The Challenge

LNY is a peak consumption period, but also one of the most cluttered. The goal was clear: maximise reach and ensure foodpanda groceries stayed top-of-mind as households prepared for celebrations.

The Strategy: Right Time, Right Place, Right People

• Right Time – foodpanda identified LNY as a key occasion where demand for groceries spikes—from spring cleaning essentials to reunion dinner necessities—making it a natural moment to amplify its grocery offerings.
• Right Place – With CTV consumption on the rise, especially in Southeast Asia, the channel presented an opportunity to engage audiences in a premium, lean-back environment beyond traditional mobile and desktop touchpoints.
• Right People – LNY is inherently social. Families and friends gather, often consuming content together on the big screen. This shift from individual to group viewing meant that CTV could unlock incremental reach, extending beyond foodpanda’s baseline media channels.

The Approach

By leveraging LoopMe’s CTV capabilities, foodpanda delivered targeted, high-impact creative into living rooms—placing its grocery deals directly at the center of festive planning moments.

The Outcome

The campaign successfully expanded reach during a highly competitive period, tapping into new audience segments and enhancing visibility for foodpanda groceries when it mattered most.

• 716,335 unique users reached
• 1.55M total impressions delivered
• 98.91% CTV VCR,  strong video completion 

Key Takeaway

CTV is no longer an experimental channel—it’s a strategic lever for incremental reach, especially during culturally significant, high-engagement moments like LNY.  

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The findings highlight key opportunities for advertisers and retailers during the Golden Quarter, showing that timing plays a significant role in reaching different consumer segments. While advertising may have the strongest impact on shoppers in the final two weeks before the holidays, those who start shopping earlier tend to spend more overall.

According to the report, 68% of consumers who begin their shopping more than two months in advance plan to spend over $250. This drops slightly to 64% among those who start one to two months ahead, and significantly decreases to just 28% for last-minute buyers.

Despite the spending potential, the research also found that 58% of Australians do not plan to shop for the festive season this year. Women and consumers aged 35 and above remain the most active demographics, with women 5% more likely than men to make holiday purchases. 

Among the 35+ group, a third are expected to spend $500 or more, while more than half of all consumers (52%) intend to keep their festive spending below $250.

James Parker, head of APAC at LoopMe, said: “Although there is a sense of caution among consumers this festive season, this data shows some bright opportunities for brands and advertisers as we enter the festive period.”

He added, “A third of Australian shoppers feel that festive ads and deals have an influence on their choices, and it will be key to launch campaigns early to reach the higher-value shoppers who make an early start and spend more. Increasing engagement in the last two weeks will have an impact on last-minute shoppers, who are most receptive to these ads and deals.”

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More than simply bringing new tools, AI is also changing mindsets, making way for a new approach in advertising. Practices for measurement and optimisation are getting upgrades, but only with the right approach.

In MARKETECH APAC’s exclusive interview with James Parker, head of APAC at LoopMe, he dives into smarter strategies for brand advertising in an AI-driven industry. Embracing AI as a differentiator, James specifies efficient and effective ways to wield its predictive capabilities, transforming how brands execute their strategies.

Outcome-led brand advertising

AI in the advertising sphere is allowing brands and agencies to significantly boost their customer engagement, beyond measuring impressions and clicks. For James, AI is an opportunity to move from broad demographic targeting and passive measurement towards predicting real-world outcomes.

“At LoopMe, we believe that the future of brand advertising is outcome-led, not channel-led. Our AI uses real-time data signals and predictive modelling to identify and reach consumers who are most likely to take action – whether that’s brand uplift, consideration, or purchase intent,” James said.

The approach ensures that the ad will reach the right person at the right time for significant impact. He explains how LoopMe adopts this approach, but goes beyond media delivery.

“Our platform continuously learns and adapts mid-campaign, using a closed-loop system that optimises toward guaranteed brand outcome,” he said.

“Artificial intelligence gives brands a powerful edge in making smarter, faster, and more effective marketing decisions — especially in a landscape where attention is fragmented and traditional targeting methods are fading,” he added.

Tapping AI with balance

For James, one of the powers of AI is its ability to change brands from being reactive to predictive. It is transforming how brands execute their strategies. 

He shares, “Instead of relying on historical data or post-campaign reports, AI allows brands to forecast which consumers are most likely to deliver real business outcomes – whether that’s brand recall, consideration, or purchase intent – and dynamically optimise toward those results in real time.”

With predictive ability, brands can shift their audience planning to also include their likelihood to convert rather than focusing solely on past behaviour. James also shares how media buying can be based on real uplift and how measurement can be based on actual impact.

“In a world where privacy regulations are tightening and third-party data is diminishing, AI gives brands the ability to do more with less – by making sense of anonymous data signals and delivering measurable results without dependency on cookies,” he explains.

“To truly innovate, brands need to shift their strategies from volume to value – and AI is the key enabler of that shift.”

While AI handles data processing for optimisation, human expertise plays a key role in making brand advertising effective.

James said, “The success of a campaign still relies heavily on the strategic thinking, creativity, and contextual understanding that only humans can bring.”

Providing a glimpse of how AI is used at LoopMe, he shared how they view AI as a “decision-enhancer.” While AI recommends optimisations, they review performance through a human lens, making necessary adjustments to messaging, pacing, and targeting when brand tone or context demands a more nuanced approach. This ensures authenticity and brand alignment.

“Human expertise is essential in interpreting results and refining learnings. We work with our clients post-campaign to translate AI-driven insights into actionable strategy – helping shape future brand decisions, not just campaign reports,” he said.

“Ultimately, LoopMe’s goal is not to automate the craft of advertising, but to enhance it – using AI to unlock scale, speed, and precision, while empowering humans to lead with empathy, insight, and storytelling,” he added.

The advertising industry’s future

AI is without a doubt at the centre of the advertising industry — today and tomorrow. It has become a differentiator, helping brands and agencies towards their goals.

“The future of advertising is outcome-led, AI-driven, and privacy-first,” James said.

“As consumer attention becomes more fragmented and data regulations tighten, brands will need to prioritise quality over quantity, investing in solutions that deliver measurable impact — not just impressions or views. This means the industry must move beyond vanity metrics and embrace platforms that can predict and prove real business outcomes,” he added.

While embracing the AI revolution, LoopMe goes beyond helping brands. With its capabilities and media solutions, it is driving real impact for brands. More than that, LoopMe is championing innovation, paving the way for brands to focus on outcomes, promising performance.

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Based in Singapore, Parker will lead LoopMe’s efforts to expand its footprint across the APAC region, with a particular focus on driving growth in Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Greater China Region.

Parker brings extensive industry expertise to LoopMe, joining from MiQ, where he held the role of managing director for Southeast Asia, overseeing strategic growth and regional operations.

Parker’s appointment comes on the heels of LoopMe’s announcement of achieving a fully organic gross revenue CAGR of 40% between 2018 and 2024, along with surpassing $2 billion in total gross revenue.

In addition to Parker’s appointment, LoopMe has expanded its presence in Australia with a new Melbourne office, appointing HS Shin as senior sales manager to grow its client base in Victoria. Meanwhile, Alicia Placer has joined the Sydney office as sales manager, focusing on growth with agency holding groups and independent shops.

Stephen Upstone, CEO and founder of LoopMe, commented, “2024 has been pivotal for our business, opening up a new chapter in our evolution. Off the back of seven years of consistent and stable organic growth, we have now taken advantage of a strong M&A opportunity to accelerate this. APAC is central to our plans for the business, and we see enormous potential in developing the company across the region by tapping into digital advertising’s growth areas.”

He added, “With James joining as the new head of APAC, we are confident that our business in this region will continue its successful expansion; we welcome James, HS, and Alicia to the LoopMe team.”

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LoopMe reports that 41% of Singaporean consumers plan to make purchases during the sales period, which contrasts consumer trends in the United Kingdom and Australia, where only 14% plan to shop. Fewer consumers in the region also plan to purchase luxury items during the holidays.

Among Singaporean consumers, 40% are looking to buy gifts, with 23% likely to purchase apparel or footwear. Over half of them report that the sales and discounts motivate them to buy more during the period. 

The study also highlights the increasing popularity of super apps in Singapore, with 24% of consumers likely to shop on TikTok, 12% from Amazon, 10% from Grab, 4% from Foodpanda, and 50% from a different app.

“Singapore consumers seem set to shop over the next few months, with a series of sales events providing a great opportunity for retailers to convert this intent, especially in the luxury goods sector,” Simon Stone, general manager of international (EMEA & APAC) at LoopMe, commented.

“With super apps driving purchases, brands should be looking to include these platforms – notably the TikTok shop – in marketing strategies to engage established and new customers with the discounts on offer,” Stone added.

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