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Omnichat’s Commerce Leadership Forum 2025 revealed transformative AI and data-driven strategies redefining customer interactions, highlighted by Volvo Car Malaysia’s groundbreaking use of WhatsApp for automotive sales and engagement.
Omnichat, a prominent player in omnichannel AI customer experience platforms, recently convened its Commerce Leadership Forum 2025 Series at Meta’s offices in Singapore and Malaysia, spotlighting the evolving landscape of customer engagement driven by AI, data insights, and the WhatsApp Business Platform. This event brought together industry leaders from Meta, Volvo Car Malaysia, and education provider Writers At Work to discuss transformative shifts in how businesses connect with customers.
The trend of messaging businesses worldwide is surging, with Meta reporting that over one billion people interact with business accounts weekly across its messaging services. Vicky Yiu, APAC strategic partnership manager at Meta, highlighted findings from Kantar’s 2024 Business Messaging Usage Research, which shows 79% of global online adults engage in business messaging weekly. The WhatsApp Business Platform, enhanced by features like ‘WhatsApp Flows’, enables interactive in-chat experiences facilitating efficient activities such as data collection and appointment scheduling. Albert Tiong, Meta’s regional program manager, emphasized how Meta Business Messaging outperforms traditional channels across the customer lifecycle—from brand discovery to purchase and re-engagement—boosting marketing, sales, and support outcomes. His data also indicates a doubling in businesses employing paid messaging products year-on-year.
Volvo Car Malaysia exemplifies how an established brand in the automotive sector can successfully embrace conversational commerce through a unified WhatsApp strategy. Patricia Yaw, Volvo Car Malaysia’s director of marketing operations and PR, reported that their shift to centralised communication via WhatsApp during the launch of their EX30 model led to record-breaking outcomes: the highest-ever volume of test drive bookings, substantial media impressions, and dominant PR share of voice. The channel demonstrated exceptional engagement metrics, including a 93% message read rate and a click-through rate seven times higher than email. Furthermore, Volvo’s chatbot effectively handles 25% of discovery queries, showcasing its efficiency in managing customer interactions. The ‘Choose your 90’ launch event achieved a 90% attendance rate alongside the highest lead-to-opportunity conversion rate, proving the strategic value of this approach.
Supplementing these insights, data from Omnichat underlines Volvo’s success in using the platform to centralise customer engagement and automate 20% of inquiries with chatbots. Personalised broadcast campaigns contributed to a 76% read rate, a 10% click-through rate, and a 90% event turnout, delivering a seamless, data-driven experience that strengthened customer loyalty and boosted conversions.
Alan Chan, founder and CEO of Omnichat, outlined how AI-powered conversational agents are revolutionising business-to-customer interactions. He explained that Omni AI allows businesses to develop bespoke AI agents trained with specific documents and resources to provide rapid, accurate responses. This technological advancement supports 24/7 instant customer service and enables hyper-personalised recommendations, enhancing engagement across all touchpoints.
The educational sector is also experiencing transformation through WhatsApp’s capabilities. Ang Kai Ning, HR and finance director of Writers At Work, shared how their centre utilises the WhatsApp Business Platform, facilitated by Omnichat, to manage promotional activities, announcement scheduling, and customer service. Their efforts achieved a 77.71% read rate and an 11.85% click-through rate on webinar promotions, resulting in a strong 90% attendance. Automation handled 75,000 customer messages—with 99% on WhatsApp—demonstrating the platform’s significant role in streamlining communication and driving engagement.
The Commerce Leadership Forum 2025 Series not only highlighted success stories but also underscored the broader shift towards conversational commerce supported by AI and data-driven strategies. The gathering of thought leaders and industry experts showcased the potential for technology to reshape customer engagement, making it more efficient, personalised, and impactful in today’s digital landscape.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
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