Tag: Platforms

Philippines – The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) of the Philippines has issued an immediate cease and desist order to AirAsia MOVE due to its unauthorised sale of airline tickets that violate fare regulations.

Dated May 26, 2025, CAB’s order called out AirAsia MOVE for selling airline tickets at prices that exceed its approved fare structures for carriers in the Philippines. The order was addressed to Rowena Rivera, head of travel at AirAsia MOVE.

“In view of the foregoing, you are hereby ordered to cease and desist from offering, promoting, or selling tickets of other Philippine carriers at prices that exceed the approved fare structures established by the CAB,” the order read.

Following the cease and desist order, AirAsia MOVE is required to provide written confirmation of compliance within three days of receiving the notice.

CAB warns that failure to comply with the cease and desist order may lead to further regulatory action, including fines or legal proceedings, as permitted under applicable laws and regulations.

In a press conference on June 2, Vince Dizon, the Department of Transportation secretary, said that they are expediting the process to file a criminal complaint for economic sabotage against AirAsia MOVE.

The issuance follows reports of overpriced tickets from Manila to Tacloban amidst the San Juanico Bridge needing construction, impacting travel. The cost of a one-way ticket has soared to almost Php 40,000 (US$716). The bridge, linking Tacloban in Leyte to Samar, has been subjected to restrictions due to structural vulnerabilities.

In response to the issue, AirAsia MOVE clarifies that it is not manually manipulating its airfares, stating that the issues in fares were caused by temporary data synchronisation problems with its flight pricing partners.

In a media statement, MOVE CEO Nadia Omer also pointed out that the issue also affected other booking platforms since it was caused by a third-party pricing provider. AirAsia MOVE also assured the public that it is cooperating with the Philippine government to uphold fair pricing and consumer protection.

“MOVE has been working closely with relevant authorities and is fully compliant with all regulatory requirements applicable to Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) operating in the Philippines,” the statement read.

On May 29, the Tacloban City council declared a state of emergency due to its limited access to goods and medical supplies following the San Juanico Bridge crisis. The bridge was immediately closed on May 15 for vehicles heavier than three tons due to safety concerns. The Department of Public Works and Highways reported that three segments of the bridge are unsafe, requiring major repairs.

Australia – AI-powered platform Glu, a content creation and management tool, has entered the Asia-Pacific region to streamline the creative processes in the e-commerce industry.

Glu is built to help e-commerce teams, social media managers, and brands speed up their content creation process while ensuring brand consistency.

The AI platform organises digital assets through automatic tagging while generating tailored content suggestions. It also automates tasks such as bulk cropping, resizing, and background removal, enabling users to edit directly on the platform. To maintain brand consistency, it centralises guidelines and templates.

Glu also allows users to publish content across multiple channels directly within the platform. It has integrated with platforms such as Shopify, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Google Ads, and Mailchimp.

In a study, Glue found that a majority of the interviewed companies’ time is spent on adapting existing assets while focusing only on three to four platforms, leaving viewers on other platforms untapped.

Through the platform, content creators for e-commerce can improve their production efficiency, increase engagement, and reduce software costs. It enables teams to focus on strategies to make them stand out from other competitors in the industry.

“We’re beyond excited to be empowering businesses with practical GenAI solutions. Our platform will not only save users precious time, but also help them reach more customers across multiple platforms with consistent, high-quality creative content,” Sangeeta Mudnal, chief technology officer at Glu, said.

“Glu.ai was built on a foundation of comprehensive customer research, beta testing with clients, and integrating their feedback—all guided by design thinking principles and insights from the Stanford Graduate School of Business seed program,” Mudnal added.

Glu plans to upgrade its AI capabilities in the future, building on its features to further simplify content creation for e-commerce merchants.

Singapore – AnyMind Group, a BPaaS company, has forged a partnership with YouTube for its partner sales program, boosting advertising potential for businesses.

As a YouTube Partner Sales program partner, AnyMind Group can offer reserved advertising inventory on content produced by AnyMind-affiliated creators and channels. The move provides advertisers with more options, and affiliated creators to increase their earnings.

The program offers programmatic guaranteed ad buys and a full ‘share of voice reservations,’ which enables a single advertiser to dominate placements on a creator’s video views. 

The reserved inventory grants a higher priority compared to auctioned ad inventory from the Display & Video 360 platform.

Additionally, AnyMind is launching advertising packages for entertainment, sports, lifestyle, and news, enabling contextual targeting.

Online publishers who use AnyManager can also generate new revenue streams through the program. 

Punsak Limvatanayingyong, managing director of creator growth at AnyMind Group, said, “True to our philosophy of ‘Growth for Everyone,’ this program undoubtedly benefits our advertisers, creators and even publishers by unlocking more powerful outcomes through collaboration with us. Due to our unique business model, we’re one of the few companies that can provide deep accessibility into the advertising ecosystem.”

“This partnership comes at a right time as we have recently launched a new feature on AnyManager that enables publishers to automatically create short-form videos from published articles with the use of AI. As part of our growth plans this year, we can now provide direct access to a larger scale of video ad inventory across APAC and the Middle East to our clients, including our partnered creators on YouTube,” Siddharth Kelkar, managing director of India/MENA and performance business at AnyMind Group, commented.

Singapore – Singaporeans are using more social media platforms monthly, despite the overall decline in their average time spent online, according to Meltwater and We Are Social’s report. 

According to the report, the average Singaporean uses 7.2 social media platforms monthly, increasing by 4.3% from last year. However, daily time spent on social media has dropped by 8.4% to 2 hours and 2 minutes. 

Out of the top ten most downloaded mobile apps in Singapore, social media platforms accounted for six spots. TikTok remains the top platform consuming users’ time, averaging 34 hours and 29 minutes per month. YouTube ranks second, with users spending an average of 29 hours and 45 minutes monthly.

WhatsApp is the most preferred platform, used by 80.1% of Singaporeans monthly, with 30.4% favouring the messaging app. Meanwhile, 15.3% prefer Facebook and 14.2% opt for TikTok.

Chat and messaging remain the most used apps and websites by Singaporeans (97%) followed by social networks (95.9%).

Additionally, social media advertising continues to grow, seeing a 15.9% increase in advertising spend while influencer advertising rose by 13.6%.

Nai Yen Wang, managing director at We Are Social Singapore, commented, “The latest Digital 2025: Singapore report highlights the impact that the emergence of newer platforms has had on social media consumption in the nation. With more platforms and less total consumption time, brands need to invest in smart social media strategies to ensure they stay top of mind with their target audience.”

Singapore – Singapore’s High Court has ordered to block 22 illegal streaming sites and 70 related domains, strengthening its anti-piracy efforts in the country.

The Court order follows major entertainment players’ push for a crackdown on illegal streaming sites. Among the entities who sought and obtained the order includes BBC Studios, the Premier League, DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and LALIGA.

Recently, the Premier League obtained a similar order to actively block the illegal distribution of content in Singapore.

The Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) welcomes the latest order, strengthening its broader campaign against piracy. CAP is working on providing an in-depth analysis of piracy trends and raising awareness of its dangers to consumers.

“There is now extensive evidence of the links between piracy services and consumer harm, including risks of malware infection, identity theft and viruses. A 2024 study undertaken showed that consumers accessing pirate sites in Singapore are nearly four times more likely to be exposed to a cyber threat compared to a mainstream site, and blocking access to piracy services is a great step in preventing this type of harm,” Matt Cheetham, CAP’s general manager, said. 

“Recent research has also shown that piracy services could have wider potential harm, with illegal streaming devices (ISDs) shown to be riddled with compromised apps and pre-installed malware targeting personal data. These devices can be remotely hijacked and potentially used for more widespread attacks on other devices and broader networks,” Cheetham added.

Singapore – Deliveroo, a delivery platform, has launched ‘Deliveroo Shopping,’ its online retail arm that expands delivery options to include non-food needs. The launch coincides with Deliveroo’s ninth anniversary. 

Through the launch, Deliveroo offers users access to retail items in beauty and personal care, baby care, consumer electronics, florists, health and pharmacy, and pet care.

The one-stop shop houses Deliveroo’s merchant partners under the ‘Shopping’ section in the app, including LUSH, Xpressflower, and Pet Lovers Centre.

Additionally, Deliveroo is introducing a new in-app gifting function, which allows users to send gifts with a trackable link and an animated greeting card.

To further provide convenience to shoppers, Deliveroo is leveraging its machine-learning-based search function, allowing them to browse for gifts depending on the occasion.

As part of the launch, Deliveroo is offering promos, including a $1 delivery fee and discounts. 

The new features reflect Deliveroo Singapore’s survey, which found that 53% of consumers prefer getting non-food supplies through delivery platforms while 55% want a gift delivery option.

“Delivery services have become an integral part of Singaporeans’ daily lives, evolving far beyond just meals and groceries. With the launch of Deliveroo Shopping, we’re committed to enhancing convenience and value for our customers by expanding our offerings to meet a wider range of everyday needs, enabling people to get them delivered quickly to their doorstep,” Jason Parke, general manager of Deliveroo Singapore, said.

Karen Goh, marketing manager at Xpressflower, commented, “With flowers making great on-demand gifts, this partnership with Deliveroo Shopping allows us to bring our freshly picked and arranged flowers right to the doorsteps of consumers at a moment’s notice, ensuring they have the perfect gift regardless of the occasion.”

“As Singaporeans increasingly rely on delivery services for their daily needs, we’re excited to partner with Deliveroo Shopping to bring pet essentials directly to their doorsteps. Our collaboration with Deliveroo will provide pet owners with an alternative platform that offers convenient, on-demand access to a wide range of products, making caring for their beloved pets easier,” a spokesperson from Pet Lovers Centre said. 

Singapore – Coda, a provider of out-of-app content monetisation solutions, has joined forces with Electronic Arts (EA), an interactive entertainment company, to launch a mobile webstore for gamers.

The EA Sports FC Mobile Webstore allows gamers to access free daily rewards along with other product offerings, bonuses, and discounts.

Combining Coda and EA’s expertise, the mobile webstore offers a localised, user-friendly platform containing regular content updates. 

Blending an engaging gameplay with real-world team and player integration, the partnership sees a growing customer base. It also enhances gamers’ experience by providing convenience.

The webstore has been launched in over 60 markets, including Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, and Hong Kong. On Oct. 15, Coda and EA successfully launched the webstore in Malaysia, Australia, Canada, and Colombia.

“Working hand-in-hand with the EA team, we’ve built a space that is more than just a marketplace. The EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile Webstore is built on the solid foundation of Codashop’s decade of success. This isn’t just a new launch; it’s a necessary evolution in how gamers want to buy and interact with in-game content,” Mike Feldkamp, chief technology officer at Coda, said.

Sydney, Australia – StackAdapt, a multi-channel advertising platform, has launched the self-serve StackAdapt Brand Lift for advertisers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. 

Through the update, advertisers and agencies can initiate brand lift studies within the StackAdapt platform, allowing them to measure campaign performance across multiple channels. 

The StackAdapt Brand Lift offers real-time insights and audience perceptions at multiple stages, enabling data-driven actions. It eliminates the need for third-party solutions, which can cause delays and can be more costly. 

Leveraging data accuracy, the new feature can provide reliable insights into the audiences’ perception of campaigns. It leads to precision in campaign performance findings, and consequently, optimisation of performance.

Additionally, StackAdapt allows customisation within its platform, ensuring that advertisers can tailor their studies according to their campaign goals. It also allows marketers to start and stop studies when necessary.

The brand lift tool supports a range of digital channels including native, display, video, CTV, OTT, audio, and in-game advertising. 

Liam McCarten, vice president of Asia-Pacific at StackAdapt, commented, “Our mission at StackAdapt has always been to empower our users with the most advanced tools to drive successful outcomes. With the introduction of our self-serve brand lift studies, we’re giving advertisers the ability to gain critical, real-time insights with unprecedented speed and flexibility. This is a transformative solution for marketers who need to stay agile and responsive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

San Jose, California – Adobe, a digital marketing solutions company, has launched ‘GenStudio for Performance Marketing,’ a generative artificial intelligence (AI) application that accelerates advertising and marketing campaign delivery. 

The launch of ‘GenStudio for Performance Marketing’ aims to meet the rising demand for personalised and effective content across channels. Most marketers believe that consumers expecting dynamic personalised content will increase by at least 5 times, an Adobe survey found.

Through the application, brands can use pre-approved and on-brand content to create advertisements, banners, and even marketing emails. It allows brands to find and reuse brand assets through a built-in repository. Marketers can also remix brand content for variations, personalising them with different audiences.

Creatives can create content through features such as the generative AI tool Adobe Firefly and third-party language models.

To protect brand equity, brand guidelines such as fonts, tone of voice, and other templates can be uploaded on the application. Through AI, the app can also send alerts when the content being created does not comply with the brand guidelines.

Additionally, the app will be able to activate campaigns directly on various channels. Through the expansion of partnerships with Google’s Campaign Manager 360, Meta, Microsoft Advertising, Snap and TikTok, marketers can publish content easily while getting access to direct performance insights.

Meanwhile, Adobe is also working with agencies Accenture Song, Dentsu, Havas, IBM Consulting, Interpublic Group, Media.Monks, Omnicom, Publicis, Stagwell and WPP for customisation and integration. 

“Delivering impactful global campaigns hinges on the ability to bring marketing and creative teams closer together, with generative AI-powered workflows that eliminate cumbersome and inefficient processes,” Varun Parmar, general manager at Adobe GenStudio, said.

“Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing enables creatives to focus on delivering deep creative designs that amplify a brand, while empowering their marketing counterparts to create the high volume of content variations that are needed to drive customer engagement, personalisation and conversion,” Parmar added.

Adobe GenStudio was launched last year, enabling quick content creation for enterprises.

New York – Social media platform TikTok has revealed new advertising solutions designed to help businesses achieve better results. Its new solutions include automated performance tools, additional measurement capabilities, and privacy technologies.

The new tools aim to help brands unlock the potential of TikTok. While the platform is used for entertainment, TikTok reports that 61% of users have purchased products after viewing content.

One of these tools include Smart+, which automates the advertising process, from targeting, bidding, and creatives. Meanwhile, the Out of Phone Retail offering bridges the digital and physical, bringing TikTok content in-store.

To provide a measurement solution, TikTok introduced the Conversion Lift Studies, which evaluates the real impact of TikTok ads. Additionally, it revealed Privacy-Enhancing Technologies that help advertisers protect user data.

“TikTok is building for the future. We have been listening, learning, and innovating with our advertiser partners to continuously develop solutions that deliver performance. TikTok is a unique ecosystem where culture, discovery, and commerce come together. Our goal with these new solutions is to empower brands to engage their communities on TikTok and achieve business results,” David Kaufman, global head of monetization product solutions and operations at TikTok, said.