August 04, 2025
Digital Ad Overload? Southeast Asia Wants Smarter, More Relevant Campaigns
A new regional study from The Trade Desk reveals that 66% of Southeast Asian consumers are ignoring repetitive ads shown on the same channel, signalling a major problem with how brands are managing media strategies. The report argues that siloed, multichannel campaigns are no longer enough in a region with fragmented media habits and rising ad fatigue.
“As media consumption becomes increasingly fragmented, ad fatigue is emerging as a major challenge for marketers,” said Simon Morgan, senior vice president, The Trade Desk. “Our research shows that an omnichannel approach is far better equipped to manage frequency across channels, publishers, and platforms, while delivering a cohesive sequence of relevant messages. When campaigns are audience-first and aligned with how people actually consume media, they reduce fatigue, while driving stronger business outcomes.”
Omnichannel vs. Multichannel: What’s the Difference?
While both strategies use multiple platforms, multichannel campaigns often operate in silos, treating each channel separately. Omnichannel strategies, on the other hand, unify messaging across three or more digital platforms, like mobile, CTV/OTT, music streaming, and online video, optimising for frequency, timing, and message sequencing based on how people consume content.
Fragmented Media, Frustrated Consumers
Consumers across Southeast Asia now spend over eight hours a day across at least five media environments, including websites, games, streaming music, and video. This fragmentation makes it harder for brands to reach audiences meaningfully—and easier to wear them out.
Ad fatigue is especially rampant in Indonesia (69%) and the Philippines (67%), with Gen Z leading the fatigue curve. Digital natives are 57% more likely to get annoyed by seeing the same brand too often on one platform, underscoring a demand for smarter, more coordinated advertising.
Consumers Still Respond, If the Ads Are Done Right
Despite fatigue, Southeast Asians are 1.6x more likely than global consumers to be influenced by digital ads when shopping online. More than half (55%) say ads affect what they buy next, with that number climbing to 66% in Thailand and 60% in Indonesia.
Data shows omnichannel strategies significantly outperform traditional multichannel efforts. For example:
- 2.2x reduction in ad fatigue
- 1.5x increase in persuasive power
- 1.7x lift in purchase intent when three channels are connected
- 77% ROI uplift when five channels are integrated
Across Southeast Asia, trust and relevance are driving ad performance. Thailand leads in brand recall via CTV and video, while Filipinos trust ads more on premium platforms than on social. Singaporeans value trusted media most, and Indonesia shows high recall but low trust, highlighting the need for consistent, omnichannel strategies that respect how and where people engage.
