Tag: Artificial Intelligence

Indonesia – Dentsu Indonesia, in collaboration with the prominent Indonesian newspaper Harian Kompas, has launched an innovative initiative to empower sexual assault survivors with a platform to be heard and a reliable, legally sound tool for self-protection.

Titled MANTRA of Hope, the initiative stemmed from Dentsu Indonesia’s research using Harian Kompas’ archives, revealing that many sexual assault cases in Indonesia go unresolved due to insufficient evidence of non-consent, discouraging victims from reporting and leaving them vulnerable to societal victim-blaming.

Working with creative audio technologists, MANTRA of Hope was developed as an AI-powered tool to help sexual assault survivors automatically collect legally admissible evidence of non-consent for use in court.

The app discreetly and securely records audio in the phone’s backend system when a personalised mantra—a predefined phrase chosen by the victim—is activated. This recording, along with unedited metadata (date, time, and location), enhances the credibility of the victim’s testimony.

To promote awareness and encourage adoption, the campaign leveraged podcasts, digital news platforms, and social media, mobilising legal experts, activists, and survivors to advocate for the app’s use. MANTRA of Hope has already empowered thousands by educating them on their rights and offering a vital tool for justice.

Tarrence Palar, marcomm and community manager at Harian Kompas, commented, “As one of Indonesia’s largest media groups, KOMPAS carries a profound responsibility to advocate for and support survivors of sexual violence. This collaboration with Dentsu Indonesia is a testament to our commitment to making a lasting impact.”

“By combining innovative AI technology with our platform’s reach and Dentsu’s seamless execution, we hope this initiative will inspire continued efforts to protect victims’ rights and create a safer society for all,” he added. 

The initiative has already generated over 31 billion IDR in earned media value, 42 million impressions, and more than 1,000 app downloads. It has also received multiple prestigious accolades.

Defri Dwipaputra, executive creative director at Dentsu Creative Indonesia, shared, “What comes from the heart reaches the heart; this campaign was born from our Dentsu Indonesia team’s deep concern for the countless unresolved sexual harassment cases in Indonesia. With MANTRA of Hope, our goal is not only to empower survivors with a tool for justice but also to create real change by reducing these cases altogether.” 

India – Britannia Industries, in collaboration with WPP, has launched ‘Britannia A-Eye’—an AI-powered retail innovation built on Google Gemini and Vertex AI Multimodal Live—designed to transform the shopping experience for the visually impaired.

Britannia A-Eye turns a smartphone into an intelligent shopping assistant, allowing users to scan their surroundings using the device’s camera. The AI interprets the environment and provides voice-guided navigation through store aisles, which are customised for each retail layout.

The solution also identifies products and gives access to key details such as pricing, ingredients, nutritional information, and expiry dates. Currently, this feature is enabled for Britannia products, removing the need for external assistance and breaking down barriers to information.

As a first-of-its-kind initiative, Britannia A-Eye harnesses Google Cloud’s advanced multimodal AI capabilities to enable seamless navigation, real-time product recognition, and instant access to product data—empowering visually impaired consumers to shop with greater independence.

Siddharth Gupta, general manager for marketing at Britannia Industries, said, “At Britannia, we believe that technology has the power to break barriers and create a more inclusive world. Britannia A-Eye is a testament to how innovation can revolutionise inclusivity in retail. This initiative is not just about leveraging cutting-edge technology—it’s about fostering equity and independence for all consumers. We are proud to be at the forefront of this transformation and look forward to shaping the future of inclusive retail.”

Amar Jain, co-founder of Mission Accessibility, lawyer, and a key advocate for accessibility, also commented, “For the visually impaired, the ability to shop independently is not just about convenience—it’s about dignity. Britannia A-Eye is a powerful step towards ensuring that visually impaired individuals can experience shopping as it should be—autonomous, seamless, and barrier-free. It’s inspiring to see technology being used in such a transformative way, and I hope this paves the way for a more inclusive ecosystem across industries.”

The pilot was creatively conceptualised and executed by global media agency Mindshare and global creative agency VML, with support from Mithra Jyoti.

Amin Lakhani, CEO of Mindshare South Asia, said, “A-Eye, our collaboration with Britannia, exemplifies WPP’s commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive retail. By merging brand vision, agency expertise, and AI innovation, we are creating a smarter, more accessible shopping experience for the visually impaired. This initiative paves the way for industry-wide adoption, where AI-led content helps dissolve barriers, empowers every community, and strengthens the very fabric of our diverse society by fostering equity, accessibility, and inclusivity for all.”

Babita Barua, CEO at VML India, added, “At VML, we believe creativity and technology can come together to create something truly meaningful and drive real change. That’s how Britannia A-Eye was born – an AI-powered voice assistant designed to make shopping more independent and intuitive. This initiative isn’t just about accessibility. It’s about empowerment, choice, and self-reliance. We’re proud to partner with Britannia to take this step towards a more inclusive world – because true innovation leaves no one behind.”

Britannia Industries launched the pilot in collaboration with MORE Retail and Mithra Jyoti, leveraging Google Astra’s capabilities to enhance the retail experience for the visually impaired. The initiative was tested with 4,000 visually impaired individuals at the MORE Supermarket in TC Palya, Bengaluru, offering a hands-on experience of the technology in a live retail environment.

Vidhyashankar Jayaraman is the chief merchandising and marketing officer at More Retail Pvt. Ltd, commented, “Retail should be accessible to all, and Britannia A-Eye is a bold step towards making that vision a reality. This initiative ensures that visually impaired shoppers can navigate stores and make informed decisions independently. We are proud to be part of a movement that is setting new standards in inclusive retail.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Hulme, chief AI officer at WPP, stated, “Our partnership with Google is about pushing the boundaries of AI-driven innovation. With Britannia A-Eye, we’re not just creating technology—we’re redefining inclusivity in retail, proving that AI can be a force for good, transforming lives and empowering communities. While this initiative is still in its early days, it holds the promise of fundamentally changing the way retail is experienced, ensuring accessibility is not an afterthought but a standard for all.”

London, UK – Jellyfish, the global digital marketing company under The Brandtech Group, has introduced a new AI-driven media in-housing platform as part of a broader rebrand that includes updated visuals and a new tagline.

The new platform, built on Jellyfish’s automated marketing system, integrates proprietary AI tools, including the recently launched Media Ops Agent. Previously used with brand clients, this is the first time Jellyfish is offering the full suite as an end-to-end solution, allowing marketers to automate media research, evaluation, content strategy, and activation in-house.

The platform’s AI-driven workflows help marketers launch campaigns 65% faster, cut infrastructure costs by 22%, and improve performance by an average of 30%. It also ensures error-free execution, adhering to Google, Meta, and Amazon best practices within hours.

Additionally, the platform automatically adjusts campaigns to stay within budget and optimises performance every two hours, running 24/7 for continuous improvement.

“In merely a year, we have been able to create 235,000 pieces of content for three of the world’s top 10 advertisers, with the content on average being produced 62% faster and 55% cheaper and delivering a 40% improvement in ROI. This represents a totally new integrated AI approach – driving remarkable results,” said Natalie Winford, chief solutions officer at Jellyfish.

Jeff Matisoff, partner at Jellyfish, further explained, “For brands eager to take control of their media, Jellyfish’s new media in-housing platform automates marketing analytics, freeing teams to focus on strategy, not data entry. Moreover, it also integrates an advanced MMM tool, which quickly and precisely determines the marketing contribution to KPIs to make macro budgetary decisions.”

“Thanks to Jellyfish’s agentic media system, it’s finally time for marketers to power their in-house media teams with AI as opposed to just shifting agency headcount into their own org. In-housing demand is high, with the ANA reporting that 80% of its members have in-house agencies – and AI is predicted to spark expansion,” Matisoff added.

Jellyfish’s new tool builds on its long-standing support for brands bringing media in-house. Previously, the company facilitated in-housing through its Jellyfish Training programme, which offers over 250 courses on social media, search, and programmatic. In the past year alone, 15 new courses were added on generative AI.

This expertise is reinforced by The Brandtech Group’s OLIVER, the first company dedicated to building and managing in-house marketing ecosystems. OLIVER currently supports over 500 brands across nearly 50 countries.

The platform marks the final phase of Jellyfish’s 12-month AI development program, which revamped key marketing functions, including insights, SEO, content, activation, and reporting. The transformation aligns with The Brandtech Group’s focus on large-scale Gen AI services since 2018.

To mark this milestone, Jellyfish is rebranding with a new logo, visual identity, and the tagline “Move Faster, Smarter, Together”, reflecting its AI-driven transformation and entrepreneurial roots.

“In the last 12 months we have challenged ourselves to build and run tech that answers client needs around speed, insight, transparency, measurement, invention and cost. This latest launch is a primary example of a totally new marketing strategy – underpinned by AI,” said Nick Emery, CEO of Jellyfish. 

He continued, “Our new identity reflects our ability to combine both left and right brains for progressive brands in ways that others can’t. We are about speed, outcomes and invention. As ‘Good to Great’ says, you can’t invent your company identity; you have to discover it. You cannot just claim to be something that you inherently are not. ‘Move Faster, Smarter, Together with AI’ is true to our entrepreneurial DNA, our amazing, inventive talent and the cutting-edge technology we develop every day.”

Meanwhile, Jo Wallace, global executive creative director at Jellyfish, said, “Crafting Jellyfish’s new brand was an enticing challenge. We set out to capture the company’s collaborative energy, diverse expertise, and AI prowess, bringing them together in a dynamic visual identity that demonstrates how we ‘Move Smarter, Faster, Together’ to drive growth for our clients.”

Singapore – Hightouch, a composable data and AI platform for marketing and personalisation, has named Monks, a global, purely digital, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4 Capital as a certified reseller in APAC, expanding access to and bolstering customer service for its technology in the APAC region.

This partnership enhances Monks’ ability to provide clients with cutting-edge data and AI solutions for personalised experiences and marketing effectiveness.

Monks has an established footprint across the APAC region and deep data and marketing advisory and implementation capabilities. These are a perfect complement to Hightouch’s composable CDP and AI Decisioning technology.

In a statement, both entities note that the journey to successfully becoming data-driven and deploying AI starts with data. However many businesses struggle with fragmented data sources, messy pipelines, and the difficulty of extracting actionable insights. 

Monks helps clients overcome these challenges by offering a structured approach to integrate, harmonise, and analyse data efficiently upon. Hightouch can then activate that foundation with the fastest enterprise CDP and AI deployments in the industry.

Kashish Gupta, CEO of Hightouch, said, “Enterprises in the APAC region are setting the global pace in adopting composable CDP and AI agents for marketing. Monks is the ideal partner to help Hightouch support the rapid deployment of these technologies in the region.”

Meanwhile, Jakub Otrząsek, SVP, Data, APAC at Monks, commented, “Our team of data architects, analysts, and engineers offers services to solve this problem. Monks will work to integrate the entire data supply chain, breaking down these silos and enabling a wider, more holistic view of our client’s data. Once data readiness and wide data is achieved, the Hightouch Composable platform can be applied to activate with their library of pre-built integrations and start to deliver AI-powered personalised experiences.”

Indonesia — Indonesian telecom provider Telkomsel has signed a mobile video advertising agreement with Novosol, a global mobile advertising platform, aiming to expand mobile ad revenue in Indonesia’s $20b advertising market.

The agreement is projected to generate $300m within three years, providing brands, advertisers, agencies, and resellers with access to over 270 million mobile users in Indonesia, including 170 million Telkomsel subscribers. It is also expected to strengthen Telkomsel’s position in the market, where it holds a 59% share by revenue.

Through this partnership, Telkomsel will benefit from Novosol’s ‘moLotus,’ a GSM-based platform that delivers 40-second video ads to mobile inboxes without requiring apps or data, supporting Android, iPhones, and feature phones.

Novosol is enhancing moLotus with AI-driven capabilities, including automated ad creation, campaign optimisation, and data-driven insights.

The platform offers scalability, personalisation, automation, and integration to support diverse advertising needs. Its online portal provides advertisers and agencies with business and operational tools.

With various interaction options, charging models, and ad formats like HQ Video and Slideshow, moLotus enables targeted campaigns to enhance visibility, engagement, and conversions. It also helps brands streamline processes, reducing telemarketing, training, and distribution costs. Advertisers benefit from AI-driven marketing and improved ROI, while agencies and resellers gain new revenue opportunities and better margins.

moLotus is expanding its presence in Indonesia’s growing ad market, leveraging its telco partnerships and high-margin potential. Already adopted by brands and telecom providers across Asia—including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam—it is also exploring opportunities in the US.

The platform is used across various industries, including banking, insurance, automotive, consumer goods, e-commerce, retail, and government, supporting businesses in enhancing customer engagement and revenue growth.

With the Telkomsel partnership, Novosol strengthens its presence in Asia and continues its expansion into Western markets. With the global mobile advertising market expected to surpass US$1t by 2032 (Statista, Fortune BI), moLotus aims to capture a share of this growth.

Philippines – AXA has introduced ‘AXA Bucket List Ai,’ a text-to-dream creator designed to inspire people to visualise their aspirations while emphasising the importance of protecting them against life’s unexpected challenges.

Developed with Publicis Groupe in Thailand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong, ‘AXA Bucket List Ai’ is an interactive tool that generates visual representations of users’ dreams, using OpenAI APIs and Google’s Imagen3 to create lifelike images such as hot air ballooning in Cappadocia to swimming with whale sharks.

The experience also connects users to information on AXA’s health and critical illness plans and is complemented by a series of films and influencer content.

Bernice Fong, head of brand at AXA International Markets, said, “We tend to put our heads in the sand when it comes to the risk of critical illness. With Bucket List Ai, AXA is on a mission to encourage people to live out their dreams – and take positive steps to protect them by safeguarding their health and finances and planning for the future.”

AXA’s campaign highlights the reality that critical illnesses can arise unexpectedly, disrupting lives without warning. Research suggests that visualisation techniques can help individuals stay motivated towards their goals. With this in mind, AXA developed an interactive experience designed to encourage people to envision and pursue their bucket list aspirations.

“Unfortunately, we will all be touched in some way by critical illnesses at some point in our lives. With the launch of AXA Bucket List Ai, our primary objective is to shift the prevalent belief that critical illnesses are beyond our control and empower everyone to take proactive steps to protect themselves from the impacts of such illnesses,” said Arthur Lenfant, global brand manager at AXA.

“There is so much doom and gloom in the critical illness insurance category, but with the launch of Bucket List Ai, AXA is using people’s bucket list inspirations to promote positivity around protecting their dreams. Behind the scenes, there are multiple AI systems analysing as you type, suggesting alternatives, and scanning for the most inspiring imagery. As a digital experience, Bucket List is a powerful reminder of how precious life is,” explained Laurent Thevenet, head of creative technology at Publicis Groupe APAC.

The AXA Bucket List Ai is now available in Thailand and the Philippines.

Singapore – Scope3 has unveiled the Scope3 Agentic Media Platform, an AI-powered solution designed to help partners create and market agentic media products that prioritise efficiency and sustainability from the ground up.

The Scope3 Agentic Media Platform leverages AI to streamline the media supply chain, delivering more efficient, sustainable, and brand-safe advertising. Unlike traditional systems that simply add AI on top, this platform is built with AI at its core, enabling true sustainable growth. Publishers, ad tech platforms, curators, and agencies can harness expert AI agents and custom algorithms to enhance media buying for brands.

The Agentic Media Platform offers a central hub to create and manage AI-driven media products. It connects data, expert agents, and custom algorithms across various campaigns and direct buys. The platform integrates with experts like LiveRamp, Classify, Sy.nexus, and Compliant for specialised data and algorithms. It ensures safe and sustainable media by automatically filtering out fraud, invalid traffic, and risky inventory. Additionally, users can access Scope3’s media quality data, such as attention potential and viewability, at no extra cost.

Amazon DSP is the first demand-side platform to integrate with Scope3’s Agentic Media Platform, allowing for large-scale media purchases. Other launch distribution partners include Index Exchange, Equativ, and media.net. Pilot programs with MiQ, Elcano, and Azerion are set to begin in early April.

Scope3’s Brand Standards, built on the Agentic Media Platform, enhance brand safety and suitability in an AI-driven advertising landscape. It addresses the flaws of traditional methods, such as rigid keyword blocking and lack of supply chain transparency, by offering custom definitions and control across open web and programmatic channels.

Using AI, it improves compliance, responsibility, and effectiveness while minimising risk. The platform ensures ads flow through verified, transparent paths and allows brands and publishers to assess content alignment with brand standards, adjusting through a feedback-driven process for continuous improvement.

Available across platforms, including Meta, Brand Standards reduces false blocking and enhances ad placement control. Launch partners include Ebiquity, key DSPs, and multiple SSPs.

“The digital ad ecosystem has evolved into a complex web of inefficient supply chains, wasted impressions, and disconnected systems. AI is our opportunity to address the fundamental inefficiencies in how our media supply chains operate,” said Brian O’Kelley, CEO and co-founder of Scope3.

“This reimagining allows us to simultaneously address waste, safety, and performance challenges—restoring control to brands while enabling sustainable growth by design. We’re not just solving for carbon reduction anymore; we’re also transforming how media decisions are made across the entire ecosystem, bringing intelligence to places it simply couldn’t exist before,” he added. 

Meanwhile, June Cheung, head of JAPAC at Scope3, also commented, “What the industry needs now is greater transparency from tech platforms—and even when that’s achieved, we need scalable and effective ways to execute. That’s why the Scope3 Agentic Media Platform is designed to give marketers both transparency and control, enabling them to fine-tune and understand decision-making within the platform. With today’s launch, we have the opportunity to reimagine the ad ecosystem for the future in an effective and sustainable way.”

Singapore – Oracle has announced the launch of its AI centre of excellence in Singapore to help organisations keep pace with the rapid advancements in AI. The Oracle AI Centre of Excellence will serve as a resource and hub for innovation and collaboration, bringing together leaders at the forefront of AI to drive AI adoption and success across Southeast Asia.

Backed by Oracle’s team of experts and an extensive network of partners, the centre is designed to equip organisations with the tools and expertise needed to upskill teams, explore AI-driven solutions, and modernise critical business operations. 

Through specialised training programs and certifications offered by Oracle University and its ecosystem partners, organisations will have the opportunity to develop expertise in the latest cloud and AI technologies. This initiative aligns with Oracle’s pledge to train 10,000 students and professionals in Singapore by 2027.

The centre also serves as a hub for AI experimentation, allowing businesses to test early-stage AI innovations in a secure cloud environment powered by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. 

With applications spanning industries such as the public sector, healthcare, finance, and telecommunications, organisations can explore cutting-edge AI solutions, including autonomous AI, generative AI, machine learning, and AI-driven analytics. Additionally, the Centre provides a platform for organisations to develop proof-of-concept projects, enabling them to assess AI solutions before full-scale deployment.

By leveraging Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications Suite, enterprises can rapidly integrate predictive, generative, and agent-based AI into essential business functions such as finance, HR, supply chain, sales, and customer service. These AI-driven enhancements aim to boost productivity, reduce operational costs, and improve both employee and customer experiences. With the launch of the AI Centre of Excellence, Oracle continues to strengthen its role in advancing digital innovation and AI adoption across Southeast Asia.

Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, said, “To remain economically competitive, we need to build an agile and adaptable workforce that is equipped to leverage new technology effectively. The new Oracle AI Centre for Excellence is a good example of how businesses can take the lead in workforce transformation, empowering our workers to become future-ready.”

Meanwhile, Garrett Ilg, executive vice president of Oracle Japan & Asia Pacific, commented, “AI will fuel the next wave of opportunity and growth. The Oracle AI Centre of Excellence will empower individuals and organizations of all sizes across Southeast Asia with cutting-edge cloud and AI technologies, world-class training, and a dynamic environment for experimentation and innovation. It further strengthens our commitment to train thousands of students and professionals in Singapore and provide readily-available digital talent for the local workforce.”

India – Samsung, in collaboration with Cheil India, has unveiled a new campaign showcasing how AI-powered innovation transforms laundry, spotlighting the effortless convenience of the Bespoke AI Laundry washing machine.

The new campaign illustrates how Samsung’s AI-powered washing machine simplifies laundry by eliminating guesswork. The film takes a light-hearted approach, drawing parallels between relationships and fabric care—some need extra attention, while others are low maintenance. With AI Wash technology, each fabric gets the right treatment without manual effort.

Featuring Nimrat Kaur and Ira Dubey, the campaign film takes a light-hearted approach to laundry. Ira portrays someone meticulous about getting the perfect wash, while Nimrat demonstrates how the Bespoke AI Laundry simplifies the process—tossing in a full load and letting AI handle the rest.

Tripti Surana, executive creative director at Cheil India, commented, “The Bespoke AI Laundry campaign strikes a balance between humour and relatability. While Ira voices everyone’s laundry concerns as the ‘know-it-all’ friend, Nimrat is the cool new-age woman who shows us how AI can make even the most complicated and mundane chore of doing laundry a breeze.”

Shruti Negi, head of Samsung CE business at Cheil India, added, “Laundry has always been a tedious chore for every household, including mine. Experiencing the latest AI technology that powers the innovative capabilities of the Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry made it clear—this washing machine is a “no thinking required” laundry solution, an AI-powered laundry specialist. This film cleverly allows us to showcase how Samsung AI can simplify the laundry experience for everyone through a very engaging conversation.”

The Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry washing machine comes with a 12kg drum and a 5-step AI sensing system, designed to adjust wash cycles based on load size, fabric type, and soil level. It aims to improve efficiency while reducing fabric wear and tear.

Vikash Chemjong, CCO at Cheil India, explains, “In today’s fast-paced world, we’re all looking for innovations that simplify our lives. With the Bespoke AI Laundry film, we are highlighting how cutting-edge technology can transform even the most mundane household chores into a cakewalk.”

Saurav Katyal, senior director at Samsung India, stated, “At Samsung, we innovate with our consumers’ evolving lifestyles in mind. Indian consumers are looking for new-age digital appliances that deliver best-in-class wash performance with minimum effort while saving energy and time. With Bespoke AI Laundry, we’re addressing the need for a precise wash solution that eliminates guesswork and ensures better wash performance—transforming laundry into a simple, seamless task and giving people more time for things that matter.”

Advertising is increasingly being shaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Particularly, it is changing programmatic advertising, for the right reasons. 

The rise of advanced advertising technologies has streamlined many processes, particularly in the diverse and complex Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. With each market in APAC presenting unique challenges, these innovations have enabled advertisers to navigate and optimise their strategies more effectively.

In MARKETECH APAC’s latest What’s NEXT in Marketing interview, Joyce Seah, Head of Client Success, APAC at Quantcast, explores the role of AI in programmatic advertising. She highlights how technology is transforming essential processes, enabling marketers to succeed amidst the highly nuanced APAC market.

Impact of AI on programmatic advertising 

“AI is no longer just a buzzword, it is reality,” says Joyce. All executions and activations in the marketing landscape are integrated with it, ultimately enhancing every part of the process brands use to engage with their prospects and customers.

One of the largest impacts AI has made is normalising hyper-personalisation. This used to be merely a goal for advertisers before, but is now achievable with relative ease.

“AI and machine learning is enabling advertisers to deliver highly tailored messages to individuals, and this is also something individuals have come to expect,” she said.

Essentially, advertisers today can create more relevant marketing experiences using accurate insights about their audiences’ interests, reach them on platforms they natively use, and deliver seamless messaging while adhering to global consumer privacy laws.

“We’re able to leverage real-time data to predict user preferences, and this is paramount because we know users change their preferences ever so often,” Joyce explained.

And it’s not just in advertising, technology is enabling teams to be more efficient in their jobs. According to a Deloitte Gen AI survey, 80% of Gen AI users said that it’s improved the speed at which they can complete tasks; leading to time savings of approximately 6.3 hours per week, for example.

“With AI and machine learning, we’re able to free up a lot of these people’s time to do actual creative and strategic work because we’re going to be able to remove a lot of the manual lever pulling,” she said.

Navigating APAC’s cultural nuances is key

While AI makes targeting easier, advertisers in the APAC region must take into account the region’s nuances if they are to use it effectively.

“When working in the APAC region, brands should consider localising creatives and messaging to align with the regional preferences for greater advertising impact,” Joyce said.

“Brands also have to realise that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to APAC, because of language and cultural differences,” she added.

As an example, Joyce shares how visual storytelling strategies would most likely resonate with audiences in Southeast Asia (SEA) and Australia, while those in Japan and South Korea would prefer direct messaging. 

“They will need to take a tailored approach which includes exploring and adopting technologies that can help them unify their marketing tactics and measurement efforts, including programmatic,” she said.

Drivers of innovation in APAC

Joyce also points out other ways in which APAC is leading innovative thinking for the rest of the world, for instance with the significant use of mobiles in the region.

“In APAC, especially in Southeast Asia, high mobile penetration and preference for mobile-first internet usage are the drivers of innovations behind mobile advertising technologies. Because of that, we are setting trends that influence mobile ad strategies globally,” she explained.

Joyce points to the popularisation of super apps as an example, citing the success of Grab and Gojek in SEA. Additionally, she comments on the proliferation of retail media networks.

“It’s part of our daily life. Consumers are more and more mobile in this region. Live commerce and retail media networks are part of our ecosystem now, we realise it’s one and the same,” she said.

In essence, the future of programmatic advertising lies in advertisers’ understanding and adaptability in markets that are increasingly becoming more bespoke, dynamic and customer-centric. 

“Using AI and machine learning is going to help advertisers in APAC uncover deeper insights into our very diverse cultural background, understand diverse consumer behaviours and therefore be able to generate and develop hyper-targeted campaigns that resonate across this very complex but wonderful region,” Joyce said.

While the highly nuanced cultures of APAC present challenges alongside opportunities, advertisers can gain an edge by harnessing technologies towards the right goal. Ultimately, most businesses aim to forge stronger connections with their audiences, and AI is one way to make the process easier as the media industry becomes more complex and diverse to navigate.

To view the full discussion, watch the video interview here: