Smart spending and personalisation: new trends in tech marketing
Matt: We’ve got several diverse topics that we’re going to explore, but let’s start off with a more broad topic around the tech marketing landscape. What are the big changes you've noticed in tech marketing over the past few years?
Raenald: I started working in tech marketing in 2015. Since then, I've worked at several companies like Grab, Red Doors, Huawei, and now ShopBack. I've noticed three main changes in tech marketing over the past few years. The first is that customers are now more demanding. Back in 2015, if you had a new product, customers were usually excited about it.
Now, things have changed. Convenience and on-demand services are expected. Customers are pickier and harder to please. For example, in the past, people were happy just to have on-demand delivery. Now, they complain if it's late.
This change affects both products and marketing. Before, you could attract customers by simply talking about your product's benefits, because it was new and exciting. Now, that's not enough.
Nowadays, you need to put in more effort, especially with promotions. In the past, a simple discount was enough. But now, customers are looking for more. They ask questions like: Is there free shipping? Is this offer only for today? Can I use it multiple times?
We're seeing a trend of more demanding customers. This is because their expectations have grown. In the early days of new products and services, people had lower expectations. But as the industry has developed, so have customer demands.
We're seeing a trend of more demanding customers. This is because their expectations have grown. In the early days of new products and services, people had lower expectations. But as the industry has developed, so have customer demands.
Another change I've noticed is in how companies spend their marketing budgets. Brands are now being more careful and smart with their spending. This is partly due to recent events in the tech industry that have made many companies more cautious with their money.
There's actually a benefit to being more careful with spending. Now, we're smarter about how we use our money.
For example, we're changing how we spend on different marketing channels. Before, we might buy a billboard or lots of ads just to be seen everywhere. Now, we prefer online marketing because it's easier to track. We can see how many people click on our ads.
Another change is that we're getting smarter with our promotions. Instead of offering the same deal to everyone, we now create special offers for different groups of customers.
We can do this because we understand customer behaviour better now. We look at things like how often people buy from us or what types of products they like. This helps us create promotions that are just right for each group.
This approach is called personalisation. It lets us track our results more precisely for each group, instead of just looking at overall numbers. These are some of the big changes I've noticed in the last nine years.
Matt: The marketing world has changed a lot, not just for customers but also for marketers. There are many new tools to measure how well marketing is working. It can be overwhelming because there are so many options. These changes, along with changing customer expectations, are making tech marketing more complex. I'd like to focus on two things you mentioned.
First, let's talk about customer expectations. Do you have any advice or examples of how you've dealt with this? What are some practical ways brands can handle these expectations and keep customers happy, even with lots of competition?
Raenald: First, customers often just want to be heard. It's important to give them ways to share their thoughts on social media and to respond to them. This is key.
For example, when there's a complaint, you need to work closely with your customer service team. They should be ready to address issues and have answers to common questions.
You might see a lot of complaints in the first month, but they usually decrease over time. Another important point is being more open with customers. In the past, companies could get away with hidden terms in promotions, like "50% off, but only for certain items" in small print.
Now, customers are smarter and more careful. They pay more attention to details. So it's very important to be clear and honest in your marketing. Customers will notice if you're trying to trick them.
Leveraging customer habits for personalised marketing
Matt: Let's talk about the second point you mentioned - how people act differently. We know that customers behave in various ways on different platforms, and different groups of people have their own habits.
Can you share an example from your experience where a specific group of customers did something unexpected on a particular platform?
Raenald: We look at how customers use our platform and what their habits are. Let's use ride-hailing services as an example. How often people use these services is important.
If someone uses a ride-hailing app to go to work every day, they'll use it a lot. This idea works for ShopBack too. We look at what people buy. Some people only buy clothes, others only book travel, and some do both.
This information helps us see patterns. We can tell who shops a lot and who likes specific types of products. It's important to understand why people shop this way. We need to look at the big picture to understand their behaviour and make our plans.
It's important to understand why people shop this way. We need to look at the big picture to understand their behaviour and make our plans.
Here's an example of how we use this information: Let's say we have a customer who only buys clothes. If we know they're planning a trip, we might try to sell them travel services. We could also suggest they buy new clothes for their trip. This way, we connect their love for fashion with travel. It helps us find ways to appeal to different types of shoppers.
Matt: Not every company can sell many different types of products. But I think this approach can teach us a lot about our customers. It's not just about selling more of what people already buy. Instead, it's about offering different kinds of products. I find it really interesting to see how these different areas can work together.
Raenald: Even if you only sell one type of product, there's still a lot you can learn. You can look at how often people buy and when they last bought something. For instance, do they only shop during holidays?
Or do they only buy on payday? Is it worth trying to get them to shop at other times? When you study these shopping habits, you can learn a lot. This information helps you create better marketing messages.
Potentials of affiliate marketing: simplicity and results
Matt: What are some insider tips for affiliate marketing? Do you think it's not being used enough or not being used correctly?
Raenald: In affiliate marketing, you only pay when a sale happens. At ShopBack, we work with brands as an affiliate marketing platform, so we only get paid when a transaction occurs.
When planning your marketing, you might have some channels that focus on getting new customers. Affiliate marketing is different - you only pay when a sale happens.
I think affiliate marketing still has room to grow. It's not new, but many people aren't familiar with it. It's not fully understood yet. Some people think it's complicated, but it's actually quite simple.
When I worked at Red Doors with ShopBack, affiliate marketing was one of our marketing channels. During Covid, when we had to stop some marketing activities, ShopBack was the last one we paused. This was because we only paid when a sale happened, which made it easier to manage.
That's about affiliate marketing in general. For ShopBack specifically, we're an affiliate marketing platform that also gives cashback. This appeals to people who want rewards and savings on their purchases.
We help brands achieve multiple goals. A survey we did showed that 65% of people prefer to save money using methods like reward points or cashback. It's a practical way for them to save.
We help brands achieve multiple goals. A survey we did showed that 65% of people prefer to save money using methods like reward points or cashback. It's a practical way for them to save.
Matt: You mentioned that some brands might want to better understand affiliate marketing. What advice would you give them? How can they start exploring it? Are there any useful tips you can share?
Raenald: My main advice is simple: just give it a try. If you're unsure, start with a short campaign or a specific time period. Then look at the results. The great thing about affiliate marketing is that you get real data to analyse.
This data is what makes it so valuable. I think it won't be hard to convince people to try it. When I was at Red Doors, I didn't fully understand how it worked at first. But I thought, "Okay, let's try it with the budget we have and see what happens."
Here are some title suggestions for this section on affiliate marketing:
Learning from different generations in the workplace
Matt: It's especially important for our audience at seachange marketing community to discuss managing teams with different cultures and ages. We know that in Southeast Asia, there's no single approach that works for everyone. There are many differences in people and markets. We'd like to hear what you think about this.
Can you tell us about your experience managing teams with people of different ages and from different regions? What advice would you give to others who are doing the same thing?
Raenald: When managing teams with different cultures and ages, people often focus on the differences. But really, it's about having the right people. If someone fits well with the company and your management style, it's easier to work together, regardless of their background or age.
Sometimes, when we have trouble working with different generations, like Gen Z or millennials, it's usually because the person isn't a good fit for the team. While differences exist, finding the right people is key.
Let's talk about managing across cultures. The most important thing is to understand and adapt, starting with language. Communication is crucial. When working with people from other countries, we ask them how they prefer to communicate. Do they like phone calls or written messages? This helps us understand their preferences.
For example, some people might feel pressured to answer immediately during calls. Others might prefer written messages so they can think about their response. It's important to make everyone feel comfortable. I've learned that showing you're willing to adapt is key when working with people from different countries.
You need to be flexible. For instance, in the Philippines, I have more in-person calls. But in Thailand, I might use more written messages on Slack instead of actual meetings or calls.
When it comes to working with different generations, I see it as a learning opportunity. Younger team members often know more about current trends, like what's happening on TikTok. We can learn from them about these trends.
When it comes to working with different generations, I see it as a learning opportunity.
In managing across generations, it's important to accept that there are things you might not know. For example, I've heard that one way to tell millennials from Gen Z is that Gen Z opens TikTok first, while millennials open Instagram first.
This kind of insight is valuable because TikTok is now a major channel for advertising. The key is to accept that younger team members might know more about some things, and we might know less. This acceptance is crucial for better management.
