Quantcast Archives - MARKETECH APAC

Hong Kong – Quantcast has bolstered its leadership team with the appointment of seasoned digital advertising expert Sally Ng as managing director for North Asia, alongside Yanny Chan as the new client success manager in Hong Kong.

Based in Hong Kong, Ng joins Quantcast from Hivestack, where she served as regional vice president for Greater China. With over 23 years of experience in the digital industry, Ng has held senior roles in sales, client services, and regional leadership at prominent companies such as Sojern, AdParlor, AudienceScience, Sizmek (formerly MediaMind), and Yahoo.

In her new role as managing director, Ng will lead the growth of Quantcast in Hong Kong, China Outbound, Taiwan, and other North Asia markets.

Ng has specialised in sales and business development, using her expertise and leadership to guide several global ad tech companies in successfully entering the Hong Kong and Taiwan markets. She has also been instrumental in educating stakeholders on the benefits of programmatic advertising.

Moreover, Ng has served on the IAB HK Programmatic Committee, leading the Ad Tech & Programmatic team, and is a member of the Advisory Committee for the IAB HK Digital Awards 2025.

Commenting on her new role, Sally said, “Quantcast is an exciting and growing business that continues to innovate, such as the recent launch of its self-serve platform, offering all sizes of advertisers the tools and insights to develop successful digital ad campaigns.”

“I have been a long-time advocate of the benefits of programmatic advertising and demonstrating the effectiveness of this innovative ad technology to clients and the broader Asia Pacific market, and I look forward to working with the Quantcast team to further their clients’ success,” she continued.

Meanwhile, Chan joins Quantcast as client success manager, bringing experience from her role as a digital specialist at IPG Mediabrands Hong Kong. She has also been part of the performance team at PHD and served as a digital marketing executive at Statrys.

In her new role, Chan will report to Joy Seah, head of client success at Quantcast APAC.

“Having worked on the agency side, I have seen firsthand the impact Quantcast has made on clients’ businesses, and I am keen to bring my agency experience to Quantcast to drive further impact,” Chan expressed.

Ng and Chan’s appointments come on the heels of Quantcast’s recent expansion in its Singapore and Australian offices, where six new commercial and sales management roles were added. Both will assume their new roles in Hong Kong immediately.

Sonal Patel, vice president for APAC at Quantcast, said, “Our clients and operations across the region continue to rapidly expand, and these appointments are a reflection of that acceleration. Sally is a hugely experienced and well respected digital advertising specialist in the region and will bring a wealth of valuable skills to the Quantcast team.

“With the addition of Sally and Yanny, we are continuing to invest in talent, demonstrating our deep commitment to the region, and strengthening our expertise for clients. Sally will be a strong leader for our North Asia business and a great partner to our clients,” Patel added.

With browsers prioritising user privacy, marketers must pursue other methods of targeting and measuring campaigns. Reality has forced them to seek alternatives to adapt to a digital world becoming less and less dependent on third-party cookies..

But even as the global reliance on cookies decreases, some people still find it difficult to envision a practical and effective future without them.

In MARKETECH APAC’s latest What’s NEXT in Marketing interview with Amit Kotecha, Quantcast’s chief marketing officer, he specifies how the industry can thrive in the inevitable cookieless future without compromising results.

Impact of data privacy regulations

Due to data privacy issues, more web users have opted to browse in environments that have ceased using third-party cookies. As such advertisers who have benefitted from third-party cookie measurement tactics in their campaigns have had to adapt.

“I’d say that it’s impacting everything today already. So, as much as we tune in on what Google is going to do with Chrome, half of the internet is currently cookie-less today. Since Safari made a change to their browser in 2018, cookie deprecation has been happening across the whole world in every market. According to our data, in most markets it’s over 50%,” Amit said.

According to him, even the percentage of people who have cookies will only keep them for less than a week.

“So there’s this constant refreshing of cookies that are unreliable now for any type of targeting or measurement. That is the reality today,” he added.

Adopting alternative measurement tools

The notion of shifting to other measurement tools is that advertisers need to compromise with less efficient and effective means. With emerging technologies however, this does not have to be the case.

“When it comes to measurement, a lot of it is about education. A lot of this is new. And so you’re moving away from a certain way of doing things and moving to a new process. Yet the measurement itself should not change, I don’t think. The actual outcome you’re driving to shouldn’t be different, whether it’s toward a sale, or sign-up or whatever it is that you’re trying to deliver,” Amit said.

Concerns over the practical use of alternative measuring tools are not unfounded. According to Amit, there are also levels of complication when dealing with cookieless campaigns. Using artificial intelligence is one way to solve this problem, at least after testing out what works over time.

“The way I look at it is that there used to be a direct line between an ad that you deliver, an impression and a conversion. And that connection was always a cookie. You know that you delivered an ad via a device or a browser to this person, and then they saw that ad, before they converted. Now that connection is severed–it’s no longer there anymore. But that impression still happened and that conversion still happened,” he explained.

“In order to understand the link in the customer journey, you have to connect the dots, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the best solution for this because it can start to make predictions. The more conversions and impressions an AI engine sees, the better it gets at making predictions on web users and how they convert on an advertiser’s website. A lot of this is about testing and education, but it’s also about running more and more campaigns using this type of measurement,” he added.

Amit specifies that advertisers can start using modelled or enhanced conversions, which provide conversion tracking despite cookie limitations. Additionally, they can use conversion APIs, which gather data from a customer or advertisers directly.

“I don’t think we’ll be talking about cookies moving forward. I think the future will be about modelled conversions and modelled insights, and those will just be the norm moving forward. We’ve got some ways to go before we get there, but the fact that advertisers can do this today and still have cookies to check their data against now–it’s like the best training data set to test against,” he said.

Restructuring perspectives to function without cookies

Brands are facing the fact that consumers are opting out of using third-party cookies due to privacy concerns. Advertisers are also aware, according to Amit, that the eventual cookie elimination is inevitable.

“I think we’ve always looked at this is as inevitable no matter what. So we’ve re-architected our entire business to function without cookies. And many advertisers consider targeting and measurement with the eradication of cookies and they think, ‘well, this is complicated and confusing and it’s not effective anymore,’ so they move their budgets away from programmatic, which doesn’t help them to succeed in an increasingly digitised world,” he explains.

With that, Amit emphasises the importance of first-party data for advertisers.

“If you’re an advertiser and you have first-party data, collecting it and using it is really important now for measurement. You can either connect it to a DSP, or to a clean room and measure some of your conversions directly from the publisher’s side as well. That’s really important, but it’s never going to give you the full picture. This is where you’re going to have to fill the gaps in with some type of modelling,” he said.

Reflecting on the future of advertising, Amit also highlights a potentially harmful practice with third-party cookie measurement.

“I really hope that we move away from the usual kind of arbitrary metrics that have become commonplace. I would hope that we eventually move away from last-click measurement and start to understand all the touch points that lead towards an action as it really doesn’t paint an accurate picture of digital advertising performance when you’re just looking at one touch point that delivered a conversion,” he said.

The evolution of the digital marketing landscape makes the loss of cookies imminent. However, its demise is not necessarily fatal to advertisers. While the transition to a cookieless future poses challenges, there are also many opportunities and technologies that can help make things easier for advertisers in the long run.

Through adopting these alternatives, marketers can find ways to deliver and measure campaigns effectively while ensuring data privacy and ultimately reduce the risk of falling behing in the industry.

After multiple delays and continued discussion about third-party deprecation, Google has announced that it is shelving its plans to phase out third-party cookies. However, it is also worth noting that Google is introducing another solution for Google Chrome, focusing more on a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing.

“Early testing from ad tech companies, including Google, has indicated that the Privacy Sandbox APIs have the potential to achieve these outcomes. And we expect that overall performance using Privacy Sandbox APIs will improve over time as industry adoption increases,” Anthony Chavez, VP at Privacy Sandbox at Google said.

He further added, “As this moves forward, it remains important for developers to have privacy-preserving alternatives. We’ll continue to make the Privacy Sandbox APIs available and invest in them to further improve privacy and utility. We also intend to offer additional privacy controls, so we plan to introduce IP Protection into Chrome’s Incognito mode.”

With that in mind, the question is: how prepared the industry is in terms of leaning towards more privacy-centric advertising solutions? Are we really prepared to let go of third-party cookies despite Google still having it? To answer these questions, MARKETECH APAC sought insights from various industry leaders to learn more about their insights from this update, and why should the industry continue to strive away from third-party cookies.

Stephen Rhodes, Head of Emerging Markets, APAC at Quantcast

In the context of the Philippines as an advertising market, it’s important to recognise that Google’s announcement does not change the fact that a significant portion of the online landscape is already “cookieless.” Marketers must not overlook this substantial and evolving audience, as it represents a crucial opportunity in today’s digital ecosystem.

Third-party cookies were never intended for advertising purposes anyway, and they are certainly not a reliable means of measurement in a world where consumer preferences can change rapidly across channels in real-time.

Businesses that no longer see the removal of third-party cookies as an issue are the ones who are actually ahead of the situation. Marketers who continue to rely on third-party cookies will effectively only be able to target 50% of their addressable audience as the rest are already browsing in “cookieless” environments such as Safari.

Genelle Hung, Country Manager (SEA) at PubMatic

At PubMatic, we are dedicated to enhancing user privacy while ensuring the vitality of the digital advertising ecosystem. Publishers must continue adopting diverse signals beyond third-party cookies. Google’s decisions and timelines should not hinder our industry’s progress toward a superior supply chain for digital advertising across the open internet. We have seen that alternative signals can provide better outcomes for advertisers and consumers alike and help provide a more sustainable addressability strategy.

We value the collaborative efforts across the industry, including Google’s responsiveness to feedback, and are eager to help shape a more effective, privacy-focused digital advertising landscape. We understand that APIs must evolve in light of Google’s announcement, and we will continue partnering with our peers to inform the specifics and timing. Throughout this transition, PubMatic’s goal remains supporting publishers in maximising revenue while respecting user privacy.

Niall Hogan, General Manager for JAPAC at GumGum

The industry shouldn’t interpret Google’s delay as a reason to abandon privacy-centric advertising. Consumer expectations are clear: they want control over their data and transparency in its usage. This situation presents a golden opportunity for contextual advertising, which should be the primary focus.

Unlike third-party cookies, contextual advertising employs a privacy-first approach by analysing the content of a webpage rather than user behaviour to deliver relevant ads. This method respects user privacy and aligns with their preference for a non-intrusive experience. As consumer awareness of data privacy continues to grow, it is crucial for brands to enhance transparency and build user trust by clearly communicating their data practices and providing users with control over their data.

[Moreover] Google’s new solution remains a question mark. Their focus on “user experience” and “informed choice” sounds promising, but it’s unclear how it will balance privacy with ad effectiveness. The industry should approach these solutions with caution, as any approach that does not prioritise user privacy could face backlash from increasingly privacy-conscious consumers.

Kat Warboys, Senior Marketing Director of APAC, HubSpot

The latest news on third-party cookies is ultimately a win-win for advertisers and consumers. But the multi-year journey on cookie deprecation has been tough on marketers who have been trying to prepare. After all of this, one thing is clear: relying on third parties is no longer enough. Businesses need to take control of their first-party data to get a complete understanding of their customer, especially given the level of personalisation expected by today’s consumers.

Chris Hogg, Chief Revenue Officer, Lotame

Google may no longer be ending third-party cookies by its own hand, but the slow march of progress will still see them rendered obsolete sooner or later. Users and regulators are increasingly privacy-focused and, given cookies will be “opt-in” across the board, there will still be a need for other signals to fill the gaps — especially across channels where cookies are long gone or were never present to begin with.

The fate of third-party cookies will be as a small part of an ever-expanding array of data points, becoming less relevant over time as more privacy-first, platform-agnostic solutions evolve. No one that wishes to remain competitive should think they can take their foot off the pedal of first-party data collection and strategic data collaboration.

Xiaofeng Wang, Analyst at Forrester

It’s no surprise that Google eventually scrapped its cookie deprecation plans after three delays in four years. Most marketers in APAC have seen this coming. According to Forrester’s Marketing Survey 2024, 53% of B2C marketing decision-makers in APAC do not believe that Google will deprecate the third-party cookie, increased from 49% in 2023. This would further dampen advertisers’ urgency to adopt Privacy Sandbox, Google’s initiative to replace third-party cookies with privacy-preserving technologies.

Marketers who strive to use personalisation to improve customer experiences must also adopt a privacy-first approach to earn consumer trust and ultimately win a competitive advantage. Marketers should be transparent and granular about data collection and usage and learn to communicate to consumers that the value is not just in free content or free samples but better personalisation, more customised services, and products that ultimately yield better customer experiences.

Giovanni Gardelli, Vice President of Ads Data Products at Yahoo

We remain committed to supporting efforts that align with our focus on transparency and providing user choice, which includes continuing to invest in our own proprietary Yahoo Identity Solutions. Additionally, we will continue partnering with industry leaders to integrate and develop privacy-friendly solutions enabled by emerging web browser technologies that balance advertiser and publisher goals, while respecting user privacy.

Harshana Ariyaratne, Chief Marketing Officer at Affinidi

At Affinidi, we prioritise consumer rights to data control and privacy. We were encouraged by Google’s initial plan to deprecate third-party cookies, recognising it as a significant step towards honouring consumer data rights and rebuilding trust between consumers and businesses.

While the decision to abandon third-party cookie deprecation may appear to be a setback for user privacy, Google’s commitment to developing solutions that enhance user experience and informed choice is promising. This approach presents an opportunity for businesses to adopt privacy-by-design, user-centric solutions, even in the presence of third-party cookies.

Google’s efforts to create a privacy-conscious and user-centric framework have the potential to rebuild trust and meet evolving privacy expectations. However, the success of these initiatives will hinge on their ability to address the needs of all stakeholders and provide genuine privacy improvements.

Our privacy-by-design suite of solutions within the Affinidi Trust Network, and the Affinidi Iota Framework (the world’s first consent-based data-sharing framework built on open standards) adheres to latest privacy regulations while giving consumers true data sovereignty. By prioritising consent-first principles in digital transactions, we ensure that the data collected is accurate and relevant, enabling brands to create personalised solutions that enhance user experience and satisfaction based on trust and transparency.

Focusing on users’ needs and rights [also] fosters a trustworthy and enjoyable online environment. By embracing this direction, we protect privacy while fostering innovation, creating a digital world that is transparent, responsive, and built on trust.

Timmy Bankole, Director, Advertising Business Operations at South China Morning Post

At SCMP, we are continuing to invest in advertising strategies that put users first, including first-party data, zero-party data, and contextual approaches. We’ve been moving towards an ecosystem that respects user privacy and builds real trust with our audiences.

As an industry, we’ve actually been given more time to get ahead of this and work towards a more user-centric, data-driven ecosystem. Whether that is identity IDs, Topics API, or contextual strategies, the smart play is to reduce dependency on third-party cookies It’s not a revolutionary concept, but it is an important one for us to start addressing head-on. The sooner we can adapt and move in this direction, the better off we’ll all be in the long run.

Benjamin Combe, Senior Director, Data Optimization and Personalization, APAC at Monks

Google’s data shows that 80% of APAC consumers feel that transparency on their data is a must-have, so the move toward giving users greater control over their preferences in Chrome is broadly in line with consumers’ growing expectations for data/privacy controls. It remains to be seen how far these features go. Still, if anything like Apple’s rollout of ATT, it appears likely that these new Chrome controls will essentially see a ‘user-driven’ deprecation of 3rd Party Cookies via opt-outs rather than a Google-enforced one as a tech vendor. Whether it’s best to give users a choice vs deprecating them entirely is a different debate. But, if executed properly, the move toward transparency and controls for end users does align with how consumer sentiments and regulations have evolved over the years.

Tyler Stewart, Media Solutions Architect Lead, APAC at Monks

Google’s change of step on 3PCD doesn’t change the imperative for privacy-centric advertising strategies—between regulatory changes and 3PCD across other browsers and devices, the need for privacy-preserving alternatives is still as pressing as ever.

At the end of the day, consumers globally have significant concerns about their data privacy and want the businesses they transact with to address these and treat the information they share with respect – rather than as a commodity. It was never really Google’s place to be the arbiter of the private web (in many ways, it never wanted to be) and its decision here will hopefully better enable the industry at large to act more openly and collaboratively to develop solutions that meet both the needs of the industry and the rights and expectations of consumers.

Brands that have already started exploring initiatives like the judicious use of first-party data, consent management, modeled measurement solutions, and conversion recovery mechanisms will continue to see benefits from these investments and should continue down this road. Those who haven’t shouldn’t see this announcement as an excuse to “kick the can down the road” like the many 3PCD postponements that have come before. To avoid being left behind – both in terms of advertising capability and trust with their customers – they, too, need to take the path towards privacy.

Despite the shelving of third-party cookie deprecation, industry leaders continue to advocate for the exploration of alternative measures. This encouragement underscores the necessity of evolving towards a privacy-by-design advertising ecosystem. Such a shift is crucial not only for maintaining consumer trust but also for fostering a more sustainable and ethical digital landscape. By prioritising privacy in the foundational design of advertising practices, we can ensure that the future of digital marketing aligns with the growing demands for user data protection and transparency.

Singapore – Quantcast, a global advertising technology firm, has announced the appointment of three additional sales executives to its teams in Singapore and Australia, highlighting the company’s continued commitment to client and commercial growth in the area. The appointments will take effect immediately.

Lee Wee Keong and Aisyah Ilihaqq Rejaluddin were appointed as associate sales managers in the Quantcast Singapore office, adding a combined 20 years of expertise to the firm.

Programmatic solutions specialist Keong has a wealth of experience in the Singaporean sector. After working as a senior sales manager for out-of-home and digital out-of-home solutions at Clear Channel Singapore, he joined Quantcast. Keong worked in sales and media for Asia City Media Group, Group M, and Ink Publishing before this. He has worked with a variety of global businesses over the course of his career, such as Disney, VISA, Mastercard, and BMW.

Rejaluddin has experience in client relationship development, strategy, and digital marketing in Singapore. She was a business development representative at the travel marketing platform Sojern before joining Quantcast. Additionally, Rejaluddin has worked in sales for Panasonic Singapore, TNT Logistics, and FedEx.

Meanwhile, Matt Frost has joined Quantcast in Brisbane, Australia, as a sales manager.

Frost is an experienced and award-winning media sales executive at leading B2B marketing and sales teams and interacting with SMEs and large corporate clients in competitive marketplaces. He has previously held top sales positions at Nine, NOVA Entertainment, GoTransit Media Group, UM Worldwide, and JCDecaux.

The addition of the additional sales positions to Quantcast’s APAC team comes after Jovi Tupas was appointed as the sales lead in the Philippines and Brittany McBride as the client success manager.

Quantcast’s APAC team was strengthened earlier this year with the addition of senior sales executives Lavin Vaswani as commercial director, Asia, Jayaram Gopinath Nagaraj as group agency lead, Asia, and Joyce Seah as head of client success, APAC, all of whom are based in Quantcast’s Singapore office.

Speaking about the appointments, Sonal Patel, Vice President, APAC at Quantcast, said, “Wee Keong and Aisyah are welcome additions to our Singapore team, while Matt brings extensive sales leadership skills to the Australian business as we continue to rapidly expand our client stable and operations across the region. All bring a wealth of knowledge in digital and programmatic sales to the business, along with a proven ability to develop strategic partnerships. Their appointments will help drive growth in the Singapore and Australian markets, while continuing to offer a high level of service and results for our clients.”

He added, “Wee Keong and Aisyah’s appointments are a direct result of the growth of our APAC footprint in recent months, particularly across Singapore. By continuing to recruit highly experienced professionals to our APAC team, we’re showing our deep commitment to the region, and commitment to strengthen our expertise for clients.”

Meanwhile, Lee expressed, “It’s an exciting time to be joining the Quantcast team, particularly with the sustained growth in its Singapore operations. I’m looking forward to bringing my sales strategy and creative problem-solving skills to the business, to help drive impactful outcomes for Quantcast’s growing Singapore client base.”

Lastly, Rejaluddin stated, “Quantcast has made an indelible mark on many businesses across Singapore, helping to drive tangible results in the programmatic advertising space. I’m hoping my digital marketing expertise, and ability to develop strategic client partnerships, will continue to deliver for Quantcast’s clients and help boost revenue in the Singapore market.”

Australia – Global adtech Quantcast has introduced a self-service platform (SSP) to make open internet advertising more accessible to independent agencies and advertisers. This project enables businesses of all sizes to reach new audiences by providing tools and data previously only available to large ad spenders.

The new offering from Quantcast offers a remedy for the changing environment of digital marketing, as old cookie-based advertising techniques are being phased out due to privacy concerns. With the support of the new platform, independent agencies and advertisers may transition to cookieless advertising and maintain their competitiveness and efficacy in marketing campaigns.

The key aspects of Quantcast’s new self-serve platform include AI-driven insights, which offers users access to AI and machine learning capabilities that enable high-performance advertising. The technology also provides simplified campaign management via an easy interface, making programmatic advertising accessible to everybody and facilitating campaign setup, management, and analysis. Additionally, the platform provides comprehensive cookieless solutions, which include new and proven measurement and targeting solutions that do not rely on third-party cookies.

The open web is where most consumers spend their time, and while many small and midsize businesses are skilled at using social media marketing platforms to reach potential customers, this launch offers the same access to it.

Speaking about the launch, Konrad Feldman, CEO of Quantcast, said, “Today’s legacy DSPs are too complex, too time-consuming, and too dependent on third- party cookies. Our goal is to empower businesses of all sizes to effectively reach their audiences, bringing the simplicity and efficiency of the walled gardens to the expansive and diverse open internet. There is a huge opportunity for marketers to improve their advertising performance and drive meaningful results.”

Meanwhile, Clare Rogers, business director at This is Flow, stated, “Thanks to Quantcast, we’ve been able to efficiently target our key audience segments, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates. Their innovative approach to advertising without third-party cookies has given us a competitive edge. We’re extremely satisfied with the performance and results, and so are our clients.”

USA – Quantcast, a global advertising technology company, announced three new appointments to its APAC sales team today, following its continuous expansion efforts in Australia and Southeast Asia. All of the appointments will take effect immediately.

Alara Yenisey joins ANZ as client success manager, while Koh ChewHoi and Amanda Soh take up client success manager and senior sales manager roles at the Singapore office, respectively.

Yenisey, who will have her headquarters in Melbourne, has a track record in client management, digital media, and advertising, which she brings to Quantcast. Prior to joining Quantcast, Yenisey worked for News Corp Australia, UM, OMD, and SBS as a key account manager and in digital planning. There, she worked with both domestic and international clients like McDonald’s, Coles, and Optus.

ChewHoi is a digital specialist with more than ten years of experience in media and publishing, mostly in Singapore. ChewHoi has worked in management at Performics, iProspect, Zenith, and Singapore Press Holdings across her career.

Soh brings sales and account management expertise from the APAC digital advertising sector to Quantcast. She will be in charge of leading initiatives to boost income and developing strategic alliances with important clients throughout the area in her new position.

Prior to joining Quantcast, Soh oversaw initiatives to increase the platform’s market share while working for Twitter (now X) as the Southeast Asia agency lead and client partner. She was also employed by Oracle, Amnet, and MEC as a senior account manager.

Speaking about the appointments, Sonal Patel, vice president, APAC at Quantcast, said, “We’re excited to expand our sales and client management team in the region as we continue to grow. Amanda, Alara and Koh all bring a depth of experience in their respective markets, and a passion for enhancing client relationships. Quantcast has significantly bolstered its Australia and Southeast Asian operations over the past several months, reflecting a genuine commitment to growing our APAC footprint and strengthening our relationships with our clients. The sales team is well-placed to extend our efforts in the APAC market.”

Meanwhile, Yenisey said, “As a digital-first marketer, Quantcast’s dedication to leading the market in effective, accurate digital advertising makes it an attractive place to work. I’m excited to join the growing ANZ team and look forward to bringing my extensive agency experience to drive measurable outcomes for Quantcast clients.”

Chewhoi also said, “Quantcast has become one of the premier digital advertising marketers across Asia and I’m excited to be part of such an illustrious organisation. With a passion for improving the client experience, I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to help grow the client books across Asia.”

And lastly, Soh said, “Having worked in the APAC digital sales industry for most of my career, I’ve had a front row seat to Quantcast’s ongoing growth and domination in the market. I’m excited to be joining the team at a pivotal time for the organisation as it seeks to further drive revenue and new client partnerships, particularly across Asia.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for a long time. But for the past few months, it has accelerated and taken the marketing industry by storm, giving marketers unprecedented opportunity while opening more doors on how to distil its power to full capacity. Although iterations of the use of AI are now being witnessed, there are still some questions surrounding the technology.

In the world of marketing, MARKETECH APAC wanted to uncover how brands can use AI for success, and in doing so, what challenges they can prepare for, as well as what opportunities can be gained through AI innovation.. For that, we turn to Konrad Feldman, CEO & co-founder of Quantcast–the adtech that specialises in AI-driven real-time advertising, audience insights, and measurement.

In the latest Expert Up Close interview, we sat down with Feldman to learn his expert insights on the emergence of AI and how marketers can use it as a powerful tool to deliver excellence in their marketing initiatives.

Firstly, according to Feldman, the innovation of AI has moved past itself, it is not just ‘one thing’ but an umbrella of approaches. What makes it a true mark of growth in this digital age is the fact that it can interact with what has been democratised for everyone; information on the open internet.

Right off the bat, productivity is the biggest benefit of AI, and for marketers, this means being able to have more room to do the jobs they were meant to do, better..

“There’s going to be all sorts of companies launched and tools that sit on top of these [large language] models that will help us with productivity and that will help us get through our work quicker, freeing up marketers to be more creative and more and more innovative. I think everyone should be testing these things to get a feel for themselves,” he said.

Konrad also added that the more we can set these tools to understand the data patterns to be able to predict the right audiences and to autonomously optimise campaigns, it frees people up to do things that people are still much better at doing.

“One of the more intricate use cases of AI for marketers is being able to narrow down which audience segments are best to reach for an advertising campaign”, stated Feldman.

“So one of the key benefits [of AI] is helping [to] decide which set of consumers would be best to reach for an advertising campaign. In any market, there’s a large potential [audience], but the reality is, very few marketers want to reach the entire audience.”

Many advertisers have an increasing amount of information on their customers. Feldman gave the example of an airline that has a route to San Francisco and is promoting tickets for that destination could have many hypotheses by which someone could become a customer. But even with a large number of people, it would only be able to identify a subset of those motivations.

And this is where programmatic advertising enters the picture and leverages machine learning, which can more systematically assess the characteristics of customers that may be interested in a brand’s offer.

Ultimately, Feldman said there are different types of AI for different types of problems, but just like any other technology, one should start not with the goal of simply using technology.

“You should start with the goal of solving a specific problem,” he said.

Overall, machine learning and AI algorithms work as an optimisation process where they are trying to minimise some errors and maximise some value, so one must be able to provide the incentive for the way the algorithm learns.

“Be really clear about the problem that you want to solve and how you’ll measure success. I think that’s an important framing – having a clear understanding of what success looks like.”

Another important thing — the willingness to experiment.

“Be willing to experiment, recognise that not everything you try with new technologies is always going to work straight off.”

He elaborated by saying that if something doesn’t work and you can understand why, that’s how you learn in advance.

He then concluded, “So getting a model where you’re able to experiment and learn quickly is powerful. And that’s the last thing I’d say – experiment. These new products that are available based on [breakthroughs] and the availability of data is such that we’re seeing some really interesting, emergent properties from these models. And they’re available, and they’re accessible. And anyone can go and use them. Just try them out!”

Watch the full interview with Feldman here.

Manila, Philippines – The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing strategies has become a defining characteristic of the modern business landscape. AI is transforming how brands interact with consumers, enabling relevant and personalised marketing campaigns, data-driven decision-making, and enhanced customer experiences. And yet, as beneficial as it seems, many are just only starting to explore AI adoption in their strategies. The question is: are marketers in the Southeast Asia region, particularly in the Philippines, ready for these new technologies?

In light of this, MARKETECH APAC invited top Philippine marketing leaders for a roundtable event to share their insights on AI in marketing, and how they’re implementing AI across their marketing strategies. What resulted was a lively and positive outlook on how marketers in the country can move forward as an industry that embraces AI technologies as part of its DNA.

Marketing leaders who attended the event include:

Blessie Cruz, AVP/group head – marketing at 2GO Group Inc.
Benjamin Quiroga-Rivera, managing director, APAC at Emma Sleep
Greg Anonas, international wine and food marketing director at Emperador Distillers, Inc.
Erik Kristofer Riola, marketing director at Firefly Electric & Lighting Corporation
AR Polinar, marketing deputy director at Flash Express Philippines
Rochelle Vandenberghe, chief marketing and digital business officer at FWD Insurance
Brian Augustine Reyes, digital marketing lead (performance marketing lead) at Lalamove
Kat Costas, SEA e-commerce marketing lead & country marketing head at Levi’s
Andrew Guevarra, head of brand marketing and communications at Malayan Insurance
Pocholo Garcia, head of digital & e-commerce at Malayan Insurance
Albet Roble-Buddahim, chief marketing officer at PRIMER Group of Companies
Munmun Nath, chief marketing officer at UnionDigital Bank

Opening with a keynote address by Konrad Feldman, co-founder and CEO of Quantcast; AI-powered technologies have empowered marketers to gain invaluable customer insights, personalise experiences, and optimise campaigns for unprecedented success. Drawing attention to AI’s ability to analyse vast amounts of data in real time, Feldman also underscored its transformative impact on customer segmentation, targeting, and predictive modelling. Moreover, his presentation delivered a compelling case for embracing AI in marketing as an indispensable tool for unlocking untapped potential, driving growth, and shaping the future of customer engagement and brand success.

“AI is math, not magic. Technology when combined with human ingenuity and creativity really can be magic. AI machine learning can improve everyday advertising experiences for billions of consumers, they can help marketers get better return of investment, they can help content producers capture good revenue for producing original content,” he said.

Feldman also added, “The complexity of everyday tasks has grown with the market and many folks still follow the same processes for planning activations in the past, albeit with nicer tools, but more and more time is spent using these tools, and… lots and lots of levers and dials to check on and constantly adjust, and the technology has made the marketer the computer.”

On the benefits and challenges of using AI to for marketing

The attending Philippine marketing leaders also shared their insights on the status quo of AI in marketing and how brands could better use and benefit from it.

Malayan Insurance’s Pocholo Garcia, shared that they use AI to empower their customer experience (CX) strategies.

“[AI] is primarily for CX, at least on my end, and that’s not just in terms of getting people to convert, because that’s just step one. We want the whole experience of choosing us [as their insurance provider] to be smooth for everyone, not just for clients but also for the people on the inside,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lalamove’s Brian Augustine Reyes explained how AI has been integral in improving efficiency, productivity, and data-driven decision-making for brands and marketers alike.

“As someone who handles the day-to-day performance optimisation, AI can really give you more time to do the strategic thinking part instead of just… identifying the right audience [and] thinking up creatives. AI also gives the advantage of creative optimisation, developing what kind of communication is effective for your audience to improve your metrics,” Reyes said.

Meanwhile, PRIMER Group’s Albet Buddahim explained how the versatility of AI can be beneficial on the e-commerce side of things, and further reach untapped databases.

“AI can help us on the e-commerce side. We’re sitting on a 1.7 million email database but the match on Facebook and Google are low. Maybe [AI] can help us find where the rest of these 1.7 million are going in a way where I can drive them to our offers,” he said.

Lastly, Flash Express’s AR Polinar expressed how AI is beneficial in terms of planning, saying, “We use AI for planning and forecasting. It’s really useful for us [in] making sure that our operations are really ready [based on] the data we’re receiving from our partners and customers.”

It is also worth noting that many marketing leaders are also acquainted with more mainstream AI tools, including the generative AI tool ChatGPT.

For Emma Sleep’s Benjamin Quiroga-Rivera, AI tools such as ChatGPT are easy to understand and accessible to use by all, including marketers.

“What we’ve seen particularly with this consumer product, ChatGPT, is just how accessible and easy it is to visualise and sort of ideate creatives, which we found quite fun to play around with,” he said.

Despite the benefits AI has brought to marketers, there are still concerns on whether there are people who are actually capable of using such technology.

This was according to Levi’s Kat Costas, saying, “For us, it’s [about] automation and personalisation… [AI] helps us with the media, in terms of identifying the right segments [and] the right assets that will be served through each of the segments. The big challenge for us is, do we even have the people who can use the technology.”

The negative implications of AI

Despite all of the benefits AI brings to the marketing scene, industry leaders still have levels of uncertainty when it comes to using such AI tools.

Flash Express’s AR Polinar noted that the downside of using AI has been around losing qualitative data upon maximising AI tools.

“One disadvantage would be focusing more on quantity vs quality because of AI. We might not verify the data we receive or not take action immediately. The challenge is to always verify the [data or the] actions of our consumers on the ground,” he said.

For Emperador Distiller’s Greg Anonas, AI still has limited capabilities in exploring unknown marketing territories.

“When it comes to AI–we think it’s a boon to everyone, but it does have some things that it can’t handle. For example, strategic thought and entrepreneurial thinking. What we’re concerned about is, as we move further into AI, we get into things that people have not done before,” he said.

Meanwhile, Erik Riola from Firefly Electric commented that while there are certain negative perspectives on AI technologies, marketers are still open to exploring such tools.

“People tend to focus on the negatives rather than where [AI] could benefit… It is in the understanding, which I feel as a marketer, that we could better use and employ these technologies. But I say that it is a conscious level of optimism because it is still very fresh, at least from the consumers’ perspective,” Riola said.

He added, “All of a sudden now a lot of people are talking about ChatGPT, and as a marketer, you don’t want to be a dinosaur in your industry…you want to learn that technology. And that’s what we are trying to employ today.”

The industry leaders recognised the transformative power of AI in enabling personalised experiences, data-driven decision-making, and improving customer engagement. And expressed the undeniable benefits and potentials of implementing AI in various marketing strategies.

They also highlighted the positive impacts of AI in efficiency, productivity, and creative optimisation–as it becomes more and more accessible for marketers. While acknowledging these, they also raised the concern of limitations such as investments or time, loss of qualitative data, and marching into unmarked territory.

As AI continues to evolve, the future of marketing holds exciting prospects and could redefine how consumers interact with products and services, taking engagement to unprecedented heights.

However, it’s important to note that while AI offers immense potential, Human creativity, emotional intelligence, and ethical considerations still play crucial roles in designing campaigns that truly connect with audiences on a meaningful level. In this journey, collaboration will be key – between marketers and AI systems, amongst industry peers, and with consumers to ensure that the right balance is struck.

Singapore – Quantcast, the worldwide advertising technology business, has announced three new senior positions for its Singapore office. In response to consistent expansion across its APAC businesses. The three appointments will take effect immediately.

Lavin Vaswani becomes commercial director, Asia; Jayaram Gopinath Nagaraj becomes group agency lead, Asia; and Joyce Seah joins the firm as head of client success, APAC. All three will work out of Quantcast’s Singapore headquarters. Seah and Vaswani will be members of the Singapore-based team, reporting to Sonal Patel, vice president APAC.

Vaswani takes on the role of head of sales for Quantcast in Asia, where his main objective is to increase the company’s market share in the area.

Vaswani, who recently held the role of sales account director at Twitch, comes to Quantcast with over 15 years of expertise in media sales throughout Asia. He has held sales executive positions with Microsoft, Admax, and Adara during his career.

Nagaraj joins Quantcast from Meta, where he worked for four years as an agency partner and as the APAC agency development lead. Previously, he held roles as head of digital at Astro Radio and general manager at Blaze Digital in Malaysia.

With nearly 15 years of experience in social media, programmatic, and ad tech, Seah is a professional in digital marketing. In the past, she has worked for Facebook as a regional solutions partner and for Amnet and Publicis Groupe as an account director.

Speaking about the appointments, Patel, Vice President of APAC, expressed, “I’m delighted to continue our growth and expansive operations with these new hires. With both Vaswani and Gopinath and Seah overseeing client success, we are well-positioned to carry out our growth plans in 2024.”

Meanwhile, Konrad Feldman, CEO of Quantcast, said, “We’re thrilled to be heading into 2024 with a new leadership team for our Asian client base. All three new appointments bring a wealth of experience and a proven track record in programmatic, sales and tech to Quantcast, We’re excited to continue our growth in the region this year.”

Talking about his appointment, Vaswani, “I’m excited to be joining Quantcast as it continues to gain market share in Asia. As someone who has worked for nearly two decades in the Asian media sales sector, I’m looking forward to bringing my expertise to the Quantcast team.”

Furthermore, Nagaraj stated, “2024 is set to be a huge year for digital in Southeast Asia, and Quantcast is poised to be at the forefront of this expansion. I’m delighted to be joining the business during this growth phase and look forward to driving both new business and elevating the Quantcast offering for our clients.”

Lastly, Seah said, “Having worked in both Australia and Asia, I have a deep understanding of the digital and programmatic space across APAC. It’s a dynamic market, where strong client relationships, driving revenue and delivering ROI are critical. Quantcast has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to delivering for its clients; I’m thrilled to join the business and further its mission of providing more effective, efficient digital advertising.”

Singapore – InMobi, a global provider of content monetisation and marketing technologies, has announced the acquisition of Quantcast Choice, a consent management platform (CMP) designed to help publishers seamlessly align with the rapidly changing global privacy regulations.

This strategic acquisition reinforces InMobi’s commitment to bolstering its privacy management platform for mobile app and web publishers, encouraging them to navigate the dynamic and intricate privacy landscape.

In a time where a proven CMP often results in lost opportunities for publishers, Quantcast Choice is said to support more than 500 Google-Certified, 800 IAB-approved vendors, and non-certified vendors specific to publishers’ needs, helping publishers increase monetisation, higher fill rates, and sometimes up to a 35% boost in eCPMs in certain regions.

As part of the acquisition, InMobi will uphold the platform’s free availability for existing customers and remains committed to extending this promise to both existing and new customers.

Speaking on the acquisition, Kunal Nagpal, chief business officer at Inmobi Advertising, said, “Quantcast Choice is a gold standard for thousands of Web publishers; we are excited to build and extend its benefits to the 40,000 mobile apps that currently work with InMobi. This acquisition allows us to bring the power of a proven world-class CMP into the in-app ecosystem where the challenges remain enormous and unresolved.”

Meanwhile, Peter Day, chief technology officer at Quantcast, commented, “InMobi understands the needs of publishers and we’re delighted that this market leading CMP will continue to be available as a free solution. We remain committed to our customers and have formed a close partnership with InMobi to ensure a seamless transition.”