When you think about digital marketing in Asia, are you only thinking about Japan, China or Korea? If so, you could be doing yourself a great disservice. There’s no shortage of viable Asian territories to target.
In This Article
- Singapore: Asia’s Regional Power Hub
- Taiwan: High Trust with Japan-Adjacent Behavior
- India: Unmatched Scale, Seldom-Tapped Potential
- Indonesia: Where Social Proof Takes Precedence
- Vietnam: Fast Adoption, Competitive Ease (For Now)
- Thailand: Where a Familiar Platform Dominates
- Malaysia: Effective B2B Asia Marketing Potential
- Philippines: High Engagement…with a Caveat
- TL;DR Asia Digital Marketing Cheat Sheet
- Where Do You Want to Go?
In this article, we’ll not only examine which countries deserve more careful consideration for your Asia digital marketing strategy, we’ll also delve into which industries should target specific territories, and the best platforms for success.
Singapore: Asia’s Regional Power Hub
Singapore ranks at the top due to its efficiency and position as Southeast Asia’s regional headquarters. Campaigns that launch in Singapore typically influence surrounding markets, much like the way we discussed how Korean campaigns can make waves in Japan.
The Singaporean market’s strength lies in its high purchasing power and English-first business environment. As possibly the most digitally-literate in the region, this means you can easily reach key decision-makers through online efforts.
Hands down, Singapore is among the strongest territories for digital marketing in Asia, outside the ‘Big 3.’
How and Who to Market for in Singapore
While Singapore is possibly the strongest market despite having the smallest population, it’s still important to know which industries are best to target and which platforms are most effective for outreach. The following are the best industries.
- B2B Services & SaaS
- Fintech & Enterprise Tech
- Professional Services
These industries work because many buying decisions in the APAC territory are often centralized in Singapore. Thanks to the country’s high trust in international brands, Singapore boasts the best ROI efficiency in the region.
Because of its business environment, we recommend focusing your digital efforts primarily on LinkedIn. Google Search also captures high-intent queries, so these two platforms in tandem can supercharge your conversion goals.
Taiwan: High Trust with Japan-Adjacent Behavior
Overseas brands that target the Taiwan market often find their expectations surpassed. This is thanks to the country’s high digital literacy and deep research culture, reminiscent of Japan’s online reputation. They respond to substantive marketing and avoid surface-level messaging.
Understand you’re entering a mature market, treat them as such, and you’ll be rewarded with quality conversions.
Industries and Channels for Targeting Taiwan
Where Singapore is more of a B2B play, Taiwan is better for B2C brands. These include:
- Consumer Electronics
- DTC Brands
- Software Companies
- Cross-Border eCommerce
Industries like electronics and tech benefit from the country’s strong engineering culture, while software and app companies succeed by positioning themselves as practical and productivity-enhancing.
As for how to market, we recommend Google Search for catering to mid/lower-funnel research behaviors. YouTube is a powerful tool for evaluation, reviews, tutorials, etc. Investing in influencers/brand ambassadors can carry you far. Facebook and Instagram may also provide some value for social proof.
India: Unmatched Scale, Seldom-Tapped Potential
A significant reason India’s potential goes unrealized by overseas brands is due to perception. They often misunderstand India as a volume-driven market while in reality, it stands among Asia’s most intent-rich digital environments.
Brands that prioritize funnel depth over quick conversions will see high-quality returns.
Industries and Channels to Focus on in India
It should come as no surprise that the majority of India’s key industries are tech-related. Specifically:
- SaaS
- EdTech
- Fintech
- Mobile Apps
SaaS and EdTech match the nation’s strong culture of self-improvement and professional advancement. Fintech is driven by a mobile-first infrastructure. Mobile apps tend to scale rapidly if they can be applied well to everyday life.
Google Search is the primary platform for detailed research, while YouTube serves a dual purpose of education and trust-building. On the topic of professional progression, LinkedIn is effective for B2B or career-focused products.
Indonesia: Where Social Proof Takes Precedence
Often overlooked, Indonesia is actually Southeast Asia’s largest consumer market, and one of its most socially driven. Not as heavy on research as the previously-mentioned countries, much of Indonesia’s discovery and conversions primarily happen in the social media space.
Allocate your budget for influencer campaigns, as creators and communities outshine even the most polished brand narratives.
Industries and Platforms that Play Well in Indonesia
Since Indonesia is such a social media-conscious population, the best industries to market in this territory include:
- Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
- Beauty
- Fashion
- Budget-Conscious Consumer Technology
Whereas India’s market is a strong intent-driven environment, Indonesia’s online behaviors are very impulse-driven as these industries would suggest. FMGC, beauty and fashion purchases are visually influenced, while affordable tech performs well with proper, real-life usage demonstration.
Given these industries and behaviors, platforms like TikTok take center stage. In Indonesia, TikTok serves as a primary discovery engine, rather than merely an awareness channel. Instagram also holds prominence, as creators are the main drivers of trust. Local marketplaces Shopee and Tokopedia are the final conversion point. Think of these as Indonesia’s answer to eBay and Amazon.
Vietnam: Fast Adoption, Competitive Ease (For Now)
Vietnam’s digital scene is heavily populated by younger users with a tech-forward mindset. However, a younger demographic demands that brands move fast. Success requires speed and relevance, or else you’ll lose consumer attention.
Luckily, competition in this market isn’t too heavy, but rapid digital adoption among the population is quickly changing the landscape.
Emerging Industries in Vietnam and How to Market for Them
As the youth-leaning online population would suggest, the best industries for marketing in Vietnam include:
- Consumer electronics
- Gaming
- Education
- eCommerce
Electronics and gaming fall perfectly in line with the younger, tech-foward population, while the country’s aspiration for upward mobility makes it a great place to market education products and services. Finally, eCommerce is becoming more commonplace, accelerating among young web users.
We advise making Facebook a central part of your strategy, as it’s still deeply embedded across all age groups. Particularly for gaming, Facebook Groups are a great way to get your message to potential customers. Meanwhile, Google Search works to capture transactional intent effectively. Lastly, TikTok continues to gain influence in Vietnam for trend-drive categories.
Thailand: Where a Familiar Platform Dominates
Thailand is a unique market where conversions are more often relationship-based, as opposed to transactional. This distinct aspect of the country’s online space is due to how the LINE app is used. Instead of being merely a marketing channel, its central role in Thailand’s digital ecosystem makes it an essential infrastructure.
LINE in Thailand functions as a messaging app (its core feature), but it also extends to a CRM, loyalty and commerce platform.
Other Effective Platforms and Relevant Industries in Thailand
Certain aspects of Thailand’s culture and economy make the country a great place to target for these industries:
- Beauty & Wellness
- Travel
- Lifestyle
Thailand is a popular international tourist destination, but it also sees a strong demand from domestic and regional visitors. This makes travel marketing a must. The beauty, wellness and lifestyle sectors align with the country’s serious self-care culture.
As we’ve stated already, LINE is an indispensable part of marketing for any of these industries, but especially beauty and lifestyle. Instagram and TikTok are great for discovery and trust-building, while Google Search captures high-intent travel queries.
Malaysia: Effective B2B Asia Marketing Potential
Malaysia may not be a flagship market, which is why many foreign brands overlook this country. Those ‘in-the-know,’ however, recognize it as a solid secondary growth territory. This is thanks to the population’s English fluency, professional audience and digital maturity.
Top Industries and Platforms for Marketing in Malaysia
Malaysia’s professional landscape lends itself to being a great place to market for specific industries, including:
- B2B Services
- Education
- SMB-Focused SaaS
Demand is high for professional upskilling, meaning education and training products would perform well here. Also, marketing SaaS tools to SMBs (small-to-medium businesses) is most effective when positioned around efficiency and cost control.
LinkedIn and Google Search cover the majority of B2B-related needs, while Facebook should still be considered for mid-funnel marketing strategy.
Philippines: High Engagement…with a Caveat
The Philippines deserves mention on this list, but there are a few important notes to consider. The country has one of the highest social media usage rates globally. This means your CTR and engagement metrics will look great, but turning that into revenue could be an uphill climb.
High Engagement does not necessarily equal high purchasing power. Price sensitivity makes this quite the challenge, as the average disposable income in the Philippines is lower than in Singapore, Taiwan or even Thailand. At the end of the day, what this means is that you should cater your marketing to a “value-for-money” mindset.
Compatible Industries and Marketing Channels for the Philippines
With these constraints in consideration, the best industries to market in the Philippines include:
- Entertainment
- Education
- Community-Oriented Products
Users in the Philippines are primarily online for entertainment and escapism, so this is a no-brainer. Community-based products also play into this, as you can advertise merchandise to various fandoms. The Filipino population also has a desire for upward mobility professionally and financially, so education-based products and services are also great for marketing to the Philippines.
Marketing/advertising will be a social-first play here. Facebook remains dominant across all demographics in the Philippines, so this will be your primary platform. YouTube is great for long-form engagement and education, while TikTok drives discovery.
Whatever the industry or platform, our most important advice is to price reasonably.
TL;DR Asia Digital Marketing Cheat Sheet
We covered a lot of territories and information on how to target them for your marketing campaign. To make things easier, here’s a condensed ‘cheat sheet’ to help you digest it more simply.
| Country | Industry | Best Channels |
| Singapore | B2B, SaaS, Fintech | LinkedIn, Google Search, Programmatic |
| Taiwan | Electronics, DTC, Int’l eCommerce | Google Search, YouTube, FB/IG |
| India | Saas, EdTech, Fintech, Mobile Apps | Google Search, YouTube, LinkedIn, WhatsApp |
| Indonesia | FMCG, Beauty, Fashion, Affordable Tech | TikTok, Instagram, Shopee, Tokopedia |
| Vietnam | Consumer Electronics, Gaming, Education | Facebook, TikTok, Google |
| Thailand | Beauty, Wellness, Travel, Lifestyle | LINE, Instagram, Google |
| Malaysia | B2B Services, Education, SMB SaaS | LinkedIn, Google, Facebook |
| Philippines | Entertainment, Education, Community Brands | Facebook, YouTube, TikTok |
Where Do You Want to Go?
With ICJ, there is no barrier to entry. Our staff from around the globe is well-equipped to help you penetrate any market, including Southeast Asia.
Digital marketing in Asia can yield incredible results, and we have the know-how to execute your digital campaign for maximum ROI.
