Bold claim: messaging is becoming the actual frontline of customer experience in Asia-Pacific, and brands that adapt now will lead tomorrow. As consumer expectations shift, real-time, two-way conversations are no longer a luxury; by 2026 they’ll be central to how brands engage. In Southeast Asia and Australia, people prefer personalized, chat-based interactions over traditional ads or emails, which means messaging must be a core strategic pillar, not just another channel.
This isn’t about adding one more option—it’s a fundamental shift in how trust, convenience, and loyalty are earned in an era where immediacy and authenticity drive competitive advantage. To help marketers craft effective messaging-led engagement strategies, MARKETECH APAC hosted a webinar, “Messaging-Led Engagement: The New Frontline of Customer Experience,” in partnership with Proximus Global. The session explored how conversational engagement can strengthen relationships and boost satisfaction beyond what conventional marketing can achieve.
How conversational engagement cultivates trust and loyalty
In the opening segment, Trinette D’lima, Proximus Global’s general manager of product, explained why messaging apps such as WhatsApp Business are becoming the preferred channel for brands in the Asia-Pacific region. She highlighted the rise of one-to-one, personalized communication at scale. The APAC region is leading WhatsApp Business adoption, with Indonesia alone reporting over 112 million users. SMS usage is waning as OTT platforms like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram dominate brand-customer interactions.
The takeaway isn’t just convenience. It’s about crafting experiences that feel personal, immediate, and conversational, all within channels people already love. As growth accelerates, platforms are shifting to ensure messaging tools deliver value for brands while connecting with customers. Meta’s Marketing Light (now Marketing Messages API) is one example, designed to reduce spam and boost engagement. The broader aim is to transform WhatsApp from a marketing channel into a practical utility and conversational commerce platform.
WhatsApp’s evolution extends beyond messaging: in July 2024, it introduced voice calling inside chats for businesses, powered by Meta’s WebRTC to ensure low latency and high quality, rather than relying on traditional telecom operators. Proximus Global’s SIP and Live Agent systems integrated this capability, enabling real-time interactions.
This signals a shift: WhatsApp is no longer just a messaging app; it’s becoming a comprehensive customer journey hub. From discovering a brand via a Click-to-WhatsApp ad to purchasing and post-sale support, the entire lifecycle can unfold on a single platform. That is the strength of WhatsApp of today—unifying discovery, communication, and conversion in one seamless thread.
Looking ahead, WhatsApp will likely function as the central channel where discovery, engagement, payments, and support intersect in a continuous experience. The goal is to align every stage—from awareness to loyalty—within one cohesive journey. When brands adopt this mindset, they stop thinking in isolated campaigns and start thinking in ongoing conversations, and that is where the real magic happens.
Crafting messaging that forges genuine customer relationships
The next segment featured a panel with industry leaders: Ivy Leong (regional marketing director, APAC, Faber-Castell); Rosebel Garcia (head of marketing and commercial, Hertz Philippines); Shalini Seneviratne (marketing director, Baby and Child Care, Kimberly-Clark); and Trinette D’lima (Proximus Global). They discussed conversations that convert and how messaging builds lasting customer relationships.
Ivy Leong outlined how AI-driven personalization can build trust when it offers real, relevant, and non-promotional guidance—paralleling how brands should engage in conversation. To maintain Faber-Castell’s premium image amid market changes, she described four consistency pillars: message, personality, visual identity, and trust. The brand’s approach remains anchored in heritage and quality, avoids overclaiming, and uses an authentic, factual tone that respects consumer intelligence. The company also preserves a unified visual identity across communications so audiences instantly recognize Faber-Castell, reinforcing familiarity and trust.
Rosebel Garcia from Hertz emphasized “connection through care,” where human empathy and attentive service transform digital chats into meaningful, long-term relationships. When asked how messaging and brand voice shape identity, she stressed a warm, personal, and sincere tone over corporate polish. Even with AI, chatbots, and automation, she believes technology should accelerate response times while the heart of service remains human. The blend of technology and empathy is where true impact emerges.
Shalini Seneviratne from Kimberly-Clark discussed Huggies’ approach to meaningful personalization, going beyond superficial tailoring. They use AI chatbots and data platforms to deliver contextual care. Their chatbots aim to be companions, not salespeople. For example, when a mom uploads a baby photo, the system helps recommend the right diaper size or product through smart, visual understanding rather than guesswork. Regarding loyalty across a relatively short consumer lifecycle—roughly three years—Shalini explained that the brand seeks to make those moments memorable. The ecosystem approach includes communities like Huggies Moms Club and MomQ Korea, where moms share experiences and feel supported. Loyalty, in this sense, means creating lasting, positive memories even if the relationship eventually evolves.
Audience and access
The webinar drew 103 delegates representing brands such as 2GO Group Inc., ABS-CBN, Allianz PNB Life, Bank Mayapada, BPI, CHG Global Inc., First Standard Finance Corporation, Frasers Property Singapore, Hikvision, Jollibee Group, Kim Hin Joo (M) Berhad, MetroMart Technologies Inc., NutriAsia, Inc., PBCOM, PJ Lhuillier Corporation, Telekom Malaysia, Unilever, and World Vision Malaysia.
If you missed the live event, you can access the on-demand recording to explore strategies for boosting customer engagement and loyalty. Register for free to hear how leading brands are integrating messaging-led engagement into their customer experience strategies.
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