The findings come from Google’s inaugural Gemini Report: Southeast Asia 2026, which examines usage trends across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

According to the report, Gemini has also become the fastest-adopted Google application in the region and is the most searched-for AI assistant in markets including Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The growth is being fuelled by Southeast Asia’s young and digitally connected population, with nearly 40% of residents under the age of 25. 

Google found that younger users are emerging as the platform’s most active audience, generating more requests, engaging in longer conversations, and crafting more detailed prompts than older age groups.

Language accessibility has also played a key role in adoption. 

Nearly 70% of prompts submitted through Gemini in Southeast Asia are written in local languages, with usage particularly high in Vietnam (89%), Thailand (87%), and Indonesia (84%). 

Google noted that Gemini was ranked the top-performing large language model for Southeast Asian languages in AI Singapore’s SEA-HELM evaluation benchmark.

The report also highlighted how users are increasingly moving beyond text-based interactions. 

Almost three-quarters of Gemini requests in the region now originate from mobile devices, while more than 40% of prompts involve multimodal inputs such as voice, images, or video. 

Voice-only interactions account for more than 10% of total prompts.

Creative applications are likewise gaining momentum. Around 40% of queries involve generating new content, including images, music, videos, and written material. 

Google said users across Southeast Asia created more than five billion images using its Nano Banana image-generation model over the past year, alongside nearly one million songs generated through its Lyria 3 music model.

Beyond content creation, users are increasingly relying on Gemini for research, information synthesis, and decision-making. 

Common use cases include summarising documents, analysing data, generating recommendations, and troubleshooting everyday problems.

Among Southeast Asian markets, Singapore recorded the highest per-capita Gemini adoption globally and emerged as the region’s fastest-growing market. Active users in the city-state more than doubled during the final months of 2025, driven largely by young professionals aged 25 to 34, who account for around 40% of daily users.

Google said productivity remains the dominant use case in Singapore, with nearly four in ten user journeys focused on work-related tasks such as coding assistance and technical problem-solving. 

However, lifestyle-related queries, including travel planning and personal finance, become significantly more prominent during weekends.

Looking ahead, Google is expanding its AI agent capabilities through Gemini Spark, a new feature designed to proactively complete tasks on behalf of users. 

Initially available in English for Google AI Ultra subscribers, the feature is beginning to roll out in Southeast Asian languages this week.

Sapna Chadha, Vice President for Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier at Google, said the findings show AI has moved beyond experimentation in the region and is increasingly becoming part of everyday life.

“People aren’t just adapting to Gemini, they are using it in their own ways — in modalities they prefer, in languages they speak, and in contexts unique to their lives,” she said. “Gemini is no longer a tool for tomorrow, but an indispensable companion that is already shaping how we work, study, and live today.”

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The survey of more than 1,500 desk workers across four continents found that just 29% of respondents in Singapore identify as AI sceptics, compared with the global average of 37%. 

Despite this openness, only 6% said AI is central to their day-to-day work—almost half the global average of 11%.

The findings highlight what Salesforce describes as an “adoption paradox”, where employees are willing to embrace AI, but workplace implementation has failed to keep pace.

Among respondents in Singapore who experienced unsuccessful AI pilots, 40% said the tools produced generic outputs—the highest proportion among all markets surveyed and well above the global average of 30%. 

Meanwhile, 38% cited a lack of trust in AI-generated responses, while 30% said the tools lacked sufficient business context.

According to the research, these findings suggest that organisations are falling short in deploying AI that delivers relevant, accurate and context-aware support for employees.

The study also examined more than 500 workers globally who had successfully integrated AI into their daily work. It found that successful adoption was typically supported by role-specific training, AI embedded into existing workflows, and strong data security measures.

Paul Carvouni, Senior Vice President and General Manager for ASEAN at Salesforce, said organisations need to move beyond experimentation and focus on delivering AI that fits naturally into employees’ work.

“Singapore workers are not standing in the way of AI—they’re waiting for AI that works for them. While workers’ enthusiasm towards AI is a head start, poor pilots are leaving real business potential on the table,” he said.

He added that businesses need AI tools that are grounded in business context and trusted by employees if they want adoption to become a competitive advantage.

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Published in the whitepaper The Three Trillion Dollar Question, the six-month study found that conventional engagement metrics—including attention, dwell time, and emotional response—did not reliably predict whether consumers would remember a brand months after seeing its advertising.

The research tracked 24 branded advertisements across 81 participants, measuring brand recall immediately after viewing and again after one week, one month, three months, and six months.

One of its key findings was that advertisements designed around Rebel & Soul’s neuroscience-based INVOLVE framework were up to 52% more memorable after six months than campaigns that scored below the framework’s memorability threshold. 

According to the report, the recall gap remained consistent throughout every measurement period and continued to widen over time.

The study also found that physiological signals commonly used to evaluate advertising performance—including EEG brain activity, eye tracking, galvanic skin response, and facial expression analysis—did not accurately predict which brands participants would still remember six months later.

Instead, the report found a stronger relationship between long-term recall and the creative design of an experience. Campaigns that scored highly against the framework’s seven neuroscience-based principles consistently achieved higher recall than those that did not.

Among the principles identified were the use of curiosity to encourage memory formation, novelty to capture attention, vivid sensory elements to strengthen recall, structured information to reduce cognitive overload, physical engagement, multisensory experiences, and emotional peaks that make experiences more memorable.

The report also points to a broader disconnect between how marketing effectiveness is commonly measured and what ultimately influences purchasing decisions. 

While brands continue to optimize for metrics such as impressions, reach, and engagement, Rebel & Soul argues these indicators do not necessarily reflect whether consumers will remember a brand when making future purchase decisions.

Kristy Castleton, Founder of Rebel & Soul, said the findings distinguish between immediate attention and lasting memory.

“Attention in the moment and memory over time are different outcomes, and the study shows they can diverge significantly. What the brain responds to during an experience is not the same as what it keeps.”

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According to the study, nearly half (49%) of Asia Pacific travellers use AI to discover destinations and travel ideas as its most common use case, while also utilizing it to gather reviews (41%) and discover local tours and experiences (35%), complementing traditional travel websites and social media.

This suggests that travellers are becoming more deliberate in how they plan holidays amid rising costs and global uncertainty, using AI and digital tools to make trips more practical, flexible, and personalised while reducing uncertainty before they travel rather than travelling less.

Travellers are also increasingly carrying out detailed research before booking, checking accommodation, insurance, visa requirements and local developments before departure, with AI simplifying their planning process by making information easier to access and compare.

Alongside AI, payment confidence has become a crucial part of pre-trip planning, with 33% of respondents citing payment security as their biggest travel concern and 27% worried about card acceptance, which reflects a growing reliance on digital payments as 73% of travellers now carry payment cards or mobile wallets during their trips.

The report also highlights that travellers are balancing careful planning with flexibility. Nearly four in five (79%) book accommodation before travelling, while only 51% secure activities in advance. 

Most dining (72%) and transport (65%) decisions are made after arriving at their destination, allowing travellers to adapt their plans based on local recommendations and experiences.

While planning habits are evolving, Asia Pacific travellers continue to favour destinations closer to home. Around 63% travelled within the region, with Japan remaining the most popular destination, followed by Australia, Thailand, South Korea and Hong Kong. 

Beyond familiar locations, travellers are increasingly planning holidays around food, culture and major live events, with 37% prioritising unique local experiences and one in four travelling for sporting or entertainment events.

“The latest Global Travel Intentions study  affirms the importance of travel to Asia Pacific. Travel is not slowing – it is becoming more planned,  purposeful, and intentional,” explained Danielle Jin, Chief Marketing Officer at Visa Asia Pacific. 

“As digital-first travellers seek familiar sights and plan more practically, what  matters is how destinations, businesses, and issuers enable every traveller to explore the places they love 

in their own way, from using AI to help travellers pursue their passions, values, and aspirations to  delivering secure and seamless payment experiences at every stage of their journeys,” added Jin. 

The findings are based on Visa’s 2026 Global Travel Intentions study, which surveyed more than 47,000 consumers worldwide, including over 17,000 respondents across Asia Pacific. 

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According to the survey, Singaporeans are now taking more drastic steps to reduce the use of plastic in their daily routine as problems with plastic pollution increase. 

A top action across all age groups is the carrying of reusable shopping bags, which 70% of Singaporeans have now adopted to cut back on their plastic use. This is followed by using reusable containers for storage (55%), and reusing old plastic shopping bags (52%).

Additionally, reusing takeaway containers for storage (48%), avoiding plastic cutlery (45%), carrying a reusable bottle or cup (44%), reusing plastic bottles for future use (42%), and avoiding plastic straws (41%), are some of the other ways in which Singaporeans are checking their plastic usage.

Interestingly, the survey also showed that baby boomers and GenX are the ones most likely to take all the listed actions as compared to GenZ and millennials. 

YouGov’s survey also revealed that Singaporeans largely favour plastic items being banned, with the population being more likely to support than oppose a ban across all the listed products.

Over half of the Singaporean respondents support the ban on drinking straws, disposable coffee cups, and foam egg boxes. 

Furthermore, almost half are proposing a ban on plastic bags in supermarkets (50%), takeaway containers (49%), coffee machine capsules, and condiment sachets (47% each).

However, it is worth noting again that the ban on items on the list was supported more by baby boomers, especially when compared to the younger generation.

Based on the data, it shows that boomers and GenX are more likely than the younger generation to reduce the use of plastic in their daily lives.

A part of the reduced and more conscious usage of disposable plastics, especially when shopping, can also be attributed to a regulation passed in 2023 by Singapore, where the country required supermarket operators with an annual turnover of more than S$100 million to charge customers at least S$0.05 for each disposable carrier bag.

A year after the regulations were placed, the survey recorded that more than four in five Singaporeans believed that the rule changed their usage of plastic bags, with one in eight (12%) saying it changed to a very large extent.

Seven in ten residents claim they have started carrying their own shopping bags since this rule was implemented in supermarkets (69%). However, one in eight end up paying extra for disposable carrier bags (13%). 

Meanwhile, a small proportion (6%) shared that they have started shopping online instead, while one in ten (11%) reported not experiencing any changes to their shopping behaviour.

Consistent with the data reported by YouGov on the survey, baby boomers are shown to be more likely to carry their own shopping bags, while younger consumers like Gen Z and millennials are more likely than others to pay for a bag or resort to online shopping.

Chi Wei Teo, general manager at YouGov Singapore, said, “It is delightful to see people embracing and making conscious efforts to reuse plastic and to show support for initiatives limiting the use of plastic. As the data shows, the older cohort seems to be taking more responsibility for reducing plastic usage as compared to their younger counterparts. However, there needs to be greater understanding and involvement from youth to build momentum. Not just the government, but companies, brands, and the general public need to create awareness about preserving the environment and adopting a greener lifestyle.”

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By examining a series of case studies, the joint whitepaper outlines how advertisers can maximise multi-channel campaign impact through the inclusion of prDOOH. It includes how to optimise targeting, increase brand awareness, and drive consumer behaviour offline and online by leveraging the strengths of both broadcast and digital channels to deliver ROI.

Analysis findings in the report showed that the inclusion of prDOOH in multi-channel media plans can drive more attention, boost engagement, and improve overall campaign effectiveness.

The report states that the inclusion of prDOOH in a multi-channel media plan adds incremental value to the return on investment (ROI) of the digital media mix due to the priming effect, as DOOH plays an important role in preparing consumers for conversions during re-engagements on other channels.

To support the notion that there is indeed a ‘priming effect’, the report examined a multi-market campaign from Jones Lang LaSalle across Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong and a campaign from Schroders in Singapore, where prDOOH was used alongside digital channels to drive incremental online campaign results.

From this, analysis results emphasised the power of the offline priming effect and positive impact on ROI, as campaigns included significantly increased website visit rates for audiences primed by prDOOH and a +80% overall mobile retargeting click-through rate (CTR) for prDOOH-primed audiences.

Furthermore, the whitepaper revealed that prDOOH as a channel can boost offline outcomes in terms of sales and footfall as a result of its ‘attention-grabbing’ characteristics and flexibility as a programmatic medium.

Looking through various case study results, a 15% incremental increase in sales for Danone Aptamil in the UK is attributable directly to prDOOH, and a 37% increase in sales when combined alongside digital channels. Additionally, a campaign with Tourism Tasmania in Australia showed prDOOH contributed to a 31% lift in website visits, with the overall campaign responsible for a 51% increase in visitation to Tasmania.

These results support the idea that prDOOH’s ‘attention-grabbing’ characteristics have the ability to boost ROI by driving sales and footfall.

The idea behind the whitepaper comes from the State of the Nation for programmatic DOOH report released by VIOOH earlier this year. The report outlined the key request from advertisers, which is to understand how prDOOH fits within multi-channel campaigns and how to best measure its impact.

Helen Miall, CMO at VIOOH, said, “This whitepaper has been prompted by a significant increase in demand for prDOOH from advertisers, and a desire to understand how it can best be used alongside and within multi-channel campaigns. This report highlights its potential for delivering effective campaigns across upper and lower funnel tactics, and how prDOOH can be successfully combined with individual media to drive campaign effectiveness.” 

Also speaking on the whitepaper, Andrew Gilbert, director of platforms for AUSEA at Yahoo, shared, “In today’s landscape, adopting a multi-channel approach to campaign planning and buying has become standard practice for many advertisers who seek to understand how they can best combine different channels to maximum effect. Programmatic is enabling DOOH to be planned, activated, and optimised alongside other channels, with display, audio, and social emerging as the most popular channels for pairing.”

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The research shows that B2B influence is among the fastest-growing marketing priorities in SEA.

In an interview with 550 chief marketing officers (CMOs) across 11 markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, from brands including LinkedIn, Dell, EY, IBM, and Samsung, it was shown that 75% of B2B marketers are now utilising B2B influencer marketing. Additionally, 93% of those are already planning to increase influencer activity.

Furthermore, the survey, which polled marketing leaders from across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the USA, showed that C-suite leaders are already recognising the potential of B2B influence activity in building a credible brand and supporting lead generation.

Half of 49% believe influencers can help their brands be more credible and trusted, while 40% experienced improved leads or sales because of influencer marketing strategies.

In Asia specifically, industry adoption is soaring, with almost 94% of businesses in the region already integrating B2B influencer marketing into their strategies, and among them, 77% have expressed their intention to further increase their investments in this area. With this number, it is expected that those who haven’t formulated a B2B influencer marketing strategy may find themselves falling behind their competitors.

When it comes to influence effectiveness, 66% of businesses found that B2B influencers deliver more significant impact when compared to traditional brand-only marketing approaches. Further adding to this, almost all of the industry executives in Asia consider B2B influencers on social media as vital tools for staying updated and engaging with their respective industries (98%). This surpasses the global average of 90%.

Meanwhile, the study also showed that more than half of industry executives in Asia incorporate insights gleaned from B2B influencers into their presentations. Similarly, over 50% of these executives actively share relevant content with their network.

However, despite these impressive numbers and high usage, the survey also showed a worrying percentage of B2B influencer marketing potential that is still not realised or utilised properly.

The findings of the survey suggested that no teams are utilising after-sales influence to its full potential, despite 47% agreeing there is an opportunity for B2B influencers to have the biggest impact during after-sales when executed correctly. With 60% not yet experiencing improved lead generation from B2B marketing activity, there is also a large opportunity to immediately realise more value from influencer marketing.

In addition, the global research pointed out some missed opportunities for ROI, considering there is a symbiotic relationship between employees and influencers that few CMOs have spotted, with limited numbers identifying that employees can be influencers themselves. 

With this, the global report has pointed out three key imperatives that CMOs can use to improve their B2B influencer marketing strategies.

First, peer-to-peer 2.0, which is a widely recognised marketing channel to reassure prospective buyers and revolutionise digital relationships and professional communication. Second, the holistic growth approach recognises the importance of including influencers in the entire business operation and integrating them into the post-sales experience. Lastly, CEOs and CMOs must recognise their employees as valuable assets in promoting their brand, with each having a network of connections outside the company.

Commenting on the study, Emily Poon, President of PR and influence in Asia at Ogilvy, said, “With 66% of CMOs in Asia saying they find B2B influencers more impactful than their usual marketing activities, a B2B influencer marketing strategy has become a must-have for brands and businesses. Our global research— the first-of-its-kind—with local insights from senior marketers in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines provides actionable steps for CMOs, communications, and business leaders in the region to turn influencers into the most versatile full-funnel tool in their B2B marketing communications armoury.”

Ashutosh Gupta, country manager and head of online sales for LinkedIn APAC, also added, “B2B companies are increasingly choosing creative ways to connect with their target audience in a more authentic and engaging way. A big reason behind this trend is the trust and credibility that these experts offer. On LinkedIn, we have seen industry leaders carve a niche for themselves as thought leaders in their space, where their opinions hold significance within their network. Thought leaders often provide a more genuine connection than brand advertising thanks to the fundamental trust that is already fostered between them and their network over time.”

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In the study, Gen Z (57%), Xennials (69%), and even Gen X (73%) expressed high levels of satisfaction, while Millennials represented the least satisfied group, with only 41% admitting to experiencing ‘happiness’.

“Arriving at a time when employers are attempting to balance the convenience of working from home with mandatory in-office days, the 2022 Happiness Study was commissioned to gain insights into current advertising employees, 74% of which joined the workforce during the pandemic,” said 4As Chairperson Golda Roldan.

Moreover, at least seven in every 10 employees cited a lack of long-term mentorship or training as their main reason for leaving, with at least seven in every 10 employees seeing their supervisors as friends and allies rather than long-term trainers. Furthermore, only four in 10 reported that they received adequate mentorship after the first year.

The study also unveiled that four out of 10 respondents stated their desire to seek greener pastures in the form of compensation and incentives.

The study also showed a generation gap when it came to the relationship between one’s loyalty to their company and that with one’s peers: While 66% of Gen Z respondents expressed affinity with their peers and only 45% with their companies, respondents in the higher age ranges were more likely to find belongingness with their companies over their peers.

“All told, the study found that, while happiness was irrelevant to whether or not employees stayed, overall satisfaction could be increased,” Roldan added.

She also said that for Gen Zs, being the newest members of the workforce, purpose and meaning were major factors in considering a workplace. As for achieving employee satisfaction, incentives, adequate, ongoing training in an environment where they can grow professionally were key.

The 2022 Happiness Study was commissioned by the 4As to determine the happiness levels and sentiments of talent within the advertising industry. A quantitative online survey was conducted for the study from August 24 to October 24, 2022, which involved 38 advertising agencies.

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Meanwhile, 35% of mudik travellers used tiket.com for their bookings whilst 11% preferred booking.com.

The research also showed the most popular mudik travel period, with 45% of the respondents said that they prefer to do it 2-6 days before Eid al-Fitr/Idul Fitri. 14% preferred the dates during the time of Eid and 13% prefers to travel 2-6 days after Eid.

Moreover, it was revealed that 45% of the consumers who observe Ramadan plan to perform mudik travel back to their hometowns this year. 33% do not plan to travel back, while 22% are undecided during the time of polling.

The said study was conducted online on 2-6 March, with 2,067 respondents in Indonesia aged 18 and above, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov.

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The survey covered 15,000 respondents from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, which are mostly Millennials and Gen Z that make up the ‘metaverse generation’.

The study found that Gen Z and Millennial demographic want distinctly different things from the metaverse whilst aiming to enhance and upgrade experiences. In addition, both generation sees different realities or digital avatars, which gives a cue for marketers that free creation is essential. 

Furthermore, the study found out that the said cohort of consumers focus on the appeal of digital assets, embracing virtual collectables such as artworks, profile pictures, gaming goods, limited-edition cards, videos, and music pieces. With these, the metaverse generation is also more receptive to brands that aren’t afraid to jump into the metaverse for their marketing or advertising campaigns and, therefore, pay more attention to a brand’s events and products.

Moreover, security is also a concern of these consumers where they try to find for a safer and more accessible space to protect their privacy and personal information in the metaverse.

Zoe Cocker, director of innovation and creative studio at Yahoo, says that despite the hype towards Metaverse, there is less knowledge about the expectations of consumers.

“This hyperlocal level of detail and insights goes beyond wider trends you are seeing in the press, making them actionable for brands wanting to build in this space and create real value for divergent audiences,” she added.

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