SEA consumers online buying sentiments improve
KUCHING: Black Friday and Singles’ Day may be the new kids on the block, but for Southeast Asia, Christmas is where it’s at, representing the majority of online engagement about holiday shopping.
A new report from Meltwater titled ‘ Ecommerce in SEA: Supercharging Holiday Sales Through Social Media’ analysed consumer sentiment during the year-end shopping period last year to help ecommerce companies better reach their audiences.
The report found that Christmas shopping pulled in 56.6 per cent of chatter, while Black Friday represented 22.5 per cent of buzz.
Fast- growing Singles’ Day – a shopping holiday started by internet company Alibaba in 2009 – is credited with kicking off the nearly two-month shopping period, and accounted for 20.9 per cent of social media conversations.
Within the region, Indonesia drove the highest volume of conversations (57 per cent), which isn’t surprising considering the country’s increased internet penetration and smartphone usage in recent years. Philippines and Malaysia represented 30 per cent and 12 per cent respectively, while Singapore brought in one per cent of the buzz.
While the top brands varied from country to country, the online marketplace model emerged the real winner.
In Singapore, Amazon dominated social media with 51 per cent of online conversations; Shopee led the buzz in Indonesia; Qoo10 was the most talked about in the Philippines; and Lazada emerged triumphant in Malaysia.
Mimrah Mahmood, Regional director, Media Solutions, Meltwater Asia Pacific said : “The common thread between the winning brands – whether that is Lazada, Amazon or Shopee – lies in their early planning and ability to start campaigns earlier.
“Whether that is locking down influencers early or working with merchants for promotional activity, it’s clear that having a first mover advantage in such a competitive environment is critical.”
Mimrah Mahmood added: “Data from social listening can help brands test the effectiveness of campaigns and derive actionable insights. By understanding the volume and sentiment of what’s being said about them during a specific period or in relation to a specific topic, brands can identify whether or not it is worth investing more resources towards that end.”
The common thread between the winning brands – whether that is Lazada, Amazon or Shopee – lies in their early planning and ability to start campaigns earlier. Mimrah Mahmood, Media Solutions, Meltwater Asia Pacific Regional director