Immediately locking car doors upon entering, ensuring that purses are never visible on passenger seats, maintaining a firm hold on bags while walking, and avoiding poorly lit places are just a few of the numerous measures women must take. Women must constantly be on high alert when they leave the house, and this is especially true at night.
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) data confirm an alarming increase in the number of reported sexual harassment incidents, which has more than quadrupled in the last decade. According to reports, more than a third of Malaysian women, or 36%, have experienced sexual harassment at some time in their lives.
In comparison to other safety devices, such as pepper spray, which is illegal in some countries and is considered dangerous and even lethal if used improperly, the Pocket Angel is a safety device designed to aid in individual defence by drawing attention to the situation and thus increasing the chances of receiving help in dangerous situations. It is always better to have some form of defence than none.
The Pocket Angel is the first of its type to be made accessible in the country, with a sleek appearance and a battery life of up to three years. Pocket Angels are now available in five distinct colours: pink, black, aqua, yellow, and white.
We had the chance to interview the team behind this amazing product so let’s get to it.
What inspired you to launch Pocket Angel?
Pocket Angel is a brainchild under the RPG portfolio. We created this product after seeing a continuous rise in the cases of harm and violence towards women, despite there have been many notable movements (#MeToo) in recent years to make this world a safer place for women.
A few of our female colleagues also shared their personal experiences on their close calls in stalking and assaults while they are on their way home at night. Being a woman, alone and unprepared – the combination of these three things is what we always call the recipe for danger.
The female safety issues, or just safety issues in general in Malaysia, have been around for many years and there is still fear lingering around us whenever we are out and about. We cannot change the part of being a woman and being alone, but we definitely can be prepared. That was how the idea of Pocket Angel started, and we hope to create a strong impact on society with this tiny yet mighty device.
How long has Pocket Angel been around? And how did you come up with the name?
Pocket Angel started in November 2020 and as of today, we are 9 months old!
Its name was inspired by the compact and lightweight design that can be easily fit into our pockets, and at the same time, its ability to give the user the additional sense of security wherever they are, just like our guardian angels.
How do you think Pocket Angel can keep women protected in our time?
It’s true that women can feel so unsafe and vulnerable whenever they are out alone, or even in groups. Pocket Angel is definitely a helpful device that can make them feel safer, as it helps to alert the surrounding when they encounter danger.
Pocket Angel’s bright flashing light and loud sound is meant to attract the attention of passersby/surroundings in the event of an emergency. The last thing that an attacker wants is attention. And with Pocket Angel, it does exactly what an attacker would be afraid of – draw attention.
Pocket Angel is also easy to activate, just pull the pin, the alarm will go off – we understand that at times of emergency we would usually be panicking and the last thing we want is to struggle to activate this safety alarm.
What is the price range?
RRP @ RM49 for a single pack, RM109 for a trio pack, RM159 for Friends and Family Pack. As a tip, buy a few more and keep this as a gifting option to your friends and family!
How do you think your product stands out from the competition?
Our product is the first personal safety alarm in Malaysia. Comes in quirky, and vibrant colours, it is lightweight, compact, easily attachable on your bags or jeans and not forgetting to mention it is also safe to use, compared to a pepper spray.
What kind of marketing and advertising initiatives has worked for you? What haven’t?
During International Women’s Day this year, we launched a major women’s campaign in collaboration with the Women’s Aid Organisation, titled #ChooseToSpeakUp with Pocket Angel, which aimed to encourage Malaysian women to speak up against sexual harassment issues. The campaign was a huge success as we have received a great response from our followers on social media. We have even received some real and personal heartfelt stories from women who shared their sexual harassment personal experiences with us – it really broke our hearts reading it. We have since connected them to the right channels to seek professional help.
We have also successfully raised a total of RM 5,000 to the Women’s Aid Organization through this initiative. This is only the beginning of the many great things that we are going to achieve with Pocket Angel.
Since starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
Know who your audience is and what their needs are so that your product or service can enhance their living quality. We always want to help our customers to live the best life possible, by keeping them safe especially in a country like Malaysia where crime rates are constantly on the rise – hence, Pocket Angel was created!
If you would have to describe your product in three words, what would it be?
Compact, lightweight and LOUD! (Pocket Angel is small but definitely mighty!)
Malaysia’s sexual harassment cases have been on the rise ever since 2013, what are your thoughts about this?
It is very alarming to us that these cases have been increasing and that the actions are taken to curb this phenomenon has been more prevalent only in the past few years. It’s even more so concerning that this is also happening even in schools, case in point, the recent case of a teacher making rape jokes to students in school. This is disconcerting as schools are meant to be a safe place where conducive learning should occur, yet such a thing had happened.
It is known that some victims of sexual assault are afraid to come out and tell their stories in fear of being punished by the public eye. How can we change this and encourage women to speak up and have the women community support one another?
Change often starts with ourselves. We believe in a community that is supportive of one another, that allows a safe space to speak often begins with each and every one of us. Once we begin to do that, women are less fearful to speak up about these difficult topics as they know that they are not alone, that help and support are near.
We should also be more attentive to our friends and family if they are acting differently, that could be a sign that they are suffering quietly. Do a quick check-in with them, it would help to open up easier and lead to speaking up on their struggles. As an outsider, we are definitely in a clearer mind space to help and guide them to seek help from the right channels.
Where can potential customers find your products? Where is Pocket Angel located?
Our products are available on our website at https://shoppocketangel.com/. Alternatively, we are also on Shopee and Lazada https://shopee.com.my/pocketangelmalaysia & https://www.lazada.com.my/shop/pocket-angel-official-malaysia/
Do you have any new products that you’re working on at the moment?
We believe that Pocket Angel still has plenty of room to explore & improve based on different customers’ needs! In fact, we have new skins that will be launching soon so be sure to stay tuned!
How does the device work in terms of activating and deactivating it?
It’s simple! Pocket Angel boasts its simplicity of usage, which makes it suitable to be used for people of all ages – including the elderly! Just pull the pin to activate and close it to deactivate.
In the long run, what is the vision for Pocket Angel?
Definitely, Pocket Angel hopes to provide everyone with a sense of security with this device, but more importantly, we want to continue to be the brand that advocates for women empowerment and rights in Malaysia, giving Malaysian females a voice to speak!
We hope to further work with the local female organizations such as the Women’s Aid Organization and AWAM for more initiatives as such. In fact, in this upcoming month, we will be working with the Women’s Aid Organization once again!
What do you think about the local brands and why is it important for us to support them?
We believe that local brands deserve every inch of our support, especially being a locally-owned brand ourselves. This gives an opportunity for the local talents to shine, showcasing a variety of hidden talents that we Malaysians should proudly represent even on the international stage!
What advice would you give to those who have a passion to start up their own business?
Be willing to fail, innovate and adapt. With starting a business, failure is definitely expected. Learn from your mistakes, make them profitable. That we think is the secret recipe of success.
What makes you excited when you get to work? Do you have a mantra or life quote that you go by?
Every day is a new day for growth. We believe in lifelong learning and that no matter how old you are, everyone is a student and life is our greatest teacher!