Meta bets on Singapore as companies go global

It is focusing on video, AI, business messaging, and digital upskilling.

Meta Platforms, Inc. is working with Singapore-based companies to help them expand overseas, as the city-state consolidates its position as a regional center for digital advertising.

“Many Singapore-based businesses are looking to go global,” Managing Director Nicole Tan told Singapore Business Review.

Meta’s role is to give them the latest artificial intelligence (AI) tools, innovations, and methods to support that expansion, she added.

Eight in 10 Singapore companies plan to expand overseas within three years, according to UOB’s Business Outlook Study 2025.

That push is expected to fuel demand for digital ads, which Tokyo-based ad company Dentsu Group, Inc. expects to grow 6.3% this year.

In Singapore, Meta is focusing on video, AI, business messaging, and digital upskilling. Its short-form video format Reels is a key driver.

Grab used Reels to market its new family account feature, doubling ad traffic and lifting campaign performance by five points, Tan said. Globally, users share 4.5 billion Reels daily.

Video remains a bright spot in Singapore, with ad spending projected to rise 3.8% this year. Tan said Reels is also used in creator partnerships, a format popular with Gen Z consumers who are more inclined to buy through influencer links.

Meta’s strategy comes as rivals Alphabet, Inc.’s Google and ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok also expand their ad offerings in Singapore. Both are investing heavily in AI-driven targeting and video.

Meta’s Advantage+ AI suite is another area of traction. Furniture retailer Castlery Pte. used the tools to cut cost per sale by as much as 70% whilst lifting return on ad spending by 15%. Advantage+ automates placement, audience targeting, and budget allocation, giving smaller firms global-level efficiency.

Business messaging on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger is another priority, Tan said, with more than 600 million daily exchanges between people and businesses on Meta’s platforms.

To build adoption, Meta has launched training initiatives. Last year, it rolled out a masterclass series in Singapore to help companies integrate AI into campaigns.

The Llama Incubator Programme, also based in Singapore, offers six months of mentorship and resources for developing AI applications, with an emphasis on responsible practices.

Singapore’s rapid digital adoption has come with risks. Authorities recorded 19,665 scam cases in the first half, with losses reaching $465.4m. 

Tan said Meta is coordinating with regulators to address the issue through removal of harmful content, user reporting tools, and education campaigns.

“We are very clear on removing content that violates our policies, and we also run programmes to help people avoid clicking suspicious links or engaging with fraudulent content,” she said via Zoom. 

“On our platforms, users can immediately report anything they see, including ads they believe are suspicious.”