# PRODUCT MARKETING CONTEXT — SEA VARIANT

> **Region:** Southeast Asia EXCEPT Vietnam (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines)
> **Currency:** USD or local (SGD, MYR, IDR, THB, PHP)
> **Primary platforms:** TikTok, Shopee, Lazada, Tokopedia (ID), LINE (TH), Facebook + Instagram, Google
> **Key regulations:** PDPA Singapore, PDPA Malaysia, UU PDP Indonesia, PDPA Thailand, Data Privacy Act 2012 (Philippines)
> **Persona research framework:** Mobile-first persona (mobile penetration 80%+ across SEA)

---

## HOW TO USE

- Answer one section at a time — the AI will ask one section at a time, NEVER all at once
- Each section has guidance and SEA-specific examples — use as a reference, do NOT copy verbatim
- Section unknown -> write "TBD" — return later to update
- Total time: **30-45 minutes** if you have the info ready

---

## SECTION 1 — PRODUCT OVERVIEW

> Basic product info — so AI knows what you sell before doing anything.

| Field | Info |
|-------|------|
| **Product/service name:** | |
| **One-sentence description:** | |
| **2-3 sentence description:** | |
| **Industry / category:** | |
| **Business model:** | [ ] SaaS [ ] DTC e-commerce [ ] Marketplace [ ] Service [ ] Course [ ] Social commerce [ ] Other: ___ |
| **Pricing & how you charge:** | (e.g. `S$9.90/month`, `RM39 one-time`, `Rp99000/unit`, `B299/order`, `P499/month`) |
| **Website / app:** | |
| **Stage:** | [ ] Pre-launch [ ] Launch [ ] Growth [ ] Mature |
| **Languages supported:** | (e.g. EN, BM, ID, TH, TL — and Singlish / colloquial variants?) |

> **SEA pricing convention:**
> - Singapore: `S$9.90` (period decimal)
> - Malaysia: `RM39` (no decimal for round prices) or `RM39.90`
> - Indonesia: `Rp99000` or `Rp99.000` (period as thousands separator)
> - Thailand: `B299` or `THB 299`
> - Philippines: `P499` or `PHP 499`
>
> Prices end in `9`, `0`, or `99` — psychological pricing similar to US.

---

## SECTION 2 — TARGET CUSTOMERS

> Who buys it. SEA is highly mobile-first and price-sensitive.

| Field | Info |
|-------|------|
| **Segment:** | [ ] B2C [ ] B2B [ ] B2B2C |
| **Company size (B2B):** | [ ] Solopreneur [ ] SMB (<50) [ ] Mid-market (50-500) [ ] Large (>500) |
| **Customer's industry (B2B):** | |
| **Decision maker:** | (e.g. Founder, CMO, Operations Head, "Boss" — owner-led decisions are common) |
| **Job-to-be-Done (JTBD):** | What job does the customer "hire" your product to do? |
| **Specific use case:** | |
| **Country focus:** | [ ] Singapore [ ] Malaysia [ ] Indonesia [ ] Thailand [ ] Philippines [ ] Multi-SEA |
| **Multi-language need:** | (e.g. "EN + Bahasa for SG/MY/ID; TH for Thailand"; "Tagalog + EN for PH") |

> **SEA B2B note:** Mid-market and SME decisions are owner-led, faster than EU but require strong relationship-building. Decision cycles 1-3 months for SMB, 3-6 for mid-market.
> **SEA B2C note:** Mobile-first (>80% traffic from mobile in ID, PH, TH). Social commerce dominant — TikTok Shop, Facebook Live, Instagram Shop, LINE Shopping. Customers expect WhatsApp / LINE / Telegram support.

---

## SECTION 3 — CUSTOMER PERSONA

> Use a mobile-first persona framework. Anchor on observed mobile behavior, social commerce activity, and payment methods.

### Primary persona: [Short name, e.g. "Jakarta Jane"]

| Field | Info |
|-------|------|
| **Demographics:** | Age, gender, country/city, household income (in USD or local) |
| **Job title / role:** | |
| **Online behavior:** | Mobile vs. desktop split, daily hours on TikTok / IG / FB / LINE / WhatsApp |
| **Personal goals:** | |
| **Biggest pain:** | |
| **Inner monologue:** | (what they think but rarely say out loud) |
| **JTBD statement:** | "When ___, I want to ___, so I can ___." |
| **Payment method preference:** | (e.g. GrabPay, GoPay, OVO, ShopeePay, GCash, PayLah!, Touch'n Go, COD) |
| **Device:** | Smartphone tier (budget, mid-range, premium); 4G/5G coverage |

### Secondary persona: [If applicable]

[Same structure as primary]

> **SEA-specific persona cues:**
> - **Singapore:** affluent, English-business-language default, Western-like behavior, Apple-heavy
> - **Malaysia:** bilingual EN/BM, Muslim-majority (halal sensitivity), Shopee + Lazada dominant
> - **Indonesia:** Bahasa default, ~270M people, mobile-first extreme, GoPay + OVO + ShopeePay, religious sensitivity
> - **Thailand:** Thai-language default, LINE is primary chat (>50M users), strong influencer culture
> - **Philippines:** Tagalog/EN bilingual, FB-dominant (>90% penetration), GCash/Maya, COD still widespread

---

## SECTION 4 — PAIN POINTS & PROBLEMS

> The deeper the pain, the higher the willingness to pay — but SEA buyers are also highly price-sensitive.

- **Core problem before they find you:**
- **Why current solutions fail:**
- **Cost of the problem:** (time, money, opportunity — quantify in USD or local; SEA buyers respond to "saves you 2 hours/day" or "earns you extra IDR 5M/month")
- **Negative emotions:** (stress, FOMO from peers, shame in Filipino "hiya" culture, family pressure)
- **Consequences if unsolved (12 months out):**

> **SEA framing tip:** Combine financial framing (local currency) with social framing (peer comparison, community standing). Example: "Save RM500/month — that's a family dinner at a nice restaurant every weekend."

---

## SECTION 5 — COMPETITORS

### Direct (same solution, same problem)
- [Competitor 1]: [strength] / [weakness for this persona]
- [Competitor 2]: ...
- [Competitor 3]: ...

### Indirect (different solution, same problem)
- [Competitor 1]: ...
- [Competitor 2]: ...

### Secondary (same solution, different segment)
- [Competitor 1]: ...

> **SEA competitive landscape examples:**
> - Super-apps: Grab (regional), Gojek (ID), Sea Group (regional, parent of Shopee)
> - E-commerce: Shopee, Lazada, Tokopedia (ID), Bukalapak (ID), Zalora (fashion)
> - Fintech: GoPay, OVO, GCash, PayMaya/Maya, ShopeePay, Touch'n Go
> - SaaS: Xero (regional), Carousell (SG marketplace), Property Guru
> - Food: foodpanda, GrabFood, GoFood

---

## SECTION 6 — DIFFERENTIATION

- **3 main differentiators vs. competitors:**
  1.
  2.
  3.
- **Why customers choose you over competitors:**
- **What competitors DON'T have that you DO:**
- **One-sentence positioning ("For ___, who ___, our product is ___, that ___, unlike ___, we ___."):**

> **SEA positioning style:** Practical, value-driven, locally relevant. Localize in language AND in cultural cues (festivals, halal status, family-friendly). Avoid pure US/EU brand templates without adaptation.

---

## SECTION 7 — BARRIERS & ANTI-PERSONA

### Top 3 objections customers voice
1. "Too expensive — can I pay in installments?" -> Handling: ...
2. "Do you have COD / local payment?" -> Handling: ...
3. "Is there a Shopee / Lazada store I can buy from?" -> Handling: ...

### Anti-persona (NOT a customer)
- Who should NOT buy this product:
- Why:

> **SEA-specific barriers:**
> - **Trust** -> Buyers prefer marketplaces (Shopee, Lazada) over standalone websites. Address trust with reviews, escrow, and chat support.
> - **Payment friction** -> COD still widespread in PH, ID, TH. Wallet adoption (GCash, GoPay, OVO) is uneven by country.
> - **PDPA / UU PDP** -> Singapore PDPA, Malaysia PDPA 2010 (revised 2024), Indonesia UU PDP (2022), Thailand PDPA, PH Data Privacy Act 2012 — collect minimum data, get consent.
> - **Halal / cultural sensitivity** -> Critical in MY, ID, southern Thailand, Mindanao (PH).

---

## SECTION 8 — JTBD 4 FORCES (Push / Pull / Anxiety / Habit)

- **Push** (what's pushing them away from current solution):
- **Pull** (what's attracting them to you):
- **Anxiety** (what they fear about switching to you):
- **Habit** (what keeps them on the old solution):

> **SEA note:** Anxiety often centers on fraud risk and payment safety. Habits are reinforced by Shopee/Lazada loyalty, super-app convenience (Grab, Gojek), and family/peer recommendations.

---

## SECTION 9 — VOICE OF CUSTOMER (VERBATIM)

> Real customer quotes — DO NOT paraphrase. Capture native-language quotes where possible.

- "..." (EN)
- "..." (Bahasa Indonesia / Bahasa Melayu — translate to EN with original preserved)
- "..." (Thai — translate to EN with original preserved)
- "..." (Tagalog — translate to EN with original preserved)

**Sources:**
- Shopee, Lazada, Tokopedia review sections
- TikTok comments and stitched videos
- Facebook group discussions (massive in PH, ID, MY)
- LINE OA / WhatsApp Business chat logs (with consent)
- LinkedIn posts (B2B, especially SG)
- Local forums: HardwareZone (SG), Lowyat (MY), Kaskus (ID), Pantip (TH)

> **SEA tip:** Comments on TikTok and Shopee reviews are often raw and brutally honest. Pull 30-50 quotes per quarter; quantity matters because tone shifts heavily by country.

---

## SECTION 10 — BRAND VOICE

### 10a. Core brand voice
- **3 adjectives describing the brand:**
- **Tone:** (Professional / Friendly / Witty / Warm / Aspirational / Local)
- **Tone you DO NOT use:** (e.g. "Never preachy", "Never tone-deaf to local culture")
- **Example sentence in voice:** (in primary language)
- **Example sentence NOT in voice:**

### 10b. Voice analysis from sample content (if available)

If user provides 3-5 diverse content samples (posts, emails, video scripts), analyze:

**Voice signals:**
- Average sentence length (often shorter in mobile-first context)
- Paragraph rhythm (snappy, scroll-friendly)
- Hook style (price points, transformation, FOMO, family/community angle?)
- Point of view (first / second / observational?)
- Tone (warm, witty, urgent, value-led?)
- Signature phrases per language

**Absence signals:**
- Words / phrasing that NEVER appear
- Hook styles the brand NEVER uses
- Tones the brand NEVER touches

> **Rule:** Only analyze from REAL samples. If samples are <3, mark "needs more samples to confirm pattern".

> **SEA brand-voice references:**
> - Grab: warm, helpful, "everyday" tone
> - Sea Group / Shopee: playful, mass-market, festival-driven
> - GoTo / Gojek: human-centric, social-good
> - Tiger Beer / DBS: confident, regional, polished (SG)
> - Tokopedia: bold, local-pride, Indonesian-first

---

## SECTION 11 — SOCIAL PROOF

- **Standout numbers:** (customers, revenue, results — in USD or local)
- **Reviews / testimonials (short):** (Shopee/Lazada star ratings, TikTok comments)
- **Notable customer logos / press mentions:** (Tech in Asia, e27, Nikkei Asia, KrAsia, regional outlets)
- **Awards / certifications:** (PDPA-compliant, halal certified where relevant, ISO 27001, SOC 2)
- **Standout case studies:**

> **SEA-specific proof points:** Tech in Asia / e27 coverage, Singapore EDB endorsement, MaGIC / Cradle (MY), 1000 Startup (ID), DICT / DTI (PH), DEPA (TH), Endeavor SEA, Sea Group / Grab affiliations.

---

## SECTION 12 — GOALS

- **90-day goal:** (e.g. "Reach S$50K MRR" or "Hit IDR 500M GMV")
- **12-month goal:** (e.g. "Hit USD 1M ARR across SG + MY")
- **North Star Metric:** (single most important metric — e.g. "Monthly active users", "GMV in USD", "Subscribers")
- **Secondary metrics:** (CAC, LTV, payback, NPS — by country)
- **Country expansion plan:** (Start in SG? Then MY? Then ID? Or PH first?)

> **SEA benchmarks (2025-2026):**
> | Metric | Poor | Average | Good | Excellent |
> |--------|------|---------|------|-----------|
> | Meta CPM SG (USD) | >$15 | $8-15 | $4-8 | <$4 |
> | Meta CPM ID (USD) | >$5 | $2-5 | $1-2 | <$1 |
> | TikTok CPM SEA (USD) | >$10 | $4-10 | $2-4 | <$2 |
> | Shopee/Lazada CPC (USD) | >$0.50 | $0.20-0.50 | $0.08-0.20 | <$0.08 |
> | Email open rate | <15% | 15-22% | 22-32% | >32% |
> | E-com ROAS | <2x | 2-3.5x | 3.5-6x | >6x |
> | LINE OA read rate (TH) | <40% | 40-60% | 60-80% | >80% |

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## CHECKLIST BEFORE FINISHING

- [ ] All 12 sections completed (or at least 8 core: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12)
- [ ] Currency in USD or local (SGD/MYR/IDR/THB/PHP) — format matches country convention
- [ ] Country focus(es) clearly named (SG / MY / ID / TH / PH)
- [ ] Primary platforms identified (TikTok + Shopee/Lazada + LINE/WhatsApp by country)
- [ ] PDPA / UU PDP / local privacy laws noted in section 7
- [ ] Languages identified per country (EN, BM, ID, TH, TL)
- [ ] Verbatim VoC quotes from Shopee, TikTok, FB groups, LINE — native-language preserved
- [ ] Mobile-first cues captured in persona (section 3)
- [ ] Anti-persona is explicit
- [ ] North Star Metric defined
- [ ] Date stamp at top of file

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*SEA Variant | Global Foundation | Over Powers Agency | v1.0.0*
