Siew Ting Foo

Our client NielsenIQ (NIQ) just released its latest Mid-Year Thailand Consumer Outlook, which reveals that 84% of consumers are seeking additional income to ensure their financial resilience—an indicator of the shifting consumer landscape in Thailand. For brands and businesses, this is a critical moment to adapt: ✅ Affordability is Key: With 80% of consumers favoring cost-effective products, there's a clear opportunity for brands to innovate around affordability without sacrificing quality. ✅ The Value of Longevity: It’s interesting to see 76% of consumers willing to pay more for durable products. People are thinking long-term, and brands need to meet that expectation. ✅ Digital Evolution: With 76% of Thai consumers using social media to discover products, compared to the global average of 46%, social commerce is set to grow even further. It's crucial to meet consumers where they are—online. At Spotlight Asia, we’ve been working with NielsenIQ and Nathryne Nunai to bring these crucial insights to help brands navigate this rapidly changing environment. The challenge is real, but the opportunities for growth and innovation are endless. How is your business adjusting to these trends? Download the full Mid-Year Consumer Outlook report for free at to see how to navigate this changing environment https://lnkd.in/gksDFpYx.

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Do you know who this is? 😏 First item on the agenda upon arriving in Singapore: Attending the book launch of KP Ho - CEO & co-founder of Banyan Group. Whose journey has been so fascinating, I ended up with 4 full pages of notes! Especially when he touched on themes that are often covered on the So This Is My Why Podcast), e.g. 🍿 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐊𝐏? Not wasting time & sleepwalking through life. 🍿 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 (but easier than before) Before, Asians weren't thinking about building brands. They were just assembling and manufacturing items for other people. It's different today. When Banyan Tree was being built, 85% were foreigners. So they leaned into that. Pushing the idea of visiting an 'exotic' location & being genuinely Asian without feeling like they were selling their soul. The rest was just very hard slogging. Ultimately if you don't get your own brand into the market, you won't survive in the long run 🍿 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬: 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 Given Singapore's wealth and success, its people can be lulled into a state of complacency, hubris and entitlement. Mediocrity can arise precisely because Singaporeans think that they are exceptional & don't need to do anything about it. 🍿 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐏 KP's purpose is asking why. And not sleepwalking through life!! You don't want to walk up every day and live a life floating on a river, letting things go by. 🍿 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞: 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 One of KP's biggest strength is his curiosity. When he visits hawker stalls, he'll spend half an hour visiting every store, talking to every stall owner and comparing every food item on the menu. That same curiosity and passion is what brought him to today. 🍿 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐊𝐏 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝! 🤣 * Thank you Hong Koon Chua World Scientific Publishing for the invite!

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Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are rapidly growing in the Digital Advertising space, but they come with their own unique set of challenges, particularly for Yield Management teams. In my latest video, I dive into the key obstacles RMNs face and break down four actionable strategies to optimize yield and unlock greater potential. If you're navigating the complexities of RMNs, this is a must-watch! https://lnkd.in/gxxCQbGe #DigitalAdvertising #RetailMedia #YieldManagement #AdTech #AdvertisingTrends

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Why weren't the directors struck off? "Hair salon chain with Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Tampines outlets probed for unfair trade practices". "A hair salon chain with three outlets is being investigated for suspected unfair trade practices, said the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). They include practices such as exploiting elderly customers, charging higher prices without prior agreement and the concealing of payment amounts during Nets transactions, said the CCCS and Case in a joint statement on the same day. Case had invited the chain’s operator to sign a voluntary compliance agreement to cease unfair trade practices and refund affected customers, but did not receive a response. The matter was subsequently referred to CCCS. Preliminary investigations revealed that the salons previously operated under the name Scissor & Comb. Checks showed that Case had received similar complaints regarding the business from 2018 to 2022." So if Case have complaints from customers about previous iterations of the same company just with a different name why weren't the directors barred from opening new companies? Why weren't they prosecuted? Why weren't they struck off so that they couldn't commit these crimes again? This seems eminently preventable given the fraudulent behaviour of the directors and yet it wasn't. “Business owners and company directors cannot be allowed to perpetuate unfair trade practices by changing business names,” said Mr Yong. But they were, so why were they? What do you think? Link to the story here: https://lnkd.in/g7mRzdR8

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Thanks MARKETING-INTERACTIVE for soliciting my thoughts! This phenomenon goes beyond healthcare; the shift of consumer trust from published content to shared content is already a potential threat to search engines. With search-enabled AI models already a norm, what does the future hold for search? Interesting to watch.

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Join this free event to learn the latest trends in MarTech, FinTech and Govt funding for the ASEAN market 💡

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Interesting debates lately… Let’s read into the details. ☀️ Flexible work arrangement means thinking out of the regular confinement of 9-5 🌈 Can be few hours in office, few hours later at night with some hours in between to pick up school kids or pump some iron for the gym rats 🌈 Can also be a 4-hour work day, with corresponding pay 🌈 Can be some office work, and some WFH 🌈 …or in local terms, everything also can cham siong (let’s discuss) What’s really key mentioned by Min Siow Huang Gan is… com’on guys… 👊🏼you need to have the skill sets that others don’t, 👊🏼you need to highly productive and 👊🏼you need to have the highest work ethics. I believe one has to work hard for what he/she wants to achieve. If you want true freedom, be your own boss… by then you may realise, when you are your own boss, your work hours is 24/7 😅 I think Gov and the tripartite agencies need to make the messages very very clear. It’s a very fine line to thread. https://lnkd.in/gkjGt5ZE

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Day 14 of #USvGoogle started with Google Finance Director, Jessica Mok. Google tried to minimize the financial importance of its adtech business, showing that it operated at a loss from 2015-2017, to downplay the role of display in generating revenue, and land an out-of-context soundbite about how much they pay publishers. On cross, DOJ highlighted that Google tracks revenue separately for display, video and app inventory, and for direct vs. indirect-sold inventory supporting their market definition argument. DOJ also pointed out that Google decides whether to classify revenue as principal or agent, which informs whether Traffic Acquisition Costs (”TAC”), money paid to publishers, is included in their figures. Obviously, without TAC, booked revenue will appear lower, and margin will appear higher. Google then called Dr. Mark Israel to play some more number games. He is an economics expert, and his analysis is central to Google’s case. While I expected something at least somewhat compelling, instead we got analysis that appears completely detached from reality. Google seems to want to pretend their publisher customers simply do not exist. While DOJ’s case focuses primarily on harm to publishers, there was a 30 minute stretch of time at the beginning of Israel’s testimony where his only mention of anything publisher-adjacent was to explain the origin of the “cellophane fallacy” as the theory that prices for cellophane might go up so much that people resort to wrapping their sandwiches in newspaper. He starts by refuting the DOJ’s definition of 3 distinct markets, proposing instead that adtech is a single two-sided market. He says that DOJ excludes other places advertisers find impressions, other ways “connections” to audiences are made, and the other types of adtech that exist. No mention of publishers. He talks about shifting media consumption trends, highlighting growth of apps and mobile environments, as well as the growth of ad spend on social, and the rise of retail media. Still, no mention of publishers. He talks about how social and retail media companies act as competitive restraints on Google and serve as reasonable substitutes…again, with respect to advertisers. Google even pulls up a deck to make their point that compares Google and Amazon, and explicitly references the fact that Amazon does not offer a publisher ad server, while Google has DFP. Finally he mentions publishers, to say that if ROI for advertisers were to fall, both advertisers and publishers might switch. For example, he says, publishers might move to a different exchange, move more of their content to apps, or adopt a subscription model. Soon after, he explains publishers can move more of their inventory from indirect to direct sales. It’s about “how hard sales people work” to sell direct. A few minutes later, he suggests that if Google’s publisher ad server isn’t good, advertisers might switch to Facebook. I literally wrote “What??” in my notes. (more in comments)

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📣 THIS JUST IN!! Check out our latest guide: The Power of Media Quality: How APAC Marketers Can Leverage Media Quality for Better Advertising ROI. The APAC media landscape is undeniably distinct, requiring marketers to have tailored insights. Our guide offers essential knowledge on media quality and performance solutions to help you maximize ROI across digital campaigns in APAC. Download a copy here: https://buff.ly/3AKtWeJ #digitaladvertising #verification

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Reflecting on Lazada's 9.9 campaign & timing across '21 to '24: 1. Moving from 'authenticity' to 'beyond brands' merchandise & 'mega brands' in past few years, this year's campaign is all about 'switching to the better sale' ~moving from category growth to share gain! 2. The start on 8.9 for 9.9 this year marks the start of the mega season sales in an advanced mode - a first in the #ecommerce channel! Let's hope the season lives up to new records being set..

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In case you missed it last week, the 9th edition of e-Conomy SEA reports that the Southeast Asia’s digital economy is poised to deliver double-digit growth in profits, revenues, and gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2024.   This strong performance underscores the essential role of digital services in consumers' lives. And it points towards a future of sustainable growth for SEA’s digital economy. To drive profitable growth and resonate with increasingly savvy online consumers, many businesses are using online video marketing, since video commerce now makes up 20% of the e-commerce sector’s GMV. That’s a more than 4X jump from 2022! One way to engage SEA consumers is through the ✨ YouTube Shopping affiliate program ✨ . This program, in partnership with 🔶 Shopee 🔶 , enables brands to partner with creators to seamlessly integrate their products into YouTube content across videos, Shorts and livestreams. It’s now available in 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇻🇳 Vietnam and 🇹🇭 Thailand. Read the full article on ThinkWithGoogle: Sapna Chadha Ajay Vidyasagar Jaideep Jhangiani Samuele Saini Stephan Wu Ibrahim Shadid Jee Soo Lee Nikki Librada Del Gallego Mike Koh Esther Fang Carmen Leong Stacy Yulianto Irene Boonwikrom

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💫 Digital Marketing 💫 Did you ever wonder why some Brand succeeded in Japan and others not?  A good digital strategy should align business goals with digital marketing tactics to achieve sustainable growth, enhance brand reputation, and foster long-term success in today's digital-first world. At TBM we make everything easy for you by covering all aspects of digital strategy. From market research and cultural adaptation to strategic digital campaigns, our expert team provides comprehensive support at every stage of the market entry process. For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/gBvu7WVS to find out how we have help some companies in Japanese food business. Don’t forget to visit our LinkedIn page as well to stay constantly updated about market trends https://lnkd.in/gSN2_GdG #DigitalMarketing #ContentLocalization #CulturalAdaptation #SEO #BrandVisibility #FoodAndBeverage #BrandReputation #TokyoBridgeMarketing 

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Reflecting on the ongoing digitalisation of traditional media channels 💡 In my role at OPR media Asia, I help brands to strategise campaigns encompassing both traditional & digital out-of-home (OOH) and linear TV with CTV (connected TV). Over recent years, these channels have undergone significant transformations, with a growing portion of marketing budgets being directed towards their digital iterations. Brands frequently inquire about the dilemma between opting for linear TV versus (CTV), or choosing between traditional OOH and programmatic approaches. My consistent response is that generally, there's no need to make a choice. Analysing media consumption data, and despite some regional nuances, I strongly believe that the integration of both old and new channels within the media mix is essential. They complement each other in ways that enhance campaign effectiveness and reach diverse audiences across various platforms. ✔ Linear & CTV Linear TV remains the top choice for achieving massive reach within households, particularly in the USA or Australia. It continues to be an affordable option for brands aiming for broad audience exposure and long-term brand-building initiatives. On the other hand, CTV now empowers advertisers with audience-based targeting, enabling them to reach their buyer personas across multiple devices, primarily on large screens within households. By integrating both channels, advertisers benefit from the strengths of each: extensive reach combined with granular targeting and robust measurement capabilities ✔ OOH & Programmatic DOOH OOH is one of the oldest media channels in the world, dating back thousands of years. Interestingly, it only began to evolve with the digital transformation that occurred in the 1990s. Today, traditional OOH still offers many benefits. It remains one of the most trusted media channels. It cannot be blocked and is generally considered safe for brands. Additionally, it provides the option to achieve 100% share of voice (SOV), making it highly favoured by luxury brands. With the inception of programmatic in OOH just a couple of years ago, brands now have the opportunity to (re)target specific audiences in the real world. Forward-thinking, innovative companies such as Vistar Media have connected media owners' DOOH inventory to their demand-side platform, allowing marketers to plan and execute audiences' skewed OOH campaigns in a few clicks. Just like combining linear TV and CTV, integrating traditional and programmatic OOH in a single campaign can yield multiple benefits for brands. Traditional OOH (especially static) is highly relevant to elevate one's brand image or make a statement. Combined with the smart targeting offered by programmatic OOH, it allows brands to reach specific audiences with lower budgets in a more tactical way, for instance to support a retail activation. The advertising industry is spoiled with choice, and it's a great time to be in the media planning business 🙌

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"Specifically in Singapore, where X is not actively used; we see LinkedIn taking over the role of X as the platform where opinions matter." Althea, Group CEO at Gushcloud International Not surprised by this article on MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. LinkedIn thrives in Singapore, offering a unique space for professionals (including political leaders) to connect with peers, industry leaders, and potential collaborators. It's your digital business card, and crafting a professional yet authentic profile here is crucial for establishing your presence. In the recent months alone, I've seen LinkedIn's impact firsthand: ✨ At a TiE Women event, hosted by TiE Singapore, Anna Vanessa Haotanto 陳安娜 from Zora Health shared how valuable business opportunities stemmed from LinkedIn connections. ✨ During a focus group discussion, Singapore-based women entrepreneurs instantly mentioned LinkedIn, when we asked what tool is crucial to help build their personal brand. ✨ At industry events, I now rely solely on my LinkedIn profile for connections. The LinkedIn QR code allows attendees to connect directly with me, easily access my work, recommendations, and experience. This fosters a more personal connection and has facilitated numerous meetings. Remember we're all "salespeople" here - whether it's landing a dream job, attracting clients, or building a strong personal brand, a well-crafted profile is an undisputed, “not so secret” weapon. Agree?

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Wise and pragmatic strategy: "Chinese consumer brands look to crack the global market with Singapore as a testbed". "Chinese consumer brands are using Singapore as a strategic launchpad for global expansion, leveraging its blend of Asian and Western cultures. Companies like Pop Mart and Chagee are focusing on Singapore for market testing and as their regional base, aiming to penetrate Southeast Asia. Despite cultural and strategic challenges, Chinese brands are embracing their unique identities and adapting to different markets with tailored strategies, says Forrester analyst Xiaofeng Wang." "In August alone, Chinese tea brand Chagee opened three stores in Singapore. Pop Mart, a Beijing-based retailer of collectible toys, wrapped up its second annual toy show on the island late last month with over 50 artists. While Chinese companies have long toyed with global ambitions, their latest strategy involves a concerted effort to reach Southeast Asia via Singapore. “Singapore is a place we call it like where east meets west, right? So for Chinese companies, if they want to go overseas, I think Singapore is a nice middle ground,” said Xiaofeng Wang, principal analyst at global market research company Forrester. Pop Mart’s executives are considering establishing an international headquarters in Singapore, Jeremy Lee, Go-to-Market Director of Southeast Asia at Pop Mart International, told CNBC on the sidelines of the Pop Toy show in late August. “If there is anything they [Pop Mart’s executives] want to launch in Southeast Asia, anything they want to start looking at or whether it works, [Singapore] is a good testbed to start ... to quickly look at whether the idea works or not, and then kind of fine tune from there,” said Lee." Smart thinking, if it works here it'll work in most places becaue of our dynamic nature, sophisticated consumer base and affluent one too, if not then you have saved money by having a small test. What do you think? If you are an entrepreneur and would like to find clients overseas our Ultimate LinkedIn Marketing and Personal Branding Service can do this for you, our premium and highly recommended service details are here on this LinkedIn SmartLink: https://lnkd.in/dqWRi6EZ https://lnkd.in/d8KrpvBx

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ASEAN is forecasted to become the fourth-largest economy by 2030 and to surpass China in real GDP growth by 2025? This highlights the region's growing influence and dynamism. Consumer goods, infrastructure, and logistics sectors are showing notable enthusiasm for expanding in the region to achieve sustained growth.

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Social Commerce in Vietnam, Harnessing the Power of Live Streaming & KOL's. 💪 Social Commerce will emerge as a game-changer, redefining how brands connect with consumers. Vietnam’s live-streaming e-commerce market is expected to reach $11 billion by 2026, growing at 28% annually. Over 70% of Vietnamese internet users have watched a live stream, with 50% making a purchase during or after the stream. Live-streaming sales conversion rates can be up to 10 times higher than traditional e-commerce. The appeal of live-streaming lies in its authenticity, interactivity, and instant gratification. Are Asia brands more willing to spend on this, because they understand the eco-system vs Western brands? Consumers can see products in action & get their queries answered by trusted hosts, it's lifestyle / 'shoppertainment'. Discounting for higher volumes is built into the model, however over time in mature markets like China, you observe a shift towards higher value items. Live streamers are influencers, with trusted & established communities. Building community is everything, it's educational value add too, not just flash sales. The format will evolve. Fascinatingly 72% of Vietnamese consumers trust influencer recommendations more than traditional ads. This drives offline & online purchases. Micro and nano influencers, with their highly engaged niche audiences, drive 60% higher engagement rates compared to macro influencers. For brands, partnering with the right KOLs can be a game-changer. Brand creatives & emotionally resonant content in support of Live Selling facilitates converting new customers into loyal, repeat purchasers. One critique of Live Streaming has been the loyalty to the seller, not the brand - but by leveraging data there are strategies to re-engage / re-target. Price alignment within a certain % of offline retail is pivotal, or product splits for online. #vietnam #socialcommerce #ecommerce #asiatech #kol

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There are two fundamental constraints to Retail Media Networks (RMNs): Audience Size: RMNs and retargeting are closely related because they both depend on a finite audience—namely, the visitors to a retailer's website. This naturally limits the growth potential for both strategies. Just like retargeting, where effectiveness is capped by the number of users already engaging with a brand, RMNs are constrained by the traffic to the retailer’s ecosystem. If fewer people visit the site, the available audience for RMN ads shrinks, which in turn can reduce revenue, assuming a constant return on ad spend (ROAS). While expanding to offline shoppers or using lookalike audiences can increase reach, performance may not be as strong. Performance (Incrementality): The second key issue is incrementality—or rather, the lack of it. Serving an ad through an RMN doesn’t necessarily result in a new, incremental sale. Many of these ads reach shoppers who likely would have purchased the product anyway. This mirrors the problem with retargeting: when ads primarily reach people who are already inclined to buy, the impact of the ad spend diminishes. Advertisers are becoming more aware that increasing their RMN budget doesn’t always translate into a corresponding rise in sales. In the early days of RMNs, or even before they were called RMNs I had the honor of working with HookLogic, Inc. (Acquired by Criteo in 2016) advertisers were eager to spend more because ROAS was so high. But when budgets weren’t fully spent, the solution became offsite retargeting. Any change from an measurement standpoint on the advertiser side can cause a step up or down in spend. My general go to with any marketing technique is watch the 90s PSA video about cocaine and make sure you aren't in this doom loop. https://lnkd.in/e-mDQiVs #RetailMedia #DigitalAdvertising #MarketingStrategy

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