The Yahoo Singapore Digital Marketers Pulse study, conducted in collaboration with global market research company Milieu Insight, revealed today (November 8th, 2024) compelling insights into the challenges, opportunities, and motivators shaping Singapore’s marketing landscape now and through 2025.
Unveiled at Yahoo’s annual Newfront 2025 event in Singapore, the study surveyed over 180 marketers on attitudes toward emerging technologies and evolving data practices, as well as key industry topics such as AI integration, data-driven marketing, and the performance-versus-branding debate.
"As we look toward 2025, the study underscores the pressing need for innovation amidst growing complexity in the marketing landscape," said Kenneth Koh, head of commercial sales, Southeast Asia, Yahoo DSP. "Marketers are increasingly focused on performance-driven strategies and cost-efficiency, which necessitates reliable and transparent partnerships. The solutions and features we showcased today are designed to empower marketers with cutting-edge technology that addresses the industry’s evolving landscape."
Overall, marketers are relatively optimistic about 2025 with slight budget increases, enabling them to explore new and emerging channels or technologies. A majority (75%) indicated eagerness to harness AI and machine-learning solutions and planned to prioritise it in 2025, mainly for predictive analysis and campaign optimisation.
Yet the survey revealed a gap between attitudes and practices when it comes to data. Although most want more data-driven marketing and are concerned about data privacy, identity constraints, and signal loss, many have also admitted to limited data application. Only a few fully utilise online and offline first-party data, with a majority only somewhat using online (70%) or offline (72%) customer data for omnichannel efforts.
"Amid a constantly changing landscape with limited resources and domain expertise, marketers should seek out and utilise like-minded technology and partners to activate first-party data efficiently for enhanced targeting and omnichannel strategies. At Yahoo, we’ve developed the Data Maturity Pulse programme aimed at helping marketers navigate their way through the complex data wilderness. From data culture through to strategy, activation and measurement, the programme evaluates an organisation's data practices and offers actionable steps to enhance their data capabilities and readiness," shared Dan Richardson, director of data & insights, AUSEA, Yahoo DSP.
Although mobile topped preferred channels, overall, omnichannel is a growing priority, with omnichannel capabilities factoring into their choice of ad platforms in media planning and buying. The study also highlighted an uptick in spend for open web platforms over walled gardens.
Performance marketing topped marketers’ focus over brand-building, with marketers prioritising campaign performance and efficiency in 2025 over brand marketing. However, marketers also reported struggling with campaign performance and efficiency, as well as measuring ROI due to industry fragmentation, which also reflects their main considerations in selecting ad platforms.
Meanwhile, Yahoo DSP’s latest solution enhancements reflect a deep understanding of marketers' needs for efficiency, precision, and robust data strategies in today’s digital landscape:
- Yahoo Blueprint – Yahoo’s AI suite now offers advanced predictive capabilities, processing 10x more data to boost decision-making and campaign performance – delivering 30% improved results and re-investing cost savings directly into campaigns.
- Yahoo Creative – Allows seamless omnichannel personalisation, enabling brands to tailor messages and assets across platforms.
- Data Maturity Pulse – Introduced amid rising regulatory and data security challenges to help brands evaluate and enhance their data sophistication. Additionally, key findings from the Data Maturity Pop Quiz - a quicker tool to assess and improve data fluency that hundreds of marketers have utilised throughout AUSEA - will be released soon, providing insight into the region’s data maturity levels.
"Navigating the digital landscape requires adaptable, forward-thinking solutions. Yahoo DSP remains deeply committed to guiding our partners in Singapore through this 'digital wilderness,' ensuring they are equipped to meet evolving consumer and market demands," said John McNerney, managing director AUSEA, Yahoo DSP. "Our focus is on listening to marketers’ needs and delivering tools that enable them to thrive, build lasting connections, and unlock meaningful growth."