Meltwater’s early 11.11 data shows conversations across Southeast Asia accelerating ahead of Singles Day, led by Shopee in reach and TikTok Shop in engagement.

Marketers are tapping into creator-led and AI-assisted content to capture attention earlier in the shopping cycle, turning Singles Day into a discovery-first moment, not just a discount event.

Drawing from Meltwater’s Digital 2026 Global Report, we find shoppers across the region are becoming more discerning and digitally fluent. Over 90% trust AI to recommend relevant products, while eight in ten are willing to pay more for personalised experiences, indicating the rise of LLMs as the next discovery engine for brands and consumers alike.

For more insights, we sought out Mimrah Mahmood, APAC Vice President, Meltwater:

Why do you think shoppers in Southeast Asia trust AI to recommend relevant products?

Mimrah: Southeast Asia’s high trust in AI reflects both habit and experience. With increased exposure and engagement to AI-powered eCommerce and social platforms, consumers have come to associate algorithmic recommendations with convenience, relevance and control.

Meltwater’s recent Digital 2026 Report found that more than 90% of shoppers in the region trust AI to suggest products aligned with their preferences, while eight in ten are willing to pay more for personalised experiences.

Recent studies across Southeast Asia further reinforce this behaviour, with more than nine in ten online shoppers expressing confidence that AI can identify products most relevant to them, and the majority using features such as chatbots, visual search, and personalised recommendations weekly.

For these consumers, AI has become a trusted shopping companion that simplifies discovery, saves time, and improves decision-making.

How are generative AI and agentic AI redefining product discovery for Singles Day?

Mimrah: Generative and agentic AI are ushering in a new era of product discovery where shopping is no longer triggered by search but by conversation and context.

In Southeast Asia, we’re witnessing a fundamental shift from transactional browsing to intelligent exploration. Consumers aren’t just searching for what they want, but are instead engaging with systems that understand intent, anticipate needs, and personalise experiences in real time.

Our data from pre-Singles Day clearly shows this change. The event has evolved from a one-day discount race to a discovery-first season, powered by creator-led content, AI assisted curation, and conversational interfaces that blur the lines between marketing and experience.

Generative AI is driving that transformation by turning everyday interactions like social posts, reviews, and even chat prompts, into shoppable touch points. Agentic AI builds on that momentum by acting autonomously on behalf of users, comparing products, balancing price with values, and distilling complexity into confidence.

For brands, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Discovery is no longer a funnel to optimise, but an ecosystem to participate in.

The winners in this new landscape will be those who design data, content, and narratives that AI can interpret, recommend and trust, because increasingly, these systems are becoming the gatekeepers of consumer choice.

Do the same trends apply for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and year-end festive shopping?

Mimrah: Yes, although the motivations vary, the behavioural patterns are very similar. Across Southeast Asia, shoppers no longer view events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday as standalone sales periods but as part of an ongoing discovery cycle shaped by AI.

Consumers have been conditioned by search engine recommendations to expect relevance well before the first promotion begins. They are not simply waiting for discounts but exploring, comparing and curating through AI-assisted experiences that feel personal and effortless.

At Meltwater, we observed that conversations around these global shopping events begin weeks in advance, often led by creators and generative content that present products within lifestyle narratives. This shift indicates that attention is moving earlier in the cycle, from purchase to prediction. AI is guiding consumers toward what feels more suitable for them, not just what is cheapest or most visible.

The future of marketing will not be decided by the sophistication of the algorithm alone, but by how well humans and machines work together to keep authenticity at the core of digital experiences.