Turkish television star Baris Arduc is fronting a campaign by a US internet company to get more Middle East small and medium enterprises online during the pandemic.
"It's not the big names and the big companies that drive the economy ... it is the small businesses that we rely on everyday that make an impact," the Swiss-born actor, who has 5.8 million followers on Instagram, says in an online commercial for GoDaddy, which provides tools to build and promote a website.
The campaign features real stories of GoDaddy customers who have taken their businesses online and the company is hoping to support more SMEs as restrictive measures across the region limit the ability of physical trade.
“The entrepreneurship ecosystem today is facing challenging times, and many are going online to help keep their doors open across the Middle East and North Africa region and Turkey," said Selina Bieber, senior regional director for GoDaddy.
The economic impact from the sudden-stop nature of the crisis is already being felt. Governments across the Middle East have looked to provide support but the question remains of how long these levels of assistance can be maintained as the pandemic rolls on until the end of the year.
Consumers are seemingly spending more time online including shopping on e-commerce sites, retailers report.
Last year, Arduc was cast in a leading role in Star TV drama series Kuzgun.
