GrabAds, the advertising arm of Southeast Asian superapp Grab, has on Tuesday announced that Marketing Manager is now available on mobile to empower micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Southeast Asia.

GrabAds said in a statement that Marketing Manager on mobile is a tool designed to streamline the marketing journey for MSME merchants on the Grab platform, allowing them to boost sales.

Merchants can easily create advertisements and announce their latest offers and promotions right from their fingertips, anywhere and anytime.

Marketing Manager has also introduced the all-new “spotlight campaigns” feature, exclusively for mobile, where Grab curates specially designed campaigns – often only for a limited time- to assist merchants in maximizing visibility and enhancing sales conversions. 

Through this feature, merchants can strategically reserve high-visibility spaces for their stores, exclusively within
Grab-hosted campaigns, increasing exposure and driving sales with a single, impactful campaign.

MSME merchants on Grab can also use Marketing Manager’s newly enhanced features to drive more sales:

1) Quick and easy campaign set-up: With just a few taps, merchants on the Grab platform can easily create ads based on their target audience requirements and sales goals. 

2) Simple-to-understand performance reports: Real-time reports help merchants readily gain insights into how successful their campaigns are. They can pause campaigns or adjust their duration or budgets according to their needs.

3) Cost-efficient campaigns: Merchants only need to pay for successful orders on a Cost-per-order (CPO) basis. This approach ensures that their advertising spend is geared towards tangible results, making it a cost-effective way to drive sales.

“GrabAds is committed to providing self-serve solutions to help our MSME merchant partners promote their products and drive more sales for their business through Grab,” said Ken Mandel, Regional Head of GrabAds & Brand Insights.

“MSME merchants juggle various roles–from chef to bookkeeper, accountant and marketer– which necessitates their need for an easy-to-use, flexible yet effective marketing tool,

“When we conducted our own survey among our merchants, nearly half the merchants said that they prioritize conversion and cost when selecting an ad platform, which is why the latest features on Marketing Manager on mobile address the everyday challenges that our MSME merchants face,” he added.

According to the statement, the introduction of Marketing Manager on mobile coincides with the rise of a mobile-first culture in Southeast Asia.

In 2023, smartphone users in Southeast Asia were forecasted to grow by 4 percent year over year to reach 342.1 million, with penetration reaching 88.9 percent among internet users.

Merchants, mirroring the habits of their consumers, are increasingly utilizing mobile platforms for business operations, especially among MSME teams.

Marketing Manager on mobile is designed for merchants looking for straightforward and swift campaigns on mobile, providing a user-friendly option and is now available in Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam.

For businesses in need of more advanced tools, the web-based Marketing Manager Pro offers more comprehensive features suited for digitally savvy merchants seeking greater customization for their ad campaigns.

Established in 2018, GrabAds has evolved into an integrated advertising solutions provider that provides advertisers with multiple channels, such as in-app advertising, branding, and product sampling via the Grab ecosystem, for building awareness, engaging audiences, and triggering
action across the Grab platform.

Through its advertising and technology capabilities, GrabAds aims to help people discover, engage, and connect with the best businesses in Southeast Asia.

GrabAds launches ‘Marketing Manager’ to help MSMEs in Southeast Asia to spur sales