Tag: Artificial Intelligence

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:

Delivering personalised and impactful customer experiences at scale is a critical challenge for industry leaders. Consumers expect seamless, relevant interactions across multiple platforms, from social media and mobile apps to websites and in-person engagements. 

However, the complexities of cross-platform engagement require businesses to integrate advanced data analytics, AI-driven personalisation, and agile marketing strategies to ensure consistency and effectiveness. Companies that master this approach can deepen customer relationships, enhance brand loyalty, and drive long-term growth.

From leveraging real-time data insights to optimising omnichannel marketing efforts, businesses must adopt a holistic, customer-centric mindset to remain competitive. By understanding these complexities and implementing tailored engagement strategies, organisations can position themselves as market leaders in the era of digital personalisation.

These aforementioned objectives are what industry leaders from across Southeast Asia discussed in the recently concluded What’s NEXT in Marketing: Customer Engagement in 2025, which equipped marketers with transformative insights and strategies to meet evolving customer expectations.

How brands can engage with AI-powered customer engagement

Kicking off the webinar was a keynote presentation from Ranya Arora, senior strategic business consultant at Braze as she discussed the latest trends in customer engagement and how these strategies can help brands in their engagement strategies amidst a constantly changing online environment for consumers.

In the presentation, Ranya highlighted that proper customer engagement online is important, citing data from Deloitte which states that around 50% of Gen Z consumers are concerned that too much device usage is negatively affecting their physical and mental health. For Ranya, businesses should be wary when navigating this ongoing online fatigue from consumers.

“I think we all can agree that customer life cycle strategies are important in reducing that fatigue and the key benefits of doing that come into place because they allow you to have a better customer experience which helps you improve your marketing efficiency, as well as the core component of driving retention and profitability,” she explained.

To properly navigate the needs of customers online, brands must tackle these four particular challenges:

  • Marketers struggle with obstacles to both creativity and strategy in customer engagement
  • Many marketers still don’t have a clear view of their customers
  • Teams need more collaboration to close the customer engagement feedback loop
  • Most brands haven’t built a foundation for successful cross-channel marketing

“We believe that the fundamentals of growth will truly remain constant, which means if you acquire and activate your customers more efficiently and you engage and keep them around for longer, you will eventually make more money from the customer,” she added.

Ranya also added that the ‘secret sauce’ for consistent growth amongst businesses remains the same: consists of acquisition & activation, engagement, and monetisation. Moreover, she also stressed the importance of AI-powered strategies, stating that tools are designed to create (work smarter in crafting memorable customer experiences), personalise (tailor experiences, content, recommendations and journeys – all at scale), and optimise (automate experiences and maximise the potential of every touchpoint).

“AI-powered tools can recommend items that are most likely to resonate with every customer for different industry verticals–this could be products, games, songs, meals, and content among others. This links into orchestration and helps you serve up the right campaign or journey variant to the right person based on everything you know about them,” she further stated.

Integrating digital strategies across multiple platforms

Next up taking the spotlight is a fireside chat with Rajesh Grover, group vice president of AI, digital & omnichannel at Kanmo Group to discuss how their company enhances customer engagement by integrating digital strategies across multiple platforms for a seamless omnichannel experience. 

Moreover, the session–which was moderated by Fatima Baduria, regional journalist at MARKETECH APAC–also delved into how brands should leverage digital innovations to adapt to evolving customer expectations and maintain competitiveness in a dynamic market.

For Rajesh, regardless of the size of the business is knowing your customer–meaning who pays the business for products or services. Moreover, he also stressed the importance of making colleagues in the company understand why omnichannel is important for them–but also offering a piece of advice about using these technologies.

“There is no magic wand in terms of technology, which you can deploy in your companies or your business that will turn around your business if you don’t have a clear idea of what your customers need. And then it is all about mapping out your roadmap, not getting too ambitious, understanding and implementing it slowly, but fool-proof,” he explained.

In addition, he also highlighted how strategic implementation is also important, which means that brands should focus more on depth over breadth (i.e. better to execute a few things well rather than spreading too thin). Also, a strong feedback loop is essential where brands must think from the customer’s perspective to assess if their systems are truly working.

He also highlighted that many businesses mistakenly focus on adding multiple sales channels without properly integrating data and teams. For him, siloed data – different channels often operate independently without shared insights, leading to poor customer experience. Hence, personalisation should be a key strength in a brand’s customer engagement strategy.

“If you’re still relying on discounts to drive engagement, you’re missing the point of true personalisation. Personalisation isn’t just about using a customer’s name in an email. It’s about knowing what makes them feel valued,” he added.

On leveraging modern marketing technology to enhance customer engagement

Next up on the webinar was a panel discussion featuring industry leaders Dian Paskalis, country director of growth & regional vice president of online marketing at Cove Indonesia; Jogent Emmanuel Tan, marketing director at Domino’s Pizza Philippines; and Caroline Wee, vice president of brand and strategy at Loob Holding (Tealive) as they emphasise the importance of cross-platform engagement, discussing common challenges and effective strategies for seamless implementation across multiple channels. The session was moderated by Ranya Arora.

In the discussion, Karen emphasised the need for brands to be ‘real’ and authentic,’ ensuring that engagement is based on genuine customer needs rather than assumptions. Meanwhile, Jogent highlighted ‘personalisation’ as the key to capturing attention, as customers now expect tailored experiences rather than generic marketing. Lastly, Diyan focused on ‘connection,’ explaining that brands must shift from talking to customers to talking with them, fostering deeper relationships through meaningful interactions.

The discussion also highlighted how data and AI are transforming customer engagement by enabling personalisation at scale, but brands must use them wisely. Companies like Domino’s Pizza and Tealive leverage CRM tools and AI-driven insights to analyse customer behaviour, predict preferences, and tailor marketing strategies. 

It is worth noting, however, that scaling personalisation comes with challenges—over-reliance on data can lead to misleading assumptions, as what customers say they want often differs from what they actually buy. In order to avoid hyper-personalisation pitfalls, brands must balance automation with human intuition, ensuring that personalisation efforts remain practical, cost-effective, and genuinely beneficial to customers.

“Marketing today isn’t just about running ads—it’s about being where the customers are. People engage with brands across multiple platforms: social media, food delivery apps, e-commerce sites, and even offline stores. The key challenge? Making sure that branding, messaging, and promotions are consistent across all these touchpoints. That’s where data-driven marketing becomes so valuable,” Jogent said.

Carol also echoed these sentiments, stating, “A common mistake brands make is relying too much on first-party data without questioning it. We have to remember that what customers say and what they actually do are often two different things. Instead of making drastic changes based on survey results, we overlay multiple data points—transaction history, market trends, AI insights—to make better-informed decisions. The future of engagement isn’t just about collecting data—it’s about knowing which data actually matters.”

Speaking on the aspect of personalisation strategies for brands, Diyan offers up his advice, “There’s always a fine line between effective personalisation and over-complication. The effort needed to hyper-personalise can sometimes become too costly or too complex, and the return might not justify it. For example, in the rental market, people take anywhere from one week to six months to make a decision.”

He added, “If we invest too many resources into micromanaging their preferences in the first week, we might lose efficiency. Instead, we focus on prioritising the most impactful personalisation efforts—things that actually lead to higher conversions, rather than just making the experience more complicated for the sake of it.”

The webinar was attended by 187 attendees representing brands across Asia-Pacific such as 2GO Group, ALL IT Hypermarket Sdn Bhd., AboitizPower, Bayer, Burger King Malaysia, Carsome, Filinvest Land, Inc., Fitness First Singapore, Home Credit, Jollibee Foods Corporation, JustCo Global, Lamudi, Malaysia Aviation Group, Mastercard, Minor Hotels, National Heritage Board (NHB), Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCOM), Power Mac Center, PT. Nutrifood Indonesia, Reckitt, and Westpac, amongst others.

If you missed attending it, you can catch the on-demand access to the webinar, where brands explore strategies to boost customer engagement and loyalty. Register HERE for free.

In 2024, global losses from fraud exceeded $1 trillion USD as AI-powered scams, deepfakes, and data breaches escalated. But while security is critical, trust today extends far beyond protection. Consumers now expect reliability, convenience, and seamless experiences at every touchpoint. In an increasingly digital world, trust isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the ultimate differentiator.

One misstep—a misleading claim, a confusing checkout process, or unresponsive support—can erode trust instantly. And once it’s gone, it’s almost impossible to rebuild. Trust influences every purchase decision, yet it isn’t something brands can sell. It’s something they must prove through consistent, credible, and customer-first experiences.

Marketers play a pivotal role in earning and maintaining that trust—not through louder ads or flashier campaigns, but by creating intentional interactions that demonstrate value and authenticity. In industries where differentiation is tough, trust drives loyalty. Brands that prioritize trust won’t just attract customers—they’ll keep them.

To thrive in this “Trust Economy,” marketers must embrace three core principles:

  1. From Selling to Listening: Value Speaks Louder Than Volume

In crowded digital landscapes, attention is fleeting. Too many brands default to shouting louder—bigger ads, sharper slogans, endless content. But attention alone doesn’t create trust. Value does.

Consumers don’t want more noise; they want useful, reliable information that empowers them. Educational content, transparent messaging, and human storytelling are the tools that build long-term trust. The shift from selling to solving is key: marketers who guide rather than push will position their brands as trusted advisors, not just vendors.

To achieve this, content should be:

  • Informative: Provide educational resources that help customers make informed decisions.
  • Actionable: Share how-to guides, case studies, or success stories that offer real-world value.
  • Authentic: Reflect real customer experiences, not just marketing claims.

Whatever the format, the goal remains the same: deliver something useful. By proving expertise and sharing honest insights, marketers can foster deeper relationships and build credibility over time.

  1. Personalization That Respects, Not Overreaches

AI-powered marketing has unlocked unprecedented personalization, but it comes with a caveat: just because brands can use data doesn’t mean they should.

Consumers appreciate tailored experiences, but not at the expense of privacy or trust. Hyper-personalized recommendations and predictive marketing only work when they feel helpful, not invasive. The key is balance—using AI to enhance human connection, not replace it.

To build trust through personalization:

  • Use AI to anticipate needs, not manipulate behavior.
  • Be transparent about data collection and usage—trust grows when customers know what’s happening behind the scenes.
  • Empower customers to control their experience—personalization should feel like a service, not a sales tactic.

When done right, personalization fosters loyalty by showing consumers that brands truly understand and respect them.

  1. Building Community, Not Just Transactions

Trust doesn’t come from one-off campaigns—it’s built through consistent, meaningful engagement over time. In a digital world, consumers don’t just buy products; they buy into relationships, shared values, and a sense of belonging.

The rise of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) models is proof of this shift. Traditionally, companies relied on intermediaries or third-party retailers to reach their audiences. With D2C, businesses can now bypass those layers, owning the customer experience end-to-end. This direct connection creates emotional bonds that drive long-term loyalty.

Yet trust doesn’t stop at individual relationships; it thrives within communities. Marketers must lean into active participation in broader industry conversations, fostering peer-to-peer trust and collaboration. To do this:

  • Engage in industry forums and events to showcase credibility and leadership.
  • Leverage user-generated content, reviews, and testimonials—consumers trust other consumers more than ads.
  • Create spaces for customers to connect, whether through online forums, live events, or social communities.

By investing in community-driven marketing, brands can position themselves as integral parts of their customers’ lives, not just vendors of products.

Trust: The True Currency of Brand Success

In an era of AI-driven fraud, digital misinformation, and rising consumer expectations, trust isn’t just a business imperative—it’s the foundation of sustainable growth.

Marketers have moved past the challenges of simply selling security. Now, their mission is to embed trust into every aspect of the customer journey. The brands that prioritize transparency, human connection, and consistent value creation won’t just capture consumer attention—they’ll earn the kind of loyalty that lasts.

By embracing this evolution, marketers can position themselves as architects of trust, building relationships with digitally savvy consumers in ways that go beyond traditional marketing. In the “Trust Economy,” trust isn’t just a differentiator—it’s the ultimate competitive advantage.

This thought leadership piece is written by Claire Weston, chief marketing officer of Coda.

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT in Marketing 2025, a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for 2025 and beyond.

Southeast Asia is a hot market for AI adoption. With competition among major players heating up and technology providers increasingly integrating AI into their offerings, AI is now more accessible to mid-market retailers as well as major enterprises. The region is also well-suited to AI integration, as this market typically moves quickly to implement new technologies once they are proven.

While affordable AI technologies and the appetite to harness them exist among retailers, there is a key challenge that is often absent from the frantic discourse found online or in the press: determining specific use cases that add value. 

From chatbots to retrieval augmented generation systems (RAG) and autonomous AI agents, organisations are still working out how to implement AI effectively and efficiently. The excitement around AI’s potential is clear, but businesses need to ensure any implementation delivers tangible value, rather than just being there for the sake of it.

This leaves retailers in a challenging position. The pressure to adopt AI is significant and technologies are maturing fast. Companies must balance that pressure and identify practical applications that create real value for their business and customers.

What AI Adoption Looks Like in Retail Marketing

There are many ways a retailer could potentially integrate AI applications into its operations, depending on its size and needs. 

For example, a retailer might sign up for one of the many generative AI platforms available to produce promotional images and graphics for marketing purposes.

If the company operates an online presence, another entry point might be an LLM-driven chatbot that can handle customer inquiries around things like opening hours, item availability, specials and return policies.  

One increasingly popular and proven way that retailers in Southeast Asia can integrate AI into their operations is through solutions that leverage customer data to improve the shopping experience. We’re talking about authentic personalisation. 

Personalisation makes a retail store so much more. It allows brands to provide a shopping experience that is tailored to each customer’s individual preferences. 

Consider the following example. In the future, before setting foot in the store, customers of Cold Storage in Singapore might receive completely personalised product recommendations that consider not only their past purchases, dietary preferences and lifestyle, but also real-time contextual factors like the weather or local festivals.

These recommendations could be delivered through an app, via email, or even social media. The app could also create shopping lists based on weekly patterns and trends or upcoming holidays, helping customers save time while ensuring they don’t forget any regular staples. 

Another key pre-shopping AI opportunity is in personalised offers and promotions, including challenge offers. Challenge offers provide a gamified experience where customers are increasingly rewarded for meeting specific targets, such as spending a certain amount over a set period. These challenges can again be tailored to a customer’s preferences, presenting goals or targets for product groups they like or buy often.

Personalisation also extends to the in-store experience, where recommendations might pop up in the app based on where customers are in the store. Customers might also be scanning products with their phones to receive reviews and recipes that they might like. Taking this a step further, supplier-funded personalised ads for attractive items could also be generated on a customer-by-customer basis.

A Proven Way to Bring AI to Retailers in Southeast Asia

Personalisation and gamification solutions for retail can help retail brands increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Retailers don’t even need to have an existing loyalty program to get started.

In the case of Eagle Eye’s offering, for example, a retailer in Southeast Asia could get started delivering personalised challenge promotions, powered by AI, in as little as five weeks. This represents a speed to market that matches the region’s hunger to roll out technology solutions quickly.

Such solutions have already been delivered in other markets to great effect. For example, in the United Kingdom, major grocery brand Tesco has adopted AI and is using it to bring benefits to its customers.

Tesco launched Clubcard Challenges in May 2024. This is a loyalty-integrated gamification initiative that utilises AI to create customised, shopper-specific challenges. 

Loyalty members are invited to participate in the game, and they are then served 20 distinct challenges, like spending £20 on summer BBQ supplies, for the chance to collect up to £50 in Clubcard points. Once all tasks are completed, they can win additional rewards.

In other markets, major coffee chain Starbucks is leveraging its Deep Brew technology to analyse customer preferences and contextual data, enabling personalised recommendations like suggesting cold drinks to specific customers during warm weather. 

Similarly, French supermarket chain Carrefour has partnered with Eagle Eye to gamify its MyClub loyalty program, creating customised challenges and goals based on individual shopping patterns and purchase history data.

Make it Happen with AI

The examples and real-world case studies presented above demonstrate how retailers in the region can create powerful customer experiences, drive loyalty and increase profitability, all without extensive lead times or long implementation timelines. 

Rollouts can be done quickly and cautiously. Pilot programs can be run to test effectiveness before moving to full-scale adoption. 

Taking the first steps in AI-driven personalisation with a partner like Eagle Eye means retailers in Southeast Asia can get started with innovative solutions like challenge offers quickly and easily, taking the anxiety out of being left behind in the AI race and joining other early adopting global brands in reaping the benefits. 

This thought leadership piece is written by Aaron Crowe, Regional Director, Eagle Eye, Asia