Authenticity, local payments drive online consumer trust in SEA

Competitive digital landscape, authenticity and seamless payments are becoming non-negotiable for brands.

Brands in Southeast Asia are increasingly focusing on building consumer trust online by prioritising authenticity and offering seamless and localised payment options.

At the Retail Asia Summit in Singapore, Andy Mckimmie, country manager for Singapore and E-Commerce Lead for Southeast Asia at Blackmores, said the company avoids a “spray-and-pray” approach to mass marketing.

“We're investing heavily in social commerce, but we are selective about the Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and partners we work with, as we want them to have the independence to produce their own content and express their own opinions, but they must also align with our brand's ethos,” Mckimmie said.

Mckimmie added that balancing the KOL’s credibility with their audience and the company’s need to convey the right brand message is crucial. “This allows us to connect with existing customers while attracting new ones,” he said.

When it comes to online payments, Ershad Ahamed, head of Southeast Asia at Airwallex, said consumers look for a local payment method they are familiar with. “Whilst many people use cards, it's almost a 50/50 split between cards and other local options. Offering as many of these as possible makes a significant difference,” he said.

The second factor is multi-currency display. Ahamed noted that paying in local currency in a physical store saves on foreign exchange (FX) fees, online is different.

“Therefore, the goal is to implement solutions in a way that solves these problems for both the consumer and the merchant, as the ideal outcome is for the payment to be seamless, so that consumers can simply focus on the product they are buying,” he added.