Big Tech Seizes Growing Cloud Opportunities in Southeast Asia

Many tech companies and cloud-based service providers choose SE Asia to accelerate their cloud computing business because SE Asia has been widely considered one of the fastest-growing regions in terms of clouding market, where the population has embraced the digital transformation during the pandemic, especially in fintech and e-commerce sectors. Another incentive is that SE Asia has a swift growth in internet users and a nascent stage of business transformation based on cloud computing.

Next Stage of Cloud Computing Market in East Asia

It is noticeable that cloud computing has become a fundamental requirement for many companies and businesses. In the digital and 5G era, as enterprises expand their understanding of the enormous benefits of cloud computing, they are now more willing to conduct workload tests on cloud and even migrate entire applications to the cloud. Apart from the EV sector, cloud-based enterprise solution providers should also keep a close eye on other Asia’s popular sectors embracing cloud computing, such as healthcare and K-12 education.

‘She Economy’ Continues to Expand to More Sectors in China

Marketing to Chinese women is not easy. Brands should be very cautious about perpetuating stereotypes. Tmall, for example, faced a lot of backlash for their 2018 Women’s Day campaign “Living with Feminine Power”, as their idea of “feminine power” included things like dealing with a blister from high-heel shoes, and exercising to try to lose weight. Also, brands should not be tokenistic, and launch a campaign simply for the sake of being feminist. An impactful campaign is one that builds upon the existing brand identity and storytelling. Brands should consider how to relate their story to women in a positive way.

China’s Xiaohongshu is Turning a Giant as a Female-Focused Platform

Xiaohongshu, the popular social commerce platform in China, is eyeing an IPO in the US as soon as this year and has recently hired Citigroup’s former Hong Kong–based Managing Director as Chief Financial Officer, as part of the preparation for the listing. The sources said the IPO could bring Xiaohongshu’s valuation at more than USD 10 billion, much more than its latest private valuation of USD 6 billion.

The Future of SE Asia’s E-Commerce is Social Media

The increase in digital connectivity and the evolution of new technologies has bridged the gap that existed between e-commerce and social media - social commerce. SE Asia has further paved the way for social commerce to spread its wings across the region. Growing digital usage, greater adoption of social shopping technologies and a global pandemic has accelerated social commerce in SE Asia.