Harley, would you mind sharing a brief overview of your professional journey and how it led to your esteemed role as Director, Asia Pacific, at Bonzai?
I’ve always been interested in design and creativity, but to be honest, I couldn’t decide on a career in business or creative. In the end, my creative side won out. I moved to Sydney from a rural town to live on campus at the University of Sydney, studying Design Computing — at the time, a mix of design, architecture and interactive. After graduating in 2005, I started my own consulting business specialising in interactive installations, 3D and architectural projects.
After a few years, I moved on to become the first local Creative Developer at EyeWonder, an early rich media platform where I stayed for almost three years. Owing to a series of mergers and takeovers, the company became Sizmek, where I moved up in the company to become Senior Creative Solutions Engineer, advising and consulting with creative agencies, publishers and advertisers on their digital campaigns.
In 2016 I got the chance to meet Rahul Pandey, the founder and CEO of Bonzai, thanks to an intro from a common client and during an energetic, hour-long call, I saw something in the company that I remembered seeing early in my career at EyeWonder — unique product, excitement from the founder and a product the market was missing.
Back then, the industry was in need of a solution to enable creativity in display advertising with the advent of HTML5 and demise of Flash and Bonzai seemed to be the answer. So I made the leap and joined as their first Australian hire as Director of Business Development ANZ. The challenge was to build on the success we had with our initial client and spread out across the market.
Nothing worthwhile comes easily and that’s often been the case. From having just one client in 2016, we now proudly serve virtually every major publisher across the APAC region, collaborating with thousands of advertisers, including brands like Westfield and Mercedes-Benz. The team at Bonzai continue to release innovative products to the market, giving advertisers a fresh way to connect with their audiences and stand out in the crowded digital landscape.
We would greatly appreciate your insights on how the industry shift to first-party data in 2024, with Chrome deprecating third-party tracking cookies, might influence brand strategies in Asia Pacific.
2024 is set to be the year of first-party data. APAC brands must now focus on strategies to build and leverage valuable first-party data, built up from purchasing signals tracked via loyalty programs, registered users, CRM, and so on.
My prediction for the next 24 months is that brands will increasingly turn to publishers to harness their vast contextual and enriched datasets from either registered users or gleaned from the type of content being consumed in real time. Combinations of both publisher and advertiser data via data cleanrooms have been a topic of interest and it will be interesting to see how this is picked up into 20204 and beyond.
The shift promises contextual interest targeting, enabling a more precisely tailored match for brands between creative and audiences. The focus on sharper targeting will help reach the right audience with specific intent, ultimately, leading to increased conversion rates and effectiveness.
Given your expertise, could you kindly elaborate on how the increasing demand for premium ad solutions, such as BrandStory, may impact the effectiveness of campaigns, especially in the realm of eCommerce?
The adoption of more premium and effective ad solutions is both natural and a growing trend, which is only set to continue from an effectiveness and user experience perspective. Clients are reporting that campaign budgets can be extended up to seven times just by using more effective formats — so it would actually seem counterintuitive not to leave value on the table by not leveraging the latest solutions.
We work closely with our clients to develop premium sponsorship opportunities that advertisers are asking for which publishers are leveraging via a range of high-impact and bespoke formats. This means more curated and higher quality ad experiences on-site, resulting in a longer-lasting impact, from awareness to engagement through to conversion. We’re seeing further development toward solutions that overlay first-party data or contextual insights with premium ad formats. This delivers more personalised and relevant experiences, which are particularly effective for eCommerce.
As smartphone user numbers worldwide reach an estimated 4.6 billion, likely to surpass 5.1 billion by 2028, mobile internet traffic already claims nearly 60% of total web traffic. In response to this growth, there’s a need for a more expansive, premium mobile ad format that would extend the in-ad experience via a seamless, scrolling user experience. This would also drive brand awareness and communicate additional product information in an unobtrusive, impactful way.
Innovative new ad formats like BrandStory outshine competitors with triple the ad space and 2.8 times greater time in view than single-scroll ad formats. This addresses the demand from brands worldwide for more real estate that drives real results by seamlessly intertwining awareness, exploration and action in one comprehensive solution.
Recognising the significant eCommerce growth post-lockdowns, we would be grateful for your thoughts on how advertisers can strategically capitalise on this trend?
We’re witnessing the takeoff of eCommerce across the board, supercharged from the shift during lockdown when businesses of all sizes realised the value of having a direct relationship with their consumers. On top of actual sales, eCommerce lets advertisers own the data relating to the customer and the sale – a huge factor in the boom.
eCommerce will see sustained growth as brands demonstrate a willingness to invest in channels that streamline the conversion process and build a direct line to their customers. Advertisers can strategically capitalise on this trend with in-banner transactions, shoppable video, contextual targeting and dynamic eCommerce ads – all which play a pivotal role in the transformation.
We value your perspective on how AI integration is shaping the use of first-party data and enhancing overall campaign effectiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.
AI is quickly moving from a novelty to being embedded in a multitude of platforms to increase effectiveness and revolutionise the landscape, for the overall marketing function and the specific ways we engage with technology. This includes content creation and messaging to get a better handle on insights and planning, particularly leveraging the abundance of first-party data. The wealth of information from this data will serve as real insights for extensive learning and the development of models tailored to audience insights.
Considering the anticipated growth in digital outdoor and connected TV channels, could you kindly share insights on how brands can effectively leverage these channels in the dynamic landscape of Asia-Pacific advertising?
We anticipate substantial growth and innovative strategies as these channels evolve to become pivotal players in the APAC advertising landscape replacing tranditional distribution. You only need to look around to understand shifts in video consumption. We have even facilitated clients connecting their digital out-of-home and digital display campaigns with live data, meaning interactions with the digital campaign can be relayed to out-of-home screens – another space to watch.
Could you please share some strategies you personally employ to navigate the ever-evolving advertising landscape in your impactful role at Bonzai?
For me, being inquisitive and not being complacent are absolutely key. Keeping our customers at the centre of everything we do, relationships built on trust where both parties win isn’t just a nicety, it’s crucial to our ongoing success. We try to be as connected as we can to our clients’ worlds, both socially and daily business, helping them stand out in market. Also, involving them in our journey and product roadmap is something that’s truly valued.
This dual approach of fostering internal innovation and maintaining transparent, collaborative relationships with clients ensures that we not only keep pace with the dynamic advertising landscape but also stay at the forefront of impactful strategies and solutions.
Drawing from your experience, we would be grateful for any advice you could offer to professionals navigating the dynamic advertising landscape in Asia and the Pacific.
With third-party cookies finally crumbling this year, advertisers should be focused on strategies to build their own first-party data. This is the valuable data that’s been built up from purchasing signals tracked via loyalty programs, registered users, CRM and the like.
Furthermore, I’d recommend staying abreast of advanced technologies like AI, which, as I mentioned above, is quickly moving from a novelty to being embedded within a multitude of platforms to increase effectiveness and enhance personalisation.
Your insights on how the fusion of creativity, data insights, and modern technology is shaping the advertising landscape for more engaging consumer experiences would be highly appreciated.
The convergence of creativity, data insights and modern technology is absolutely revolutionising advertising, creating experiences that are not only engaging, but highly personalised. This experiential approach driven by data insights captures attention, evokes emotions and forges connections. It’s ushering in a new era.
The ongoing adoption of more premium and effective ad solutions is a growing trend, which is only set to continue from an effectiveness and a user experience perspective. Clients are reporting that campaign budgets can be extended up to seven times more just by using more effective formats.
Advertisers are demanding more premium sponsorship opportunities and publishers are accommodating via a range of high-impact and bespoke formats. This is leading to more curated and higher quality ad experiences on-site, resulting in a longer-lasting impact from awareness to engagement through to conversion. We’re seeing a further development toward solutions overlaying first-party data or contextual insights with premium ad formats. This delivers more personalised and relevant experiences, which are particularly effective for eCommerce.
In conclusion, we would love to hear your final thoughts on the exciting opportunities that 2024 presents for publishers, advertisers, and consumers in Asia Pacific. How can they collaboratively adapt to evolving expectations and industry innovations?
Advertisers and publishers must work together, align their strategies with what consumers look for and create a landscape where creativity, data insights and modern technology come together for a more engaging advertising experience.
For publishers, embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative content delivery methods will be pivotal in staying relevant and engaging. Advertisers can leverage data-driven insights and personalised strategies to connect with their target audience effectively. As for consumers, the focus should be on enhanced experiences, driven by personalised content and seamless interactions.
Collaboratively adapting to evolving expectations and industry innovations requires open communication and a willingness to embrace change. Publishers and advertisers can forge stronger partnerships by aligning their strategies with consumer preferences and behaviours. Transparency and ethical practices in data usage will be crucial for building and maintaining trust.
Moreover, joint efforts to explore and implement emerging technologies, such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence, can elevate the overall advertising landscape. Remember there’s no case study for a first-to-market, so don’t be afraid to be creative — the rewards are worth it.
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Harley Ramien , Director, Asia- Pacific, Bonzai
Harley Ramien is a highly experienced professional in the fields of creative technology and advertising, with more than 14 years in the industry. He consistently delivers exceptional results for some of the world’s major brands. As the Director for the Asia-Pacific region at Bonzai, Ramien plays a pivotal role in guiding the company toward continued success, pushing boundaries and driving ongoing success for Bonzai’s partners in the region. LinkedIn.