Tag: Southeast Asia

Philippines – COMCO Mundo League of Enterprises strengthens its leadership by appointing Joyce Yu as its managing director for COMCO Southeast Asia. 

Yu’s new position includes growing COMCO’s Experience+ division and fortifying the group’s flagship brands, New PR and Smart Social. Services include events, branding, advertising, and special media executions are the main areas of focus for this sector. 

Yu has experience spanning nearly two decades in the fields of public relations, advertising, events, activation, branding, and brand communications. 

As the group’s specialist agency offering digital max services for digital, social, and emerging platforms, technologies, and innovations, Syfargo takes on the position of managing director at TARO AOX Inc. She will also be in charge of Story Lab, which provides services for communications audit, research, planning, editing, and publication, and ICOM, which handles integrated communications and digital PR. 

With more than 20 years of expertise in marketing, advertising, public relations, digital marketing, branding, and communications research, Rachel Syfrago is an experienced figure in the field. 

COMCO has also appointed Rachel Syfargo for TARO AOX Inc., and Tricia Cusi-Jimenea for COMCO Middle East & Africa. Jimenea continues to lead the company as managing director of COMCO Middle East & Africa, opening up new business opportunities. 

Jimenea is a public relations specialist with approximately 20 years of experience in media and influencer relations, celebrity marketing, strategy development, stakeholder engagement, event management, and content development. 

Ferdinand L. Bondoy, COMCO Mundo’s group chief executive director and lead strategic communications counsel / partner and co-founder, said, “My aim and passion to building a great team turned to a relentless goal to building a unique company that any amazing talent would dream to be part of – a creativity playground, a safe zone with a team that got your back, a craftsmanship vessel that will push forward our dreams and bring us to places, figuratively and literally. And for you to have a great team, you need to have the right company, like a second home, for these talents to thrive and grow.” 

He added, “And as we enter our 8 th year, we uphold our Mission 2024 battle cry and reinforce our unparalleled practice in a different league. We won’t be constrained by the norms of the traditional practice or pressures of the dogmatic society as there’s a bigger world out there and there are more compelling issues to dissect; there is a more progressive, complicated but necessary playing field to navigate, where we have a bigger mission to fulfil.”

Singapore – Singlife, a homegrown financial services firm, has announced its transformation as a fully-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Life Insurance Company (Sumitomo Life).

This agreement reinforces Sumitomo Life’s commitment to Singapore and builds on its original investment in Singlife in 2019. Sumitomo Life plans to include Singapore in its plan to expand throughout Asia. 

The management group, products, name, brand, and activities of Singlife will not be impacted by the ownership change. It will enable Singlife to pursue its long-term growth goals by giving it the funding required to support its regional expansion and transform into an all-encompassing financial services provider. 

Speaking about the acquisition, Ray Ferguson, chairman of Singlife, said, “We are pleased to join the Sumitomo Life group. It has been a remarkable journey getting to where we are today. We have grown from strength to strength since Sumitomo Life’s first investment in Singlife in 2019, through Singlife’s merger with Aviva Singapore till today. The deal shows Sumitomo Life’s strong confidence in what we have done and in our long-term plans. I would like to express our gratitude to TPG, Aviva, IPGL, and other shareholders who have walked this incredible journey with us. Thank you for your unwavering support.” 

Meanwhile, Pearlyn Phau, Singlife group chief executive officer, expressed, “We are very pleased to celebrate this milestone and excited for what this means for us as a business. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Life, we will have the means to expand and fulfill our ambition to offer customers an omni-channel tech-enabled, holistic proposition.”

Phau added, “We will continue to build products and services to meet their protection needs and offer retirement and wealth solutions that further their wellbeing and address their protection gaps. I believe we can leverage the combined strengths of Singlife and Sumitomo Life to deliver exceptional financial planning solutions across Asia.” 

Singapore – Southeast Asian womenswear brand, Love, Bonito, is redefining womenswear for the Asian woman with a new brand identity and a revamped assortment strategy. The change signifies the brand’s commitment towards its long-term vision of becoming the go-to destination for Asian women. 

Fronting the campaign is a line-up of Asian women, specifically chosen for their personal stories and outlook that strays from what a stereotypical Asian woman should be or look like.

To kickstart a new era, the new brand identity includes a sleek heart-shaped monogram that plays to the brand’s initials ‘LB’ and new colours beyond its iconic peach. The brand also challenges the perfect Asian women stereotype by taking on a sassier tone of voice, which will be reflected across the brand’s omnichannel platforms. 

Dione Song, CEO of Love, Bonito, said, “It’s high time we celebrate our brand, one that is created in Asia, lovingly made for Asian women, by Asian women. While many of our Asian cultures have been known to be more conservative, we want the world to see who the multifaceted Asian women is in this 21st century. By doing so, we want to let Asian women know that it is perfectly alright to be unabashedly ourselves while keeping to our roots and heritage.”

She added, “Our consistent double-digit year-on-year growth since 2020 has been encouraging and we will be rolling out a new assortment strategy as part of our new brand identity. The vision of being the go-to destination for Asian women is big, and we are just getting started.”

Love, Bonito will also introduce a change in its assortment strategy to ensure a more curated range. Based on over ten years of customer data, combined with machine learning and artificial intelligence, the streamlined assortment includes three key lines: Signatures, Staples and capsule collections. This revamp will provide apparel for work, weekend, casual, holiday and fancy occasions.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Online fashion and lifestyle retail company ZALORA launched its ‘ZALORAYA 2024’ campaign, aiming to showcase its festive modest wear collections for the Hari Raya season.

As modest wear continues to grow in popularity across the region, this year’s ZALORAYA features a diverse range of pieces from 19 renowned brands, including ZALORA’s private labels, and established and emerging local designers from Malaysia and Indonesia.

Indonesian labels, Ria Atelier and Embara, and Malaysian label, FM by Fuzana Mokhtaza, will also be part of this year’s ZALORAYA collections for the first time. Additionally, there will also be exclusive pieces from popular Malaysian designers Neelofa, founder of Naelofar, and Tom Abang Saufi.

ZALORAYA’s regional-wide campaign also includes both online and physical activities. In Malaysia, this includes a fashion showcase in Sentul Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur, exclusive benefits for VIPs, such as early access to the collections and the chance to attend the exclusive fashion showcase, and exciting giveaways throughout Ramadan, to celebrate the launch of this year’s collection.

In Indonesia, there will be a ZALORAYA 2024 pop-up store and fashion show at Kota Kasablanka in Jakarta, which will also showcase pieces from local designers and brands as part of ZALORA’s commitment to support the Indonesian government’s ‘Bangga Buatan Indonesia’ (Proudly Made in Indonesia) campaign.

Talking about the campaign, Mia Lim, category manager for Modest Wear at ZALORA, said, “Being Asia’s fashion expert, ZALORA recognised the immense opportunity early on in catering to the diverse needs and tastes of our Muslim consumers. Since launching our modest wear category in 2014, we have been seeing positive growth.”

“From our early foray into modest wear to our ongoing collaborations with local designers, we remain committed to growing this vibrant market segment and leading the way in shaping the industry in this region”, she added.

Singapore – As MARKETECH APAC brings its What’s NEXT series to Singapore, we are proud to announce that Braze has joined us as a Gold Sponsor for this conference and will be leading the discussion on how AI can help revolutionise customer engagement.

The company empowers marketers to tap into their creativity through its customer engagement platform that delivers relevant, cross-channel experiences, as well as innovative AI features such as Sage AI that helps assist in reinforcing the connection between consumers and the brands that they love.

Through the conference, Yi En Chye, GM APAC & director, strategic consulting at Braze, will be presenting a keynote presentation that explores the potential of artificial intelligence in providing meaningful customer interactions in today’s dynamic era of engagement.

This discussion is beneficial for brands and marketers as reinforcing customer engagement strategies with the help of the latest AI advancements can ensure a degree of personalisation and customer satisfaction that goes beyond the effectiveness of methods such as traditional chatbots, as well as making tasks easier and more efficient for teams to focus on strategising and other creative efforts.   

Teddy Cambosa, regional editor at MARKETECH APAC, said, “Embracing AI to transform customer engagement isn’t just about innovation; it’s about forging invaluable connections. By leveraging AI technologies, we empower businesses to understand, anticipate, and exceed customer needs, thereby sculpting experiences that resonate and endure in the hearts of those we serve. We look forward to Braze’s presentation on aiding businesses to adopt more AI-powered solutions for their customer engagement strategies.”

MARKETECH APAC’s “What’s NEXT 2024: Marketing in Singapore” conference is the second instalment of the What’s NEXT 2023-2024 Series conferences. It will feature a diverse lineup of industry leaders across multiple local and global brands including Grab, HP, Kaspersky, Singapore Management University, Singapore Post, Standard Chartered Bank, StarHub, The LEGO Group, and more. Head over to the official event site to see the full agenda and roster of speakers of What’s NEXT 2024: Marketing in Singapore.

Singapore – This Chinese New Year season, spending by Chinese and other Asian tourists surpassed that of CNY 2019, with Southeast Asia (SEA) as one of the top travel destinations globally, according to a press release by Alipay.

Notably, Alipay categorised SEA as one of the most popular travel destinations for Chinese tourists, with Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore combined seeing a 7.5% increase over 2019, and a 580% leap over 2023.

Going into more detail, the global top destinations in SEA are namely, Thailand placing 4th, Malaysia (5th), and Singapore (6th). Alipay+ played a role in the rankings of the aforementioned countries, enabling new international e-wallets to be used within each country.

In Singapore, Alipay enabled the use of six new e-wallets namely, Hipay (Mongolia), MPay (Macao SAR, China), MyPB by Public Bank (Malaysia), Toss Pay and Naver Pay (South Korea), and Tinaba (Italy). 

On the other hand, Thailand also received these six options, with the addition of GCash (Philippines), Changi Pay (Singapore) and OCBC Digital (Singapore). Malaysia received these options as well, and gained access to HelloMoney by AUB (Philippines) and TrueMoney (Thailand).

Talking about this turnout, Cherry Huang, general manager of Alipay+ offline merchant services, Ant International, commented, “Based on the recent Chinese New Year spending trends, we can see that it has already far surpassed 2023 and back to 2019 levels. Other than Chinese tourists, we have also seen an increase in spending by other Asian tourists via our Alipay+ partner payment apps.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Online fashion and lifestyle retail company ZALORA has kicked off its ‘Zaloraya – Celebrate love that never goes out of style’ campaign, welcoming the Ramadan festivities with exclusive item deals, designer collaborations, as well as a campaign film. 

In the film, ZALORA showcases a relatable bond between two sisters across the years, with Hari Raya further strengthening the genuine love that they don’t usually show for each other on normal days. 

Going into detail, the film follows younger sister Aamina, who complains about always having the same dress as her sister Aisha as they grew up. After some time, Aamina finally changed up her style and even went to further lengths to show that she isn’t like her sister in mischievous ways.

During Hari Raya however, the sisters exchanged gifts and realised that they had accidentally bought each other the same blue dress. This made both of them laugh and made Aamina realise that it’s also beautiful when things stay the same.

This campaign film emphasises ZALORA’s campaign for Hari Raya 2024, showing audiences that celebrating and loving tradition never goes out of style. 

‘Zaloraya – Celebrate love that never goes out of style, will be running until mid-April on ZALORA’’s social media platforms where the brand aims to captivate followers with engaging Instagram stories and TikTok challenges.

Talking about the campaign, Achint Setia, chief revenue and marketing officer at ZALORA, said, “Zaloraya transcends mere fashion; it’s a timeless celebration of enduring love and style. From our meticulously crafted films that embody this sentiment to our dynamic events that breathe life into our collections, we’re deeply honoured to resonate with the hearts of our customers.”

Singapore – Mandai Wildlife Group has announced its recent venture into fashion by announcing ‘Good Threads,’ an apparel capsule collection made from sustainably sourced materials, to make it easy and convenient for its wearer to make eco-friendly choices a daily habit.

The collection was developed over six months and produced in collaboration with Hakim Samat, a local craftsman known for his stylish, upcycled creations. It was crafted from 1,158 pieces of pre-loved clothing and salvaged materials weighing approximately 108kg from local thrift shops – honsieponsie, Function Five Thrift Shop and Woofie’s Warehouse, and from a textile collection drive initiated by social networks of friends and co-workers. 

Moreover, each garment was stitched together with fastenings and hardware such as buttons and carabiner hooks sourced from Plastify, a Singapore-born startup that has made recycled plastic waste its business.

The apparel collection is an extension of Mandai Wildlife Group’s ‘Choose Good with Mandai’ campaign to raise awareness about how people can collectively protect nature and wildlife by making conscious choices daily.

Suzanne Ho, senior vice president of brand and communications at Mandai Wildlife Group, said, “In the hustle and bustle of daily life, mindful actions like recycling and using fewer single-use plastics may inadvertently take a backseat sometimes, despite our best intentions. Good Threads sows the idea that daily consumption habits which are thoughtful of the planet can be effortless, and in this instance, even fashionable. Through personal choices, each of us can reap a more sustainable lifestyle. Manifest and multiply a personal mantra such as this, and we can fashion change together.”

She added, “Fashion is much loved by many. More than a style preference, it’s a personal statement and an identity. It can therefore wield power to influence how we think about clothing and perhaps reconsider the need to consume wave after wave of clothes and fashion accessories.”

‘Good Threads’ will fully debut in three phases. The first launch went public on February 15, followed by subsequent releases on 8 March and 28 March 2024. All items will be available exclusively for sale on goodthreadsbymandai.sg. All proceeds from the sale of Good Threads will go towards supporting wildlife conservation efforts in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Singapore – Supermom, an AI-driven data powerhouse that brings mission-centric brands into the hearts and wallets of discerning parents in Southeast Asia announces the launch of Brand Awards for 2024. 

The only awards of its kind to be 100% voted by consumers, Supermom Brand Awards seeks to recognise the best products and services for mothers and families in the Southeast Asia region. 

This year’s award promises to be bigger in size and scope, covering 18 categories and five countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. Categories range from baby care, nutrition to education, insurance and travel. 

Online voting for the awards will commence on 14 February for the Supermom community. Families interested in voting will need to create an account on welovesupermom.com site. The top three most voted brands across each of the categories in five countries will be unveiled on 18 March. 

Commenting on the awards, Luke Lim, group CEO of Supermom, said, “Brand Awards are conceived to be a win-win for both brands and consumers. The Awards will give consumers a chance to contribute their insights while getting paid for their efforts, and more importantly be able to compare their preferences against other parents’ recommendations. This will reinforce Supermom’s mission to empower millions of families to live better and smarter. Meanwhile, the results of the Awards will be a strong testament of the value that winning brands provide to their consumers, and gain greater recognition, credibility and trust amongst their target audience. 

To ensure that the awards process is seamless and foolproof, Supermom has also brought on board an advisory panel comprising Dr Lau Kong Cheen, associate professor of marketing at SUSS, Garick Kea, MD of Insights Table and Audrey Kuah, co-CEO, Asia Pacific, VML International. 

Supermom has also introduced an option for its community to donate their participation fees for Brand Awards to chosen beneficiaries which include Ray of Hope Singapore, Single Moms Indonesia, SingleMums Vietnam and Hati in Malaysia. 

Malaysian consumers seek more immersive and convenient shopping experiences. Adyen’s 2023 Peak Season report notes that 55% of Malaysian retailers have observed an increase in customer expectations in response to this behaviour. 

This trend is even more pronounced in Malaysia, where 40% of consumers wait for key calendar moments, such as the upcoming Chinese New Year season, to make their purchases, hoping to secure the best deals and discounts.

This peak sales season, Malaysian retailers are standing at a threshold of a major transformation in order to meet these preferences.

Bridging the digital and physical divide

Traditionally, online and offline transactions are treated separately and not integrated, making for a poor shopping experience. Yet, evolving consumer preferences show a demand for seamless integration of online and physical shopping experiences. 

To this end, retailers are embracing a unified strategy to elevate the shopping experience. This strategy connects backend systems of a business with its customer-facing channels via a single platform, enabling retailers to gather valuable data insights and help them improve customer experiences.

With these insights, retailers are able to bring a new level of personalisation to the retail experience, such as offering rewards and discounts that are tailored to the customer’s interests. A connected backend also means that retailers are able to recognise returning shoppers easily, thus enabling flexible purchases and exchange processes at the shopper’s convenience. 

During peak seasons like Chinese New Year, the focus is also on the convenience enabled by in-store technologies, including portable payment devices, self-checkout kiosks, and flexible payment options. This mirrors the ease of online shopping, offering swift and hassle-free transactions—picture the efficiency of fast mobile checkouts in-store versus the simplicity of one-click online checkout—while minimising queues and wait times.

Innovations such as self-checkout kiosks and mobile apps have become popular among Malaysian consumers, with 52% reporting a happier shopping experience. Beyond this, the rise in usage of portable in-person payment devices in-stores have shown how they open possibilities for more dynamic in-store customer journeys. 

For example, Sephora Malaysia revamped their in-store experience, which included removing as many counters as possible in their stores. This strategic move liberated staff from traditional cashier roles, allowing them to serve as roving sales and beauty consultants, providing personalised assistance and value-added services at the retail store floor. Today, staff are now able to help customers complete purchases on the spot without needing to guide customers to a counter or to a queue. This reflects consumer expectations, mimicking online shopping behaviours by busting checkout queues and offering a more personalised and efficient in-store experience. 

Consistent data analysis of consumer behaviour also helps retailers better forecast future demand, especially during peak shopping seasons. This in turn can optimise inventory management to avoid shortages or excess stock. Real-time inventory tracking, often facilitated by IoT devices, further aids retailers in ensuring a smooth shopping experience.

Customising experiences to consumer preferences

Malaysian shoppers desire smooth and easy transactions with minimal hassle. A significant 55% of shoppers have no qualms about abandoning their purchase if their preferred payment method is not available. This scenario becomes even more critical during high-traffic sales seasons. As a retailer, the last thing you want is to frustrate a customer who can’t pay how they want, at the very last stage of the purchase.

An overwhelming 79% of shoppers also now seek more personalised discounting from retailers, indicating a clear preference for offers that cater to their specific needs and interests. By leveraging technologies to gather actionable data and insights, retailers can better understand their customers’ behaviours. Through the analysis of purchasing patterns and browsing habits, retailers can go beyond one-off discounts and purchases and drive repeat engagement through more meaningful long-term incentives and rewards programmes.

As we anticipate the peak sales season of 2024, it is clear that continuous technological innovation is shaping the future of retail in Malaysia. While consumers’ needs have not undergone drastic shifts, the evolving dynamics of how retailers meet these needs constitute a dynamic blend of art and science. This highlights the imperative for retailers to consistently innovate to stay ahead of their customers’ ever-evolving preferences. Those who embrace these changes and use data-driven insights gain an edge by turning transactions into meaningful relationships with consumers. Adaptability is key for long-term success in the ever-changing retail landscape.

This article is written by Lee Soon Yean, Country Manager, Malaysia, Adyen

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT 2023-2024. What’s NEXT 2023-2024 is a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year.