How Brands Can Connect to Asian Audiences Through Digital Marketing

Asia is a landscape shaped by local cultures and varying modes of technology adoption. For any digital marketing strategy to be effective, businesses will have to take into account the subtle nuances of the Asian market they’re trying to penetrate. In this article, we will run through the distinct digital ecosystem for each Asian country, helping you shape an effective canvas for your digital marketing programme.

Philippines

Internet usage in the Philippines has been on the rise, with a reported 59.5% increase in adoption over the last five years. Filipinos are increasingly relying on the internet for their day-to-day activities, with 57.4% of shoppers checking out a brand’s website before purchase. This highlights consumer receptivity to digital advertising, no matter the medium. With 76 million internet users in the Philippines, companies can expect to reach their customer bases via digital channels.

Filippinos spend an average of 9 hours and 45 minutes online each day with three hours and 53 minutes dedicated to social media. Facebook and Youtube are the most used social media platforms, at 96% and 95% respectively.

With its visually stimulating content, Instagram draws up to 64% of Philippines’ large youth population. Twitter is also a popular social media platform for young Filipinos.

Online platforms for everyday communication are the second type of medium taking up Filipinos’ time online. Facebook Messenger is the top communication channel in the Philippines, with 89% of Filipinos using the platform, followed by Skype at 37% and Viber at 34%.

Influencer Marketing

Philippines has an internet population that gravitates to influencer marketing. As internet usage continues to evolve, so does noise in the digital space. People are increasingly turning to opinions online that are backed by a human face, as they’re perceived with more familiarity and credibility. This explains the popularity of influencer marketing, which boasts the ability of reaching niche audiences with personalized, interactive advertising experiences.

TV & Video Advertising

The top advertising medium in the Philippines is TV & video advertising. Video advertising is on the rise worldwide, with platforms like Youtube and TikTok outdoing other social media platforms. Video content has become a powerhouse format, touted as more interactive, engaging, and more capable of delivering high ROI.

Search Advertising

With internet usage exponentially expanding in the Philippines, search advertising can be useful in helping brands position themselves successfully with their target customers. Search advertising ranks as the highest digital advertising medium for ad spend in the Philippines, followed by digital classifieds, digital video advertising, and influencer advertising.

In-App Advertising

E-commerce is currently experiencing a surge in the Philippines. The Philippine e-commerce market registered a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.6% between 2019 and 2023, reaching $20.1 billion in 2023, according to GlobalData’s E-Commerce Analytics. A large youth population, improved confidence in digital payments, and enhanced logistics in the Philippines have all supported exponential growth in the e-commerce market. With the potential pool of customers browsing products on such e-commerce sites daily, in-app advertising has become a very direct and successful way to gain consumer attention, especially if executed effectively.

Indonesia

As Indonesia’s digital landscape continues to evolve, customer preferences in advertising have shifted significantly toward digital advertising channels. The internet penetration rate is 66.5% of the population and the number of cellular mobile connections in the country is 126.8% of the size of its population).With the burgeoning use of smartphones and the rise of the internet, there are now more avenues for advertisers to reach a wider audience.

Mobile-First Internet Usage

Indonesians spend an average of 7 hours 38 minutes online, dedicating 4 hours 45 mins of their attention to mobile interfaces, and 3 hours 11 minutes of that to social media platforms. This demonstrates the predominance of mobile internet usage in Indonesia. For this reason, advertisers should aim to create mobile-optimized marketing plans to maximise effectiveness.

Main Reasons for Internet Usage

The chief reasons Indonesians use the internet are knowledge(83.1%), interaction(70.9%) and inspiration(70.6%). The most used platforms in Indonesia, in consecutive order, are: Whatsapp(90.9%), Instagram(85.3%), Facebook(81.6%), Tiktok(73.5%), Telegram(61.3%), X(57.5%), Facebook Messenger(47.9%) and Pinterest(34.2%).

This highlights the importance of everyday interaction for Indonesian internet users in their digital lives. Indonesian internet users open Whatsapp an average of 1,347.8 times each month, which is four times the number of the next most-used app, Tiktok, opened 373.7 times a month. Whatsapp is unparalleled as a social messaging app, but it also caters to multiple business functions, such as providing B2B and B2C channels for reaching a wide audience, on which products and services can be promoted on.

Statistics also reveal the time Indonesians dedicate to each social media platform: 38 hours 26 mins on Tiktok, 31 hours 28 mins on Youtube, 26 hours 13 minutes on Whatsapp, and 16 hours 10 mins on Instagram. This demonstrates the ability of video content to hold the attention of audiences online.

Decline in Usage of Social Media for Brand Research

In comparison with previous years, there has been a decline in consumer usage of social media for brand research. Blogs, vlogs and content-driven platforms have seen a noticeable downturn in viewership. Advertisers will now have to adapt and come up with more innovative solutions to reach consumers.

The Rise of Influencer Marketing

Consumers now gravitate toward more meaningful and impactful digital experiences, such as influencer content. Influencers can hold the attention of audiences who resonate with the content they put out on social media, creating a deep sense of trust and loyalty amongst their online communities. The powerful sway influencers have over audiences has driven companies to select suitable online personalities to market their goods and services.

Short-form Video Content

Digital video advertising holds significant digital ad spend share in Indonesia, second only to search advertising. This number is only expected to rise in the coming years. Digital video advertising is followed closely by digital classified ads, which are a similar way to reach consumers, just in static form.

For advertisers looking to plan successful digital marketing, the three mediums discussed here should be employed for greatest efficacy.

Thailand 

Thailand has one of the highest social media usage in the world, recording an average of 2.31 hours a day on social media per person. According to Data Reportal’s “Digital 2024: Thailand”, there are 49.1 million active social media users as of 2024, approximately 68.3% of the population.

Most Used Social Media Platforms

The most used social media platforms in Thailand are: Facebook(91.5%), LINE(90.5%), Tiktok(83%), Facebook Messenger(81.5%), Instagram(64.5%), X(49.6%), Pinterest(26.7%), Telegram(15.6%), IMessage(12.3%) and Discord(10.8%). Facebook remains the most popular social media platform in Thailand, with 49.1 million users. Other platforms that rank highly in consumer engagement amongst the Thai population are TikTok and a variety of e-commerce sites.

According to statistics from Facebook IQ, 86% of Facebook users learn about new products and services on Facebook Stories, and 74% of them claim to have made online purchases spurred by Facebook Stories.

In fact, Thailand is one of the world’s leaders in online shopping and grocery purchases, demonstrating a strong digital consumer population. Thai people also exhibit a high adoption of mobile payment platforms.

TV & Video Advertising

TV & video advertising recorded the highest ad spend (nearly 50% share) in the country, compared to other advertising modes. Search advertising, out-of-home advertising, direct messaging and digital banner advertising follow tv & video advertising in advertising ad spend share. This indicates the power of video content and its ability to command the attention of Thai audiences. With its versatile  and engaging format, video content can convey complex messages effectively.

Youtube

The current go-to platform for videos online is Youtube, with Tiktok hot on its heels. The platform now features both long-form and short-form content, with long-form content being a long-running format on the platform, and the reason people log on to stream videos. Video engagement can also be enabled with video SEO practices on Youtube’s platform. Featuring a wide array of genres, from entertainment to tutorials and vlogs, Youtube makes for a rich and powerful way to reach consumers. Its advertising options range from video ads subtly placed on content creators’ channels to Youtube static and video advertising banners.

Malaysia

Malaysia has a high internet penetration rate, with 97% of its population being active internet users. Since 2023, the digital economy has doubled its contribution to the national GDP, signaling substantial opportunities for businesses operating online. With 5G coverage extending across 80% of Malaysia and the average daily mobile screen time teetering over 8 hours, the Malaysian digital marketing landscape is set to soar.

Adopt Diversity in Marketing

Malaysia’s cultural makeup is richly diverse, with a mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and other minority racial groups. For digital marketing to be successful in this diverse environment, marketers will have to adopt strategies that mirror the vibrant blend of cultures in the country. Brands can tailor highly localised marketing by running campaigns during the major cultural celebrations, such as Hari Raya (Eid), Chinese New Year and Deepavali. This will build stronger relationships with the different communities. Marketing messaging can also celebrate the distinct demographics of the country in a unique way, however possible.

Mobile-First Marketing

Malaysian internet users exhibit mobile-first behaviour. The country’s social media penetration is also equally high at 92%. The adoption of mobile payments, at 85% of the population, will also support greater receptivity to digital marketing and digital commerce. An excellent example of mobile-first marketing is how food delivery apps such as Grab and Foodpanda send personalized push notifications to users, prompting purchases through discounts and deals via its own in-app marketing. Research has shown this to be a potent way of driving online sales. Moreover, mobile engagement has the advantage of being present at exactly the right moment. With the shortening of internet users’ attentiveness, mobile-first marketing can bring about powerful opportunities to connect with your audience in meaningful ways like personalized promotions, interactive in-app content and geo-targeted ads.

The Rise of AI

AI-powered digital marketing tools have become more and more pervasive, and in Malaysia, this is no different. Companies have begun to utilize predictive AI to pre-empt patterns on consumer behaviour and purchase habits. AI marketing tools can also automate highly personalized customer journeys. To keep your digital marketing strategies competitive in 2025 and beyond, look to AI tools.

Most Popular Digital Channels Amongst Malaysians

The most used digital channels in Malaysia are Youtube, at 93.2%, Facebook, at 84.8%, Instagram, at 74.3%, TikTok, at 59.9%, and FB Messenger, at 55.8%. These users are logging onto the internet primarily to find information (78.3%), followed by keeping up to date with news and events (68.3%), and staying in touch with friends and family (68.2%). Researching how to do things (64%) and watching videos, TV shows and movies (62.8%) also rank quite highly for the reasons to access the internet.

Vietnam

At the start of 2025, the number of individuals using the internet in Vietnam stood at 79.8 million, which is 78.8% of the population, and the number of mobile connections in Vietnam is 126% of its total population. In fact, Vietnam’s e-commerce market has been experiencing a boom over the last few years. According to a report by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company, Vietnam’s digital commerce had a gross merchandise value (GMV) of US$36 billion in 2024, and this figure is only going to grow to between US$90 and US$200 billion by 2030.

A Highly Mobile-First Population

With Vietnam’s rising middle class and increasing gentrification, the country’s population now has growing disposable income. As of early 2025, 40.5% of the country’s population reside in urbanised city centres, while 59.5% live out in rural areas. With these figures, we can see how people in Vietnam turn to e-commerce shopping platforms out of convenience.

Popular Digital Platforms in Vietnam

The most popular digital platforms in Vietnam are Zalo(85%) Facebook(75.4%), Youtube (61.6%), FB Messenger(55.3%) and TikTok(40.4%). Instagram (10.6%) is one of the least used platforms, but it boasts noteworthy usage among Vietnam’s youth population. Zalo is the leading Vietnamese instant messaging multi-platform, outperforming Facebook. Over-the-top services like Netflix also have high user penetration in Vietnam.

Conversational Commerce

A recent Meta report reveals messaging and conversational commerce as a powerful trend in Vietnam, with 53% of Vietnamese users willing to make purchases through advisory messaging, and 81% of Vietnamese businesses attracting high-value leads through messaging ads. Conversational commerce is the process of drawing in or converting a consumer through gradual conversational interactions that may involve streamlining purchases or product recommendations. These interfaces can take the form of chatbots, messaging apps and voice assistants. This trend can be said to be effective in its prioritization of customer success and experience. It is quickly gaining traction in Vietnam and marketers can benefit from incorporating it in their strategies.

Livestream and Video Content

Livestream and video content continues to dominate the digital scene in South East Asia. In Vietnam specifically, Facebook Live takes the lead in terms of channels, with 88% of active users and 77% active watchers weekly. The efficacy of livestream content can be gleaned from the numbers: 76% of consumers made purchases after watching a livestream and 53% are willing to splash out on their next purchase should they get direct advisory from livestreamers.