Tag: Southeast Asia

Manila, Philippines – Through time, the use of social media is becoming more intertwined into people’s daily lives, and is also becoming a major avenue for conversations that would benefit both consumers and brands.

On Twitter, whatever is happening, be it as grand as opening a new business or simple joys, people share it with their network, making the platform the go-to place to see the latest in culture and trends.

Research shows that there are five key trends on how Filipinos converse around food, beverages, and personal, as well as home care on Twitter. The first trend is around one’s creativity in the kitchen, which is the result of boredom of Filipinos amid the ongoing pandemic. 

Cooking and baking have become creative outlets for new skills, and part of the people’s routine is to tweet their creations, sharing their trusted food brands and their favorite marketplace. The data from Twitter also shows that Filipinos’ most mentioned retailer for packaged food is foodpanda Philippines.

Next on the list is Filipinos’ love for coffee. Conversations about this much-loved drink continue to grow on Twitter Philippines, increasing 3% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, as cafes enticed people to look for innovative ways to make a statement with coffee. And with this, Robinsons Supermarket topped the list as the most talked about beverage retailer for Filipinos on Twitter.

Filipinos also tweet about pop culture on Twitter, which helped increase the conversation interestingly around hair care. There’s a 15% increase in the tweet volume on hair care for the first quarter of 2021 compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, as they actively pay attention and discuss the latest hairstyles or colors being sported by their favorite idols. This made Watsons Philippines rank first as the top mentioned hair care retailer among Filipinos in the platform.

Meanwhile, Filipinos gained a new perspective on self-care during the pandemic, building up their skincare routine and Twitter has also become the top-of-mind platform to look for suggestions and tips. More than 12% in April 2021of tweets are related to personal and skincare compared to May 2021. Part of this growth is the equally progressing conversation on tackling unrealistic beauty standards. Twitter revealed that Shopee Philippines is the most talked about among retailers and providers of self-care products.

And lastly, Filipinos were found to grow fondness for tweeting about being at home, making them more attentive to their own space. As the pandemic continues, people have grown interested in home improvement to keep their homes safe and clean. They can be seen sharing their aesthetic home buys, which is mainly from Lazada Philippines, therefore ranking first as the most mentioned retailer of home care products.

Chandan Deep, Twitter’s head of emerging business for SEA, shared that people on the app and the conversations that they create are what makes Twitter unique, and 71% have rated it as a great platform for brand interaction, making it the number one among its peers.

“These people lead the conversation and are passionate to share about diverse topics such as beauty, food, and health. What makes them powerful as consumers is that they try, buy, and share their experience on Twitter,” said Deep.

Philippines – One of the largest airlines in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific, has recently announced the migration of its loyalty program ‘GetGo’ to ‘Go Rewards’.

‘Go Rewards’ is a lifestyle and rewards program of the Gokongwei group that provides its members more ways to enjoy deals and benefits from Cebu Pacific’s many partner brands.

Through the migration, the ‘GetGo’ points earned before 1 January 2020 will be converted into Cebu Pacific Travel Fund. Members will be able to use this virtual wallet to purchase new flights, add-ons, and taxes, as well as fees on the airline’s website.

Meanwhile, the points earned from 1 January 2020 onwards are converted into ‘Go Rewards’ points. One point is equivalent to ₱1 and can be redeemed in over 2,000 retail stores. 

Furthermore, under the ‘Go Rewards’, members from the Philippines can earn and redeem points from purchases in Gokongwei-owned stores such as the Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, and The Marketplace, as well as Shopwise, and Southstar Drug, among others. Members can also enjoy exclusive deals and coupons that they can discover via the ‘Go Rewards’ app. 

“We are excited to be part of this new and improved loyalty program where we are now able to offer more rewards and options for our customers,” said Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific’s vice president for marketing and customer experience.

Cebu Pacific said that the members with ‘GetGo’ loyalty cards may exchange them for the new ‘Go Rewards Classic’ card by simply presenting the old ‘GetGo’ card in any Robinsons Retail store, and activating the card through the ‘Go Rewards’ app to easily view the points. In addition, the ‘GetGo’ members with existing ‘Go Rewards’ membership can conveniently merge both accounts through the ‘Go Rewards’ app.

Meanwhile, the ‘GetGo’ members who are new to ‘Go Rewards’ can merge their ‘GetGo’ membership by downloading the ‘Go Rewards’ app, selecting ‘Register’, and then linking their ‘GetGo’ account. After doing so, the ‘GetGo’ number will be deactivated, and the new ‘Go Rewards’ number will be the membership account moving forward.

Singapore – Nativex, a mobile-first advertising platform, has announced that it has entered the TikTok Marketing Program in the Southeast Asian region, making it one of TikTok’s partners present in the regional market.

According to the official partner page, Nativex will offer primarily their XMP service, which is a multi-channel media-buying tool that allows cross-channel campaign management. Furthermore, XMP by Nativex also offers a full-suite of features designed to give brands full transparency and granularity over the creative component of your campaigns and AI-powered data analytics that focus on improving campaign return of investment (ROI), return on ad spend (ROAS), and lifetime value (LTV).

Qualifying technology companies inducted into the TikTok Marketing Partners Program have passed a vetting process anchored by different evaluation criteria. Partners have demonstrated diverse specialities and industry expertise, as well as proven track records in creating, implementing and measuring advertising campaigns that drive success and business outcomes for marketers and brands. 

At the moment, Nativex offers a suite of services and tools for brands across a range of verticals, such as gaming and e-commerce. These include ‘XploreChina’ which is a one-stop mobile marketing solution empowering brands to break into the China market, including acquisition, monetization, and creative services; and ‘TopWorks Creative Studio’ which is a global creative network that helps brands develop excellent creatives, equipped with data and insights from local markets.

Irene Yang, managing director at Nativex, has expressed that they are proud to be recognized as a TikTok Marketing Partner, and join a select handful of top agencies that have been consistently delivering campaign results for brands across the platform.

“This stands testament to the strong relationships we have with our customers, as well as our ability to achieve exceptional outcomes across different verticals and industries. As we continue to drive campaigns and expand our footprint globally, we are committed to broadening our expertise and service offering, and bringing greater value to our partners and customers,” Yang stated.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Fintech and digital commerce company in Malaysia, IOUpay, has just announced the signing of international singer-songwriter, Yuna, to become the new face of its ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) service, myIOU.

The myIOU app, which has only been launched in June 2021, offers both retail and e-commerce merchants flexible payment options for their in-store and online consumers. It enables consumers to split their purchases into two, three, or six monthly payments at zero interest.

The appointment of Yuna as the new face of myIOU is in line with its goal of encouraging Malaysians to embrace BNPL as the new-age payment method and to advocate for the benefits of BNPL to both local businesses and consumers.Yuna will be representing the brand as an opinion leader of myIOU, where campaigns and promotional activities will be integrated and delivered across online and offline media platforms.

Yuna has over a million followers on social media and has previously worked with brands including Malaysia Airlines. IOUpay said her wide reach and connection to her fans and music lovers across the region will support the brand in its goal to grow its user base and connection with local businesses.

Commenting on her ambassadorship, Yuna said the partnership came at a perfect time as she was looking for more ways to support local entrepreneurs during this trying time. 

“To know that myIOU with its BNPL offerings can help both businesses and consumers to thrive during challenging times like this, I am proud to be a part of that. Together with IOUpay, I hope to educate as many people as possible on the ways to leverage on BNPL,” said Yuna.

Meanwhile, Christopher Kok, IOUpay’s regional commercial officer, commented that Yuna has been chosen not only for her capacity as an international icon but also for her ability to connect consumers with businesses with the aim of helping local businesses, particularly during the pandemic. 

“As a key player in the BNPL industry in Malaysia, we are always on the lookout for partners who share the same vision as us. She is a perfect fit to join the myIOU family because her personal interest aligns with our business goal to be one of the leading digital transaction processors in the booming cashless economies of Southeast Asia,” said Kok.

Singapore – Cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, have sparked popularity over these years, thanks to a huge following online. In the case of Southeast Asia, social media users have been active in discussing the sector across various social media platforms, new data from a report by social media monitoring and intelligence company Digimind.

Singapore takes the lead as the most active market where cryptocurrency mentions are prevalent across social media platforms, amounting to 902,225 mentions from February to May 2021 or about 16% of the density against regular social media users. Social media density refers to the ratio of social media mentions for a particular topic against the number of recorded social media users, regardless of what topic they discuss.

This is followed by the Philippines (2,767,413 mentions) and Malaysia (815,523 mentions) who both tallied 3% of social media mentioned density. Indonesia, meanwhile, is the least vocal in the region when it comes to cryptocurrency mentions. Despite having 3,011,790 mentions, it only takes up 2% of social media density, in proportion to the 170m recorded social media users.

As Bitcoin and Ethereum take the lead of what is on consumer’s minds on social media across the region, the cryptocurrencies Dogecoin, Binance, Tether and Ripple also follow suit, signifying the diversity of cryptocurrency choices for consumers in the region.

In terms of most-mentioned cryptocurrency platforms, Coinbase takes the lead, with 41% of respondents saying it’s on the top of their minds. This is then followed by Binance (28.9%), Okex (19.8%), Huobi (8.2%) and Coinhako (2.1%).

“Determining the right cryptocurrency trading platform is akin to frequenting a supermarket store that offers the best services, from discount prices to exclusive membership rates, and convenience. Brands need to be well equipped to detect the most pressing pain points of consumers or users, survey threats to brand reputation and make informed decisions quickly by synchronizing omnichannel information within a single dashboard to stay investor-centric,” Digimind said in a press statement.

For Olivier Girard, APAC head at Digimind, through the lens of social listening, they see the insecurities and motivations of the average investor, as well as the potential for this new technology to be adopted into the mainstream market.

“From the consumer perspective, it is remarkable to see how cryptocurrency is embraced by people from all walks of life and nationalities – fueling the hope of mainstream adoption in the near future. Even in APAC, we can see efforts ramping up to create greater accessibility, and provide regulations within cryptocurrency exchanges that affirm the trust consumers are having,” Girard stated.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The national domain name provider in Malaysia, MYNIC, has recently appointed integrated communications agency Ruder Finn as its new public relations partner.

MYNIC is the official .MY domain registry recognized by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It provides Malaysian organizations and individuals their unique brand identity on the Internet.

The strategic partnership will see Ruder Finn supporting MYNIC in driving its brand positioning and accelerating the adoption of the .MY domain in the nation and beyond. Ruder Finn will also be responsible for providing strategic counsel and managing public relations duties in thought leadership, executive profiling, and media relations, as well as stakeholder engagement for various internal and external initiatives. 

In addition, Ruder Finn will be amplifying MYNIC’s initiatives to support MSMEs transition from offline to online such as the Program Realisasi Impian Ekonomi Digital (PRIME). The initiative, which translates to Digital Economy Dream Realisation Program, was launched in November last year. It aims to support and guide MSMEs to digitalize their businesses, increase their competitiveness in the market, and engage in the digital economy through key components consisting of digital branding, digital platform, and assets, as well as human capital development. 

YBhg. Datuk Ts. Hasnul Fadhly Hasan, MYNIC’s chief executive officer, said that the pandemic has greatly accelerated digital adoption not only in Malaysia but worldwide, and the ongoing challenge is to keep brands, businesses, and corporations informed of the benefits of adopting the .MY domain. 

“With close to 8.02 million businesses registered in Malaysia, we believe that Malaysia has the potential to be a strong contributor to the global digital economy,” said Hasan.

Meanwhile, Elya Eusoff, the general manager of Ruder Finn Malaysia, commented that they are excited to partner with MYNIC to create value for the digital community. 

“Upon learning MYNIC’s values and desires to create innovation that matters, enrich user experiences, and be committed towards excellence, we trust that this partnership will be able to uncover new possibilities for all,” said Eusoff.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Small businesses have been hit hard during the pandemic, which resulted in setbacks and shutdowns. With this, Astro, the satellite television provider in Malaysia, has launched a new campaign called ‘Time to Evolve’, which aims to help SMEs identify their weaknesses and turn their operations around and get back up from the recent downturn. 

‘Time to Evolve’ campaign, which has the tagline ‘Watch, Learn and Evolve’,is part of its efforts in supporting the affected enterprises. It features programs with expert guests from various industries who will share professional insights.

The new campaign includes Astro’s AEC signature ‘Business Talk’, which is returning for the 4th season. This latest installment of the series will see its host Gan Jiang Han and his new partner, renowned financial and current affairs DJ Xiao Ma, hosting together with a new lineup of experts from various industries, helping the SMEs to discover new business opportunities.

The talk show, which will premiere on 16 August 2021 at 9:30 pm MYT on Astro AEC (HD CH306) and Astro GO, will be tackling different challenging business topics, from navigating economic uncertainty to seizing opportunities amid adversity. It will also be providing all-around solutions to SMEs, allowing the viewers to submit questions related to the topic of the show via QR code scan. The experts will then answer the relevant questions via Facebook Live on Hotspot FB page the day after the show’s premiere.

Furthermore, the campaign includes a series of exciting business programs and activities for SMEs, including ‘Astro Equipped to Evolve Webinar’, a virtual seminar by experts in various aspects to support SMEs and furnish them with the right tools, techniques, and knowledge in adapting to the uncertain economic climate. Under the ecosystem, there will also be free online courses catering to different business sectors.

Siah Ping Wong, Astro’s vice president for Chinese customer business, said that with the pandemic going on for more than a year and the nation undergoing a prolonged lockdown, transformation is inevitable especially for the SMEs. 

“We hope to be able to help these enterprises in observing, learning, and evolving from the crisis in order to revive their businesses,” said Wong.

The campaign is also launching Astro’s brand new series ‘Small Business Big Ideas’, which provides microentrepreneurs with more knowledge, from the fundamental skills and information such as how to register for their businesses to the allocation of shares and more. And lastly, viewers can expect to see the return of ‘SME Great Helper 2.0’, a reality show showcasing mentors who are ready to give advice and help SMEs turn their businesses around.

Astro said that they have always been committed to assisting SMEs with their previous initiatives, and they were able to equip business owners with free advertising packages to gain optimal exposure for business growth.

Singapore – Insurance company AIA Singapore has created a new role within the firm, chief product proposition officer (CPPO), and it has elevated its former regional business development director, Irma Hadikusuma, to take on the new position, where she officially starts in September.

The new role was created as part of AIA Singapore’s commitment to focusing on reorienting strategic priorities to stay ahead of the curve and provide innovative experiences and propositions to customers.

As part of her elevation, Hadikusuma and her new product proposition team will be providing strategic direction to drive the innovation, development, and management of a compelling, customer-centric, and synergetic proposition portfolio for all the company’s distribution channels. 

Hadikusuma brings with her more than 18 years of experience. She joined AIA Singapore in 2013 as head of customer segment management, and this was followed by a five-year stint as head of product, funds development, and implementation team, overseeing the development, management, and implementation of products, as well as ‘Investment Linked Policy’ (ILP) funds in Singapore. Prior to joining AIA Singapore, she has also held several actuarial, business development, and marketing roles at various life insurance firms.

Sze Keed Wong, AIA Singapore’s chief executive officer, commented that she is delighted to welcome Hadikusuma as the new chief product proposition officer, where she will play an essential role in our transformation into an ‘Organization of the Future’ and digital-first life insurer.

“With her extensive and rounded experience in marketing and actuarial science, Irma will lead AIA Singapore’s ambition to elevate our innovative offerings to a whole new level, all with the intention of fulfilling our brand promise of empowering Singaporeans to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives,” said Wong.

Singapore – The Southeast Asian region has seen a steadfast growth in its advertising realm, more specifically in social media which has jumped to 74.29% this year, according to the latest data from a report by customer experience and social media marketing company Emplifi.

Based on their latest findings, said percentage was evident on Facebook and Instagram advertising on a year-on-year (YoY) end basis during Q2. The report noted that SEA brands spend US$2,287.22 per ad account on average per month, registering the advertising cost growth to 85.75%.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, the social ad spend surged to 106% YoY to US$2,162.96 per ad account per month. Under this factor, the e-commerce category accounted for 41.8% of the total interactions of brand pages on Facebook in Q2 2021. On Instagram, the services sector took up the most interactions at 17.6%, followed by the retail category with 16.8%. These industries are mainly service-based, demonstrating that brands are adapting to the modern consumer and providing customer support and customer service through social media platforms.

According to Zarnaz Arlia, chief marketing officer at Emplifi, the ongoing increase in social media ad spend is proving to be more than just a pandemic-related ‘bounce-back’ scenario, adding that more and more brands are relying on social media marketing to engage with their audiences meaningfully and at scale.

“Social commerce and the formats which support it are also becoming more prevalent as the year goes on. As more brands recognize the value of live streaming and start to leverage more live content to cater to users at different stages of the customer journey,” Arlia stated.

Another factor tackled in the report is that Facebook Live videos earned the highest number of organic post interactions and delivered three times the engagement rates of standard videos globally, but account for less than 1% of branded posts. In Singapore, Facebook Live videos and video posts performed the best compared to other formats such as status, photo, and links posting.

On a global scale, global social ad spend saw a 50% YoY jump while the overall worldwide CPC grew by 85.1%. Marketers spent 49.9% more on Facebook and Instagram advertising globally compared to Q2 2020.

“As more and more consumers begin to expect a brand’s social media channels to facilitate outstanding customer experiences across many stages of the customer journey, the importance of engagement and interaction data is taking on a greater significance. What we’re seeing is that an engaging and responsive social media presence is no longer just a ‘nice-to-have’ for consumer-facing brands, it’s a key point of differentiation,” Arlia added.

Singapore – India’s startup-focused PR agency, Value 360 Communications, has announced that it will be expanding its market to Singapore, to unlock growth opportunities in the country’s burgeoning start-up space.

Value 360 Communications handles various brands across industries such as fintech, proptech, lifestyle, and hospitality, among others. These brands include e-wallet Paytm, motor marketplace Droom, and car rental company Zoomcar, as well as healthcare platform Practo, and home services firm UrbanCompany.

The strategic expansion is driven by SEA’s growing stature as a hotbed for high-growth start-ups. Through this, Value 360 Communications will be tapping into its client base and identifying Indian partner brands operating in Singapore. In addition, the agency will be investing S$2m to develop and strengthen its presence in the new market.

In line with this endeavor, Value 360 Communications said that they had already spoken with some of its clients about offshoots in Singapore, which will lay the foundation for disrupting the region’s start-up ecosystem over the next few months.

Kunal Kishore Sinha, Value 360 Communications’ founder and director, commented that they are delighted to announce their foray into Singapore, especially since their very first steps in this new market will be in tandem with the brands that they have helped build in India. 

“As the Southeast Asian economy is witnessing the emergence of several promising start-ups, it makes Singapore the perfect avenue for our strategic international expansion and we foresee hyper-growth on the horizon for Value 360 as well as its partner brands,” said Sinha.