Campaign 360 2026: what APAC’s marketing leaders are really talking about

In May 2026, TLC Worldwide APAC sponsored, exhibited and took to the main stage at Campaign 360, Campaign Asia's flagship annual event at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

As expected, AI dominated the agenda. It featured in keynote presentations, panel discussions and countless conversations between marketers, agencies and technology partners across the two-day event.

But beneath the discussion around automation, personalisation and efficiency sat a number of deeper themes. Conversations that weren't really about technology at all, but about the challenges marketers are facing every day: building trust, creating differentiation, driving loyalty and staying relevant in an increasingly crowded digital landscape.

Based on what we heard from industry leaders, what we discussed on stage, and what we're seeing first-hand across APAC, these were the themes that stood out most.

If there was one tension that ran through the entire event, it was this.

Marketers have more tools, more data and more ways to reach consumers than ever before. Yet creating meaningful connections with customers feels increasingly difficult.

During his keynote, our TLC Worldwide CEO Pren Munian shared a striking reminder of just how connected consumers have become. Across APAC, consumers now spend more than four hours per day on their mobile devices. They are constantly scrolling, searching, watching, buying and engaging.

Yet despite unprecedented levels of connectivity, many brands are finding it harder than ever to earn attention, build trust and create meaningful loyalty.

Founder, Bryony Cole, opened Day Two with a thought-provoking observation about the role AI is beginning to play in our lives. As technology becomes more embedded in everyday interactions, consumers are increasingly turning to digital platforms not just for information, but for guidance, recommendations and even companionship.

For marketers, this raises an important question.

If consumers are spending more of their lives in digital environments, how do brands remain genuinely meaningful in their lives?

The answer isn't more content.

Consumers are already overwhelmed by content. The challenge for brands is no longer visibility alone. It's creating something worth remembering.

This is where many brands risk misunderstanding the role of AI.

The opportunity isn't to use AI to create more marketing. It's to use AI to better understand customers, personalise experiences and create interactions that feel more relevant and valuable.

The most successful brands aren't necessarily producing the most content. They're creating the most meaningful connections.

Another recurring theme throughout Campaign 360 was the changing nature of loyalty.

For years, loyalty strategies have largely relied on the same mechanics: points, discounts, cashback and transactional rewards. While these tactics can drive short-term behaviour, many marketers are questioning whether they're enough to build long-term customer relationships.

During his keynote session, Pren challenged the audience with a simple question:

"How many of you are using discounting as a lever?"

The response was telling.

Discounting remains one of the most common tools in a marketer's toolkit. The challenge is that while discounts can drive volume, they rarely create loyalty. Instead, they often create price sensitivity. The moment a competitor offers a better deal, the relationship disappears.

At the same time, consumer expectations are shifting.

Data shared during the session revealed that 79% of APAC consumers now value experiences over material rewards. That's a significant signal for marketers. Consumers increasingly place greater value on what they can enjoy and remember than on rewards that are quickly forgotten.

The same conversation surfaced repeatedly throughout the event.

FairPrice Group's Chief Marketing Officer captured it perfectly:

"Loyalty isn't a program; it's an outcome of the value we inject into our customers' lives at every stage of the journey."

That shift in thinking is important.

The most progressive brands are moving away from asking, "How do we reward a transaction?" and instead asking, "How do we create value throughout the customer relationship?" While consumers may forget a discount, they rarely forget a meaningful experience.

At TLC, we see this principle playing out across multiple sectors. In Indonesia, Unilever's Rinso brand connected product purchase with family-focused experiences through its "Dirt Is Good" campaign. Rather than simply offering a price promotion, the program rewarded behaviours that aligned with the brand's purpose, creating stronger engagement while reinforcing the emotional connection between the brand and its audience.

It's a reminder that the most effective rewards don't just incentivise a transaction. They reinforce what the brand stands for.

Another challenge discussed throughout the event was one many marketers are quietly grappling with: loyalty program fatigue. Consumers aren't suffering from a lack of loyalty programs. They're suffering from a lack of meaningful ones.

The average Singapore consumer is now enrolled in between four to six loyalty programs, yet actively engages with only a fraction of them. Sign-up is no longer the challenge. Relevance is.

The reason is simple.

Many programs still look remarkably similar – Points, cashback, vouchers, discounts.

When every brand offers the same mechanics, it becomes increasingly difficult for anyone program to stand out.

This was reflected in several conversations throughout Campaign 360. The brands generating the strongest engagement aren't necessarily offering more rewards. They're offering more relevant rewards.

Visa's APAC team spoke about connecting with consumers through lifestyle experiences and passion points. FairPrice highlighted the importance of delivering value throughout the customer journey rather than relying solely on program mechanics.

Both perspectives point to the same conclusion.

Loyalty programs don't fail because customers don't want rewards. They fail because customers struggle to see the difference between one program and the next.

The opportunity for marketers isn't to create another points program. It's to create reasons for customers to care.

The brands cutting through today are building programs around experiences, access, recognition and personal relevance. They're creating value that feels meaningful rather than simply transactional.

In an increasingly crowded loyalty landscape, differentiation matters more than ever.

One of the most interesting discussions at Campaign 360 wasn't about loyalty mechanics at all. It was about relevance.

Consumers don't think about their lives in categories.

They don't wake up thinking about banking, telecommunications, insurance or FMCG. They think about travel, entertainment, dining, family, wellbeing and the experiences that matter to them.

The brands creating the strongest customer relationships understand this.

Visa's APAC marketing leadership team spoke about the importance of showing up in consumers' lives in meaningful ways, connecting with their passions beyond the transaction itself.

This reflects a broader shift in loyalty strategy.

The most effective programs are no longer centred solely around products or purchases. They're designed around people.

Across APAC, we're seeing brands move beyond category-led rewards and instead align incentives with the passions and lifestyles of their target audiences. Financial services brands are rewarding food lovers with dining experiences and exclusive restaurant access. Telecommunications companies are engaging frequent travellers with airport privileges, travel perks and destination-based experiences. FMCG brands targeting families are connecting everyday purchases to activities, attractions and experiences that create meaningful moments together.

Singtel is a strong example of this shift. Rather than relying solely on traditional telco benefits, the brand expanded its rewards proposition into dining, travel and lifestyle experiences that aligned with how customers actually spend their time. The result was a program that delivered double the engagement and acquisition rates compared to previous initiatives, while strengthening customer relationships beyond the core mobile proposition.

It's a principle we've seen consistently across our client programs.

The best loyalty strategies don't simply reward what customers buy. They recognise who customers are.

One of the most revealing conversations at Campaign 360 wasn't about AI, personalisation or loyalty strategy.

It was about budgets.

Across APAC, marketing leaders are facing increasing pressure to demonstrate immediate commercial returns. Every investment is scrutinised. Every campaign is expected to justify itself. Every dollar spent needs to show measurable impact.

That's understandable. But it can also create a challenge.

When organisations become overly focused on short-term ROI, they naturally gravitate towards the tactics that feel safest and easiest to measure. Tactical discounts. Price-led promotions. Performance media. Activities designed to generate an immediate response.

The problem is that what is easiest to measure isn't always what creates the greatest long-term value.

Several discussions throughout Campaign 360 highlighted the growing tension between short-term performance and long-term brand building. Marketers know they need both, yet many admit they are disproportionately investing in activities that drive immediate results at the expense of differentiation and loyalty.

Over time, this creates a dangerous cycle.

Brands become increasingly reliant on discounting to drive sales. Margins come under pressure. Customer expectations shift. Loyalty weakens. The next promotion needs to work even harder than the last.

Meanwhile, investments that create emotional loyalty, stronger customer relationships and long-term brand preference often struggle to gain internal support because the returns aren't always visible within a single reporting period.

One of the most interesting discussions at the event centred around perceived value. At TLC, we regularly help brands transform a reward costing around $5 into an experience with a perceived value of $50 or more. That's the difference between giving customers a discount and giving them something they'll genuinely remember.

Move It in the Philippines provides another example. Rather than relying on price promotions alone, the brand partnered with TLC to transform everyday ride-hailing into a reward-led customer experience. By connecting regular usage with meaningful rewards and tiered incentives, the program generated high levels of repeat engagement while strengthening customer retention during a highly competitive period.

The lesson is simple: when loyalty is designed around value rather than discounts, the business results tend to follow.

The most progressive marketers are starting to challenge traditional thinking. Instead of asking, "What's the cheapest incentive we can offer?" they're asking, "What's the most valuable experience we can create?"

Customers don't judge brands based on the cost of the reward, they judge them based on the value they perceive.

While AI-generated content dominated much of the discussion at Campaign 360, another shift received far less attention than it deserves.

How consumers discover brands is changing.

Increasingly, consumers are beginning their research journeys through AI-powered platforms rather than traditional search engines alone. Instead of searching through pages of links, they're asking direct questions and receiving curated answers.

In fact, one of the recurring themes throughout the event was the growing influence of AI as a research and discovery tool, particularly among younger audiences.

For marketers, this creates an entirely new challenge.

It's no longer enough to optimise for search rankings. Brands must now consider how they appear within AI-generated recommendations and responses.

The implications are significant.

If your brand isn't being referenced, cited or recommended by AI platforms, you risk becoming invisible at the very moment customers are researching solutions.

This isn't simply an SEO conversation. It's a trust and authority conversation.

Brands need credible content, strong industry positioning and a consistent digital footprint that reinforces expertise and relevance.

Campaign 360 2026 was expected to be dominated by discussions around AI. It was.

But the most valuable conversations weren't really about technology.

They were about trust. Differentiation. Loyalty.

And how brands create meaningful value in increasingly digital lives.

Perhaps the most telling statistic shared throughout the event was that 80% of marketers believe their organisations are now overly weighted towards performance marketing at the expense of long-term brand building.

In a market where loyalty is becoming harder to earn and easier to lose, that balance matters.

The encouraging reality is that many of the brands leading this shift are already proving what's possible. From Singtel's lifestyle-led rewards strategy to Move It's reward-led customer engagement program and Rinso's purpose-led family experiences, the common thread isn't technology, points or discounts.

It's relevance.

The brands creating the strongest loyalty outcomes are the brands finding ways to become more meaningful in their customers' everyday lives.

AI will undoubtedly transform how marketing is executed. It will make teams more efficient, improve personalisation and unlock new opportunities for growth.

But the fundamentals remain unchanged. People want to feel understood. They want brands that recognise their needs, align with their interests and reward them in ways that feel relevant.

The brands that succeed over the next decade won't be those producing the most content or offering the biggest discounts. They'll be the brands that create experiences, moments and value exchanges worth remembering.

In a world where technology is becoming increasingly accessible to everyone, human connection remains the ultimate differentiator.

At TLC Worldwide, that's exactly where we see the future of loyalty heading: away from purely transactional relationships and towards meaningful experiences that create lasting emotional connections between brands and their customers. From telecommunications and financial services to FMCG and retail, we've helped brands turn customer engagement into lasting loyalty through rewarding campaigns. Explore our campaign success stories here.

Interested in what a tailored loyalty strategy could do for your brand? Let's connect.