Sabrina Abdullah: “Understand Gaming, and You’ll Understand the Future of Advertising”

ER’s General Manager for South-East Asia, Sabrina Abdullah, has always been drawn to adventure. 

As a kid growing up in Malaysia, she’d make a beeline for the Enid Blyton section at her local bookstore. Then - as a teenager and later as an adult - she turned that fictional wanderlust into reality as she lived and worked in the UK and the Philippines as well as Malaysia. 

Today, it’s what fuels a sense of curiosity which is equal parts unique and also reflected in so many of the Extreme Reach regional leaders we’ve spoken to as part of this series. Perhaps, for a career in the world of advertising and communications, a curious mind is something of a prerequisite. 

“I’d say that’s the case, yes,” says Abdullah. “It’s an environment where you never know what the next day is going to bring - even the next hour in some cases. I think that’s one of the things which really pulled me back in after some time away from that world.”

People talk a lot about ‘the new normal’ - but there’s no normal in this industry.

Having graduated with a major in Economics, Abdullah’s career began with a number of successful roles across marketing, PR, and sales. Following the birth of her first child, however, she took a step back - albeit one which proved to be temporary. 

“I was really hoping to have a 9-5 job so that I had more time to spend with my kid - this is before working from home became so popular!”, she recalls. “So I became a PA to a CEO. That was a great experience in and of itself, but it also opened the door to what was coming next”.

It wasn’t long before Abdullah was picked to join Adstream’s leadership team and take on the role of General Manager for the South East Asia region. Looking back, it’s easy for Abdullah to connect the dots.

“Being honest, whenever the opportunity for me to get back into marketing was available, I was always going to take it,” she says. “People talk a lot about ‘the new normal’ - but there’s no normal in this industry and that’s what I love about it. It’s the hustle and bustle and the creative push that energises me, and you have that in spades when you work in an advertising job. What’s great about working with Extreme Reach now is that I get to combine that with the satisfaction of solving problems for clients. What’s not to love?!” 

From the position she’s in now, Abdullah enjoys a great vantage point from which to chart the trends shaping our industry in South East Asia and beyond. 

And today, there’s one which she identifies very clearly: The rise and influence of gaming across the marketing and communications sectors. 

Playing On

As the digital realm becomes ever more ingrained in our lives, previously niche corners of culture have become breeding grounds for trends which go on to shape the foundations of our industry. That’s true wherever you are in the world but, according to Abdullah, it’s especially so in South East Asia. 

“I think something we’ve seen over the past few years has been this huge increase in personalisation - both as a consumer demand, and a capability from advertisers,” she says. “But along with that we’ve also seen a rise in interactivity. The explosive popularity of e-commerce is built on engaging consumers. In that respect, there’s a lot to be learned from gaming.”

It’s clear that e-commerce has grown alongside the mainstream popularity of gaming. In some respects, the two are entwined.

Gaming’s immense popularity in South East Asia means that both gaming culture and gaming platforms are worth understanding for marketers. “We’re seeing a lot of interest in platforms such as Twitch, which provide access to the enormous eSports market that is only set to continue growing,” says Abdullah. “It’s clear that e-commerce has grown alongside the mainstream popularity of gaming. In some respects, the two are entwined.”

The sheer diversity of South East Asia as a region means that picking out uniform trends is a tricky business - which makes gaming’s ubiquity all the more notable. “Across all the countries we work with - Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam - gaming is a significant trend,” says Abdullah. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that, if you can understand gaming, you’ll understand the future of advertising.” 

Yet whilst Abdullah maintains a considerable amount of interest in the future, there’s plenty about the present which is proving exciting. 

A New Era Begins

Following the acquisition of Adstream by Extreme Reach, Abdullah and her team have entered uncharted territory in terms of the solutions they can offer clients.

“It’s been such a positive experience thanks to the people and culture internally,” notes Abdullah. “But from an external perspective it’s so exciting. We’re now able to do more, and at a greater scale, than we’ve ever done before. It’s great timing because many of the problems clients face are bigger than ever - and now our solutions have scaled up to match them. Solving problems is why we’re in this business, after all”.

Solving problems is why we’re in this business.

And yet, it’s clear from speaking to Abdullah that problem-solving is not the only reason why she finds such enjoyment in what she does. Reflecting on her own favourite ad from the past few years, she highlights the power of creativity to bring people together.