David Ogilvy, in a famous speech to an industry forum, said that nobody should be allowed to create advertising without spending time in direct response. He believed strongly that the work we do must add real business impact and build brand power. David believed that direct response was the part of the agency driving conversions for clients’ businesses. It was the tip of the spear.

Today the tip of the spear is commerce.

In this era of digital explosion, brand building needs to remain the cornerstone of commerce marketing. Whether a brand is exploring marketplaces, live shopping or D2C commerce,
it must use insights, creativity, data, technology, and automation to ensure that a distinctive brand identity is being built, one rooted in emotional connection and with a differentiated positioning.

In their latest piece, “Adding Heart to the Cart: How Continuous Commerce That Builds Brands Can Bring Sustained Commercial Growth”, Ajay Tawde, Head of Ogilvy Experience in Indonesia, and Tim Till, VP of Commerce at Ogilvy Asia, offer an in-depth introduction to Continuous Commerce: an approach powered by ‘brand’ at the heart, focused on driving impactful relationships.

Continuous Commerce can help brands unlock unseen commerce opportunities. It encourages marketers to recognize moments that matter in the lives of consumers. These moments must be always-on and shoppable across their purchase journey, creating impact and lifetime connection. Wrapped in transformational experiences and modern loyalty, as commerce advances, the stages of discovery, desire and transaction will merge. Brand growth will be redefined with AI-fuelled and data-driven personalized recommendations. Continuous Commerce that builds brand will unify art and science.

Learn more and see real-life case studies of Continuous Commerce below.