled for May 16 & 17. Looking at the current situation and as advised by the authorities, it is very much unlikely the rest of the editions planned for the year will happen. This is the first time in three years, ever since we kickstarted in 2017, that we have yet to have a RIUH at all.
However as a platform that has always been championing the local creative scene, we will continue our efforts, a little differently this time, as we have to adapt to the current situation. We are now going online, through our social media platforms, having campaigns like RIUH In Your Homes as well as an online directory of brands and performers on our website (www.riuh.com.my) – we are working on it as we speak.
How was the decision to switch to a digital platform made? And has it been successful?
With how the year started and with us having to defer our events because of COVID, the idea of exploring something else rather than a physical platform has lingered in our minds for some time, even before RMO. And with the RMO, it just felt like the right time to kick-start something like this. Thus, to continue to support the creative scene and uplift the general morale of the people, we decided to create online content through mainly IG Takeovers and IG Live Performances. Since we cannot #riuhinthecity, we will #riuhinyourhomes! IG takeovers include featuring brand owners and local creatives to touch on specific topics, such as productivity, local films and music, home recipes, mental health and parent-child activities. In support of music artists whose livelihoods depend on shows and gigs, RIUH pays these artists to perform via IG Live – similar to booking them for a gig. We are also exploring how we can help other performance artists besides the music industry.
To be able to make a positive difference in the lives of the creatives, given the current circumstance, we would say our objective is successful. And to compliment the success, we’ve also gotten really good feedback from the community, that’s the cherry on the cake!
Do you plan on retaining this once the MCO has been lifted?
We can’t say for sure, as we’re still trying certain things out to see what works and what doesn’t, and there’s always room for improvement! However, regardless of what situation we find ourselves in, we will still work towards elevating the local creative industry. One thing is for sure, we are aware that we would need to reinvent ourselves as the previous RIUH format in terms of it being a large-scaled event, would not work, for this year at least. Hence, we are moving forward and thinking of fresh and effective ways to still continue to do what we do, which is supporting the creative industry.
What are some of the lessons that you have learnt during this MCO period when it comes to running RIUH! online?
The MCO period was a time of uncharted territory for us, being a physical event, as well as for many other businesses, organizations, etc too. With people confined to their homes, the next best way to connect with each other is online! And because of this, we also realized that it became a very “crowded” space, in a sense that online content was flooding everyone’s feed at a rapid pace, the IG Live features were being utilised more than ever and that could easily make a brand’s effort “drown”.
We have learnt that sometimes it’s okay to take a backseat, not to rush into things and really think things through ie. how to be different and provide a unique offering, so you still stand out and deliver your messages effectively and to the right set of people! Always take a step back and remind yourselves why people love your brand in the first place, reinvent yourselves accordingly while staying true to your brand DNA/objective and try your best to not get caught up in the frenzy of it all. Be mindful of what you put out there.
If, touchwood, let’s say the MCO is further extended, what would RIUH!’s plans be moving forward?
We will continue the momentum, online, through not only our current initiatives, but we will do our best to come up with fresh ideas that will support the creative industry. With the MCO extended, it will also give us more time to go back to the drawing board, and come up with reinvented concepts for RIUH 2020, moving forward. We also believe in collaborations and will seek to form more strategic partnerships for the benefit of the industry.
Any exciting plans that we can look forward to in the coming weeks?
Yes we are working on something to support our creatives while also making the stays at home all the more bearable and fun! Set to kickstart on the 24 April till the 17 May, we’re introducing RIUH Raya Rumah – which will be an online RIUH edition that will feature up to a curated selection of 80 homegrown brands, both retail and food! We’re also happy to announce that MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd (RIUH’s parent company), is contributing RM30,000 worth of sales support to encourage sales for fashion retailers! Consider your shopping needs covered, with plenty of promotions you do not want to miss out on, so stay tuned to our IG @riuhinthecity! To top it all off, we also might just throw in a finale special to end RIUH Raya Rumah with a bang 😉
Follow RIUH! on their social media platforms to get the latest updates.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riuhinthecity/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riuhinthecity/
Website: http://www.riuh.com.my/
