Martech company Tapad to ‘integrate local understanding’ in APAC expansion
When Tapad appointed me as the general manager of its new Asia-Pacific (APAC) expansion, I immediately saw the tremendous potential the region had for Tapad’s industry-leading cross-device technology. The APAC market size is about to overtake the North American market, and there is already strong demand for cross-device solutions as brands work harder to connect with real audiences, instead of their devices. The market potential is growing by the day, so it was only natural for Tapad to begin a major expansion in the area.
Martech company Tapad to ‘integrate local understanding’ in APAC expansion
Tapad’s expansion is centered around the establishment of a new office in Singapore, where our APAC team will initially be based. We are still recruiting in a variety of areas, and we are looking for high-quality candidates in sales, engineering and other divisions. With the help of our new and growing staff, we expect to roll out our full APAC offering sometime in Q4 2016.
After nearly a decade spent in the region, however, I am cognizant of the fact that the Asia-Pacific market presents a new set of challenges for any firm looking to expand into the region. Not only are there a lot of differences between the APAC and US/Europe markets, but there are also major differences within the massive market of APAC as well. Some markets are mature and comparable to the US/Europe, while others have developed in a different direction.
After having studied the market in depth for the past six months, we at Tapad saw that the attitudes towards information sharing and device usage habits differ quite a lot within the region. It is for this reason that, when attempting an expansion, firms should not pursue a one-size-fits-all strategy, and should instead look to implement a ‘think global but act local’ paradigm to fully tap into the APAC region.
Firms also must have local knowledge, and preferably some form of a local presence, in order to attain success in the APAC region. Tapad itself had previously partnered up with many global clients present in Asia-Pacific before its official APAC expansion, but by being present in the region we believe we will gain a deeper understanding of the needs in the local markets. To fully obtain and then utilize this local knowledge, then, it is important for firms to team up with clients throughout the region – global, regional, as well as local players.
Ultimately, however, our major goals in the APAC area are to provide a quality product that integrates local understanding while sticking to a fundamental formula of success. Our initial and key priority is to establish a strong Tapad Device Graph throughout APAC, both when it comes to technical solutions and quality/quantity of the data in the graph. The Device Graph is the foundation of Tapad and will determine our success in this market, as it does in other markets. Through a synthesis of strong fundamentals and a genuine grasp of the APAC market, we should be able to make major advances in what will soon be the world’s largest market for digital advertising.
Pierre Martensson, GM of APAC, Tapad.
Tel: (646) 561-5600
Email: pierre.martensson@tapad.com
Web: www.tapad.com
Twitter: @Pierremarten