Special report
Influencer Marketing in Asia: the connective tissue of social commerce
Asia leads a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour, with social commerce now a core pathway to purchase — and influencers are the connective tissue that binds the system together. Most Asian markets have already embraced social commerce, though enthusiasm varies: China leads, followed by India, Indonesia and the Philippines, while Japan sits at the low end.
For brands, influencers act as 'silver bullets' — combining, in a single resource, an existing audience, the ability to shift consideration, content creation and a route to sale.
- $6.50
- influencer ROI per $1 spent (beats search's $4–5)
- $39.3B
- global influencer marketing spend (2025)
- 86%
- of Asian consumers have watched a brand/influencer livestream
- +35.6%
- growth in influencer spend, 2024 → 2025
Key findings
What the data shows
01 The ROI case is strong
Influencer marketing returns around $6.50 per $1 spent, outpacing search ads ($4–5) and social ads. Global spend reached $39.3 billion in 2025 and is growing 35.6% year on year.
02 A huge headroom in Asia
Influencer spend is just 0.75% of Asia's roughly $800B social-commerce GMV, versus 6.8% in the US. Reaching the US share would imply about $54 billion of Asian influencer spend.
03 Influencers move the flywheel
Influencers are the 'grease' that keeps the social-commerce flywheel spinning — and the 'spark' that reignites momentum — across discovery, consideration, conversion and community.
04 Livestream is mainstream
86% of Asian consumers have watched a brand or influencer livestream, and 46% of Asia's Gen Z have bought from a livestream sale.
05 Enthusiasm varies by market
TikTok is a major driver: where it is fully functional (with shops), enthusiasm is high; where it is limited (Japan, South Korea) or banned (India), social and influencer activity is lower.
06 Where brand budgets are heading
80% of surveyed brands plan to increase marketplace (ecommerce platform) ad spend; influencers rank second, with 74% planning increases.
FAQ
Common questions
- What is the ROI of influencer marketing?
- Around $6.50 per $1 spent — outpacing search ads (about $4–5 per $1) and social ads.
- How big is livestream shopping in Asia?
- 86% of Asian consumers have watched a brand or influencer livestream, and 46% of Asia's Gen Z have bought from one.
- How much room is there for influencer spend to grow in Asia?
- A lot — it is only 0.75% of Asia's roughly $800B social-commerce GMV, versus 6.8% in the US, implying around $54 billion of headroom.
- Which Asian markets lead on influencer and social commerce?
- China leads, followed by India, Indonesia and the Philippines; Japan and South Korea are the least enthusiastic.
- Who was surveyed for the report?
- 3,813 consumers across seven Asian markets (China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, India) and 54 senior brand-side marketers, in July 2025.
Get the full report
This is a summary of the headline findings. The full report includes the complete Top 100 ranking, regional breakdowns, category data and the marketers' playbook.
The Combinant surveyed 3,813 consumers across seven Asian markets (China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, India) and 54 senior brand-side marketers in July 2025 (consumer fieldwork with Rakuten Insight Global).