In this weekly segment, ExchangeWire sums up the key industry updates on ad tech from around the region – and in this week's edition: APAC preferences in brand engagement differ; Singapore IAB ropes in brand marketers as advisors; Korea's YDM acquires Singapore's Gushcloud

APAC preferences in brand engagement differ

Consumers in the Asia-Pacific region engage brands through multiple platforms and seek a cross-channel experience, according to the second instalment of Waggener Edstrom Communications' study, Content Matters: The Impact of Brand Storytelling Online 2015.

For brand engagement and storytelling to be impactful, brands needed an ecosystem of media comprising online and offline touch-points, the study revealed. Platform preferences, however, differed according to the industry segment and geography.

The study's research this year focused on the relationship between devices and social media platforms, and their impact on buying behaviour and brand. It polled more than 4,000 consumers in nine Asia-Pacific markets including Australia, Singapore, China, India, Malaysia, and South Korea.

The majority of consumers in South Korea, for instance, turned to blogs in their buying decisions. In particular, 20% would do so when they were shopping for goods in travel & tourism, while 19% did likewise for restaurants & dining.

In comparison, their peers in the Philippines turned to social media.

Preference concerning social media platforms also varied across the region, where Facebook and WhatsApp were the top two favourites, but the third-most choice differed in almost every market, according to Waggener. Consumers in Singapore liked Instagram, while their Indonesian peers took to Twitter, and China consumers communicated via WeChat.

In addition, consumers also varied in terms of how they were likely to engage with brands. More than 90% of those in China, India, and Indonesia would follow a brand on social media. The Philippines would also follow a brand, but this figure was a comparatively low 53%.

Also, 46% of Hong Kong consumers and 38% of Indonesian consumers would follow a brand mainly to tap promotions and discounts. In comparison, their peers in China would do so simply out of love for a brand, while Indian consumers did so when brands offered inspirational content.

The research also found that consumers across the region were accessing multiple screens to engage with brands and gather information to support their purchasing decisions. Most toggled between two devices, commonly a smartphone and a desktop or laptop computer.

Henry Wood, Waggener Edstrom's Asia-Pacific lead for Studio D practice, said: "Simply put, content – irrespective of how fresh and compelling it is – is not a sole panacea. Effective content is a cocktail of geography, platform, industry, and device, and every brand's scenario is unique.

"Additionally, every day the space grows increasingly complicated. In order to stay ahead of the curve marketers must have data-driven insights that help prioritise their investments and capture value."

Singapore IAB ropes in brand marketers as advisors

The Singapore chapter of Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) launched its first brand advisory board in Asia with the goal to drive the region's digital marketing industry and evangelise the "critical importance of premium online experiences".

GrabTaxi's Cheryl Goh is on IAB's new advisory board.

In its statement, the IAB said the Singapore advisory board comprised 12 brand-side marketers, including Singapore Airlines' head of brand communications Sheldon Hee, PayPal's Asia-Pacific director of digital marketing Miguel Bernas, GrabTaxi's group vice president of marketing Cheryl Goh, and Mondelez's global media innovations director Pete Mitchell.

IAB Singapore Chairman Olivier Legrand said: "Brands are playing an increasingly active role in the IAB and this called for a more structured approach to addressing their needs."

He said the advisory board would meet monthly to, "shape the IAB agenda", such as assessing its content and training initiatives in the region. Legrand's day job sees him as LinkedIn's Asia-Pacific and Japan head of marketing solutions.

Mitchell further noted: "There is still a lack of structure or formal process within most organisations to help them harness the power of digital in the right ways. We hope the setting up of the brand advisory board will enable organisations to share their learnings as they try to crack the digital code."

Korea's YDM acquires Singapore's Gushcloud

Yello Digital Marketing Group (YDM) bought a majority share in Singapore-based digital marketing agency, Gushcloud, in a "multi-million dollar deal".

The Singapore company said the deal was inked following "protracted negotiations" that began last year, and marked YDM's first acquisition in the country and one of 17 it had closed. The Korean group will operate its Southeast Asian headquarters out of Singapore with the acquisition deal.

The agreement will see Gushcloud CEO Vincent Ha and co-founder Althea Lim remaining as minority shareholders and assuming roles in YDM, specifically, leading its expansion plans for content and influencer marketing in Southeast Asia.

The Singapore office is expected to have up to 200 employees supporting its regional operations as a result of the acquisition.

Gushcloud runs a blogger network that it taps to support branding and advertising campaigns for its clients. In June last year, it was called out for a smear campaign it ran for Singtel, during which it instructed its bloggers to post bad reviews about Singtel's rivals.