Singapore – As the pandemic thrust consumers to rely more on digital consumption, brands had to recalibrate their presence and leverage online channels to ensure they continued to reach their target consumers. This pandemic-induced reality is what gave way to the third wave of Digital Advertising — prompted by Retail Media. 

In the recently concluded conference ‘What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific’ by MARKETECH APAC, JJ Eastwood, managing director at Carousell Media Group, dug deeper into retail media and how it became the way to activate digital advertising’s now ‘third big wave’.

Watch the full presentation of Carousell Media Group’s JJ Eastwood here.

If we’re now in the third, where can we date back the earlier ripples? The study by Interactive Advertising Bureau Southeast Asia and India (IAB SEA+India) and Carousell Media Group revealed that the first wave, in fact, started with the search era in the 2000s and then followed by the social era in the 2010s when social media networks took part in digital advertising. Fast forward to 2020 — retail media networks finally took over. 

Retail media networks are classified into digital marketplaces, mass merchant retailers, and commerce intermediaries or delivery providers. To name a few, some known retail media networks are Amazon and Walmart in the US and in Asia, there are Carousell, Grab ads and panda ads.

In his presentation, Eastwood emphasised that five factors are driving the growth of retail media. This includes first-party data, which enables retail media networks to serve customers with relevant advertisements; closed-loop attribution, which helps in better understanding of ads; contextually relevant ads to the consumer; ability to reach relevant audiences at scale; and capability to run full-funnel campaigns. 

However, in particular, the growth of retail media was propelled by sponsored search ads which make up almost 80% of retail media networks’ revenue. 

Eastwood explained, “Those sponsored search ads are as relevant as organic search listings. This is what is at the core of every retail media network, what delivers results and meaningful insights for brands.”

The existence of retail media fills the needs of the brands since there has been a decline in television advertisements and the loss of third-party identifiers, whilst the stores are starting to shift into the digital world.

With this, Eastwood emphasised the retail media trends that emerged, particularly in Asia, where 99% of the brands and agencies plan to increase their retail media spending over the next 12 months. Moreover, according to Eastwood, 70% of advertisers are seeing an improvement in performance from retail media networks over other channels, whilst brands say that they will advertise on a retail media network despite not listing products in that marketplace.

Marketers face many challenges when advertising, such as measuring marketing outcomes, optimising cross-channel campaigns, and removing third-party identifiers, particularly cookies. Eastwood shared how retail media can solve these challenges. 

What’s next for retail media in Asia? Concluding his presentation, Eastwood said, “I think what is gonna happen for the next six to 12 months, particularly in Asia, are more data collaborations. Retailers and brands can come together and enrich each other’s data upon what they know about certain consumer profiles.”

He added, “Through the use of DSPs, Retail media is moving up the funnel into video and digital out-of-home formats. However, through the likes of shoppable videos, retail media will blur the lines between traditional branding campaigns and direct response.”

What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific is the inaugural 2-day hybrid industry conference of MARKETECH APAC which was launched last February 28 and March 1 as a culminating event under What’s NEXT 2023. 

More than 200 in-person participants and more than 100 virtual attendees participated in the conference to know more about what’s next in the different marketing disciplines including growth marketing, marketing and technology, retail media, public relations, travel marketing, influencer marketing, customer experience, and many more.

In the virtual conference held on the second day, Eastwood was joined by other marketing leaders from panda ads, Boost, CARSOME, and Hubilo, PrimeCredit Limited and Rentokil Initial amongst others, who also shared their insights about various marketing facets.

Carousell Media Group, the speaker for the keynote presentation, is a proud bronze sponsor of What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific. Carousell Media Group is the advertising arm of Carousell Group, which helps brands across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong acquire new customers and increase sales. With tens of millions of active shoppers and hundreds of millions of product searches on its marketplaces every month, brands can connect with consumers through full-funnel campaigns, drive conversions and gain valuable marketing insights.

Gaining more customers is an everyday challenge not only for salespeople but for marketers as well — but what if there are more ways than one to take on this challenge?

In MARKETECH APAC’s recently conducted conference, ‘What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific’, marketing leaders Anna Henwood, CEO of insights platform Stickybeak, and Nancy Almasco, marketing director of retail company FlowerStore.ph enumerated some of the strategies marketers can take to create a 360º-journey in growing their customers this 2023 and beyond. 

The panel discussion was moderated by Kaspersky’s Communications Planning Partner for APAC and META, Mark Opao, which provided the audience with insights on how to boost brands’ knowledge of their target markets for regional expansion in 2023. The speakers also discussed how to leverage consumer data in marketing strategies and how to future-proof one’s brand amidst the competitive industry. 

Watch the panel discussion of FlowerStore.ph’s Nancy Almasco, Stickybeak’s Anna Henwood, and Kaspersky’s Mark Opao here.

Ready: Where to start when making a 360-degree consumer journey

“For you to commit to that 360 consumer journey, you have to make sure that everyone is onboarded,” said Almasco on defining what a 360-degree consumer journey is. According to her, the ideal 360º-journey is not only a marketing effort but a company-wide one — including the sales, customer support, operations, and business development teams, amongst others. 

Meanwhile, Henwood highlighted that a 360-degree journey must always start with the customer. She also added that customers will tend to have different journeys, so marketers should first gather everything they have, including data, focus groups, and research, in order to understand where the gaps are. 

However, Henwood advised to not let the pile of data paralyse their brand. She furthered, “As soon as you can, start visualising the information that you’ve got… Just start getting up what you know, so you can see where you’ve got information and where you haven’t.”

Set: How to set up your brand for expansion

In the next segment, Almasco and Henwood also shared their views on brand expansion. To this, Almasco emphasised that companies should first set their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to know if there is a need for recalibrating the brand’s strategies. On making a ‘stop’ when analysing data, however, Almasco highlighted that it should be a continuous effort. 

“It’s a continuous effort. Week on week, month on month, you do an analysis, you review your data, you review performance, you measure your success or the numbers that you have versus the KPIs,” she explained. 

On the other hand, Henwood stressed the importance of being clear about your hypotheses and objectives. She said, “What I would really encourage you to look at is ways that you can get a more agile or modern research that helps you quickly test that hypothesis that you’ve got. There’s plenty of tools and digital platforms out there that can help you do that.”

Moreover, she also said that before brands should start thinking about expansion, they should first really understand their core brand strategy and messaging. “Having a really good understanding of your core brand strategy and your pillars, and understanding how you can tailor that to each market, I think is really important when you’re setting up brand expansion,” she explained. 

Go: Ways to future-proof your brand

Finally, Henwood said that while consumer data can be quite overwhelming, brands should be clear on the answers they are looking for. “Don’t go in there just looking at your data to try and find something out. Go in there with a question… You’ll be there forever, and you’ll never get out,” she concluded. 

On dealing with competitors, Almasco also highlighted that brands should go above and beyond them by understanding all their strategies and making them better whilst still keeping their brand identity. “But you have to ensure that in terms of brand identity, you keep it. Because you cannot promise on something that you cannot deliver,” said Almasco.

Opao concluded the conversation by rounding up the speakers’ points: don’t let overwhelming consumer data paralyse your brand and always know what you can deliver whilst also going beyond to stand out in the market.

‘What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific’ is MARKETECH APAC’s inaugural two-day hybrid conference, which tackled various topics in the marketing space targeted at future-proofing the industry, including growth marketing, influencer marketing, and retail media, amongst others. The conference was attended by over 200 in-person attendees and more than 100 virtual participants from various brands and industries in and out of the country.

Stickybeak, one of the panellists in the discussion, is a proud Silver Sponsor of What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific. Stickybeak is a testing and insights platform that delivers fast, cost-effective, and valuable customer insights through social media-powered targeting.

Manila, Philippines – As 2023 is now in full swing, marketing and advertising leaders alike are now on the edge as to what opportunities and challenges they should look out for in their respective industries. This comes with making sense of a lot of emerging marketing trends which have been accelerated by changing consumer behaviours and evolving industry perceptions, amongst others.

In response to the need for a diverse platform where the industry can learn from, MARKETECH APAC has recently concluded “What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia-Pacific”, a 2-day hybrid marketing industry conference from February 28 to March 1, which tackled a wide range of marketing topics that marketers can use to empower their marketing strategies this 2023 and be equipped with future-proof brand directions. The conference was attended by more than 200 in-persona attendees and more than 100 virtual attendees.

For Day 1 of the conference, the event was held physically at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, and featured a 22-strong speaker lineup from local and international brands namely:

  • Gino Riola, chief marketing officer at Allianz PNB Life
  • Gino Borromeo, chief strategy officer at BBDO Guerrero
  • Bea Atienza, impactful brand experience lead at Colgate-Palmolive
  • Jay-Anne Encarnado, vice president and head of corporate Communications and PR at Converge ICT Solutions
  • Denice Sy, chief sales and marketing officer at Ever Bilena Cosmetics
  • Nancy Almasco, marketing director at FlowerStore Group
  • Danielle Marie Eleazar, head of marketing of new verticals at foodpanda
  • Francis John Chua, head of channel and content strategy and governance at Globe Group
  • Norman Agatep, president and managing director at Grupo Agatep
  • Sheila Paul, chief marketing officer at Home Credit Philippines
  • Doris Dumlao-Abadilla, business features editor at INQUIRER.net
  • Mark Opao, communications planning partner for APAC, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Kaspersky
  • Teri Flores, head of corporate communications at Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD Corp.)
  • Weldon Fung, area director at Meltwater Southeast Asia
  • Paolo Alba, client service director and country lead for the Philippines at PRecious Communications
  • Louise Vas, head of OSW marketing at PrimeCredit
  • Raenald Renz De Jesus, head of marketing at ShopBack Philippines
  • Joaquin San Agustin, senior vice president of marketing at SM Supermalls
  • Anna Henwood, chief executive officer at Stickybeak
  • Jeremiah Su, chief marketing officer at Superminted
  • Albert Cuadrante, chief marketing officer at UnionBank of the Philippines
  • Christopher Daguimol, group director and head of corporate communication at ZALORA

Some of the discussions that were tackled on the first day include a keynote presentation from Home Credit Philippines and their marketing strategy to promote local financial inclusion, panel discussions on how brands are foreseeing their brand growth as well as tackling ‘fake news’ with public relations, and more presentations on video content strategy, the return of travel in a post-pandemic time, and the importance of CSR initiatives.

Meanwhile, for day 2 of the conference–which was held virtually–the speaker lineup came from international brands and agencies. The speakers for day 2 include:

  • Faiz Fashridjal, co-founder and business director at AllHeart Indonesia
  • Matt Hallett, head of product solutions at Amperity
  • Teresa Sperti, founder and director at Arktic Fox
  • Azadeh Williams, managing director at AZK Media
  • Diana Boo, chief marketing officer at Boost
  • JJ Eastwood, managing director at Carousell Media Group
  • Ravi Shankar, chief marketing officer at Carsome
  • Amit Wadhwa, CEO at dentsu Creative India
  • Deepak Lamba, head of global sales and partnerships at Hubilo
  • Toni Juhani Ruotanen, director of advertising and partnerships for APAC at panda ads
  • Sally Lai, regional director for marketing and innovation for Asia at Rentokil Initial
  • Sean Jefferies, martech product owner at Rentokil Initial
  • Kyra Coleen Jose, art director at Superminted

The discussions focused more on the importance of marketing innovations such as marketing technology, performance drivers, and phygital event experiences, amongst others.

MARKETECH APAC’s first-ever hybrid industry conference was also made possible by sponsors Meltwater, panda ads, Stickybeak, Carousell Media Group, and Hubilo.

Speaking on the recent conclusion of the conference, Joven Barceñas, founder and CEO of MARKETECH APAC, has expressed his gratitude to all of those who have attended the conference, stressing the importance of leading discussions for the marketing industry this year.

“We are very grateful that we kicked off 2023 with our first-ever hybrid marketing conference, which saw huge attendance from speakers and attendees across Asia-Pacific. We understand the importance of having a one-stop event that bears a wide array of topics that are beneficial to marketers this 2023. It is also important for us to be able to get some of the leading marketing leaders in the region to lead these conversations, and empower other marketers to brave the uncertain year ahead with optimism to their own marketing strategies.

He added, “True to our mantra of creating a well-connected marketing ecosystem in Asia-Pacific, our first-ever hybrid marketing conference is a testament to what other marketers can look forward to from us this year and in the future. We hope you can join us in our upcoming ventures to spotlight the best of marketing trends this year.”

What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia-Pacific will be also making its international debut in Malaysia and Singapore by the fourth quarter of this year.

Follow our YouTube channel as we will share the recorded sessions of the 2-day conference in the next coming days.

Singapore – For MARKETECH APAC’s first-ever hybrid conference this coming 2023, What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific, social and media intelligence firm, Meltwater, will be joining us as a Gold Sponsor. 

Meltwater helps companies make better and more informed decisions by examining millions of posts each day from social media platforms, blogs, and news sites. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with 50 offices across six continents. 

Weldon Fung, Area Director at Meltwater Southeast Asia, will be doing a keynote presentation on the first day–February 28–titled “The Evolution Of Influencers And Communities: How Effective Partnerships Can Fuel Your Affinity Brand In 2023?

Through the keynote presentation, Fung will be sharing relevant data about how impactful partnerships with influencers or creators can be on community brand building and how to find the perfect fit in a partner. Moreover, he will explain how influencers can help create a meaningful impact for brands.

Fung also explains how influencer partnerships have been vital for brands to build relevance and authenticity for new audiences.

“Influencer partnerships can be an effective way for brands to reach new audiences and increase brand awareness. Influencers have built up a following of engaged users who trust their opinions and are more likely to engage with and purchase products that they recommend.”

He further added, “Additionally, influencer partnerships can help to build credibility and authenticity for a brand, as the endorsement of a trusted influencer can signal to potential customers that the brand is reputable and trustworthy. Furthermore, Influencer partnerships can also help brands to increase their social media reach and engagement. Not only that but this steers marketing to move toward community brand building as well.”

Joven Barceñas, founder & CEO at MARKETECH APAC, commented, “With gratitude, we extend a heartfelt thank you to our Gold sponsor Meltwater for joining us on this journey to uncover the future of marketing in Asia. Their unwavering support and partnership have enabled us to bring the What’s NEXT 2023 Conference to life in a hybrid platform that promises to be an exciting and insightful experience for all.”

What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific is the dedicated conference under the digital media’s future-centred industry series, What’s NEXT 2023. To be conducted in a hybrid format, the 2-day conference will happen on February 28 – March 1, 2023, with the in-person event on the first day to take place in Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila. 

The hybrid conference gathers the top marketing leaders in the region to drive the conversation on what to come next in the marketing industry this 2023 across its different domains. To be presented in multi-platform discussions, industry speakers will be touching on various areas such as Digital, Growth Marketing, Engagement, Public Relations, Customer Experience, Retail & E-Commerce, and Influencer Marketing, amongst others, to help brands and marketers prepare for the future of the marketing landscape this 2023.

Head over to the official event site to see the full agenda of What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific. 

Interested delegates for in-person and virtual sessions may register here.

For sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to [email protected].

Manila, Philippines – Every time a year nears its end, marketing and advertising leaders are always on the lookout for what they must anticipate next. And whilst challenges may be ahead – especially coming from a post-pandemic era – come with them are also fresh opportunities raring to be activated. Nonetheless, for both to be conquered, we would need a deeper understanding of strategies based on the forecasted trends and behaviours in the industry this coming 2023.

As the world begins to open from the folds of the pandemic, marketers need to take in the learnings of the past two years and use it to push forward. But in an industry increasingly shifting due to the fluidity of consumer behaviour, marketers need strategic and intelligent foresight to ensure that the right direction is being coursed through. 

For the first time ever, marketing-centric digital media for APAC,  MARKETECH APAC, launches What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific – its first foray into a hybrid conference. The 2-day conference, which will be held from February 28, 2023 to March 1, 2023, aims at gathering some of the biggest marketing leaders in Asia-Pacific to discuss the various opportunities across a wide range of marketing sub-industries.

What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific is part of MARKETECH APAC’s What’s NEXT 2023, a four-month-long festival that discusses how marketers can prepare for the upcoming year of marketing opportunities and challenges through the perspective of various marketing leaders and through various mediums.

Some of the topics included in the conference are neuromarketing, composable commerce, customer engagement, metaverse marketing, cookie-less advertising, branding strategy, content marketing, and influencer marketing, among others. The first day (February 28) will be held both at Crowne Plaza Galleria in Manila, Philippines and virtually at the same time, while the second day (March 1) will be held virtually only.

The lineup for the marketing leaders that will be speaking at the conference includes:

  • Gino Riola, chief marketing officer at Allianz PNB Life
  • Mary Eunice Lodripas, associate director for marketing at Ascott International Management Philippines
  • Diana Boo; chief marketing officer at Boost
  • Bea Atienza; impactful brand experience lead at Colgate-Palmolive
  • Denice Sy, chief sales and marketing officer at Ever Bilena Cosmetics
  • Sheila Paul, chief marketing officer at Home Credit Philippines
  • Mark Opao, communications planning partner for APAC and META at Kaspersky
  • Waikuan Wong, global head of marketing at Malaysia Airlines
  • Weldon Fung, social solutions lead for Southeast Asia at Meltwater
  • Anna Henwood, chief executive officer at Stickybeak

What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific is sponsored by Carousell, Hubilo, Meltwater, and Stickybeak.

Check out the full agenda of the What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific conference here.

Interested industry leaders may contact Katherine Sy at [email protected] for speaking opportunities and Joven Barceñas at [email protected] for sponsorship opportunities. For general inquiries, contact us at [email protected].