Tag: Advertising

Singapore – Yahoo has announced first-to-market testing capabilities for its identity suite, ‘Yahoo Identity Solutions,’ directly in the Yahoo DSP. The move aims to have advertisers gain valuable media insights and prepare their businesses today to properly optimise and measure campaigns amid third-party cookie deprecation. 

Through this new identity suite, advertisers can test their campaign’s future-proofing strategies in a simulated environment directly within the Yahoo DSP across all web browsers and in-app inventory. The test also enables advertisers to remove cookies across all identity-related use cases such as frequency capping, targeting, conversion attribution, and reach metrics to understand how Yahoo Identity Solutions can support their programmatic media. 

Through a simple A/B test, advertisers can view a control line running on the web and in-app inventory as it exists today – inclusive of all third-party cookies and identifiers – and a test line that runs across the same environments without third-party cookies and device IDs, which leverages Yahoo Identity Solutions for targeting and buying. 

Moreover, by juxtaposing control and test campaigns, advertisers can get a better sense of future advertising trends, thereby optimising campaigns and enhancing overall outcomes. Identity testing can be run using a variety of audiences, including demographic, income, interest, lookalike, and predictive.

Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, chief revenue officer at Yahoo, said, “As cookie deprecation quickly approaches, advertisers are looking to easily and accurately test solutions without having to change the way they buy or introduce friction into their campaigns. These new testing capabilities and our continued enhancement of Yahoo Identity Solutions reflect our unwavering dedication to providing advertisers with accurate insights and measurable business outcomes.”

Meanwhile, Dan Richardson, director of data and insights for AUSEA at Yahoo, emphasises the significance of identity testing, saying, “These new testing features move Identity from back end to front and centre, right there in your campaign setup, giving advertisers more control and a bigger impact. This underscores Yahoo’s dedication to a privacy-centric and results-driven ecosystem in the APAC region, ensuring advertisers achieve their business objectives with precision and adaptability.”

New Zealand – Artemis Communications, an independent communications agency, has been appointed by security service provider First Security to oversee their social media marketing and Google advertising with immediate effect. Artemis will also begin supporting First Security’s public relations and communications activities in the new year.

Apart from being appointed recently to supervise the Google Ads campaigns for the global fitness chain Anytime Fitness, where it will manage campaigns for both the central team and 12 franchises throughout Aotearoa, the agency is also commemorating its partnerships with florist Flowers After Hours and Omana Luxury Villas located in Waiheke Island. Since its introduction earlier this year, Artemis Communications continues to pick up growth under the direction of group CEO Isobel Kerr-Newell.

Speaking about the appointment, Scott La Franchie, general manager, marketing & product of First Security, said, “First Security has a long-existing and positive relationship with the team at VideoTaxi, so we are delighted to put our various digital marketing and PR needs into the capable hands of Artemis Communications – who have demonstrated how they can be a compelling one-stop shop for all our communications needs. With exciting projects coming up in 2024 for First Security, we look forward to extending how we work with Artemis as we continue to collaboratively drive content for our business.”

Meanwhile, Isobel Kerr-Newell, group CEO of Artemis Communications, said, “When we launched Artemis Communications, our intention was always to take a holistic approach to solving a client’s communications challenges and to seamlessly integrate a range of disciplines to create a full turn-key solution. It’s exciting to see this vision come to life with the growth of our digital marketing offering and these incredible clients come on board as we continue to evolve and grow.” 

While there’s no shortage of uncertainty as we countdown to 2024, the crystal ball seems to have a few things in focus for the next trip around the sun. From the long-anticipated shift from third-party cookies to first-party data to the harnessing of AI and the evolution of e-commerce, here are five key tech trends set to shape how brands connect with customers. 

The race for first-party data

2024 is set to be the year of first-party data with Chrome deprecating third-party tracking cookies over 2024, following the lead of other browsers having already implemented similar changes. Brands will be focused on strategies to build their own valuable first-party data, built up from purchasing signals tracked via loyalty programs, registered users, CRM and so on. 

Brands will be turning to publishers to harness their vast contextual and enriched datasets from either registered users or gleaned from the type of content being consumed in real-time. Combinations of both publisher and advertiser data via data cleanrooms have been a topic of interest and will be interesting to see how this is picked up over the year.

The shift promises contextual interest targeting, enabling a more precisely tailored match for brands between creative and audiences. The focus on sharper targeting translates into reaching the right audience with specific intent, ultimately, leading to increased conversion rates and effectiveness.

Focus on innovative advertising

The ongoing adoption of more premium and effective ad solutions is a growing trend, which is only set to continue from an effectiveness and a user experience perspective. Clients are reporting that campaign budgets can be extended up to seven times more just by using more effective formats. 

Brands are demanding more premium sponsorship opportunities and publishers are accommodating via a range of high-impact and bespoke formats. This means more curated and higher quality ad experiences on-site, resulting in a longer-lasting impact from awareness to engagement through to conversion. We’re seeing a further development toward solutions overlaying first-party data or contextual insights with premium ad formats. This delivers more personalised and relevant experiences, which are particularly effective for eCommerce.

And as smartphone users worldwide reach an estimated 4.6 billion, with expectations of surpassing 5.1 billion by 2028, mobile internet traffic already claims nearly 60 per cent of total web traffic. In response to this unprecedented growth, there’s the need for a more expansive, premium mobile ad format that would not only extend the in-ad experience via a seamless, scrolling user experience; it would also drive brand awareness and communicate additional product information in an unobtrusive, impactful way.

Innovative new ad formats like BrandStory outshines competitors with triple the ad space and 2.8 times greater time in view than single scroll ad formats. This addresses the surging demand from brands worldwide for more real estate to drive real results by seamlessly intertwining awareness, exploration and action within one comprehensive solution.

e-commerce to continue upward trajectory

We’re witnessing the takeoff of e-commerce across the board, supercharged from the shift during lockdown as businesses of all sizes realised the value of having a direct relationship with their consumers. On top of the sale, e-commerce is allowing advertisers to own the data relating to the customer and the sale, which is a huge factor in the boom. 

e-commerce will see sustained growth as brands demonstrate a willingness to invest in channels that streamline the conversion process and build that direct line to their customers. We’re seeing a take-up of in-banner transactions, shoppable video, contextual targeting and dynamic e-commerce ads already playing a pivotal role in the transformation.

Harnessing AI

AI is quickly moving from a novelty to being embedded within a multitude of platforms to increase effectiveness and revolutionising the landscape, both on the overall marketing function and the specific ways we engage with technology. This includes from a generative perspective of creating content and messaging to getting a better handle on insights and planning, particularly with the abundance of first-party data. The wealth of information from this data will serve as a fertile ground for extensive learning and the development of models tailored to audience insights.

Surge in digital outdoor and connected TV channels

In the coming year, brace for a significant expansion in alternative advertising channels, particularly digital outdoor and connected TV. We anticipate substantial growth and innovative strategies as these channels evolve to become pivotal players in the advertising landscape. We have even been seeing clients connecting their digital out-of-home and digital display campaigns with live data, meaning interactions with the digital campaign can be relayed to the digital out-of-home screens – another space to watch.

The future of consumer-driven digital experiences

As we step into 2024, the world of advertising is gearing up for some exciting opportunities for publishers, advertisers and consumers alike. The strong focus on first-party data, the use of AI, the evolution of online shopping, the rise of different advertising channels and the march toward new ad formats are all painting a picture of innovation, integration and adaptability. It’s a call for advertisers and publishers to work together, align their strategies with what consumers are looking for and create a landscape where creativity, data insights and modern technology come together for a more engaging advertising experience.

This article is written by Harley Ramien, Director for Asia Pacific at Bonzai

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT 2023-2024. What’s NEXT 2023-2024 is a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year.

New Zealand – MarketMedia, The Warehouse Group’s retail media network, is teaming up with The Trade Desk to provide a retail media advertising approach suited to New Zealand brands.

More than 70 new partners and channels for programmatic display, programmatic digital out-of-home, connected TV (CTV), audio channels, and more can be added to MarketMedia’s client and brand campaigns. This allows for improved targeting of audiences with the intention of making a purchase on the open internet.

With the help of The Warehouse Group’s first-party data audiences, which number over 4.5 million, and MarketMedia’s self-service platform Zitcha, the alliance provides local companies with a wide range of advertising inventory alternatives through The Trade Desk.

Speaking about the partnership, Blaine Hudson, head of product, platforms, and data at MarketMedia, said, “MarketMedia will now be the only retail media network in New Zealand that lets advertisers buy across 80+ on and off-site channels easily within a single self-service platform. By integrating The Trade Desk to the MarketMedia platform we can offer never-before seen solutions that aims to expand our client’s capabilities.”

He added, “With access to The Trade Desk’s inventory and our first-party data, plus closed-loop reporting through Zitcha, we’re helping transform advertising possibilities in New Zealand.”

Meanwhile, James Bayes, VP Australia and New Zealand, The Trade Desk, said, “Retail media is making brands rethink the way they activate their media investments. Our partnership with The Warehouse Group and MarketMedia can help advertisers reach The Warehouse Group’s customers across the open internet and close the loop between advertising activity and real-world sales.”

“With leaders like The Warehouse Group, we’re driving the industry forward and helping advertisers across New Zealand work towards tangible performance improvements that translate to real business results,” Bayes added. 

Hong Kong – The South China Morning Post (SCMP) announced the hiring of two senior executives for its advertising division. This decision is based on significant, double-digit year-over-year growth in advertising income, allowing companies to engage with the publication’s 35 million global audience. 

Lee Williamson will be based in Hong Kong as the Post’s executive director of Specialist Publications (SP). In this role, he will direct the Post’s Lifestyle Content Division and oversee the expansion of publications such as Style, 100 Top Tables, and XXIV.

He has experience in media executive and content strategist, Lee Williamson recently joined the Post after leaving Tatler Asia. Williamson offers his expertise from his position as founding editor and regional head of Tatler Gen.T, a community-focused content platform for young leaders in Asia.

Celine Asril has been appointed as the strategy director of Morning Studio (MS) at the SCMP, which is another significant appointment. In order to showcase MS’ creative marketing solutions, she works with the business team and leads the ideation hub. 

Asril has returned to the Post after working at FINN Partners in Singapore. She formerly worked as a content strategist at Morning Studio and TBWA. Asril will keep her headquarters in Singapore.

Speaking about his appointment, Williamson said, “I am thrilled to be joining the SCMP to lead its Lifestyle Content Division. My first priority is to build community and deeper engagement with the Post’s global audience around our lifestyle content. I see a lot of opportunities to elevate our portfolio of offerings and curate content informed by our audience’s preferences and needs.” 

Meanwhile, Kevin Huang, chief operating officer at the SCMP, said, “With Lee’s strong track record in journalism and community building and Celine’s deep expertise in content development and execution, I am confident they will bring fresh, innovative approaches to meet our affluent audience’s evolving needs and maximise ROI for our partners and brands.”

Speaking on her return, Asril expressed, “I cannot be more excited to return to the SCMP. I hope to leverage my broad experience working with multi-sector brands to help raise the bar for Morning Studio through data-driven, multi-platform strategies, building on the Post’s 120 years of brand equity.” 

GrabAds’ recent Southeast Asia Travel Insights 2023 report revealed that 72% of its in-app survey respondents are eager to travel abroad over the next 12 months. This number marks a substantial 84% increase since the reopening of borders – in just one year. This is a promising sign for brands in the travel and hospitality sector: it’s clear Southeast Asia’s travel resurgence remains underway – and primed to grow as Southeast Asia approaches the year-end festive period. 

With most Southeast Asian travellers now part of a growing middle-class, and are more digitally savvy, this new breed of travellers is not only shifting their spending online but gathering information via offline and online channels to explore options for their travel destinations. There are many opportunities for brands who understand the region’s hyperlocal insights to effectively target today’s Southeast Asian travellers. Here’s how brands can better prepare themselves to capture the year-end travel wave, based on GrabAds’ latest Travel Insights report:

Offering families a no-frills, no fuss and ‘stress-free’ travel experience

Families represent one of the most significant audience segments for 2023 travel, with 86% of those who plan to travel looking to go on at least one trip with others. With most schools across Southeast Asia closing for the year-end holidays, this is a high-value segment brands should look to prioritise. 

Based on GrabAds data, those travelling with families emphasised safety and convenience as top priorities. For example, when booking rooms, these travellers prefer having a family suite (65%), child-friendly amenities (58%) and child-proofing (43%). Group travelling can be tough in itself, what more with children along for the ride. Brands looking to win the wallets of family travellers need to convey a sense of comfort and assurance through their services – some ways of doing so include offering packages or services catered to 2 or 5 pax for greater planning convenience, and playing up family-friendly offerings in advertising campaigns. Through such efforts, brands can position themselves as trusted partners for such family travellers, setting the foundation for repeat business down the line. 

Present offers early as most travellers are planning ahead

Travellers are planning ahead more than usual. In fact, 86% of domestic travellers and 78% of international travellers mentioned that they’d prefer to book their own flights and rooms and are likely to use local operators for activities. This opens up upselling opportunities to travel industry players across the spectrum of travel activities. This includes airline companies and hotel chains that could influence travellers’ decision-making at the beginning stages of itinerary planning by featuring activity packages on their pages or apps. Hotels and travel agencies can also consider providing curated tours as an additional perk to guests, from downloadable recommended travel itineraries to help travellers plan their trips better, to even having the concierge assist them with on-demand ground arrangements.

With 47% of Southeast Asian travellers preferring to stick to their budgets, the trick to effective upselling is to engage travellers early. Brands can consider providing helpful tips and travel hacks early into the planning phase while incorporating how their products and services can help travellers have fun yet safe experiences in their marketing messages. This will ensure travellers factor these potential purchases into their budgets well before it’s fixed. 

More travellers are now investing in essentials for worry-free wanderlust

Travel insurance is becoming an absolute must-have – no doubt due to the Southeast Asian traveller’s preference for no surprises and the post-pandemic need for peace of mind. According to GrabAds data, the percentage of people likely to purchase travel insurance has almost doubled, rising from 36% in 2021 to 62% in 2023.

It will be important for travel insurance brands to address concerns about personal accidents, medical costs or lost baggage in order to resonate with potential travellers – and most importantly, help travellers gain a sense of security and peace of mind during their holidays. 

Repeat travel means more chances to build on loyalty

A 2023 customer intelligence report revealed that 9 out of 10 consumers in the Asia Pacific prefer to shop when a brand offers a loyalty programme. Yet, GrabAds data revealed that over two-thirds of Southeast Asians are unaware that such programmes exist when booking travel accommodations.

This presents an opportunity to educate potential travellers about hotel loyalty programmes and their advantages. To achieve broader reach, for instance, brands could work with non-travel partners in the region, such as superapps or other retail media platforms, to create gamified or incentivised campaigns with user-friendly redemption mechanisms. 

With leisure travellers looking at around three trips in the next 12 months, the current landscape indicates a promising prospect for travel and hospitality brands to embark on these educational campaigns to encourage traveller loyalty. The upcoming festive travel peak is as good a time as any to start. In the long term, such efforts to reach and engage with travellers with a high propensity for repeat business are likely to yield a higher return on investment.

Hyperlocal insights to stay on top of the year-end battleground 

In the modern travel landscape, travellers are in pursuit of more than just a transactional interaction with brands, beyond mere transportation or bed and breakfast – the latest GrabAds data from its users reveal that the travel experience today’s Southeast Asian consumers are now looking for encompasses everything from pre-trip discovery, extending through to post-care and loyalty schemes for travellers.

To cover the entire spectrum of experience, brands should turn to data and insights to transform their offerings and reinvent the ways in which they reach out to travellers, anticipate their needs and address their concerns. As a matter of fact, these insights are now more readily available than ever with travellers discovering brands and making purchases online. 

The year-end festive period will be the next key battleground for travel and hospitality brands looking to capture travellers’ hearts. Looking ahead, the real challenge for brands is not merely tapping into this demand, but building long-term connections with consumers that come back time and again for their travel needs. 

It is through understanding local trends, cultural nuances and hyperlocal dynamics, that brands can more effectively serve as the ideal companion travellers need in their pursuit of an authentic, superior travel experience – both right now and in the future. 

This article is written by Jennie Johnson, Head of Marketing, GrabAds

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT 2023-2024. What’s NEXT 2023-2024 is a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year.

New Zealand – MarketMedia, the retail media network of The Warehouse Group, has teamed up with tech giant Meta to launch ‘Meta Managed Partner Ads’ (MPA), allowing MarketMedia clients and brands to run highly targeted Meta campaigns at scale.

The technology works by applying insights captured from on-site, off-site, and in-store data from The Warehouse Group’s online stores, apps, and millions of weekly visits to The Warehouse, Noel Leeming, TheMarket, Warehouse Stationery and Torpedo7.

Moreover, Meta’s MPA delivers unprecedented capabilities for retailers and brand partners to track and measure off-site video and image ad performance down to the SKU level, while safeguarding user data, and helping brands navigate the impending death of the cookie. The offering is also available through MarketMedia’s self-service platform Zitcha.

Blaine Hudson, head of product, platforms and data at MarketMedia, said, “The transformative power of MPA will revolutionise the effectiveness of ad campaigns, and we’re excited to be the first retail media partner in the world who can offer it. We can now help our clients and brands execute world-class marketing across all points of the marketing funnel, both on and off network.”

She added, “We can reach audience groups beyond our own channels, optimise our reach and help brands talk to the right audiences, in the right moment when they’re scrolling their social feeds – it’s cutting-edge retail innovation designed to maximise return on investment, and we’re really proud of the difference it will make for Kiwi businesses.”

Meanwhile, Troy Townsend, CEO at Zitcha, says, “Meta’s MPA is a game changer for retailers and brand partners to leverage Meta’s channels for their off-site retail media networks. We are seeing massive demand from brands to move marketing dollars from traditional channels into retailers with off-site capabilities that show, in real-time, the return on advertising spend.”

He added, “Our strong relationship with Meta has enabled Zitcha to effectively leverage MPA for forward- thinking retail media networks such as MarketMedia that want to extend and capitalise on their off-site media channels quickly and at scale.”

Singapore – Yahoo Advertising has just recently launched ‘Yahoo Blueprint’, its latest central AI suite that powers performance-based solutions within the Yahoo DSP.

Fueled by over 335 million logged in Yahoo users globally, Yahoo Blueprint enhances decisioning, makes AI more accessible, and serves as a results-driven guide throughout the campaign lifecycle to deliver better outcomes for advertisers.

With Yahoo Blueprint, Yahoo DSP clients are promised with acquiring stronger results through performance that leverages years of AI to bid on the right impressions, optimisation through AI co-pilot that provides recommendations for campaign improvements and auto-optimises, as well as a simple and enhanced UI that guides advertisers and offers more efficiency.

Since Yahoo Blueprint is said to be an evolving AI ecosystem, it will be adopting more enhancements in the future. As of now, other notable features of Yahoo Blueprint include new data visualisation layouts, bidding and forecasting precision through the Omniscope tool, an AI-powered insights tool, a predictive audience feature, and customer value optimization. 

Commenting on Yahoo Blueprint, Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, chief revenue officer at Yahoo, said, “What sets our AI suite apart is the vast scale of proprietary data we tap into before considering third-party or customer first-party data. In introducing Yahoo Blueprint, we are now allowing advertisers to capitalise on Yahoo’s extensive history of machine learning and data-driven decision-making in a new and accessible way.”

“With Yahoo Blueprint, advertisers always hold the reins. Yahoo Blueprint not only focuses on enhancing performance, but also aims to reduce friction and maintain transparency, ensuring both ease of use and advertiser control,” she added.

At the intersection of technological innovation and evolving consumer behaviours, 2024 is set to be a dynamic year marked by transformative trends that will shape the retail media and advertising landscape.  From free ad streaming TV’s (FAST) exponential growth to the impact of AI in advertising, Let’s take a look at some strategic shifts poised to define the year ahead in an interview with experts from Nexxen. 

 “FAST” growth

For Tanja Williams, director of client success at Nexxen, as media consumptions continue to evolve we expect to see the momentum of connected TV (CTV) viewership continue. 

“Advertisers will spend more time and resources understanding what their audiences are watching in this fragmented space. We will see increased investment in CTV advertising, especially in the free (and ad-funded) services as the economic situation forces people to evaluate their expenditures and the Hollywood strikes affect new programming being produced,” she says.

She added, “Free Ad streaming TV (FAST) services will continue to grow exponentially as users see the benefits in niche channels, as well as their savings. We expect that these services will also evolve in 2024, engaging users and keeping them coming back. Advertisers will see the benefits by leveraging programmatic and data-driven targeting and converged insights.”

AI to significantly impact the scope of advertising in 2024

Meanwhile, Jay Kim, director of analytics and platform solutions for APAC at Nexxen said that AI will have significant impacts on the scope of advertising in 2024. “But we should specifically focus on AI Modelling, which we’ll be utilising quite heavily next year across our VIDAA ACR data activation and measurement,” he explains. He identifies three key AI trends impacting retail media:

  • Personalisation at Scale: AI algorithms excel at processing large data sets to identify patterns and preferences among consumers. By 2024, these algorithms will have become more sophisticated, allowing for even more granular and personalised advertising experiences without manual segmentation.
  • Predictive Analytics: AI’s predictive capabilities are expected to improve, allowing businesses to anticipate consumer needs and trends more accurately. Advertisers could leverage these insights to target users with the right message at the right time, potentially even before the consumer has fully recognised their own needs.
  • Predictive analysis and AI data modelling are advanced techniques that leverage statistical algorithms and machine learning to identify the likelihood of future outcomes based on historical data. They are critical in various sectors, including digital advertising, where they can forecast trends, user behaviour and the impact of different advertising strategies. 

“Furthermore, attention measurement in digital advertising is a critical aspect of understanding the effectiveness of ads,” he says. “By 2024, the methods and technologies to measure attention are likely to have advanced significantly, incorporating more sophisticated data analytics, biometric measures and AI-driven insights.”

Location-based targeting for retail media

According to Andrew Dixon, vice president of sales for APAC at Nexxen, several key trends are shaping the future of location targeting for retail media.

“As location-targeting technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative and effective ways to reach consumers with relevant advertising. Nexxen Locate helps brands to drive sales by using geo and hyper-local targeting,” he explains.

Below is an example of how Nexxen’s location targeting is being used in retail media:

  • Omnichannel targeting: Location targeting is becoming increasingly integrated with other marketing channels, such as social media and email marketing. This allows brands to create seamless and personalised experiences for their customers across all channels.
  • Increased use of first-party data: Retailers are collecting more and more data about their customers, including their purchase history, location data, and browsing behaviour. This data can be used to target ads with greater precision and relevance.
  • Use of AI: AI is being used to develop more sophisticated location-targeting algorithms that can identify patterns and trends in data. This can help brands target their ads more effectively and reach a wider audience.
  • Geofencing combined with contextual targeting: This powerhouse duo not only refines the precision of advertising but also creates a dynamic interplay between location and consumer context. By seamlessly merging real-time adaptability, hyper-local engagement and insightful foot traffic analytics, a geofencing strategy ensures that each interaction is not just targeted but tailored to the nuanced preferences and behaviours of its audience. It’s more than advertising; it’s about creating personalised, memorable experiences that resonate with customers wherever they are.

Interoperable identity solution 

Janice Chan, director and vice president of platform and client services for APAC at Nexxen reveals ehile the deprecation of third-party cookies is a tired topic, it will remain a significant talking point in the coming year. 

“Google has outlined its plans to migrate 1 per cent of Chrome users to the Privacy Sandbox, disabling the third-party cookies for this segment starting early 2024. The full deprecation is scheduled to conclude in the latter half of 2024, marking a pivotal moment for the industry,” she explains.

“However, thanks to Google extending the cookie deadline multiple times since early 2022, the majority of market players have developed more integrated identity solutions over the past few years, reducing their reliance on third-party cookies.”

In 2024, Chan anticipates there will also be stronger asks in the market for higher interoperability between different identity solutions, on both the demand and supply sides, to enable more seamless audience planning, activation and measurement across different mediums. 

“However, there is still a long way to go for a truly interoperable identity ecosystem, especially with the rise of CTV and walled gardens. As identity solutions gain more traction, advertisers will start demanding a more interoperable identity solution to understand, share, activate and measure audiences in a unified approach, helping to unlock the full benefits of cross-channel advertising,” she adds. 

“Apart from enriching and advancing the use of first-party activation via identity partners, contextual targeting will stay as one of the most popular tactics for brands to engage with audiences on the right content at the right time. Contextual targeting also has a lower activation barrier since it doesn’t rely on cookies and can deliver strong performance with cost efficiency.”

Growing reliance on ACR 

For Josif Zanich, managing director for JAPAC at Nexxen, as 2024 approaches, Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) is poised to become a pivotal tool across the dynamic Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

“ The scarcity of ACR data at scale has made it challenging for brands to truly understand how users interact with their Smart TVs and associated apps. However, ACR technology steps in as a catalyst, providing a wealth of insights that were previously elusive,” he says.

“Furthermore, by leveraging its sophisticated content recognition capabilities, ACR not only bridges the data gap but also adds valuable colour and depth to planning, buying and analysis at scale. As we move forward, we anticipate a growing reliance on ACR in the APAC region, not as a replacement but as a complementary tool that enriches the planning and buying processes.”

The ad server evolution in CTV and BVOD environments

Lastly, Adam Hunt, vice president of partnerships and business development for JAPAC at Nexxen reveals as the gap between streaming and linear audiences closes, publishers are placing increased importance on ensuring their tech stacks are set up to perform with the inevitable demands of a streaming-first future. 

“One of the main areas of focus is ad serving, as the “broadcast quality” experience that BVOD publishers strive for becomes increasingly important to manage effectively with more eyeballs. The ability to monetise these digital audiences through advertising remains a key component for success for all broadcasters, which is expected to grow in importance as streaming audience share continues to shift,” he says.

“Many CTV publishers are choosing to test and onboard secondary ad servers that have been purpose-built with the demands of CTV ad serving at the core of their functionality, best achieving the linear viewing experience for their audiences and maximising programmatic revenue through unified auctions.”

“Unified auctions that allow multiple demand sources to compete simultaneously for the same ad slot, ensure back-to-backs and competitor clashes are avoided, as well as lower page latency, higher inventory yield and increased fill rates. Combined with growing advertiser sentiment towards programmatic and an increase in CTV ad inventory, the role of programmatic is expected to gain a crucial role in monetising CTV and BVOD environments.”

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT 2023-2024. What’s NEXT 2023-2024 is a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year.

New Delhi, India – Advertising agency Cheil India has recently announced its latest significant business win with Indian fashion-led hypermarket Vishal Mega Mart with a mandate to focus on integrated advertising and marketing solutions.

This expansive partnership comes at a pivotal juncture where the agency is poised to grow its roster of clients through its assortment of creative, media, data, activation, and retail capabilities.

Talking about the partnership, Hanish Batra, head of marketing, Vishal Mega Mart, said, “We look forward to our association with Cheil India and a great partnership in our ambition of making aspirations affordable for our customers.”

Meanwhile, Neeraj Bassi, chief growth officer, Cheil India, commented, “Vishal Mega Mart is a retail powerhouse enabling consumers to experience high end fashion across India. We are elated to partner with them in their quest to make fashion accessible to masses.”

“We are eager to create a benchmark creating work that sets a new standard for the fashion retail industry. This partnership will mark our foray into managing retail clients, which is a dynamic category in itself,” he added.