TNG Digital’s RM750m funding round to expand digital financial services
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – TNG Digital, owner and operator of Touch ‘n Go eWallet, has raised RM750m from its latest equity funding, which will be used to expand its digital financial services.
The equity funding was made through an investment by the Lazada Group, as well as from its parent company Touch ‘n Go Group. This new investment solidifies the collaboration between key segment leaders, one in e-commerce and one in digital financial services and payments.
Effendy Shahul Hamid, group chief executive officer at Touch ‘n Go Group, said, “I’m extremely pleased to welcome Lazada to the Touch ‘n Go eWallet family. We feel this collaboration will bring next-level value propositions to users and merchant bases across the Lazada and Touch ‘n Go ecosystem. I look forward to seeing the teams roll out these exciting collaboration opportunities to our users.”
Meanwhile, Alan Chan, chief executive officer at Lazada Malaysia, commented, “We see digital payment services as a critical bolt-on to bring the best customer experience on Lazada. Lazada is fully committed to providing a seamless customer journey, as well as being a catalyst to stimulate capacity building among our sellers, primarily local SMEs and MSMEs.”
He added, “Our long-standing partnership with Touch ‘n Go eWallet has served our customers well, allowing buyers to check out easily and quickly. Today’s announcement fortifies that partnership and we are excited by the prospects it presents for both our companies.”
Singapore – Regional e-commerce platforms Lazada and Shopee are among the top shopping apps used on a monthly basis in the Asia-Pacific region, according to data from data.ai.
According to the ranking based on monthly usage average, apps Shopee and Lazada are going head to head in several Southeast Asian markets. Shopee ranked first in Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan; while Lazada ranked first in Thailand and Philippines.
Several APAC markets have their local e-commerce platform ranked first, including Flipkart for India, Coupang for South Korea, and Taobao for Hong Kong. Meanwhile, e-commerce giant Amazon ranked first in the APAC markets of Japan and Australia.
On the other hand, SHEIN ranked first in the APAC markets of Japan, the Philippines, and Malaysia in terms of breakout downloads. Meanwhile, Atome ranked first in Hong Kong and Singapore.
In the video streaming category, YouTube still dominates the APAC market in terms of downloads, ranking first in Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Meanwhile, Bilibili dominated the Philippine market, and iQYI dominated Malaysia and Thailand. Lastly, Tencent Video ranked first in China and Indonesia. Top streaming apps in other APAC markets include Netflix (South Korea), Hotstar (India), and Disney+ (Australia).
In terms of consumer spend, YouTube still ranks first in APAC, as well as first in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Meanwhile, Tencent Video ranked first in China and Indonesia; and Disney+ on Australia and Singapore. Other ranking apps per market include HBO GO (Philippines), Hotstar (India), and FPT Play (Vietnam).
Lastly, in the food category, foodpanda dominates APAC in the downloads category, specifically in the markets of Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, and Taiwan. McDonald’s ranked first in Hong Kong and Australia, while Grab ranked first in Indonesia and Vietnam.
On the monthly average users, Grab ranked first in the markets of Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Singapore – With the increase in adoption of e-commerce across Southeast Asia since the onset of the pandemic, online shopping has since integrated itself into consumers’ everyday lives. With this, e-commerce platform Lazada has unveiled its new brand proposition, ‘Add to Cart. Add to Life.’, recognising that shoppers are no longer just buying products for functional uses.
This new brand proposition aims to reflect the brand’s belief that e-commerce can add to the lives of consumers by inspiring meaningful connections and memorable experiences with their purchases.
Marcus Chew, Lazada Group’s chief marketing officer, shared that as Southeast Asians continue to add to the cart, they want to be that bridge that connects customers to opportunities that add to life.
“For us, it’s not just about buying a pan; it’s about owning a pan to add amazing flavours to a delicious meal for loved ones. Likewise, it’s not just about buying a skipping rope; it’s about adding fitness and health to one’s daily routine. Whether it’s a new hobby, honing a skill, creating a more comfortable home or a new look with a style makeover, every product on Lazada has the potential to be the launchpad for enhancing abilities and value-adding to our consumers’ lives,” he said.
Moreover, Lazada has also launched LazLive+, a curated interactive live content series that brings together recognisable, authentic, and trusted experts to share fresh tips and skills with shoppers. It seeks to connect the region’s shoppers with new ideas and experts from all walks of life, through cooking demonstrations, styling know-how, gaming tips, and fitness motivation, amongst others and will roll out across the region from 4 July.
In Singapore, shoppers will get to interact with their favourite key opinion leaders (KOL) in real-time through the voting and chat functions, including Aiken Matthew Chia, Andrea Chong, Derek Cheong, Mong Chin Yeoh, and Tiong Jia En, with each KOL representing a different lifestyle segment. The live content series will kick off ‘D.I.Y. Like A Pro’ on 4 July with each episode running for one hour. In this series, host Aiken will challenge one of four KOLs to complete a task. The tasks are themed to each KOL’s respective expertise, and they will share personal tips and hacks with viewers on how to get the most value out of the items featured. Aiken, as the underdog challenger, will seek assistance from viewers through a voting process that will gain him access to bonus tools to help him complete his challenge easier. Viewers who aid Aiken in the voting process will also stand to gain exclusive shopping vouchers.
‘D.I.Y. Like A Pro’ will run for 15 episodes, with episodes airing daily at 8 pm during the debut launch week, followed by a weekly live stream every Wednesday at 8 pm. Coupled with exclusive deals and entertainment that Lazada brings to the fingertips, shoppers can also create more fulfilling moments, big and small, that will enrich their lives and those around them.
Chew said, “LazLive+ will also be a great source of inspiration for shoppers with its unique blend of shoppertainment and shop-spiration content, that will enable consumers to discover and unlock new passions and possibilities in their lives, thanks to the experts.”
The brand campaign will run across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, as well as Vietnam, starting 24 June, with a 30-second film, out-of-home, a series of key visuals, influencer engagement, and topical social media activation, as well as other creative executions.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Southeast Asian eCommerce platform Lazada has released a video campaign in celebration of this year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri, a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims in Malaysia.
In collaboration with creative and media agencies Ensemble Worldwide and Universal McCann under IPG Mediabrands network, the integrated campaign “Tambah ke Troli, Bertambah-tambah ke Hati” (Add to Cart, Add to Heart) has been localised to make it convenient for Malaysians to shop for their Ramadan and Raya essentials. Each item added to cart represents their needs, interest, passion, and hopeful aspirations to add value, happiness, meaningful moments and elevated experiences when receiving and using it this festive season and beyond.
The campaign also encouraged customers to extend their generosity through digital giving via Lazada4Good by donating to the NGOs distributing Ramadan assistance to communities in need. In addition, the ‘Lazada Roadshow Bertambah-Tambah ke Hati’ created a unique omnichannel O2O experience through its campaign touchpoints via the use of QR codes to link items featured in the film, videos and roving roadshow to be scanned for real-time purchase on the Lazada app.
Phang Mei Jeng, managing director of Ensemble Worldwide, said, “We saw a big opportunity for this year’s Ramadan and Raya to be more meaningful and engaging, especially as most have missed out on big celebrations and social gatherings for the past two years.
According to Jeng, the campaign is more than the sum of its parts as it has managed to connect and build brand affinity with the local Malay community and the younger generation in a way that has been truly missed over the past two years.
For the first time, a Ramadan and Raya offline-to-online (O2O) shoppable showroom on wheels was introduced as part of the Lazada roadshow, featuring displayed items to be purchased. Similar to the campaign videos that feature QR code leading to Lazada’s Raya campaign page, visitors to the bazaars were able to physically touch and feel the products before scanning the code to make a purchase of limited Raya deals on the Lazada app. The roadshows included a host of on-ground activities for the public, and livestreaming for the online audience.
The integrated campaign also featured bite-size videos created to spread awareness on the ongoing Ramadan offers, radio spots, Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH), and interactive quizzes through Lazada livestream.
Singapore – As part of Lazada‘s commitment to supporting sustainable practices in the digital commerce ecosystem, the e-commerce platform launches a campaign called ‘LazEarth’, which will initially focus on plastic waste reduction in products and packaging.
According to the platform, SEA generates an estimate of over 31 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, with 91% of consumers stating that they are concerned about plastic waste issues in the region.
Through this new campaign, Lazada will be working with LazMall brands and partners to make eco-friendly products easily assessable and identifiable to consumers. It will also be recognising and featuring more than 70 brands and 5,000 items across main fashion and FMCG product categories that are made, packed, or shipped with reduced plastics.
Magnus Ekbom, Lazada Group’s chief strategy officer, shared that as digital commerce continues to be one of the key growth drivers in SEA, it is crucial for companies to place sustainability at the core of their strategies to build stronger and greener economies.
“The LazEarth campaign is part of Lazada’s ongoing efforts to address plastic waste and help our buyers make informed decisions about sustainable products,” said Ekbom.
Aside from addressing plastic waste, Lazada has also put in place partnerships and social initiatives aimed at building a sustainable digital commerce ecosystem in the region. In Vietnam, Lazada has partnered with the National Trade Promotion Program to offer lychees from farmers in Hai Duong on the platform during the pandemic. This enabled Vietnam’s rural farmers to reap the benefits of participating in digital commerce and ensure the long-term growth of the agricultural sector in the digital era. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, together with PT Smoot Motor Indonesia, Lazada Logistics has introduced the Blue Vehicle, a practical and environmentally-friendly package delivery fleet for Lazada’s frontliners in the country.
James Chang, Lazada Group’s chief business officer, noted that as part of their commitment to building a lasting digital commerce business in SEA, they recognise that sustainability and value creation will become increasingly important to their long-term success.
“With the launch of LazEarth, we look forward to forging more collaborative partnerships and green initiatives that will empower our brands, partners and consumers to collectively create responsible and sustainable shopping and consumption habits,” said Chang.
In addition, Lazada has started offering greener parcels made from alternative sustainable packaging materials through its Fulfilment by Lazada (FBL) service for partnering brands since 2021. The green parcels use FSC-certified carton boxes filled with recycled shredded paper instead of plastic fillers.
Singapore — Almost three out of four shoppers, or 73 per cent, now consider shopping online to be integral to everyday life, with 67 per cent of them identifying e-commerce mega campaigns as a key factor in shaping their consumer buying behaviour. Furthermore, nearly 60 per cent of consumers also welcomed online shopping as a part of their daily life less than two years ago – possibly owing to the pandemic. These are the results of a recent report by SEA e-commerce platform Lazada in collaboration with Milieu Insights.
Regional findings note that consumers continue to actively participate during Mega Campaigns such as Lazada 12.12, with 67 per cent of the digital consumers completing a purchase during a Mega Campaign.
Additionally, the report unveiled key reasons Southeast Asians shop, which is a number of motivations such as pricing and functionality. Low prices (45%), and affordable shipping (45%) topped the list followed closely by the ease of search (43%) and convenience (43%). Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines show a strong preference for the items to be delivered straight to them, with 55 per cent, 48 per cent, and 49 per cent, respectively.
Reviews and ratings are also key to a positive shopping experience, especially for online shoppers in Singapore (61%), and Thailand (66%). In regards to reviews, the study uncovered that one in two shoppers, or 54 per cent, said reviews make the shopping experience positive. In addition, half, or 50 per cent of those surveyed said they leave reviews on the product post-purchase, and one in three, or 32 per cent, said the reviews are one of the top 3 reasons why they prefer to buy online. This shows that the culture of shopper engagement by leaving authentic reviews helps build trust and has a significant influence on the final purchase behaviour of shoppers.
James Chang, chief business officer of Lazada Group, shared that digital commerce has changed the way people shop in the past decade, especially in the last two years with the pandemic accelerating the shift towards online retail.
He added: “Such changes are showing a lasting effect, especially in emerging markets. This first region-wide Lazada Consumer Study shows that Mega Campaigns, pioneered by Lazada in Southeast Asia a few years ago, still matter to the consumer. They look forward to the deals and shoppertainment features that come with each campaign.”
Gerald Ang, chief executive officer of Milieu Insight, commented that the online shopping landscape has evolved massively in the last two years with Southeast Asia leading this change globally.
“This is why we wanted to identify the new behaviours and current sentiments of online shoppers in Southeast Asia. On the back of this partnership with Lazada, we’ve gathered fundamental data across their 6 regional markets, helping them understand the intricacies of each. As Lazada continues to shape the thriving modern-day e-commerce economy, these insights are meant to equip them in formulating the most effective consumer outreach strategies in the current environment,” Ang said.
Singapore – As part of Lazada’s 10th birthday celebration, the e-commerce platform wants to thank its shoppers by giving away 10 Singapore Airlines First Class return plane tickets for Singapore consumers. The lucky winners of these tickets will be able to fly to any destination in the world that’s part of the Singapore Airlines network.
The prizes will culminate in a mega sale on 27 March, where shoppers can expect a celebration filled with new and exclusive launches, games and activities, on top of amazing deals and discounts.
Lazada said that beginning on 16 March, shoppers can collect ‘golden tickets’, up to a total of 27, which increase the chances of winning. These tickets can be earned through completing tasks within the Lazada app, including playing the Lazzie Star game daily, achieving level milestones within the game, and inviting new Lazada customers to play Lazzie Star. The final step is to make a purchase on Lazada’s Epic Birthday on 27 March to qualify for the lucky draw.
Wee Lee Loh, Lazada’s CEO for Singapore, shared that they have seen the evolution of e-commerce and its impact in becoming the new frontier for businesses, especially in the last few years where they’ve seen brands and shoppers embrace their unique features, from live streaming to digital vouchers, brand exclusives and their online-first approach to retail.
“We would not be here without the strong support and confidence from our partners, sellers and shoppers, and this birthday celebration is to acknowledge all who have contributed to the success of Lazada. I hope that everyone can join us in the exciting plans we have in making this an epic celebration to remember,” said Loh.
Moreover, Lazada Singapore will be hosting a first-ever 10-hour non-stop live stream countdown for its birthday sale, which will start on 26 March at 2:00 pm. During the live stream, which will be headlined by popular local artists like Royce Lee and Joakim Gomez, shoppers can collect shopping vouchers, win prizes and interact with celebrities and Lazada’s Birthday Ambassadors. The marathon live stream will end with Lazada’s chief discount officer, Royce Lee, giving a sneak peek at the deals that will go live at the stroke of midnight.
The marketing campaign for Lazada’s Epic 10th Birthday has already begun and will be amplified across online and offline platforms such as TV, radio, digital ads, OOH, social media platforms, and activations, amongst others.
Lazada launches AR-powered virtual try-on for beauty product users
Singapore – Regional e-commerce platform Lazada has launched an augmented reality-powered feature called ‘Virtual Try-On’, where users can instantly sample products with pictures or live videos of themselves before making a purchase.
Users are able to immerse themselves with hyper-realistic virtual makeovers, try-on beauty products in real-time with true-to-life results. The ultra-personalised experience is straightforward and instantaneous, increasing customer satisfaction and confidence, and helping create great shopping journeys, without the need for physical product sampling.
The feature leverages Perfect Corp’s try-on platform, allowing consumers to preview their looks with the in-store experience in their homes via the LazMall flagship stores of Bobbi Brown, Estée Lauder and M.A.C.
Alice Chang, founder and CEO at Perfect Corp, said, “Here at Perfect Corp, we pride ourselves on delivering market-reading AI and AR-powered virtual makeup try-on solutions that seamlessly integrate into our brand partners’ channels, and help them create high touch, customised, and ultra-realistic virtual shopping experiences. We are excited to partner with Lazada to bring our revolutionary solutions to their customers.”
Meanwhile, James Chang, chief business officer at Lazada, commented, “With Lazada’s shoppertainment strategy, we are excited to collaborate with more partners and introduce new virtual enhancements to uplift consumers’ experiences especially as e-commerce becomes an integrated part of lifestyles in Southeast Asia.”
He added, “This latest successful pilot is testament to the great partnerships we have and our commitment to scale up such immersive real-world experiences with more brands and products. Shoppers will definitely get to easily discover and try more new products while having fun with their friends and family when shopping on the platform.”
Manila, Philippines – It’s that time of year again: the Christmas holidays. And with the upcoming Yuletide season, there is also a rich variety of holiday-themed ads. From straight-up ads that communicate the brand with a Christmas twist to ads that execute brand storytelling, here are the most emotionally engaging holiday ads this year, according to global video and connected TV programmatic advertising platform Unruly.
Disney: The Stepdad
The latest global Christmas campaign by the global entertainment company, the ad is a heartwarming story focused on a stepdad and his family, and their everyday life towards celebrating Christmas. The ad, laced with references to Disney characters coming to life, scored 46.6% positive emotional engagement.
Goldilocks: Celebrate Christmas with Goldilocks
This simple 30-second spot by Philippine-based bakery chain Goldilocks invites viewers to order their upcoming Christmas dinner platter from the chain, where they serve not only pastries but also full-on meals. Said ad garnered 37.0% positive emotional engagement.
Lady’s Choice: Have a Safe and Meaningful Reunion with a Lady’s Choice Creamy Sweet Macaroni Salad!
Mayonnaise brand Lady’s Choice shows in this 15-second spot on enjoying Christmas with one of their recipes: a sweet macaroni salad: staple across Christmas dinners. This ad got 35.9% positive emotional engagement.
Foodpanda: We Gotchu This Christmas!
A true modern Christmas tale: what happens when Santa Claus himself can’t get the deliveries done? In this 45-second spot, foodpanda decided to take a modern twist of the famous ‘Rudolf, The Red-Nosed Reindeer’ into their delivery riders. The ad garnered 35.1% positive emotional engagement.
Lazada: Grand Christmas Sale na this Dec 12-14!
This latest ad from the Philippine arm of e-commerce platform Lazada goes by the tune of the known Christmas carol ‘Deck The Halls’: only with a modern twist and Lazada references. This ad, which focuses on the platform’s upcoming Christmas sale and features local ambassadors, has garnered a 31.1% positive emotional engagement.
Kinder: Share the Christmas Joy with Kinder
A 15-second spot filled with Christmas joy, this ad by chocolate brand by Kinder on sharing the Christmas joy to kids has garnered 26.0% positive emotional engagement.
Cadbury: Cadbury Dairy Milk Christmas
Another chocolate ad on the list, this one with Cadbury, invites viewers to consider gifting their loved ones with a custom Cadbury gift. The ad has recorded 23.1% positive emotional engagement.
Dunkin’ Donuts: Merry Munchkin
Last but not the least: this campaign featuring Philippine P-pop group SB19 greets viewers a happy holiday, and considering the donut chain to be a part of their Yuletide festivities. Said ad has garnered 18.8% positive emotional engagement.
Speaking about how these ads made an impact this holiday season, Greg Fournier, senior vice president for global strategy at Unruly said that it is important more than ever for brands and advertisers to better understand how their ads will resonate with audiences, and how effective they are at driving key business metrics like brand recall, purchase intent and brand favorability.
“In times of continued uncertainty and evolving consumer habits, brands have been able to develop creative and imaginative advertisements – many have also chosen to depart from overt COVID-19 themes and instead depict new-normal ways of life. Notably, brands have also chosen to reflect diversity in their ads this year – not just ethnically but also generationally – with characters and families from all walks of life and ages.”
He added, “On the flip side, ads that lack narrative, without any stories to tell, performed poorly. Ads that lack narration were also less well-received, with consumers finding it harder to understand the messages and relate on an emotional level.”
Manila, Philippines – Lazada has officially announced the dates of its 12.12 Grand Christmas Sale which will run from 12 to 14 December 2021.
This year’s holiday shopping festival showcases various deals with Lazada Bonus vouchers offering ₱60 off for every ₱600 spend. Brands will also be offering cashback to get a 10% purchase amount added automatically to a consumer’s Lazada Wallet upon item delivery.
In addition, Lazada is also offering installments on users’ purchases through Lazada Loans. Lazada’s trusted loan providers such as TendoPay will be offering 0% interest on purchases from 5 to 15 December 2021, while Plentina will be offering the same from 10 to 14 December 2021, and Billease and Cashalo offering 0% interest on purchases until the end of the year.
Ahead of 12.12, customers can also apply for monthly installment plans from these financing partners, allowing holiday shoppers to bag the shopping deals and pay later, with no interest.
Neil Trinidad, Lazada’s chief marketing officer for the Philippines, said, “As the go-to platform of Filipinos, Lazada upholds the heart of gift-giving by empowering our shoppers to interact and connect more with their loved ones, helping bring everyone together and spreading love in the most generous way.”
Lazada Gift Cards will also be available again starting 3 December 2021, giving recipients the liberty to choose an item they want. To avail, users will have to tap on the ‘Lazada Gift Card’ icon on the app or search for ‘Lazada Gift Card’ on the search bar of the Lazada app and choose an amount ranging from ₱100 up to ₱5000.
Users will only need to enter the mobile number, email address, and the name of the recipient, as well as customize and input the message, and click on the ‘Buy Now’ button to proceed to checkout. The recipients will then be notified of the gift card sent via SMS or email. Upon activation of Lazada Wallet, gift card recipients can redeem the amount with the voucher codes they have received.
Moreover, Lazada is also encouraging its users to donate to Lazada donors and its partner organizations, such as UNICEF, Save the Children Foundation, and World Vision, as well as ABS-CBN Foundation, and GMA Foundation.
To access direct donations to ‘LazadaForGood’, users will have to head on the official ‘LazadaForGood’ site. Users can also access the page via desktop by simply opening the Lazada website, clicking ‘Load & eStore’, followed by clicking the ‘LazadaForGood’ icon, and then selecting an advocacy partner of choice and ‘Add to cart’ to donate. While on mobile, users will have to click on ‘Load, Bills, and Coupon’, tap on the ‘LazadaForGood’ icon, and select an advocacy partner of choice, then ‘Add to cart’ to donate.
At the core of the e-commerce’s holiday campaign, popular celebrities in the Philippines and local brand ambassadors Bea Alonzo, Alden Richards, Mimiyuuuh, and Maine Mendoza will be gracing the newest Lazada TV commercial, highlighting “the reasons for the season.”
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