The post Fourth edition of ‘What’s NEXT in Marketing: Malaysia 2026’ unveils first wave of speakers appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>Brands that will lead in this environment are those that can move beyond broad strategies — combining intelligence-driven precision with genuine cultural resonance and responsible engagement practices.
Responding to these industry imperatives, MARKETECH APAC is rolling out the fourth edition of its flagship conference in Malaysia. What’s NEXT in Marketing: Malaysia 2026, scheduled for22 October 2026 at Sheraton Petaling Jaya, will bring together marketing leaders and brand innovators to explore the trends, tools, and strategies defining the next era of marketing in the country.
This year’s edition will dive into how brands can harness AI to unlock new growth frontiers, build customer value through responsible and transparency-led engagement, and deliver seamless experiences across every touchpoint. Sessions will also tackle Malaysia’s fast-evolving digital buying journey, the power of local culture and storytelling as a creative force, and how marketers can cut through data overload to activate insights that drive real, measurable impact.
Across the conference, participants can expect keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive sessions designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, alongside networking opportunities to connect with industry peers and leaders from both local and international brands.
The conference will also introduce “MEET THE EXPERTS”, a new format enabling direct engagement with seasoned marketers. In small-group sessions, attendees will gain practical insights from real campaign strategies and case studies, offering actionable takeaways for today’s fast-evolving landscape.
The initial speaker lineup includes:
What’s NEXT in Marketing: Malaysia 2026 is part of the broader What’s NEXT in Marketing conference series, which includes:
To learn more about What’s NEXT in Marketing: Malaysia 2026 and secure your seat, click HERE.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact MARKETECH APAC’s Sales Team at [email protected].
For speaking opportunities, reach out to John Lou Peña at [email protected].
For registration enquiries, contact the Registrations Team at [email protected].
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]]>The post Omnicom Media study introduces ‘Connected Content’ framework to improve advertising effectiveness appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>Called ‘Connected Content’, the framework positions content as an adaptive ecosystem rather than a single creative asset, enabling brands to continuously refine messaging across touchpoints based on audience, context, platform dynamics, and consumer mindset. Instead of focusing solely on consistency, the approach emphasises content continuity to deliver connected brand experiences throughout the consumer journey.
The framework also leverages AI-powered orchestration across creative development, media strategy, audience intelligence, production, optimisation, and performance measurement, allowing brands to tailor content not just to audiences but also to specific platforms and contexts.
Connected Content stems from Omnicom Media’s latest study, which argues that traditional content-at-scale models centred around a single hero asset are becoming less effective as consumer attention becomes increasingly fragmented across platforms, formats, creators, AI-powered discovery tools, and commerce environments.
Findings from the research suggest that static creative approaches are contributing to advertising fatigue and weaker brand outcomes. Among respondents, 78% said a bad advertisement is worse than no advertisement at all, while 32% said a poor advertising experience reflects more negatively on the brand than on the platform carrying the ad. Meanwhile, 52% said better advertising experiences would improve their perception of a brand, and 40% said it would increase their likelihood to purchase.
The study also highlighted the importance of relevance and context in driving engagement. Some 78% of consumers said they connect more strongly with ads that are relevant to the content they are consuming, 84% said they appreciate advertising tailored to specific platforms, and 76% said they feel more connected to ads that appear at the right moment.
Beyond relevance, respondents also indicated that intent and utility influence how they perceive advertising. Seventy-five percent said they connect more with ads that speak to emotions rather than purely commercial motives, while 31% said they care about how an advertisement is made, not just the final output. In addition, 86% said useful information helps them connect with advertising, and 81% said relatable ads strengthen brand affinity.
According to Omnicom Media, the findings point to the need for brands to move away from interruptive experiences and towards more connected, additive interactions. The company said marketers should bring media, creative, production, commerce, and measurement teams together earlier in the planning process and use audience insights and contextual signals to continuously optimise creative experiences.
Nina Fedorczuk, Chief Enablement Officer, Omnicom Media Asia Pacific, said, “The old-school spray-and-pray method no longer reflects the reality of the average Asia-Pacific consumer who is hyperlocal, hyperconnected, and, more importantly, hyperaware of brand motivations. Those of us in the advertising industry must rearchitect the way we ideate, strategise, deliver, and even learn from ads in such a way that they not only fit our target audiences, but our target contexts and moments.”
The research has also informed a series of advertising solutions unveiled by Omnicom Media during the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Developed with media platforms, streaming services, publishers, and technology partners across APAC, North America, and EMEA, the solutions aim to apply Connected Content principles at scale by aligning creative, media, audience signals, and platform context.
The study forms part of Omnicom Media Intelligence’s ongoing research into advertising effectiveness, media innovation, and emerging technologies. In addition to the US report, local versions of Connected Content: The Force Multiplier for Maximising Brand Influence will be released across APAC, EMEA, LATAM, and Canada.
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]]>The post Integral Ad Science rolls out Quality Connect within IAS Pulse publisher platform appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>Available within the IAS Pulse publisher platform, Quality Connect is designed to address a long-standing transparency gap between buyers and sellers. It enables publishers to understand, report on and align with advertiser campaign settings across brand safety, suitability, fraud prevention and other media quality criteria.
Publishers are often required to meet advertiser quality standards without full visibility into how those settings are configured, which can lead to under-delivery, unnecessary impression blocking, operational friction between ad operations teams and agencies, and missed optimisation opportunities. With greater insight into advertiser preferences, Quality Connect is intended to reduce wasted impressions, improve delivery efficiency and surface campaign issues earlier in the process.
Quality Connect introduces three capabilities for IAS Pulse publisher clients, available when advertisers opt to share campaign preferences.
Campaign Transparency provides direct visibility into advertiser-defined media quality settings, including brand safety categories, risk tolerance, fraud prevention criteria, brand suitability and contextual avoidance segments, and keyword exclusions, as well as geo and language targeting, helping publishers align delivery from the outset.
Campaign Reporting enables publishers to run on-demand, in-flight performance reporting across metrics such as viewability, invalid traffic and brand safety, allowing earlier optimisation and clearer visibility into campaign performance while it is still running.
Campaign Segments consolidates advertiser-defined fraud, brand safety, suitability and keyword avoidance criteria into a single dynamic avoidance segment within IAS Pulse, which automatically updates as preferences change, helping publishers maintain alignment, reduce wasted impressions and minimise manual operational effort.
By linking advertiser campaign preferences with publisher delivery and optimisation workflows in a consent-based environment, Quality Connect is positioned to improve alignment and operational efficiency across the digital advertising ecosystem.
IAS said the solution supports more consistent campaign delivery against intended quality standards, while helping publishers strengthen buyer relationships and improve overall performance outcomes.
“The quality of a media buy shouldn’t be a secret,” said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of Integral Ad Science. “For too long, publishers and advertisers have had to work across information gaps that create friction, waste, and missed opportunity. Quality Connect gives both sides a more transparent way to work together – helping publishers deliver against advertiser standards with confidence, while giving advertisers greater trust in the quality and performance of their media investments.”
Quality Connect is available to publishers within the IAS Pulse UI. Campaign Transparency is available at no additional cost, while Campaign Reporting and Campaign Segments are expected to roll out in Q3 2026.
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]]>The post ‘What’s NEXT in Marketing: Indonesia 2026’ third edition announces first speaker lineup and trend-led sessions appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>Against this backdrop, MARKETECH APAC presents the third edition of What’s NEXT in Marketing: Indonesia 2026. Scheduled for 26 August 2026 at Pullman Jakarta Central Park, the conference will convene senior marketers, digital strategists, and brand leaders for a full-day programme of practical insights, strategic dialogue, and high-value networking.
Set within a market where super-app ecosystems, short-form content, and social commerce are redefining consumer behaviour, the programme will explore how brands can make AI more actionable in day-to-day marketing, improve performance across increasingly fragmented channels, and design seamless, personalised customer journeys that better reflect how Indonesians discover and buy.
Across a robust agenda, attendees can expect expert-led keynotes, panel discussions, and interactive sessions covering AI-driven marketing transformation, customer engagement and lifecycle strategies, digital effectiveness across fragmented channels, influencer and creator ecosystems, CX innovation, and data-led marketing strategy. Dedicated roundtables and networking breaks will further encourage peer-to-peer exchange and practical, real-world learning.
The conference will also introduce “MEET THE EXPERTS”, a new format enabling direct engagement with seasoned marketers. In small-group sessions, attendees will gain practical insights from real campaign strategies and case studies, offering actionable takeaways for today’s fast-evolving landscape.
The speaker lineup includes:
…and more speakers shaping how marketing excellence evolves across Asia.
What’s NEXT in Marketing: Indonesia 2026 is part of the broader What’s NEXT in Marketing conference series, which champions knowledge sharing, regional collaboration, and forward-looking marketing innovation across Asia.
To learn more about What’s NEXT in Marketing: Indonesia 2026 and secure your seat, click HERE.
For sponsorship queries, contact MARKETECH APAC’s Sales Team at [email protected].
For speaking opportunities, reach out to Clifford Baliton at [email protected].
For registration enquiries, contact James Patrick Daganta at [email protected].
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]]>The post MARKETECH APAC announces finalists for inaugural Advertising Awards Asia Pacific 2026 appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>The AAA 2026 programme celebrates creativity, innovation, and measurable impact in advertising — honouring the trailblazers driving bold ideas and breakthrough solutions in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape.
The awards spotlight groundbreaking campaigns, trailblazing agencies, and high-performing teams across the Asia-Pacific region, acknowledging not only executional brilliance but also the forward-thinking strategies shaping the industry’s future.
Strong regional participation across Asia Pacific
The inaugural edition of the Advertising Awards Asia Pacific attracted broad regional participation, resulting in a total of 124 unique organisations advancing as finalists.
The finalist pool spans brands, agencies, and technology companies, with 56 brand organisations, 47 agencies, and 21 martech and adtech companies earning finalist recognition.
The Philippines leads the region with 40 finalists, followed closely by Singapore with 35 and Malaysia with 34. Thailand recorded 21 finalists, while Indonesia followed with 13.
Meanwhile, India contributed 5 finalists, with Bangladesh, Australia, and New Zealand each recording 3. Hong Kong, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and China also feature among the participating markets, underscoring the awards’ cross-market representation across Asia Pacific.
Brands and agencies leading the field
This year’s finalist nominations reflect strong competition across both brand and agency categories, with several organisations emerging as clear front-runners.
Among brands, Krungthai Bank PCL leads the field with 20 nominations. On the agency side, The Shout Group tops the rankings with 18 nominations.
Top nominated brands
Top nominated agencies
See full list of finalists HERE.
Judging panel brings senior advertising leadership across APAC
Winners will be selected by a jury panel of senior marketing and advertising leaders from across the region, ensuring a balanced evaluation of creativity, strategy, execution, and measurable business impact.
The judging process spans four category groupings — Creative Advertising Campaigns is divided across four jury groups, while AdTech-Driven Advertising Campaigns is covered by two.
The Head of Jury appointments and categories are as follows:
Other jury members include senior leaders from AEON360, Canva, Cheil Worldwide, Dentsu creative, FCB Shout, GCash, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Mondelez International, Prudential Indonesia, Publicis Groupe Hong Kong, and more.
Full list of jury HERE.
Joven Barcenas, CEO and Founder of MARKETECH APAC, said, “The Advertising Awards Asia Pacific is created to celebrate the boldness and ingenuity that defines advertising across our region. This year’s finalists are a testament to the strength of creativity and innovation coming from brands, agencies, and technology partners who are truly pushing the craft forward.”
The AAA 2026 Gala Night will take place on 29 July 2026 at One Farrer Hotel, Singapore, bringing together the region’s top advertising professionals to celebrate the best work across all categories, with Grand Prix honours awarded to the highest-scoring entries across the programme.
Participating brands, agencies, adtech organisations, and other parties interested to attend are invited to secure their seats for the Advertising Awards Asia Pacific 2026 Gala Night. For enquiries, please contact [email protected].
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]]>The post Aleph launches fan-first digital ecosystem for FIFA World Cup 2026 in the Philippines appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>As the official media rights distributor of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the country, Aleph has activated a fan-first ecosystem that combines live match streaming, social content, creator-led programming, and on-demand coverage through its newly launched digital hub, Aleph Arena.
The initiative arrives ahead of what is set to be the largest FIFA World Cup in history, featuring 48 teams and a record 104 matches hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
At the centre of the strategy is Aleph Arena, which will serve as the exclusive destination for more than 5,000 pieces of tournament content throughout the competition.
The platform will distribute highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, creator reactions, tactical analysis, and localised commentary across YouTube, TikTok, and X.
As part of the rollout, YouTube will serve as the primary free-to-access viewing platform, with 40 marquee matches available live through the official Aleph Arena channel.
The content offering also extends beyond match broadcasts. Aleph Arena will host original programming, including the daily football show ‘Football Natin ‘To!,’ alongside creator-driven content designed specifically for Filipino audiences.
Meanwhile, fans seeking complete tournament coverage will be able to access all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches through WCTV by Aleph Arena on BlastTV, providing both live and on-demand viewing options.
According to Aleph, the model reflects changing audience behaviours, where sports fans increasingly move between streaming platforms, social media channels, and mobile devices throughout a tournament.
The expanded tournament format is also expected to generate more storylines and fan conversations than previous editions, with 16 additional teams competing for football’s biggest prize.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 runs from June 12 to July 20.
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]]>The post Amazon Ads simplifies DSP campaign creation with Australian launch of Ads Agent appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>The rollout gives self-service advertisers access to a conversational AI tool designed to streamline campaign creation, audience targeting and optimisation.
According to Amazon Ads, the solution can turn media plans into launch-ready campaign structures in minutes, replacing hours of manual setup.
Accessible through a natural language interface, Ads Agent combines agentic AI with Amazon’s first-party insights to help advertisers build and manage campaigns across the Amazon DSP platform.
Users can upload media plans or select plans from Ads Planner, with the tool automatically generating campaign structures, budgets, pacing settings and targeting recommendations for review before launch.
The launch addresses one of the most time-consuming aspects of programmatic advertising, where marketers often manually input campaign details such as budgets, flight dates, audience segments and ad group structures across multiple workflows.
Beyond campaign setup, Ads Agent also assists with audience targeting and optimisation. The tool can recommend audience segments and keywords based on campaign objectives, while providing real-time reach forecasts as advertisers refine targeting selections.
Amazon Ads said advertisers in the US using Ads Agent recommendations recorded improved campaign performance, with 65% seeing higher delivery rates alongside an average 18% reduction in cost per thousand impressions (CPM) and a 16% reduction in cost per acquisition (CPA).
Willie Pang, Managing Director of Amazon Ads ANZ, said the company identified an opportunity to simplify campaign development and reduce the manual effort required to build campaign structures.
In addition to Amazon DSP, Ads Agent is also available within Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), where it can help advertisers generate SQL queries, explore insights and navigate analytics workflows using natural language prompts.
The tool is now available at no additional cost to all Amazon DSP self-service users in Australia.
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]]>The post Subway Malaysia’s new campaign folds previous creative work into an evolving brand story universe appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>Created with Beatnk under the platform “A Whole New Way to Subway”, the campaign shifts away from conventional QSR advertising, adopting a more rhythmic, self-referential approach anchored in contemporary digital and creator-driven storytelling.
The hero film uses movement, transitions, and fast-cut pacing, with layered visual storytelling that incorporates a series of visual references to previous Subway Malaysia campaigns, merchandise, and collaborations.
These include nods to the Footlong Cookie and Footlong Cup launch from last year, miniature Subway x Grab subs, earlier campaign visuals, branded merchandise, and props drawn from past rollouts.
“We liked the idea that Subway Malaysia’s campaigns don’t just disappear after every launch,” said Tanner Nagib of Beatnk. “So The Fold became an opportunity to literally fold fragments of the brand’s recent creative journey back into the campaign world itself.”
The visual treatment draws from creator culture, transition-heavy editing styles, football-inspired motion, and fast-paced rhythmic framing aligned with short-form viewing behaviour on social platforms.
“The Fold itself is mobile, expressive, and movement-driven,” added Tanner. “So naturally the campaign evolved into something built around motion, rhythm, transitions, and reinterpretation as well.”
Rather than functioning as standalone callbacks, the references are integrated into a connected narrative framework, positioning the campaign as part of an evolving Subway Malaysia brand world.
Subway Malaysia’s internal marketing and leadership teams also appear in the film, adding a behind-the-scenes layer to the brand’s creative narrative.
“The Subway Fold” is currently available at participating Subway Malaysia restaurants nationwide.
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]]>The post Thai Consumer Council to sue Facebook over alleged failure to curb fraudulent ads appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>The council said it is set to file the lawsuit on June 8 together with lawyers and representatives of affected groups, citing Facebook’s alleged failure to prevent scam ads targeting Thai users, weak filtering systems, revenue from fraudulent advertising, potential tax avoidance, and lack of compensation or accountability for victims.
According to the council, negotiations with Facebook over the past year to remove deceptive advertisements have not led to meaningful action, resulting in financial and personal harm to consumers. The group said scam ads have exploited legal loopholes and long-standing user trust in the platform.
At a June 4, 2026, press conference titled “Why Sue Facebook? ”, the council said it will pursue legal action against Meta, including its Thailand office and global headquarters, to seek accountability for damages, including a case involving the death of a young person following an online scam.
The council said it received 6,164 complaints from 2024 to March 2026 involving undelivered goods or misrepresented products, of which 3,793 were linked to Facebook. These included cases of non-delivery, seller disappearance after payment, impersonation pages, and fraudulent accounts that were difficult to trace.
Boonyin Siritham, President of the Consumer Council, said, “Thai consumers have been reduced to mere figures in damage reports. One person has had their life savings swindled, another has been tricked into debt, while platforms continue to pocket advertising fees every second.”
He added that repeated attempts to engage Meta’s global and Thailand offices had not resulted in effective measures to stop fraudulent advertisers operating on the platform.
Boonyin said victims came from all professional and educational backgrounds, including academics, doctors, senior officials, businesspeople, and ordinary users, stressing that trust in a widely used global platform, rather than negligence, often led to exposure to scams.
Saree Ongsomwang, Secretary-General of the Consumer Council, said the lawsuit aims to raise consumer protection standards to international levels.
The council listed eight main reasons for taking legal action, including the spread of misleading and illegal ads like investment scams, fake profiles of public figures, counterfeit products, and gambling promotions, which suggest either poor moderation or acceptance of illegal ad revenue.
It also cited Facebook Marketplace and pages as hubs for illegal goods, including unregulated drugs, supplements, counterfeit products, and prohibited items, pointing to gaps in content enforcement.
The council further alleged that algorithm-driven targeting has enabled scams to reach vulnerable users, with some victims repeatedly exposed to fraudulent investment ads that led to financial loss and, in some cases, severe psychological distress.
It also accused the platform of profiting from fraudulent advertising, pointing to insufficient identity verification that allows fake pages and impersonation of legitimate brands, making it difficult to trace perpetrators.
Another key allegation was regulatory arbitrage, with the council claiming Facebook operates as a full e-commerce platform in practice while registering only as a social media service in Thailand, limiting legal accountability and contributing to tax revenue loss through offshore structures.
The council also criticised the lack of escrow or buyer protection systems, arguing that consumers are left exposed to direct payments without safeguards, which enables scammers to disappear after transactions.
It further said enforcement standards differ across regions, claiming stronger compliance in the US, Europe, and Australia compared with Thailand and parts of ASEAN, raising concerns over unequal protection for users.
The council said over 51 million Thais use Facebook for communication, news, and online shopping, with many users assuming advertisements are pre-screened for legitimacy.
Alongside the legal action, the council launched the hashtags #IWasScammedToo, #FacebookAppGoneBad, and #FacebookFriendsStealing, calling on victims to share experiences to highlight the scale of the issue and increase pressure for platform accountability.
A public forum with the Senate’s Subcommittee on Commerce and Digital Economy is scheduled for June 19, 2026, to gather feedback from affected users and discuss policy recommendations.
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]]>The post Diptyque spotlights slow living with new global campaign centred on its signature candle appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.
]]>Titled “Light on, time off,” the campaign is positioned as a manifesto translating the sensory experience of the candle into a moment of pause and introspection, where time appears to slow or suspend.
At the core of the platform is a contemplative film that focuses on the combustion of the candle in extended real time, tracking the transformation of wax and the movement of the flame in a hypnotic, slow rhythm. The format, designed around the candle’s 50-hour burn time, departs from conventional short-form advertising and algorithm-driven content consumption.

The campaign also adopts a deliberately restrained tone, positioning itself against fragmented digital content. The film is presented not as a message designed to trigger immediate response, but as a sustained visual presence intended to be experienced over time.
As part of its rollout, Diptyque has deployed large-scale DOOH activations across key markets, including a 50-hour continuous broadcast in Seoul, a 36-hour daytime takeover in London, and hourly 3-minute excerpts in Hong Kong over one week.
The campaign is further extended through global retail installations featuring in-store screenings across France, the UK, Japan, the US, and China, as well as a 50-hour public event in Paris at the Jardin du Palais-Royal.
A longer 12-hour version of the film will also be released on YouTube, designed as ambient content accompanying daily activities such as work, rest, and sleep.
Across all formats, the flame is presented as a steady, evolving visual rhythm, reinforcing the campaign’s focus on slowness, contemplation, and sensory continuity.
More than a brand campaign, “Light on, time off” positions itself as an exploration of duration and attention, framing restraint and extended time as creative and experiential choices within contemporary luxury communication.
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