Asia’s Next Top Model’s Record Audience Boosts Sponsors

We have seen a host of brands across various categories such as Chinese smartphone giant Huawei, Singapore skincare brand est.lab by Estetica joining Asia’s Next Top Model (AsNTM) long-term partner Japanese automobile brand Subaru, Thai beverage giant Chang, Estee Lauder’s owned cosmetics brand M.A.C and Bangkok Marriot Hotel The Surawongse.

Like most reality shows in the Southeast Asian market, we have also seen a mass exodus of consumer brands from AsNTM this season, which tend to have short-term, season investments in the genre. These include the likes of:

.Neutrogena (FMCG: Toiletries)

.Zalora (fashion e-tailer)

.Colgate (FMCG: Oralcare)

.Maybeline (Cosmetics)

Typically, brands tend to integrate themed campaigns in the show’s content across various platforms such as haircare brand Tresemme and Johnson & Johnson-owned shower gel brand Neutrogena efforts in previous seasons to engage the show’s fanbase and social media audiences.

Speaking to trade publication Marketing, Dean Dezius, VP of entertainment channels, FOX Life & FOX, at FOX Networks Group Asia, added that the partnership is an example of how top-quality content and trusted influencer voices are “redefining the future of advertising”.  He added, “While increase in viewership is very much a reason to advertise on linear channels, it is important to note that the delivery has to be done right.”

“We believe that viewers are made up of complex individuals. They live multifaceted lives and the media they consume is wide and varied. Multiple conversations, in different environments, across a variety of activities, are needed to build true brand affinity,” he said.

According to Fox Networks Group (FNG), AsNTM has seen its “highest rated debut” in Singapore. This is with a “stellar response” from Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines too. FNG, Singapore’s viewership numbers were 68% higher than last year’s. Meanwhile, Malaysia saw an uplift of 70% for FOX Life channel ratings during the season premiere, compared to the year-to-date same timeslot average. There was no data for Indonesia, the group said.

FNG also added that there were also “unprecedented levels of social engagement” recorded, with the show’s Facebook page experiencing an interaction rate 155% on the premiere day, above the previous season’s debut.

On Instagram, AsNTM reached 300,000 followers and achieved a page reach of 1.1 million following the debut episode. On the show’s YouTube channel, the debut episode nabbed 1.3 million views and 25 million minutes of watch time in the first four days online. This represented a three-fold increase over last year’s premiere.

These numbers come in at a time when traditional tv viewership is on the decline, hence the reliance on engaging the show’s audience across digital and social media platforms, including FOX+, the group’s video-streaming service.