Economies in Southeast Asia have been greatly transformed over the past few years thanks to growing mobile and internet adoption. The region’s online economy is projected to reach $300 billion by 2025 as millions of people make e-commerce an integral part of their daily life, and marketers are responding by investing in social media, streaming video, e-commerce, and esports.
One of the most dynamic and fastest-growing areas related to digital marketing is influencer marketing. In 2019, Southeast Asia’s influencer marketing industry was worth $638 million, and is estimated to quadruple within five years to reach $2.59 billion by 2024. The reasons for influencer marketing’s rapid growth are largely attributed to the expectations and behavior of Southeast Asia’s young and mobile consumer demographic who drive the economies of much of the region. Born digital-natives, they seek authenticity, individuality, and immediacy.
Though some of the social and media platforms which dominate the social influencer market in Southeast Asia might be familiar, like Instagram and YouTube, significant cultural differences between the region’s countries demand that marketers take a hyperlocal approach with their influencer marketing strategies. This white paper aims to provide an overview of the characteristics of key markets in the region, and best practice on how marketers can better measure the effectiveness of their investments in this area.
