At this year’s eTail Asia 2025, I had the privilege of moderating the All-Star Panel: Winning on Marketplaces/eTailers. Joined by an exceptional group of industry leaders who bring diverse perspectives from across industries and markets, including Ragini Chilappagari, Head of Ecommerce at Triumph Group, India & Sri Lanka; Michael McCarthy, Founder at Moonswing Advisory Pte Ltd; Andy Mckimmie, Global Head of Ecommerce at Blackmores; Miranti Daniar, SEA Head of Ecommerce at Mondelez International Pte Ltd; and Peter Laughton, CEO at Eebz. Together, we explored what it takes to succeed on today’s digital shelf. 

Opening the session, I noted that success is no longer about simply “being present”—it is about owning your presence on today’s digital shelf. That means mastering content, growing share of voice, and sharpening your competitive edge across every touch point. 

Redefining Success on the Digital Shelf 

Michael McCarty opened by saying that marketplace success should be viewed through a strategic lens, not just in terms of sales. “More importantly than just winning sales numbers, I want to look at how the presence on marketplaces fits into the overall sales and marketing strategy,” he explained. He urged brands to treat marketplaces as “digital malls,” asking not just whether they are present, but whether they are in the right one, with the right products, reaching the right audience. “These shoppers belong to the platform—not you—so the goal is to capture that traffic and convert them into long-term brand advocates,” he added. 

The panellists echoed this idea: KPIs like traffic quality, share of search, and post-sale integration are just as important as revenue. The conversation made it clear that marketplace performance cannot be measured by revenue alone. It is about building brand equity, capturing meaningful visibility, and creating pathways that move consumers from discovery to loyalty. In short, winning is about the long game. 

Pillars of Marketplace Excellence 

Miranti Daniar shared Mondelez International’s structured approach to ecommerce growth, built on several foundational pillars such as content, availability and share of search. 

• Content – Prioritising impulse-friendly visuals that resonate with snackers
• Availability – Ensuring SKUs stay in stock across regions
• Share of Search – Dominating keyword visibility 

“The marketplace is not just for selling—it’s a space for testing, learning, and refining what works,” Miranti said. This structured framework allows Mondelez to remain agile while maintaining consistency across markets. By tracking performance at each stage, the team ensures that every shopper touchpoint contributes to a more optimised, conversion-ready experience. 

Content That Converts 

From health supplements to fashion essentials, content strategy was a universal theme.  

Andy Mckimmie highlighted how content must both educate and reassure—especially in the wellness category. “It’s a potentially intimidating space for consumers trying to understand what they actually need, so content plays both an educational role and a conversion role,” he explained. He stressed the importance of balancing brand consistency with local relevance, noting that when they work across markets, they need to stay true to their brand while localising key visuals and messaging where necessary. High-quality content also helps Blackmores stand out in crowded marketplaces. “Your brand store is where you differentiate from resellers—content not only educates, but it also reassures consumers about product efficacy and credibility,” he added. 

Localisation and sensitivity are essential. A campaign can be inspired directly by customer feedback. Listening to the digital voice of the customer should be a central part of one’s content strategy. By closely analysing reviews and feedback, you can identify not only pain points but also creative inspiration that resonates across different markets. 

Strategy Gaps and Missed Opportunities 

When asked about common pitfalls, Michael pointed to two blind spots: 

• A lack of clarity on why the brand is in the marketplace to begin with 
• No long-term plan to reduce dependency on marketplace channels 

The panel advised that businesses should treat marketplaces as their entry point, not their endgame. 

Fast-Moving Trends, Agile Responses 

As we explored how brands adapt to shifting consumer behaviours, Miranti shared that Mondelez builds joint business plans with key platforms like Shopee and Lazada to stay aligned with emerging priorities like short video, livestreaming, and affiliate commerce. 

Andy reinforced the importance of internal alignment. Ecommerce is not a silo. It has to be supported by marketing, supply, finance—everyone. 

One example highlighted the growing impact of quick commerce, which now accounts for a significant portion of ecommerce sales in certain markets. While product innovation can take time, staying competitive relies heavily on maintaining relevance through language, visibility, and agile content updates. With the rapid pace and intense competition of today’s marketplaces, each weekend becomes important, but at the core of it all, supply and availability are key. 

Tech, Automation, and the AI Debate 

AI and automation were also on the table. While many noted experiments with AI-generated content and pricing models, the consensus was clear: AI is a tool, not a silver bullet. 

While AI is not yet a magic bullet for top-line growth, its true value currently lies in enhancing operational efficiency. 

Peter Laughton shared that smart automation—such as pushing updated SKUs across platforms—can drastically reduce workload. “With hundreds of listings, automation isn’t just useful—it’s essential,” he said. 

He also highlighted the importance of digital trust in Southeast Asia’s fragmented marketplace landscape: “Something as simple as labelling your images with ‘Official Seller’ can dramatically increase conversion—consumers just want to know they’re buying the real thing.” 

Final Word: Play the Long Game 

We closed with a key insight: brands that succeed treat marketplaces not as side channels but as integrated, strategic touchpoints. That means tackling grey market issues, crafting campaign-specific strategies, and using marketplaces to strengthen—not fragment—their brand ecosystem. 

As we shared with the audience, mastering marketplaces is about more than conversions. It is about staying agile, building resilient systems, and playing the long game—because in a world of constant change, the winners are the ones who evolve the fastest. 

By 2026, we expect to see marketplaces become even more central to brand ecosystems—serving not just as sales channels, but as core platforms for content, community, and conversion. Brands that invest early in automation, agile content strategies, and localised experiences will be best positioned to win. The shift from transactional to relational commerce is well underway, and the brands that embrace this evolution will lead the next wave of marketplace growth. 

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Payments Consulting Network was a media partner of eTail Asia 2025. 

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Author: Mariel Laxamana, Marketing Director, Philippines, Payments Consulting Network 

Mariel brings over 14 years of professional experience spanning news production, events, client servicing, and digital marketing. She began her career managing newscasts for a leading television network in the Philippines and now leads the digital marketing team at Payments Consulting Network, overseeing the global digital presence for both PCN and Merchant Advisory. Her responsibilities include managing and growing content and conference partnerships, planning and executing the content calendar across blogs, social media, and email campaigns, as well as designing, editing, and publishing newsletters. She also leads website management and design, ensuring alignment with brand strategy and user experience best practices. 

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