MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The past year has seen a tremendous amount of change in the digital marketing landscape, as technologies such as AI and emerging markets such as gamers continue to evolve. These changes, however, are only the tip of the iceberg; 2024 is likely to see even more novel strategies become standard as marketers adapt.
Through a correspondence with five adtech and marketing companies throughout the APAC region, adobo Magazine received the following predictions for the coming year:
According Jeff Franco, Head of Growth SEA for youth-first specialty marketing and media platform TotallyAwesome, marketers will need to adopt a multi-platform approach to communicate their messages to the active Gen Z and Gen Alpha markets, with gaming environments being one of the essentials.
“For contemporary Filipino marketers targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha in 2024, the key lies in unlocking the synergy of diverse elements—combining gaming, YouTube, and influencers, for example, will supercharge campaign effectiveness,” he said. “Expect a surge in the popularity of events or activations that seamlessly bridge both realms; think real concerts with a digital metaverse counterpart”
“A comprehensive approach is no longer a nice to have; it is a must,” he added. “Implementing campaigns that seamlessly integrate across multiple platforms and mediums, developing content tailored for mobile experiences, and aligning brand values with the values of the youth will be critical for success in this dynamic market.”
Joshua Wilson, Commercial Director (JAPAC) of programmatic lifecycle marketing solutions provider Crimtan, believes that the success of eCommerce campaigns in Southeast Asia will depend heavily on how these efforts mesh with offline consumer activity.
“While the Philippines boasts one of the highest mobile penetration rates, the anticipated growth of eCommerce in the region has been significantly hindered by the relatively low credit card penetration in the country,” he said. “This issue is not unique to the Philippines, but extends across Southeast Asia, where offline spending is gaining momentum compared to online spending post-COVID.”
“For markets not meeting eCommerce expectations, it’s incredibly important to align offline and online marketing strategies to drive in-store foot traffic, especially post-COVID where retail has seen a surge in consumer interest.”
Samson Oh, Chief Executive Officer of long-standing esports portal GosuGamers, noted that marketers looking to tap into the gamer market in 2024 will need to do so with utmost care, as the community values trust and commitment from the brands they choose to engage with.
“Authenticity is paramount, as the esports audience can discern between genuine endorsement and blatant advertising. This authenticity resonates with the target audience and contributes to building trust over time,” he shared.
“The key takeaway for marketers is the importance of consistency; successful engagement in esports requires a long-term commitment rather than sporadic involvement. Playing the long game is a mindset we are seeing with marketers and brand builders as we move into 2024.”
2024 will continue to see shifts in how brands utilize influencers in their campaigns, building on adjustments made in the past year, said Rain D. Balares, Lead (Philippines) and Regional Product Director (APAC) for social-first marketing agency The Goat Agency.
“Brands are now segregating influencer marketing budgets from creative and media allocations, as evident in initiatives like L’Oreal Advocacy and Unilever Project Aurora,” he explained. “Besides that, the landscape has seen a shift towards affiliate influencers, akin to the impact previously associated with micro-nano influencers. Initially used for engagement and affinity, these smaller-tier influencers, particularly on TikTok, can now swiftly guide consumers from awareness to conversion with platforms like TikTok Shop.”
“Additionally, such platforms are reshaping the landscape of branded content, prompting brands to favor content creators over in-house branded content from agencies. This shift prompts closer collaborations between creative agencies and content creators in the region for more impactful branded content ahead.”
Antoine Gross, General Manager, SEA for leading partnership management platform impact.com, feels that the deeper level of personalization enabled by AI marketing tools will create an even greater need for accurate performance metrics, as the diversity of output may muddy the numbers.
“The eCommerce world is constantly evolving, and we’re about to see a shift in how advertisers engage with consumers: predictive machine learning tools will play a big role in offering a more personalized shopping experience,” he said. “As this trend grows, it’s more important than ever for marketers to track marketing performance and justify the return on ad spend.”
“Marketers will need to accurately measure incrementality and actual revenue driven by different marketing strategies beyond engagement and awareness metrics. This is where performance measurement comes in – the goal is to get a complete picture of how their marketing strategies work as a whole. Hence, having a holistic and reliable solution that can manage and measure the performance of different strategies will be key to continuous growth and success in the region.”
