Australia – A new report from InMoment has noted that four-star reviews are no longer enough – it is considered the minimum, with brands that proactively upload owner-generated content and encourage customer-shared visuals achieving significantly higher engagement.
In the report, it noted that brands in the automotive, consumer services, and entertainment sectors are leading in customer experience and online reputation management, while real estate, retail and restaurants businesses continue to fall behind.
In an environment where 94% of consumers walk away from a brand after just one bad experience, the new report finds that a four-star rating is no longer a differentiator – it’s the minimum, with top-performing brands generating more reviews, responding faster, and leveraging customer feedback to drive growth.
Top-performing brands maintain average ratings of 4.5 stars or higher and generate twice as many reviews per month as the rest of the market, according to the report’s benchmarking. These sector leaders are also far more responsive, with reply rates exceeding 95% and many responding to customer feedback in under 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the underperforming sectors lag across key experience markers, signalling significant risk to reputation and brand presence.
Photo and media usage has also emerged as a key differentiator, with brands that proactively upload owner-generated content and encourage customer-shared visuals achieving significantly higher engagement, reflecting a broader trend of businesses that invest in their online presence seeing stronger connections with customers and tangible commercial benefits.
David Blakers, managing director for APAC at InMoment, said, “Reputation has become a frontline driver of growth and customer acquisition. This year’s data confirms that brands actively managing their online presence – particularly by generating reviews and responding in near real-time – see up to 268% more Google profile views and 13.4% more conversions as a result. Stronger online reputation helps stronger customer trust, search visibility, and ultimately, better business outcomes.”
He added, “This data-driven report equips marketing and CX executives with the benchmarks needed to evaluate their brand’s current standing and uncover areas for improvement. With Google Profile views and reviews directly impacting local search performance, brands can no longer afford to treat reputation as a passive metric – it must be owned, measured, and acted on.”
India – Dentsu India has strengthened its Customer Experience (CXM) practice with the appointment of Devang Shah as chief business officer for consumer, industrials & commerce, and Hemant Kshirsagar as chief business officer for financial services & fintech.
These appointments reflect Dentsu India’s focus on expanding its CXM capabilities and strengthening its expertise across marketing, technology, and consulting.
In his new role, Shah will oversee the non-BFSI segment, focussing on client relationships and business growth, while also expanding Dentsu India’s presence in the luxury and precious jewellery sectors. With over 18 years of experience in digital marketing and commerce, he has led growth strategies for brands such as Gabriel & Co., Titan, Nokia, EY, and KPMG.
Commenting on his new role, Shah said, “Dentsu’s ambitious vision and integrated approach to marketing, technology, and consulting present an exciting opportunity to drive industry-leading solutions. I look forward to helping brands navigate an ever-evolving marketplace.”
Meanwhile, Kshirsagar brings 17 years of expertise in FinTech and digital strategy, having held key positions at Bain, EY, and PwC.
Kshirsagar shared, “I am excited to join dentsu and look forward to leveraging our expertise in financial services, technology, and integrated marketing to deliver accelerated growth and unlock new opportunities for our financial services clients.”
With extensive experience in their respective fields, Shah and Kshirsagar will focus on strengthening CXM capabilities and improving service delivery. They will work across the network to develop integrated solutions aimed at addressing business challenges and achieving measurable outcomes in marketing, technology, and consulting.
Harsha Razdan, CEO of South Asia at dentsu commented, “At dentsu, we’re driven by the mission to create real growth for our clients by tackling their most complex challenges. Devang and Hemant bring the strategic vision and deep industry expertise needed to accelerate this journey. Their leadership will be crucial in expanding our CXM capabilities and enhancing our customer experience impact across all practices and expertise.”
“I am confident that they will empower our clients to grow, acquire, and retain customers more effectively by harnessing the full potential of our integrated solutions in an ever-evolving marketplace,” he added.
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
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – AEON Bank has recently introduced ‘Neko Missions’ a gamification-based stamp programme, and are designed to enhance customer engagement and elevate their overall banking experience during their daily transactions.
The new feature was developed to promote greater synergy with AEON’s wider ecosystem, namely merchant partners such as ZUS Coffee and Tealive. AEON Bank’s effort to promote cashless transactions is also supported by PayNet via Neko Missions DuitNow QR programme.
Prior to this, AEON Bank has already embedded the widely–used AEON Points Programme into its digital banking app, which rewards customers that shop at AEON stores nationwide. This move has made it the only bank in the country to establish a retail loyalty programme integrated within its mobile banking app.
The new Neko Missions aims to spark joy by introducing exciting rewards in customers’ everyday digital payment. Neko Missions’ virtual stamps called Neko Paws can be collected via AEON Bank app by clicking on the ‘Rewards’ icon and completing the Neko Missions. The current Neko Missions features AEON’s retail star tenant, ZUS Coffee, as well as PayNet’s DuitNow.
From now until 31 March 2025, for every Neko Missions x DuitNow QR transactions of RM20 and above, customers can collect one Neko Paw, limited to two per day. A set of 10 Neko Paws can be redeemed into 1,000 AEON Points (worth RM5) via AEON Bank app.
Meanwhile, for Neko Missions x ZUS Coffee, from now until 31 May 2025, customers need to use their AEON Bank Debit Card-i to pay for their ZUS Coffee (minimum purchase of RM7) and they will be entitled to earn one Neko Paws. Upon collection of 6 Neko Paws, the rewards can be redeemed via the ZUS Coffee app.
YM Raja Teh Maimunah Raja Abdul Aziz, CEO at AEON Bank, said, “Digital banking has the potential to be more than just a payment and transaction tool. We aim to elevate the mobile banking experience for our customers by optimising it as a medium of engagement between customers and their favourite F&B or retail brands.”
She added, “Neko Missions infuses fun in daily payment and shopping activities, making cashless financial habits more dynamic. We will further develop our loyalty programme and through Neko Missions, we will explore partnerships with various merchants partners within our ecosystem, while leveraging on each others’ USP and customers brand affinity.”
Meanwhile, Azrul Fakhzan B. Mainor, senior director of commercial at PayNet, commented, “Our strategic collaboration with AEON Bank enhances Malaysia’s digital payments landscape by delivering a seamless, secure, and rewarding digital payment experience. With Neko Missions, we are integrating incentives into everyday transactions, encouraging more Malaysians to embrace cashless payments while enjoying meaningful rewards. This will strengthen customer engagement, as well as accelerate the shift toward a more connected, inclusive, and digitally empowered economy.”
Australia – Wonderful Digital has been appointed as agency partner for Oxford University Press (OUP) Australia and New Zealand to deliver a comprehensive remit spanning customer experience (CX), brand platform development and performance media.
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford which has a mission to further the university’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.
Through the mandate, Wonderful Digital will focus on localising OUP’s brand platform, improving the customer journey by integrating data-driven insights and optimising performance media strategies.
Wonderful appointment by OUP leverages its expertise in connecting brands with audiences and follows its expansion to a full-service customer experience (CX) agency with a comprehensive offering designed to engage consumers at every touchpoint.
Moreover, Wonderful’s value proposition, ‘Complexity to Clarity,’ is at the heart of this collaboration and its expertise in technology, design, and data will be pivotal in enhancing OUP’s digital ecosystem and delivering consistent, engaging customer experiences.
Sarah Hossli, head of marketing at Oxford University Press ANZ, said, “As a global leader in education, our goal is to empower teachers and learners with the tools they need to succeed. OUP strives to make learning work for everyone, everywhere. Wonderful stood out for their ability to bring together innovative CX strategies, thoughtful brand storytelling, and performance-driven media campaigns. We are confident their approach will help us deliver meaningful and lasting connections with our Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand audiences.”
Meanwhile, Matt Barbelli, managing director of Wonderful Digital, commented, “Winning the Oxford University Press account is a proud moment for our team. OUP’s legacy in education and their commitment to innovation align perfectly with Wonderful’s ethos. We’re excited to help them localise their brand platform and customer experience while driving measurable results through performance media. This partnership underscores our ability to bridge brand strategy with cutting-edge technology to create real impact.”
Singapore – A new report from IDC has predicted that by 2028, consumers will spend $32b via AI agents that run independently on their smartphones to programmatically shop for goods, services, and considered purchases. It also highlighted that CX executives will adjust their business strategies based on such initiatives and seek to incorporate a more AI-infused approach in their campaigns.
It also highlighted that around 40% of CX vendors will shift to new, outcome-based, pricing models making the value exchange for their clients more transparent and improving the monetisation of their AI investment.
Moreover, as AI implementations scale, human-in-the-loop approaches will be eliminated, resulting in 25% of CX teams creating new, dedicated roles for the systemic governance of AI by 2028.
The report also predicts that seeing value in referral growth and in controlling costs, by 2028, 30% of A2000 companies will have restructured and aligned their customer-facing teams under a CRO to optimise CX outcomes.
Lastly, around 20% of B2C A2000 companies by 2028 will enable real-time IoT-product data to notify customers of future failures, issue resolution recommendations, and help customers self-solve proactively.
Abhishek Kumar, associate research director and head of AP Enterprise Applications & CX at IDC Asia-Pacific, said, “Tech-driven CX enhancements have always been AP retailers’ top go-to differentiator in a highly commoditised market with indistinguishable products and services. A key challenge for them is to refocus IT and digital initiatives to improve operational efficiencies. Many look to AI to modernise and unify their underlying data infrastructure, breaking down existing organisational silos, moving towards a holistic experience-orchestrated (X-O) approach that creates meaningful value for all key stakeholders and not just customers.”
Singapore – Jollibee Group has entered a new global multi-year partnership with experience management leader Qualtrics to enhance customer experiences and fuel growth across its brands, including Jollibee, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Smashburger.
Under the multi-year agreement, Jollibee Group will leverage Qualtrics to strengthen customer relationships and respond more effectively to their evolving needs. By capturing and consolidating feedback from both in-store and digital touchpoints, the partnership aims to accelerate issue resolution and deliver actionable insights to enhance customer-facing operations.
Additionally, the new program is expected to support Jollibee Group’s global expansion and its ambition to rank among the world’s top five restaurant companies while enhancing and personalising its digital offerings.
“The multi-year agreement underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences for our global store network. By leveraging Qualtrics, we can consolidate customer feedback from in-store and digital touchpoints, accelerate case resolution, and provide actionable insights for our customer-facing teams,” said Marcos Cadena, global chief technology officer of the Jollibee Group.
Jacqueline Fuentes, head of global customer experience of the Jollibee Group, added, “Qualtrics enables us at the Jollibee Group to better understand our diverse customer base, helping ensure that we meet their evolving needs and expectations. Qualtrics provides the capabilities and insights we need to continuously enhance our customer experiences and build stronger connections with the millions of customers we serve worldwide.”
Through its multi-year partnership with Qualtrics, Jollibee Group will leverage the platform to enhance customer experiences across its brands in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
“Companies that win and succeed in today’s fast-moving markets prioritise delivering great experiences their customers love,” shared Brad Anderson, president of product, UX, and engineering at Qualtrics.
“Thousands of organisations across the globe, including the Jollibee Group, are using Qualtrics to improve their customer experience by capturing feedback from multiple channels to deeply understand the needs and expectations of their customers and take fast, targeted, and proactive action when and where it matters most,” Anderson added.
Singapore – In a digital world saturated with information and fragmented audience attention, traditional advertising is no longer enough. Rising costs, ad fatigue, and growing privacy concerns have diminished the effectiveness of conventional ads, challenging brands to rethink their strategies to connect authentically with their audiences.
User-generated content (UGC) is emerging as a transformative solution, offering brands a powerful way to amplify their voice, foster community-driven advocacy, and build trust with consumers increasingly resistant to traditional marketing methods.
To help marketers navigate this shift, media monitoring company Meltwater has released an insightful guide, ‘Unlocking the Power of UGC for Meaningful Brand Connections.’This report provides practical guidance for brands to harness UGC effectively and create authentic, impactful customer experiences.
The guide explores how UGC can redefine audience engagement by showcasing its ability to amplify brand authenticity, turn loyal customers into advocates, and drive meaningful connections in a fragmented media landscape.
It also outlines a three-step approach to leveraging UGC:
Listening to consumer insights: Understand what resonates with your audience by actively analysing organic feedback.
Engaging meaningfully: Foster genuine interactions with your community to deepen relationships.
Building loyalty: Transform UGC into a long-term strategy for sustained brand growth.
Additionally, the report highlights real-world examples of brands using UGC to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and create memorable moments that resonate with their audiences.
Teddy Cambosa, regional editor at MARKETECH APAC, said, “Amidst the noise of today’s marketplace, UGC stands out as a beacon for reshaping brand engagement—fusing authenticity with innovation. By connecting deeply with consumers’ values and lifestyles, we create not just products, but experiences that cut through the clutter and build lasting emotional bonds. This report from Meltwater is the ultimate playbook for impactful engagement for brands, as well as strategies in fostering organic interactions with customers.”
Digital banks are reshaping the financial industry with convenient, fully online services that prioritise accessibility and efficiency. To stay competitive in this growing sector, they must adopt innovative solutions that enhance customer experience and streamline operations.
Conversational AI plays a crucial role in this transformation, offering real-time, personalized support while automating routine tasks. By improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, AI enables digital banks to scale services effectively without compromising quality, making it a vital tool in today’s tech-driven market.
In this case study, we explore how Tonik Bank, a leading digital bank in the Philippines, leveraged Gupshup’s Conversation Cloud—powered by advanced AI and automation tools—to enhance customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
The Challenge
As a digital-first bank, Tonik aimed to stand out by delivering a seamless, efficient customer experience superior to traditional banks. To meet the demands of its growing user base, the bank sought innovative solutions to reduce response times, automate routine tasks, enhance customer satisfaction and engagement, and boost operational efficiency while cutting costs.
Tonik recognised that addressing these challenges would not only retain existing customers but also attract new users to its platform.
The Objective
Tonik outlined clear goals for its partnership with Gupshup:
Enable instant access to customer support and information.
Reduce reliance on traditional channels by adopting AI-driven solutions.
Deliver personalised and efficient customer interactions.
Enhance operational efficiency by automating routine tasks.
By achieving these objectives, Tonik aimed to establish itself as a leader in customer experience while scaling its operations cost-effectively.
The Solution
To address Tonik’s objectives, Gupshup implemented a comprehensive strategy leveraging Generative AI and automation technologies. At the core of this approach was the integration of a Generative AI-powered chatbot tailored specifically for Tonik’s mobile app. This advanced chatbot managed a wide range of customer interactions, providing instant responses to queries, engaging in contextual and personalised conversations, and assisting with routine banking tasks such as balance inquiries and transactions.
In addition to enhancing responsiveness, Gupshup automated routine customer service tasks, allowing human agents to concentrate on more complex, high-value interactions. This shift not only improved the efficiency of the customer care team but also significantly reduced response times.
To improve AI accuracy and reduce manual retraining, Gupshup took a multi-model approach combining Gupshup’s fine-tuned ACE LLM (built atop foundational models) with traditional NLP models, optimizing for latency, response quality, and cost-effectiveness.
As a result, the chatbot now autonomously resolves 75% of customer queries, covering a wide range of topics from FAQs about account opening and information about loan products. This significantly reduces the need for human intervention. Additionally, ACE LLM’s fine-tuning reduces AI hallucinations, ensuring high accuracy and reliability.
To ensure sustained success, Gupshup established regular feedback loops and performance reviews, continuously optimizing the system for maximum effectiveness and adaptability.
The Result
The partnership between Tonik and Gupshup yielded remarkable results, showcasing the power of Generative AI in transforming digital banking.
Customer satisfaction saw a significant boost, with the AI chatbot enhancing response times and achieving a 45% increase in customer satisfaction ratings. Operational efficiency also improved, as automation allowed the customer care team to operate 4.3 times more efficiently while reducing costs associated with manual query handling.
The AI chatbot demonstrated exceptional performance, routing 9 out of 10 customer queries through the in-app chat feature, achieving an AI accuracy rate of 95%. This success in automation not only streamlined processes but also enhanced the overall user experience.
This initiative is expected to save over USD 20 million in operational costs for Tonik Bank over the next three years, contributing to a significant increase in productivity while maintaining a headcount growth rate below 20%.
***
Tonik Bank’s partnership with Gupshup highlights the power of conversational AI in banking. By automating tasks and improving customer interactions, Tonik enhanced its customer experience and achieved significant operational efficiency. This success sets a standard for innovative, customer-focused digital banking in a competitive financial landscape.
Singapore – Zendesk has named technology industry veteran and customer experience expert Mitch Young as its new senior vice president for Asia Pacific, tasking him with spearheading the company’s growth across the region’s dynamic markets.
Effective immediately, Young will lead Zendesk’s growth strategy across the Asia Pacific region, overseeing key markets such as Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, and beyond.
Before joining Zendesk, Young held leadership roles at IBM and most recently at ServiceNow, where he successfully led the Asia Pacific region for nearly six years before taking a sabbatical.
Based in Melbourne, Young brings extensive experience in regional leadership roles. His career has taken him to Singapore and Shanghai, where he managed business growth across both mature and emerging markets in the APAC region.
Zendesk plans to leverage his vast knowledge of the region’s markets to build on one of the fastest-growing regions for the company.
Speaking on his new role, Young shared, “This is a time of massive opportunity for us at Zendesk. As the company delivering the most comprehensive suite of AI-powered CX solutions, we are at an exciting inflection point. This aligns well with the macro opportunities in APAC, the region that is poised to deliver exponential growth in the global economy.”
“I am excited to be here and work with our teams to support APAC businesses as they position themselves to take advantage of these growth possibilities,” he added.
Zendesk supports brands in financial services, retail, and manufacturing across the APAC region, which is also home to engineering hubs in Melbourne and Singapore that drive global product development. Recently, the company released its CX Trends report, revealing that APAC leaders who embrace AI are 172% more likely to achieve high ROI, while 72% of consumers expect more personalised service.
Commenting on the APAC landscape, Young said, “What I find most exciting about the CX space, at this time particularly, is how AI is enabling efficiencies and productivity gains across the board. Eighty-two percent of agents in APAC believe that having an AI copilot would help them do their job better. We’re partnering with businesses whose impetus is retaining and growing their customer base, amid growing economies but also growing competition.”
We use cookies to improve your experience and to analyse our traffic. To find out more, please click here. By continuing to use our website, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
