The International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific Regional Office (ICA-AP) recently held a peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing and training program under the ICA-EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement Phase 2 (FFPA2).
Themed “Telling Our Stories, Building Strong Cooperative Brands in the Digital Era,” the event took place on February 5-6, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, hosted by ANGKASA. The program aimed to enhance cooperatives’ branding, communication, and digital storytelling skills in preparation for the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025.
Bringing together 19 representatives from ICA member organizations across Asia-Pacific—including India, the Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran, Vietnam, Fiji, and Malaysia—the training focused on increasing cooperative visibility. Participants, primarily communication and marketing professionals, engaged in hands-on exercises and expert-led discussions to strengthen their digital presence.
Opening remarks by Dato’ Haji Kamarudin Ismail, Board Member of ANGKASA, and Balu Iyer, ICA-AP Regional Director, underscored the importance of storytelling in amplifying the cooperative movement’s reach.
“Cooperatives have incredible stories of resilience, impact, and collaboration—but in today’s fast-moving digital world, how we share those stories matters more than ever,” said Dato’ Kamarudin. Balu Iyer added, “Visibility means influence. As cooperatives, we are not just coops—we can be influencers.”
The training covered critical topics such as global cooperative identity alignment, digital-first branding, storytelling for impact, emerging media platforms, and data-driven communication strategies.
Sessions were led by industry experts, including Kristin Sinclair (BCCM, Australia), Sarabhi Ravichandran (The Storiculture Company, India), Sanjay Verma (National Cooperative Union of India), Jay-vee Marasigan Pangan (Multimedia Journalist, Philippines), Norshamshida Abdul Rahman (Tourism Malaysia), and Leire Luengo Eslava (ICA, online).
Participants explored mainstream media’s role in cooperative visibility and took part in interactive activities like the Digital Footprint Challenge, where they assessed and refined their online presence.
A key highlight was the panel discussion, “Building a Digital-First Cooperative Brand – Not Just a Website,” moderated by Balu Iyer, where panelists shared strategies for enhancing digital engagement.
The workshop concluded with participants developing customized communication toolkits to implement in their cooperatives. Reflecting on the program, Bijoy T. from India appreciated the opportunity to exchange ideas, while Ms. Nor Lela from Malaysia highlighted storytelling’s power to connect and inspire.
Closing the event, Balu Iyer reinforced the need for continuous learning, urging participants to leverage digital platforms to amplify their stories. “Cooperatives have remarkable stories—let’s make sure they are heard,” he concluded.
