Tag: insights

Singapore – Social and media intelligence firm Meltwater has announced that its Meltwater Enterprise Intelligence Suite is available for brands and agencies in Asia-Pacific. The enterprise suite features integrated data and AI-based insights to help businesses drive decision-making.

The solution provides a unified view of datasets across sources, including media, user-generated content, influencer metrics, business intelligence, and first-party data.

Moreover, the offering also include combining Meltwater’s data with first-party and third-party datasets for expanded insights, controlling how users visualise key metrics and communicate data via Meltwater’s active display and custom dashboards, as well as going beyond traditional PR and marketing measurements to gain deeper insights into the quality of coverage and message penetration.

As part of its enterprise push, Meltwater has appointed new senior leadership to drive value for brands in their data journey across Southeast Asia, Japan and South Asia. Ramnath Bojeesh steps into the newly created role of enterprise area director for Southeast Asia & Japan to build out the enterprise business in the region, while Li Li Chua, joins the company as customer success director for APAC to lead customer success.

David Hickey, executive director for Asia-Pacific at Meltwater, said, “In a world where analytics and dashboards are key to insights and driving business outcomes, the veracity of data will define the winners. With Meltwater’s enterprise innovations, brands get deeper, bespoke insights, unified data from multiple sources, and customised data delivery so that they can focus on what matters the most – identifying customer needs.”

He added, “It’s an exciting time to be doing business in Asia Pacific and we’re thrilled to be adding enterprise leaders with a proven track record join us as Meltwater navigates its next, important phase of growth.”

Meltwater has recently added Genting Malaysia, One Championship, TBWA Philippines, and Sumitomo to its client roster. 

Singapore – Months after Hong Kong launched its ‘Hello Hong Kong’ travel campaign, awareness of the campaign’s ads spiked to 25.2% points on March 2 from 6.3% on February 2, the month the campaign was announced before dipping to 24.9% by March 20. This was according to the latest data from YouGov.

As part of Hong Kong’s tourism revival initiative, the local government announced in February that they are giving out 500,000 free airline tickets to their territory. As a result, many airlines in the Asia-Pacific region have reported their websites being swamped by online visitors, with long waits awaiting those who want to get their free tickets processed.

According to the data, consideration of Hong Kong as a travel destination rose by 2.4 percentage points ten days after the campaign’s announcement – from 12.6% on February 2 to 10.2% by February 10 – before declining until late February.

Moreover, Singaporean travel consideration to Hong Kong started on an upward trend, reaching 14.3% on March 2 (start of campaign) – up 4.1 percentage points from when the campaign was first made public. By March 20, when the campaign winners were revealed, consideration of Hong Kong as a travel destination gained another 1.2 percentage points to reach 15.5%.

In terms of what Singaporean travellers think of first when travelling overseas, paying a reasonable price for holidaying at a destination that is easy to reach and safe are the top considerations, followed by transportation availability, and safety measures.

Singapore – As consumer patience on digital experiences is waning, 73% of consumers in the Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region warn that they are willing to drop brands if they remain to have poor personalisation in their digital experiences. This is according to the latest data from customer engagement platform Twilio.

The data notes that consumer frustration with inconsistent digital experiences is growing, as 53% of consumers in the region report being frustrated with their interactions over the past year, up from 51% the year before.

It is also worth noting that consumers value precise and real-time personalisation, as it improves customer lifetime value. Around 91% of consumers in the region say that personalised experiences increase their loyalty to brands. Respondents also spend 24% more on brands that personalise – higher than the global average of 21%.

Furthermore, consumers in APJ want more control over their customer data, with identity data being the top priority. Meanwhile, 44% of consumers in APJ have stopped purchasing from a brand after their expectations for data privacy and transparency weren’t met, exceeding the global average of 41%.

On the side of businesses, 40% of engagement leaders reported much higher customer retention rates than previous years, compared to 12% of laggards. In addition, 41% of engagement leaders also reported much higher customer conversion rates than previous years, versus 15% of laggards. 

Joyce Kim, chief marketing officer at Twilio, said, “This research reflects what we’re hearing across our customer base, which is that when brands use first-hand data to personalise engagement with customers, it saves companies meaningful marketing spend and increases lifetime value. For brands facing growing headwinds, this means ROI today.”

Singapore – A new global study from customer experience management platform Sprinklr notes that around 60% of brands struggle with ineffective AI for their customer service, with only 22% of the respondents reporting having a complete unified customer data to be leveraged for their customer service efforts.

According to the research, 62% of brands acknowledge the inconsistencies in their digital customer communication. This includes not being able to communicate the same information and unable to stay true to their brand voice. The majority of companies are also struggling with ineffective AI solutions (60%) and insufficient resourcing (54%).

Meanwhile, 11% of the respondents admitted that they make no effort whatsoever to personalise interactions. Another 36%, meanwhile, limit personalisation efforts to referencing ‘basic profile details’ in some or all communication. 

The remaining 53% of the respondents are making strides toward personalisation, but only 12% of them are predicting customer needs and proactively tailoring interactions based on specific needs, intentions, or sentiments.

The data also notes that many global brands also suffer from insufficient insights, with 51% of them finding it hard to even capture meaningful data about customers. Furthermore, 67% of companies face difficulty analysing customer data, 64% struggle to unify data, and 63% report challenges in using data to improve customer experience operations.

Lastly, the global research also stated that several leading companies are taking a number of actions to tackle these challenges, with 53% see AI being able to power chatbots and improve customer data as a paramount focus for 2023, and more than 69% planning to invest in technology that reduces agent effort.

For Ragy Thomas, founder and CEO at Sprinklr, providing digital, personalised service is essential for companies to meet consumer expectations, adding that making these interactions more cost efficient and easier for agents is equally as important.

“The challenges uncovered go beyond customer experience and contact centre teams. Insufficient intelligence hurts the entire business. Unified insight about what customers need and how they behave, can dramatically improve how every customer-facing function– from service, to sales and marketing, to product development operates. We’d like to help brands deliver the kind of customer experiences we all deserve,” Thomas said.

He added, “While challenges persist, it’s encouraging to see how many organisations are prioritising investing in the right technology to unify customer service operations and help make their customers and agents happier.” 

The research’s respondents were composed of more than 300 global leaders in the customer contact and customer experience spaces.

Manila, Philippines – Around 53% of Twitter users in the country have said that the social media platform is a driving force to promote freedom of speech in the country, according to the latest study from Milieu Insight.

The data also noted that 43% said that Twitter serves as a safe space for others to express their own opinions. Furthermore, 26% said it allows users to gain knowledge, with 21% saying that the platform serves as a space for healthy debates or conversations.

When asked about what they think of Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, 49% thought it was neither good nor bad. Meanwhile, 31% saw it as somewhat good with an 11% identifying it as actual good news. On the other hand, 5% said it was somewhat bad news, with 3% saying, without reservations, it was definitely bad news.

In terms of reduced censorship measures in the platform, 43% states that it will benefit others in a positive way, whilst 22% had no opinion of said changes, and 20% expressing being uncomfortable with said changes.

Following that, when asked about how Twitter’s censorship policy will affect free speech, 51% of the respondents note some form of positive impact on the platform, whilst 24% saying otherwise , and 11% affirming that there is no impact at all.

Lastly, in terms of the impact of the Twitter censorship on hate speech, 45% believed it had some form of positive impact, with the other 29% saying the complete opposite – a negative impact. Meanwhile, 12% think there was no impact at all.

Singapore – Around 77% of marketers in Asia-Pacific, or 3 out of 5 APAC marketers, have said that they intend to increase or dedicate the same budget to social media amidst economic uncertainty this year. This is according to the latest research from media monitoring and social listening platform Meltwater.

According to the data, around 42% are currently running a social listening programme and an additional 15% plan to do so in 2023. Moreover, around 64% of the respondents have the goal of improving their understanding of audiences and target groups.

In terms of the social media platforms that dominate the APAC social media landscape, Facebook led the list, with 87% of marketers using it. They are followed by Instagram (81%), Linkedin (81%), Youtube (64%), and Twitter (50%). Comparatively, TikTok has yet to be leveraged at the same rate, with only 29% using the platform.

Mimrah Mahmood, senior director and partner at Meltwater Asia-Pacific, explains that the average internet user actively uses about 7.2 social media platforms each month, hence audiences are not always where you expect and marketers should now have stronger social listening tools to find and understand users.

“With a huge amount of consumer data available these days, it is now possible to segment audiences in far more sophisticated ways. Marketers need to go beyond demographics and look at communities. Social media data can reveal how people form ‘digital tribes’ based on their shared attitudes, behaviours, and interests, allowing marketers to make more strategic decisions,” Mahmood said.

In terms of the rise of short-form content in the region, Mahmood said, “Short-form videos such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are effective new formats that marketers should incorporate moving forward. In 2024, we expect to see more social commerce features, including paid ads, and purchase capabilities woven into these formats in response to consumers seeking more seamless shopping experiences.”

Australia – Around 65% of consumers think ease of navigation is the most important factor in website user experience, but only 28% of businesses cite improving website design as a priority. This is according to the latest research conducted by content management system (CMS) company Storyblok.

According to the research, amidst a difference in percentage, consumers and businesses still both agree that fast loading speeds are critical. 42% of consumers said they decide whether to stay on or leave a website within 10 seconds – with 20% within half that time, or 5 seconds. In terms of loading time, 47% of businesses stated it a top priority within improving the website. 

On the business side, 43% said they would add more features to their site, whilst 52% said they would add more payment options, but this was less of an issue for consumers with only 37% citing limited payment options as a reason to abandon a purchase.

Dominik Angerer, CEO and Co-Founder of Storyblok, said, “There’s a lot of enthusiasm from businesses for more website features, but this is not shared by consumers – at least not yet. It’s important for businesses to continually ask themselves if the features they add to their websites really do enhance the customer experience. More is not always better, and what our research clearly shows is that businesses cannot lose sight of the fundamentals of good design, clear navigation, and fast loading speeds.” 

Previous research by Storyblok underlines the importance of businesses understanding the priorities of their customers. Said study revealed that 60% of consumers regularly abandon purchases due to poor website user experience, with businesses estimating it costs, on average, USD$72,000 in lost sales per year.

Looking ahead, 28% of business leaders said they believe AR/VR experiences are the most important trend in marketing, followed by AI-generated content (22%), personalisation (20%), and automation (11%). Consumers are slightly more sceptical about the impact of AR/VR with 42% stating it would encourage them to make a purchase and 21% saying they simply don’t know. 

Manila, Philippines – The Philippines has been ranked ninth in the Asia-Pacific region with the most breaches, accounting for around 1.2 million users affected, according to the latest study from cybersecurity company Surfshark.

According to the report, the new statistic was 70.2% less than the previous year. It is estimated that 11 in 1,000 people in the Philippines are affected by a data breach.

On a regional level, Asia amounted to a fourth of all world’s breaches with 74.2M, mostly coming from China, Indonesia and India. Turkey ended up in the 4th place regionally, followed by Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and Malaysia. 

In APAC, the IndiHome breach was the biggest in the region in 2022, leaking as many as 12.6M accounts. Another notable breach occurred in China, when a breach of a Chinese adult content site Hjedd resulted in around 11M accounts being leaked. This accounted for around a third of all Chinese accounts leaked in 2022.

Globally, 2022 had 68% less breached users than 2021. While the majority of countries around the world showed improvement, the sharpest victim spikes were spotted in Indonesia (269%), Sri Lanka (204%), Russia (191%), Uzbekistan (73%) and China (45%).

Agneska Sablovskaja, lead researcher at Surfshark, said, “While these numbers remain unsettling, we’re happy to report an immense global decrease of 68% compared to last year. Some countries, including U.S., India and Brazil, managed to improve their situation significantly, while Indonesia, China and Russia experienced the biggest surges in data breaches year-over-year.”

Hong Kong – Almost all of marketers in Southeast Asia have said that they will be increasing retail media spending within the next 12 months, a new report released by Carousell Media Group and IAB SEA+India reveals.

In the report, around 87% of the respondents intend including retail media as part of their media plans within the next 12 months. Moreover, it is also worth noting that retail media advertising accounts for 1 in 5 advertising dollars spent.

It also noted that around 78% of the marketer respondents will use retail media data for off-platform targeting on new formats such as Connected TV (CTV), while 44% will advertise on a brand-suitable retail media network that does not carry their products.

Miranda Dimopoulos, regional CEO at IAB SEA+India, explained that around 44% of respondents say they will advertise on a retail media network even if they do not have any products listed on that marketplace. 

“For marketers, investing ad spend in a retail media network compatible with their own brand values, and those of their customers, is a major consideration,” she said.

Meanwhile, JJ Eastwood, managing director at Carousell Media Group, commented, “Retail Media allows brands to showcase their products to consumers who have specifically searched for that item, or something similar, providing a seamless consumer experience and, of course, a solid return on ad spend.”

He added, “The fact that 78% of respondents want to use retail media data for off-platform targeting, specifically on exciting new formats like CTV, indicates that Retail Media is moving up the funnel and can provide marketers with both direct response and branding opportunities.”

Eastwood will further be discussing the future of retail media at the upcoming What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia-Pacific conference. The panel, titled Digital Advertising’s Third Big Wave – The Rise Of Retail Media, will further explore how brands can tap retail media and leverage it to their advantage.

Carousell and IAB SEA+India had previously worked together in a report, where they tackled trends in the region regarding consumer purchasing attitudes.

Singapore – Following Charles & Keith’s response to the viral TikTok video of Singapore-based Filipino teenager Zoe Gabriel, it’s revealed by research firm YouGov that consumer impression and purchase consideration towards the brand sharply increased. 

In a recent trending incident, Gabriel was bashed online by several users after posting a TikTok video of her purchasing a Charles & Keith bag and sharing that it’s her ‘first luxury bag’. An additional caption read, “Thank you dad.” 

As a response, the brand invited Gabriel and her dad to its headquarters in Singapore and were given more gifts. Charles & Keith later on praised Gabriel for her ‘grace and humility’ despite the online bashing.

According to YouGov, the brand’s ‘Buzz’ score–pertaining to measurement of positive and negative sentiments of the brand in media–soared by 19.7 points: from 7.9 on January 8 to 27.6 by January 16.

Meanwhile, the brand’s ‘WOM Exposure’ score–which tracks the percentage of consumers who are talking about a brand in the past two weeks–also rose by 12.3 points – from 8.4 on January 8 to 20.7 by January 16.

In terms of consumer perception metrics, Charles & Keith’s net ‘Impression’ scores–which measure whether more consumers have a positive or negative impression of a brand–gained 13 points: from 8.2 on January 8 to 21.2 by January 16.

Lastly, the brand’s ‘Consideration’ scores–which track the percentage of Singapore residents who would consider buying from the brand when they are next in the market for a fashion product–increased by 8.3 points – from 11.5 on January 8 to 19.8 by January 16 – indicating that more consumers are interested in shopping for Charles & Keith products following the incident.

Following the incident, the trending topic also sparked quite a conversation within Singapore’s politics, with deputy prime minister Lawrence Wong using the incident as an example of questioning what is truly deemed as a ‘luxury’.