F&B brands abandon mass-market advertising

Programmatic ad buying is pushing brands toward data led targeting.

Malaysia’s food and beverage brands are being forced to abandon broad mass-market advertising as consumer attention shifts to social platforms that now shape product discovery, brand trust, and purchase decisions.

For Tay Kai Wei, Head of Brand Marketing at Baskin-Robbins Malaysia, the old playbook built around a single campaign message no longer reflects how consumers behave.

“The mass broadcast era is over,” Tay said. “In the past, we could use one TVC to communicate to all consumers at one go.”

Brands now need sharper creative strategies across different platforms, audiences, and purchasing habits as advertising becomes more data-driven and programmatic.

Delivery platforms are also creating a harder commercial trade-off. They expand reach and sales, but absorb much of the transaction value.

“I would say that delivery does help the brand to grow our sales,” Tay said. “Those that capture the margins are the platforms, not really the brands.”

For F&B operators, delivery commissions increasingly function as customer acquisition costs. The model works only if platform users can eventually be converted into direct or in-store customers. That makes access to consumer data and stronger co-marketing arrangements more important for brands trying to build long-term value from delivery channels.

“The expectation from the brand in the longer term is that we need to gather a bit more useful consumer insights from the platform,” Tay said.

Product discovery has also moved beyond physical outlets, forcing brands to compete continuously for attention across digital and social channels.

IP collaborations have become a regular part of Southeast Asia’s F&B marketing calendar, but simple licensing is no longer enough as consumers become more selective.

“The challenge for the brand comes down to the IP selection,” Tay said.

Brands now need campaigns that connect product design, merchandise, store activations, and customer experience rather than relying on superficial packaging tie-ins.

The shift leaves F&B brands with a tougher mandate: protect margins, win attention online, and create customer experiences strong enough to turn digital discovery into repeat sales.