Talking about BR Awards nominees: Online Strategy for Business Development

From greening their business to training the next generation of entrepreneurs, from funding SMEs to bringing an ailing company back from the brink, some players on the local market defied the tough trading conditions to shine in 2015. This year’s Business Review Awards celebrate these high achievers. Who are they, and what did they do?

Judging criteria: the response generated by the project in terms of revenue, public awareness; investment in the online strategy, platform, etc.; innovative character of the online project in reference to the local market and the respective industry; potential for future growth in order to become a target for investors, venture capitalists or international buyers; retail markets involved (local vs. international ones) – whether the company is reaching/creating a new market through its online presence; uses marketing online, not just selling online.

eMAG for eMAG Marketplace

Launched in 2011, eMAG Marketplace is an online platform where any retailer can display its product offer to eMAG clients. By integrating the vendors in Marketplace, eMAG’s clients have now more than 500,000 products available on offer. The platform is constantly growing and accounts for about 20 percent of the overall turnover, maintaining a fast pace evolution for the next years. For 2015, eMAG Marketplace was set to double its generated revenues and number of vendor partners.

ING Bank for ING Bazar

ING Bazar aims to be the perfect shopping companion by providing ING customers with tailored shopping offers, loyalty card enrollments, partner discounts and eWallet money management. ING Bazar takes the traditional role of online banking one step further.

As for the results, ING Bazar has 40 partners and EUR 6 million in sales value generated for the enrolled merchants.

Paravion for its online travel agency

Online travel agency Paravion, controlled by GED Capital, says it was able to become the biggest online travel agency in Romania and among the largest three OTA businesses in Central and Eastern Europe. The company had 400,000 users last year and managed 115 million transactions. Paravion has boosted the sales of city breaks and charter holiday packages and has developed its mobile application. The firm also relied on offline travellers, with 32 percent of the customers being new, and coming from this area.

Here are the other categories from the BR Awards: Community Involvement, Innovation in Technology, Best Startup Supporter, Best SMEs Financing Line Program, Best Turnaround Strategy, Best Employment Initiative, Entrepreneur of the Year, Deal of the Year, Business Leader of the Year, Excellence in Business, Best International Expansion.