“How Influencers Are Reshaping Brand Building Across Asia”
Session Overview
Asia is redefining how brands grow. As marketing shifts from search and traditional e-commerce toward social commerce, influencers are no longer just a media channel — they are the link between culture, community, and conversation.
Drawing on Totem’s latest research with 3,813 consumers across seven Asian markets, this session explores how China’s playbook is shaping the region, the rising role of livestreaming, and why influencer investment still sits below its long-term potential — creating a window of opportunity for brands to build equity and drive sales in a single, integrated system.
Speaker
Chris Baker
Founder
Totem Media
As the founder of Totem Media, Chris is focused on what the future of marketing looks like. He writes, speaks, and works with clients
to unlock growth opportunities across new markets, channels, and technologies. Totem reports and white papers on topics such as
China, DTC marketing, AI, and social commerce have been downloaded 2.0M+ times.
With 20 years’ experience as a marketer and strategic planner, Chris has worked at the intersection of global, China, and APAC ecosystems, helping some of the world’s top brands achieve meaningful breakthroughs — including Apple, Volkswagen, Starbucks, Nike/Converse, Virgin, Omega/Swatch Group, Tencent, New Balance, and Disney, among others.
Chris is also a RETHINK Retail “Top Retail Expert” for 2026.
With 20 years’ experience as a marketer and strategic planner, Chris has worked at the intersection of global, China, and APAC ecosystems, helping some of the world’s top brands achieve meaningful breakthroughs — including Apple, Volkswagen, Starbucks, Nike/Converse, Virgin, Omega/Swatch Group, Tencent, New Balance, and Disney, among others.
Chris is also a RETHINK Retail “Top Retail Expert” for 2026.