In periods of economic uncertainty, the typical knee-jerk reaction for many startups is to go laser-focus on lead generation — get more leads, convert more prospects, rinse, repeat.

While lead generation is undoubtedly important, the fixation on it often overshadows other critical aspects of B2B marketing and communications that can truly build resilience and ensure long-term growth. And when resources are tight, startups especially need a more holistic, strategic approach to thrive.

Here are six powerful considerations for B2B marketing and communications that I have noticed get easily overlooked to focus on in uncertain times:

Brand trust: Built around customer-centric messaging

During economic uncertainty, businesses are more cautious about their spending. Trust becomes a pivotal factor in decision-making. Your brand’s ability to remain authentic and customer-centric will determine whether clients tide through the tough times with you.

Make your messaging reflect an understanding of your customers’ current challenges and how your solutions can help them navigate these hurdles. Instead of bombarding them with “buy now” messages, consider showing them how your product or service can solve their most pressing pain points, offer cost savings, or increase operational efficiency.

Retention over acquisition

Acquiring new customers is expensive, particularly when budgets are tight, and markets are unpredictable. Rather than focusing solely on bringing in new leads, invest in keeping the customers you already have. Retention strategies are often underutilised but are incredibly cost-effective, especially when compared to the time, energy, and financial resources required for acquisition.

Focusing on customer success, offering personalised solutions, and demonstrating that you are a reliable partner during difficult times will significantly increase retention. Happy customers not only stick around longer, but they also become your advocates, driving word-of-mouth referrals—often the best and least expensive form of marketing.

Agile marketing strategies

Agility in your marketing approach is essential when market conditions are constantly changing. But contrary to popular belief, agility isn’t just about quick shifts in campaigns or messaging. It’s about flexibility and adaptability at every level—from strategy down to execution.

Also Read: Unlocking marketing success for startups and small businesses: Strategies for excellence

As you craft your marketing plans, allow space for changes. Be prepared to pivot your messaging, shift your budget, or adjust campaign goals on the fly. This way, if a key trend shifts or customer behaviour alters, your team can respond swiftly, keeping your marketing relevant and aligned with the business landscape.  Take this time to also weed out areas that are slow to pivot – they will likely be more apparent in uncertain times.

Digital automation and transformation

Perhaps even more important than agile marketing strategies are agile marketing processes. How can your team efficiently execute these pivots in real-time without burning out or burning through your budget? Enter digital automation and Gen AI.

Automation tools can streamline your workflows, making your team more efficient by handling repetitive tasks and reducing human error. Whether it’s automating email campaigns, social media posting, or lead nurturing, this gives your marketing team the bandwidth to focus on high-level strategy. Incorporating Generative AI tools for content creation, data analysis, and campaign optimisation can significantly accelerate your responsiveness and make personalisation at scale achievable, even with limited resources.

In a landscape where everything is uncertain, watch for processes that keep your operations nimble.

Strategic partnerships and collaborations

When resources are limited, it’s time to get creative. Strategic partnerships and collaborations can offer a win-win for both parties. Partnering with a business that complements your offering—without directly competing—allows you to expand your reach, share resources, and tap into new customer segments without the heavy cost burden.

These partnerships also enhance credibility. A strong alignment with a respected brand can elevate your own brand’s reputation and trustworthiness in the eyes of your customers. Done well, many of these partnerships and collaborations will take you into the good times or even creating new target market segments together.

Crisis and risk management communication

Now I saved this for last.  Many companies avoid the topic of crisis communication, preparing for worst-case scenarios is a must, particularly in volatile times. Your customers need to feel confident that you can handle unforeseen circumstances without dropping the ball.

Also Read: How to maximise marketing efforts on a shoe-string budget

Having a clear crisis communication plan is essential. This includes knowing exactly how and when to communicate with your customers during disruptions, economic shifts, or internal issues. Transparent, honest communication about what’s happening and how it affects your customers will help maintain trust and minimise the impact of a crisis on your brand reputation.  Listening tools to tap into information being communicated or talked about various media platforms will also help you stay up to date with news that can change quickly in volatile times.

During economic uncertainty, it’s not enough to rely on the traditional lead generation playbook. Startups and businesses need a more resilient approach—one that looks beyond immediate conversion and focuses on building enduring customer relationships, operational agility, and brand trust. By investing in these lesser-known, yet equally critical areas, B2B marketers can not only survive the unpredictable economic landscape, but leverage opportunities to build something stronger in the long run.

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Having worked in the influencer space for five years, Priyanka Mahulkar recognised the challenges brands and nano-influencers faced, particularly local businesses with limited budgets. From planning to execution, brands struggled with selecting the right influencers, creating content, and managing timelines — all while staying within budget.

While there existed agencies facilitating these collaborations, they charged hefty fees, leaving many smaller brands sidelined.

Mahulkar wanted to streamline the process through new-age technologies and make it affordable for small brands.

Also Read: Influencer marketing strategies: Driving engagement and reach in Indonesia

This led to the birth of Gram Circle.

Based in Singapore, the startup aims to revolutionise influencer marketing by creating new economic opportunities for local brands and influencers through its AI-powered platform.

The product was born out of the need for local brands to establish an online presence during the pandemic, and then it pivoted to a fully automated AI platform.

“At its core, Gram Circle enables brands to scale their businesses through influencer collaborations while allowing influencers to discover partnerships more easily. This process benefits both parties: brands can quickly launch campaigns, and influencers can create relevant content without the hassle of searching for suitable partners,” Mahulkar told e27.

Enhancing campaign management

According to Mahulkar, Gram Circle’s AI technology is the key differentiator that enhances campaign management and performance tracking. The AI matches brands with the most suitable influencers based on shared values and target audiences. It also simplifies brands’ workflow, from crafting campaign briefs to identifying influencers, reducing the time it takes to set up marketing efforts.

“It is a DIY platform that empowers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take control of their marketing campaigns without relying on costly agencies. It can set up influencer campaigns in minutes, offering brands a cost-effective way to launch large-scale, high-impact campaigns,” Mahulkar shared.

Similarly, influencers are guided on content creation, with suggestions tailored to each campaign. This mutual benefit fosters efficiency and removes the manual processes that often bog down influencer marketing efforts.

For example, a local café used Gram Circle to host an exclusive preview event for influencers, generating buzz on social media that increased brand awareness and strengthened community engagement.

The solution also offers predictive analytics to estimate campaign reach and engagement, automated reporting, and performance benchmarking.

The startup charges a monthly fee of S$188 (US$146), allowing brands to partner with influencers across various food, fashion, and beauty industries. A beauty brand in Singapore used Gram Circle to generate over 80 TikTok videos in just one month,  demonstrating the platform’s efficiency and cost-effectiveness

“For just S$188 per month, brands can run campaigns that generate significant results, while influencers are rewarded based on transparent performance metrics,” she stated. “We are also developing an affiliate system that ties influencer compensation directly to campaign outcomes, ensuring that both sides benefit from successful collaborations.”

Targetting 60M nano-influencers

As Gram Circle expands, it targets 20 million businesses and 60 million nano-influencers across platforms like Meta and TikTok. Its city-by-city growth strategy builds authentic relationships through community events and connects influencers with local brand owners to foster meaningful collaborations.

The company is also eyeing the vast direct-to-consumer (D2C) markets in Southeast Asia and India, aiming to expand into these regions when the time is right.

Influencers benefit from content analysis tools, dynamic pricing models, and optimisation suggestions to improve their content performance.

Also Read: AI in influencer marketing: Transforming trends and shaping the future

With the influencer marketing industry projected to grow by 28.6 per cent CAGR by 2032, Gram Circle aims to capitalise on this trend. The platform’s core value lies in its focus on local communities, where local brands and influencers come together to drive economic impact.

Looking ahead, Gram Circle sees AI as a driving force in the future of influencer marketing, especially in the micro and nano-influencer segments.

“As the landscape becomes more competitive, authenticity and deeper audience engagement will be essential for success. We are committed to guiding this transformation, using technology to deliver data-driven solutions that benefit both brands and influencers,” Mahulkar stated.

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Image Credit: Gram Circle.

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Malaysia’s startup ecosystem is vibrant and growing, and many founders are considering establishing a presence here. As a startup lawyer who regularly advises founders on establishing a startup in Malaysia, I’ve put together eight frequently asked questions (FAQs) that hopefully will help address your most frequent concerns.

What is the usual way for a startup to be established in Malaysia?

A startup is usually formed as a company limited by shares. The usual abbreviation is ‘Sdn Bhd’ (which means ‘Private Limited Company’). If you are running an existing business in your home country, a startup may be formed as a subsidiary of the home country and can be registered with 100 per cent foreign ownership, with the exception of certain business sectors.

A foreigner may also own a company as the sole shareholder. However, if you want to be the sole director of the company, at least one domicile director is needed to form an entity.  

What are the options available if I don’t have a domicile director?

If you are running an existing startup in a home country and may not have plans to relocate to Malaysia immediately, you may employ a country manager in Malaysia via an Employer on Record (EoR) before you officially expand your startup to Malaysia. 

Alternatively, you may engage a nominee director service to fulfil this legal requirement until you decide to relocate to Malaysia or hire a country manager as one of the directors in Malaysia. 

I’m a foreigner who wants to relocate and run my startup from Malaysia. What is the best route for me?

As a foreigner, you may apply for Malaysia Tech Entrepreneur Program (MTEP), a visa programme started in 2017 by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), a government agency in charge of promoting the digital economy in Malaysia to facilitate work visas for foreigners who want to establish a startup in Malaysia even before formally forming a startup. 

Also Read: Re-skilling in the age of AI and navigating the future of work in Malaysia

There are two types of passes offered by MTEP, namely — Professional Visit Pass (PVP-MTE) which is valid for one year, and Residence Pass (RP-MTE) — which is valid for up to five years for new foreigners and established foreigners respectively. 

What are the roles of a company secretary for my startup?

All companies established in Malaysia are required to have at least one company secretary. We generally advise startups to engage an experienced corporate secretarial firm with considerable past experience in advising startups. 

In addition to helping with the entity formation, bank account opening, and statutory filing to the registrar, the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM), the corporate secretary may also assist you in other compliance matters like payroll agent to registering for taxes and complying with tax laws.

What about licences? Is there a quick way to find out what licences I need and what the conditions are?

The short answer is, yes. If the product or service you want to launch in Malaysia is already regulated in your home country, chances are it may also likely be regulated in Malaysia. For example, a traveltech startup that plans to operate an online ticketing platform may likely need to be licensed by The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. If you’re not sure, you will need to consult a startup lawyer before launching the product or service.

Alternatively, you may also explore collaborating with an existing  licensee to ease the regulatory burden. However, it is crucial to develop the licensing parameters together with the appropriate legal advice.

What are the tax incentives for a startup established in Malaysia?

A startup may apply for the Malaysia Digital (MD) Tax Incentive which allows the startup to be eligible to either the reduced tax rate. As a startup with an MD status, a startup may opt for an investment tax allowance (ITA) on income derived from the approved activity. The tax incentive is administered by MDEC.

I also plan to hire foreign talents for my startup in Malaysia. What are the legal requirements involved?

If your startup receives the Malaysia Digital (MD) Status, you may obtain MDEC’s services to obtain relevant employment passes for your startup. However, the foreign employee candidate must be a “knowledge worker” (i.e. someone who is at least a diploma holder or an ex-employee in an IT service) with a basic salary of RM5,000 (approximately US$1,212.40) per month.

Also Read: Understanding priced and unpriced funding rounds: A startup lawyer’s guide for startups

If your startup does not have an MD Status, your startup may have to fulfil the normal minimum paid up capital requirement to apply for employment passes. For example, if the startup is 100 per cent owned by a parent company and is not involved in a regulated industry, the usual minimum paid up capital is RM500,000 (approximately US$121,241.50). The employment pass is eligible for certain positions, usually for highly-skilled managerial technical positions which cannot be filled by locals. 

I also want to hire locals for my startup. What are the labour laws that I should know?

Malaysia has extensive labour laws that regulate employment relationships, including minimum wage, working hours, and statutory benefits. The Employment Act sets out the minimum entitlements of employees and covers all employees — no matter how much they are paid with exception to those earning above RM4,000 (approximately US$969.70) per month  where certain provisions including overtime and layoff benefits are excluded. 

Hiring an employee may also come with other obligations, such as registering with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO). There are also minimum wage requirements in Malaysia, which varies depending on how your workers are paid and where they are based. Startups must comply with these laws to avoid penalties. 

Therefore, you need to consider if you want to create an employment relationship as there are legal implications. In the event of a dispute, the court will look at the arrangement as a whole.

Consult a startup lawyer before hiring so that you are clear about what you can or cannot do with your employees.

Final thoughts

As a founder, establishing a startup in a new jurisdiction may appear daunting and overwhelming — irrespective of how experienced you are. Be that as it may, the reward may be worth it as Malaysia offers numerous advantages including a vibrant startup ecosystem, affordable living expenses, and access to a skilled and diversified workforce. 

By understanding these legal requirements and engaging an experienced startup lawyer to guide you during the entity formation, you will increase your startup’s chances of success in the Malaysian market.

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Truely, a travel eSIM provider headquartered in Singapore and a direct competitor to venture-funded Airalo, has completed a US$3.5 million round of financing led by 1982 Ventures and with participation from Beenext and Kopital Ventures.

Strategic angel investors, including JJ Chai (ex-Airbnb), Kum Hong Siew (ex-Airbnb), HY Sia (founder of Tranglo), Mohammad Gharaybeh, Qin En Looi, Eric Dadoun, and Gilbert Relou, among others, also co-invested.

With this capital, Truely plans to release B2B2C services designed for major travel operators, airlines, airports, OTAs, and service providers, as well as additional products and services to help keep global travellers connected to workplaces and loved ones.

Founded in July 2023, Truely provides access to mobile data across over 200 destinations and regions, with services in multiple languages. It eliminates the need for physical SIM cards and associated clutter, expiring and overlapping plans, and expensive roaming charges.

Also Read: Use Airalo eSIM and stay connected wherever you go in the world

The company offers users flexible plans based on travel needs, selecting data plans based on destination, travel duration, and data packages. Compatible with most modern smartphones, the eSIM can be installed in minutes without replacing the user’s original SIM card. The eSIMs can also be used in tandem with physical SIM cards for dual SIM flexibility.

“We created Truely with user experience at its core—understanding that incumbent options lacked user-friendliness and depended on burner eSIMs. Our flexible and affordable packages offer best-in-class coverage at affordable prices, while also achieving maximum ease-of-use,” said founder and CEO Simon Landsheer. “Leveraging Truely’s Switchless eSIM technology, we will continue to release exciting and innovative products and features to meet diverse traveler needs, keeping travellers connected seamlessly wherever they go at unprecedented ease.”

According to research by Kaleido Intelligence, the eSIM retail market is expected to reach US$3.3 billion in retail sales by 2025 and is projected to grow nearly 50 per cent annually over the next four years. This is driven by the transition from physical travel SIMs, broader eSIM availability in mid-low-tier smartphones, and more affordable data plans.

Singapore-based Airalo is a pioneer in the global e-SIM place. Established in 2019, the company has raised more than US$67 million in venture investments over multiple rounds. In August 2023, Airalo secured US$60 million in a Series B round from a clutch of investors, including Etisalat’s e& capital, Liberty Global, Singtel Innov8, Orange Ventures, Deutsche Telekom’s T.Capital, KPN Ventures, and Telefonica.

Airalo claims it offers eSIMs for over 200 countries and regions through partnerships with both local and regional players. It provides travellers with instant access to digital data packs upon landing. However, it doesn’t provide voice call facilities in many countries and regions.

For businesses operating in the online travel or e-commerce sectors (e.g., online travel agencies, airlines, hotels, travel service aggregators), Airalo offers its API Partner programme. Airalo API Partners gain access to easy-to-use APIs, enabling them to provide connectivity solutions to their customers by integrating eSIM solutions into their platforms.

For businesses, Airalo also offers a fully built and maintained co-brand website. The business refers its users to the co-brand website for a commission, enabling the users to enjoy attractive offers from Airalo.

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The phrase ‘every company is a software company’ has become more common. It is a phrase born out of the recognition that businesses are increasingly operating digitally and need to do so to be successful. Operating solely offline is quickly becoming obsolete for today’s customer.

A recent report by Microsoft entitled Unlocking the Economic Impact of Digital Transformation in Asia Pacific reveals that by 2021 digital transformation will be worth a staggering US$45 billion to the continent’s GDP, and businesses who invest in digital transformation will see a 40 per cent improvement in productivity and cost reduction and a 50 per cent increase in profit margins.

For retailers and business-to-consumer companies, in particular, one of the main reasons investing in technology is crucial is the need to be where their customers are, and engage with them on their terms. The customer experience is increasingly complicated as shoppers expect brands to be available to them in a personalised way across various channels, in real-time. Customer-centric businesses are now realising that the customer experience can make or break their outlet.

It is a long journey to get this right, but businesses will increasingly need to overhaul and digitally transform their current customer communications.

A Twilio study found that nine out of 10 consumers globally want to communicate with brands digitally. The majority of these people want to, not only receive messages from a business but also be able to respond to that message. Sixty-six per cent of consumers now prefer to reach (or be reached) through messaging apps. Globally, 47 per cent of users prefer native text messages when communicating with brands, followed by Facebook Messenger (21 per cent), Whatsapp (18 per cent), LINE (six per cent), and Snapchat (two per cent).

What this shows is that businesses need to adopt a multi-channel strategy to ensure they interact with customers on the modern and varying channels that they like to frequent.

Also Read: The art of customer loyalty: 5 ways to create irresistible customer experiences

Recognition and complexity

According to a report from SmarterHQ, 72 per cent of consumers say they now only engage with marketing messages that are personalised. So along with ensuring companies to tailor messages based on customers’ wants and interests, there is no better way to personalise a message than to send it on their preferred channel.

Despite this, a report by Forrester entitled Vendor Landscape: Mobile Messaging Platforms, shows that while consumers send over 370 billion texts, Apple iMessage, Facebook and WhatsApp messages globally in a fortnight block, enterprises are still struggling with finding new and effective ways to engage customers using the channel.

A key issue here is often that businesses do not recognise their communication shortfalls, or where they are going wrong. As a result, they fail to improve and communicate with their customers effectively. This was supported by Twilio’s Bridging the Communications Divide research which showed that 81 per cent of consumers say it is often difficult to communicate with businesses, but only 34 per cent of businesses acknowledge these challenges.

There is also a question of complexity. Traditionally, integrating various messaging channels and maintaining the infrastructure has presented a difficult technical challenge for businesses.

Tech is the answer

The answer to the customer communication problem is a combination of recognition and action. Going back to the notion that every company is, or should be, a software company; once a business has recognised that they can improve how they communicate with their customers, the best course of action is to invest in the right technology to truly execute an effective customer communication programme.

Businesses should look out for APIs that enable developers to build conversational experiences across multiple messaging channels simply and at scale. As mentioned,  integrating multiple messaging channels and having the foundations in place to support group messaging and cross-channel conversations has, until recently, been extremely complex.

Also Read: Real-time communications provider Qiscus, another Indonesian startup taking part in Asian Games 2018

As such, businesses should capitalise on modern technologies which remove complexity by allowing developers to leverage a unified API to scale group conversations across platforms such as SMS, MMS, Chat and WhatsApp.

No excuse

It must be said that despite there being a long way to go until brands get customer communication right – more leading companies are recognising the importance of multi-channel communication in delivering high-quality customer experience and are investing in technology to do so effectively.

Frankly, there is no longer an excuse. Rolling out a multi-channel approach is more attainable than ever. Customers want to be communicated with on their preferred channels; the technology is there to enable developers to make it happen. It is now up to businesses to capitalise on it. As the saying goes, every company is, or should be, a software company.

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This article was first published on December 18, 2019

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