Tag: What’s NEXT in Marketing

Imagine a world where businesses aren’t defined by quarterly profits alone, but by the ripples of impact they create for their customers, their communities, and the planet. What if the true catalyst for brand growth and resilience isn’t found in what businesses take or make, but in what they give?

This is the essence of Brand Generosity: moving from what we can sell to what we can contribute. It is a framework that redefines how businesses approach growth and sustainability, encouraging brands to shift from transactional connections to purpose-driven relationships that create lasting value.

Sustainability isn’t just about reducing carbon footprints or meeting ESG targets. It’s about fostering enduring social and economic progress while building resilience and relevance in a rapidly changing world. The Brand Generosity framework empowers businesses to achieve this by focusing on five key pillars: 

  1. Authenticity rooted in purpose
  2. Selflessness in community engagement
  3. Consistency in delivering value
  4. Creating experiences that enrich lives, and 
  5. Being transparent and accountable to people

1. Authenticity Rooted in Purpose

Authenticity begins with a clear and unwavering purpose — the reason a brand exists beyond profit. When every action reflects this deeper mission, brands create trust and long-term impact. Patagonia’s iconic “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign perfectly illustrates this: by urging customers to repair and reuse instead of buying new, the brand stayed true to its purpose of sustainability. This act of Brand Generosity didn’t just build loyalty; it showcased how purpose-driven actions can challenge norms and inspire change. In a marketplace crowded with vague promises, purpose-led authenticity is what sets brands apart and creates meaningful, lasting connections.

2. Selflessness in Community Engagement

True selflessness in business means exceeding expectations by putting communities and customers at the heart of everything a brand does. It’s about shifting from transactional exchanges to fostering collective growth and mutual benefit. This mindset aligns perfectly with sustainability, emphasising long-term regeneration for people and the planet over short-term gains.

Consider Apple’s retail stores, which transcend being mere points of sale to become spaces of learning and connection. Through initiatives like Today at Apple, offering free creative and educational sessions, the brand enriches lives without demanding immediate return. This selfless approach builds loyalty, inspires goodwill, and creates ripple effects of positive change that strengthen the brand’s legacy.

When brands lead with selflessness, they don’t just win hearts—they shape a future where purpose and profit thrive together, redefining what it means to succeed in a purpose-driven economy.

3. Consistency in Delivering Value

Consistency is the cornerstone of Brand Generosity and sustainability—a steadfast commitment to purpose that delivers value over time. For brands, this isn’t just about doing what’s right; it’s about building trust, loyalty, and long-term competitive advantage.

IKEA’s consistent approach to sustainability exemplifies how unwavering dedication can drive both impact and business growth. From pledging to use only renewable or recycled materials by 2030 to eliminating all plastic packaging by 2028, IKEA demonstrates that aligning actions with purpose strengthens its market position. Initiatives like the Buy Back & Resell program and the IKEA Preowned marketplace not only reduce waste but also engage customers meaningfully, reinforcing the brand’s leadership in circularity. These efforts consistently show customers and stakeholders that IKEA is not only committed to sustainable living but also willing to innovate to make it attainable for everyone.

For brands, consistency isn’t just about meeting expectations—it’s about exceeding them time and again, creating trust and competitive differentiation in a crowded marketplace. In an era where actions speak louder than promises, consistency transforms purpose into a measurable and enduring advantage.

4. Creating Experiences that Enrich Lives

In today’s screen-dominated era, experiences that engage the senses and foster deeper connections are more valuable than ever. Creating these experiences is essential for brands that want to resonate in meaningful ways.

Ant International, in partnership with The Next Practice, brought this idea to life with their Augmented Reality Travel Journey at SFF2024. This immersive experience allowed participants to explore sustainable tourism through gamified learning. Participants discovered the transformative power of sustainable travel choices and digital innovations through what they can contribute to promote sustainable development. By offering immersive experiences, brands can move beyond passive consumption to create meaningful stimulation that inspire individual action and broader impact.

5. Being Transparent and Accountable

In a world that demands authenticity and progress, transparency is non-negotiable. Stakeholders value brands that admit when they fall short and demonstrate a commitment to improvement. Google’s latest sustainability report provides an example of this mindset.

When the company failed to meet its carbon emissions target due to the demands of AI computing, it openly acknowledged the shortfall and explained the reasons instead of hiding from it to look ‘perfect’. This willingness to embrace “progress, not perfection” builds trust and gives stakeholders confidence in the brand’s dedication to continuous improvement.

For businesses navigating complex challenges, transparency isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential for building resilience and credibility.

Generous Brand is Resilient Brand

Brand Generosity redefines leadership and growth by prioritising what’s right over what’s easy. It shifts the narrative from selling products to creating value, from noise to meaningful dialogue, and from short-term gains to long-term resilience. By embracing its principles, businesses position themselves as leaders in sustainability, inspiring action, building trust, and driving systemic change.

If sustainability isn’t at the core of your business strategy, you have to ask: what is? Are you actively engaging stakeholders and consumers to build a future where profits and purpose coexist? Sustainability isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about redefining how your brand connects with the world and contributes to progress.

Think of the possibilities: campaigns that inspire action, products that make a difference, and partnerships that transform industries. Brand Generosity positions marketing as a tool for connection and impact. It demands that brands ask harder questions and commit to deeper answers. Are we fostering loyalty through value, or are we losing trust with shallow gestures? Are we driving change or merely observing it?

This is a moment for leaders to step up—not with incremental changes but with a bold rethinking of their entire approach. Brand Generosity challenges businesses to reimagine how value is created and shared by aligning purpose with action, prioritising the collective good, and committing to consistency.

As climate crises intensify, inequalities widen, and trust in institutions crumbles, businesses face a defining choice: remain tethered to “business as usual” or embrace a visionary path that aligns profit with purpose. This moment demands bold leadership, creativity, and a deep commitment to sustainable transformation. Brand Generosity is more than a strategy; it’s a movement that redefines what it means to lead, challenging businesses to disrupt the status quo and drive meaningful change.

Success will no longer be measured by the products brands sell but by the change they ignite, the movements they lead, and the trust they build. The leaders of tomorrow will be those who commit to action, driving systemic transformation and delivering impact that transcends profits to improve lives and shape a better future.

Now is the time to step forward, redefine what growth truly means, and show that businesses can be powerful catalysts for a more equitable, sustainable world. The future belongs to those who dare to act with purpose, inspire progress, and turn bold vision into lasting reality.

This thought leadership is written by Chris Foster, CEO, The Next Practice

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT in Marketing 2025, a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for 2025 and beyond.

Artificial intelligence. It’s been the hot topic for the last two years since generative AI exploded into the mainstream. And to be honest, it isn’t going anywhere. There has been lots of chatter about how the technology will revolutionise our lives and in 2025, I believe this is when we will truly see some game-changing innovation with AI that moves beyond just productivity.

From becoming your personal assistant to the evolution of generated content and the emergence of artificial general intelligence (AGI), these are the next big trends in AI we can expect to see over the coming year and beyond.

The year of the AI agent

AI agents have been popping up throughout 2024. For those who might have missed them or are unsure what an ‘AI agent’ is, it is basically an autonomous intelligent system performing specific tasks with minimal to no human intervention. Their purpose is ultimately to automate those mundane and time consuming tasks, usually with the ability to complete them instantaneously.

Not only will they become your very own personal assistant, but they will also increasingly assist in customer support roles. Speaking to Bloomberg recently, Sequoia Capital’s Konstantine Buhler noted not only will 2025 become the year of the AI agent but we will also begin to see them working together in swarms and networks. 

Significant cloud infrastructure is currently being developed to support voice-to-voice AI agents across various scenarios. So expect to see more of them used for customer service, development, language translation and in gaming and entertainment.

The next evolution of content creation

AI generated content is going nowhere in 2025 – it is only set to become more prolific across all mediums. Beyond just text and image, we will see video and audio generation technology continue to evolve, improving quality and consistency. 

Generative 3D content will also gain more traction. Unlike generative text, image, and video content, AI-generated 3D has seen less development, though it’s crucial for immersive social experiences. Innovations like Gaussian splatting – an advanced form of photogrammetry – and generative 3D are set to break new ground.

Additionally, with the pressures to be constantly creating and appearing in content, it’s likely we will see influencers and content creators leverage generative AI tools to produce videos, images, and other content. The success of new tools, like NotebookLM, allow creators to be replaced or augmented by multimodal AIs capable of replicating their likeness.

This is all, of course, a double-edged sword with concerns around deepfakes, impersonations and breach of copyright remaining front and centre. For these reasons, mainstream video and audio generators will face increased scrutiny regarding their training datasets. Companies like Suno, currently facing legal action from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and Runway, which reportedly trained on thousands of YouTube videos, are already being examined. 

On the flip side, Adobe has been setting the standard to avoid such issues. Its generative AI tool Adobe Firefly takes a cautious approach by using only licensed material. This shift will eventually provide clarity and establish a framework for brands to safely use generative technologies.

Beyond the LLM

The evolution of large language models (LLMs) has started to plateau, highlighting the need for new technologies and methodologies to push further advancements and work towards AGI. Although AGI is not necessary for practical AI applications, it remains a significant milestone.

AGI is when the technology will be able to perform tasks that it is not necessarily trained or developed for. AI as we know it is usually trained on set parameters, whereas AGI will be able to train itself beyond these parameters and learn new skills autonomously. 

The concept sounds very Black Mirror – and for now, it still is very much a theoretical concept. However, given the rapid pace of AI development, unless we face another AI winter, it might not be too far away.

As a techno-optimist, I believe that AI will bring some of its most exciting developments yet in 2025. However, much work remains in areas like education, informed regulation, and the development of mechanisms and methodologies to ensure this powerful technology is used responsibly and not for malicious purposes. If we get this right, AI will unlock exciting possibilities for both businesses and consumers.

This thought leadership is written by Manolis Perrakis, Innovation Director at We Are Social Singapore

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT in Marketing 2025, a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for 2025 and beyond.

For relationships between businesses to endure, it is at times insufficient to deliver quality products and services. Satisfaction is one thing, but loyalty is another. This is where reward programs play a crucial role. By implementing loyalty solutions, companies can retain customers and significantly boost how it is perceived in the industry.

While there is profound potential in setting up loyalty programs, there are nuances and complexities in implementing and managing them.

Sudhanshu Tewari, chief executive officer and co-founder of Rewardz, shared his insights in MARKETECH APAC’s latest What’s NEXT in Marketing interview, discussing the value, challenges, and trends that shape loyalty programs in a business-to-business (B2B) setting.

‘Creating a sense of belonging’

Reward systems have always been a way to build lasting relationships between brands. For Sudhanshu, this provides a feeling of being seen — the first step towards loyalty.

“It’s not just about rewarding transactions; it’s about creating a sense of belonging and mutual value. When users feel recognised and valued, they’re more likely to stay loyal,” he said

However, there remain different challenges in putting this into practice. Nonetheless, B2B solutions can step in.

“B2B solutions need to help businesses build tailored loyalty solutions that ensure users are engaged and appreciated, which strengthens these long-term partnerships and drives retention,” Sudhanshu said.

Unlocking opportunities through B2B loyalty solutions

Loyalty solutions in a B2B setting can unlock other opportunities such as cross-selling and upselling. Through rewards and exclusive offers, people are motivated to learn more and invest in the company.

“When brands reward users for deeper engagement, they naturally begin to explore more offerings,” Sudhanshu said. “It’s a win-win for both sides.”

Personalising experiences and rewards are key to this, which relies on analysing customer preferences and needs. To gain these insights, analysing customer data is a must for businesses.

“Businesses need a platform that can use detailed analytics to understand user behaviour, segment them effectively, and offer personalized incentives that drive them to engage with other products or services. This data-driven approach helps brands maximise their current customer base, increasing lifetime value,” he said.

Besides analytics tools, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms greatly contribute to a loyalty program’s success, fusing well with analytics. As a hub for customer data, CRMs allow businesses to easily understand customers, track interactions, and consequently personalise rewards.

“Basically, CRM platforms provide the data that can automate different trigger points for rewarding customers for more personalised rewarding at scale without manual intervention. This leads to more effective and impactful loyalty strategies, driving deeper connections with users,” Sudhanshu said.

“B2B technology solutions, especially CRM systems and analytics, have completely transformed the way loyalty strategies are executed. They provide a 360-degree view of user interactions, allowing businesses to make informed decisions about rewards and incentives,” he added.

Thriving through innovation

For Sudhanshu, one of the biggest challenges for brands is to set up scalable loyalty programs, all while maintaining its relevance for individual users. Nonetheless, B2B technology solutions can help brands with flexibility, allowing them to customise incentives when necessary.

“It’s tough to design a program that resonates with everyone—whether it’s your customers, channel partners, or employees—while also staying within budget,” he said.

“With inbuilt generative AI, loyalty platforms can customize rewards messaging to individual customers at scale, capture user preferences and use analytics to show rewards that match user preferences,” he added.

Over time, more technological innovation is becoming necessary with current trends in implementing loyalty programs. In his vision of the industry’s future, Sudhanshu expects to see more gamification, sustainability-focused rewards, and leveraging technologies like AI and blockchain.

“Gamification adds an element of fun and competition to programs, driving engagement, while sustainability rewards resonate with companies prioritising ESG goals. Meanwhile, AI-driven personalisation and providing companies flexibility to reward at campaign level will become industry standards,” he explained.

Additionally, he expects that brands will be more capable of self-managing global campaigns, with access to advanced analytics.

“We at Rewardz are committed to staying ahead by innovating around these trends. Our solutions are designed to evolve with client needs, ensuring they remain relevant and impactful in a rapidly changing world,” Sudhanshu said.

With the current trends shaping the future of how brands offer loyalty programs and ultimately scaling their businesses, the important thing remains the same – nurturing relationships with brands that can endure changes in the industry. As the industry evolves, innovation is required to thrive in a competitive landscape.

Commerce media is transforming advertising by enabling brands to engage shoppers with precision throughout their purchase journey. Leveraging rich commerce data across platforms empowers advertisers to target high-value audiences, deliver personalised experiences, and achieve measurable results. AI plays a key role in streamlining processes and predicting shopping behaviours with remarkable accuracy.

Amid rising privacy regulations and industry fragmentation, commerce media offers a unified, data-driven approach to navigate these challenges. Prioritising first-party data, harnessing AI, and fostering cross-platform collaboration help advertisers build meaningful connections and stay competitive in a dynamic digital landscape.

In our latest What’s NEXT in Marketing interview, Taranjeet Singh, managing director of Venture Markets, APAC at Criteo, explores how commerce media is transforming advertising with data-driven targeting and AI while addressing challenges like fragmentation and privacy regulations to build a unified, privacy-first ecosystem.

Unlocking audience insights with commerce media

Commerce media empowers advertisers by connecting them with high-value consumer audiences across retail media networks, the open internet, and social platforms. The outcome is precision-driven targeting that seamlessly engages consumers throughout their purchasing journey.

“Commerce media allows advertisers to speak to the audiences that matter most at all stages of their purchase journey, wherever and whenever they shop, which increases the likelihood of conversion,” Singh explained. 

He went on to highlight how Criteo enables advertisers to activate and monetise these audiences through its Commerce Media Platform, leveraging a vast network of 17,000+ advertisers, 3,100 brands, and 225 retail media networks. By utilising deep commerce insights, Criteo helps predict and shape shopping behaviours while ensuring privacy-safe first-party data through closed, authenticated environments like retailer sites and social platforms.

Singh shared an example of how Yanadoo, a South Korean self-development platform, used Criteo’s OneTag with Dynamic Loader to retarget users who hadn’t converted. By tracking key events like course purchases and registrations, Yanadoo built detailed customer profiles, allowing Criteo’s AI to optimise bidding and ad delivery. This approach improved targeting across the open web, enabled the collection of valuable first-party data, and delivered measurable outcomes as consumers progressed through their purchase journey—an essential focus for advertisers.

In addition to Yanadoo, Swiggy, an India-based on-demand convenience platform, partnered with Criteo to enhance its offsite retail media campaigns, helping brands reach high-intent audiences across the open internet and OTT platforms.

Singh highlighted the success of this collaboration with brands like Kellogg’s, which drove conversions and attracted new-to-brand shoppers. Through Criteo’s tracking tools, Kellogg’s achieved a ROAS of 1.9 (above the industry average of 1.55), a 25% new-to-brand rate, and reached over 50% of its target audience.

Speaking on the data, Singh explained, “Commerce media empowers advertisers to use first-party data for targeted audience engagement throughout the purchase journey. By combining precise targeting with closed-loop measurement, brands can drive conversions, acquire new customers, and maximise ROI across channels, transforming data-driven advertising.”

AI: Driving precision and automation in commerce media

For Singh, artificial intelligence is the backbone of modern commerce media, streamlining operations while enhancing personalisation and performance. From automating ad delivery to generating predictive insights, AI transforms how advertisers connect with their audiences.

“AI-powered tools save advertisers time by automating tasks like audience targeting, ad personalisation, and performance tracking,” Singh noted. “This precision fosters higher engagement and measurable outcomes, such as increased revenue per user and return on ad spend.”

He also mentioned how Criteo’s advanced AI solutions, like ‘Commerce Audiences,’ enhance ad delivery through behavioural clustering and predictive modelling, while also leveraging engagement scores to prioritise users most likely to take action.

Singh explained that AI tools in Criteo’s Commerce Audiences, such as ‘Embeddings,’ detect behavioural links between users, products, and websites to cluster audiences effectively. Engagement scores prioritise users likely to act, while predictive modelling targets the most promising audiences, reducing reliance on real-time data.

“AI engines use commerce data to craft highly relevant campaigns, connecting advertisers with retailers for efficient scaling. As technology matures, it will continue to drive innovation in commerce media, empowering advertisers to deliver exceptional customer experiences and drive growth,” he highlighted. 

Addressing industry fragmentation

Despite commerce media’s potential, Singh highlighted challenges like fragmentation and lack of standardisation, which can limit campaign scalability and ROI. According to him, a unified approach is key to unlocking commerce media’s full potential.

“Industry fragmentation can lead to inconsistent campaign performance and a loss of up to 20% in revenue for retail media networks,” Singh warned, citing Forrester’s report. 

Criteo addresses fragmentation with a unified commerce media platform that caters to both marketers and media owners. For marketers, it offers Commerce Max and Commerce Growth, while media owners benefit from Commerce Grid and Commerce Yield, supporting everyone from enterprise brands to smaller retailers.

Singh also highlighted Criteo’s launch of SKU-based planning in Commerce Max, enabling brands to buy sponsored product ads across multiple retail networks with a single workflow. This simplifies campaign management, allowing for efficient targeting of in-market shoppers at scale. With AI-driven recommendations and closed-loop measurement, Criteo optimises campaigns, helping marketers focus on driving sales.

“This cohesive approach minimises fragmentation, streamlines media buying processes, and mitigates addressability challenges, empowering clients to achieve stronger results across the advertising ecosystem,” he stated. 

Navigating privacy regulations 

With evolving privacy regulations, the reliance on first-party data has become critical for advertisers. Singh emphasised that as third-party cookies phase out, businesses are focusing on first-party data for more targeted, privacy-compliant advertising. Regulations like GDPR and Apple’s App Tracking Transparency drive this shift, ensuring companies can deliver relevant marketing while respecting user privacy.

“By embracing privacy-first strategies and advanced technologies, businesses are better equipped to comply with regulations and build consumer trust, while also adapting to an industry where data privacy is now a foundational principle,” he commented. 

Singh further explained that as the industry shifts to a privacy-first environment, Criteo is well-positioned to provide solutions that support partners in this new landscape. The company focuses on three core pillars: first-party data, Google’s Privacy Sandbox, and closed environments. 

Criteo has developed a unique shopper graph across both the demand and supply sides, enabling privacy-safe activation through hashed emails, and ensuring 1:1 addressability while protecting user privacy. Partnering with Google, Criteo leverages the Privacy Sandbox to maintain key addressability functions without third-party cookies, reaching 63% of global browser traffic. Additionally, Criteo’s Commerce Media Platform helps brands engage high-intent shoppers across 225 global retailers and millions of logged-in users on platforms like Meta, ensuring precise targeting while maintaining privacy standards.

According to Singh, as privacy regulations reshape advertising, companies are increasingly prioritising first-party data to ensure compliance and effective, privacy-respecting marketing strategies.

“This shift is fostering a more transparent and user-centric digital landscape. Criteo, along with other industry players, is supporting this evolution by offering technologies that help brands adapt to these changes,” he added. 

Future trends in commerce media

When asked about the key trends shaping the future of commerce media, Singh pointed to shifting consumer behaviour as a major influence. As consumer habits evolve, marketers must adapt by integrating performance media with commerce media to effectively engage audiences throughout the entire shopping journey, from discovery to purchase.

This shift toward integrated strategies helps brands deliver relevant, seamless experiences at every touchpoint. With Criteo’s AI-driven algorithms, marketers can eliminate guesswork and stay ahead of changes in consumer behaviour, ensuring campaigns remain effective.

Additionally, fragmentation and inconsistent standards continue to hinder the full potential of commerce media. To address this, industry leaders are uniting supply and demand, connecting publishers and retailers with meaningful demand, and enabling advertisers to reach key audiences across the purchase journey. As the industry evolves, standardising measurement has become crucial. 

Singh noted how Criteo tackles this challenge with four commerce media solutions that provide full-funnel marketing activation and monetisation for all players in the ecosystem.

“By 2025, addressability solutions will be at the forefront of the industry’s shift to a cookieless future,” he predicts. “Criteo is prepared with tailored strategies to address these concerns, including our three-pronged approach of first-party data, Privacy Sandbox integration, and closed environments.”

***

As consumer behaviour continues to evolve, so will commerce media. Advertisers and retailers will increasingly focus on creating meaningful, personalised connections with shoppers across all touchpoints, ensuring that every interaction is relevant and impactful.

Commerce media is not just a tool—it’s a transformative strategy that empowers brands to maximise their impact in an increasingly complex advertising ecosystem. With AI-driven insights and privacy-first solutions paving the way, the future of commerce media will be defined by precision, personalisation, and enhanced performance.

Marketing innovations for food and beverage (F&B) brands have undergone remarkable transformations over the decades, driven by evolving consumer preferences, technological advancements, and shifting societal trends. From traditional channels that gave us a first taste of F&B’s reach globally, we are now at a stage where new technologies have been made to enrich the brand’s experience with its customers at a global level.

For instance, artificial intelligence and data analytics now allow companies to craft hyper-personalized campaigns based on consumer behaviour and preferences. Meanwhile, social media platforms, powered by advanced algorithms, have enabled brands to connect with niche audiences through targeted advertising and influencer collaborations. Lastly, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are being used to create engaging, immersive experiences, such as virtual store tours or interactive packaging.

These cutting-edge tools, combined with the power of storytelling and real-time customer engagement, have redefined how F&B brands build loyalty and drive growth in today’s fast-paced, tech-savvy world.

In our latest What’s NEXT in Marketing interview, we recently caught up with Matthias Blume, vice president of marketing, ASEAN and South Pacific at The Coca-Cola Company to understand how new tech-driven marketing innovations have propelled long-lasting brands like Coca-Cola into continued relevancy, and what lessons regional marketers can learn when tapping into said innovations.

Immersive technology to blur the physical-digital divide

For Matthias, utilising immersive technology like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have allowed consumers to interact with the brand in immersive ways, blurring the lines between physical and digital experiences. 

In their case, such types of technology have been a defining feature of their global campaigns, including their ‘#TakeATaste Now’ outdoor campaign in 2023 which invited consumers to be able to change the 3D anamorphic creative on any screen in real-time using their mobile device.

“This shift towards digital engagement not only broadens our reach but also strengthens our connection with our consumers. By leveraging these cutting-edge technologies, Coca-Cola continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in marketing, creating captivating brand experiences that forge stronger emotional bonds with our audience,” he explained.

In Asia-Pacific, AR has been part of its regional campaigns, including its Chinese New Year-themed limited edition packaging campaign which focused on the message of celebrating the festivities in style.

“Digital platforms have empowered brands like ours to connect with consumers in real-time, fostering deeper engagement and tailored experiences. AI-powered tools help us to analyse vast amounts of data, enabling us to understand consumer behaviour, preferences, and emerging trends on a deeper level. This data-driven approach allows us to deliver hyper-targeted and relevant content that resonates with target audiences,” he further added.

Storytelling being the core

Despite all of these technological innovations, Matthias stresses that storytelling should continue to be the core of any marketing innovation for brands. In their case at Coca-Cola, he states that storytelling is at the core of Coca-Cola’s marketing DNA which transforms their campaigns from simple advertisements into emotionally compelling narratives that resonate deeply with its audiences.

“Our brand is synonymous with happiness and connection, and shared experiences, and storytelling allows us to convey these emotions in a powerful and authentic way. Whether it’s through a heartwarming video, an engaging social media campaign, or our activations at global events like FIFA or the Olympics, we use stories to create memorable moments that resonate with people on a personal level,” he explains.

Matthias also shared that their campaigns like ‘Share a Coke’ and the more recent ‘Real Magic’ have skillfully utilised storytelling to highlight themes of joy, friendship, and togetherness. 

However, the true impact lies not just in the stories themselves but in their authenticity and sincerity. This blend of compelling narratives and genuine connection is essential for building meaningful relationships with consumers and cultivating lasting brand loyalty.

Some of those campaigns that invoke a sense of belongingness include its ‘Recipe for Magic’ campaigns–whether it’s about sharing together a meal at the confinement of your personal space with friends or exploring street dishes in your locality.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in storytelling, seamlessly integrating it with emerging technologies. By embracing these innovations, Coca-Cola aims to strengthen the emotional connection with our audience, ensuring that our brand remains relevant and compelling in an ever-evolving digital landscape,” he said.

Influencers for further increased visibility

Speaking of storytelling, influencer marketing has been integral in making sure marketing for F&B brands truly stands out to consumers. For Matthias, by partnering with influential and credible individuals, their brand has been able to tap into their ability to connect with specific target audiences and leverage their endorsement to drive higher engagement.

“The rise of influencer marketing has significantly transformed the way brands reach and engage with consumers, particularly enhancing brand visibility and building consumer trust. Influencers serve as authentic voices who bridge the gap between brands and consumers, especially among younger demographics like younger millennials and Gen Z,” he explained.

It is important that for brands wanting to tap into the influencer marketing space, always consider working with a wide variety of influencers to engage with niche communities and extend the reach of its campaigns. At Coca-Cola, Matthias says that these collaborations are thoughtfully chosen to ensure alignment with the brand’s core values and messaging, as authenticity remains a top priority. 

Moreover, the genuine support of these influencers often fosters greater trust and credibility among consumers, who tend to view such endorsements as more sincere than traditional advertising. A good example of this would be ‘Coke Studio’, a long-running initiative in global markets where studio-recorded music performances by established and emerging artists are being featured.

When asked about their future plans for influencer marketing, Matthias said, “In 2025, we will continue to prioritise authentic partnerships and explore innovative influencer marketing formats. These strategies will allow us to foster deeper connections with our consumers and further enhance our visibility and trust within the market. By embracing these new formats, Coca-Cola aims to stay at the forefront of influencer marketing, creating meaningful and engaging experiences for our audience.”

Innovation fosters deeper emotional connection

According to Matthias, marketing innovations are pivotal in creating deeper emotional connections between brands and their consumers. For them, leveraging innovations like interactive social media campaigns, personalised digital content, and live experiences helps us connect with their audience in meaningful and memorable ways. 

Moreover, these innovations provide platforms for them to share their brand’s story and values in compelling, immersive formats that resonate deeply with consumers. 

He also added that they will continue to push the boundaries of innovation, exploring emerging technologies to forge even deeper emotional connections. It is worth noting that by integrating technology and creativity, the brand aims to go beyond traditional advertising, delivering personalised, interactive, and unforgeable campaigns that strengthen the consumers’ bond with the brand. 

“By consistently creating positive and memorable experiences, we cultivate a strong and deeper emotional connection with our consumers, which is key to building long-term brand loyalty and affinity. For example, AI-powered chatbots can offer personalised product recommendations and customer service, enriching the consumer experience. Additionally, AR experiences can transport consumers into immersive brand worlds, creating magical moments that leave a lasting impression,” he explained.

When asked about the future of marketing innovation for F&B brands, he stated that it will be fueled by the convergence of cutting-edge technology, sustainability, and the pursuit of extraordinary consumer experiences. For him, there are four key areas to consider to future-proof the marketing strategies for brands:

  • Personalised Experiences: The use of AI and machine learning will become more significant in delivering tailored experiences to individual consumers, allowing for hyper-personalized content that aligns with their preferences and behaviors.
  • Immersive Technologies: The integration of AR and VR will become more common, providing richer and more engaging brand interactions that create unforgettable experiences for consumers.
  • Audience-Driven Marketing: Building strong brand communities and audience segments will be essential; aiming at empowering consumers to co-create content and experiences, enhancing engagement and fostering loyalty.
  • Commitment to Innovation: Being dedicated to being at the forefront of marketing innovation, exploring new ways to connect meaningfully with audiences through cutting-edge technology, storytelling, and responsible marketing practices.

“We are committed to being at the forefront of marketing innovation, always exploring new ways to connect meaningfully with our audience. By integrating cutting-edge technology, timeless storytelling, and responsible marketing practices, Coca-Cola aims to lead the industry into the next era of innovation and growth,” he concluded.

Personalised customer interactions have become critical for retail success. Despite this simple notion, retailers have often struggled to offer truly personalised experiences to their consumers. However, due to rapid advancements in technology, the retail sector is poised to embrace a new era of hyperpersonalisation. 

As discussed in Eagle Eye’s latest ebook, while personalisation has been around in some shape or form since the dawn of commerce, it’s long been primitive unless face-to-face service is possible.

Even during the final decades of the 20th century, we all still lived in a ‘mass media’ society where businesses broadcast one-size-fits-all offers (10% off Father’s Day sale!) to the broad audience watching a top-rating sitcom or widely read magazine.

Technological progress has made collecting data on individual shoppers and targeting them much more straightforward. But, until very recently, there were limits on how far personalisation could be taken.

What was universally called ‘personalisation’ was actually (slow-moving) segmentation.

A brand or retailer might divide their customers into segments and match them with different rewards or challenges. But they certainly weren’t providing unique rewards or challenges specifically tailored to individual customers.

Likewise, loyalty programs have historically operated on long time frames. For instance, it may take 10 visits and an outlay of over $1000 for a shopper to ‘earn’ a reward from a retailer. In an age where consumers have been demanding and receiving ever more instant gratification, many loyalty programs have assumed a brand or retailer’s customers will demonstrate plenty of patience.

That’s what the loyalty program landscape looked like up until very recently. However, technology has now reached a point where retailers and brands can generate vast amounts of individually tailored offers in the blink of an eye.

A small but growing number of brands and retailers are already taking advantage of this real-time hyperpersonalisation. Soon, any that aren’t will be at a competitive disadvantage.  

The next big retail revolution has started

To understand where retail is going, it’s worth outlining where it has been recently.

It’s now almost two decades since Apple released the first iPhone. For obvious reasons, those in the industry have long been obsessed with omnichannel marketing and providing a seamless customer experience.

That commitment to providing a solid omnichannel experience isn’t going away. However, the early adopting brands and retailers are now focused on one-to-one marketing – literal one-to-one marketing. Given that rapidly unfolding industry shift, Eagle Eye now sees its role as powering the personalised marketing revolution.

It’s not just Eagle Eye and its high-profile clients, such as Tesco, Virgin and Woolworths, thinking this way. There’s a growing consensus that one-to-one marketing will be the Next Big Thing in retail marketing.

In a 2023 article, Forbes wrote that brands were now ‘on the hook’ to deliver a future of hyperpersonalised and AI-driven shopping experiences. The piece cited a Salesforce report suggesting that 73% of respondents expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations.

Segmentation vs true personalisation 

While most loyalty programs no longer operate on an ‘open a bank account, get a toaster’ basis, neither do they typically offer actual personalisation. At best, they provide sophisticated segmentation. That is, they break their customer base into segments and then provide the best-fit offers and challenges to the different segments.

While technology has allowed for more sophisticated and often more effective segmentation, it’s still segmentation. 

Until recently, it would have been impossible to locate and analyse a particular customer’s data, first-party or otherwise, and instantly offer them a reward or challenge. (A reward or challenge that will delight the customer and benefit the loyalty program provider.)

That’s no longer impossible. What’s more, a growing number of retailers have increased their sales and widened their margins by embracing ‘real-time personalisation’.

For example, multinational British groceries and retailer Tesco is using Eagle Eye’s AI algorithms to create personalised challenges for its Clubcard members, tailoring offers based on individual customer preferences, spending habits, and reward goals. Each challenge, seen in the Tesco app, targets specific motivations like pleasing others or rewarding oneself with points while encouraging purchases of relevant products.

In the very near future, we should expect to see hyperpersonalisation become the standard rather than the exception in retail. Customers already expect tailored experiences based on their preferences and past behaviours. Businesses that look to embrace hyperpersonalisation strategies and technologies stand to forge stronger customer relationships, drive greater loyalty and achieve success.

This thought leadership is written by Jonathan Reeve, Vice President, APAC, Eagle Eye

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT in Marketing 2024-2025, a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year.

As we dive into the fast-changing world of marketing in 2024, it’s clear we’re in for some big shifts. Tech is advancing faster than ever, people’s buying habits are constantly evolving, and major global events are influencing how brands connect with audiences. 

With all these moving pieces, it’s more important than ever for marketers to stay ahead of the curve and think strategically about what’s next. In a time when change is the only constant, discussions about the future of marketing aren’t just helpful—they’re essential to staying relevant and competitive in this unpredictable landscape.

At MARKETECH APAC’s recently concluded What’s NEXT in Marketing: Indonesia 2024 conference, the event–being the inaugural conference of the series and the first one in Indonesia–saw fruitful discussions and presentations on the future of marketing innovation and trends which can be used to transform marketing campaigns and the way brands engage with their audiences and drive success in the local market.

For the morning part of the conference, attendees were treated to a range of discussions from data-driven personalisation strategies, reimaging CX in the age of AI and taking advantage of omnichannel strategies, as well as how to properly leverage neuromarketing in digital marketing properly.

The speakers for the morning session included:

  • Kelvin Hong, Director of Brand Marketing at A&W Restaurants Inc.
  • Mediko Azwar, Chief Marketing Officer at Blue Bird Group
  • Ilham Pratama, Head of Marketing at Chery Motor
  • Daniil Pisarenko, Country Manager at Go Mobile
  • Asnawi Jufrie, Vice President & General Manager of Southeast Asia at SleekFlow
  • Hetarth Patel, Vice President – Growth Markets (MEA, Americas, APAC) at WebEngage

Meanwhile, the afternoon part of the conference focused on navigating marketing strategy evolution with generative AI, the role of consumer insights in redefining marketing strategies, digital advertising strategies to retain audiences, and the future channels and trends shaping digital marketing strategies.

The speaker lineup for the afternoon part of the conference includes:

  • Edo Damara, Director of Sales & Marketing at ASTON Priority Simatupang Hotel & Conference Center
  • Irfansyah Kurnia Putra, Country Head of Marketing at IKEA
  • Sawitri Soedarno, Country Head Marketing Indonesia at Jobstreet by SEEK
  • Gaurav Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer & Integration Leader at Kimberly-Clark
  • Herni Wijaya, Chief Growth Officer at Leverate Group
  • Alexander Christian, VP of Marketing and Partnership at LinkAja
  • Nachiket Desai, Country Director, Indonesia at M&C Saatchi Performance
  • Munas Van Boonstra, Managing Director, Southeast Asia at Monks
  • Mahesh Agarwal, Managing Director and Co-Founder at Neurosensum
  • Yosua Tanuwiria, VP Marketing at Pluang
  • Dedy Purwanto, Head of Marketing, Finance and Strategy at Quipper
  • Ryan Dwana, Former Head of Marketing at Reku
  • Bharat Buxani, Senior Vice President Marketing at Rumah123
  • Irene Janti, Country Director of Brand & Marketing | Executive Committee at The Ascott Limited

The conference also included roundtable discussions, which allowed attendees to connect with industry peers, share valuable insights, and explore key marketing topics shaping the future of the industry which include content marketing, customer engagement, customer experience, customer Insights, data & analytics, generative AI, influencer marketing, omnichannel marketing, and performance marketing./ima

Moderating the sessions included:

  • Nanang Siswanto, Marketing Director at Agrinesia Raya
  • Bimo Darmoyo, Country Director – Commercial & Strategy at Cove
  • Boby Hermawan, Head of Digital Marketing at Koltiva
  • Jean Cabico, Regional Producer at MARKETECH APAC
  • Katherine Sy, Regional Head of Content at MARKETECH APAC
  • Munas Van Boonstra, Managing Director, SEA at Monks
  • Mahesh Agarwal, Managing Director & Co-Founder at Neurosensum
  • Erlangga Pribadi, Enterprise Account Executive at Sleekflow
  • Rizqi Iznurhadi, Marketing Strategist at Sleekflow
  • Anky Andikara, Sales Lead Indonesia at Telesign
  • Hetarth Patel, Vice President – Growth Markets at WebEngage

MARKETECH APAC’s first-ever “What’s NEXT in Marketing” conference in Indonesia was made possible by sponsors Sleekflow and iDA by Indosat Business, as well as event partners Digital Ark Creatives, Go Mobile, Neurosensum, Telesign, and WebEngage.

The conference was attended by 190 delegates representing brands from Ace Hardware, Alamii Foods, Allo Bank, Astra Financial, Bank Jago, Bank Mega Syariah, BCA Digital, Citilink, Danone Indonesia, Evermos, Homwell Indonesia, Jagadiri, Kanmo Group, Kimia Farma Apotek, Kredivo, MODENA, Prudential Life Insurance, Watsons, amongst others.

Joven Barceñas, founder and CEO of MARKETECH APAC, expressed his appreciation for everyone who attended the recently concluded conference, emphasising the significance of driving key discussions for the marketing industry this year and beyond.

“Leading meaningful discussions for the marketing industry has never been more crucial, especially in a year marked by rapid change and new challenges. Your engagement and insights make all the difference as we work together to shape the future of our field, drive innovation, and create lasting impact in the region and beyond,” he stated.

The conference is part of a five-part conference series, with the subsequent conferences listed as follows:

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Joven Barceñas at [email protected].

For speaking opportunities for these conferences, contact Katherine Sy at [email protected]; and for registrations, reach out to Hans Policarpio at [email protected].

When it comes to hyperlocalised advertising for consumers, retail media networks (RMNs) are one of those channels that many marketers are slowly adopting as part of their marketing strategies to target consumers who already have the buying mindset. 

Unlike other forms of digital advertising–such as social media marketing–retail media ads are shown to people right when they’re ready to buy. And brands love this because it means they’re reaching people who are already in a buying mindset.

Now, for brands and advertisers, RMNs are becoming a must-have, not just a nice-to-have. They’re investing a lot into them because they get access to super-targeted audiences without having to rely on third-party cookies or worry about data privacy issues. The question is: how can marketers in Southeast Asia make the most out of RMNs for their marketing strategies?

In our latest What’s NEXT in Marketing interview, we recently sat down with Ken Mandel, regional managing director and head of GrabAds and enterprise at Grab to discuss the unique capabilities of RMNs and what benefits of using them are critical to success in today’s complex digital advertising landscape. 

Increased usage of rich first-party data

For Ken, the rise of RMNs in Southeast Asia is a strategic response to evolving consumer expectations and industry challenges by brands and advertisers. Moreover, the industry increasingly recognise RMNs’ unique capabilities, which offer several benefits critical to success in today’s complex digital advertising landscape–including its rich first-party data.

“With consumers today becoming increasingly data privacy-conscious, the limitations of traditional digital advertising channels like Search and Social are becoming increasingly apparent regarding data. RMNs offer a paradigm shift by leveraging rich first-party data obtained directly from user interactions within the platform ecosystem,” he said.

Another key capability for RMNs is measurement, and is especially relevant for marketers amidst a continued trend of shrinking ad budgets. 

“RMNs can ‘close the loop’ from consumers viewing an ad to a potential sales conversion, giving brands the ability to measure the precise impact of an ad campaign. In comparison, measuring returns on ad spend on other channels like social networks or influencer campaigns, can be inaccurate, because they occur in different contexts and across different platforms. 

With these capabilities in mind, Ken notes that these capabilities are especially important in Southeast Asia where consumers prioritise seamless, convenient shopping experiences. Citing their recent research alongside Kantar, he notes that around 61% of Southeast Asians surveyed said it was very important to have products or services that can anticipate their needs, higher than the global figure (52%). 

As such, RMNs are well-positioned to continue growing in adoption and prominence in the region in the next few years.

“With first-party data and the ability to ‘close the loop’, RMNs can help brands and advertisers serve products and services with precision in the right context and time, delivering effective campaigns that are also measurable,” he added.

Continued traction despite being nascent

One of the biggest factors contributing to the success of RMNs in Southeast Asia is the region’s digitally-savvy population primed for speed and convenience. With smartphones as their primary device, consumers seek quick, streamlined shopping experiences that can promptly deliver products right into their hands.

Citing their study with Kantar once again, he notes that 2 in 3 Southeast Asians prioritise having on-demand access to products and services, in which superapp RMNs in particular are able to deliver through an integrated ecosystem of services covering all purchasing stages – from discovery right through to last-mile delivery.

Another factor contributing to RMN success in SEA is shopping being transformed into a hybrid experience, noting that around 79% of surveyed Southeast Asians utilised online and offline retail channels simultaneously.

“This is where superapp RMNs in particular shine – whether through digital in-app promotions or out-of-home assets like product sampling or car fleet wraps – superapp RMNs allow brands to design creative full-funnel campaigns that combine online and offline touchpoints across the consumer’s entire buying journey,” Ken explained.

RMNs–despite significantly gaining traction in Southeast Asia–remain a relatively nascent domain that advertisers are still experimenting with. Nonetheless, Ken explains that year-on-year growth in total RMN ad spend in the region is forecasted to increase from 8% in 2024 to 11% in 2030, a widespread shift towards precision, relevance, effectiveness, and consumer-centric strategies in digital advertising.

“This will bring forth more data-driven campaigns that will not only arm brands with the ability to reach the right audience at the right time, but also unlock infinite possibilities for omnichannel consumer engagement throughout their daily lives,” he said.

Ken also added that looking ahead, he believes that retail is just the start, and that the industry is already seeing vertical media networks emerging across many sectors, including travel, hospitality, and health and wellness. 

“No matter the vertical, capitalising on this vital channel ultimately requires brands to focus on consumer-centric media strategies and choose the right partners equipped with essential RMN capabilities – first-party data, a substantial audience, and the ability to ‘close the loop’ – to create high-impact campaigns that make the best of RMNs,” he noted.

RMN strategy means going full-funnel

To make the most of their RMN investments, Ken advises brands to be timely and relevant on said investments by leveraging insights from the rich first-party data obtained directly from user interactions within the platform ecosystem. Said invaluable data enables brands to deliver highly targeted and personalised advertising experiences that resonate with audiences at critical moments.

“Beyond elevating the relevance of the brand’s product or service, this will also position the brand more favourably as functional, amplifying the campaign’s impact on long-term brand building,” Ken stated.

He also added that brands should go full-funnel with their RMN strategy, meaning brands should harness the omnichannel nature of RMNs to extend their reach beyond digital, opening up new opportunities for broader reach through enhanced targeting capabilities and diverse ad formats.

“This also augments measurement, where the online-to-offline ecosystem of RMNs allows brands to capture more comprehensive metrics across the ecosystem – whether that’s ad clicks, product samples received or purchases in-store – for better campaign optimisation,” he said.

While all of the aforementioned strategies revolve around the technicalities of implementing RMNs, Ken also stresses the importance of creativity, which also plays a crucial role in helping brands stand out in a crowded advertising landscape. For him, in order to surprise and delight consumers, brands have to craft unique, immersive experiences that surpass communicating brand messages on a screen.

A sample of this is GrabAds’ work with Wonda Coffee which transformed consumers’ car rides into complete sensorial experiences. The campaign featured 3D coffee cans atop the Grab cars, passengers were greeted by the Wonda jingle and the aroma of roasted coffee beans within the cars, while an in-car QR code offered a free can of coffee for sampling. 

“RMNs offer a multitude of ad formats, allowing marketers to seamlessly blend online and offline spaces into a unique experience – which is critical for awareness and discovery campaigns to be successful,” Ken stated.

While keeping in mind all of these strategies, he also shares that no two markets are identical when determining the success and effectiveness of RMNs, as unique local contexts play a crucial role in shaping each market’s distinct needs. While the region presents ripe opportunities for RMN players, it is worth noting that not all RMNs are created equal, nor present the right fit for every occasion. 

With that in mind, marketers have to consider each platform’s users and whether they align with their brand’s target audience segments.

“Superapp RMNs are ideal for brands seeking full-funnel solutions to reach consumers across their buying journey from discovery to purchase, while social media RMNs are often better suited for awareness campaigns due to their reliance on user-generated content.” Ken further explains.

RMNs’ impact in performance marketing

When asked about the importance and impact in performance marketing, Ken notes that RMNs have mostly been known for their strength in ‘performance marketing’—basically, they are great at driving conversions and getting people to buy right away. But the reality is that RMNs have evolved beyond just being a last-step push.

“Although RMNs are often recognised as a performance channel, they are in fact a full-funnel solution that offers valuable opportunities across every stage, from brand building and discovery at the top to conversion at the bottom of the funnel,” he said.

An example of this in motion was during GrabAds’ work with fast-food chain Lotteria in Vietnam, which delivered a 9.3x increase in sales for every dollar spent and brought in over 8,000 new customers. In the campaign, by targeting new and existing customers across every stage of the purchase journey with a mix of video, banner, search, in-transit and other ad formats, the campaign drove a 13% uplift in ad recall and 8% uplift in purchase intent.

“This shows that RMNs can achieve dual objectives of brand building and performance within a single campaign,” he said.

In order to unlock the power of full-funnel in RMNs, Ken suggest brands to ask themselves the following questions:

  • How is your brand leveraging the diverse online and offline ad formats in creative strategies to better drive brand messaging traction?
  • How is your brand tapping into real-world transaction data to identify the right consumer segments to reach?
  • How is your brand using the online and offline metrics tracked by the RMN platform to create a unified measurement plan that allows you to discern return on investment from campaigns?

“These questions, once answered, will help brands deliver greater impact across the funnel with campaigns that go beyond just performance,” he stated.

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As big retailers and superapps find themselves sitting on a mountain of data, a majority of them are now using it to help brands get in front of people right when it matters most. With that, the impact RMNs are having is huge, and they’re only becoming more essential for brands that want to connect with shoppers in a smarter, more direct way. Retail media isn’t just a trend; it’s becoming a core part of how we shop and how brands reach us.

One of the biggest misconceptions customers have when it comes to building a solution in house is that it will be cheaper. The prospect of saving on licensing costs is attractive to businesses and this is often reflected by technology decision makers when they look to deploy.

However, going down the in-house route often means months—sometimes even years—of development time. As teams undertake a solution build, it’s not uncommon for companies to need to invest heavily to shore up their resources: hiring additional developers, training existing staff, and paying for costly software tools and development environments. 

Furthermore, the initial build is just the beginning. What follows is the ongoing costs of refining and updating the solution as new technologies and threats emerge. Off-the-shelf solutions come out of the box ready to go with the latest features and updates. Let’s take a look at other added benefits of buying a ready made solution.

Maintenance and Security

Maintaining a homegrown solution is like trying to hit a moving target. It’s not just about keeping things running smoothly; it’s about adapting to a constantly changing landscape of security threats and technological advancements. Companies often underestimated the sheer volume of work involved in keeping their solution up-to-date and secure. 

And it’s not just the work; it’s the specialised knowledge needed to understand and implement the latest security protocols. Established and trusted solution providers will have this already.

For example, digital marketing platform Eagle Eye AIR invests 5% of its revenues back into security every year. This investment delivers a return on security up to five times higher than the same investment made by an enterprise retailer running a single program on their own homegrown solution. 

Opportunity Costs and Time to Market

The concept of opportunity cost in another conversation that regularly comes up among teams contemplating building their own tools. Building a solution in-house doesn’t just tie up financial resources—it also ties up the time and energy of skilled staff. 

Every hour that a team spends on development is an hour not spent on strategic initiatives that could be driving a business forward.

Extended development cycles can be a big trap that cause organisations to miss crucial market opportunities. Technology moves quickly, and the market could potentially move on before the build is complete, blunting an organisation’s competitive edge. 

With an out-of-the-box product, organisations get a ready-to-deploy solution that gets them to market faster. That speed translates into immediate benefits, whether it’s staying ahead of competitors or quickly responding to customer needs.

Indirect Cost Add Up

When organisations build in-house, they are not just paying for development and maintenance. They are also absorbing the costs of project management, internal meetings, testing, and troubleshooting. 

There’s also the morale and productivity impact on teams. Nothing drains energy faster than endless debugging sessions or feature roadmaps that never seem to get shorter. It’s easy for teams to get bogged down in the minutiae of development, losing sight of their core competencies and what truly drives value for their customers.

All these indirect costs are minimised when choosing a turnkey solution. Robust, supported platforms allow teams to focus on what they do best—serving customers and growing the business. This not only saves money on development and maintenance; it also preserves team energy and creativity for the tasks that matter most.

Expert Support and Continuous Innovation

The value of having access to expert support and continuous innovation can’t be overstated. When building a solution in house, it falls on the development team to handle every challenge that comes their way. If something breaks or if there’s a need for a new feature, developers are on the hook to figure it out. This often leads to burnout and frustration, especially when resources are stretched thin.

With a professional, prebuilt solution, support teams are there to assist whenever help is needed. Regular updates and new features will also mean the best tools are always available.

Predictable Costs and Budgeting Confidence

Let’s face it: one of the most appealing aspects of deploying a market-ready product is the predictability of costs. With an in-house solution, costs can spiral out of control quickly. Unforeseen challenges, feature creep, and the need for additional resources can blow budgets wide open. 

Starting with a seemingly reasonable development budget, only to arrive in a financial quagmire months down the line as costs blow out, is a very precarious position for solution buyers to be in. 

Commercial products offer clear and predictable pricing structure. This not only makes budgeting easier but also allows organisations to plan finances with confidence, knowing that the investment will yield a strong return without the risk of unexpected costs.

Focus on Core Business Objectives

Ultimately, the most compelling reason to choose an off-the-shelf solution over building an in-house solution is that it allows teams to focus on core business objectives. Every business has a unique mission, and time and resources are best spent pursuing that mission, not getting bogged down in building and maintaining complex solutions.

Freeing up teams to focus on what they do best, whether that’s providing exceptional customer service, innovating new products, or expanding into new markets. Is often far more preferable to organisations than having teams locked up in long development cycles. 

The last 10% takes 90% of the time

According to Melanie Mitchell, computer scientist and Professor of Complexity at the Santa Fe Institute argues that “the first 90% of a complex technology project takes 10% of the time and the last 10% takes 90% of the time”.

Just because some teams have exceptional product owners, product managers, engineers and more, all of whom might be capable of building a bespoke solution for loyalty, promotions and personalisation, it may not be the best use of their time. 

However, building that sort of technology is the core focus of the right solution provider. Finding an expert in all the aspects that constitute that last 10% will be a gamechanger.

The Smart Choice for Reducing TCO

The decision to deploy a ready-made solution versus building an in-house solution can often confound technology decision makers, but the benefits of doing the former are clear. 

Considering all the factors—development time, maintenance, security, opportunity cost, indirect costs, and the ability to focus on core business objectives. Choosing the right packaged loyalty, promotions and personalisation solution not only reduces total cost of ownership for an organisations, but also positions them for long-term success.

When it comes to loyalty and personalisation suites, many customers make this choice with such solutions. The peace of mind, the reduced costs, and the ability to stay agile and competitive in a fast-paced market are all powerful advantages to benefit from. 

It’s not just about saving money; it’s about making a strategic investment in a business’ future. 

This thought leadership is written by Aaron Crowe, Regional Director, Eagle Eye, Asia

The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT in Marketing 2024-2025, a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year.