Off-season travel demand grows between Australia and Southeast Asia

While July to September is considered a slow travel season for both Australia and Southeast Asia, Trip.com data shows that more people from these two regions are travelling during these months.

For Southeast Asian consumers based in tropical countries, it is the perfect time to visit a cooler destination like Australia, and vice versa. For Australian travellers, short-haul travel to Southeast Asia remains perennially popular, especially after travel restrictions were gradually eased in the area this year.

Trip.com's bookings data during June and July for the Asia Pacific region and Australia shows that trips to Australia are most popular among travellers from New Zealand, and also that flight bookings from Southeast Asia to Australia increased 35% between June and July, compared to Trip.com
booking data from April and May. Australia and New Zealand recently removed many of the travel restrictions that have been in place during the pandemic.

Those travelling to Australia this summer, included travellers from Indonesia in 2nd place, behind New Zealand, Singapore taking 3rd place and Thailand, 5th place.

Domestically, Trip.com data also highlighted a trend for Australia’s southern residents to visit Queensland in the north to enjoy warmer weather during the off-season, with Brisbane, Cairns, the Gold Coast and the Whitsundays all attracting local travellers.

Driven by the international travel market recovering in the first half of 2022, Trip.com data shows that more Australians are heading further north to escape the cold. Since April, the ratio of international bookings made on Trip.com Australia has continued to increase, from 42% of all bookings in March, rising to 63% in July.

Given the uncertainty of the pandemic, most Australian international travellers booking on Trip.com have chosen to travel short haul to Southeast Asia during winter this year. Flight bookings to the region increased by 97% in June and July compared to April and May. Countries such as Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore all made it into the top 10 most popular destinations for Australian users during June and July, with Indonesia taking the top spot.

Trip.com recently partnered with Tourism Malaysia to offer Australian travellers exclusive deals on their next trip to the region, including return flights from A$488. Since the launch of the campaign, Trip.com has seen a 34% increase in flight bookings to the country.

Sea views predominate at The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong

Source: The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts. The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong is now accepting guests.

The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts has soft-opened The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong. With views of the South China Sea, the 425-room hotel marks the brand’s debut in Hong Kong and its first resort worldwide.

The opening signifies the expansion of the brand known for its heritage conservation efforts. Staying true to the hallmark of the brand, The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel embraces the early history of Aberdeen, once a bustling trading port filled with the fragrance of incense, earning Hong Kong its Chinese moniker ‘Fragrant Harbour’. The waterfront urban resort, 15 minutes' drive from Hong Kong’s Central business district, is billed as a holiday retreat.

Apart from visiting the Water World Ocean Park adjacent to the hotel, guests can explore Aberdeen’s beaches and hiking trails, historical temples and a fishing market. Local boutiques and art galleries are nearby as well.

For event planners, the hotel features a variety of outdoor and indoor event spaces complete with sea views, including a pillar-free ballroom that can accommodate up to 500 guests with a panoramic oceanview pre-function foyer. All guest rooms enjoy sea views. The two top-level signature suites further feature a private pool and an outdoor terrace.

There are five dining concepts, including Jade, the signature Chinese restaurant of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. The Cantonese fine dining restaurant will be helmed by Chef Lai Ching Shing. In addition, the Lighthouse Lounge, Lighthouse Café, and Satay Inn offer contemporary indoor and al fresco social spaces. Giardino, an oceanfront Italian restaurant on the 3rd floor with alfresco dining, will open later this year. Wellness offerings include a 24-hour gym, luxury spa and an infinity pool with sea views.

Committed to sustainability and guests’ well-being, the hotel has attained the WELL Precertification under the WELL Building Standard v2, becoming the first hotel project in Hong Kong and mainland China to receive this recognition. This commitment extends to environmental initiatives including the elimination of single-use plastics, sourcing sustainable seafood, and an in-situ hotel farm.

The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong is the fourth Fullerton branded property worldwide, and a member hotel of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

FIRE movement popular in SEA

FIRE, which stands for "financial independence, retire early", is taking off in Southeast Asia. Milieu Insight's FIRE research* found that more than six in 10 respondents expect to retire in their 50s or 60s (62%).

Source: Milieu Insight. Different FIRE strategies across Southeast Asia.

Retiring early (defined as retiring before 50s) is a possibility for 60% of respondents, but only 14% think that they are on track for early retirement - Singaporeans seem most pessimistic about being able to do so, with only 9% indicating that they are on track.

The most common strategy towards early retirement is savings (71%), followed by ‘being careful with how I spend my money’ (63%) and ‘investing’ (63%). Finding additional employment is much less common (37%) as part of strategy to retire early, but tends to skew towards Thais (54%).

Insurance - one way of investing - is also more common among Singaporeans (56%) and Filipinos (53%). Most people are hands-on for retirement planning, with only 31% of those who plan to retire early saying that they have a financial consultant to help them.

Among those who save regularly for early retirement, 43% save more than 20% of their incomes. Among those who invest, 36% indicated that more than 20% of their incomes go towards investments. The most common investment types are:

- Investment funds (56%)

- Stocks (53%)

- Real estate (52%)

Cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are currently crashing, register at 41%, and seem to be more popular in Thailand (57%) and the Philippines (54%).

*Based on Milieu Insight surveys with N=1500 employed respondents, aged 18-49 years old, each from Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, conducted in May 2022.

SuperGamerFest celebrates e-sports in SEA

PVP Esports has unveiled the programme for its virtual gaming and e-sports festival and awards show SuperGamerFest (SGF). Hosted by avid gamers based in Singapore – local musician and Dota fanatic Sezairi and host and streamer Victoria Cheng – the five-day festival is set to entertain audiences across Southeast Asia with celebrity showdowns, e-sports fun, exclusive interviews and the inaugural SuperGamerFest Awards.

Source: Singtel/PVP Esports. Main banner for SuperGamerFest.

Key highlights include: 

E-sports action as part of the Regional Grand Finals of the PVP Esports Community Championships 2020: Season 2. Country champions across eight countries* for the Open and Campus categories will battle it out to be Regional Champion for game titles Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Valorant.

From 9.30 am Singapore time (SGT, GMT +8) on 5-6 December (Mobile Legends) and 12-13 December (Valorant)

Exclusive interviews with back-to-back The International (TI) champions OG; CEO of one of the world’s largest e-sports organisations Team Secret, John Yao; Twitch Co-Founder Kevin Lin speaking for the first time since his departure from Twitch; and F1 driver for Red Bull Racing Alex Albon, who will share the impact gaming has had on his life. 

Sezairi will catch up with players, from OG over a candid chat as they share their triumphs and struggles as professional e-sports players competing at the highest level for Dota 2. Yao will provide an insider’s look into the e-sports industry – not just as a professional player but also advice for those who are keen to enter the industry as professionals.

An Intimate Chat with OG: 5.15 pm SGT, 11 December

An Insider’s Look at the Esports Industry with John Yao: 9pm SGT, 11 December

Kevin Lin: Life beyond Twitch: 8.20 pm SGT, 12 December

Alex Albon: Game on, Race on: 8.50 pm SGT, 12 December

Star-studded celebrity showdowns, featuring regional top-tier streamers and gaming influencers with a combined social following of 39 million across Southeast Asia. Fans will want to stay tuned for rounds of hilarity and good-natured fun as the gaming heroes and celebrities from the region take on popular games Among Us and Human: Fall Flat.

Human: Fall Flat: From 5.30 pm SGT, 11 December

Among Us: From 7:30 pm SGT, 11 December

The inaugural SuperGamerFest Awards. The awards are Southeast Asia’s first regional gaming content and e-sports awards created to celebrate the achievements and passions of creators and e-sports professionals. 

Shortlisted nominees across the region will be revealed on PVP Esports’ Facebook page in late November.

As part of the SGF Awards show on 12 December, the evening will feature guest performers SGAG – Singapore’s homegrown comedy platform, Australian YouTuber Wendy ‘Wengie’ Huang and additional special appearances from the world of sports and entertainment.

From 7 pm, 12 December

A rich repository of content on-demand for fans will also be exclusively available on the SuperGamerFest 2020 microsite. This includes interviews with industry stalwarts: former VP of the Houston Rockets’ e-sports team Clutch Gaming Sebastian Park – also known as the first dedicated e-sports front-office executive in North America and in the NBA; EVOS founder Hartman Harris sharing his thoughts on the future of e-sports in Southeast Asia, and Dota 2 coach from SK Telecom’s T1 - Park “March” Tae-won. 

Additionally, the content library will feature bonus team videos from renowned regional and global e-sports organisations like FaZe Clan and additional educational content meant to improve player knowledge and tips on navigating the gaming entertainment industry.

Available on demand from 5 – 13 December

Throughout the festival, fans can also look forward to being the first to hear exclusive industry announcements, plus a variety of pre-event and on-stream contests where they will stand a chance to win limited-edition prizes such as the Huawei Nova 7SE, Freebuds Pro and Watch FIT, GSP 601 and GSP 602 Professional Gaming Headsets by EPOS Audio and gaming peripherals from Xtrfy.

Powered by Singtel and Globe, Singtel’s joint venture in the Philippines, SGF is supported by partners AIS, Dunia Games, MaxStream, EPOS Audio, Xtrfy, Huawei, Royal Ergonomics, Redbull, preferred streaming partner Twitch and production/venue partner Ebenex Live. SGF is produced by event and festival production firm Branded and gaming and e-sports experts Yup.gg and is part of the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) annual Singapore Media Festival. 

PVP Esports is a regional e-sports league based in Singapore. It is also home to the PVP Championship and PVP Community (Campus and Open) Championships.

Details:

Admission to SGF is free.

Source: Singtel. Programming schedule for SuperGamerFest.

Hashtag: #SuperGamer2020 

*Participating countries for PVP Esports Community Championships (Season 2): Brunei (Open only), India, Indonesia, Malaysia (Campus only), Myanmar (Open only), the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Look to Double Days for retail boosts: Criteo

- “Double Days” are growing into sales events of their own – during the most recent 9.9 (9th September) sale saw substantial growth in retail sales in Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, of 213%, 183% and 156% respectively.

- Singles’ Day 2019 (11th November) saw a 414% increase in online retail sales and 273% increase in online retail traffic across Southeast Asia. In Singapore, online retail sales and traffic increased significantly, by 477% and 126% respectively.

- In Indonesia, 12.12 (12th December) remained the largest shopping moment within the country (Online retail sales and traffic increases of 258% and 77%)

Criteo, the advertising platform for the open Internet, has unveiled seasonal data for trending shopping festivals for Southeast Asia. In Singapore, Singles’ Day was revealed to be the biggest shopping event of the year in 2019. According to Criteo’s Seasonal Sales Dashboard, which recorded over 2 billion transactions across 5,000 retailers from 35 markets, Criteo found that Singles’ Day 2019 saw a 414% increase in online retail sales and 273% increase in online retail traffic across Southeast Asia. In Singapore, online retail sales and traffic increased significantly, by 477% and 126% respectively.

Singles’ Day, once again, had the highest conversion rate, with an increase of 155% in Singapore, and strong year on year growth of 49% from 2018.

“Singles’ Day continues to be a key retail moment for our region. Specifically, in Singapore, where we continue to see new records in online retail sales and retail traffic on this date, every year,” said Taranjeet Singh, MD, South East Asia and India at Criteo.

“In light of today’s evolving landscape and developments as result of the current pandemic, retailers need to seize the opportunity of Singles’ Day 2020 to succeed with customers and drive strong sales.”

Across Southeast Asia, Singles’ Day remained the largest shopping event in countries including Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. In Indonesia, 12.12 remained the largest shopping moment within the country.

Southeast Asia

- 10.10 (10th October): Online retail sales and traffic increased by 24% and 10%

- Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving): Online retail sales and traffic increases of 44% and 20%

- Cyber Monday (the Monday after Black Friday): Online retail sales and traffic increases of 42% and 25%

Indonesia: 12.12 was the winning shopping festival, followed by Singles’ Day:

- 10.10: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 158% and 40%

- Singles’ Day: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 149% and 60%

- 12.12: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 258% and 77%

Taiwan: Singles’ Day was the largest shopping moment, followed by 12.12 and Black Friday:

- Singles’ Day: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 400% and 165%

- Black Friday: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 59% and 49%

- 12.12: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 149% and 61%

Criteo data also revealed that “Double Days” are growing into sales events of their own. In Malaysia and Vietnam for example, 7.7 (7th July) turned out to be an emerging sales peak this year, with increased retail sales by 132% and 64% in the two countries, respectively.

Most recently this year, substantial growth was recorded in retail sales in September, during 9.9, particularly in Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, of 213%, 183% and 156% respectively. In October, during 10.10, the Southeast Asia region recorded an overall 46% increase in sales when compared to the last two weeks of September, and saw a conversion rate of 460% during the retail moment.

Criteo also noted that shopping apps continue to grow in popularity amongst users in Southeast Asia. According to Criteo’s Peak to Recovery study, which surveyed over 13,000 consumers worldwide in May 2020, 53% of consumers discovered at least one form of online shopping during the peak of the pandemic – be it purchasing through mobile apps, or picking up online purchases in stores – that they wish to continue.

“The unique circumstances of navigating COVID-19 have resulted in evolving consumer behaviour with regards to online shopping. Not only are people shopping more, they are also more inclined to using apps for retail,” explained Singh.

“In Q3 2020, our data revealed that the share of app sales was 75% for retailers with a shopping app and that Southeast Asia was one of the regions with the highest app share globally. With shoppers now inclined toward in-app retail experiences, retailers should step up efforts to engage consumers through these mediums during key retail moments like Singles’ Day for maximum traction.”

Jo Bjordal, CMO, ZALORA explained, "COVID-19 has changed shopping behaviour across our markets, with more people shifting to buying things online. The demand and consumption patterns for product categories have changed dramatically too.”

When it came to key changes in retail preferences, Bjordal elaborated on spikes in consumer demand that fashion e-tailer ZALORA has seen in the last recent months, even during the last Double Day, 10.10. “Within the lifestyle segment, we have seen a spike in demand towards the loungewear, beauty, kids, as well as continued growth in sports and wellness categories. In fact, these categories at ZALORA have grown by as much as 400% as seen in this year’s 10.10 sales days, as people continue to prioritise personal wellbeing and spend more time at home. On the other hand, demand for women’s apparel and occasion wear products has declined as compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, although this is expected to pick up again once the situation around COVID-19 stabilises, and countries gradually ease into their respective re-openings,” he said.

Criteo said brands should keep in mind the following best practices to drive maximum traction with customers as they get ready for Singles’ Day this year:

Target the most valuable audiences

Through website and campaign optimisation, brands can be assured of a wider reach from new and existing customers. This includes finding new, interested shoppers and re-engaging existing customers through data and insights.

Maximising customer value

Customers are looking to get the most value from their purchases, so it is key to ensure that this is communicated to customers, and brands look for unique ways to differentiate their offerings, apart from providing substantial discounts in cost. This could include unique and practical customer services, including safer store shopping options and online-meets-offline purchasing to address customer concerns during the pandemic.

Enhancing ad relevance

It is not enough for brands to advertise Singles’ Day deals – they need to ensure that ads are served in the right context and with the relevant content to their specific audience. This means considering the timing at which ads are served, preferably at a time when a consumer is likely to make a purchase.

Dine sustainably at Avani properties in Indochina

Source: Avani. Plant-based coconut acai bowls at Avani+ Samui Resort.

With an eye on a greener future and a more sustainable outlook, Avani Hotels has rolled out a series of initiatives focusing on sustenance and wellness.

Signature Avani properties in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos are stepping up their commitment to support local communities by highlighting the region’s speciality produce and the need to rely less on imports. They have also adopted zero-waste initiatives, including plans for on-site composting systems to process all organic waste, and an organic garden to promote self-sufficiency.

Avani Pattaya Resort

Avani Pattaya Resort has pioneered the first hydroponic farm in the this coastal town of Thailand. The farm supplies 40% of Avani Pattaya’s daily supply of fresh ingredients, with the rest going to the Pattaya community. Today, the farm nurtures over 22,000 plants including a wide range of salads and greens such as microgreens, red oak, green oak, cos, rocket, Swiss chard and Chinese kale.

The farm recently adopted free-roaming chickens that supply fresh eggs for breakfast every day.

The team at Avani Pattaya have started efforts to phase out single-use plastic and have doubled down on sustainability initiatives by adding a compost site to reduce landfill waste. They are also replacing single-use plastic bottles with refillable sealed containers for bathroom amenities.

A tour of the farm gives guests an insight into sourcing farm-to-table organic produce that forms the basis of local cuisine. Aspiring chefs can then join a cooking class and whip up a delicious meal to enjoy, or learn how to start their own hydroponic farm at home.

Avani+ Hua Hin Resort

Avani+ Hua Hin Hotel’s commitment to locally sourced produce now extends to 90% of the ingredients used in the resort’s restaurants. The resort aims to support the local economy and reduce its carbon footprint by working closely with Thai farmers and suppliers to source fresh, locally-grown ingredients.

Avani+ Hua Hin Resort has also partnered with local businesses in Thailand who run ethical and fully sustainable operations. These include a free-range chicken farm supplying organic eggs in biodegradable packaging; artisanal product manufacturers who use no artificial colours or flavourings; and a boutique organic vegetable farm supplying fresh herbs.

Avani+ Samui Resort

Over on the Thai island of Koh Samui, Avani+ Samui Resort invites guests to the new wellness-centric KoKo plant-based café. Designed to improve personal wellness, KoKo offers a sustainable dining experience by reducing animal product consumption.

From healthy lunch bowls and mix-your-own salads to plant-based protein burgers and gluten-free and vegan cakes, KoKo maintains a fully-sustainable supply chain. KoKo chefs use only plant-based ingredients, many from the property’s garden and a nearby coconut plantation, resulting in locally-sourced dishes such as its cocoa bowl and beetroot sandwich.

FCC Angkor by Avani

FCC Angkor’s Scribe Bar in Cambodia has introduced zero-waste cocktails where ingredients are reused, recycled and upcycled to minimise waste. For example, the Colonial Fare cocktail features locally-sourced pineapples as its main ingredient. The fruit is juiced for the cocktail, while the pulp is dried to be used as a garnish or as part of another cocktail.

All organic waste is converted into compost and then used as fertiliser for the hotel’s garden, which grows plants for the restaurant and bar such as lemongrass, pandan and krasang teap (a key ingredient in beef lok lak, Cambodia’s national dish, served at the property’s Mansion restaurant).

Avani+ Luang Prabang

Overlooking a Buddhist temple dating back to 1548, the new rooftop garden at Avani+ Luang Prabang Hotel in Laos boasts some of the best views of the UNESCO Heritage town. Growing on its 140 sq m rooftop is a selection of organic fruit and vegetables such as banana, papaya, cherry tomatoes and cabbage; as well as herbs including coriander and chilli.

The idea for the garden was inspired by Head Chef Waran’s childhood memories of his mother picking fresh vegetables for daily family meals. Guests are invited to learn how to plant and grow different types of produce, as well as master the basics of Laotian cuisine.

Avani welcomes guests to over 30 properties, including in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, and the UAE. Avani Hotels are designed for the Millennial-minded traveller whose priorities are style, value and comfort. Its upbeat, contemporary hotel concept has a focus on good sleep, designed social spaces, locally-inspired sustenance and friendly service.

Avani is a member of the DISCOVERY loyalty programme and is part of the global hospitality group Minor Hotels.

Hashtag: #AvaniHotels.

Shippit's new service means SEA retailers can accept cash on delivery

Logistics software-as-a-service (SaaS) company Shippit aims to accelerate the Southeast Asian e-commerce industry with its new Cash On Delivery (COD) service for retailers. By partnering with e-commerce platform Shopify, Shippit now provides instant access to simpler shipping and cash-on-delivery capabilities for Asia’s online retailers.

Shippit unifies order fulfilment across sales channels and leverages its proprietary allocation algorithm to connect retailers to the best delivery partner for every single order. Through its partnership with Shopify, Shippit will offer COD as a payment option regardless of order volume or business size.

This offering makes Shippit the first end-to-end shipping solution that enables retailers to instantly offer COD as a payment option to merchants and retailers. They need only sign up for a Shippit account and connect their Shopify store. Shopify retailers will not need to negotiate COD rates with their couriers, as this handled by Shippit.

Singapore is the company's first market in Southeast Asia. Singapore has one of the most active online buyer segments in the region, with two out of three Singaporeans purchasing products online at least once a year, Shippit said.

With Shippit’s COD offering, Singapore retailers will also be able to access other markets in Southeast Asia that prefer cash, at a time when retailers are seeking to expand delivery options and enhance their shipping practices. To better help partners scale internationally, Shippit has discounted rates for regular cross-border delivery.

Southeast Asia presents a huge opportunity for Shippit as it has an Internet economy expected to more than double to US$150 billion by 2025 — but also presents a challenge through the 296 million (74%) of the population who are either unbanked or underbanked. This means that cash is still largely king for transactions.

Shippit’s shipping engine saves retailers time, money and provides better experiences for delivery recipients, the company said. Lavneesh Arora, Director of Market Development at Shippit, said: “Southeast Asia has one of the fastest growing Internet economies in the world, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen a rapid acceleration of e-commerce, with many businesses realising they need to go online.

"However, we’ve also seen the majority in Southeast Asia are still heavily reliant on cash over credit cards and online banking. Shippit can be seen as an e-commerce enabler: by providing Cash On Delivery as a new service, we allow online retailers like Shopify to access a huge section of the market that they would not be able to reach.”

Australia-founded Shippit 's value proposition has led to a 400% increase in online purchasing rates in Australia from April 2020. Delivery volume growth has broken records previously set by Black Friday and Cyber Monday —which are typically the biggest shopping events in the year.

By using automation and machine learning to simplify the order fulfilment, Shippit has attracted than 6,000 customers a month across Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, powering delivery for Sephora, UNIQLO, CottonOn, and Harvey Norman among other retailers. It has also been serving small businesses like Common Man Coffee Roasters in Singapore since April.

Shippit is also committed to a future of sustainable retail, and offsets 100% of the carbon emissions for all deliveries at no extra cost. It does this by purchasing carbon offsets to support projects that prevent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Razer Southeast Asian-Invitational 2020 action to be streamed on SISTIC Live

Razer, the global lifestyle brand for gamers will work with Singapore’s largest ticketing agency, SISTIC, to elevate the inaugural Razer Southeast Asian-Invitational 2020 to greater heights.

The largest Southeast Asian e-sports tournament of the year, the SEA-Invitational 2020 will see national athletes compete in three major titles – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile (PUBG Mobile), Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2) and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) ahead of e-sports’ inclusion in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam next year. The company said 10 countries, over 400 teams and 3,000 athletes are taking part.

To bring the action to more people, SISTIC will partner with Razer to stream the playoffs and championships for the SEA-Invitational on its newly-launched streaming platform. SISTIC Live supports broadcasts and video-on-demand of art, sports, cultural and entertainment productions.

Fans who sign up to view selected Razer SEA-Invitational matches on SISTIC Live stand to win prizes such as Razer Gold (virtual credits for games and entertainment), Razer Silver (Razer's loyalty points for gamers, redeemable for Razer products and third-party products) and Razer peripherals.

“As new forms of entertainment develop, audiences adopt new formats to be entertained. We are remodelling how SISTIC can support both physical and online events. We are extremely keen to explore e-sports, a genre that enjoys strong online viewership and live streaming globally,” said Joe Ow, CEO, SISTIC.

“The Razer SEA-Invitational is a great opportunity for us to showcase the quality of SISTIC Live’s platform and reach out to a wider audience.”

Source: Razer. Poster for the inaugural Razer Southeast Asian-Invitational 2020.

Dual-headquartered in the US and Singapore, Razer has 16 offices worldwide. The company has built the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services.

Razer’s hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops. Its software platform, with over 80 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system), and Razer Cortex (a game optimiser and launcher). Razer Gold is one of the world’s largest virtual credit services for gamers, and Razer Fintech is one of the largest offline-to-online digital payment networks in Southeast Asia.

SISTIC provides ticketing services to more than 1,200 activities and events each year for Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Macau. The company has a customer base of over 2 million and an average website monthly page view of more than 4 million.
Details:

The SEA-Invitational will kick off on June 26 and culminate in grand finals from July 10-12, 2020. Viewers can tune into Team Razer’s social channels on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch for the live streams. Live streams will also be available on SISTIC Live. More information will be announced closer to the date.

Explore the SEA-Invitational 2020 agenda

Hashtag: #thisisesports

SEA middle class to account for lion's share in digital consumer growth by 2025

Increasing choice, better Internet access, and rising affluence will continue to drive more spend online in Southeast Asia, according to Facebook and Bain & Company. The two released a follow-up to the 2018 study on Emerging Middle Class in the region.

The new study, titled Riding the Digital Wave: Southeast Asia's Discovery Generation, looks at how the behaviours of today's digital consumer is reshaping online spend in the region.

The study surveyed 12,965 respondents across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and interviewed 30+ CEOs and venture capitalists in the region. It shows that the emerging middle class in Southeast Asia will account for 70-80 % of the growth in digital consumers by 2025.

According to Bain, from 90 million digital consumers in 2015, the region grew 2.8x to 250 million digital consumers in 2018. By 2025, there will be 310 million digital consumers in Southeast Asia. By then, the study estimates, online spending will outpace the growth of digital consumers by a factor of three, with clothing and personal care emerging as two of the leading categories.

Discovery is all-important as 67% of respondents said they do not exactly know what they want to purchase before they shop online, with more than 50% of respondents saying they learn about new products and brands via social platforms. Southeast Asian shoppers showed a strong preference for omnichannel, with over 80% saying they compare prices across online discovery platforms and in-store before they make a purchase decision.

Over 40% have tried an online store they have never heard of in the past year. The top three reasons for making an online purchase were positive reviews from other users, good deals or promotions and interesting products.

"There is no longer just one way to shop and nobody shops the same way twice. The key takeaway is that designing for discovery is absolutely crucial, given that customers engage with a business through multiple channels at the same time. In Singapore alone, 75% of the respondents said that they are either open to other brands or will buy from multiple brands when shopping online. This means businesses of all sizes, including specialty players have a significant opportunity to compete on a larger scale in Southeast Asia," said Sandhya Devanathan, Country MD, Facebook Singapore.

Beyond discovery, the study shows the potential of building brand loyalty and growth as there is no dominant player in the e-commerce market. Southeast Asia's savvy consumers shop-hop across 3.8 platforms on average before they make a purchase decision.

Creating customer rewards through loyalty programmes is therefore an imperative, Facebook and Bain said. In the study, respondents with a loyalty programme indicated they were 1.5x more likely to be a promoter than those without a loyalty programme. Loyalty members were 45% more likely to make recommendations across categories, 25% more likely to have higher purchasing frequencies across categories and 20% more likely to have higher spending across categories.

"Brands need to be very savvy and re-imagine their marketing and trade spend to be in sync with the ever-evolving omnichannel consumer journey. They also need to build new muscles to ensure a positive online shopping experience to their digital consumer," said Praneeth Yendamuri, Partner at Bain & Company.

TrustYou lists the best hotels in SEA

TrustYou, the guest feedback platform, has published its research* on the best hotels in Southeast Asia. 

Leading the pack out of 11 properties in Singapore is Naumi Hotel Singapore, followed by Oasia Hotel Novena by Far East Hospitality, Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore, The Ritz - Carlton Millenia Singapore and Conrad Centennial Singapore.

The March 2018 list of best-rated luxury hotels from TrustYou, covering Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines, lists The Westin Langkawi in Malaysia as the top hotel among the countries surveyed, followed in No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 place by Thai hotels: the JW Marriott Phuket, the Hansar Bangkok, and the Renaissance Phuket. The New World Manila, Philippines, is in No. 5 place, followed by sixth-ranked Grand Hyatt Jakarta. The Naumi Singapore, the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, the Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort in Thailand, and the Oasia Hotel Novena Singapore round out the top 10.

The three best-rated hotels in Vietnam are:

• Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi
• Paloma Cruise - this is a boat which offers overnight stays
• InterContinental Saigon

For Cambodia, they are:

• Anantara Angkor Resort
• Hotel Shinta Mani Siem Reap
• Heritage Suites Hotel

There is one entry for Laos, the Luang Say Residence. For the Philippines, Solaire Resort & Casino is ranked No. 2, and the Monaco Suites de Boracay is ranked 3rd. In Indonesia, the Mulia Villas in Bali is ranked No. 2, while the JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta is No. 3. In Malaysia, the JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur is in third place. 

These aggregated results are drawn from TrustYou’s keyword analysis of travel reviews associated with hotels, destinations and travel websites scattered across the vast and fragmented market. The company draws its data from over 230,000 travel reviews a month from various sources and transforms this content into actionable insights and visualisations for over half a million hotels.

*A hotel is defined as luxury hotel if it gets a certain amount of keywords such as "luxury" and "luxurious" in their reviews that TrustYou analyses. The company looks at reviews, popularity within the same city, and popularity globally.

Southeast Asia ahead on digital transformation, digital leadership

Source: SAP. Agree or disagree? Senior management and employees weigh in both globally and in Southeast Asia for the Leaders 2020 study.

Nearly one-quarter of Southeast Asian businesses are digital leaders, a new study by SAP and Oxford Economics shows. This is higher than the global average of 16%, according to the Leaders 2020 study.

This new class of high-performing companies is reporting stronger profit growth, higher employee engagement, and cultures that are more inclusive. The organisations have executives who communicate a company-wide digital strategy, keep management and worker skills up to date, and streamline organisational structure.

An analysis of Southeast Asian firms in the Leaders 2020 study also affirms the business benefits of diversity, showing a correlation between those who are leading in digital transformation and those who have a heightened understanding of the importance of diversity. Digital leaders around the world and Southeast Asian respondents are both more likely to recognise diversity’s positive impact on culture (66% and 62%, respectively), but only digital leaders are more likely to see the benefits in financial performance (37% globally against 25% in Southeast Asia).

Companies have become more diverse in Southeast Asia than in other regions over the past three years. Three-quarters of Southeast Asian respondents saw diversity improvements in the general workforce of their organisation, and 42% saw an increase in board and senior leadership, compared with 67% and 34% globally. However, less than 40% in Southeast Asia state that their company has effective diversity programmes in place, signalling more could be done, especially at the senior executive and corporate board levels.

The Leaders 2020 study also found that only 61% of Southeast Asian executives (55% globally) are making data-driven decisions, a key factor that makes a Digital Leader. Not surprisingly 62% of Southeast Asian executives (59% globally) feel that employees are equipped with the skills necessary to keep up with digital technology.

“A diverse workforce encourages bold, innovative ideas to flourish and in turn, presents insights which are only made possible through that diversity. It is of little coincidence that these two capabilities – leveraging data for decisions and maintaining a diverse workforce – both occur for high-performing organisations,” said Scott Russell, President and MD, SAP Southeast Asia.

Other findings for Southeast Asia included:

· Stronger financial performance: 76% of executives characterised as digital leaders report strong revenue and profit growth, compared to 60% of all other Southeast Asian executives.

· Satisfied and engaged employees: effective digital leadership drives more than financial performance—it also creates healthier cultures. Nearly nine in 10 (87%) digital leaders have employees who are more satisfied, compared with just 51% for respondents in Southeast Asia. Three quarters of digital leaders also have employees who are more likely to stay in their jobs if given the chance to leave, as compared to 45% in the region.

· More mature talent strategies: digital leaders are more likely to invest in talent and have much more advanced strategies for talent recruitment, development and retention. For example, 56% of digital leaders mainly fill roles from within the company, as compared to just 33% for the rest of the region.

The study also found that Millennials are quickly occupying corporate leadership positions, as 22% of the executives in the Leaders 2020 study from Southeast Asia are classified as millennials, compared with 17% worldwide. Despite the higher percentage of young executives in the region, only 45% of Southeast Asian executives say leadership works with employees to develop their careers—an important step in cultivating Millennial talent. Young executives are more focused on diversity and its benefits, and they tend to come from companies that value diversity and take steps to build it.

“According to a PwC report. Millennials at Work: Reshaping the Workplace, Millennials will form 50% of the global workforce by 2020*. Listening to what young executives have to say may be a shortcut to digital leadership—as long as the experience of their older peers is not ignored in the process. Striking this balance requires generations to listen to each other. Generational diversity is as important as the other forms of workplace diversity. The Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers and Millennials all bring varying perspectives to the table, which is crucial in sustaining a dynamic organisation. Our belief in working closely with the Millennial generation has resulted in having five unique generations, all working together at SAP to help our customers Run Simple,” Russell added.

“The pace of change in today’s digital economy shows no sign of slowing down, and organisations that do not continually update their approach to digital leadership risk falling behind. Technology continues to remain the key enabler to drive growth, promote innovation, enable transformation and level the playing field for companies of all sizes.”

Despite having a promising digital business landscape, leaders at these companies cannot rest on their laurels—survey results from the Leaders 2020 study indicate that these companies in the region are not devoting enough resources to developing future leadership, employee skills or employee engagement. The research identifies several areas where companies can improve their leadership skills—and their business performance:

· Communicate a company-wide digital vision – sharing a digital direction company-wide is demonstrative of a good leader.

· Continuously update executive and employee skill sets – a necessity to adopt new digital skills in the digital economy.

· Flatten the organisation – reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.

· Emphasise diversity – cultivating a diverse workforce drives success in a global economy.

· Listen to young executives – as they form the key workforce of the future, their advice is essential for digital transformation.

Interested?

Learn more about the study and the prerequisites for digital leadership

November is great for e-commerce in Southeast Asia

Source: Criteo infographic. Mobile plays a significant part in the purchase journey.

Criteo, the performance marketing technology company, has revealed that Southeast Asian consumers are shopping more on Singles Day, which falls annually on 11 November, and browsing up to two days earlier.

Based on an analysis of 21 million online transactions made in Southeast Asia last year (25 October to 30 November 2015), Singles Day saw an upsurge in average visitors on key Southeast Asian retailers’ websites.

“Singles Day is becoming more popular across this region. Most Southeast Asian countries are also ‘mobile-first’, so it’s unsurprising that mobile has become the preferred device for online shopping during this season. To drive increased sales, retailers must respond and leverage technologies like dynamic retargeting and exact matching to deliver personalised and seamless consumer engagement across multiple platforms,” said Alban Villani, Commercial Director, Criteo, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Other findings include:

Traffic to key retailers’ websites started rising from 9 November onwards
Between 9 and 12 November, there was a rise of 44% in average online traffic on key retail companies’ websites and an increase of 167% in overall sales, with traffic and sales both spiking on 11 November.

Multiple devices are used
For six in 10 users (64%), the final purchase was made on a different device than the one they initially browsed with.

Criteo predicts that mobile commerce (m-commerce) will dominate e-commerce in driving sales this year - 34% of online transactions at major retail companies was generated by mobile phones, and a further 33% via mobile applications, in November.

While technological enhancements have facilitated shopping on mobile, marketers are challenged with targeting consumers across every environment along the path to purchase. Brands can no longer ignore mobile platforms as a primary means to drive e-commerce sales. To boost revenue, retailers must combine a strong mobile web and app presence with personalised mobile targeting strategies to engage with shoppers wherever and whenever they browse and purchase.

Interested?

View the infographic of Criteo’s analysis of shopping behaviour during Singles Day

Digital marketing works well in Southeast Asia

Source: Adobe website.

New research from Adobe confirms that marketers in Southeast Asia are increasingly focused on mobile as a highly effective form of customer interaction and engagement. The research also reveals that the mobile-first business transformation is being led by Asia Pacific.

The Adobe Digital Index Best of the Best Benchmark 2015 compares the overall average versus the top 20% websites as rated on six key performance indicators across eight regions: Southeast Asia* (SEA), Australia and New Zealand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, mainland China, Japan and the US. Key performance indicators are smartphone and tablet traffic; stick rate**; visits-per-visitor; time spent; conversion rate; and click-through-rate. The research provides insights to determine how the best digital marketing organisations are performing relative to the average.

“The best digital marketers in Southeast Asia are delivering strong results in some key performance areas,” said Tamara Gaffney, Director, Adobe Digital Index. “Not only did we see the gaps increase for smartphone visits between the best of the best websites and the average websites, we congruently saw the “best of the best” are also moving away from the average in terms of stick rate, indicating the direct correlation between mobile capability and consumer engagement.”

Key findings in the Best of the Best Benchmark for Southeast Asia include:

· SEA saw double-digit increases year-over-year in their share of smartphone visits, with an 18% increase for best of the best websites and 11% increase for average websites

· SEA had among the highest share of traffic from tablets from all regions covered in the research, with a 40% difference between the best of the best websites and average websites

· Loyal return visitors are more prominent in SEA than the US, both from average websites and best of the best websites, which equates to higher loyalty and reduced acquisition costs

· However, some of the weakest conversion rates are from SEA, indicating understanding consumer mobile and desktop activity is lacking and possible friction in the process and experience

· Time spent on websites, which is the best metric for site engagement, and the best of the best websites were 22% higher than the average; all countries in Asia Pacific fared better than the US

· Click-through rate was weak in SEA, showing a lack of alignment between consumer intent and advertising execution

“It’s clear mobile optimisation is no longer an option, and if businesses are under-skilled in mobile development, it will put them at a severe disadvantage,” said Gaffney. “Asia Pacific (APAC) is dominating when it comes to smartphone and tablet visits. We’re seeing the best websites in APAC coming out head of the US, with more than 50% of their visitors coming from smartphones, and increasingly high success rates in areas like consumption and stickiness. The data is telling us that delivering seamless experiences across devices is the key to acquisition and engagement.”

Interested?

The Best of the Best Benchmark is part of Adobe’s strategy to give back to practitioners. To find out where your organisation falls on within the Benchmark take Adobe’s Digital Marketing Maturity Assessment.

*Southeast Asian countries evaluated for this study were Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia.

**Stick rate is the percentage of visits that last more than one page.

Mobile-optimised sites get more sales: Criteo

Source: Criteo website, Q2 2015 State of Mobile Commerce Report.

Criteo, the performance marketing technology provider, has released its Q2 2015 State of Mobile Commerce Report. The report highlights that mobile devices are now responsible for 34% of global e-commerce transactions, while m-commerce accounted for 27% of all e-commerce transactions in Southeast Asia, putting the region at a similar level to Spain and Italy, and right behind the US.

The report also reveals that globally, more than 40% of e-commerce transactions now involve multiple devices. Smartphones, desktops and tablets are used in a variety of combinations to research and make purchasing decisions.

“Consumer adoption of mobile continues to be the biggest trend in both e-commerce and advertising today, and the pace of growth is astounding,” said Jonathan Wolf, Chief Product Officer, Criteo. “Marketers’ ability to leverage new technologies to accurately identify and reach consumers wherever they are is going to become critical, as this trend perpetuates and carries us toward a world where the majority of transactions will take place across multiple devices.”

“Southeast Asia is currently the fastest-growing region globally, with mobile being a key driver, especially in developing markets like Indonesia and India,” said Yuko Saito, Managing Director, Criteo Southeast Asia. “These developing markets are ‘mobile-first’ – most consumers will own smartphones before they own desktops, with potential for further growth as smartphone penetration continues to increase.

“For mature markets like Singapore and Taiwan, there’s a higher incidence of cross-device usage. But overall, for both developing and mature markets, mobile optimisation is crucial for e-commerce businesses looking to engage the region’s growing smartphone population.”

The findings in this report are based on Criteo’s analysis of 1.4 billion individual e-commerce transactions totalling over US$160 billion of annual sales globally. 

Additional takeaways include:

· Southeast Asia is set to follow the trends in the US – mobile-optimised sites experience more than double the conversion rate of non-optimised sites, where only 1.6% of consumers convert; mobile apps experience higher conversion rates than mobile browsers or desktops, accounting for half of mobile transactions for e-commerce players who invested in an app experience.

· Whereas mobile transactions in Southeast Asia now account for 27% of all e-commerce transactions, Indonesia stands at 34%, Taiwan at 31% and Singapore at 29%. More than half of all online sales in Japan and South Korea come from people who buy via mobile devices. Globally, mobile transactions are expected to reach 40% by the end of 2015. 

· Leading the charge are the fashion, luxury and travel verticals, with one in three transactions now on mobile devices.

“The customer purchase journey has become increasingly complex as consumers stop using a single device to make their purchases,” said Wolf. “Delivering engaging app experiences and connecting seamlessly with consumers across multiple devices are key to capturing e-commerce sales in this new world.”

Interested?

Download Criteo’s Q2 2015 State Of Mobile Commerce Report. 

GP Batteries designs special edition powerbank for SEA Games

Source: GP Batteries.

The sole Official Battery Partner for the biannual SEA Games, GP Batteries, has introduced a special edition lithium ion-based powerbank for the upcoming SEA Games. The premium product features a silk-screened 28th SEA Games Nila Logo with the official designation of Official Battery Partner.

The powerbank has a 10,400mAH capacity that is ideal for smartphones and tablet PCs. Its two outputs allow two devices to be charged at the same time with LED indicators to display the battery usage. Retailing at S$49.90, the GP Batteries SEA Games Special Edition PowerBank also comes with a micro USB charging cable.

GP Batteries has also dressed up charging stations at five MRT stations for the occasion. The charging stations at City Hall, Orchard, Tanjong Pagar, Ang Mo Kio and Kent Ridge now look like the SEA Games PowerBank for those in need of an emergency power boost.

Final adidas Originals = PHARRELL WILLIAMS delivery for 2014 coming 28 November

The final adidas Originals = PHARRELL WILLIAMS product delivery for 2014 – with additional drops to follow in 2015 – finds Pharrell toying with the classic polka dot: a bold, fun print motif that signals both energy and joy. 

Source: adidas Originals. The Polka Dot Pack includes Stan Smith sneakers.

The Polka Dot Pack launches across Southeast Asia on November 28, and includes Stan Smith sneakers in leather. The Polka Dot Pack aims to express the most profound joy of all: love. With its youthful, uplifting spirit, offering imagery and styling that are approachable and “real”, the Polka Dot Pack strives to communicate the key tenet of the continued collaboration.

“Equality is love visualised. It is a symbol and action of affection. Equality is everything from a greeting to a declaration of true love. In all its forms – it is acceptance, it is love, it is strength,” says Pharrell Williams. 

The collection will arrive in a palette of yellow, blue and fresh white with small-scale red dots, with the sneakers priced at S$169. The sneakers will be available at the adidas Originals Stores in Singapore at Pacific Plaza, Bugis+, 313 Somerset, JEM as well as Limited Edition at 313 Somerset and Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. 

Hashtag: #adidas, #adidasOriginals, #Pharrell