Research has revealed that nearly a third of global consumer brands have no social commerce strategy in place despite the growing importance of social shopping platforms.
The study of senior marketers at 70 global consumer brands found that while 70% have implemented social commerce strategies, significant gaps remain in how businesses approach social selling and community engagement.
Instagram emerged as the dominant platform for social commerce, with 40% of brands using it as their primary channel – ahead of owned e-commerce platforms at 34%. The photo-sharing app’s influence extends beyond commerce, with one in four marketers planning to allocate at least 25% of their 2025 marketing budgets to the platform.
Patricia Aragón, Global Director of eCommerce Emerging Solutions & Innovation at SAMY Alliance, said: “The fact that nearly a third of consumer brands admit to lacking a social commerce strategy when you can see the growth of platforms like TikTok Shop is astounding.”
The research highlighted shifting consumer search behaviours, with social platforms gaining ground on traditional search engines. While Google remains the primary destination for brand searches at 86%, Instagram (70%) and TikTok (44%) are becoming increasingly important discovery channels.
Short-form video content appears central to marketers’ 2025 plans, with 69% believing Instagram Reels will gain prominence, closely followed by TikTok videos at 66%. These statistics reflect a broader trend towards ‘shoppertainment’ – the fusion of entertainment and commerce.
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The Digital Marketing World Forum (DMWF) Asia is set to return to Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands on February 26-27, 2025, bringing together the region’s most influential marketing leaders for a dive into the future of digital marketing and technology.
This year’s forum places a special emphasis on AI integration and automation, featuring an impressive lineup of speakers from global brands including Coca-Cola, Unilever, PepsiCo, and TikTok.
The two-day conference will run parallel tracks exploring more than 10 themes, from AI-driven marketing strategies to customer experience optimisation. Dr. Luke Soon from PwC Singapore will present ‘Humanising the future of marketing through AI and Automation’ as part of the conference’s focus on emerging technologies.
Several high-impact panel discussions will address the industry’s most pressing challenges. A notable session, ‘From Productivity to Creativity – How to utilise AI in your Marketing Strategy’, brings together experts from Google, PwC Singapore, and First Page Digital to explore practical applications of AI in marketing operations.
Key highlights
- Data & AI innovation: Multiple sessions will explore how brands can harness AI for agile marketing insights, with Intel’s Sahaj Khunteta sharing strategies for driving marketing agility through AI-powered analytics.
- Customer experience focus: The conference features dedicated tracks on personalisation and customer-centric strategies, including a panel on ‘Shaping your digital strategy with Personalised Experiences’ featuring representatives from RBL Bank, Pearson, and AEON.
- Social media evolution: Alexander Lim from TikTok will present ‘Leveraging Gen AI to Create for Commerce’, while other sessions explore emerging social media trends and creator economy strategies.
- E-commerce & omnichannel: Industry leaders from ZALORA Group and MoneyHero will share insights on adapting to changing consumer behaviours in the digital commerce landscape.
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