The influencer marketing and social commerce landscape in Asia is evolving rapidly, presenting unique opportunities and challenges for brands. To provide clarity on these trends, Totem Media recently published their comprehensive report, “Influencer Marketing in Asia.” At Rakuten Insight Global, we are proud to have partnered with Totem Media by providing essential consumer research data for this study.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT:

• ○ Asia leads globally in social commerce, with livestream selling and influencer-driven activities trending ahead of Western markets. As Ayaz Akhtar, Regional Head of Greater China at Rakuten Insight Global, noted (quoted in Campaign Asia ), “The study found that Asian consumers are driving the shift towards influencer-led commerce. From livestream shopping to community-driven recommendations, it’s clear that the consumer is no longer a passive audience but an active participant shaping the future of marketing”

• ○ Investment gap – despite Asia’s focus on social commerce, influencer spend is only 0.75% of GMV vs. 6.8% in the US – pointing to huge untapped potential.

• ○ Status matters – consumers still look to larger influencers for aspiration and trust, even as KOCs shape niche communities.

• ○ China sets the pace, but enthusiasm varies widely – Japan and Korea lag in digital adoption, while India and Southeast Asia are in rapid growth mode. Chris Baker, founder of Totem, highlighted this disparity (as reported by Campaign Asia), stating, “Japan, for instance, shows the least enthusiasm for most key activities – particularly for influencers, livestream commerce, and peer-to-peer selling. This isn’t about economic maturity. It’s about cultural inertia and digital habits that are hard to shift.”

• ○ TikTok is a major catalyst – in markets where TikTok Shop is active, enthusiasm for social commerce is significantly higher.

• ○ Livestream commerce is booming – 84% of Asian consumers have watched or bought via livestream; Gen Z are the biggest drivers. Akhtar further elaborated, “We have found that Gen Z consistently over-indexes in online shopping, from this and previous research in the region. Categories with high aspirational or visual appeal, such as fashion, beauty and luxury, are clear leaders across all markets”.

At Rakuten Insight Global, we are committed to providing the foundational data that helps brands make informed decisions. Our contribution to this report aims to equip businesses with the insights necessary to navigate and succeed in Asia’s evolving influencer and social commerce landscape.

To explore these findings in more detail, you can download the full “Influencer Marketing in Asia” report here.

Related articles: Luxury Products in APAC, Apps usage in Asia and the US

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