ASEAN marketers find it impossible to track return on media investment, finds World Federation of Advertisers research
Despite feeling that design and brand positioning is in hand, marketers in the ASEAN market (Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines and Singapore) said they were struggling with aspects of digital and measurement due to a lack of accurate data.
The findings, based on research by the Workd Federation of Advertisers (WFA) revealed that they were using an average of five tools to measure return on investment.
According to the report, 58 per cent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that “the lack of robust media audience data is preventing us from investing more” and 36 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that it was “impossible to accurately measure ROMI in our market/region”.
“ASEAN is a fast-moving and fast-changing region with multiple markets and multiple ethnicities. Managing digital transformation in such a complex part of the world challenges even the very best marketers. The winners will be those that effectively deliver innovation, achieve data understanding and maintain brand relevance with diverse target groups while accessing regionally relevant experiences, insights and case studies,” said Ranji David, marketing director, Asia at the WFA.
Skills and talent is a key concern for the region, with 29 per cent admitting that they were advanced at generating customer insights. This is compared to 45 per cent in LATAM.
In terms of keeping talent, some 61 per cent said they cannot hold onto the best people and 63 per cent said there are plenty of new agency start ups emerging.
To service locally, however, brands believe that local agencies are better placed to service them, rather than the bigger, global agencies in the region.