Ad Fatigue Peaks In Southeast Asia — Study Urges Shift To Omnichannel Strategies

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- A new study by global advertising technology company, The Trade Desk (TTD) has revealed that 66 per cent of consumers in Southeast Asia are disengaging from repetitive advertisements (ads) shown on a single channel.

Titled “The Untapped Opportunity of Omnichannel”, the study highlights the urgent need for marketers to shift from siloed multichannel strategies to a connected, omnichannel approach that better aligns with evolving consumer media habits.

The study found that consumers in the region now spend over eight hours a day across five key media environments, such as digital-out-of-home (DOOH) and connected TV/over-the-top (CTV/OTT), music streaming, gaming, news, and websites.

This fragmentation, however, is contributing to widespread ad fatigue, with Indonesia (69 per cent) and the Philippines (67 per cent) reporting the highest levels, followed closely by Thailand (65 per cent) and Singapore (63 per cent), according to TTD in a statement.

The impact is particularly pronounced among Gen Z audiences, who are 57 per cent more likely to be irritated by seeing the same brand repeatedly on one platform. As digital natives, Gen Z consumers expect advertising to be seamless, personalised, and varied across different digital touchpoints.

Despite growing weariness with ads, Southeast Asian consumers remain open to advertising that is timely and relevant. More than half (55 per cent) of respondents said ads influence their next purchase, with the figure rising to 66 per cent in Thailand and 60 per cent in Indonesia.

The study also found that omnichannel campaigns outperform fragmented strategies, reducing ad fatigue by 2.2 times and increasing persuasive impact by 1.5 times. Advertisers using TTD's platform also saw a 1.7 times increase in purchase intent when three or more digital channels were connected and a 77 per cent uplift in return on investment when five channels were integrated.

In Thailand, strong brand recall was reported across digital platforms, particularly in online video, gaming, and websites, whereas in the Philippines, while social media remains dominant, it suffers from lower consumer trust.

Meanwhile, Singapore consumers, known for their ad scepticism, continue to seek reliable information through trusted media environments. Indonesia recorded the highest ad recall rate in the region at 81 per cent, surpassing the Southeast Asian average of 66 per cent but it also faced a significant trust gap, ranking just behind Singapore in low brand trust.

The findings indicate that visibility alone is not enough, and advertisers must ensure consistency, credibility, and high-quality formats, especially in video and CTV/OTT, to bridge the trust gap.

The research was carried out by TTD, in partnership with PA Consulting, through a quantitative survey of 2,000 consumers each from Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia to understand their needs and channel choices across different media moments and mindsets.

-- BERNAMA