Digital Media in Southeast Asia: The Future of Online Advertising and Consumer Behavior

Southeast Asia is a strong growth area in terms of internet usage with increasing penetration of high-speed broadband internet and Wi-Fi networks to more areas. In most emerging ASEAN economies like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, there is a strong correlation between the pace of economic growth and the development of internet infrastructure. Even in developed Singapore, the number of people using the web is increasing very fast.

The Southeast Asia Digital Consumer Report by Nielsen released in 2011 showed that an increase in the number of hours spent by consumers on the internet was seen in Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. What is worth noting is that even though the PC remained the most common means for people to access the web, internet-capable smartphones are fast becoming the method of choice for web browsing in the region. Currently, ownership of mobile devices has equaled if not surpassed the ownership of desktop PCs and laptop computers. In Indonesia, 29 percent of the population own a notebook or desktop computer, compared to a staggering 78 percent who have smartphones.

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Social media sites like Facebook and YouTube are the heavy beneficiaries of this surge in online activity in Southeast Asia. However, online advertising remains relatively thin to the total amount of money spent by advertisers in the region. Still, it is expected to grow in the next few years as more evidence of effectiveness of online advertising will be revealed. In fact, advertisers need not to wait long to see that internet penetration has revolutionized consumer behavior and purchasing patterns.

Based on the Nielsen study, Southeast Asian consumers are highly influenced by online advertising, even higher than the global average. It showed that 73 percent of consumers in Southeast Asia are "somehow" or "highly" influenced by online ads, which is greater than the global average of 60 percent. Online ads drive consumers to purchase particularly in Vietnam and the Philippines where the reception to these ads are highest.

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An increasing number of consumers are also beginning to trust opinions posted by other consumers online. A vast number of consumers in the region regard online engagement as an important aspect in their purchase decisions. Four countries including Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia show that consumers there read product reviews posted on the web and at the same time post their own reviews of the products they have purchased.

Thinking of launching a social media campaign in Southeast Asia? Contact us today or visit the Moonlight Marketing website to discuss the most effective approach.

If you liked this article, you will also enjoy Taiwan Social Media: Facts and Successful Digital Media Campaigns and Social Media Facts and Recommended Strategies - South Korea.

Source links:
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/global/surging-internet-usage-in-southeast-asia-reshaping-the-media-landscape/
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/southeast-asians-like-ads-on-social-media-sites/
http://www.slideshare.net/truongbang/south-east-asia-sea-digital-consumer-report-2011

Social Media Campaign: Earth Hour

On March 31, 2012 from 8:30-9:30pm the world accepted the challenge to do something for the planet. "I will if you will," was the dare set by the World Wildlife Fund to encourage people to do more than just turn the lights off for Earth. And there was simply no other way to make this spread like wildfire but through Social Media.

Six years in the running, Earth hour has continuously utilized the power of social media. Back in 2010, over 128 countries and territories had participants including the darkening of many well known buildings around the planet due to the vast amount of chatter, blogging and other social media attention given to the event. Last year, a record number of 134 countries participated. Earth Hour co-founder and executive director Andy Ridley said. “The power of social media enables us to unite the global community in the endeavor to protect the planet.”

This year's “I Will If You Will” campaign is hosted by YouTube and was spearheaded by the Earth Hour founders, the World Wildlife Foundation and Leo Burnett. Through that, Earth hour founder wishes to reiterate their three-pillared goal of 

1. Symbolism - as exemplified by its Hour of Inspiration
2. Action - activities that supporters can do which go beyond the Hour
3. Engagement - creating an interconnected global community 

With Earth hour's continued success, the World Wildlife Foundation has been achieving their goal to decrease the carbon footprint humanity burdens upon the earth.

Social media phenomenons can save the planet, find out how it can boost your business at Moonlight Marketing. 

References:

http://mashable.com/2012/03/30/youtube-earth-hour/

http://www.earthhour.org/page/media-centre/faqs

http://thekencook.com/2011/03/earth-hour-2011/

http://coolinsights.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-earth-hour-became-global-phenomenon.html

Social Media Trends: How Companies Are Using Social Media

About 71% of global CMOs feel unprepared for the ongoing marketing data explosion and 68% of them feel challenged by social media. Even when divided into outperforming and underperforming organisations, around 65% in both groups share the same sentiments. Despite this, 8 out of 10 CMOs are planning an increase in their social media strategies.

The graph above shows how many senior marketing executives who monitor their social media make use of this information and in what ways. The most popular use of social media data is in communications strategy. Other notable uses are customer service enhancements, media planning and search optimization. If you’re unsure about how you should use social media at your disposal, take a look at these blog posts: ‘How To Find Your Social Media Voice’ and ‘Which Social Media is Best For Your Business’.  

The most popular tools for monitoring social media data are as follows:

Almost half of all marketers use Google Alerts while 20% of them don’t monitor social media data at all!

SEO marketing and online marketing both seem to be very popular with marketers who use social media, with 71% of them planning on increasing their SEO marketing and slightly less than half of them intend to increase online advertising.

As you can see on this graph, cumulative spending on Facebook ads has increased by 281% for all clients while impressions have increased by 200% from mid 2010-mid 2011. For the same client, spending has increased to 22% while impressions have risen to 11%.

However, increasing expenditure on them probably isn’t the best idea since ads on social media networks have one of the lowest number of responses amongst all digital ads, surpassed only by mobile ads (as shown in the graph above). Internet users are more likely to take action with search ads or video ads than any other types of ads.

Despite the rapid proliferation and widespread use of social media, very few businesses actually have frameworks in place to measure the value of social media to their business.

The bar graph above depicts sets of companies that are of advanced, intermediate and novice levels in their integration of social media, and how many of them use social media measurement frameworks.

Such a framework allows companies to measure brand health and enriches their market research efforts, providing a basis for a market SWOT analysis. Improving the customer experience can lead to an overall rise in the health of a brand, financial benefits, increased innovation and improved ability to take advantage of marketing opportunities.

While it is important to develop a method of gauging the importance of social media and its effect on your business, doing so is very challenging. Limitations can include inaccessibility of user data and brand conversations, language barriers and the structure and effectiveness of analytical tools.

To get an idea of the kind of analytical tools you can have at your disposal, check out this blog post ‘9 Great Tools for Managing Your Social Media Presence’.

What’s your social media strategy like? Need help formulating one? Hit us up at the Moonlight Marketing website!

References:

http://www.hubspot.com/Portals/53/docs/marketingcharts-social-media-data-stacks-pdf.pdf

Social Media Success in Hong Kong - The Case of Huggies

Parents and those who have taken care of children at one point or another are not new to the brand, Huggies. It is a brand known internationally for selling baby and child-care products under the umbrella of Kimberly-Clark.

The Campaign

In early 2011, the brand launched a Facebook campaign in Hong Kong with 2 main objectives. Initially, it seeks to promote brand awareness and then later create a deeper relationship with its customer base. This was made possible by the use of Facebook as a venue for exchanges between the brand and its customers.

Taking advantage of Facebook's popularity in Hong Kong and the people's penchant for social media activities, the brand launched a photo sharing contest. This became the brand's marketing campaign as it communicated the brand's approach, which is sharing the joy that parenting brings.

Huggies' marketing team used both online and offline campaigns inviting Facebook users in Hong Kong to share their babies' photos on the brand's Facebook page. This capitalizes on the trend of uploading and sharing photos which has so far taken the Facebook world by storm.

To join the contest, participants would need to like the Huggies Facebook homepage. They were then given additional details on how to go about joining and uploading the photos. The babies with the most number of votes would have their photos wrapped around 10 buses in Hong Kong for the entire city to see.

The Results

• The campaign went viral and the Huggies Hong Kong Facebook homepage got 118,000 likes in just 3 weeks. This broke the fastest growing Facebook page in Hong Kong record and made Huggies the 2nd largest brand.
• More than 6,000 baby photos were submitted during the campaign period. Because of this overwhelming response, the brand posted all submitted photos on a billboard that is 30ft long in Causeway Bay, the busiest subway station in the city. This was instead of just putting 60 photos on the sides of buses, which was the original plan. The brand says that this is to appreciate the support and efforts put in by all who participated.
• Thousands of customers expressed that they would like to receive future promotional content from Huggies by submitting their contact information.
• The number of Huggies Baby Club sign-ups increased and the campaign got attention from parenting forums, blogs and news.
• Significant sales growth was seen since the campaign giving way to a positive Return on Investment for the marketing team and the brand.

Thinking of launching a social media campaign in Hong Kong? Contact us today or visit the Moonlight Marketing website to discuss the most effective approach.

If you liked this article, you will also enjoy Social Media Facts and Recommended Strategies - South Korea and The Vietnamese Take on Social Media.

Source Links:

http://ads.ak.facebook.com/ads/FacebookAds/Huggies_Hong_Kong_CaseStudy.pdf 

http://www.facebook.com/HuggiesHK 

http://www.kimberly-clark.com/newsroom/latest_news_events/feature_stories/HuggiesHongKong.aspx

Fashion & Social Media: How New York Fashion Week Was Covered Over Social Media

Each year, New York Fashion Week gets even more digital coverage than it did the year before. It’s become a rule of thumb for marketers to construct a marketing strategy that integrates multiple forms of social and digital media. These range from videos to photos, blogs, Twitter, Facebook and everything in between.

Marc Jacobs streamed their fashion show live and kept up a steady stream of commentary on the day preceding the fashion show. Giving consumers an inside look into their line allows MJ to build a deeper connection with their fans AND build interest. 

MJ weren’t the only ones with a live stream; Hilfiger also streamed their show live. All this was after the epic success of Burberry’s live-tweeted show last year at London Fashion Week where audiences got a look at each outfit right before it hit the catwalk.

‘Shopping the Runway’ has also become quite popular with some labels. It allows customers to pre-order styles hot off the runway. The purpose of such a strategy is to stimulate customer participation and generate insight, as well as allow for designers to get an idea of what their customers like and dislike.

Backstage ‘passes’ to fashion shows get the attention of the audience. They don’t just want to be on the outside looking in, they want a chance to see what went on behind the scenes. This is precisely what Donna Karan’s PR Girl blog gave fans:

Another marketing strategy used by DKNY was to launch a new version of their iPhone App 4 days after their fashion show. One of the new features in this app was the addition of a QR Code reader so that users could scan their ‘favourite Donna Karan codes’. QR Codes have become quite popular when it comes to marketing in fashion, as demonstrated by Tiffany’s during NYFW last Fall. They distributed cookies with QR Codes on them during their show, which when scanned would present an invitation to a concert by Leighton Meester.

Here’s a description of the app on the App Store:“With me, it’s never just about the clothes. It’s about a lifestyle and commonality that I share with my consumer. This iPhone application is the modern evolution of the time I spend with my customers in the dressing room."- Donna Karan

As is evident, DKNY’s main aim here was to build customer engagement and interest in their product as they launched their Fall 2012 line at NYFW.

An interesting point to note is that DKNY did a clean sweep of the Fashion 2.0 Awards both last year AND this year. While last year they won awards for Best Twitter, Best Mobile App, Best Blog and Top Innovator, this year they won Best Blog (for PR Girl) and Best Twitter. So this really shows they’re doing something right when it comes to their blog and Twitter.

One social media tool that everyone in the fashion industry seems to be making use of is Instagram. Teen Vogue beauty director, Eva Chen is one such person. She explains that candid or raw photographs and footage find their way onto her Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter.

“What you see on the runway or teenvogue.com is very produced,” Chen explains. “What you see on Twitter and Tumblr is raw. You’re there while [makeup artist] Pat McGrath is mixing these two lipsticks, you’re there for the blow-by-blow action and part of the scene.”

Instagram is a neat little app for the iPhone that gives pictures a retro vibe. It gives others a chance to see what you see, to stand in your shoes for a moment. Since visual content like pictures are easily shared online, it becomes very convenient for these users to then share your pictures with their friends using social media. The BTS coverage of NYFW through Instagram is like watching BTS footage of the Oscars. No one can resist a sneak peak at the action behind the curtain.

While Instagram is pretty popular right now, video is expected to be the most widely used form of media on the worldwide web within a few years time. Here’s a little something about social video advertising to help you form a video advertising strategy.

Knowing how to present oneself over social media can be a challenge. It’s difficult to gauge what exactly your target audience will respond best to. You can pick some tips up from our article ‘How to Find Your Social Media Voice’.

Just in case you need a few real-life examples of how to use social media in your business, check this article out. For more ideas, don’t forget to visit the Moonlight Marketing blog!

References:

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/nyfw

http://mashable.com/2011/09/05/how-to-follow-new-york-fashion-week/

http://fashionablymarketing.me/

http://www.mobiledia.com/news/127554.html

http://fashionablymarketing.me/2012/02/integrative-marketing-a-key-trend-during-new-york-fashion-week/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/fashion/qr-codes-provide-information-when-scanned.html

http://mashable.com/2011/09/14/social-media-fashion-week-journalism/

http://themarketingsocietyblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/newsletter-91111-marketing-ny-fashion.html

http://mashable.com/2010/03/22/fashion-location-based/

Social Media in Malaysia: Maximizing Its Popularity

Malaysians spend one third of time online on social networking websites. This came out in the report on internet usage in Malaysia that comScore released in October of 2011. For businesses that are hoping to get more online followers, this news speaks volumes in terms of possibilities the platform can offer.

During the survey, over 11 million Malaysians aged 15 and above went online either from work or at home. Among this audience, Facebook ranked the second most visited site with a reach of 87.9% or 9,879,000 unique visits. The same survey also indicated that 67% of all videos viewed in the country are on YouTube. In addition, the survey shows that social networking is deemed to be the most engaging online activity as far as the content category is concerned. This and the fact that 1 out of every 3 online minutes is spent using social media shows how deeply embedded the platform has become in the day-to-day lives of many internet users.

The below are some interesting facts on the internet and social media in Malaysia:

• Internet Users - 16,902,600
• Percentage of Population Online - 58.8%
• Facebook Users - 12,267, 720
• Facebook Penetration rate of online population - 70%

Regus, a workplace solutions provider from Belgium conducted a study on social networking activities in Malaysia in 2011. This survey came up with five key findings that may prove significant to any business hoping to thrive in this country:

• Approximately 51% of Malaysian companies successfully secured new businesses through various social networking activities.
• Of the companies operating in the country, 68% use social media not only for information dissemination but also to engage with existing customers.
• Around 75% of Malaysian firms promote the use of social networking through the use of Xing and Linkedin among their employees.
• Up to 20% of marketing budget is spent by 52% of Malaysian companies on social networking activities that support the business
• Social networking is deemed to have successfully helped 88% of Malaysian businesses making it a necessity.

Thinking of launching a social media campaign in Malaysia? Contact us today or visit the Moonlight Marketing website to discuss the most effective approach.

If you liked this article, you will also enjoy Social Media Facts and Recommended Strategies - South Korea and The Vietnamese Take on Social Media.

Source Links:
http://www.newmediatrendwatch.com/markets-by-country/11-long-haul/55-malaysia

http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2011/10/Social_Networking_Accounts_for_One_Third_of_All_Time_Spent_Online_in_Malaysia

http://www.famecount.com/facebook-rank/Malaysia

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/06/15/malaysian-companies-land-new-business-via-social-media/

http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics/malaysia

http://www.selinawing.com/2011/09/social-media-in-malaysia-infrographic.html 

Social Media Customer Service: Making the Customer Happy through Twitter Interaction

Good customer service is a significant aspect of any business as engaging with customers adds a value to whatever it is you offer. There are times when customer service becomes a source of stress for the company and their client due to long waiting time, delayed response, and difficulties in reaching the company. 

This is where Twitter can help. Because Twitter is a real time tool, consumers can tweet a concern, rant or complaint about any brand and an immediate response can be given. No, not all problems can be solved with 140 characters but customers can be assured that someone is listening, available to interact, and is working on their problem. 

A lot of brands have used Twitter for social media marketing and advertising, and it has proven beneficial. But it can now be utilized further as a customer service tool and has the power to expand your customer base through satisfied customers who willingly advocate your brand. Twitter is also fairly cost-effective as a customer service tool since it takes less time and money compared to a call center.

Scared that negative tweets about your brand may lead to a decline in business? Use rants to your advantage and acknowledge these comments as well. Take Taco Bell for example as they tweeted “It’s all real here! Don’t filter out the bad stuff” and linking to a fan who wrote: “Picture looks great but your food still sucks.” This can lead to customers appreciating your integrity since you are willing to embrace the negativity as well. 

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Need inspiration? Delta Airlines with their DeltaAssist Twitter account can broadcast that “We’re listening around the clock, 7 days a week.” And they don’t just listen, they respond to customer questions and complaints, whenever and wherever they are made.

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Customers appreciate interaction, and that is exactly what Twitter can offer. No matter their age, customers are satisfied with a simple twitter response from the company. They want to know that someone is listening and for some, that’s all the service that they need. 

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Curious about what else social media can do for you? Contact us through Moonlight Marketing’s official website.

If you liked this article, you will also enjoy Essential Social Media Tools for Entrepreneurs and 9 Great Tools for Managing your Social Media Presence. 

References:
http://mashable.com/2009/05/09/twitter-customer-service/
http://mashable.com/2011/06/09/brands-twitter-success/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box1507
http://www.business2community.com/twitter/is-the-new-customer-service-tool-twitter-0117664
http://www.scottmonty.com/2012/01/social-media-and-travel.html

Social Good Campaign: Saving Lives through Social Media

The storm known internationally as "Washi" displaced 10,341 families and 45,821 dependents, damaged 1,635 homes and partially damaged 1,652 last December 2011. In the Philippines, the town of Iligan was hit by this typhoon locally known as "Sendong.". Power and phone lines were down yet somehow the townspeople turned to social media for news of the devastation. "One for Iligan" movement was started as a social media campaign via Facebook and Twitter encouraging anyone to donate even as little as $1 through PayPal to help Iligan recover. Neighboring city Cagayan de Oro also had a similar campaign called "Help CDO."

The story is the same for the 7.2 magnitude tremor in Van Province, Istanbul last October of 2011. Journalist Erhan Celik was at the heart of the campaign to provide accommodations for quake victims. As thousands of people were rendered homeless by the earthquake, Celik tweeted to 22,000 of his followers that those willing to offer accommodations can e-mail him. 17,000 e-mails within only 7 hours were received by Celik who then forwarded these to the Istanbul governorate. This led to the mobilization of authorities in Istanbul who sent a message that they would now take offers of accommodation directly through a 24-hour hotline. 

Floating Doctors, the non-profit mobile medical program serving Eastern Carribean and Central America has utilized Twitter and other social media platforms as tools to spread awareness regarding their project. Mashable’s interview with Sky LaBrot, executive director of operations, revealed that they do this through three simple ways:

1. Tweeting for Aid – Alerting fans about new projects and accomplishments and showing their audience what good their donations have done.
2. Digital Diagnoses – If specialists are needed, they are able to reach out to them through YouTube or Facebook and they can partner in treatment.
3. Unmasking Tropical Disease – Social media has been instrumental in giving impoverished and tropical diseases a face and personality as people in well-developed countries have no clue on what they are. When people see the patients and the work, it drives donations.

These simple social media campaigns have not gone unnoticed. The Red Cross themselves have stated that social media is a critical piece of the preparedness and response puzzle during emergencies and disasters and in any health-related situation. Currently, the American Red Cross has 418,000 likes on Facebook and 647,000 followers on Twitter. 

Red Cross conducted a survey last August 2011 and found that:

• Online news is the 3rd most popular source for emergency information
• 18% would use Facebook to get information about emergencies
• 24% would use social tools to tell others they’re safe
• 30% in metro areas and 20% in non-metro areas would sign up for emergency alerts
• 80% expect emergency responders to monitor social sites
• 20% would try an online channel to get help if unable to reach emergency medical services

Suzy DeFrancis, American Red Cross Chief Public Affairs Officer states that, “Technology is a tool, not an end in itself. Our goal is to help alleviate human suffering and ensure that the country is as prepared as possible to respond to any disaster. We will use technology to do that, but it is not about the technology, it is about the people we serve.” 

If you liked this article you will also enjoy Advocating Health on Facebook, Twitter as Research Tool for Public Health and Tweeting Live from the Operating Room. 

Learn which social media strategies can benefit your company and what a social media process is by visiting Moonlight Marketing’s Official Website.

References:

http://redcrosschat.org/2012/03/02/social-media-at-its-best/

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/1025/1224306447646.html

http://mashable.com/2012/02/27/doctors-twitter-social-media/

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/242339/scitech/socialmedia/social-media-drives-mindanao-relief-efforts