Blog post
December 17, 2024

What are some trends that mattered to SEA audiences (and the media) in 2024? 

Tracking industry trends, and learning what audiences and the media have to say about them, is a large part of what we do at Isentia. With that in mind, we’ve gathered together 5 of the most interesting ones we spotted this year in South East Asia, to hone in how the region reflects (and defies) global trends.

SEA audiences buck global veganism trends amid a broader decline

Over the past five years, mentions of veganism have experienced a noticeable global decline across major markets like the USA, UK, and Australia. However, Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia, buck this trend by maintaining steady interest in veganism. Singapore’s relatively higher mentions compared to neighbouring countries suggest a niche but engaged demographic focused on plant-based living. This suggests that audiences in Singapore, with access to a range of gastronomic options and consistent cultural exchange with other communities, are open to embracing a greener lifestyle, although adapting to this lifestyle can be more of a challenge for other Southeast Asian countries with strict dietary preferences. 

Nice-to-haves still drive most SEA conversation around BNPL

With an increased penetration of mobile phones in the region, Buy Now Pay Later apps have started to thrive, giving an illusion of affordability to younger generations. The breakdown of BNPL transactions reveals that electronic gadgets dominate consumer spending, followed by health and beauty products. While this incremental spending is positive for the economy, the significant reliance on credit and BNPL schemes highlights concerns about consumer financial health. These insights present dual opportunities for brands to align strategic campaigns in consumer goods categories like electronics and beauty products, while also addressing concerns around responsible spending. 

We can benchmark this conversation against what is taking place in the UK, for instance, where the conversation skews towards borrowing for essentials, specifically household bills, medical bills and automotive payments. Media discussions suggest increased calls for regulation and consumer transparency.

Singapore maintains image as “global hub” throughout fractious geopolitical period

The Singapore brand has been receiving global attention, whether it’s talk around how efficient the public transport is or the way that Singapore dealt with Covid-19. When we look at associations that most resonate with Singapore globally, words like “cosmopolitan” and “innovation” dominate in the US, UK, and Australia. Malaysia’s perception mirrors this positivity but places slightly more emphasis on structural integrity and rule of law. This uniformity in perception presents an excellent opportunity to reinforce Singapore’s positioning, where the government is trying its best to mirror what the world expects of the city-state. PR & Comms professionals must leverage these strengths through storytelling or partnerships that can solidify Singapore’s brand equity on the global stage.

Singapore GP narratives extend far beyond the glamour of the sport itself

This chart highlights how specific narratives dominated online conversations leading up to the Singapore Grand Prix, including accessibility to the venue, themed events, and pop music excitement. This suggests how media coverage builds up anticipation and excitement amongst audiences towards the sport. Peaks in mentions suggest that audience interest surged around logistical convenience like public transport and viewing spots as well as entertainment offerings like musical acts and innovative culinary experiences. Leveraging audience intelligence, we understand that there is more to the event than glamour, emphasising emotional and logistical appeal, and that it provides an opportunity for partner brands to gain audiences to maximise engagement during high-impact events such as these.

Alternative voices focus on government policies and influence of public discourse as dominant narratives in SEA

The chart highlights key narratives from a selection of top alternative voices in Southeast Asia, and their impact on shaping public opinion.  A dominant theme is the influence of social circles in shaping personal and public narratives. This trend underscores the power of peer networks in driving sentiment and perceptions, often overshadowing traditional sources of influence.

Additionally, issues such as disillusionment with governance and perceptions of exploitation by multinational corporations are gaining traction in a city-state with rising costs of living. For communicators, these findings emphasise the importance of audience intelligence for understanding how communities talk to one another, who act as information brokers, and what topics there is most appetite to learn about.

These insights illustrate how monitoring media trends and audience sentiment equips brands to better anticipate shifts in consumer behavior, refine their messaging, and build deeper connections with their audiences. In a region like Southeast Asia, where cultures and lifestyles are heterogenous, this becomes even more pronounced.

Share

Similar articles

object(WP_Post)#7667 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(49040) ["post_author"]=> string(2) "75" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2026-08-11 02:14:11" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2026-08-11 02:14:11" ["post_content"]=> string(14309) "

The advent of LLMs and AI search means that there has been a colossal shift in how audiences are consuming information today,  and a reciprocal shift in how all types of organisations, from government agencies to brands are responding . But while discussion amongst PR and comms pros tends to fall disproportionately on how brands are impacted, the needs of the former are just as keenly felt, and often quite distinctive.

So how can government agencies respond, especially in a time of global flux, when major policy changes need to be communicated and important stakeholders need to be managed? After all, government organisations do care about reputation, much as brands do, but have quite distinctive goals when it comes to ensuring accurate information reaches the right audiences.

There is a new entry point for stakeholders


The era of "Let me Google that" is rapidly fading. Instead of clicking through to official websites, people are asking chatbots for direct answers.  What’s striking is that government agencies often have no visibility on how they’re being talked about in the LLM space, even as it becomes a central channel for messaging and reputation. 

When AI models become the primary gatekeeper, audiences bypass official portals entirely — driving down site traffic and leaving agencies vulnerable to misinformation, negative sentiment, or worse, being left out of the conversation altogether. 

Therefore, the entry point is different. For commercial brands, this shift is profound but in some ways mediated – an FMCG brand, for instance, often discovered through third-party platforms in any case. But for government entities, the stakes are entirely different. As the sole, authoritative source for public information, they need citizens on their websites to get accurate details. Government agencies, especially if they are the authority or regulator in a particular industry or sector, need to make sure audiences know where to go to get the right information.

Different types of government agencies have different considerations

Not all government agencies are alike, and they all have different parameters that are quite non-negotiable for them, just by the way they function. 

  1. Service delivery agencies - these rely heavily on content freshness. They can’t risk outdated sources impacting eligibility or process changes not reaching audiences.
  2. Regulators - these need to transmit authority and trust. Regulators have to make it a priority that they’re amongst the first place audiences go to for information and that the industry they’re regulating does not put them in the shade on the channels stakeholders are actually using
  3. Policy departments - did the AI's account of a policy match what was actually announced? They want to be able to make sure the accuracy of a policy (and ideally, its effectiveness) is translated when audiences search through LLMs.
  4. Local and state authorities want to make sure the services they carry out on behalf of locals are visible too. Much like service providers, there is a question around access and awareness of programmes and regulations, but also an added consideration: not appearing on LLMs discontent amongst those wishing to see a return on taxation and electoral mandates, and give credence to bad actors.

What do government agencies want to get out of this new LLM-mediated landscape? 

Reputation is important, but that exists downstream from maintaining a flow of accurate information. It’s useful for communications teams in government organisations to self reflect and ask themselves the following questions:

  • Where are citizens going to find information about your services if not your website — and do you know what they're being told?
  • If there was a significant policy change or incident in the last twelve months, do you know how it's currently being characterised when someone asks an Al tool about your agency?
  • When you communicate a major service change or policy update, do you have any way of measuring whether it’s surfacing in searches about you?
  • How do you currently understand the gap between what your agency publishes and what citizens actually receive when they search for information?
  • Are there community groups, advocacy organisations, or media outlets shaping perception of your agency - and do you know if that's feeding into what Al models say?

These are gaps they already realise, but they don’t actually know what to do about it – how to manage or measure them. They need a tool that allows them to know this critical piece of information and make informed decisions. 

Lumina AI View: AI visibility for PR & Comms


Lumina AI view is built for communicators who want to understand how their organisation and their competitors are being talked about by various AI models – including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. AI View users get an insight into which sources are being cited, and how they would need to respond as a way of protecting their reputation or making sure correct information about them is being disseminated. 

The tool provides an AI view score — a composite metric ranging from zero to 100, designed to help track brand performance over time and facilitate comparisons against competitors. It is calculated using five weighted factors — sentiment, visibility, authority, dominance and freshness. Beyond the overall score, the platform provides a summary of a brand's AI narrative based on four distinct reputation pillars — direction, performance, integrity and innovation. 

These pillars help users identify exactly which dimension of a brand's reputation is under pressure, offering specific, actionable insights for board presentations or reviews. Ultimately, while the AI view platform provides the necessary intelligence, the strategic decisions regarding how to respond to these insights remain with the organisation.

Spotlight: An Australian Council


This progressive local government council is located in Australia’s leading center for culture and sports.

The council earned an AI view score of 74 reflected by strong reach and authority. Publications like CBD News and its own website are the most cited by LLMs — interestingly, most of them being cited by Claude.

Content freshness scored lower at 48. Their website still carries error pages and annual reports from a few years ago. If a report — one that is seen as an organisation’s most comprehensive and authoritative content, is still being cited even if it’s older, might potentially be in the way of the organisation’s own perception. Which means more work is needed to prevent outdated content from still appearing.

What type of content is showing up?

Most citations for the council originate from government sources, followed by news outlets, reports, and blogs. The domain is evenly split between owned content and content earned from external sources media articles and independent authorities. 

While most are recent, some older articles from major outlets such as The BBC remain visible and may significantly influence how LLMs perceive the council. Owned content typically addresses last year’s budget plans and the council’s latest vision for the city, which LLMs are referencing. Government sources are the major content type, however, external sources have a greater impact on the council’s overall LLM score.

The stakes are higher for government agencies

When brands track LLM visibility, they often ask, "Are we shown in a positive light?" or "Are we cited accurately?" For the government, additional questions arise: "Is this information accurate enough for someone to act on?" and "Are we still viewed as more authoritative than what we oversee?" Mistakes can have serious consequences, such as individuals applying for ineligible programs or missing critical deadlines for new initiatives or elections. This can quickly lead to public frustration. It is essential for government communicators to recognize these risks.


If you would like to know more about our Lumina suite, please reach out here and our team will get in touch with for you a quick demo.

" ["post_title"]=> string(77) "Why is tracking government visibility on LLMs different from tracking brands?" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(121) "Government agencies often can't see how AI chatbots describe them. Here's why LLM visibility matters and how to track it." ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(46) "latest-reads-ai-visibility-government-agencies" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2026-08-11 02:14:19" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2026-08-11 02:14:19" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(32) "https://www.isentia.com/?p=49040" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" }
Blog
Why is tracking government visibility on LLMs different from tracking brands?

Government agencies often can’t see how AI chatbots describe them. Here’s why LLM visibility matters and how to track it.

object(WP_Post)#7763 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(47963) ["post_author"]=> string(2) "75" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2026-06-03 02:01:58" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2026-06-03 02:01:58" ["post_content"]=> string(5651) "

There is a new frontier where public perception is shaped: Large Language Models. Right now, LLMs are answering critical questions about your organisation. What are they saying? And more importantly, which sources are shaping those answers?

To navigate this landscape, public relations professionals don't need generic tools, but rather technology that speaks their language, and addresses the realities of a changed media and informational landscape.

That is why we're unveiling Lumina AI View, the latest addition to our intelligent suite of AI tools from Isentia. Trained specifically on the workflows and challenges of modern PR & communications, Lumina AI View helps you understand exactly what AI knows about you, and how it learned it.

A new standard for AI visibility

AI View tracks your citation strength and source quality alongside those of your competitors, giving you a clear view of where you hold authority and where you have gaps.

Lumina AI View maps your AI reputation from the ground up, allowing you to:

  • See which sources matter: When tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini discuss your organisation, which outlets do they cite? Track your source footprint over time and view the impact of key target media on how you’re discussed. We measure your citation strength and source quality alongside those of competitors, giving you a clear view of where you have authority and where you have gaps.
  • Gain industry-specific insight: Your competitors get cited from Financial Times and Bloomberg. You get cited on Reddit. Each brings opportunity – and risk. Discover how you measure up against industry standards, and target the sources that actually influence how AI represents you.
  • Catch narrative shifts early: AI responses change when new sources appear, sentiment shifts, or old controversies resurface. Get alerts when citation patterns change suddenly, before they impact the way you’re perceived by stakeholders.

Measure your progress: From media monitoring to full media intelligence

Lumina AI View is built on the principle that insights get stronger with repeated measurement. To help you maintain a clear view of your reputation, our proprietary scoring system provides regular updates that show you:

  • Evolving trends in how sources cite your organisation
  • Competitive standing and benchmark metrics
  • Where models differ in information presented, and sources cited 

Whether you run it weekly, on-demand, or whenever you need a check-in, patterns will emerge, trends will become clear, and you will build a baseline that makes any sudden narrative changes both comprehensible and the prerequisite to action.

Lumina AI View is part of Lumina AI, a comprehensive suite of AI tools built specifically for communicators. Our Lumina suite evolves traditional media monitoring into narrative intelligence, enabling you to truly understand how perceptions form, evolve, and impact your reputation.


Get in touch to register your interest and see what Lumina AI View can do for you.

" ["post_title"]=> string(66) "Introducing Lumina AI View: AI Visibility Built for PR & Comms" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(158) "Lumina AI View, the latest in Isentia's AI suite, is trained on PR & comms workflows to help you understand what AI knows about you — and how it learned it." ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(59) "introducing-lumina-ai-view-ai-visibility-built-for-pr-comms" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2026-07-15 03:12:57" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2026-07-15 03:12:57" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(32) "https://www.isentia.com/?p=47963" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" }
Blog
Introducing Lumina AI View: AI Visibility Built for PR & Comms

Lumina AI View, the latest in Isentia’s AI suite, is trained on PR & comms workflows to help you understand what AI knows about you — and how it learned it.

Ready to get started?

Get in touch or request a demo.