Asia-based marketing communications professionals believe the region is thriving and are increasingly focusing on digital campaigns. In fact, 78% are positive about their company's ability to capture and grow opportunities for their customers, and nearly half (48%) believe that Asia's marcom industry is well-established and thriving.
However, concerns remain about Malcolm's overestimation of return on investment (ROI) and lack of skills in more technical digital areas.
This is according to Aspectus Group's latest research on the current state of the marcom industry in Asia, which is based on insights from the region's leading marcom experts.
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“Asia's marcom space is thriving. Respondents' confidence and optimism are critical to driving growth and securing investment in marcom activities,” said Koh Juat Mei of the Singapore Institute of Public Affairs. the director said..
”Asia is unique, and it's clear that the most successful Malcolm teams embrace cultural diversity, understand the sensibilities of working in the field, and express this through their marketing campaigns. ”
In a digital-first world, almost half (47%) of all respondents believe that digital marketing is their biggest opportunity to gain market share. 16% voted for strategic communications, and a further 16% voted for branding and messaging.
Interestingly, when it comes to Gen Z respondents, 83% consider digital marketing to be the single biggest way to build an audience.
When asked what their most important communication channels are, social media (90%) platforms and online media such as digital advertising (87%) came out on top. This is more than traditional media (43%) and events and conferences (37%).
Aspectus Group has also discovered that the long-held perception of the value of marketing and its inherent relationship to the sales pipeline remains true in Asia. His 72% of respondents said they were faced with the expectation of immediate financial gain. This means that in a digital world, quantifiable outcomes are expected more than ever.
“Any Malcolm expert knows that demonstrating results for the sales pipeline is more important and sought after by key stakeholders than ever before,” Aspectus said. said Louise Veitch, head of Southeast Asia.
According to the survey, 51% of respondents said they felt Marcom's capabilities were undervalued, and 42% said there was a lack of understanding of the ROI that Marcom could provide.
“But what is often overlooked is the ability of omnichannel campaigns to show exactly what has been accomplished,” Veitch continued.
“We all know that earned media and PR increase brand awareness and drive sales conversion, but it’s often difficult to prove the proof. Combine your stories with broader digital marketing campaigns. And marketers across Asia will be able to point to something more concrete.”
For global companies looking to expand their market share in Asia, 92% of respondents said on-the-ground representation in Asia is essential.
Additionally, 70% say the inability to understand local dynamics is the biggest problem in achieving success. Meanwhile, cultural and language differences (35%) can be a major drawback to success in Asia, the study said.
Portraying Asian communities has always been a challenge, especially for global companies.
The Asia-Pacific region is home to more than half of the world's population and plays an important role in media and advertising. However, the “Asian” experience is too often misrepresented, perpetuating harmful stereotypes that can lead to gaps in the world's understanding of the region.
In fact, less than 10% of the most popular visuals in Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan accurately represent Asian people and their lived experiences, according to a 2023 report by Getty Images .
Rather, most of the images used tend to lean heavily toward perpetuating common stereotypes. That is, Asians are portrayed as young, slender, and light-skinned, and primarily in work-related contexts. Additionally, popular visuals remain similar in their underlying messages, styles, and emotions, often overly happy and with little or no connection to each culture.
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