Last year, 450 million Asia Pacific gamers aged under 18 loaded up numerous virtual worlds right under the noses of brand marketers. Youngsters can spend hours immersed in games. Why? Because they are a safe space for kids to experiment with their identity, practise their social skills and discover their potential and capabilities.

Yet despite its incredible popularity, gaming is still regarded as a niche form of entertainment, meaning marketers are missing out on a tremendous opportunity to reach APAC’s younger audiences. 

If marketers wish to reach a highly-engaged audience of under-18s, then games are the place to be. However, this unique digital-age group requires a re-think of marketers’ age-old strategies, as these will simply not work.

Instead, here are five simple strategies to ensure any gaming campaigns are on-target, effective and highly age-appropriate:

Understand the value exchange

It is important to understand that, for under-18s, the traditional value exchange has changed. Instead of the familiar transactional environment, the value exchange for youths is linked to the play experience, especially in digital worlds.

Young gamers are challenged constantly and have the creativity and liberty to decide how they want to look and be in the digital world. Brands have the chance to enter and be part of a highly personalised world where they can have both a more meaningful relationship with their target audience and one with greater utility.

Also Read: What does blockchain gaming need to succeed in the long haul?

Engagement methods can include interactive experiences that help players cultivate their identities or in-game purchases such as avatars or skins. However, one size does not fit all. With any under-18s advertising, marketers should have the courage to be playful too.

The golden rules of winning in-game

By 2022, you would expect marketers to have moved beyond the gamer stereotype of young, socially-awkward males. However, many still fail to recognise gaming as a multi-faceted and diverse medium. Like social media, television and print, marketers must apply the creative thought process of speaking to different audience groups.

Knowing these different audiences is the first step to winning the under-18s market. The next is to ensure any strategy is mobile-first. In 2022, smartphones will be a ubiquitous part of teenagers’ lives. 

Mobile provides scale and multiple means of entry for this digitally-engaged demographic. Understanding in-app advertising will also help brands integrate better with the overall ecosystem of gaming.

Once marketers have nailed their audience and the platform, then comes the content. Gaming provides an opportunity for creative experimentation that is inherently brand safe and fits with the play environment.

Encourage positive play

In-game advertising necessitates creating experiences that augment play positively, environments that are inclusive and engaging for all in that particular age category.

It should be noted, though, that APAC’s youngest generation leads the way into a digital and behavioural unknown. At a time of intense scrutiny over online data privacy, internet usage by under-18s now accounts for 40 per cent of all daily traffic. As always, where the eyeballs go, the brand safety risk follows, and naturally, this has become pertinent within the gaming ecosystem.

However, brands can create a safer gaming environment by encouraging positive play. This required adopting an unbiased marketing strategy that’s backed by science, and that’s audience-safe. Brands can take safety and make it a utility.

Marketers and their creative agencies have a responsibility to ensure that their assets are safe for and relevant to their young audience. Any missteps will tarnish a brand’s reputation both in the eyes of young consumers and their parents.

Amplify beyond the game

Today, gaming experiences exist far beyond the premise of the game itself. Instead, they reach deep into the lives of under-18s, with entire sub-cultures, fandoms and online communities dedicated to any particular game. 

Amplifying any marketing content should therefore consider the whole cycle of the gaming experience: in-game, around the game, and beyond the game.

Also Read: Exploring the creator economy in gaming

With in-game, brands are limited to animated gifs or in-game billboards, or occasionally, a sponsored game-within-a-game, as used by French developer Gameloft.

Around the game, meanwhile, marketers can leverage model avatars, virtual reality games and holographic concerts. When used successfully, these can be inspirational; they can show a world of endless possibilities that amplify a game’s endorphin rush.

Last but not least, there are brand experiences beyond the game. These can capitalise on gaming’s cultural force, as seen through online communities and real-world conventions.

In addition, as eSports becomes a cultural force of its own, brands can become part of tournaments, leagues and teams, some of which carry multi-million-dollar sponsorship deals.

Fans of eSports can include players, viewers, live streamers and even people who follow its stars on social media. ESports titles have communities and different platforms they engage in. For brands, this means activating a campaign based on each niche community and integrating wisely.

Capture the metaverse

Despite assumptions that it is little more than a fad, the metaverse will be game-changing for advertisers. In 2021, venture capital investment in the metaverse reached US$40-60 billion. So far, in 2022, it’s already at US$120 billion, and by 2030 is expected to hit US$5 trillion. 

Although the metaverse is still being defined, both literally and figuratively, it could soon impact everything from employee engagement, customer experience, omnichannel sales and marketing, product innovation and community-building. APAC is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the metaverse market, while three-quarters of young Singaporeans are interested in a virtual 3D space.

The metaverse is the next frontier to be captured. Marketers willing to cross this frontier must dream big and apply the same ethos of adopting an unbiased approach backed by science.

They must align their brand with the right game, entertainment and social community while investing in activation and amplification beyond sponsorship.

And finally, they must be prepared to test and learn within the community and understand what value the brand can bring. Most crucially of all, marketers must be committed to safe, community-first experiences where their authentic selves are always at play.

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Fazz, a digital financial services group dual-headquartered in Singapore and Indonesia, has announced a US$100 million Series C funding round.

The round comprises US$75 million equity and a US$25 million debt facility.

The equity investors are Tiger Global, DST Investment, B Capital, Insignia Ventures Partners, and ACE & Company. llham Ltd (which is associated with EDBI), InterVest, Michael Seibel (Managing Director of Y Combinator), and Hans Tung (Managing Partner of GGV Capital) also participated.

The debt facility came from Lendable.

Fazz will use the funds to grow the business and expand its teams in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan from 800 to 1,400.

Also Read: Payfazz invests US$30M into Xfers; join hands to form Fazz Financial Group

Fazz (earlier known as Fazz Financial Group and founded in 2016) was launched following a merger between PayFazz and Xfers, two Y Combinator alumni based in Southeast Asia. Its mission is to enable financial access for every business in Southeast Asia, where many MSMEs and the population are still underserved.

The firm offers Fazz Agen, an agent-based financial application serving micro and small businesses in Indonesia. Fazz Business is a business account to help startups, MSMEs, and large corporations build, run, and grow their businesses across Southeast Asia by providing the ability to pay and receive payments, grow capital, and get funding.

Its Modal Rakyat is a P2P lending and borrowing service for MSMEs, while StraitsX offers payment infrastructure for digital assets.

Fazz claims it saw US$10 billion in annualised transaction volumes over the past year. It is looking to double its transaction volumes in the next 12 months.

“Many businesses in Southeast Asia are still underserved, and some have been heavily affected by the pandemic. Fazz is stepping in to help them recover and grow back stronger. We invest a lot in the tech side of our business to ensure that any business, from small family shops to big enterprises, can access financial tools to build their business.

More importantly, we want to provide the same benefits that big companies have to small businesses and warung owners. This round of funding will enable us to build this technology edge for our users,” said CEO Hendra Kwik.

Also Read: How blockchain-powered fintech services can improve financial inclusion

Lack of access to equitable technology tools and bank financing are key challenges for MSMEs in Southeast Asia, with the funding gap currently reaching US$300 billion.

The changing business environment during the pandemic has placed MSMEs at an even bigger disadvantage due to the lack of access to funding, technology and network.

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From articles highlighting the region’s growing startups and the latest news and activities in the community to insightful articles shared by hundreds of our community members, the e27 platform has provided open access to content that brought visibility and connection to startups, funds, and other key players in the tech ecosystem.

Apart from the content that is freely accessed by thousands of readers monthly, our growing community of e27 Pro members also benefits from our member-exclusive content; the Ecosystem Roundup is our twice-weekly rundown of news items curated from over 150 sources that include general tech media and hyperlocal channels, with the aim of helping our members cut through the noise and focus on relevant news that helps them make informed business decisions. 

The Ecosystem Roundup started as a way for us to help our members focus on information that is relevant to their decision-making. Making informed business decisions is crucial to the survival and growth of companies – more so now as we face economic challenges.

Also read: Better browsing experience begins at home(page)

Aligned with that, you can now access the Ecosystem Roundup and other e27 Pro premium content through an e27 Pro plan that may be more relevant to your current needs.

Expanding e27 Pro Memberships

The e27 Pro membership has grown significantly in the last two years, with thousands of startups becoming members and making 15,000+ startup-investor connections via Pro Connect. 

But with the e27 Pro Connect primarily focused on connecting startups with investors for fundraising,  mentorship, and network-building,  among others, how about the startups who do not have these goals in mind but would like to access insightful content that is part of the e27 Pro Connect membership?

Enter e27 Pro Content.

The e27 Pro Content is a new membership plan that lets you access premium content that was previously only available to e27 Pro Connect members.

This membership plan will include our twice-weekly Ecosystem Roundup, Editor’s Special, Contributor’s Special, and Meet the VC series. Included in this is access to seasonal series of articles produced by the e27 editorial team that reflects the current state of the ecosystem and where is it going.

Since the beginning of this quarter, as an example, the editorial team has been producing deep dives with select investors in the region to provide insights and knowledge about the current state of the ecosystem. The series aims to help more entrepreneurs and ecosystem stakeholders adapt and thrive in this challenging environment.

This array of curated content will be regularly published and is going to be available to members with Pro Content subscriptions. 

For startups, investors, and others who wish to build their networks with startups on e27, the e27 Pro Content membership also includes access to Startup Connect.

Get it for 50 per cent off today

For the US$9.90 monthly, the e27 Pro Content gives you access to all e27 Pro premium content and Startup Connect.

You can avail of a 50 per cent discount for your first month on the e27 Pro Content membership if you sign up today until 31 December 2022. 

Got questions? We’re happy to provide you with answers. Drop us a message here.

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Fundraising or preparing your startup for fundraising? Build your investor network, search from 400+ SEA investors on e27, and get connected or get insights regarding fundraising. Try e27 Connect for free today.

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Cybercriminals appear to no longer distinguish between big businesses and fledgling startups. Based on recent events, everyone is now a potential target, which means that a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity should no longer be an afterthought. 

The 2022 Global Threat Report by CrowdStrike Intelligence records an 82 per cent increase in ransomware-related data leaks in 2021, with 2,686 attacks in December, up from 1,474 in 2020.

Here in Southeast Asia, our home base, the Philippines, has recorded the highest number of phishing attacks, with nearly seven out of 10 targeting finance-related transactions. A separate study suggests that cybersecurity crime can severely impact the Philippine economy by as much as 1.1 per cent of total GDP, which would be approximately US $3.5 billion.

But other SEA economies can’t breathe a sigh of relief either, as they are equally in danger. One AV company found that Indonesia saw a 65.90 per cent increase in phishing attempts, followed by Singapore with 55.67 per cent, Thailand with 55.63 per cent, Malaysia with 50.58 per cent, and Vietnam with 36.12 per cent.

The outlook doesn’t look too bright with the quantum of ransomware and social engineering attacks set to escalate drastically.

Increased demand for cybersecurity innovation

Cybercriminals are striking with increasing frequency and audacity at companies of all sizes, targeting numerous individuals, too. With cybercrime becoming more organised and rampant, the trickle-down effect is declining trust in companies and systems. 

Also Read: Strengthening cybersecurity measures in the face of Web 3.0

With the increasing numbers of companies focused on seizing bigger opportunities in cloud and mobile computing, they also assume risks in varied measures. The key risks include significant financial loss, plummeting customer satisfaction and market reputation and severe job loss across disciplines. There are also direct financial losses associated with the crime like loss of productivity, fines, and remedial action.

It can’t be underlined enough that cybersecurity must become a strategic business priority, a board-level issue for organisations. It is vital that businesses become proactive when it comes to cybersecurity instead of just reacting to security breaches.

Experts believe that cybersecurity should never be an afterthought but should be integrated into its growth strategy at the very earliest. Another key recommendation in combating cyber threats is investing in training and developing a pipeline of cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity awareness has to be part of the company’s DNA across all levels in an organisation.

A multi-layered approach to cybersecurity

With cybersecurity costing companies millions of dollars, it is vital that companies adopt multi-layered cyber protection. This is particularly important as cybercrime can occur from within and outside the organisation, with employees being a major cause of security breaches.

For instance, while remote and hybrid work offered business continuity amid a global health crisis, numerous endpoints and devices became more vulnerable to attack. 

It’s a harsh reality, but today’s cybercrime masterminds have both the expertise and technical capabilities that are on par with their cybersecurity counterparts. In this precarious scenario, organisations should gauge the gravity of the situation and implement immediate and resilient cybersecurity measures. 

Artificial intelligence and machine learning

These extremely versatile technologies have proven prowess in detecting and arresting various types of cyberattacks efficiently. Kickstart Ventures recently invested US$3M in SlashNext, a computer and network security company specialising in cybersecurity, cyberattack detection, and IT solutions.

Its database, AI and ML algorithms can scan and detect zero-hour phishing threats across multiple endpoints in real-time, with six times better phishing threat detection and three times greater spear phishing detection.

Also Read: How can lean startups build a resilient cybersecurity posture

These two technologies are powerful weapons that can be used to pre-empt cyberattacks, as they are programmed to look for anomalies. AI can augment the two-factor authentication and be further deployed to rapidly check additional layers of genuineness. Machine learning can be used to quickly analyse vast amounts of data to identify different types of cyber threats and fraud.

Behavioural analytics

Data can be mined for behaviour analysis, which helps identify patterns and activities to detect potential and real-time cyber threats. An abnormal increase in data transmission from a user device could signal a cyberattack. Behaviour analytics is increasingly being tapped for developing better cybersecurity technologies.  

Embedded hardware authentication

Embedded authenticators are emerging technologies to verify a user’s identity. Powerful user authentication chips are embedded into hardware and are designed to revolutionise “authentication security”. These chips employ multiple levels and methods of authentication working in tandem.

Blockchain cybersecurity

Working on the basis of identification between the two transaction parties, blockchain is fast gaining ground and recognition. Every member of a blockchain is responsible for verifying the authenticity of the data added. Moreover, blockchains create a near-impenetrable network for hackers and are perfect for safeguarding data from getting compromised. So, the use of blockchain, coupled with AI, can establish a robust verification system to eliminate cyber threats.

Zero-trust model

This model works on the assumption that a network is already compromised. Believing that one cannot trust the network, both internal and external securities are scaled up. It includes identifying business-critical data, mapping the flow of this data, logical and physical segmentation, and control enforcement through automation and constant monitoring.

A strategic priority

Cybersecurity is a critical component for ensuring the unimpeded growth of any company. Organisations across disciplines and sizes must treat cybersecurity as an essential strategic priority. Thankfully, while threats continue to evolve, so do the means to deter their potential damage to any organisation’s data, reputation, and growth.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page

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Globally, transportation accounts for about 24 per cent of the global CO2 emissions, which is expected to reach 27 per cent by 2050 as fossil fuel use continues. Aeroplane emissions are rising rapidly, which increased by 32 per cent between 2013 and 2018. 

While electric vehicles (EVs) are gradually replacing fossil fuel-powered vehicles in the land transportation sector, the aviation industry has not made much headway on this front. Solar-powered planes are also being tested — a long-haul solar-powered flight (Solar Impulse 2) was tested in 2016 — but it doesn’t appear to have made much progress either.

All this means chances of decarbonising aviation are remote. 

What can we do to reduce CO2 emissions in the aviation sector, then?

This Singaporean entrepreneur has an answer. 

“We wanted to find alternatives that could help reduce flight emissions,” says Jonathan Yeo, Co-Founder and CEO of FlyORO, a provider of last-mile sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) blending technologies. “And it has to start today.”

FlyORO was founded in Singapore by Yeo, Joe Ng (CTO), and Genevieve Toh (CMO)  — all avid travellers. 

Yeo is a chemical engineer with a track record in developing energy and chemical businesses. Ng has previously led high-profile global supply chain, engineering, plant construction, expansion and production, and industrial automation projects across oil majors. Toh has a business management background and experience in banking and finance at JP Morgan & HSBC.

Tackling a Barrier to Flying Green

According to the startup, it is tackling one of the barriers to flying green by providing last-mile sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending and distribution directly at airports. The bespoke modular biofuel blending technology can be integrated with existing airport infrastructure so that airports can provide SAF blends readily to airlines.

“SAF is the most viable alternative to conventional jet fuel, but our supply chain model has to be better integrated to support an efficient distribution of SAF. We are on a mission to enable the accessibility and availability of SAF to airports anywhere,” Yeo tells e27.

Also Read: The Capture app enables you to track, reduce and offset carbon emissions from everyday life

SAF is a synergistic blend of conventional jet fuel and biofuel. Biofuel, derived from biomass-based feedstock like animal waste and algae, is a lower-carbon aviation fuel alternative. 

“We partner with airports by deploying our modular assets for easy tie-in with existing fuel storage tanks. We convert existing airports into SAF-friendly at zero CAPEX. We also partner with fuel service operators to provide airlines with a seamless operational process of into-plane services,” Yeo boasts. 

Flights are allowed to fly with up to a maximum of 50 per cent blend, reducing lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent in neat form. “The SAF industry builds upon a holistic ecosystem, meaning a rigorous relationship between all stakeholders is necessary. FlyORO liaises directly with fixed base operators (FBOs), which are involved in the final distribution of the blended SAF,” Yeo shares.

(FBO is an organisation granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services, such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, and flight instruction)

FlyORO has raised SGD500,000 (US$354,000) from unnamed angels for its innovative solution.

Getting an Entry into Aviation

Aviation is a highly capital-intensive and regulated industry. The founders of FlyORO realised early on that entering this sector was hard. So they kickstarted their projects with companies in the oil sector.

“Oil companies have ambitions towards cleaner fuels in the energy transition. Based on this, we started working with them to understand more about the massive carbon polluters, including aviation fuel emissions,” Yeo reveals. 

This experience helped FlyORO understand the aviation sector and its requirements better and get an entry into the sector.

Yeo acknowledges that biofuels and other lower-carbon alternative fuels are already available for the aviation industry. SAF is blended in different types and ratios due to varying airline commitment, processing technology and market legislations. Adding to this complexity, SAF is currently processed at refineries of fixed geographies depending on the origin, requiring additional logistics cost, time and carbon footprint. This makes it costly, less accessible, and available only to a few airports.

“So, blending products with existing ATF is a more commercially acceptable solution. Then again, supply chain and distribution are a challenge. We fulfil the role as a last-mile blending provider for SAF and are in a unique position to accelerate the offtake of SAF blends to airlines,” he shares.

A key metric in airline operations is a fast turnaround and refuel time. The company claims it enables this with rapid order-to-fulfilment, with on-demand blending, certification and distribution within a 20 minutes window without disrupting the existing into-plane services for airlines.

Also Read: Why the Carbon tax is just a step forward and not a solution

As FlyORO grew, its aviation fuel partners connected it with more airports and airlines. FlyORO has so far received interest from 11 airlines and 16 airports and is currently working on three active projects in Singapore, the US and Europe.

It also has partnerships with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Joint Inspection Group (JIG), and Defence Standard (DefStan).“We are working with these groups to align our solution with current regulations and participate in active discussion for future changes in supply chain operation standards,” Yeo says.

FlyORO charges a blending fee of US$0.03-0.10 per litre.

According to Yeo, the market opportunities for FlyORO are enormous. The jet fuel blending segment itself is US$250 million, and it has barely scratched the surface.

But the startup has to tackle some challenges to scale up and grow. “Since we are an innovator, there is bound to be some resistance to change, which means a longer lead time to conversion. It took months for us to sell our story and could reach the right stakeholder only after four months of the discovery process.”

How long would it take for FlyORO to sell its stories to more flight operators and fly high? Its ability to create awareness and convince more stakeholders is the answer.

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