Manila, Philippines – AllValue, the fast-growing retail group in the Philippines, targets to boost the digital and e-commerce growth of two of its brands, AllHome and AllDay, and has tapped consumer engagement platform MoEngage to help bring this to fruition.

AllHome is its one-stop shop brand for home living, while AllDay is the group’s fast-growing mid-premium supermarket chain. MoEngage said that AllValue aims to capitalize on the online sales momentum and the recent surge in e-commerce sales in the country through an in-depth look into customer behavior data.

“We are betting big on the current digital wave that will expand the e-commerce market size in the Philippines. With more and more customers discovering our enhanced e-commerce experience, we recognized the need to align ourselves with a data-driven mindset to mount effective customer-facing campaigns and to further drive our platforms’ development,” said Camille Villar, AllValue’s vice chairman.

MoEngage is a full-stack solution consisting of customer analytics, automated cross-channel engagement and AI-driven personalization. It said that AllDay’s challenge is making sense of large-scale retail data that is primarily undifferentiated, while AllHome aims to unearth insights and patterns for its broad spectrum of customers: from homeowners to architects, engineers, and designers.

Through its optimized e-commerce platforms, AllValue is able to telegraph current customer behaviors by providing relevant product recommendations, sorting out logistic challenges for home deliveries, and allowing safe payments to offer a comprehensive and convenient E-commerce experience. MoEngage said that this is the exact window where they can provide breakthrough insights to push AllHome and AllDay ‘s e-commerce initiatives to the next level.

“To sell premium retail products, one must put together a great website and an awesome checkout experience. However, that is not enough in the hypercompetitive e-commerce world. One must complement it with well-timed and limited offers for browsed products that are simply hard to put down,” commented Saurabh Madan, GM of MoEngage for ANZ and SEA.

He adds, “Product differentiation alone might not cut it for many businesses who plan to make a shift to online sales. Consumer brands also need to focus on a customer-centric engagement strategy, and that’s where MoEngage can help.”

After over a year of enduring lockdowns and restrictions, there is no stopping the e-commerce wave. Driven by boredom and necessity, shoppers continue to flock to online shopping platforms in droves as evidenced by record-breaking numbers across the board on e-commerce platforms. According to Facebook and Bain & Company, about 70 million more people have turned into avid online shoppers in Southeast Asia since the start of the pandemic.

This boom in online shopping is a tremendous opportunity for brands to seek and deepen audience engagement through digital channels. With the year-end shopping and holiday season approaching, this is a critical period for brands looking to cap off the year with a bang.

In today’s digital age, where audience attention spans are shorter, simply trying to stand out among the competition is no longer enough due to the sheer amount of content dispensed on every page and with every click. Online consumerism is no longer merely about purchasing products, but also the customer journey and experience. One way to embrace this period of disruption and retain consumer attention is through harnessing the capabilities of video and creative for genuine audience-brand connection.

It is also no surprise that video consumption has grown amid the pandemic, especially in mobile-first Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific regions. Results from a 2020 study conducted by Media Partners Asia revealed that mobile video streaming increased by 60% across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, with social media videos being one of the top channels for the discovery of new products.

The rise of Connected TV 

Standing out amid the rise in video consumption, Connected TV (CTV) continues to grow and dominate viewing habits worldwide, with 42% more attention going to CTV since lockdowns began. Compared to the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, CTV ad spend in Asia Pacific is forecasted to have the fastest growth by a Forrester study, contributed by new CTV channels and devices entering the market. 

The growth of CTV presents plenty of avenues that advertisers can leverage; its scalable and premium qualities, along with unskippable content, provide prime advertising real estate. As CTV viewership increases, brands should utilize this opportunity to adopt an audience-first strategy through tailor-made, data-driven, and relatable content relevant to their target audiences. As a massive canvas on which multiple formats can be experimented, CTV provides the perfect opportunity for storytelling and engagement within high-quality environments. This could come in the form of branded frames to reinforce product visuals, dynamic overlays to supercharge the viewing experience, and even opportunities for the audience to customize their own products on-screen.

Television and on-demand viewing platforms are often referred to as ‘lean-back’ media due to the audience experience of being relaxed and served content without being fully engaged. Hence, to capture attention, transfer the experience from TV to mobile device, and encourage further interaction, consider supporting CTV ads with a seamless purchasing experience across multiple screens. A great example would be a click-out feature, where consumers can scan a QR code for products to be instantly added to their shopping carts – seamless, quick, and fuss-free.

Genuine emotional engagement 

People forget what you say, but they will not forget how you made them feel. Emotion has always been a powerful tool in engaging and creating valuable connections with consumers. Video is one of the best mediums to evoke emotion and drive emotional engagement, and subtly help audiences respond more strongly and favorably to a brand. This helps to enable brand recall in peak moments and influence post-viewing behaviors, including brand perception and decision making.

Advertisers can better equip their ads for memory by leveraging a mental short-cut known as the peak-end rule – affecting how users remember the past through selected snapshots of memories that shape their perception and feeling about an event. To take advantage of this, place important takeaways at intense positive or negative moments, also known as its ‘peaks’, as well as the final moments of an experience.

It is also important to select the right mix of emotions to be evoked in ad campaigns, as the right emotional mix can have a huge impact on brand building and sales uplift: the right visuals, copy, sounds, and placements can all stir feeling and impact. Playing around the full spectrum of emotions – from positive to negative – can create that much-needed spark.

When it comes to season shopping, no other holiday evokes stronger emotions than Christmas, and the pandemic seems to have further amplified those feelings. Based on a study by video ad platform Unruly, amid the pandemic, 2020’s Christmas ads were found to be 51% more emotive than the global average, and even increased the average purchase consideration score by 41%.

In the Philippines, the same study found that Christmas ads evoked 14% more intense emotions than the average ad, and the top positive emotions associated with Christmas ads were happiness, inspiration, and warmth. Similarly, in Australia, a study of 2020 Christmas ads saw a 36% increase in intense emotions than the average ad. 

Captivating viewers with creative

Apart from cookies and targeting, which are some of the primary drivers of today’s campaigns, a Nielsen study found that creative is responsible for 47% of the uptick in sales from advertising.

Ultimately, creative should continue to be aligned with specific media goals, as well as its audiences, screens, and placement types. Capture audiences’ attention by telling engaging, relevant stories across all screens.

Brands can also capture viewers’ attention with short-form videos, where shorter ads can deliver higher dwell time, completion rate, and brand recall.

Interaction is key

Interactive video ads provide unique and engaging experiences for audiences, allowing them to live through your brand’s narrative and driving immediate action. Standalone interactive elements, or a combination of elements, can take the viewing experience to greater heights.

A common example today is the use of QR codes; their popularity has been further driven by the pandemic as viewers may take action almost instantly. Particularly useful in CTV, QR codes are an efficient way of getting viewers to continue the consumer journey on their mobile devices – including downloading an app, adding an item to an online cart, or even redeeming a gift.

Other elements that help push users down the conversion funnel include countdown clocks, which heighten the sense of urgency and excitement for promotions and product releases, and shoppable videos, which provide an instant path to purchase.

As CTV and video continue their rise as one of today’s most important marketing channels, it is time for brands to start riding on the wave of video and creative to unlock growth. With the close of 2021, it’s now time to harness the host of possibilities that CTV and video bring, to engage with audiences uniquely and personally for the most unforgettable shopping moments.

This article is written by Greg Fournier, senior vice president of global strategy at video advertising platform Unruly.

Shanghai, China – Edrington’s whiskey brand Macallan has launched what it says its largest consumer engagement experience – an immersive and artistic exhibition called ‘The Macallan Experience’ sitting on 4,000 sqm exhibit space of the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (MoCA) in Shanghai, China. This new on-ground activation aims to ride on the rising appeal for premium whiskies among the new generation in APAC. 

‘The Macallan Experience’, which was created in collaboration with Chinese art curator, Bao Dong, and three other acclaimed Chinese contemporary artists, is a new engagement experience for consumers who want to explore the origin and vision of the whiskey brand. It includes three designated exhibition areas, which depicts the origins of the brand, showcases the brand’s value and DNA, and highlights the brand’s outlook on sustainability.

Visitors to the exhibition will be greeted by the massive forest photography installation, executed by installation artist, Ji Zhou, on the exterior of MoCA, which is a tribute to the Speyside scenery where The Macallan Distillery is located.

After entering MoCA’s exhibit space, visitors will experience The Macallan’s tribute to nature, culture, and heritage. The journey will begin as visitors walk through the River Spey, making their way through the vast barley field that leads to the legendary oak forest. Contemporary Artist and Professor Chen Qihad reimagined the River Spey to bring about an immersive sensorial environment, brought to life by audio-visual digital work.

Meanwhile, moving up the sweeping ramp that leads to the second level of MoCA, visitors will uncover the full collection of The Macallan Fine & Rare, while at the end of the ramp, the visitors will be greeted by the iconic The Macallan’s spiritual home, Easter Elchies House, manifested through the interpretation of Sculptor & Artist, Cai Lei. Continuing onto the second level, visitors can also explore a number of rare and limited-edition expressions, and to conclude the immerse experience on the third level, visitors will have the opportunity to savor The Macallan single malt whiskies to further discover the details of the brand’s creations and experience.

Francois Saurel, Edrington’s regional managing director for APAC, shared that the brand wanted to offer the Chinese consumers the opportunity to discover Macallan’s legacy, and to explore some of its collaborations and whisky expressions. 

“With The Macallan Experience – Shanghai, we want to recognize and celebrate the essentiality of China for our brand in Asia Pacific and beyond. And we aim at building deeper connections and affinity with our Chinese consumers and audience,” said Saurel.

Meanwhile, Coral Gill, Edrington’s regional marketing director for APAC, said, “As the biggest event of its kind ever, The Macallan Experience presents a state-of-the-art opportunity to discover the legacy, history and traditions of the brand, which not only include an incomparable approach to the outstanding quality and craftsmanship, but a leading commitment to sustainability.”

The exhibition was opened to the public last 3 December 2021 at MoCA Shanghai, and will be running until 16 January 2022.

Aside from the exhibit, Macallan has also launched its new ‘The Harmony Collection’ brand in Shanghai, which represents the brand’s commitment towards sustainability. ‘The Harmony Collection’, which is done in collaboration with world-renowned pastry chef, Jordi Roca, is encased in recyclable and biodegradable packaging, made using natural products from the chocolate-making process.

Our lifestyle today revolves around platform businesses, and the need for such services has been further heightened with social restrictions over the course of the pandemic. From what we eat (food delivery), how we commute (ride-hailing), to how we consume entertainment (video-sharing websites), we use the services provided by platform players. In fact, the market size of the global platform economy has surpassed the US$7t mark and is still growing at a compounded annual rate of 15%.

In 2022, there will be more startups coming to the scene disrupting traditional markets, and even established companies shifting their business model, all adopting the platform-based approach.

With increasing competition coming next year, what does it take for a platform player to emerge as a winner? The answer is the ability to create an ecosystem that not just meets the needs of both the consumers (buyers) and suppliers (sellers), but also one where both sides of the platform are committed and engaged in interacting with each other.

This can be achieved via platform loyalty programs. Platform loyalty programs are different from traditional loyalty programs. The program design of the latter is geared only towards the consumers whereas in the former, both players have their own roles to play to drive sustainable growth of the platform.

Five Strategic Archetypes of Platform Loyalty Programs to consider in 2022

As we enter 2022 with service platforms now deeply ingrained in consumers’ day-to-day, today proves to be the best time to double down on their engagement and build loyalty programs that will make the stay and long for a brand’s product or service.

Here are five strategies platform players can adopt in building a winning engagement strategy as their growth engine.

1. Two-pronged programs

The most direct way is to create a separate reward system for both consumers and sellers as means to create growth loops i.e. consumers bringing in more consumers; while sellers bringing in more sellers to the platform – to create more activities. 

Example: foodpanda

Foodpanda is a great example of how they create a separate rewards program for both sides of the platform ecosystem. Consumers have access to challenges and rewards where you get to unlock badges and points and redeem them for vouchers. Meanwhile, foodpanda has Bamboo Rewards to recognize riders. Through Bamboo Rewards, riders get to earn rewards such as fuel incentives, vouchers, and free merchandise.

Source: Screengrabs from foodpanda app and website

2. Customized programs

A platform owner can allow sellers on their program to launch their own mini loyalty program, which offers and rewards customers based on their own business needs, but still within the overarching rewards design principle of the platform.

Example: Lieferando

Lieferando is a food delivery platform in Europe. While they have an overarching points program, they allow the participating restaurants to customize their own stampcard program where users will get to earn a stamp for every order they make and redeem it for vouchers – personalized from that very restaurant – after collecting x number of stamps.

Source: Screengrabs from Lieferando website

3. Coalition programs

Multiple brands join together in a partnership and offer a joint loyalty program, often having a single rewards currency in the ecosystem.

Example: PAYBACK

At the core of the coalition program, PAYBACK has market-leading brands in the everyday spend category. This helps to ensure sufficient scale to support the economics of the program and in turn attract other partners to the coalition. A highly liquid rewards currency is the main draw for the consumers where they can freely earn/ burn across the participating brands thus allowing them to stretch their dollars.

Source: Screengrabs from PAYBACK website

4. Alliance program

Similar to a coalition loyalty program except that participating brands do not have to forfeit their own loyalty program and consumers do not have to sign up for a new program to be part of the alliance ecosystem

Example: Star Alliance

Star Alliance is a two-tier rewards program that gives passengers more options to book their tickets from the participating airlines, simplified in-flight operations, and the ability to earn and redeem miles on other alliance members. To be a member, customers just have to be enrolled in any of the participating alliance members’ frequent flyer programs. For airlines, joining an alliance gives them access to more customers and by combining networks, member airlines can offer more flights to many more designations without having the need to operate these routes on their own.

Source: Screengrabs from Star Alliance website

5. Employer-Employee program

While this model is not quite a typical platform rewards program, the program is meant to solve the pain points of employers and employees while still driving the main activities to the platform itself.

Example: Grab for Business

The program helps employers and saves them from having to give and track transport allowance to staff, and staff (users) do not have to be bothered with manual expense reporting while still being able to earn rewards points on their business travels.

Source: Screengrabs from Grab website

Program design principles for a successful platform loyalty program

Whichever model a platform player chooses as their engagement strategy, they need to adhere to these principles to ensure their program is successful:

1. Platform owners must solve the pain points of both consumers and sellers; or at least give sufficient reasons for them to join the program

2. Program insights should be made available to sellers (e.g. real-time dashboards) to improve targeting and offerings

3. Personalization and segmentation are important ingredients for sellers

4. Loyalty economics (e.g. earn/burn, breakage, floats) are critical for platform growth.

5. Balanced earn and burn across all partners and program must be independently owned by 3rd party

Platform business is in abundance and the market will get even more crowded in 2022. Only those who can foster healthy relationships between consumers and sellers will be successful, therefore, it is imperative that platform players start investing in their engagement strategies today.

Platform loyalty programs are an important growth loop strategy for platform businesses to grow their players, both buyers and sellers. Introducing such a concept in the current market environment could prove to be a winning asset and a strong differentiator from the competition.

This article was written by Loyalty & Growth Leader Henry Christian. He is the former general manager of Singapore’s loyalty program NTUC Link, and previously the head of loyalty program of leading lifestyle retailer MAP in Indonesia.

The article is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series What’s NEXT.

This features marketing leaders sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year. The series aims to equip marketers with actionable insights to future-ready their marketing strategies.

If you are a marketing leader and have insights that you’d like to share with regards to the upcoming trends and practices in marketing, please reach out to [email protected] for an opportunity to have your thought leadership published on the platform.

Singapore – The global pandemic has challenged brands to rethink their existing digital marketing strategies due to the sudden shift in consumer behavior which has made online preferable to all other consumer channels.

With this in mind, customer engagement platform Braze and MARKETECH APAC, the dedicated news platform for the marketing and advertising industry in Asia-Pacific, have teamed up to launch the marketing guide, ‘Guide to Elevate Your Customer Engagement Strategies’, to offer brands a wide array of customer engagement strategies to elevate their campaigns no matter which part of the marketing funnel they’re looking to amplify – whether that’s to activate, monetize, or retain consumers. 

‘Guide to Elevate Your Customer Engagement Strategies’ features more than 40 customizable campaigns that have also been leveraged by the world’s savviest brands; this means along with fresh ideas to personalize, brands are provided with a broader perspective on a specific campaign with good examples of how other brands have applied it on their own. 

The guide is grounded in today’s fast-moving consumer landscape, providing each suggested campaign strategy with an estimated difficulty level, as well as the engagement channels that the campaign is best applied on, including email, in-app notifications, and social media advertisements, in order to capture consumers’ attention and retain them in the long run.

Strategies within the guide are divided into three main categories – for activation, monetization, and retention. The pandemic changed the game for each step of the consumer engagement cycle, and what it takes to activate, monetize, and retain consumers may be different than what brands were used to pre-pandemic.

In terms of activation, while free trials remain an effective way of drawing in customers, the guide provides new strategies that encourage experimenting with the channels, content, and timing of the messaging to more effectively underscore the brand’s offering. 

When it comes to monetization, meanwhile, the guide assists brands in taking advantage of cohesive and cross-channel campaigns to deliver promotional messages that effectively convert consumers.

And lastly, with retention, marketers can find informative and actionable insights in the guide that show how to leverage cross-channel messaging to highlight their brand’s value in providing existing and new products and services.

Bill Magnuson, Braze’s founder, said, “The secret weapon that differentiates exceptional, enduring companies is the quality of their customer engagement, encompassing the full set of activities through which companies build direct relationships with their customers.”

Taken together, these use cases make it possible for brands to determine the right mix of campaigns for their specific needs and business goals, and then to implement them effectively to make the most of their customer engagement efforts. By taking a methodical approach, marketers can ensure they’re not missing out on campaigns that could drive stronger customer loyalty or additional revenue.

Shaina Teope, the regional editor of MARKETECH APAC, commented, “No matter how seasoned marketers have become in a specific part of the consumer lifecycle, the changes brought by these strange times put us to square one, placing upon brands the need to revisit and reassess their consumer engagement. This comprehensive and no-frills guide will resonate well with marketing teams of all sizes.”

To access the guide, you may download ‘Guide to Elevate Your Customer Engagement Strategies’ here.

Hong Kong – Online marketing and enterprise data solutions provider iClick has launched iSCRM, an off-the-shelf (standard) Software as a service (SaaS) enterprise management platform for daily operations and social customer relationship management.

iSCRM leverages the updated features of WeCom, Tencent’s communication platform for enterprises, to effectively attract new users and intelligently manage brands’ private traffic through the integration of the various functions on WeChat Mini Program, WeCom, and WeChat.

Furthermore, iClick’s new software product can be used for the following:

  • Track consumer actions touch-points within Tencent.
  • Establish real-time 360-degree consumer profiles through data analytics of consumer social behavior data and consumption information.
  • Provide purchase and frequency analysis and advising on data-driven personalized engagement strategies through the identification of active and high-value consumers to enhance consumer stickiness and loyalty.
  • Digitalizing sales management and evaluation in order to improve internal management efficiency and boost sales revenues.
  • Ensure consumer transfer to retain valuable consumers.

“I am very excited to announce the launch of iSCRM, iClick’s first standard SaaS product. This new solution equips clients with the latest smart tools that [integrate] and optimizes the various functions of Tencent’s continuously evolving ecosystem,” said Jian “T.J.” Tang, CEO and co-founder of iClick.

He added, “We believe iSCRM has great potential to enhance brands’ private domain traffic management and generate higher sales revenues. We will continue to develop leading edge products like iSCRM that empower brands to take advantage of the latest trends in the smart retail era and look forward to the contribution of such standard products to rapidly scaling up iClick’s sales revenue across our mid-tier client base.”