As part of our Inside the Jury Room series, we interviewed Joanne Au, Regional Marketing Director, APAC for Clarins
to hear their perspective as a judge this year for the Festival of Media APAC Awards 2026.
“How has the role of media evolved in shaping consumer behaviour in recent years”
Personally, I do not believe the role of media has evolved in shaping consumer behaviour in the recent years – but rather, it is how the change in consumer behaviour has evolved media.
The fundamentals of media have not changed, it still aims to influence consumer purchase, but media practitioners have adapted to the way consumers consume content, including the change in channel preference and their ever-evolving purchase habits. For instance, COVID lockdowns accelerated the growth of digital consumption and led to a rise of social commerce in APAC markets outside of China, a behaviour that was heavily influenced by China. This meant more livestreaming, more dynamic digital ads, more influencers and creators that supported the boom.
At the end of the day, we merely adapted and aligned our media strategies and content according to how the consumer behaves, and as always, the consumer should be the center of everything.
