Australia’s social media legislation has changed with the inclusion of YouTube in the country’s list of proscribed entities subject to the under-16 ban, marking an expansion of what will become the world’s first comprehensive social media restriction for minors.

The Australia YouTube ban represents a policy shift, after the government initially exempted the Google-owned platform from restrictions that already include TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Snapchat.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the policy reversal on Wednesday, emphasising the government’s commitment to protecting young Australians from digital harm. “Social media is doing social harm to our children, and I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs,” Albanese said. “There is no one perfect solution when it comes to keeping young Australians safer online – but the social media minimum age will make a significantly positive difference to their wellbeing.”

The decision to include YouTube in the ban came after Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant recommended the platform’s inclusion last month, citing it as “the most frequently []mentioned] platform” where children aged 10 to 15 years encountered harmful content.

The recommendation is despite YouTube’s assertions that it shouldn’t be classified as social media, with the company stating in a statement on Wednesday that the platform “offers benefit and value to younger Australians.”

Under the expanded legislation, the Australian YouTube ban will prevent teenagers from creating accounts, required for uploading content or interacting through comments. However, young users will retain the ability to view videos without accounts, maintaining access to educational and entertainment content while limiting their exposure to potentially harmful interactive features.

Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells defended the government’s approach, stating: “There’s a place for social media, but there’s not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children.” She described trying to protect children from the harms of the internet as “like trying to teach your kids to swim in the open ocean with the rips and the sharks compared to at the local council pool.”

The minister’s comments came in response to reports that Google had threatened legal action if YouTube was included in the ban, arguing such restrictions would limit political freedom. Wells dismissed these concerns, stating: “We can’t control the ocean, but we can police the sharks and that is why we will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the well-being of Australian kids.”

The comprehensive nature of Australia’s approach extends beyond access restrictions. Tech companies face substantial penalties of up to A$49.5 million for non-compliance with the age restrictions. The legislation requires platforms to deactivate existing accounts for under-16 users, prevent new account creation, and work actively to stop workarounds and correct implementation errors.

Exclusions to the ban remain in place for “online gaming, messaging apps, health and education services” as they “pose fewer social media harms to under 16s,” according to the official rules. The legislation will begin implementation on December 10, 2025. It is attracting international attention, with Norway announcing similar measures and the UK considering following Australia’s lead.

Australia’s legislative approach contrasts with developments in other markets, where platforms are implementing or starting to enforce their own age verification measures. While Australia mandates restrictions through legislation, the United States is witnessing voluntary platform initiatives to address similar concerns about youth safety online.

In a notable parallel development, YouTube announced this week that it will deploy artificial intelligence technology to identify US viewers under 18, beginning August 13, 2025. The AI-powered “age estimation model” will analyse user behaviour, including video search patterns, viewing categories, and account longevity to determine whether users are likely under 18 years old.

Google says YouTube’s AI system will “interpret a variety of signals that help us to determine whether a user is over or under 18,” including “the types of videos a user is searching for, the categories of videos they have watched, or the longevity of the account.” When the system identifies teen users, it will automatically apply age-appropriate protections, including disabling personalised advertising and implementing digital wellbeing tools.

If the system incorrectly identifies adult users as minors, they can verify their age using “a credit card, government ID, or selfie.” Only verified adult users will be able to access age-restricted content on the platform.

The timing of parallel developments in Australia and the United States highlights the growing global focus on protecting young people from potential digital harms.

YouTube’s response to the Australian legislation remains measured, with a spokesperson stating the company will “consider next steps” and “continue to engage” with the government. The diplomatic approach suggests ongoing negotiations as the December implementation date approaches.

The global implications of Australia’s legislation extend beyond its borders, as governments worldwide observe the practical implementation challenges and effectiveness of such comprehensive age restrictions. The success or failure of the YouTube ban in Australia could influence similar legislative efforts internationally, making Australia an important test case for the future of youth protection in digital spaces.

Find out more about the Digital Marketing World Forum series and register here.

The post Australia includes YouTube in under-16 ban after removing platform exemption appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Want to learn about the IoT from industry leaders? Check out IoT Tech Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Cyber Security & Cloud Expo, AI & Big Data Expo, Intelligent Automation Conference, Edge Computing Expo, and Digital Transformation Week.

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“We’re not goldfish. We have attention when we want to have attention.” With this declaration at DMWF Asia, Sukanya (Su) Das Gupta, Blis APAC’s senior insights manager, addressed conventional marketing wisdom.

As brands try to capture ever-diminishing attention spans, Das Gupta offered a refreshing counter-narrative: marketers are drowning in data while missing the human stories behind consumer behaviour analysis.

In her day one session titled, “From instant hits to lasting habits: Crafting sustainable brand presence in APAC,” Das Gupta challenged marketers to move beyond quick wins and focus on building genuine connections that endure.

Humanising data: beyond numbers and statistics

Das Gupta challenged the reductive view of data science, emphasising that effective marketing requires seeing beyond raw numbers to understand human emotions and decision-making patterns. “Data isn’t just numbers,” Das Gupta said. “It’s been so reductive because everybody likes ‘data science’ and ‘data analysis.’ It’s human emotions, and it’s not rational because externalities push people to make these decisions.”

Her team’s consumer behaviour analysis for a QSR brand in Malaysia revealed three important facts that transformed their approach:

1. Decisions happen outside the store: Das Gupta’s team discovered that purchasing decisions weren’t primarily made at the point of sale as commonly assumed. “The decisions were happening outside of the store. They were happening in neutral spaces of community,” she explained. The insight prompted the brand to shift its messaging strategy to target consumers during everyday interactions with peers and family rather than focusing exclusively on in-store promotions.
2. Consideration trumps transaction: The data revealed that the psychological journey leading to the purchase was far more influential than the purchase moment itself. “The moments of consideration mattered so much more than moments of transaction,” Das Gupta said. Consumers’ consideration of a purchase was much more important than the moment they were buying.” Even for impulse-driven QSR products like pizza or burgers, consumers were making evaluations well before entering stores, and that suggested brands need to invest in nurturing consideration rather than merely optimising transactions.
3. Context drives behaviour: The most surprising finding was how the brand’s contextual positioning directly influenced consumer response. “When the brand shifted its context slightly, then behaviour started to shift. It was really about how the brand reacted to everything versus how audiences reacted,” Das Gupta said. By reframing its messaging to acknowledge consumer hesitations rather than simply pushing products, the QSR brand saw dramatic improvements in engagement.

The brand saw a dramatic turnaround, shifting from short-term firefighting to consistent, long-term engagement. “Instead of having a campaign once every quarter, we said, let’s try to keep it monthly. Let’s make it more realistic. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” she noted.

The marathon mentality represented a fundamental shift in campaign philosophy. Das Gupta explained that their initial burst campaign had produced an unsustainable 73% increase in exposure. Rather than celebrating this artificial spike, her team recognised the danger of such volatile results and recalibrated toward steady, incremental growth.

“We steadied it,” she said, describing how the team replaced infrequent high-intensity campaigns with consistent monthly touchpoints. The approach proved more sustainable and gradually built consumer trust through reliable, predictable brand interactions. It allowed attention, awareness, and consideration to build over time rather than attempting to force immediate results.

The APAC challenge: Why Western formulas fail

Das Gupta highlighted Western brands’ common mistakes when entering APAC markets, noting the region’s extreme fragmentation and cultural diversity. “When Western brands come in, they believe what’s worked in the US and the UK works beautifully in APAC. And I don’t think they could be more mistaken. You can’t take something that works elsewhere and fit it in APAC. It’s really that simple.”

She cited a cautionary example of an FMCG brand that tried to use a swimsuit-themed advertisement created for US and European markets in Bangladesh, resulting in cultural backlash. While localisation is widely recognised as essential, Das Gupta acknowledged the challenges: “It becomes a matter of cost and time investment. It’s always easier to try your luck.” She stressed that successful brands invest in understanding local nuances: “You have to understand, this is all behavioural economics. People are not rational beings. So you need to understand what triggers their irrationality.”

Subtle impressions win in a noisy digital world

Das Gupta also made a counterintuitive argument for subtlety over attention-grabbing tactics in today’s digital environment. “Look at brands everywhere in any Asian market. You see a giant billboard. You drive 200 metres; you see the same giant billboard with the same creative, same influencer, same tagline, same font, and same background. Are you registering the brand, or have you just ignored it?” she asked.

She advocated for “small, subtle touches” that embed brands in consumer memory, citing Netflix’s distinctive sound for example: “[The] Netflix jingle became a Netflix jingle because it was only there before a Netflix movie started playing. It was not because every brand was blasting it.” The approach requires patience from stakeholders expecting immediate ROI. “Yes, ROI takes time, but so does anything good,” Das Gupta noted. “Try to lean into patience and consistency. It will never not play.”

Content strategy: relevance over length

Regarding shrinking attention spans, Das Gupta rejected simplistic formulas about content length. “I think it’s very reductive to say that people have less attention. We’re not goldfish. We have attention when we want to have attention,” she stated. Success depends on relevance and storytelling, not arbitrary time limits. “Your story can be five seconds long, it can be 30 seconds long, it can be 15 hours. You convey your message in the story you want to tell and be relevant.”

She referenced PETRONAS’s festive season campaigns in Malaysia and Nike’s inspirational ads as examples of longer content that still captures the audience’s attention because of compelling storytelling. For brands seeking to navigate APAC’s complex markets, Das Gupta’s insights offer a roadmap: humanise your data, respect cultural contexts, maintain subtle consistency, and tell stories that resonate. Simply put, when marketing is approached as behavioural economics rather than just promotion, the results speak for themselves.

The post Micro-moments to macro-meaning: Blis on humanising APAC data appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Remember when SEO simply meant getting your website to rank on Google? Those days are quickly fading into digital history. The evolution of SEO has been quietly transforming beneath our feet – from keywords and backlinks to a complex ecosystem that extends far beyond traditional search engines.

“Think of it as a natural progression,” says Judy Tay, Head of Content at First Page Digital, as we settle into our conversation at the bustling Digital Marketing World Forum (DMWF). Her eyes light up as she shares what she believes is the next frontier for digital marketers.

“SEO has evolved from search engine optimisation,” Tay explained. “Last year, it was search experience optimisation, but it is still focused on the website and the search engine. This year, it will be optimised for search everywhere. Keep your eyes out – websites will be so integrated into other engines outside of just Google.”

The three stages of SEO evolution

The evolution of SEO can be mapped across three distinct phases:

1. Search Engine Optimisation – The traditional approach focused primarily on ranking in Google search results
2. Search Experience Optimisation – A more holistic approach considering user experience on websites
3. Search Everywhere Optimisation – The current frontier where brands must optimise across multiple platforms and touchpoints

This progression represents a fundamental shift in how digital marketers approach their strategies. As search behaviours diversify across platforms like social media, voice assistants, and specialised apps, the conventional focus on Google rankings alone has become insufficient.

Metrics that matter in modern SEO

When evaluating SEO success, vanity metrics give way to more meaningful performance indicators. Tay emphasises that metrics should align with specific business goals rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.

“Metrics is extensive,” noted Tay. “It really depends on context – SEO and marketing campaigns can no longer work by executing blindly. Understanding the business needs comes first. If the business wants to see revenue, I believe that should also be part of an SEO report or metrics.”

Tay focuses on engagement metrics for technical evaluation: “I look heavily into things like bounce rate, time on page and things like that. Those, to me, are not vanity metrics. Those are things that can inform the execution side of things.”

However, client-facing reports typically emphasise different aspects: “On the client side, it’s really about traffic, number one, of course. But then we must show what this traffic translates to – whether it’s engagement with specific landing pages, e-commerce conversions, or other valuable actions.”

Red flags in SEO agencies

Choosing the right partner becomes crucial as businesses navigate the evolution of SEO and seek expertise to guide their strategies. Yet many brands struggle to distinguish between agencies that deliver genuine value and those selling empty promises.

“This is something many people keep hush-hush,” Tay noted when asked about industry practices. Drawing from her extensive experience, she outlined three critical warning signs that suggest an SEO agency might be overpromising and underdelivering:

• Inflexible, cookie-cutter solutions

Tay warns against agencies that offer rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches: “A red flag is when an agency pushes only predetermined solutions with no room to pivot or be flexible. They’ll say, ‘You need this pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, you need this SEO package’ without considering your unique business context.”

• Lack of co-creation

“Another warning sign is when agencies discourage client involvement,” Tay explains. “They’ll say, ‘We’ll handle everything—just take a back seat and wait for results.’ This rarely works because collaboration is essential. We aren’t on the brand side day-to-day, so we need that partnership.”

• Limited experience with strategic thinking

Tay says tactical execution without strategic depth is problematic: “You can find someone to handle technical SEO tasks on Upwork or Fiverr, but that’s just execution. Many agencies focus on short-term tactical gains, especially in SEO; you need strategic experience to drive meaningful results over time.”

SEO practices to avoid

As SEO evolves, certain practices can potentially harm businesses in the long run. Tay highlighted a particularly concerning trend: the devaluation of technical SEO.

“The devaluation of technical SEO [is problematic],” Tay stated. “I’m the head of content, but nowadays, many agencies think that you can just optimise content and then just optimise very surface stuff like page load speeds and things like that. But I don’t think that’s the way.”

She emphasised the need for comprehensive strategies: “Given we need to take into account an overview of AI, what is the impact of my brand with the emergence of AI, for example?”

The evolving agency-client relationship

The relationship between SEO agencies and their clients has transformed significantly in recent years. Tay notes that agencies are increasingly functioning as extensions of their client’s teams rather than as external vendors.

“We are now seen as an extension of clients,” Tay explained. “We have some clients that get us to join their weekly stand-up–the entire marketing team, not just SEO specialists, but their sales, product developers, and things like that.”

This integrated approach allows for more comprehensive strategy development. However, Tay acknowledges it’s not suitable for every client: “That’s more towards customer servicing, as well as giving a more comprehensive strategy, which not every business needs or is paying for.”

Beyond integration, Tay emphasises the importance of consultative relationships: “Being able to be consultative – don’t just deliver. I try to have bi-weekly catch-ups with my clients to sit down and [ask] if we are meeting markers. Are we going in the right direction?”

The future belongs to the adaptable

A critical aspect of successful SEO is anticipating and adapting to search engine algorithm updates. While First Page Digital benefits from being a Google Premium Partner, Tay credits their success more to proactive testing and pattern recognition.

“Before Google even comes up with the updates, we have sort of put it to test already,” Tay revealed. “When you run big enough campaigns, you will see a pattern; when you see a pattern, you must form a hypothesis.”

This forward-thinking approach reveals why some agencies thrive while others struggle in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. As Tay emphasises, success in tomorrow’s SEO isn’t about mastering a single platform but understanding the entire digital ecosystem where your audience exists.

The evolution of SEO from search engine to search everywhere optimisation isn’t just another industry buzzword—it’s a fundamental reimagining of how brands connect with audiences. 

Those who recognise this shift early and adapt accordingly will survive the transition and discover unprecedented opportunities to dominate digital spaces their competitors have yet to explore.

As Tay puts it, we’re no longer optimising algorithms but for human connection across an expanding digital universe. And in that universe, the old rules of engagement no longer apply.

The post From Search Engine to Search Everywhere: The evolution of SEO in 2025 appeared first on TechWire Asia.

In a recent post on Threads, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri acknowledged a growing concern on the platform: the rise of engagement bait. “We’ve seen an increase in engagement bait on Threads, and we’re working to get it under control,” Mosseri stated, promising “more to come” on the issue without specifying the exact measures being taken. 

The development marks a significant moment for Threads, Meta’s Twitter-like platform, as it grapples with content quality issues similar to those faced by other social media platforms.

Understanding engagement bait

Engagement bait refers to content designed primarily to elicit reactions, comments, or shares, often at the expense of genuine value or meaningful interaction. Common examples include posts that explicitly ask users to like, comment, or share, or those that use misleading tactics to boost engagement metrics. While these practices can temporarily inflate a post’s visibility, they can lead to a poor user experience and can dilute the platform’s overall content quality.

The impact on Threads

Threads, launched in July 2023 as a text-based conversation app, quickly gained traction as an alternative to Twitter. However, the platform’s rapid growth has also brought challenges, including the proliferation of engagement bait. This issue threatens to impact its long-term viability and user retention.

Instagram’s acknowledgement of the problem and commitment to addressing it signals a proactive approach to maintaining content quality. Its stance aligns with broader social media management trends, where platforms increasingly prioritise authentic engagement over raw metrics.

Opportunities for digital marketers

While the crackdown on engagement bait may seem challenging for digital marketers, it presents an opportunity to refine strategies and focus on more sustainable, authentic engagement. 

Here are several ways digital marketers can effectively use Threads to promote brands in this evolving landscape:

1. Focus on value-driven content: Create content that genuinely resonates with your audience. Share insights, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or industry news your followers will find valuable.
2. Leverage real-time conversations: Threads’ real-time nature makes it ideal for joining trending discussions. Engage in conversations relevant to your brand, offering unique perspectives or expertise.
3. Collaborate with influencers: Partnering with influencers who align with your brand values for authentic promotions can work well on Threads, too. Ensure collaborations feel natural and add value for the audience.
4. Utilise Threads’ features: Experiment with Threads’ features, such as its integration with Instagram, to create cross-platform campaigns that drive engagement organically.
5. Encourage employee advocacy: Allow employees to share brand content and engage in industry discussions on Threads, expanding your reach through authentic voices.
6. Create a Thread series: Develop a series of connected posts that dive deep into topics relevant to your audience, encouraging followers to engage with the entire series.
7. Host Q&A sessions: Use Threads to host live Q&A sessions, addressing customer queries and showcasing your brand’s expertise and customer service.
8. Share user-generated content: Encourage and share user-generated content related to your brand, fostering a sense of community and authentic engagement.
9. Provide exclusive updates: Use Threads to share exclusive updates or announcements, giving followers a reason to stay engaged with your brand on the platform.
10. Engage in community building: Focus on building a community around your brand by consistently engaging with followers, responding to comments, and fostering discussions.

Navigating the new landscape

Digital marketers must inevitably adapt their strategies as Threads evolves its policies to combat engagement bait. The key lies in shifting focus from short-term engagement metrics to long-term relationship building and brand loyalty. By prioritising authentic interactions and valuable content, marketers can comply with platform guidelines and build more meaningful connections.

As Threads refines its algorithms to favour quality content over engagement bait, brands that consistently provide value will likely see improved visibility and organic growth. This allows marketers to establish their brands as thought leaders and trusted voices within their industries.

Threads’ crackdown on engagement bait reflects a broader trend on social media platforms towards more authentic, value-driven content. For digital marketers, the shift necessitates reevaluating strategies, focusing on creating genuine connections with audiences.

The post Threads’ engagement bait problem and digital marketing opportunities appeared first on TechWire Asia.

The gathering place for the industry, eTail Asia will be held for three days between June 7th to June 9th at the Resorts World Convention Center, Singapore, and is expected to be attended by some of the most prominent retailers in Asia. With advisory and speaking support from major brands like Puma, Zalora, NTUC, Foodpanda, Unilever, Grab, Gojek, Flipkart, Love Bonito, Subway, Fave, Carousell, and more.

With over a hundred registered retailers, it’s become the mostsought-after event by both fashion brands as well as vendors, designers, and almost anyone connected with the industry. The summit will also feature an elite panel of speakers from across the retail spectrum: from apparel & accessories to major department stores & electronics to airlines & pureplay retailers.

Speakers and attendees include leading industry analysts as well as C-level executives from some of the biggest brands in the world. From discussing the top technology trends that are transforming the retail space to sharing insights on the ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ trend that has taken the region by a storm, the summit gives attendees the chance to learn and share practical insights.

Tech Wire Asia stands out as one of the media partners, our editorial team will be on the ground to moderate several sessions throughout the three-day event.

“eTail Asia has produced an exceptional event this year with a very high-quality agenda. Truly enjoyable experience!” Swire Coca-Cola’s Director DTC Lui Tong said last year. Founded back in 1996, eTail has successfully hosted over 80 leading industry, annual conferences replete with content marketing services and intimate networking events aimed at educating, supporting, and connecting the leaders of the world’s core industries. These conferences are spread across the world, with Asia, Europe, and North America being the most predominant locations.

Click here to register and attend eTail Asia.

The post eTail Asia: The region’s largest eCommerce, digital marketing summit for retail returns appeared first on TechWire Asia.

And although moving a part of their marketing budget to search and display ads and social media made a big difference, many are still struggling to optimize costs and make the most of their digital marketing dollars.

What’s most interesting is that many companies have access to data about actual customers, in real-time, and yet, are consistently failing to create synergies and transform their digital marketing efforts.

The solution? Machine learning. The technology is available ready, and marketers who want to get more out of their ads and reach the right audience at the right time and on the right platforms must explore the capabilities that machine learning provides.

To help get you started, here are the top three ways machine learning can (and will) transform digital marketing over the next couple of months:

# 1 | Makes the transition from real-time to real-life

Marketers today have access to all sorts of data. Be it from past campaigns or from webpage analytics, companies can track exactly who is visiting their page, how long they stay, what elements they engage with, and what causes them to leave — and also products/services are most interesting, among other things.

Right now, marketers use this data to change how future campaigns and landing pages will look like.

However, if they build smarter platforms, data that companies collect can not only help make big decisions about future changes but also paint a better picture of the customer and make micro-changes in real-time to help nudge them along the sales funnel.

Obviously, this is most useful to e-commerce sellers, but all kinds of companies can benefit from such capabilities.

# 2 | Simplifies forecasting and optimizes budgets

Elaborating on the previous example, when organizations understand what their customers really want and like and how they engage with the company, they’re likely to adjust their ad spends to those preferences.

However, in many cases, there’s a lag between collecting data and optimizing ad budgets (or even creatives). Using machine learning, marketers could speed up their A/B tests, and allocate budgets to campaigns that customers actually respond to in a positive way — all in real-time.

Further, machine learning could also help simplify forecasting for marketers by using data from various historical campaigns and factoring in data from new sources to create smarter, better, and more robust schedules, budgets, and insights.

# 3 | Crunches the data to help create better content

To be honest, content is an important part of marketing. And although marketers might hire the best copy-writers and designers, the content they create might not always resonate with the audience.

Further, content that is put out by the company might appeal to some audiences some of the time but not all audiences all of the times — and that’s only natural.

However, with the help of data, marketers can find out not only what content appeals to the right customers and make sure it reaches them at the time and on the platform that is most convenient to them but also help marketers understand what content works best (and therefore guide writers and designers appropriately).

The post Can machine learning really transform digital marketing? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

However, it seems as though marketers that love technology are in for a treat as blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) are set to make a big impact on the industry.

Gartner, in a recent forecast, said that their study of the market shows that four technologies have the capability to transform how marketers run their technology ecosystems and, ultimately, deliver meaningful customer experiences.

“Marketers today must strike the right balance between delivering meaningful customer experiences that differentiate their brands and focusing on providing real value to the business,” said Gartner’s Marketing Practice VP Mike McGuire.

“Event-triggered and real-time marketing will have the biggest impact on marketing activities in the next five years. However, before marketers can realize the benefits of these technologies, they must first become proficient in predictive analytics and delivering personalized communications.”

According to Gartner’s analysts, AI for marketing is at its peak and they expect that the interest in the technology will not fade quickly as AI continues to be the buzzword used to describe a host of features to augment the functions performed by marketers — from automated content tagging to real-time personalization.

Over the next 20 years, the power that AI holds with marketers is forecasted to drive pervasive shifts across the marketing technology ecosystem, effectively transforming the marketing practice.

A Gartner 2018 survey revealed that 11 percent of marketing technology executives reported AI as their top choice as the technology that would have the most impact on their marketing efforts in the next five years.

Blockchain for advertising is another technology that Gartner’s analysts see holding tremendous promise for marketers.

However, significant challenges with scalability, performance and adoption must be overcome before blockchain can alter the status quo.

According to Gartner’s analysts, dozens of companies have launched experimental blockchain platforms for advertising, but none have been able to demonstrate ongoing viability.

Despite the skepticism, blockchain seems to be gaining momentum through support from organizations such as the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and emerging innovations from technology companies such as IBM, Comcast, and Amazon, which are working with industry leaders on the buy and sell-side of media.

Disruptive challengers from outside the industry are also adding urgency, said Gartner.

In the future, technology is expected to make the field of digital marketing more vibrant — especially with new and emerging technologies challenging professionals to think outside the box to capture the attention of customers.

The post How is technology making digital marketing more exciting? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

According to the latest Ofcom report, one in eight adults in the UK listen to podcasts at least once every week. The report also pointed out that the average age of a weekly podcast listener in the country is 39.

While older podcast listeners in the UK access podcasts on the BBC iPlayer Radio, younger podcast listeners choose Spotify and Apple over BBC.

Although no comparable statistics are available for the APAC or Southeast Asian market, Reuters surveyed and published a global report which found that the rising popularity of smartphones been fueling the growth of podcasts, especially among young individuals.

More than a third of Reuter’s combined sample (36 percent) said they consumed at least one podcast over the last month but the number rose to half (50 percent) for those under 35. Of course, the mobile phone is the most used device (55 percent) for podcast listening, highlighted the report.

Demand for podcasts is definitely growing across the globe, with traditional publishers and new-age content creators working on grooming their own audience and following.

Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan were early to the podcast game and have become pioneers and champions of podcasting — but today, influencers, companies, and publishers are all creating podcasts of their own — and finding their own niche. Their efforts, of course, are being rewarded by forward-thinking digital marketers.

According to an IAB and PwC report published recently assessed self-reported podcast advertising revenues for 22 companies in the US, and found that:

• Self-reported year-over-year revenue increased by 34 percent last year (US$344.7 million), from FY 2017’s self-reported revenue of US$257.4 million.
• Total market year-over-year revenue estimate increased 53 percent last year, from FY 2017’s total market estimate of US$313.9 million.
• Total market year-over-year revenue is estimated to grow by 42 percent this year, from FY 2018’s total market estimate of US$479.1 million.

What can digital marketing managers do with podcasts?

Podcasts create an opportunity for businesses to look past eyeballs and compete for attention in new and interesting ways. For digital marketing managers, their engagement with podcast creators is only limited by their creativity.

Sure, the most straightforward way for marketers to invest in a podcast is to become a title sponsor, series sponsor, or even a feature/episode sponsor — but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Here are some interesting ways for marketing managers to engage with podcasts:

#  1 | Brand mentions

Podcasts generally gain popularity among groups with a strong interest in a specific category or segment. As a result, listeners tend to hang onto every word uttered by the host.

When engaging with podcast creators, brands can, therefore, work with the host and producer to weave brand mentions into the show in a way that seems reasonable and natural.

Doing so not only makes an impact on the audience but also, according to experts, boosts brand recall significantly.

# 2 | Business and partner interviews

Digital marketing managers that represent brands that aren’t very well known to a market or segment can work with podcast creators, hosts, and producers to create a series that is centered on the business and the people associated with the brand.

Of course, it has to be of interest to the podcast and its audience.

However, if deemed suitable, such a show could make a significant impact on the audience, helping them hear from the company’s leadership as well as key clients and learn from honest discussions between them and the trusted podcast host.

# 3 | Series co-host opportunities

Digital marketing managers that want to invest in a podcast that has the right audience might decide to go all in and make time for a business leader to join the podcast as a co-host.

This is a difficult proposition and not only requires the brand’s digital marketing team to make significant efforts to find and groom the business leader for the show but also needs the podcast’s producer and host to make adjustments to their show to welcome the new co-host without turning-off the audience.

If successful, however, the rewards can be significant — boosting brand image, reputation, value, as well as brand recall.

The post Podcasts: The next big opportunity for digital marketing managers? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

This is the result of businesses that are able to capture their consumers on digital platforms. Not only are they able to educate and engage with them but they’re also to gain actionable insights into their consumer behavior for more opportunities.

Today’s consumer journey is more dynamic than ever with digital formats being integrated along the way, which gives marketers many touch points to influence consumer decisions.

Well-informed consumers, in turn, will have more confidence in brands that they find the most compatible with their needs, resulting in the impressive ROPO (research online, purchase offline) statistic.

After all, Calvin Klein CMO Marie Gulin-Merle did say that “50 percent of sales are digitally influenced” and reiterated that this statistic applies to all industries.

Keeping up with consumers

Marketing is moving away from TV commercials and print simply because those places are not where the eyeballs are anymore.

To continually keep up to date with consumers in this digital age, businesses will need to be digital-savvy too.

That is exactly what the New York Times did in 2011 as its consumers switched from burying their noses into newspapers to getting glued to their smartphones.

The company is one of the few pre-digital brands that successfully transformed its business structure to suit the rise of digital. As a result, the publication now has 4.3 million paying subscribers.

Timeliness of the move also helped customers better connect with the brand.

Moving marketing efforts to where it is relevant to consumers simply means being able to continually reach out to them and bolster the ‘buying’ process.

Don’t just get data, get closer

One of the most exciting things that digital marketing brings to the boardroom is insights backed by customer data — insights that can really influence the consumer journey in a significant manner.

For instance, Walmart uses data insights from the back-end to improve the experience it provides to consumers.

So, the retail brand maximizes the potential of marketing technology in the ROPO concept by allowing consumers to not only use the Walmart mobile app to check prices and stock availability but also to locate items in-store.

Consumers can add up the cost of their shopping lists before they are physically present at the store.

When they are there, they can simply interact with the app’s ‘store assistant’ that will guide them to the right aisles.

As consumers grow to become more informed in the digital era, businesses will no longer ‘sell’ but flex marketing tactics that boost the ‘buying’ process instead.

Every touch point along the consumer journey is an opportunity for marketers to influence consumer decision.

Classically, marketing’s goal is to reach consumers at the time that most influence their decisions — before the point of purchase.

However, today’s consumer decision journey is neither linear nor circular, which goes to show that the market is exponentially more competitive and has lower barriers to entry.

It is like an infinity band, really, where businesses need to constantly empower their consumers at strategic touch points, from discovery to post-purchase, to draw them in and keep them engaged.

The post The strategic role of digital marketing in improving the buyer journey appeared first on TechWire Asia.

As digital tools become easily available, businesses need to keep in mind that there’s great value in humanizing marketing strategies.

After all, it is easy to lose sight of the main goal, which is to connect with the audience base, in the digital sphere with new technologies making interactions look so seamless.

The technicalities of SEO and engagement rates are important to measure the effectiveness of marketing spend. However, it is the human element that drives and determines if the campaign will perform.

When a campaign missed the mark

For example, the 2017 Pepsi ad starring reality show star and model Kendall Jenner got pulled one day after release.

In the ad’s final scene, a policeman receives a can of Pepsi from Jenner and the protestors all cheered and celebrated the supposed symbol of truce.

Pepsi’s imagery in the ad was borrowed from the Black Lives Matter movement and was criticized for trivializing the seriousness.

While the ad did get a lot of mentions in the digital world, it shows that not all publicity is good publicity. Therefore, it is better for marketers to balance both the digital and human components.

How to make marketing more human

To start, every step of a campaign needs to appeal to the human audience. Understanding data per se will not be enough to map a marketing campaign’s trajectory.

In the end, the real work is to create and maintain the relationships with customers instead of riding on trends.

So, it should aim to keep conversations going with the audience base.

To do that, businesses should study marketing data in detail to understand nuances such as interests, motivations, and pain points.

This is something that the PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi also agreed on. It’s why data analytics is key for marketers looking for relevant information.

Only through understanding the audience and connecting with them will marketers be able to fulfill the real needs.

In the digital era, marketing is not a one-way street. Businesses have no reason to not actively seek out how they can better communicate with their audience base.

With automation displacing repetitive tasks, it is now —more than ever— that marketers can focus on what they can do best to add the human touch to campaigns.

The post How to make marketing more human amid digitalization appeared first on TechWire Asia.

This will change the underlying structure of the way brands can engage with their users online.

From being just a mode of online entertainment, video has become an essential component of marketing when it comes to driving interest.

Not only does it build brand awareness for the business but also helps with educating products and services as well as demonstrating complex concepts.

Although video marketing is becoming the next big hit in business outreach, companies need to adopt sound strategies before publishing their own video content.

This means that content can be personalized to each stage of user readiness so that businesses can reap the full benefits of video marketing.

Nurturing brand awareness

At a very basic level, businesses can use video content to build brand awareness.

So, the content will establish what the brand stands for and its values to first attract the right target group.

The theme, color scheme, as well as lingo that videos use can also determine the brand persona.

For example, if a new health food brand will launch a video campaign, they will most likely go with a ‘clean’ design.

Besides, the video content will have to touch on the latest scoops of today’s health trends so that the business attracts the right crowd.

Educating products and services available

Next, businesses can use video content to educate potential new users to their products and services.

Communicating exactly what the product and service features are can be helpful. This is to set expectations of potential users about what the brand can or cannot do for them.

When setting the expectations of the features, businesses can leverage this opportunity to convey their USP via the interactive medium.

Let’s say an online course for mathematics is to launch their video marketing campaign — The content can even showcase short clips or snapshots of the syllabus.

Sneak peeks will only help customers gain confidence in the product before they make the investment.

Demonstrating proof of concepts

To reinforce the marketing efforts, video is also the best medium to broadcast testimonials and visualize concepts to potential users.

Testimonials from existing users or commentary from a subject matter expert often helps boost credibility.

For more complex concepts, visual information will be highly practical as well.

A positive video testimony of a medical apparatus from a patient, for example, will instantly add to the brand’s trustworthiness.

This is to say that the brand cares about the efficacy of their products and services to probe existing users for feedback as well.

Without a doubt, video marketing will be growing more opportunities for businesses and it can go hand-in-hand with sales strategies.

With online platforms’ ability to also measure performances on the backend, video marketing strategies can refine even more.

Hence businesses can no longer afford to miss out on the opportunities that video marketing presents.

The post How digital video marketing helps sales teams tell a better story appeared first on TechWire Asia.