After nine long days, authorities managed to extinguish the blazing forest fire in the Phou Phanang National Protected Area on 28 March.
Ear Up’s new Music and Fashion extravaganza with a creative blast
Participating indie music performers and local designer brands:
Merry Lamb Lamb x Christian Stone
Merry Lamb Lamb is a local electronic musician with a talent for dynamic melodies and sweet styles. She collaborated with designer Christian Stone, the founder of the fashion brand “Christian Stone”. With distinctive designs in bold, playful styles, wild silhouettes, and futuristic forms, this crossover created a new image for Merry Lamb Lamb’s cute and vintage character, and brought people an exciting sense of a maverick with a diverse aura.
Higgo Raj x Kowloon City Boy
Higgo Raj is a new indie music producer, also known as a singer, lyricist, composer, model, and host. With a strong rhythmic style and a distinctive sound that embraces everything from “Indie Pop” to “Big Chaos”, Higgo teamed up with Toki Wong, the designer of the fashion brand “Kowloon City Boy” to dress up his latest “Electric Love” collection as an introduction to his performance. Higgo explained: “We think modern love is rather like e-sports, communicating in short messages. We wrestle with our exchanges and immerse ourselves in this ambiguous and exciting performance like online dating.”
METER ROOM x REDEMPTIVE
METER ROOM is famous for its Noise Rock music style which is dominated by strong emotions and invariably described as flickering lights in the dark. The band collaborated with Wilson Choi, the designer of “REDEMPTIVE” for the show. Defining the brand as a group of rebellious teenagers concerned about the world and society, Wilson hopes to raise awareness of some unseen and unheard social issues through the design, while still outputting positivity and energy, offered a visual and auditory feast interlaced with music and fashion to audience.
Gordon Flanders x WILSONKAKI
Gordon Flanders is a 23-year-old Hong Kong R&B singer who just returned from studying in Japan and is well regarded for his romantic music. While collaborating with Wilson Yip, the designer of WILSONKAKI, Wilson transformed conceptual ideas into clothing through his professional skills and fashion sense and presented an alternative co-creation. Gordon believed that his breakthrough in wearing baggy and oversized outfits on stage would make the visual effect of his performance even more eye-catching.
The Lemon Ones x KEVIN HO
The Lemon Ones music style is fresh and energetic, with a unique style that combines British psychedelic and modern rock – ‘as refreshing as lemons’ – to lead the audience into a brand-new music experience. Working with Hong Kong-based label KEVIN HO, the designer applied his “Retro-futuristic” style to the performance costumes, bringing out the nostalgia of a past golden era with an eternal elegance. The outcome was an innovative visual style that perfectly matched the music style of the band.
Ragpickers x YMDH
Ragpickers is a unique band that integrates R&B and hip hop with Cantopop in a style that perfectly coincides with Jason Lee, the designer of YMDH, who is known for designing Hong Kong-style street culture fashion. Together, they presented a blue world that belongs to their generation on stage. In addition to Ragpickers’ consistent melancholic style, the cooperation with YMDH encouraged the band to dare to try, making music a remedy to stress.
Esther Wu x ROYKSOPP GAKKAI
Sound art creator and composer Esther Wu concretises the abstract nature of her music through the fancy, yet classy European style clothing designed by Brun Chan, the designer of ROYKSOPP GAKKAI to construct a new meaning and interpretation to her music.
Andy is Typing… x Nilmance
With alternative rock as its core music style, local indie rock band “Andy is Typing…” believes that music is simply a record of life. The present continuous tense for “Typing…” in its name also suggests “as long as life continues, we will continue to write our stories.” In collaboration with men’s clothing brand Nilmance that focuses on functional outdoor sportswear, Nilmance designer Mike created a stylish and low-key style that merged with the surging sound of Andy is Typing… that surely offered an explosive experience!
Ear Up Music Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/earupmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/earupmusic
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/earupmusic
Hashtag: #EarUpMusic
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Ear Up Music
Ear Up Music is a music label that spotlights new music of Hong Kong to its neighbouring regions and beyond. The label, established by Renaissance Foundation Hong Kong in 2016, runs numerous projects from talent development to showcase events that connect with global music networks. These projects include Ear Up Incubation*, Ear Up Global*, Ear Up Tour* and Ear Up Gig On*.
In 2018, Ear Up Music founded Ear Hub to curate the latest developments in the Hong Kong, Asian and International music, media, production and interactive industry. Ear Hub is an international music conference and festival that offers an audiovisual feast as well as a cordial environment to initiate cross-border collaborations for music lovers and professionals.
*Sponsored by Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
About Create Hong Kong
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community.
Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.
Indonesia Stripped of Hosting Under-20 World Cup by FIFA

GENEVA (AP) — Indonesia was stripped of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup on Wednesday only eight weeks before the start of the tournament amid political turmoil regarding Israel’s participation.
Authenticity is now a key new driver of revenue and loyalty for global shoppers
- 67% of global shoppers spend more with brands they perceive to be authentic
- 73% are more loyal to authentic retailers
- Shoppers’ spend in Hong Kong, France and Spain most influenced by authenticity
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 30 March 2023 – Authenticity is now a key new driver for revenue and loyalty among global shoppers as the trend for more mindful consumption continues, the latest research from Asendia, the leader in international e-commerce and mail delivery solutions, reveals.
Original research of over 8,000 global shoppers in Asendia’s ‘How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper’ Report showed more than two thirds (67%) of global shoppers would spend more money with retailers they perceived to be authentic, with 59% saying they would only shop exclusively with authentic retail brands.
The key values defining authenticity for global shoppers were: being straightforward on delivering promises (58%); transparency within supply chains (43%); standing up for sustainability (39%); clear brand values (39%); and transparency with supplier relationships (34%).
Authenticity – the new currency for conversion, spend and loyalty
Seventy three percent (73%) of global shoppers also said authenticity made them more loyal to brands, with a further 65% saying they would switch to a competitor if they felt a retailer wasn’t authentic. Shoppers in Hong Kong (73%), France and Spain (both 72%) proved the most likely to switch brand allegiances, while shoppers in Hong Kong (80%) and the United States (75%) were the consumers whose spend propensity was the most impacted by a brand’s authenticity.
In the context of economic global headwinds and the rising cost-of-living putting extra pressure on household budgets and discretionary spend, authenticity is also helping retailers fend off rising price-sensitivity among shoppers. While a third of global shoppers plan to cut back on the volume of things they buy in 2023, almost half (48%) said a brand’s authenticity would make them less sensitive to inflationary price increases. However, this dipped to 43% of shoppers in the UK, where inflation remains close to a 40-year high.
Renaud Marlière, Global Chief of Business Development of Asendia, commented: “Of course, we see that shoppers are acting with caution due to the rising cost-of-living, but invariably they are also consuming consciously and mindfully. Shoppers now want to engage and buy from brands who act authentically. Increasingly, shoppers are holding the retailers and brands they shop with to account – and it is clear that authenticity is now having a significant impact on share of wallet, revenue and loyalty.”
“Brands and retailers need to take control of their own destiny when it comes to shaping the authentic shopping journeys consumers are now demanding. Shoppers increasingly expect accountability and transparency from retailers, whether through greater transparency around supply chain emissions, delivery promises or offering low- or carbon-neutral shipping options,” Renaud Marlière continued.
In 2022 Asendia announced it had reached 100% carbon neutrality through its carbon offsetting projects. It now offers carbon neutrality across all shipments carried out for international retail customers via its e-PAQ solution, a specialist range of international packet and parcel services designed for online retailers.
Channel matters – the impact of DTC on authenticity perception
Overwhelmingly, global shoppers feel brands that operated Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) were more authentic than those retailers who just operated via marketplaces. Over half (56%) of global shoppers felt that retailers that operated their own DTC channels were more authentic, rising to 68% of consumers in Hong Kong and 60% in both Spain and the U.S.
Combining global presence with local expertise, Asendia empowers online retailers to grow their cross-border operations by improving international shopping experiences. As well as its international parcel services and fulfilment solutions, it also offers sophisticated digital e-commerce platforms and solutions, including ESW, that deliver the seamless experiences online shoppers want when shopping DTC across borders, wherever they are located around the globe.
For further information on optimising cross-border strategies for success and how brands can build international consumer relationships that better meet the needs of today’s shoppers, download the full report: ‘How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper’.
Asendia is committed to putting the customer at the centre of everything it does, which is why it stands for trust, friendliness and ease of use as the key pillar representing its core values.
Research methodology
Original research of over 8,000 global shoppers in the UK, U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Each individual market polled had a sample size of over 1,000 shoppers. The research was conducted via online polling by Savanta on behalf of Asendia in February 2023.
Hashtag: #Asendia
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Asendia
Asendia is one of the world’s leaders in international e-commerce and mail, delivering packages, parcels and documents to more than 200 destinations across the globe. Combining the experience and expertise of our founding companies, La Poste and Swiss Post, Asendia brings together a wealth of international and local know-how. Asendia’s expertise is broad reaching encompassing different aspects of e-commerce, from webshop software and marketplace management to international logistics. Asendia is committed to sustainability, offsetting all carbon emissions including first-mile collection, last-mile delivery, returns, and building emissions, machinery, and business travel.
Asendia employs over 1,500 people in Europe, UK, Asia Pacific and the USA – a global network blended with a local presence.
To find out more: https://www.asendia.hk/en
NetApp’s 2023 Cloud Complexity Report Highlights the Shifting Demands of a Multicloud Environment
Key findings indicate that 98% of technology leaders have been impacted by the increasing complexity of the cloud, bringing issues of cybersecurity and cost optimization to the forefront
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 30 March 2023 – NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, today released the 2023 Cloud Complexity Report, a global survey exploring how technology decision makers are navigating cloud requirements coming from digital transformation and AI initiatives and the complexity of multicloud environments. The report found that 98% of senior IT leaders have been impacted by increasing cloud complexity in some capacity, potentially leading to poor IT performance, loss in revenue and barriers to business growth.
“Our global research report highlights paradigm shifts in how technology leaders look at and manage their cloud initiatives,” said Ronen Schwartz, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cloud Storage, NetApp. “As cloud adoption accelerates and businesses innovate faster to compete, technology leaders are facing growing pressure to juggle multiple priorities at once – causing many to rethink how they manage efficiency and security in this new environment.”
“Our global survey data demonstrates the extreme complexity of modern IT environments, and the pressure technology executives are under to show measurable outcomes from cloud investments,” said Gabie Boko, Chief Marketing Officer, NetApp. “At NetApp, we’ve simplified the complex through our approach, which enables technology executives to increase the speed of innovation, lower costs and improve consistency, flexibility and agility across on-premises and cloud environments.”
Key findings from the report include:
Cloud Complexity Reaches a Tipping Point
Data complexity has reached a boiling point for companies globally, and tech executives are feeling the pressure to contain its impact on the business. However, technical and organizational challenges may stunt their cloud strategies, with 88% citing working across cloud environments as a barrier, while 32% struggle just to align on a clear vision at the leadership level.
Global Context: The following regions list this as their top concern if data complexity is not managed:
- Cybersecurity: France, Spain, and Australia/New Zealand
- Leadership skepticism: France, Spain, Japan
- Inefficient use across the organization: Australia/New Zealand
- Lack of visibility: Japan
In Asia Pacific (APAC), the top business impacts due to increasing complexity of data across their cloud environments are increased skepticism over cloud from leadership (47%), staff not taking full advantage of business applications (47%), increased cybersecurity risk (45%), and lack of visibility into business operations (41%).
Leadership Want Cloud Results Now
Sustainability has become an unexpected cloud-driver, with nearly eight in ten tech executives citing ESG outcomes as critical to their cloud strategy. However, return on investment (ROI) is a concern among leadership, with 84% of tech executives saying their cloud strategy is already expected to show results across the organization.
Global Context:
- Nearly half of tech executives (49%) report that when cloud strategy discussions happen, cost concerns come up often or all the time.
- Data regulation and compliance is another cloud driver, with various local regulations promoting their multicloud strategy most or some of the time.
In APAC, 86% of tech executives are already expected to show results across the organization. The pressure to already show ROI on cloud investment is highest in India and Singapore, where 9 out of 10 tech executives feel it.?
Furthermore, 80% of executives in APAC say cloud systems are developed with sustainability goals specifically in mind. Within the region, Singapore (72%) and Japan (69%) lead in featuring cloud prominently in their sustainability strategy.
Three out of four tech (75%) APAC executives say their multicloud strategy is driven by data sovereignty requirements.
Tech Executives Consider AI as a Possible Solution
In the next year, over a third (37%) of tech executives report that half or more of their cloud deployments will be supported by AI-driven applications. Nearly half of tech executives at smaller companies – those with fewer than 250 employees – expect to reach the 50% mark in the next year, and 63% by 2030, while larger companies lag.
Global Context:
- The U.S. leads EMEA and APAC on plans to deploy AI-driven cloud applications in the next year, with France and Japan as outliers in their regions.
- In APAC, 56% of tech executives report that half or more of their cloud deployments will be supported by AI-driven applications by 2030. This presents a long-term growth opportunity for AI-driven applications in the region.
- Scaling AI is the top priority in EMEA and APAC, but is second in the U.S., behind meeting regulatory compliance.
“NetApp’s global research report reveals a disconnect between the executives outside of IT and those within – specifically, leaders working to execute on cloud are the ones most ingrained in the cost and complexity issues while those outside of IT have yet to fully understand. In the process of shifting to the cloud, leaders are experiencing challenges, leaving room for vendors to address these current or yet-to-be discovered issues,” said Randy Kerns, Senior Strategist & Analyst at the Evaluator Group. “As customers express concerns with cloud implementation, vendors have the opportunity to build and offer solutions to simplify the process.”
“APAC leaders today recognize cloud’s importance in producing critical business outcomes such as data sovereignty and sustainability. By addressing the cloud complexity confronting their organizations, they can unlock the best of the cloud and innovate faster to compete,” said Matthew Swinbourne, CTO, Cloud Architecture, NetApp Asia Pacific. “With NetApp’s unique combination of expertise, capabilities and hyperscaler partnerships, we help customers use the clouds they want, the way they want, while optimizing for cost, risk, efficiency, and sustainability.”
As organizations increasingly move to multi-cloud environments, NetApp aims to alleviate efficiency bottlenecks by allowing IT leaders to manage their systems on one, streamlined user interface. By taking an evolved cloud approach, NetApp is leading the charge for next generation cloud management and storage – equipping teams with the tools necessary to stay abreast of the key trends outlined in the research report above (e.g., optimizing costs, assessing risks, and operating sustainably).
To learn more and access the full report and infographic, visit 2023 Cloud Complexity Report.
Methodology
NetApp partnered with Wakefield Research to conduct a quantitative research study during November 2022, among 1,300 tech and data executives at businesses in 9 markets: US, EMEA (France, Germany, Spain, the UK), and APAC (India, Japan, Singapore, and Australia/New Zealand). At the time of completion, all participants held positions that were classified as “director-level and above” and worked across IT, IT infrastructure, cloud infrastructure and data engineering departments.
About NetApp
NetApp is a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in the age of accelerated digital transformation. The company provides systems, software and cloud services that enable them to run their applications optimally from data center to cloud, whether they are developing in the cloud, moving to the cloud, or creating their own cloudlike experiences on premises. With solutions that perform across diverse environments, NetApp helps organizations build their own data fabric and securely deliver the right data, services, and applications to the right people—anytime, anywhere. Learn more at www.netapp.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at www.netapp.com/TM are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Appendix – Asia Pacific (APAC) Figures and Graphs
1. Cloud Complexity Reaches a Tipping Point
In APAC, the top business impacts due to increasing complexity of data across their cloud environments are increased skepticism over cloud from leadership (47%), staff not taking full advantage of business applications (47%), increased cybersecurity risk (45%), and lack of visibility into business operations (41%).

2. Technical and Organizational Barriers Add to the Cloud Complexity Dilemma
In APAC, tech executives in Australia/NZ cited data mobility (42%) and security and addressing risk (42%) as top challenges. Security and addressing risks also (42%) emerged as the top barrier in Singapore. In Japan, executives cited not having a vision for cloud strategy (37%) as the top barrier.

3. Tension Increases Between Tech Executives and Leadership Around Cloud ROI
In APAC, 86% of tech executives are already expected to show a ROI on what the company has spent on cloud, either in increased revenue or in saved costs or are under pressure to show short-term progress. The pressure to already show ROI on cloud investment is highest in India and Singapore, where 9 out of 10 tech executives feel it.

4. There are Key Drivers that Continue to Make Cloud Essential
In APAC, three out of four tech (75%) executives say their multicloud strategy is driven by data sovereignty requirements.

80% of executives in APAC say cloud systems are developed with sustainability goals specifically in mind. Singapore (72%) and Japan (69%) are leading in featuring cloud prominently in their sustainability strategy.

5. Tech Executives Consider AI as a Possible Solution
In APAC, 56% of tech executives report that half or more of their cloud deployments will be supported by AI-driven applications by 2030. This presents a long-term growth opportunity for AI-driven applications in the region.

Hashtag: #NetApp
https://www.linkedin.com/company/netapp/
https://www.facebook.com/NetApp
https://www.instagram.com/netapp/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Okta announces new identity verification feature for Zoom video conferencing and collaboration
Okta Authentication for End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) available to all paid Zoom customers
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 30 March 2023 – Okta, Inc. (NASDAQ: OKTA), the leading independent identity provider, today announced a new identity verification feature within Zoom that leverages Okta to authenticate a meeting attendee’s identity by email in Zoom meetings using end-to-end encryption (E2EE). This identity authentication and attestation, powered by Okta, can help independently determine if a meeting guest is who they say they are.
Okta Authentication for E2EE is available for all Zoom’s paid customers. Zoom account admins can enable Okta Authentication for E2EE in the Security tab of the Zoom Web Portal. Once the Zoom account admin has enabled this feature, a meeting attendee can enable sharing of their identity by turning on the feature in their individual settings.
Depending on a user’s organization’s settings, they may get verified automatically or be redirected to the Okta web page to finish authentication with their login credentials for two-factor authentication.
Once a meeting attendee is authenticated, a blue shield with a lock will appear next to their username in the meeting participant list. Anyone participating in the meeting can hover over the icon to see a card that displays authenticated information about that person, including their company domain and corresponding Okta-verified email address.
“Flexible work underscores the need for a robust set of identity and access management tactics. Building this strategic feature with Okta directly into Zoom’s E2EE meetings allows our users and customers to take an ‘always verify, never trust’ approach, while reducing the need to toggle between disparate solutions,” said Ricky Kapur, Head of Asia Pacific, Zoom. “Zoom is striving to add an extra layer of security to virtual communication while maintaining our seamless and consistent experience.”
Apply Zero Trust to Zoom encrypted meetings
Participant impersonation in meetings is another form of social engineering that’s become increasingly sophisticated. This makes protecting personal information more important and challenging than ever. Collaboration apps must adopt Identity verification best practices like single-sign-on and two-factor authentication.
In addition to these core competencies, the Zero Trust security framework is exploding in adoption. Okta’s latest State of Zero Trust security report revealed that 97% of companies surveyed either had a Zero Trust initiative in place or would have one in place in the coming 12-18 months. Embraced by the enterprise and government agencies, zero trust’s core principle is “never trust, always verify.” With a Zero Trust approach, strong Identity and access controls are a requirement, especially with a workforce that operates in diverse, dynamic environments.
By leveraging Okta to apply a Zero Trust approach to Zoom, IT and security teams can help their organizations reduce security risks—without sacrificing user experience.
“Okta has always been at the forefront of innovation. We were one of the first to treat Identity and Access Management as an independent platform, recognizing its integral role in digital customer experiences. We continue the innovation journey as Zoom’s first and exclusive partner to verify the email identities of users in end-to-end encrypted meetings,” said Ben Goodman, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific & Japan, Okta.
“Once again, Okta has demonstrated its position as an open and vendor-neutral platform that allows customers, partners and ISVs to develop and integrate Okta’s Identity solutions within their apps and technologies, ultimately letting anyone anywhere to safely use any technology.”Hashtag: #Okta
https://www.linkedin.com/company/okta-inc-/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Okta
Okta is the World’s Identity Company. As the leading independent Identity partner, we free everyone to safely use any technology—anywhere, on any device or app. The most trusted brands trust Okta to enable secure access, authentication, and automation. With flexibility and neutrality at the core of our Okta Workforce Identity and Customer Identity Clouds, business leaders and developers can focus on innovation and accelerate digital transformation, thanks to customizable solutions and more than 7,000 pre-built integrations. We’re building a world where Identity belongs to you. Learn more at okta.com.
Asendia: Authenticity is now a key new driver of revenue and loyalty for global shoppers
- 67% of global shoppers spend more with brands they perceive to be authentic
- 73% are more loyal to authentic retailers
- Shoppers’ spend in Hong Kong, France and Spain most influenced by authenticity
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 30 March 2023 – Authenticity is now a key new driver for revenue and loyalty among global shoppers as the trend for more mindful consumption continues, the latest research from Asendia, the leader in international e-commerce and mail delivery solutions, reveals.
Original research of over 8,000 global shoppers in Asendia’s ‘How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper’ Report showed more than two thirds (67%) of global shoppers would spend more money with retailers they perceived to be authentic, with 59% saying they would only shop exclusively with authentic retail brands.
The key values defining authenticity for global shoppers were: being straightforward on delivering promises (58%); transparency within supply chains (43%); standing up for sustainability (39%); clear brand values (39%); and transparency with supplier relationships (34%).
Authenticity – the new currency for conversion, spend and loyalty
Seventy three percent (73%) of global shoppers also said authenticity made them more loyal to brands, with a further 65% saying they would switch to a competitor if they felt a retailer wasn’t authentic. Shoppers in Hong Kong (73%), France and Spain (both 72%) proved the most likely to switch brand allegiances, while shoppers in Hong Kong (80%) and the United States (75%) were the consumers whose spend propensity was the most impacted by a brand’s authenticity.
In the context of economic global headwinds and the rising cost-of-living putting extra pressure on household budgets and discretionary spend, authenticity is also helping retailers fend off rising price-sensitivity among shoppers. While a third of global shoppers plan to cut back on the volume of things they buy in 2023, almost half (48%) said a brand’s authenticity would make them less sensitive to inflationary price increases. However, this dipped to 43% of shoppers in the UK, where inflation remains close to a 40-year high.
Renaud Marlière, Global Chief of Business Development of Asendia, commented: “Of course, we see that shoppers are acting with caution due to the rising cost-of-living, but invariably they are also consuming consciously and mindfully. Shoppers now want to engage and buy from brands who act authentically. Increasingly, shoppers are holding the retailers and brands they shop with to account – and it is clear that authenticity is now having a significant impact on share of wallet, revenue and loyalty.”
“Brands and retailers need to take control of their own destiny when it comes to shaping the authentic shopping journeys consumers are now demanding. Shoppers increasingly expect accountability and transparency from retailers, whether through greater transparency around supply chain emissions, delivery promises or offering low- or carbon-neutral shipping options,” Renaud Marlière continued.
In 2022 Asendia announced it had reached 100% carbon neutrality through its carbon offsetting projects. It now offers carbon neutrality across all shipments carried out for international retail customers via its e-PAQ solution, a specialist range of international packet and parcel services designed for online retailers.
Channel matters – the impact of DTC on authenticity perception
Overwhelmingly, global shoppers feel brands that operated Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) were more authentic than those retailers who just operated via marketplaces. Over half (56%) of global shoppers felt that retailers that operated their own DTC channels were more authentic, rising to 68% of consumers in Hong Kong and 60% in both Spain and the U.S.
Combining global presence with local expertise, Asendia empowers online retailers to grow their cross-border operations by improving international shopping experiences. As well as its international parcel services and fulfilment solutions, it also offers sophisticated digital e-commerce platforms and solutions, including ESW, that deliver the seamless experiences online shoppers want when shopping DTC across borders, wherever they are located around the globe.
For further information on optimising cross-border strategies for success and how brands can build international consumer relationships that better meet the needs of today’s shoppers, download the full report: ‘How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper’.
Asendia is committed to putting the customer at the centre of everything it does, which is why it stands for trust, friendliness and ease of use as the key pillar representing its core values.
Research methodology
Original research of over 8,000 global shoppers in the UK, U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Each individual market polled had a sample size of over 1,000 shoppers. The research was conducted via online polling by Savanta on behalf of Asendia in February 2023.
Hashtag: #Asendia
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Asendia
Asendia is one of the world’s leaders in international e-commerce and mail, delivering packages, parcels and documents to more than 200 destinations across the globe. Combining the experience and expertise of our founding companies, La Poste and Swiss Post, Asendia brings together a wealth of international and local know-how. Asendia’s expertise is broad reaching encompassing different aspects of e-commerce, from webshop software and marketplace management to international logistics. Asendia is committed to sustainability, offsetting all carbon emissions including first-mile collection, last-mile delivery, returns, and building emissions, machinery, and business travel.
Asendia employs over 1,500 people in Europe, UK, Asia Pacific and the USA – a global network blended with a local presence.
Find out more at: www.asendia.sg
According to the latest research by Asendia, Authenticity is now a key new driver of revenue and loyalty for global shoppers
- 67% of global shoppers spend more with brands they perceive to be authentic
- 73% are more loyal to authentic retailers
- Shoppers’ spend in Hong Kong, France and Spain most influenced by authenticity
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Media OutReach – 30 March 2023 – Authenticity is now a key new driver for revenue and loyalty among global shoppers as the trend for more mindful consumption continues, the latest research from Asendia, the leader in international e-commerce and mail delivery solutions, reveals.
Original research of over 8,000 global shoppers in Asendia’s ‘How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper’ Report showed more than two thirds (67%) of global shoppers would spend more money with retailers they perceived to be authentic, with 59% saying they would only shop exclusively with authentic retail brands.
The key values defining authenticity for global shoppers were: being straightforward on delivering promises (58%); transparency within supply chains (43%); standing up for sustainability (39%); clear brand values (39%); and transparency with supplier relationships (34%).
Authenticity – the new currency for conversion, spend and loyalty
Seventy three percent (73%) of global shoppers also said authenticity made them more loyal to brands, with a further 65% saying they would switch to a competitor if they felt a retailer wasn’t authentic. Shoppers in Hong Kong (73%), France and Spain (both 72%) proved the most likely to switch brand allegiances, while shoppers in Hong Kong (80%) and the United States (75%) were the consumers whose spend propensity was the most impacted by a brand’s authenticity.
In the context of economic global headwinds and the rising cost-of-living putting extra pressure on household budgets and discretionary spend, authenticity is also helping retailers fend off rising price-sensitivity among shoppers. While a third of global shoppers plan to cut back on the volume of things they buy in 2023, almost half (48%) said a brand’s authenticity would make them less sensitive to inflationary price increases. However, this dipped to 43% of shoppers in the UK, where inflation remains close to a 40-year high.
Renaud Marlière, Global Chief of Business Development of Asendia, commented: “Of course, we see that shoppers are acting with caution due to the rising cost-of-living, but invariably they are also consuming consciously and mindfully. Shoppers now want to engage and buy from brands who act authentically. Increasingly, shoppers are holding the retailers and brands they shop with to account – and it is clear that authenticity is now having a significant impact on share of wallet, revenue and loyalty.”
“Brands and retailers need to take control of their own destiny when it comes to shaping the authentic shopping journeys consumers are now demanding. Shoppers increasingly expect accountability and transparency from retailers, whether through greater transparency around supply chain emissions, delivery promises or offering low- or carbon-neutral shipping options,” Renaud Marlière continued.
In 2022 Asendia announced it had reached 100% carbon neutrality through its carbon offsetting projects. It now offers carbon neutrality across all shipments carried out for international retail customers via its e-PAQ solution, a specialist range of international packet and parcel services designed for online retailers.
Channel matters – the impact of DTC on authenticity perception
Overwhelmingly, global shoppers feel brands that operated Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) were more authentic than those retailers who just operated via marketplaces. Over half (56%) of global shoppers felt that retailers that operated their own DTC channels were more authentic, rising to 68% of consumers in Hong Kong and 60% in both Spain and the U.S.
Combining global presence with local expertise, Asendia empowers online retailers to grow their cross-border operations by improving international shopping experiences. As well as its international parcel services and fulfilment solutions, it also offers sophisticated digital e-commerce platforms and solutions, including ESW, that deliver the seamless experiences online shoppers want when shopping DTC across borders, wherever they are located around the globe.
For further information on optimising cross-border strategies for success and how brands can build international consumer relationships that better meet the needs of today’s shoppers, download the full report: ‘How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper’.
Asendia is committed to putting the customer at the centre of everything it does, which is why it stands for trust, friendliness and ease of use as the key pillar representing its core values.
Research methodology
Original research of over 8,000 global shoppers in the UK, U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Each individual market polled had a sample size of over 1,000 shoppers. The research was conducted via online polling by Savanta on behalf of Asendia in February 2023.
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About Asendia
Asendia is one of the world’s leaders in international e-commerce and mail, delivering packages, parcels and documents to more than 200 destinations across the globe. Combining the experience and expertise of our founding companies, La Poste and Swiss Post, Asendia brings together a wealth of international and local know-how. Asendia’s expertise is broad reaching encompassing different aspects of e-commerce, from webshop software and marketplace management to international logistics. Asendia is committed to sustainability, offsetting all carbon emissions including first-mile collection, last-mile delivery, returns, and building emissions, machinery, and business travel.
Asendia employs over 1,500 people in Europe, UK, Asia Pacific and the USA – a global network blended with a local presence.
Find out more at: www.asendiaoceania.com