I recently had the pleasure of joining Tim Burrowes on his podcast, The Unmakers. If you know Tim’s work, you’ll know how deeply he understands the worlds of media, marketing, and business.
Our chat centred on one of the topics I’m most passionate about: the stark differences between Asia’s digital ecosystem and the West.
The conversation touched on everything from the dominance of platforms like WeChat in China, Line in Japan, Zalo in Vietnam and Kakao Talk in Korea to the unique browsing behaviours and cultural nuances that shape how consumers in Asia interact online. We explored how these differences go far beyond just language they reflect a distinct digital infrastructure, business environment, and user expectations that make Asia a world of its own.
One of the key points I shared with Tim is how critical it is for businesses looking to enter Asia to truly localise their approach. For example, a Western website optimised for Google won’t necessarily perform well in markets dominated by Baidu. It’s not just about translating your content, it’s about rethinking your entire strategy to align with a completely different ecosystem.
Tim’s thoughtful questions and curiosity about the challenges of bridging these digital worlds made for a lively and insightful conversation. Whether you’re interested in expanding your business into Asia, understanding the evolution of global media platforms, or just love hearing about what’s happening on the cutting edge of digital, I think you’ll find this episode eye-opening.
You can listen to the full interview below on Unmade. I’d love to hear your thoughts, let’s keep the conversation going!