- South China Morning Post has becomes the first news media publisher in Asia to launch a targeting and activation platform based on its own first party data. Launched a few weeks ago the platform offers an alternative to third-party cookies, which have been or are set to be phased out across major browsers. SCMP has emphasised some of the obvious benefits of this offering, including the ability it gives the publisher to control its own data and ensure privacy compliance, as well as to better understand their audience, add unique data sets and insight, provide rich contextual targeting solutions, and respond to market demands more efficiently and effectively. SCMP is using declared first-party user data together with poll, survey and site interaction data and observations, and they are using this to work towards a single-sign on and persistent ID solution.

- Thailand's Siam Commercial Bank is challenging Southeast Asian super utility apps Grab and Gojek by launching a food delivery service. It's not clear what they will charge customers, but the service will waive the typical commission fees of between 20-40% that Grab and Gojek charge. The firm is also incentivising restaurants to use their delivery service by transferring the funds from a sale within one hour via their digital banking service. SCB is reportedly hoping to boost its customer base by providing loans to these delivery consumers and restaurants, taking a direct stab at the expansion plans of the super utility apps, which include branching into e-payments, digital banking, insurance, and other financial services. SCB has reportedly been planning the move for a number of years, prior to the success of Grab and Gojek. However, the offering could emerge as a threat to the regional super utility apps, so it will be interesting to see how they respond to it.