Singapore-based FMCG marketing platform Shoplinks received seed funding worth of $900 thousand or around 12.8 billion Rupiah. The funding was led by venture capital firm Cocoon Capital with participation from the Indonesian Women Empowerment Fund (IWEF).

Recently, Cocoon Capital also invested in local logistics startup TransTRACK.id. Meanwhile, the Indonesia Women Empowerment Fund, jointly managed by Moonshot Ventures and YCAB Ventures, has announced its debut portfolio for Titik Pintar startup earlier this year.

In an official statement, Cocoon Capital’s Managing Partner and Shoplinks’ Director Michael Blakey said, “We believe this platform can accelerate the digital transformation of retailers in Southeast Asia.”

“We are impressed with the Shoplinks team and their ability to execute. Shoplinks solves the billion dollar problem that exists between FMCG promotions and consumers in Southeast Asia. This will significantly streamline FMCG marketing spending,” he added.

Shoplinks offers digital marketing services by simplifying coupon distribution and personalizing coupons for FMCG brands and retailers. The platform seeks to optimize brand promotion activities, therefore, consumers can get attractive offers, both online and offline.

It is due to Southeast Asia’s FMCG brands are considered difficult to distribute promotional activities to buyers. According to company data, Southeast Asia’s FMCG brands spend $28 billion on promotion every year, but 70% of this total budget is considered wasted because it is not right on target and lacks personalization.

Also, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in the loss of potential retailer income. Sharing shops and supermarket outlets is difficult to promote because the services are yet to be digitized.

Strengthen its position in Indonesia

Furthermore, Shoplinks’ Co-founder & CEO, Teresa Condicion said that she would use this funding to strengthen its position in Indonesia before expanding to other markets in the Southeast Asia region. She also plans to add more teams and expand the partnership networks, both retail companies and stalls, which currently account for 70% of total retail spending in Indonesia.

“We want to democratize Southeast Asia’s retail technology and create a win-win solution for brands, retailers and buyers. This industry is ripe for technological evolution, especially if you look at retailers in developed countries, such as the United States and Europe, which have grown rapidly thanks to technology,” Teresa said.

In general note, Shoplinks was founded by Teresa Condicion and JD Lee. Teresa is Snapcart’s Co-founder, and has served as CEO for four years. She has a strong background of 17 years at P&G. Meanwhile, JD is a techpreneur who is also the co-founder of venture builder Pulsar Ventures.

Was founded in 2020, Shoplinks has proceed thousands of monthly shopping coupons from major FMCG partners, such as Unilever, Johnshon & Johnson, and P&G. It is said to have doubled the use of coupons every month, where these FMCG brands have doubled the profit from its investment in promotions. In addition, Shoplinks said it had contributed to the growth of buyer transactions at the TipTop supermarket chain by up to 30%.

Marketing personalization

Digital transformation in the FMCG sector is taking place although it has not been fully realized at various levels. The world’s major retail brands are starting to focus on consumer data, using analytics to make strategic decisions

In its publication on marketing personalization, the McKinsey report states that advances in technology, data and analytics will greatly enable marketers to create personalized and more ‘human’ marketing across a wide variety of channels to shopping experiences.

Despite the great opportunity, most marketers feel they are not ready to provide such a personalized experience. A McKinsey survey of senior marketing leaders found only 15% of CMOs believe their company is on the right track with personalization. They believe this strategy is proven to drive revenue by 5%-15% and marketing budget efficiency by 10%-30%.

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Original article is in Indonesian, translated by Kristin Siagian