With the current advertising landscape more equipped by technology and AI advancements, no border is prohibited to be crossed—even the ones formerly divided by screens. In the concept of online-to-offline advertisements, a single digital engagement can drive an offline transaction, one that sends a customer from online screens to in-store purchases, services, and beyond the digital divide.
This blends what used to be a limitation—a move that has long powered campaigns, advertisements, and the marketing industry en masse. From QR codes, discount coupons, landing pages, to in-store visits and purchases, O2O has impacted the advertising landscape by doing what is most vital in the scene—driving a full-cycle customer journey.
To fully grasp how O2O takes this into play, MARKETECH APAC sat with Joepy Jean Libo-on, brand marketing head at HONOR Philippines; Samantha Manuel, group director of digital marketing and reputation management at Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, and Paolo Broma, chief marketing officer at TBWA/SMP, to help unravel the creation and conversion of these advertisements, thus revealing a deep dive as to how O2O is no longer a buzzword, but a business necessity.
Beyond the Buzz: From clicks to conversions
Creating online traffic is one thing, but translating this accumulated traction into offline relevance is another. This meant that one setting is only the first step, a drive pushing beyond simple clicks, but conversion.
For Joepy Jean Libo-on of HONOR Philippines, O2O can be done alternatively, “O2O marketing is online to offline and vice versa, meaning you create online buzz so that you can drive traffic or sales conversion offline or to physical stores. And sometimes, you create buzz in the physical stores so that you can drive traffic online. So, it goes vice versa.”
In creating that buzz, Joepy highlighted that whenever they do online content, a landing page is a must.
“We always make sure there’s something that the audience can click. And that clickable link is called [the] landing page. That landing page contains the information where the audience can access, where to buy the product or what,” she explained. This, as explained, provides the translation from online traffic to offline traction.
Hence, in doing these types of ads, Joepy mentioned that ‘almost every brand is aggressive online’, thus highlighting that being viral or having good content is not enough.
“Unless there’s conversion. Because at the end of the day, we’re doing social media marketing. We’re doing advertising so that our business should be sustainable, or we can sell it or can easily translate it into sales,” she emphasised.
Amidst the given advantages of O2O ads, Joepy underscored that ‘it is a matter of being responsible’ as this allows any brand or company to handle firsthand data of their customers.
“Well, we have the information of the customers because we really need to get their name, their personal information such as birthdays, numbers, e-mails. So, we gather it in a platform. It’s an AI tool wherein it can consolidate all of the information of the customers so that we can repurpose it. Our commitment to that is that we also protect our customers. So, we don’t publish it anywhere or we don’t divulge those information to other teams,” she explained.
Additionally, Joepy mentioned that only authorised people within their company have access to the said data, and in doing O2O ads, Joepy shared that the key strategy they exercise is making sure that the message is actually capturing their audience.
“I think the best essence is really making sure that your message is clear to the eyes and the ears of your target audience. Because if not, whatever you do, whatever O2O campaign you do, it will not translate because they don’t understand anymore. And make sure that in every message, in every content, there is something they must look forward to,” she added.
Shaping the O2O Landscape
Like Joepy, Samantha Manuel of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, stands on the belief that O2O goes beyond driving bookings.
“It’s about shaping the entire guest journey. From discovery online to the welcome they receive on-property, we ensure every digital connection leads to experiences that are personal and heartfelt.” Samantha shared.
This, for her, is how they build lasting connections, instead of just driving single transactions. The challenge, on the other hand, is balancing personalisation with respect for privacy. “We address this through transparency, data security, and ensuring that all interactions remain guest-centric and value-driven.”
Consequently, another aspect that needs to be balanced, according to Samantha, is creativity and data skills.
“Today’s marketing teams need both creativity and data skills. By working closely with operations, we make sure campaigns aren’t just seamless online—they translate into stronger guest experiences on property,” said Samantha.
With this, it cannot be denied that data privacy in amplifying the customer’s experience is not just a prerequisite but a total necessity. In the midst of artificial intelligence and the soaring demand to adapt to it, the entirety of the advertising industry is on a major shift, one that can be learned while marketers themselves are on the journey of equipping the customer journey with smarter, more personalised touchpoints.
How AI continues to amplify the ad industry, customer journey
Although there is nothing new in the concept of online advertising, what O2O changed is blurring the divide between digital and offline sites, further blending both elements into delivering full-cycle advertisements.
With the absence of this divide, AI still plays a major role in shaping not just O2O ads, but all types of advertisements in general. Paolo Broma of TBWA/SMP noted that there is no need to be ‘stuck on generative AI’.
“It needs to escalate from generative AI to custom agents, to automations, and to something else,” he argued.
Paolo also mentioned, “I think specific to my industry, the creative industry or advertising industry, what I realised was that the most conventional is obviously generative AI. So those are visuals, copy, but for me, that’s very superficial. So now we started migrating our efforts towards custom GPTs.”
When asked about how custom GPTs happen to be an upgrade from generative AI, “ There’s an option for you to upload the brand book, the brand guidelines, the brand tonality. So it becomes part of the training of the custom GPT… When I train it, the brand book or brand guide is uploaded. Then the prompt or instruction is very specific. So usually, there’s a certain format.”
He also mentioned how automations are ‘happening now’ and how some industries are already looking into specialising in curating programmatic (automated ads).
“It’s [automations] not distant. Automated ads are already happening…So there’s a very specialised kind of agency, programmatic agencies that take care of that, but it’s already happening,” he continued.
Similarly, Joepy shared how they utilise AI on the formulation of their advertisements, even highlighting a particular trend she hopes to see in the future, “With the rise of AI, the search engines are utilising AI as well, so that it can answer fastly the searches or whatever the customer is asking. With AI ad search, it is a kind of search wherein you can put your brand or product on top of the AI search.”
From generative AI to custom GPTs, and now automations, the advertising technology, although relatively equipped and technologically-reliant, Paolo argued that no one, actually, in the realm of not just advertising but in the grand scheme of advertising technology, is an expert.
“You can never call anyone an expert at the moment. I think all you can do is really be on your toes all the time, which is what I’m doing. I mean, I know a lot about AI now, but I don’t call myself an expert, only because we’re chasing it all the time. I’m sure next week, something new will come out. So nobody really is an expert, I believe.”
On one hand, Samantha shared her viewpoints on adapting to the ever-growing landscape, highlighting mobile-first loyalty, personalised content, and immersive digital experiences in ‘shaping the landscape’.
“Equally important, purpose-driven campaigns—anchored on sustainability and community engagement—will deeply resonate with the next generation [of] travellers.”
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One thing is certain: in the age of AI, consumers long for a journey that is not easily concluded by making a quick, seamless purchase. Now more than ever, advertisers should prioritise a consumer journey that resolves tangible experience, one that goes beyond clicks and conversions, but deep dives into how all forms of advertisement can further improve the whole customer journey.
