Understand the key digital trends in Myanmar that will shape the way to communicate with consumers.

1. 2020 DIGITAL TRENDS
MYANMAR

2. Foreword: Simon Bailey, CEO
Digital marketing in Myanmar has grown and changed at a
startling rate in 2019 and this is set to continue in to 2020.
With the fastest mobile data speeds in APAC behind
Singapore and 90% smartphone penetration, mobile
marketing is fast becoming the priority for all advertisers.
Keeping up with these changes and predicting trends is no
mean feat so we have consulted with the experts across the
digital ecosystem and crunched the numbers to bring you the
hot trends for 2020, we hope you enjoy.

3. #1
TEST, TEST, TEST
A/B testing (also known as split testing or bucket testing) is a
method of comparing two versions of a digital creative,
webpage or app against each other to determine which one
performs better. AB testing is essentially an experiment where
two or more variants of a creative are shown to users at
random, and statistical analysis is used to determine which
variation performs better for a given conversion goal.
As Myanmar marketers strive to drive
better performance from their digital
campaigns, focus will shift on testing
multiple variations of creatives to better
understand how their consumers react.
These digital insights will ensure future
campaigns deliver higher returns on
investment.

4. #2
THE ART OF
INTELLIGENCE
The necessity for AI and machine learning
will grow as advertisers look to unlock
deeper insights into their Myanmar
consumers. Uses range from digital media
buying to content creation and chatbots.
Humology uses our AI to analyze massive amounts of consumer
data and campaign content to measure campaign performance,
allowing marketers to redirect budget toward ad placements
that are performing the best. Our AI also helps marketers
diminish their cost-per-acquisition while generating higher-
quality leads by working to find the right match of images,
videos, headlines and calls-to-action in campaign materials.

5. A/B testing (also known as split testing or bucket testing) is a
method of comparing two versions of a digital creative,
webpage or app against each other to determine which one
performs better. AB testing is essentially an experiment where
two or more variants of a creative are shown to users at
random, and statistical analysis is used to determine which
variation performs better for a given conversion goal.
The Myanmar digital market is maturing
with consumers using 6 mobile sites or
apps a day on average. Larger Myanmar
advertisers are now shifting 60-70% of
Digital spend in to programmatic to reap
the benefits of better targeting and
content personalisation that deliver
optimised results.
Transparency and control: you see what you pay for and can control your advert placement
on an advanced level.
Real-time data: the system gathers relevant information about the productivity of your advert
campaign and the data about the sites’ visitors to provide you with reliable information for
your development.
High efficiency: programmatic platforms give you access to several networks and multiple
advert channels.
Advanced targeting: there are plenty of options offered to advertisers to narrow the audience
and to show the adverts only to the people, who are interested in the product.
Better audience reach: there are options which allow adjusting days and even time when it is
better to show the ads.
#3
GO
PROGRAMMATIC

6. Myanmar consumers are becoming
accustomed to interacting with chatbots
as they are responsive 24/7,
communicate in local language, give
answers promptly and accurately recall
their entire buying history. These virtual
assistants offer outstanding customer
service, meeting customers’ expectations
and automating repetitive tasks whilst
also providing rich consumer insights.
63% of respondents prefer messaging an online chatbot to
communicate with a business or brand
Chatbots will power 85% of customer service by 2020
Top benefits of chatbots are 24-hour service (64%), instant
responses to inquiries (55%) and answers to simple questions (55%).
By 2022, chatbots will help businesses save over $8 billion per
annum
80% of businesses want chatbots by 2020
#4
IT'S GOOD TO TALK

7. Myanmar is consuming more video than
ever before, it is the second fastest
growing market for Youtube in APAC.
Interruptive advertising experiences
detract from the brand so more
respectful formats such as Rewarded
Video gain consumer attention and higher
completion rates.
#5
REAP THE
REWARDS

8. Myanmar consumers are 50% more likely
than the Global average to interact with
mobile advertising. Brands are now
realising that they can hold consumer
attention for longer with engaging rich
media formats specifically tailored to
their interests.
Myanmar has some of the highest rich media engagement rates in
APAC. Recent campaigns in market have shown 34% engagement
rates when run in conjunction with precision targeting and
optimisation. Consumers are willing to spend time with brands
particularly if the content is personalised to their interests.
#6
MAKE IT SO,
ENGAGE

9. The gaming category in Myanmar saw
huge growth in 2019 as consumers
became more comfortable downloading
and sharing apps. Gaming is now the
second largest category behind social
media reaching not only young adults but
also homemakers and businessmen.
The gaming category is set to grow 20% yoy in Myanmar. More
advertisers will wake up to the opportunity gaming provides and
invest advertising spend. Gaming provides a broad reach, context
neutral platform across audiences. With no UGC, advertisers are
reassured that their content is consumed in a brand safe
envirnment that cannot be guaranteed on social platforms.
#7
LET THE GAMES
BEGIN

10. Influencer marketing has been a running
trend over the past couple of years. In
2020 we will see strong growth in
medium to micro influencers allowing
better targeting against consumer passion
points.
Traditionally, medium to micro influencers have higher
engagement rates compared to mega-influencers. Advertisers that
put in the time and technology can tap in to a rich consumer base
of shared interest in line with the brand promise.
#8
USE THE INFLUENCE

11. Advertisers in Myanmar will be laser
focused on data, segmentation and
targeting options. Increased pressure on
budgets will demand that digital spend
can deliver on key performance metrics
rather than vanity metrics. Leveraging
first, second and third party data to drive
efficiencies.
As the digital eco-system in Myanmar grows, significant
behavioural and consumer preference data is generated by brands.
More advertisers are waking up to how this data can be harnessed
to drive enhanced performance campaigns both online and offline.
Advertisers that are not constantly tracking and actioning their
data are leaking significant budgets in inefficiencies.
Data driven targeting uplifts
#9
ALL ABOUT
PERFORMANCE

12. Location data can be used to inform
targeting by geographic area. In addition
to that, it can also provide a more
detailed picture of consumers, including
where they’ve been and where they are,
at any given moment. This data can be
used to create custom audience
segments.
Location-based programmatic targeting goes beyond traditional
geo-fencing by combining a variety of data sources to target
consumers – not just based on their current location, but their
behavioral patterns, intent and interests. Understanding
consumers offline behaviours can give rich insights in to their day-
to-day lives and therefore communications, products or services
that would be of most benefit.
Benefits from using location-based advertising
#10
THINK LOCATION

13. One of the issues that marketers have faced
in recent years is the growing shift to mobile
devices. Those long-form sales pages and
emails of yesteryear are losing efficiency
because on mobile screens, they’re simply
too difficult to read. But video can present
the same information in a format that works.
Live Video
Interactive Video
1:1 Video
Video marketing is one of, if not the, most important marketing
trend today and likely for the next 5-10 years.
Innovations include:
#11
THE SMALL
SCREEN
Shoppable Video
Video SEO
360 Video

14. The primary benefit of personalized
marketing is having the control to reach a
specific group of customers. And by
collecting user data from list segments,
surveys, or studies, you’re better
positioned to create more relevant and
effective campaigns towards targeted
audiences based on their buying habits,
interests, and behaviors.
Personalization is about creating a one-to-one marketing
experience for customers. It begins with collecting ample,
qualitative data about your audience. Amazon is a brilliant
example of personalization done right, and so are Netflix and
YouTube. Recommendations rain down depending on users’ on-
site activities.
70%
of myanmar consumers get
frustrated when content isn't
relevant to them
49.3%
said "undertanding my
audience" is top marketing
priority in 2020
Personalisation matters
but Myanmar marketers lack insight
in what their audiences want
#12
GET PERSONAL

15. The growth of digital in Myanmar has
previously been driven by social media
platforms. This is a UGC minefield for brands
looking to ensure that they are not affiliated
for with negative content, particularly in
election year. Advertisers will leverage on
non-UGC platforms and 3rd party brand
safety tools.
For the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), brand safety is
defined as keeping a brand’s reputation safe when they advertise
online. In practice, this means avoiding placing ads next to
inappropriate content. According to the IAB this also involves
providing a safe environment for ad trading.The result: a reduced
risk of ad misplacement and a brand’s reputation unharmed. Plus,
the elimination of the funding of content and services which
infringe copyright. For Myanmar, this entails ensuring a strong
local understanding to white/blacklist sites and apps that utilise
local language.
#13
PLAY IT SAFE

16. In a complex digital and super-connected
consumer journey, traditional
engagement KPIs such as clicks cannot
tell the full story. In Myanmar, being able
to measure store visits in real-time,
brands can realize the full potential of
their mobile campaigns, optimizing their
efforts and media investment.
Measurement of engagement should go beyond clicks in order for
advertisers to achieve the best results for their ad spend.
Maximising the value of your campaigns through precise shopper
targeting in specific areas, reaching the right audience to drive
footfall traffic and receiving a real-time information about store
visits are the strategic goals for retail brands advertisers. In
Myanmar where there is lack of real-time sales data, brands will
use mobile-data footfall tracking looking to understand the value
of their media spends.
#14
TRACK FOOTFALL

17. More than ever, Myanmar consumers are
flocking to free streaming services, listening
to music through connected devices, putting
audio front and center in their daily lives.
This new habit is creating massive shifts in
the consumer journey, spurring a renewed
focus on the role of audio in people’s lives.
According to Nielsen, 79% of audio is consumed while people are
engaged in activities where visual media can’t reach them,
whether it’s taking a road trip in the car, hitting the treadmill after
work, or even channeling your inner rock star in the shower. In
addition to that, audio ads are more than 2x as likely to lift
purchase intent and information intent than display ads.
FOR EACH DOLLAR SPENT IN AUDIO CAMPAIGNS, ADVERTISERS IN THESE CATEGORIES RECEIVED
INCREMENTAL SALES
#15
LEVERAGE AUDIO

18. A mobile-first advertising platform that sits at the intersection of humanity and technology. We help brands &
agencies understand, identify, converse with and acquire consumers.
Humology helps clients to navigate the complex technology ecosystem whilst maintaining human empathy in their
communications. Our purpose built technology combined with unique Humology consumer insights allows us to
transform digital marketing campaigns, drive incremental sales and fulfil powerful brand recognition for clients.
We use real-time data to build unique user profiles to target new customers and optimise campaign performance. All
this is delivered on the smart data-driven Humology platform across the best of global and local sites and apps.
Contact Humology now to find out how the 2020 trends impact
your digital marketing
Contact: hello@humology.co