The e-commerce and digital economy in Southeast Asia is fast developing and with great growth potential. Shopee identified these opportunities which the brand leveraged to differentiate itself from other e-commerce platforms and improving its user engagement approach. The report covers Shopee’s initiatives and how it contributes to the growth of the industry.
Mobile-first focus as a key advantage
- Leveraging on the growth of mobile penetration in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, Shopee focuses on the first touch point of their consumer journey, the Shopee mobile app.
- The mobile app provides a clean interface, easy-to-use design and quick links to each feature of Shopee.
- The user-centred design and intuitive interface accommodate both the buyer’s and seller’s experience from the beginning of their journey.
Hyperlocalisation driving memorable digital experiences
- Shopee operates in a highly diverse environment and its campaigns are hyper-localised to cater to the demands of each market. For example:
- Vietnam’s large millennial population of 30% or 27 million rely on their mobile devices and demand a more personalised shopping experience. To engage this segment, Shopee launched month-long sales campaigns and selected a popular Vietnamese actor as its brand ambassador.
- Thais view celebrity endorsements favourably, 60% of respondents in a survey affirmed that they trust celebrity endorsers. Some of the most popular celebrities in Thailand are of mixed ethnicity, Shopee Thailand selected Thai-Norwegian actress and Thai-Austrian actor/model as endorsers for their multi-faceted campaign.
- Malaysian online shoppers are most receptive to discounts and flash sales. Shopee Malaysia launched a daily campaign called “Shocking Sale” which covered Lowest Price Guarantee, and free shipping with a minimum purchase.
- Localisation goes beyond marketing campaigns and product categories. Shopee also actively partners with local banks in each country for payment methods, as well as logistics partners to ensure seamless and cost-effective shopping and delivery.
Non-conventional business model and value-added services
- Shopee Feed is a personalised list of items available to users which allow them to like and follow.
- Shopee Live Chat is a built-in instant messaging feature that allows buyer-seller engagement. Buyers can get replies from the sellers directly and quickly and it also enables sellers to cultivate deeper relationships with their customers.
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- Shopee Mall was launched last year as a dedicated in-app space that showcases Official Brands and Shopee’s Top Sellers.
- The simple and intuitive interface has earned a high level of user engagement with Shopee buyers making an average of 3.7 orders per month during the second quarter of 2017.
- Shopee University is a Shopee-wide initiative aimed at assisting local entrepreneurs and businesses in setting up their online stores. It offers tutorial modules to help grow their businesses.
- Shopee also provides operational support through Shopee Seller Centre. The centre provides seller’s access to a Seller Assistant tool that helps manage their online store, help with inventory management, order tracking, and profit and loss management.
- Shopee Guarantee was also set up to protect buyers by withholding payment to sellers until the buyer receives their orders in an agreed-upon condition.
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About Shopee Brand Strategy Briefing Report
The non-commissioned report is a business analysis of Shopee’s marketing initiatives across seven markets from South-east Asia and Taiwan. It was written by Econsultancy with inputs from Shopee that explores the organisation’s marketing strategies, campaigns, challenges, as well as the impact and key takeaways. Read the full report here.
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