Digitize or die?

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Hello readers,

If there are two things I’m a fan of, they’re dinosaurs and good billboard advertisements.

Especially the ones so impactful they’d be vividly emblazoned in my mind for days after – like the ones I used to see going into Singapore’s bustling Orchard Road, plastered over the Tangs Plaza façade.

But like dinosaurs, billboards are facing mass extinction, with Covid-19 serving as their Chicxulub asteroid.

However, as I’ve found out, it’s nothing to be sad about; after all, dinosaurs evolved into chickens, and they’re one of the most prolific animals on the planet. I’m not saying out-of-home or physical advertisements will also turn into birds, but they’re definitely changing form to get on with the times.

Like what web advertising platform Outbrain’s head of sales Helena Gamvros told me, the static vinyl billboard will be a thing of the past. Billboards will soon take on a digital form that can show up to six ads within one minute, targeting specific audiences at specific times.

Advertising isn’t dead. It’s just grown digital wings.

— Joseph, Journalist at Tech in Asia

1️⃣ Covid-19: While digital ad spending is up, primetime ads are down
In the new Covid-19 normal, the rule for traditional media players seems to be “digitize or die.” But here’s why it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

2️⃣ Traveloka says it has cleared nearly $100m in refunds
Traveloka saw a historic drop in activity and a 10x increase in refund and rebooking requests amid the pandemic.

3️⃣ Vietnam’s rising startup scene may have a glaring weakness
A closer look at Vietnam’s funding deals in 2019 reveals a funding imbalance that could affect the growth of the country’s rising startup scene.

4️⃣ Flipkart launches accelerator program for early-stage Indian startups
Startups will receive US$25,000 in equity-free grant as part of the 16-week virtual program.

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