Sample PR report

Figure 1: Gross Domestic Product in ASEAN countries from 2020 to 2030 (O'Neill, 2025) 

As of 2024, the estimated total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of all ASEAN states amounted to approximately 3.8 trillion U.S. dollars and is estimated to almost double by 2030 (O'Neill, 2025). This translates to higher average disposable income, increasing affordability for smartphones in low-income countries (Bastawrous & Armstrong, 2013). Production efficiency has also lowered the costs of smartphones, as observed by cheaper smartphone brands like OPPO and Xiaomi, increasing access to smartphones to the general population. 

Volume-Driven Sales is Key

As a consequence of an absence in centralized telecom data and varying levels of digital infrastructures, it is difficult to find accurate reports on the numerical changes in smartphone users and purchases in SEA. However, it is still possible to make a fair assessment on the potential of SEA markets by analysing the general access to smartphones, maturity of the market and consumer behaviour. 

This report proposes that our brand client launch their new flagship phone in Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam: increasing smartphone penetration rates, presence of a monopolistic competition market structure and growing concert tourism in SEA makes them ideal markets. There is a lower barrier of entry for new competitors due to lower customer acquisition costs and less entrenched brand loyalty – Product differentiation plays a large role in long-term success.

Smartphone Penetration Estimation

Data collected by the World Bank (2025) on the number of mobile cellular subscriptions offers numerical insights on volume-driven market launch, compared to targeting developed but smaller countries like Singapore (Figure 2). Although these numbers do not fully represent the number of smartphone users, it indicates the presence of a large audience who already own a mobile phone – who may already be smartphone users or be converted into one.

Figure 2: Number of mobile cellular subscriptions in SEA (World Bank, 2025) 

Adoption of smartphones is associated with the age of a population. A study by Pew Research Center on the adoption of smartphones concludes that the rate of ownership increases more quickly amongst the younger generation (Silver, 2019). Compared to developed countries like the United States, South Korea and Singapore, the proposed SEA countries have a younger median age and population (see Table 1), highlighting the potential reach of new smartphone launches that aligns with our target audience. 

Table 1: Population in Selected Countries in 2025 (Worldometer, 2025)

Footnote 1: Median age is used to summarise the demographic transition phase of a country (e.g., young versus aging population) 

The number of internet users in a country can indicate the quality of technological infrastructure available to support smartphone adoption. A study on the digital landscape in Asia by GoGlobe (2025), revealed the number of users and hours spent online (Table 2): 

Table 2: Number of Internet users, time spent on the Internet and on Social Media (GoGlobe, 2025) 

While the three selected countries spend less time online compared to the global average of 6.6 hours, their average time spent on social media is comparable to that of the global average at 2.4 hours (Howarth, 2025). This suggests that lifestyle habits such as frequent social media usage are present, which may influence preferences toward smartphones over other smart devices (e.g., laptops and tablets). Notably, sophisticated camera features complement this lifestyle habit, as users can take quality photos and upload them onto social media. 

Competitors and Potential Market Share

Reviewing the present data on the market share held by incumbent smartphone brands in these three countries (see Figure 3, 4 and 5), suggests that there is room for new brands to enter and capture market share. Despite immense marketing efforts and presence of smartphone giants like Samsung and Apple, these brands have yet to solidify themselves as a monopoly in the smartphone market. This implies other considerations for consumers during the product purchasing decision phase (instead of just brand name), such as price differences and availability of certain features. Table 3 compiles an overview of the flagship product launched by the top 2 brands in each country:

Table 3: Top 2 Smartphone Brands in Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam (GSMArena, 2025)

Footnote 2: Price for smartphone without any upgrades, such as bigger storage or RAM

Footnote 3:  This segment will compare Price, Camera and Video recording quality to illustrate the competition for our client 

Footnote 4: Transsion includes three smartphone brands: Itel, TECHNO and Infinix 

Figure 3 shows the market share of smartphones in Indonesia (De La Cruz et al., 2025)

Figure 4 shows the market share of smartphones in Indonesia (De La Cruz et al., 2025)

Figure 5 shows the market share of smartphones in Vietnam (StatCounter, 2025) 

While Apple and Samsung own about 50% of the market share in Vietnam, the market structure in these countries generally resembles more closely to a monopolistic competition than an oligopoly. Some characteristics of a monopolistic competition includes firms not fully dictating the average price of smartphones for other brands and that products are not perfect substitutes to each other. We observe this price differentiation (e.g., high-end versus midrange phones) and product differentiation (e.g., good camera versus audio quality). 

In such a market structure, there are low barriers to entry and exit, and new brand entries will make a profit in the long-run as long as they can capture some market share through unique product features. This makes these countries suitable for a new flagship launch, as there are low initial investment costs (e.g., startup costs, regulatory hurdles, technological challenges, and etc.). Overseas brands being able to remain in these markets prove as such.

Concert Tourism in SEA

Post-covid, a revival in the concert tourism industry can be observed in SEA as many popular artists such as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and various KPOP idol groups resume their world tours (see Table 4). This has increased regional tourism as SEA fans are able to travel to neighbouring countries to see their favorite artists. For overseas fans, travelling to SEA has become “an immersive cultural” experience where they are willing to spend big, thus greatly contributing to the host country’s economy (Bowerman, 2024). As a result, governments like Vietnam have begun to invest into concert infrastructure to attract more artists and increase capacity to host large-scale music events (VietnamPlus, 2025). These reasons future-proof smartphones specializing in advanced photography as concert trends and social media are here to stay, further amplifying the want for users to capture and share their experience online.  

Table 4 lists upcoming concerts with global artists scheduled for Q4 2025 that the client can align their launch campaign with 

Campaign Details

Overview

Commercial success for our flagship launch in these selected SEA countries can be measured through the number of sales, as we aim for volume-driven sales due to the large market size. As the market share in these countries are quite evenly distributed between top players, we can capture some shares through product differentiation. 

To promote our usability in concerts, increasing product presence ahead of large-scale concert events is our primary campaign goal. This can be done through a combination of posts and reel-formats, allowing the audience to witness the quality of our photography capabilities. 

The client can consider different levels of collaboration with the concert venue and artists to convert potential customers during the campaign launch period. We can also utilize emotional tactics like FOMO (“fear of missing out”), such as exclusive collaboration add-on products (e.g., BlackPink limited phone engraving). Other marketing efforts can include setting up booths in the concert venues to promote the product, free low-cost giveaways (e.g., exclusive photo cards of artists) and pre-purchase perks. 

Brand Tone and Key Message

Unlike our competitors (e.g., Apple position their ecosystem as minimalistic; Transsion specialise in accessibility through low costs) our product should be “fun” and “approachable” to appeal to our core audience, thus, aligning with concert and social media culture. We want to be associated with entertainment and creativity. As such, we can consider adopting a “youthful and uplifting” brand tone, this can be done through utilising vibrant colours in our content and capturing the authentic concert atmosphere through candid photos. 

Image 1: Sample Prototype for Social Media Feed

Our key message will focus on being the best device for concerts and social media. For example, “Your personalised memory recorder, share your experiences with the world” to sell the idea of filming with our product.

Referencing our competitors’ social media feed, there is a mixture between traditional advertising tactics (e.g., mainly showing off new products and features) and using user-generated content (e.g., reposting posts by users). This proposal suggests leaning towards user-generated content like Apple, which positions itself as the best high-end phone for photography. 

Pre-Concert Activities

Pre-concert activities will focus on building digital presence and awareness of the brand. This could include product information and location of physical shops (or e-commerce websites) translated into the local language, so that potential users are able to recall the product details when they are in the product purchase decision phase. Press releases and functioning product websites help increase legitimacy of brand launches by improving its search engine ranking. 

Concert Event Activities

A large proportion of the budget should be allocated for the campaign launch, to boost existing presence and convert potential users into paying customers. While the runtime is during the week of the concert, it requires at least 2 months of logistical preparation. Setting up physical booths with different activities at the concert venue aims to encourage more organic user-generated content through product trials. 

Key Measuring Analytics

The following is a list of ideal data to collect to improve marketing activities (e.g., changing of headlines, image, themes):

Other Promotional Settings 

The rise of social media usage in SEA means more users would be sharing their traveling and cultural experiences, which can utilize different photography settings. This further showcases the capabilities of the product. “Unpredictable” tourist attractions such as volcanoes located in Indonesia can showcase the zoom-in capabilities of the product while the user captures the scene from a safe spot. 

Image 2: Mount Merapi (Silcock, 2025) 

Night markets and local festivals are another promotional setting where we can leverage the zoom capability of the product – ranging from bright lightings to moving crowds to vibrant stalls. These environments offer opportunities to highlight real-life usage of the product, reinforcing the brand’s connection to visually dynamic experiences outside of concerts.