Month: July 2025

While Australian consumers are used to juggling a handful of apps – LinkedIn for networking, Uber for rides and banking apps – Asian communities are embracing a different model: the super app.

A super app is an all-in-one mobile platform that combines multiple services – including messaging, payments, e-commerce, banking, food delivery and even insurance.

Think of them as digital Swiss Army knives, blending the functionality of WhatsApp, Uber, PayPal and banks within a single, integrated interface. This model helps build customer loyalty and creates data loops that fuel personalisation and product development.

For Australian financial services firms looking to expand in Asia, understanding the super app landscape is important.

Grab: Once known primarily as a ride-hailing service, Singapore’s Grab is now a full-spectrum super app, offering everything from food delivery to digital payments and financial services. In Q1 2025, its financial services arm, including GrabFin and digital banks, posted a 36% revenue surge to SGD $75 million, driven by a 30% jump in total loans disbursed (SGD $630 million) and a 56% increase in its total loan portfolio (SGD $566 million).

GXS, Grab’s digital bank venture with Singtel, has also seen rapid growth, accumulating SGD $1.4 billion in customer deposits. This financial expansion is underpinned by Grab’s vast user data, enabling it to offer more personalised financial products and challenge traditional banking models in Southeast Asia.

AlipayHK: In Hong Kong, mobile wallets are transforming payments. AlipayHK is the city’s most popular wallet, used by 42% of residents. It Octopus card, originally used primarily for transportation, has expanded its services and boasts 98% penetration. This underlines that seamless payments are not just a convenience, but also a competitive advantage.

WeChat: China essentially wrote the playbook for super apps, with WeChat and Alipay defining the model. WeChat’s 1.2 billion users can do everything from sending money to buying groceries within the same app. Both platforms now allow foreign visitors to link Visa and Mastercard, signalling a broader push into global finance.

KakaoTalk: South Korea’s KakaoTalk started as a chat app but has grown into a full financial ecosystem. KakaoBank now lets users apply for loans and invest without leaving the app, while KakaoPay has moved into insurance, selling more than 1.5 million travel policies in its first year. It’s a good example of how to build trust and engagement within a single platform.

LINE: Japan’s super app scene is less consolidated, but LINE is a standout, used by 70% of the population.

PayPay, a QR payments giant, recently partnered with Alipay+ to let Chinese tourists pay seamlessly across 3 million stores. It’s a step towards more integrated financial services, though the market remains more fragmented than its neighbours.

Takeaways for Australian financial services firms

•  Super apps are no longer a distant trend – they’re reshaping consumer expectations across the region. Australian firms must be alert to the competitive threat and, more importantly, the opportunity to evolve.
• Think ecosystems, not apps: Build connected experiences that offer value across the entire customer journey – not just siloed features.
• Follow the data: Super apps win by using real-time data to personalise and anticipate customer needs. Local players should do the same.
• Integrate more deeply: Move beyond payments. Offering lending, insurance, and investing in one place can boost engagement and reduce churn.
• Design mobile-first: The smartphone is the new front door for financial services – build with that in mind.

The broader lesson? Harness the best ideas from around the world to fuel innovation at home. Put yourself in your client’s shoes – before your competitor shows up wearing a flashier pair.

 

As a journalist, I never went out of my way to trick the people I interviewed. But there were times when the story an interviewee thought they were telling was not the story I wrote.

I once produced an article about a company with a new internship program. It should have been a positive story for the business.

But when I asked about the motivation for starting the program, the spokesperson started talking about management’s frustration at being unable to find experienced staff. He went on to say they’d tried hiring from other firms but had lost staff to competitors as well.

So, the story I wrote was about that business struggling to attract and retain staff – and, worse still, having to hire inexperienced candidates to fill the gap. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the headline they wanted.

Another time, I interviewed a person from a wealth management business about what investors should do with their money. After an interview was over, I’d always ask: “By the way, how’s your business going? What’s keeping you busy?”

And this person told me they were flat out, changing processes because they were moving to a different financial services license.

Of course, I asked more questions and ended up writing an article about how the business was leaving its financial advice group to join another. It turned out the split wasn’t amicable – and that person wasn’t authorised to talk about it. I expect there were a few internal discussions after the article came out.

Getting it right

To me, it all shows the importance of knowing what you can and can’t talk about in an interview — and understanding anything you say to a journalist can be reported. You don’t have the right to ask journalists to leave something out.

It’s not that I was trying to catch people out. As a journalist, I was just always thinking: what’s the most interesting story here? What’s the headline going to be? How can I quote this person?

Now that I work in public relations, I often think that if only those people had media training (or remembered their media training!), the stories from their interviews might have been better for their business.

Media training ensures people know how to get their message across properly and avoid tricky questions that might alter the outcome of an interview. Honner offers customised media training sessions designed by our team of former journalists, including both theory and practical training based on scenarios that our clients are mostly likely to encounter. We also reinforce that messaging in briefing materials prior to interviews – ensuring clients are prepped and prepared to confidently deliver the best media outcomes.

For more information about our custom media training programs contact Zoe Paterson – zoe@honner.com.au

LinkedIn is more than just a digital business card – it’s a platform for building relationships, sharing insights and shaping your industry’s narrative.

At Honner, we’ve helped financial services executives transform their LinkedIn presence into a key component of a leadership strategy.

Below are some practical steps to elevate your impact.

While corporate pages are useful for sharing company news, they lack the personal touch that makes LinkedIn work best. A personal profile allows you to share your own voice, connect on a more meaningful level and build relationships that drive real business outcomes. The keys to engagement include:

• Trust and authenticity: People connect with people, not logos. Personal profiles build credibility through real stories and insights, making your messages more engaging.
• Broader reach: LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritises content from personal profiles, meaning your posts are more likely to be seen by the right audience.
• Thought leadership: Your profile is a platform for sharing lessons learned, industry insights and strategic perspectives that can position you as a leader in your field.

People are often more interested in the journey than the destination. Sharing your leadership lessons – the highs, the lows, and the hard-won insights – can resonate with your network. This kind of content can position you as a mentor and industry leader, while also humanising your personal brand.

People want to understand the “why” behind a business – the values, the people, and the culture that drive it. Use LinkedIn to share stories from the frontlines, highlight team achievements, or give a behind-the-scenes look at your work. This type of content not only builds internal morale but attracts like-minded talent and partners.

Quality photos or videos make a huge difference. Experience shows that posts with great images get the most engagement. And don’t forget, in a pinch, a well-framed selfie can work wonders for humanising your profile.

Be part of the conversation, not just a broadcaster

If you want people to read your posts, you need to engage with the broader issues shaping your industry. Don’t just push out company news. Think about the next big issue in your industry, and whether you can add a unique perspective.

For more direct engagement, consider using LinkedIn Live for real-time Q&As, sharing immediate reactions to industry news, or hosting discussions on critical topics. This approach amplifies your reach, humanises your leadership, and allows you to connect with your audience in a more authentic way.

To make the most of your network, consider creating lists of key influencers, industry peers and potential partners. Engage with their content regularly, add meaningful comments and share their posts when relevant. This not only strengthens your connections but also signals that you’re invested in the broader conversation.

Honner can help you make the most of LinkedIn, integrating it into your broader communication plan so your personal brand aligns with your business goals – reach out to Craig Morris craig@honner.com.au

Ambika Gogna recently joined us from New York where she worked at Prosek Partners – one of the world’s leading financial PR firms and a long-time Honner global agency partner.

We caught up with her to discuss the latest PR trends in the US and how they translate to Honner clients.

What brings you to Australia – and what’s your professional background in the US?

After spending the past decade in the US, I came to Australia to be closer to home (Singapore), and to experience a different place and culture. I’ve grown up living in a few different countries, so when an opportunity arose for me to immerse myself in another part of the world, I jumped on it.

I began my career in New York at Hudson Cutler, a consumer-focused agency, before joining financial specialist Prosek Partners. At Prosek I built my expertise and skills in financial PR, working with high-profile clients across insurance, banking, consulting, and fintech – including large institutions like EY, J.P. Morgan, Corebridge Financial, Broadridge, TD Bank and more. I’m excited to bring this experience to Honner, where I can continue supporting leading financial brands while learning the nuances of a new market and contributing a global perspective to our clients.

What are the latest PR trends in the US that might help Honner clients?

US politics has been dominating the world stage and has created ripples globally. With media increasingly prioritising stories tied to American politics and policy effects, PR professionals are adapting quickly and finding ways to anchor client news and insights to these macroeconomic conversations. For Honner, this means identifying opportunities where clients can offer their expertise on issues like inflation, interest rates, or global dynamics particularly in relation to their investment strategies, economic outlook or risk management frameworks.

Additionally, the same way AI has been a huge disruptive force across industries, it’s also beginning to change the way PR professionals work. AI-powered tools are being used for things like media monitoring, sentiment analysis to personalised journalist targeting. Honner is already embracing the shift, and it will only help us increase our productivity and impact for our clients. On the flip side, AI-generated content is also on the rise, making authenticity and originality more important than ever. This means doubling down on meaningful thought leadership and helping our clients develop lived, distinctive perspectives that reflect their expertise.

Lastly, with the growing emphasis on authenticity and transparency, there’s also a shift toward multimedia formats, including video, LinkedIn posts and podcasts that not only complement traditional earned media, but also allow for a more personal, direct connection with stakeholders.

What’s the best thing about your job at Honner so far?

The best thing so far has been the opportunity to deepen my expertise in financial PR while contributing to a highly collaborative and supportive team environment. Coming from a large agency in New York, it’s been refreshing to work in a more close-knit setting. Learning about Australia’s financial and media landscape – from its superannuation led financial growth, to the state of private credit and digital assets in Australia – has been very stimulating! There is a strong team mentality and culture at Honner, and I’ve felt incredibly supported and encouraged to contribute my perspective and ideas.

In today’s fast-paced news cycle, industries can quickly fall under the media spotlight. Private credit is one sector that has faced such scrutiny over the past year, as have other parts of the financial services industry over time.

While sustained press coverage can be intense, businesses that plan ahead are far better positioned to respond with confidence, clarity and control.

There are key lessons to be learned from companies that have navigated media scrutiny, especially when it comes to proactive planning and crisis management.

One of the most effective ways to mitigate reputational risk is to identify potential vulnerabilities before they become headlines. In financial services, market fluctuations or shifts in regulation can quickly spark external attention. Firms that proactively prepare messaging, internal alignment and external responses in advance can remain measured and consistent when pressure mounts.

Own your market narrative

Transparent, ongoing communication with key stakeholders – investors, clients, regulators – is critical in building resilience. The firms that fare best during challenging news cycles are often those that have already established credibility and trust through regular updates and an open line of communication. In crisis scenarios, these relationships become a strategic asset.

Knowing your position in the market – and being able to articulate it clearly – helps anchor your messaging during uncertain times. A well-defined value proposition, competitive differentiation, and long-term strategy give you the tools to respond decisively to media inquiries and ensure your voice cuts through the noise.

Companies that invest in strategic communications planning – well before a crisis hits – can move from reactive to resilient. With a disciplined approach to issues management, stakeholder engagement and brand positioning, companies can navigate external attention not just with confidence, but on their own terms.

To find out more about how Honner can help with strategic communication planning and crisis management contact Sam Rockliff sam@honner.com.au

In 2025 our federal politicians have renewed their focus on regulating cryptocurrency in Australia, following strong market gains that have heightened consumer interest in the asset class. With the federal election now behind us, the new government has stated it plans to introduce draft legislation into Parliament within months.

Having been inside Parliament House in Canberra with clients over recent months, I have observed a clear bipartisan recognition of the need to regulate the sector. Our politicians are wanting to harness innovations in the areas of tokenisation, stablecoins and improved payment systems.

For example, some of our politicians have expressed interest in the possibility of firms tokenising stocks. This would allow Australians to trade 24/7 by utilising blockchain technology. They could then sell their shares and use the funds, in the form of cryptocurrency, to purchase everyday goods and services.

When the Australian Securities and Investments Commission released Info Sheet 225 in November 2024, the government and opposition shared a mutual view it was too overreaching. It was acknowledged the strict licensing requirements would stifle potentially innovation, do little to protect consumers and make it less efficient for businesses.

There is a clear view amongst our clients that overregulation risks pushing firms offshore, deterring institutional investors and leaving financial advisers unable to engage with crypto. They believe this will ultimately hold Australia back from having crypto sit alongside traditional finance.

This led to the Federal Government releasing its framework for reform in March 2025, which removed the requirement for companies to hold a market operating licence. As it stands, only two companies in Australia have one and it took them around five years to establish.

Post election, the Prime Minister has also appointed a dedicated portfolio for the digital economy, led by Dr Andrew Charlton MP, an advocate for the sector with a background in the financial services industry. As Assistant Minister for the Digital Economy, we expect Charlton to take the lead on draft legislation, with the support of Treasurer Jim Chalmers MP and newly appointed Minister for Financial Services Daniel Mulino.

Almost one in three Australians owns cryptocurrency, so when it comes to regulation, our clients are looking to get the balance right between harnessing innovation and providing guardrails for market operators, while ultimately protecting consumers.

To find out more about how Honner can support your business in the digital assets sector, contact Jared Wright – Jared@honner.com.au

Press outlets are doubling down on wealth coverage after a decade or more in which it fell in line with advertising revenue. Reader analytics now showing that wealth stories generate not just clicks – but also subscriptions – mean major publications are hiring more reporters to cover the beat.

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) continues to expand its wealth team under section editor Joanna Mather and now boasts four full-time reporters – the most in the last 25 years or more.

At News Limited, The Australian has appointed Julie-anne Sprague as wealth editor to beef up its coverage alongside long-time columnist James Kirby. Sprague’s role is related to the development of a new “wealth vertical”, so watch out for more personal finance stories from the Murdoch press.

Bloomberg has also built out its wealth coverage globally via a dedicated section on its website to which local reporters can contribute.
All these reporters compete with others – from Nine’s Effie’s Zahos to Dominic Powell at The Age/SMH – for the angles most likely to grab readers’ attention.

But the information they want from financial services firms has changed from years gone by. Stories about the intricacies of a fund manager’s investment philosophy, for example, are less in demand and sometimes better placed with market reporters. Instead, wealth reporters are asking us for:

• Real life case studies: human stories always win over an audience and the ability to offer a case study (including a great photo) can be the difference that gets a story over the line for our clients.
• Less jargon, more practical info: the AFR’s wealth team aims to offer subscribers “news you can use”. In other words, practical information that people can readily apply to their daily lives or investment decisions.
• Data-driven analysis: data is the secret sauce behind the charts and graphics that media outlets increasingly use to tell stories. The ability to offer credible data in a digestible format can set firms up as trusted sources for journalists.
• Expert commentary: Subject matter experts who can answer questions about complex topics in clear, simple language will always be in demand.
• Regular contributors: Both The Age/SMH Money section and the AFR’s Smart Investor section rely heavily on external contributors to fill their pages. If you have an idea (not just a product-push) that will add value to readers, then Honner’s specialist writers can help you shape it into a final article and pitch it for publication.
• Client insights: Journalists will often ask: what questions are you getting from your clients? Insight into the thoughts of the investing public is valuable information that can help reporters shape their stories, presenting opportunities for private wealth firms and financial advisers.

As for the topics that most resonate with wealth editors, retirement now ranks alongside perennial favourites such as superannuation, investing and property. The swathes of baby boomers and Gen Xers quitting work has created voracious demand for information for anything from downsizing to retirement income, estate planning and simply how to live your best life in older age.

Honner has three former wealth journalists on staff who are experts in understanding what makes a good story in this space: Alison Kahler (former AFR personal finance editor), Darren Snyder (former Money magazine managing editor) and Zoe Paterson (former AFR Smart Investor deputy editor).

To find out more about how Honner can help tell your story in the wealth press contact Alison Kahler – alison@honner.com.au