Q&A: Is an AI revolution coming to ASEAN?

The global race for AI domination is burning bright. America’s AI market size is projected to reach US$50.16bn in 2024, whilst China is working hard to become the world’s ‘AI superpower’ by 2030. As these frontrunners seek to use AI to strengthen their influence and relations with the region, South East Asia (ASEAN) is poised to reap significant economic benefits from AI adoption. Singapore has positioned itself as an AI leader. The government has developed initiatives to integrate AI into sectors such as healthcare, transport and finance. The country continues to evolve as an AI hub, presenting exciting opportunities for international collaboration. 

gimmefy.ai, one of Singapore’s leading gen AI marketing platforms, recently announced their expansion into North America. In this interview, Editor-at-large Natasha Randhawa chats with CEO and co-founder Shalu Wasu about ASEAN’s place in the global AI race, how AI helps businesses navigate new markets, and expanding influence outside the region.

Shalu, it’s great to have you here. Give us the elevator pitch for gimmefy.ai. What do you do and how are you doing it differently to other AI businesses?

Thanks, Natasha! I’ve spent over two decades in marketing, from brand management to media strategy. When Generative AI exploded in late ’22 and early ’23, like many, I dreamed of AI transforming marketing, making everything seamless. But reality had its own plans. We faced numerous roadblocks: crafting the ‘perfect’ prompt was a headache, keeping AI on-brand felt impossible, and juggling multiple AIs was inefficient. Customisation issues, generic content, and privacy concerns were constant worries. To solve these headaches, I thought, ‘What if we combined David Ogilvy’s creativity with Sam Altman’s tech genius?’ Enter gimmefy. gimmefy.ai revolutionises AI marketing by offering a bespoke platform tailored to the specific needs of brands and campaigns. Unlike generic solutions, gimmefy provides customisation, an intuitive user experience, complete privacy, curated features, and comprehensive user controls. We prioritise security and scalability with a plug-and-play platform, making AI an efficient extension of marketing teams.

In the introduction we touched briefly on Singapore’s investments in AI. gimmefy.ai recently announced its expansion into North America. How have Singapore’s initiatives and local research allowed gimmefy.ai to grow? Is ASEAN innovation set to become a major player in the global AI landscape?

Singapore’s significant investments in AI and technology have provided a robust foundation for gimmefy.ai’s growth. The government’s commitment to advancing AI through academic programs, research, and development initiatives has enabled us to leverage cutting-edge technology and attract top-tier talent. As a result, we are well-positioned to expand into North America, bringing our AI-driven marketing solutions to a broader market.

ASEAN innovation is indeed poised to become a major player in the global AI landscape. The region’s focus on technological advancement and cross-border collaboration fosters a dynamic environment for AI development. We are proud to have received accreditation from the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, recognising us as an IMDA Spark company. This support has provided valuable resources and networks, enabling us to scale our operations and impact.

Singapore has also developed programmes designed to nurture local talent and build strong AI talent pipelines. As a homegrown ASEAN company, how does gimmefy.ai leverage this talent pool? Is AI-powered marketing a way to catalyse and showcase ASEAN innovation and creativity globally?

The academic programs initiated in Singapore are a positive step forward, though their full impact on the talent pool will take time to materialise. With the rise of the post-work-from-home culture in 2024, we’ve realised our team can operate from anywhere in the world. Our marketing team, for instance, is distributed across Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and India.

Given that consumer-facing AI is relatively new, we’ve had to rethink our talent sourcing strategies. For example, our AI prompt team consists of former agency copywriters, which has proven effective. Who better to communicate with AI than seasoned copywriters? Looking ahead, we plan to ramp up hiring in the ASEAN region as we expand our team, further enhancing our capabilities and presence in these diverse markets.

While AI automates myriad tasks, the human touch remains crucial in marketing. How does gimmefy.ai blend its usage of multiple leading large language models and human expertise to overcome the limitations of GPT?

An example of a feature we’ve built for marketers is Vaults. These are knowledge banks which store information like brand voice, audience profiles, customer insights, and competitor landscapes. This data is used with briefs to deliver tailored responses. Multiple Vaults can be created for different markets or brands. Unlike regular GPT, the Vault feature enhances consistency in marketing tasks and makes output a lot more on-brand.

We’ve also developed gimmefy Bespoke, an up-and-coming, customisable AI marketing solution. Bespoke will offer additional options, such as enhanced vault with additional customisable sections, specifically trained marketing tasks, custom AI chatbots for their organisation, amongst others.

Navigating cultural nuances can be challenging in localising marketing. How does gimmefy.ai’s AI leverage cultural understanding to deliver effective marketing campaigns across diverse regions, and how has the agency adapted its own platform for its new North American audience?

AI development has often focused on the Western-Sino axis, but as an ASEAN company, we include languages like Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia, and Thai among our 30+ options. Our trans-creation feature goes beyond translation to ensure cultural nuances and authenticity work hand in hand. We have Laila, our expert-trained AI marketing assistant specialising in trans-creation. We’ve partnered with ASEAN organisations like the Philippines’ ActivAsia group to develop a portal for the Filipino market, incorporating specific cultural nuances.

Expanding into North America brings its own set of challenges, such as differentiating between Spanish dialects in Spain and the Americas. Technology like Bespoke can help brands stay ahead in these diverse markets by integrating AI into workflows, to match the fast-paced evolution of consumer attention and marketing strategies.

And finally — your future predictions for how AI development will reshape marketing in ASEAN and North America? What advice would you give to businesses looking to penetrate the opposite market and vice versa?

Speed will be key. From GTM to audience attention, speed is the new frontier that marketing will need to overcome. We’ve already seen how audiences’ attention has evolved over the last 40 years. Marketers will need to evolve along with the AI revolution. Businesses will increasingly look towards incorporating AI into their workflows. 

Advice for ASEAN Companies Entering North America:

• Consumer sophistication: Invest in high-quality, polished content. Tailor your messaging to be culturally resonant.
• Data privacy compliance: Adhere to GDPR and CCPA laws to build trust with transparent data strategies.
• Wise connections: Partner with influential North American voices who align with your brand values. Authenticity is crucial.

Advice for North American Companies Entering ASEAN:

• Localisation: Adapt content, languages, and products to each unique market.
• Cultural sensitivity: Understand local customs and business etiquettes to avoid costly missteps.
• Local partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses and influencers to gain insights and establish credibility.

Featured image: Guo Xin Goh / Unsplash