Industry Insights Archives

Contextual advertising might be considered a modern phenomenon, but it is one of the oldest tricks in a marketer’s playbook. From advertisements for cold cream in early women’s journals to the first-ever car advertisement in Scientific American, contextual placement has long played a key role in enticing prospective customers.

Today, however, the media environment is considerably more sophisticated, and capitalising on the e-commerce boom of recent years calls for a strategy that meets customers in the right place and in the right mindset.

There’s no questioning the value of the prize on offer. E-commerce presents an immeasurable opportunity for Asia Pacific’s marketing community, with an estimated market size of US$4.2 trillion in 2024. This is expected to reach US$6.76 trillion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 10% over the next five years.

In the past, brands looking to ramp up e-commerce sales, either on their own platforms or via digital marketplaces, had limited advertising options. Banner ads and pop-ups were commonplace, often appearing in inappropriate places and completely out of context, much to browsers’ frustration.

Now, with heightened consumer expectations and growing awareness around data privacy, the playing field looks very different. With Google’s sunsetting of the cookie progressing at a glacial pace, context-based marketing has emerged as the clear cut privacy-friendly alternative to previous data-intensive strategies.

Why context is king in today’s digital advertising realm

In a vast market like APAC, context matters deeply. As home to a wide range of people, ethnicities and cultures, not to mention 60% of the world’s population, APAC poses both an exciting and challenging landscape for e-commerce brands.

In order to be successful in this space, marketers need to thoroughly understand their target audience’s preferences, interests and passions. By delving into the consumer’s psyche and emotional drivers at precise moments, and assessing the advertising creative that cuts through with specific audiences, brands can deliver highly relevant ads.

Correspondingly, consumers are increasingly demanding personalised experiences. But even without access to device IDs and third-party cookies, marketers can still deliver hyper-personalised experiences by curating creative that matches the page content (or video) the user is viewing.

Cutting edge technology to deliver highly relevant e-commerce ad creative

AI-powered contextual advertising is undoubtedly one of the biggest game-changers across the digital landscape of recent years. With fast-advancing innovations in contextual platform capabilities, buyers now have a new and compelling opportunity presented to them.

Given the seemingly infinite number of pages and users on offer, it’s these AI-powered platforms that are best poised to deliver business’s commercial objectives at the necessary scale.

But what exactly should e-commerce-focused marketers be looking for? In essence, the ability to forensically delve into context is what will separate the best from the rest. The most innovative platforms now offer not just in-depth keyword search analysis, but rigorous web page and video analysis that ranks thousands of pieces of creative at speed.

Then, combining all these data points, standout platforms will match ad creative with high-attention online inventory, giving each placement a greatly increased chance of successfully driving conversions.

That’s why it’s essential to have the right platform partner: to gain a serious analytical leg up, while also having a compelling case to reach relevant publishers.

Successful partnerships between marketers and publishers are those that create a win-win situation. Publishers can benefit from advanced contextual advertising to increase monetisation opportunities, while advertisers can be assured that their creative is appearing alongside content that is suitable for their brands.

In a cookieless and privacy-conscious world, e-commerce brands require new ways to deliver targeted ads to consumers digitally. Contextual advertising, in many ways, may be as old as the industry itself, but it has rapidly risen to meet the demands of the modern age. With advanced advertising platforms as partners, marketers can seize on the billion-dollar opportunity presented, while also delivering ad creative that is the perfect match for today’s privacy-focused consumer.

This thought leadership is written by Sorrel Kesby, Head of Global Commercial Operations at GumGum

In digital commerce, the challenge of budget allocation is ever-present. Should marketers channel more resources into attracting the right audience, or should they optimise their websites to convert visitors into customers? This is a question that demands careful consideration. Too often, businesses lean heavily towards one end of the spectrum—either pouring funds into ads for acquisition or investing in their website at the expense of a seamless customer journey. However, in today’s competitive landscape, where every brand vies for attention, the key to success lies in finding the right balance. It’s not just about drawing in customers but strategically engaging those most likely to convert into loyal brand advocates.

The Importance of Balanced Marketing Investment

Effective digital marketing isn’t just about bringing in an audience; it’s about converting this audience into loyal customers. Spending heavily on customer acquisition might drive high traffic, but if the website isn’t optimised, visitors are likely to leave without purchasing. On the other hand, a perfectly optimised website without sufficient traffic is like a beautifully designed store in a deserted area. Both aspects need attention to ensure you can maximise your ROI, and we all know that even the most well-crafted ads can fail to deliver results.

A balanced marketing investment ensures that every dollar spent on attracting an audience is supported by a website capable of delivering a positive user experience. This holistic approach leads to higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction, ultimately supporting business growth.

Understanding Audience Acquisition and Its Impact

Several factors influence the cost of acquiring an audience, such as keyword competition, audience targeting, and content relevance. For example, platforms like Google Ads use a quality score to determine the cost-per-click (CPC) of ads. This score is influenced by the relevance of the ad, the quality of the landing page, and the expected click-through rate.

To optimise customer acquisition and spend, marketers should focus on the following:

Keyword Optimisation: Using relevant and specific keywords to effectively reach the target audience.
Content Relevance: Crafting messages that closely match the intent and needs of the audience.
Quality Score Improvement: Enhancing the quality score by ensuring the landing page offers a good user experience and aligns with the content that attracted the audience. This also includes the website speed performance measurements used by Google PageSpeed.

By managing these factors, marketers can lower their CPC and get more value from their audience acquisition budget.

The Impact of Website Performance on Ad Costs

Website performance directly affects Google Ads Quality Score. A slow-loading website not only frustrates customers but also impacts your Quality Score, therefore increasing CPC. Improving your website’s speed can significantly enhance your ad performance and reduce costs per ad. Focus on optimising page load times, enhancing server response times, and mobile friendliness.

Key elements of website optimisation for a lower CPC include:

Speed: Slow-loading websites can frustrate users and increase bounce rates. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help identify areas for improvement.
Mobile Responsiveness: With a significant portion of traffic coming from mobile devices, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is critical.
Intuitive Navigation: A website should be easy to navigate, allowing users to find what they are looking for quickly and effortlessly.

In addition to Google Ads, platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are common ways to reach targeted audiences, each with its own cost structure. Facebook Ads, for example, often have a lower CPC compared to Google, while TikTok and Instagram require creative, visually driven content to engage users effectively. Regardless of the platform, it’s essential that your website aligns with the tone and expectations set by your ads. Consistency between the ad and the landing page ensures a seamless user experience, which is crucial for maximising conversions.

Creating a Seamless Journey from Audience to Conversion

Consistency between the content that attracts your audience, and the landing page experience is crucial for a seamless customer journey. When a user engages with your content, they develop certain expectations. If the landing page fails to meet these expectations, it can lead to higher bounce rates, lower conversion rates and wasted ad spend.

Best practices for ensuring alignment include:

Matching Ad Content to Your Landing Page: The landing page should deliver on the promises made in the content that attracted the audience. If content promotes a specific offer, the landing page should prominently feature this offer.
Consistent Messaging and Design: Maintain a consistent tone, style, and visual design between the content and the landing page to build trust and ensure a smooth transition.
Personalised Landing Pages: Use dynamic content to tailor the landing page to the visitor’s interests and behaviours, enhancing relevance and engagement.

Tools and Metrics to Measure Success

Effectively balancing your investment between acquisition and conversion requires careful analysis of key performance indicators. By consistently monitoring these metrics, you can make data-driven decisions that optimise both your marketing strategies and your website’s ability to convert customers. Focus on understanding user behaviour, identifying where drop off is happening, and assessing the overall effectiveness of your conversion efforts.

Key metrics to look out for include:

Bounce Rate: Indicates the percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page, helping you identify potential irrelevant content or experience design issues.
Conversion Rate: Measures the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, usually a purchase, revealing how effectively your site turns traffic into sales.
Average Session Duration: Shows how long visitors spend on your site, reflecting their engagement and interest in your content.
Page Load Time: Provided by tools like Google PageSpeed, this metric measures how quickly your pages load, which directly impacts user experience and conversion rates.

Conclusion

Achieving the right balance between marketing investment and website performance is essential for Digital Commerce success. It’s not just about where you allocate your budget, but how well your ads and website collaborate to create a seamless customer journey. By strategically aligning your marketing spend with website optimisation, you can maximise ROI and drive higher conversions. Evaluate your current strategies, make the necessary adjustments, and ensure that every step of the digital experience—from ad click to purchase—guides your audience toward becoming loyal customers.

This thought leadership is written by Sebastian Klett, General Manager at Balance.

Singapore – Nearly half of retailers in Singapore (43%) face challenges with brand awareness during the initial stages of the consumer journey, according to a survey conducted by Twilio.

The survey revealed that overcoming ad and email fatigue is the most significant challenge for 32% of retailers trying to build brand awareness. Other major obstacles include a limited understanding of consumer behaviour (29%), and difficulties in measuring the effectiveness of marketing efforts (28%).

Additionally, a significant number of Singapore retailers also face challenges in brand conversion (24%) and retention (22%). To address these issues, 45% of retailers leverage customer data to personalise experiences, 22% expand the number of channels used to connect with customers, and 18% increase the frequency of communications.

Fortunately, the survey found that many Singaporean businesses are on the right track, with 45% of retailers recognising the power of leveraging customer data to understand their customers’ needs.

The survey also highlighted Singapore consumers’ preferences for brand engagement. Notably, over 6 in 10 or 63% of consumers prefer interacting with brands through digital channels, including websites, mobile apps, email marketing, and e-commerce or social commerce sites. However, a quarter of consumers remain most responsive to brand interactions at brick-and-mortar shops.

Aligned with Singapore consumers’ preference for digital channels, Twilio’s survey found that local retailers are prioritising engagement strategies to strengthen their connections on these platforms. Over the next 12 months, Singaporean retailers plan to explore new customer engagement methods, including influencer marketing (29%), gamification (22%), and live streaming (18%).

Nicholas Kontopoulos, vice president of marketing for Asia Pacific & Japan at Twilio, said, “In an increasingly noisy and competitive landscape, retail businesses are challenged to retain their customers’ attention and ensure that they are considered at all stages of the consumer journey. Retailers must look beyond run-of-the-mill methods and consider how they can elevate their marketing efforts to create a more engaging brand experience and reach customers on their preferred channels. This can go hand-in-hand with using AI and zero- and first-party data to create more precise and personalised communications.”

“In order to increase top-of-mind awareness and enhance brand visibility at various stages of the customer journey, retailers are looking into ways to increase touchpoints with their customers. However, the brands that will truly stand out and cut through the noise will be those that understand the value of creating hyper-personalised customer interactions, especially as individualisation becomes more important to today’s customers,” Kontopoulos added.

Today, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in e-commerce is pervasive. Big brands, food giants, and fashion labels are leveraging AI to create immersive consumer interactions and highly personalised buying experiences. The success stories are plentiful, highlighting how AI-driven campaigns have developed customer-relevant content, driven up interest, strengthened brand images, and improved engagement and sales.

Hyper personalisation is the buzzword of the moment. According to a 2022 Salesforce survey on customer engagement strategies, 73% of customers now expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations. This shift towards a digital-first shopping experience is only expected to grow.

The Allure of Hyper-Personalisation

This trend is driving many companies to use AI to meet these expectations. AI powers exclusive playlists based on previous listening choices, specific clothing designs and colours, travel advice, and even lifestyle recommendations. For many, this hyper-personalisation is both interesting and welcome.

Take Shopify, for example. They’re using AI to generate product descriptions. Sephora has integrated voice search capabilities into its online beauty marketplace, and Burger King employs AI algorithms to create visuals and content for personalised advertisements. This level of personalisation is immersive and engaging, enhancing brand recall and boosting business.

Concerns About Over-Personalisation

However, not all customers appreciate this high level of personalisation. Some worry that online shopping will become too customised, leaving them with no real choice. They fear that everything they might need will be served to them on a platter, stripping away the joy of discovery in shopping.

How AI Transforms E-Commerce

In the current fast-changing and competitive e-commerce landscape, AI and Machine Learning are invaluable. They help organisations make sense of vast amounts of data, deliver powerful search experiences, offer relevant product recommendations, and enhance customer engagement. AI learns customer behaviour by tracking their activities on e-commerce sites, using this data to recommend products tailored to their preferences. This creates a tailored, relevant, and often entertaining shopping experience.

AI also boosts productivity by automating repetitive tasks within the e-commerce workflow, improving efficiency and reducing operational costs. These savings can then be reinvested in other areas of the business. Dynamic pricing is another significant benefit, with AI adjusting prices based on real-time customer behaviour, supply and demand trends, and competition. This real-time pricing helps e-commerce companies remain competitive and attract more buyers.

AI’s role extends to product search and customer support. Optimised search engines guide shoppers to the products they seek, enhancing the online shopping experience. AI-driven chatbots and customer service initiatives handle customer inquiries efficiently, providing 24/7 support and increasing customer loyalty and repeat purchases.

The Pesky Problems of AI

While AI-driven hyper-personalisation has many benefits, it also has its drawbacks.

1. Overwhelming the Customer: Imagine walking into a store and being bombarded by salespeople with various products. Similarly, too many recommendations can overwhelm online shoppers, confusing them and potentially driving them away.

2. Losing the Human Touch: AI-driven recommendations, while accurate, can create a sense of discomfort among customers who feel watched and judged. This lack of human interaction can be off-putting, especially for older generations.

3. Eliminating the Brand Discovery Experience: Hyper personalisation can pre-empt consumers’ needs, presenting them with products before they even realise they want them. This convenience can detract from the enjoyment of browsing and discovering new brands and products.

4. Data Privacy Concerns: Hyper personalisation relies on vast amounts of consumer data, raising concerns about privacy and security. The collection and use of this data can make both e-commerce companies and their customers vulnerable to data breaches, cyberattacks, and online scams.

Striking a Balance

AI has undeniably transformed e-commerce, helping consumers navigate the cluttered online shopping space and enabling companies to improve customer experiences, strengthen marketing campaigns, and boost customer engagement. However, when it comes to hyper-personalisation, brands must strike a balance. They need to ensure that customers feel involved in the shopping process rather than being served everything on a plate in a calculated manner.

AI-driven hyper-personalisation offers numerous benefits, but it’s essential to address the concerns it raises and find a middle ground that satisfies both the business and its customers.

This thought leadership is written by Vikram Kharvi, CEO at Bloomingdale Public Relations.

MARKETECH APAC is leading the conversation on the future of e-commerce marketing strategies this 2024 and beyond with the E-Commerce Marketing in the Philippines 2024 conference on August 14, 2024 at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. Join us and become an integral part of a dynamic community committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and fostering unparalleled growth in the e-commerce domain.

Indonesia – Meta is the most effective platform for driving offline and online sales, giving the highest return on ad spend (ROAS) delivered at 1.8x across traditional and digital platforms, a study from Kantar showed.

According to the latest Kantar study commissioned by Meta, despite economic challenges in Southeast Asia, consumer confidence is rebounding, with the region projected to achieve 1.6x economic growth over the next decade. As businesses and brands seek to engage the evolving Southeast Asian consumer effectively, optimising marketing budgets and choosing the right engagement channels are crucial for maximising efficiency.

The study’s findings highlight Meta as the most effective platform for driving omnichannel sales, seamlessly integrating offline and online channels, with the highest ROAS of 1.8x. Meta contributes 16% of incremental media sales with only a 10% share of spend, surpassing both other digital platforms and TV. Additionally, Meta attracts the highest number of new buyers across digital platforms at the lowest cost, underscoring its ability to achieve substantial business outcomes.

Kantar’s study also analysed how many people who saw a media campaign on Meta’s platforms and other media made a purchase. It revealed that campaigns on Meta achieved the highest conversion rate at 22%, compared to 20% on TV and 13% on other digital media. This means that 1 in 5 viewers who encountered an ad campaign on Meta made a purchase.

In terms of reach, Meta achieved a substantial 59%, closely trailing TV while outperforming other digital channels at 43%. Meta also led in incremental reach across its platforms with 6%, compared to only 2% on other digital platforms.

When integrated with TV, media campaigns on Meta platforms demonstrated superior synergy, yielding a 12% additional impact on sales. In contrast, campaigns combining other digital platforms with TV achieved an 8% impact, with a 33% overlap in reach. This underscores the effectiveness of integrated media strategies involving Meta.

Meta, as a platform, was also found to bring in new shoppers at the lowest cost. Ads on Meta platforms help drive maximum value for marketing dollars, as the study showed that Meta delivered the highest number of new buyers across digital platforms at the lowest cost of $3.90 per recruit.

Furthermore, among tech-savvy demographics such as Gen Z and Millennials, Meta leads in digital media-driven sales, capturing 44% of the digital sales market.

Kishore Parthasarathy, director of marketing communications for Southeast Asia at Meta, said, “At Meta, we strive towards the gold standard in measurement based on data and science. We look at our advertiser’s total marketing plan to ensure we deliver actionable insights across the marketing funnel. Kantar’s latest study has enabled us to measure holistically, providing robust ROI, reach, and shopper behaviour to inform our clients and partners planning and creative strategies.”

Harjyot Singh, APAC media and digital lead at PepsiCo, also shared, “At PepsiCo, we prioritise creating meaningful experiences for our consumers. By harnessing the power of consumer insights and utilising Meta platforms, we craft relevant and impactful interactions. This approach resonates with our audience, driving enhanced consumer engagement and sustainable business growth.”

Formed from the unification of two prominent creative agencies within the industry – Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R, VML has established itself as an agency equipped to support clients on creative brand strategies and transformation initiatives, all powered by deep data, marketing technology, and platform expertise. With this in mind, it takes a special type of leadership to ensure that all these capabilities are met and delivered proficiently.

For Samir Gupte, CEO of VML Indonesia, leading this agency is built on an approach that focuses on a culture of transparency, respect, an environment that motivates everyone to do better, and a leader that leads by doing and supporting at the same time.

Making internal improvements

Elaborating more on his leadership philosophy, Samir says that the biggest barriers to growth are mostly ‘internal’, citing that the pain points are not so much about the work itself, but about the peripheral issues.

Whether it is interpersonal dynamics, clarity on what every individual or team needs to achieve, or making hard processes easier, Samir explains that his focus is ensuring that all those internal hurdles are reshaped to help people to do their best.

“We cannot possibly control or manage what happens in people’s lives outside the office. But what we can do is create a culture where people love to come to work to create the work they love. They need to be happy with what they are creating or contributing to,” he added.

Visualising and organising goals

One of the unique initiatives implemented by Samir to keep the team engaged is a ‘Vision’ workshop with their leadership team, which breaks down their goals and ambitions into a concrete, tangible and measurable road map which could be tracked every month.

Samir also shares that VML Indonesia has a ‘Rising’ Leadership Team initiative that prepares team members to become future leaders of VML Indonesia, bi-monthly town halls for progress updates where they discuss key issues, celebrate wins, and welcome new joiners.

Furthermore, Samir mentions that VML Indonesia focuses greatly on training by creating a ‘Business 101’ session to strengthen the business orientation for the team, open dialogues in the office with a special channel for people to ask questions and address concerns, and a ‘regional leadership development programme to provide larger exposure, and to learn from the other leaders within the region, which can be shared with the wider teams.

Prioritising quality execution

Talking about the challenges faced by VML Indonesia, Samir mentioned the rise of smaller agencies which positioned themselves as the ‘cheaper & faster’ alternative. “A lot of execution work did shift to these smaller local agencies, but we did not want to compete against these,” he explained.

However, Samir said that sticking to their quality of offering allowed for them to thrive within the current landscape where clients are now looking for business solutions that go beyond basic communication and execution.

“In the increased competitive scenario, clients want to know how to make their brands meaningful, differentiated and relevant to their audiences. Through VML’s offering connecting Brand Experience, Customer Experience and Commerce, we have been able to drive sustainable growth for their brands and in turn our business,” Samir mentioned.

Driving creative success

Reflecting on their approach, Samir shares that VML Indonesia has seen some great changes internally. There is now a stronger sense of ownership with everyone seeing a clear vision for the company and their roles as well as a positive and collaborative atmosphere in the workplace that promotes transparency, more meaningful conversations, and initiatives that really resonate with the team.

Through these improvements, VML Indonesia has acquired significant achievements during the last six months, being the first Indonesian agency to secure a Grand Prix award and the only agency from Indonesia to win a Cannes Lion for 2024. The Indonesian team also led and won an ASEAN-level pitch which was spread across eight markets, and their six month attrition rate has significantly decreased this year and well below the average of the industry in Indonesia.

Talking about how he approaches his way of leading, Samir shared, “First, if a person feels more confident and better about themself after interacting with you, and is inspired to do better, you have done your job. Second, not all conversations or meetings start well- but make sure to end all conversations on a positive note. Whether it is a difficult conversation or a critical feedback, focus on the positive impact that you want to achieve. Lastly, focus on the problem that you want to solve, not on the person or the situation.”

Malaysia – AirAsia Group has appointed Allenie Caccam as its new head of business growth to bolster its market presence and growth trajectory. With a robust background in marketing leadership, Caccam brings a wealth of experience and strategic insight to her new role.

In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Caccam discussed her vision, responsibilities, and plans for driving business growth at AirAsia Group.

Leveraging marketing leadership experience

In her new role, Caccam shared that her team will be responsible for supporting the establishment of business operations and the go-to-market strategy for new markets, targeting specific geographies for AirAsia Group. This involves project management from the initial sale phase through to the inaugural launch, working closely with cross-functional departments such as ground operations, network, route revenue, regulatory, communications, and marketing.

Additionally, her team is also tasked with identifying growth opportunities in terms of channel and customer.

“We are actively looking into new channels to support underserved markets for AirAsia and interline solutions to increase our reach and feed our Asia and Pacific network, where AirAsia is strong,” she explained.

Caccam believes that her extensive experience in marketing at AirAsia Philippines has equipped her with a strategic perspective vital for her new role.

“My marketing experience has trained me to strategically look into the different angles of the business and align our strategies with customer insights to determine maximum demand and revenue potential,” she said.

She also noted the crucial importance of the ability to commercialise a product in her role, ensuring the service is brought to market comprehensively through market research, distribution, promotion, customer support, and operation. For Caccam, this remains a vital skill in identifying growth opportunities and achieving successful implementation in the highly competitive airline industry.

Now, as she leads the go-to-market strategy for new market development, Caccam underscores her clear priorities for AirAsia Group.

“AirAsia’s tagline has always been ‘Now Everyone Can Fly’ and our strength has always been our broad network of over 130 destinations. Serving the underserved underpins our operations. Our focus is to not only fly the most popular routes but also bring in more passengers to our network from markets we are not yet serving or even where no other airline is serving, all the while making sure that it helps build the trade, economy, and tourism of both markets, which is a win-win for everyone,” she emphasised.

Adapting to the evolving travel landscape

Caccam foresees the evolving landscape of travel and tourism significantly impacting AirAsia’s growth strategy. She believes that travel will continue to be an integral part of people’s lifestyles, and as more channels emerge to offer customised travel experiences, the industry will become increasingly competitive.

“AirAsia will continue to harp on our strengths: our service, our network, our customer data built up over 20 years, and our affordable fares. We plan to use these huge assets to serve more underserved routes to connect Asia to the world,” Caccam said.

For Caccam, online channels are reaching maturity, particularly in Asian markets where digital is a top priority. Customers are rapidly transitioning to the generation of digital natives, and online media is no longer considered “new.”

“It is now a game of great raw content and relatability rather than glossy and hard-selling advertisements. In line with this, AirAsia will continue to produce relatable content through our social media channels and our own internal and external ambassadors and use these avenues to remarket our service,” she added.

“AirAsia’s tagline has always been, ‘Now Everyone Can Fly’ and with this role, I will be able to contribute more to making this vision a reality,” Caccam concluded.

Singapore – The majority of marketers in Singapore are embracing AI, with 78% having experimented with or fully implemented AI into their workflows, according to a report by global technology company and AI customer relationship management platform Salesforce.

However, data from Salesforce’s report also suggests that many Singaporean marketers lack a solid data foundation, which hinders their success optimising their AI usage with only 21% being fully satisfied with their ability to unify customer data sources.

Going into more detail, the majority of Singaporeans using AI are focused on generating content, automating customer interactions, and improving customer segmentation or lookalike audience modelling.

On the other hand, this quest for unified, real-time data is more critical and challenging for marketers, with only 42% having access to real-time data to execute a campaign – the lowest globally, and with 57% needing the IT department’s help to do so.

In terms of other key local insights, there is no shortage of data sources, but putting that data to work is a challenge for marketers in Singapore, especially when it demands a holistic or long-term view of data. 49% of these marketers are tracking customer lifetime value (CTV), whilst 84% say they have a clear view into marketing’s impact on revenue.

Companies are also increasingly turning to strategies like ABM and loyalty programs for better acquisition and retention. Yet many of these programs’ information sources remain disjointed, as does the customer experience.

60% of Singaporean marketers say that loyalty data is fully integrated across all touchpoints, whilst only 35% say loyalty program functionalities are accessible across all touchpoints. Meanwhile, 50% of B2B marketers use ABM for customer acquisition, around half use it for upselling (50%) and cross-selling (53%).

To meet rising customer expectations around personalisation, marketers are moving beyond broad audience segmentations, like location or age, to more specific identifiers like individual preferences or past interactions. There is also a difference between how the highest and lowest performing marketing teams adapt. High performers fully personalise across an average of 6 channels, compared with underperformers who fully personalise across 2.

Lastly, the report stated that marketers in Singapore are most concerned about improving marketing ROI in a highly competitive landscape, yet their biggest struggle lies in both measuring results and engaging with customers in real time.

Talking about the report, Wendy Walker, vice president of marketing for Salesforce ASEAN, said, “As Marketers, we are used to the pressure of needing to do more with less whilst meeting the increasing expectations of consumers – especially around personalisation. And so it’s no wonder that we are leading the way with integrating AI. AI makes personalisation at scale a reality, while also driving greater opportunity for brand consistency and storytelling at every touchpoint and fuelling efficiency for our teams.”

“However, as we embrace this technology, what becomes critical is the need for the data we work with to be unified across systems, to give us a comprehensive view of customer engagements. Technology should empower creativity, allowing marketers to deliver meaningful and relevant content to their audiences; this is only possible with trusted data,” she added.

Singapore – The emergence of seamless retail, with digital transformation propelling remarkable advancements in the sector, has put the customer squarely at the centre of attention, marking a new era.

With this, concepts such as multichannel and omnichannel, have lost their relevance, with a highly customer-centric approach taking the lead, according to a report by KPMG Asia Pacific and GS1 which examined how businesses and consumers in the Asia Pacific are embracing these seamless commerce strategies across diverse markets and geographies.

The report notes that once a differentiator, seamless retail – encompassing a brand’s ability to recognize and integrate the customer journey across multiple platforms and services – is now a baseline expectation in a majority of the markets surveyed, making it the new benchmark for tomorrow’s sellers.

The expectation is that social media, delivery innovations, apps, websites, automated messaging, and other digital interactions – all seamlessly integrate with traditional brick- and-mortar stores.

Highlights of the report include six key trends transforming retail, with retailers progressively expected to deliver on seamless retail, through integrated, connected capabilities to meet consumers on their terms.

Firstly, the report highlighted key priorities that consumers are looking for when choosing a platform, which are a wide variety of products and fast, reliable delivery amidst an e-commerce landscape in the region marked by a lack of a dominant platform. This comes alongside the prevalent application of AI in enhancing the relevance and accuracy of product recommendations, though there are concerns among consumers around privacy and lack of human interaction.

The report also highlighted trends such as social commerce gaining popularity among Gen Z, with fast-paced platforms such as TikTok, the consistent prominence of digital payment platforms as digital e-wallets gain traction in APAC, the recognition of loyalty programs for data collection, and sustainability placing itself forward as the baseline of marketing.

Notably, the report also stated that consumer expenditure is likely to start slowing down in APAC this year. With consumers feeling the impacts of rising costs, some markets are seeing muted growth while others are experiencing downtrends. Therefore there is a greater need for retailers to know how to better engage consumers in the current climate and beyond to gain market share, particularly as consumers recalibrate their spending.

Talking about the findings, Anson Bailey, head of consumer & retail, for KPMG in Asia Pacific, said, “PuttIng consumers first by adopting seamless, connected capabilities across the en4re organisation is no longer just a competitive edge, but a necessity for those who want to lead the market. ‘Navigating the Future of Seamless Commerce’ seeks to play a key role for the industry to identify opportunities, spurring innovation to better develop more successful customer experiences and journey maps.”

Meanwhile, Patrik Jonasson, senior director of global retail at GS1, commented, “Product sustainability, supply chain transparency, and circularity are becoming central to overall business operations. Soon, ESG reporting will be indistinguishable from the need for a seamless exchange of trusted product data. Companies will need to exchange information that is trusted and can be understood by all of the actors across today’s complex global supply chains, including the consumer.”

Singapore – B2B marketing leaders in the APAC region are displaying renewed optimism, with nine in 10 bullish in their teams’ ability to drive revenue in the upcoming year, according to a new research report from LinkedIn.

The LinkedIn report further reveals that approximately three-quarters of B2B marketers in APAC (74%) anticipate budget increases.

According to the report, despite 74% of B2B CMOs in APAC finding it challenging to prioritise reaching buyers amidst numerous demands, the majority (91%) affirm that success hinges on relationship building. Hence, fostering “collective confidence” among purchasing decision-makers is deemed crucial for the forthcoming year.

To establish strong connections with the buyer group and maintain a top-of-mind presence, creativity is crucial. The report found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of B2B marketing leaders in APAC are prioritising bolder creative strategies, with 62% noting that these efforts significantly enhance brand engagement and drive conversions.

Marketing professionals globally are also leading the charge on AI adoption and building AI proficiency as they look to improve ROI.

The LinkedIn report showed that in APAC, two-thirds (67%) of B2B marketing leaders are leveraging generative AI applications in their marketing efforts, reporting significant improvements in productivity (41%), faster content creation (37%), and cost efficiencies (33%).

LinkedIn data also found a 142x increase in LinkedIn members globally adding AI literacy skills to their profiles, with marketers topping this list. ‘Artificial Intelligence’ is the fastest-growing digital skill for CMOs globally, based on the skills CMOs have added to their LinkedIn profiles in the past year.

To help B2B marketers reach and engage all members of the buying group and build collective confidence, LinkedIn also introduced new products, including ‘The Wire Programme’ and expanded AI capabilities in ‘Accelerate’.

With video uploads on LinkedIn rising by 45% year-over-year, LinkedIn is piloting the ‘Wire Program’—a new initiative enabling brands to run in-stream video ads alongside content from trusted publishers. The programme is currently being tested with select publishers, including Barron’s, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Forbes, LinkedIn News, MarketWatch, NBCUniversal, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and Yahoo! Finance, to help marketers reach the growing audience of digital video consumers.

The Wire Programme will be available in all languages for global advertisers seeking to sponsor content with these publishers, although EU member targeting will not be available at launch.

LinkedIn is also enhancing its AI-driven campaign creation and optimisation tool, ‘Accelerate’. Marketers can now craft engaging creatives using Microsoft Designer and fine-tune their targeting by excluding specific companies and third-party lists. Additionally, they can receive expert guidance from the new AI marketing assistant. Advertisers using Accelerate are achieving 15% greater campaign efficiency and reducing cost per action by 52% compared to traditional campaigns.

Accelerate’s new features include the integration of Microsoft Designer, enabling marketers to easily build and customise creatives. Additionally, AI will be used to merge brand data, such as customer lists and conversion data, with LinkedIn’s platform data to identify individuals most likely to engage with ad campaigns. The AI marketing assistant further enhances campaign building by offering recommendations, such as adding data sources for better targeting, and assisting with tasks like budget adjustments.

Matt Tindale, head of enterprise for APAC at LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, said, “Cultivating meaningful relationships is key to influencing the buying behaviour of B2B decision-makers. This is especially true for APAC, where decisions involve lengthy consideration and are driven by emotion. To develop this “collective confidence” amongst those involved in B2B purchasing, brand building through bolder creative campaigns will drive success in the year ahead.”

“Under the pressure of budget cuts and the constant need to prove ROI over the past year, APAC B2B marketing leaders are turning to generative AI and displaying renewed energy in boosting content creation and productivity to push brand building. In addition to improving memorability, this will enable them to uncover new audiences and boost campaign performance,” he added.

Meanwhile, John Rudaizky, global chief brand and marketing officer at EY, shared, “In a rapidly changing market, brand building, creativity, and confidence are key to influencing buying groups. B2B marketing is no different from consumer marketing in the sense that engaging emotionally and with creativity are essential, with LinkedIn providing the perfect environment to talk directly to clients and talent alike.”

Sean Johnston, VP for advertising at Closed Loop, also commented, “Accelerate campaigns far surpassed the lead conversion performance we saw from even our best-performing manual audiences for Calendly. The lead form completion rate increased over 3X and delivered a 66% cheaper cost per lead (CPL). The higher conversion rates and more efficient CPLs really convinced me this works.”

Accelerate campaigns are gradually ramping up for customers globally and will be available to all customers in the coming months. Accelerate is available in all languages in Campaign Manager, but AI-generated creatives are currently available in English only.