Shopee unveils new platform capabilities to support brand growth at Brands Summit 2026

Editor’s note: This press release is sponsored by Shopee and was handled by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the publishing of this piece.

Shopee, a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Brazil, recently hosted the Shopee Brands Summit 2026, bringing together brands, partners, and industry leaders to discuss how brand growth is changing in an increasingly competitive digital commerce landscape.

As discovery becomes more fragmented and shoppers are exposed to more choices than ever, brands are rethinking how they reach the right audiences and measure what truly drives growth. Centered on the theme “Fueling Brand Success with AI,” the summit showcased how Shopee is building tools that help brands strengthen visibility, reach more relevant audiences, and better understand performance across the shopper journey. 

During the summit, Jack Ng, head of commercial, Shopee Philippines, shared how Shopee Mall continued its growth momentum in 2025 and introduced upcoming platform initiatives designed to support brands at different stages of growth. The event brought together over 200 brand partners, representing a mix of global brands and local MSMEs, including businesses that have grown with Shopee since its early years in 2015, reflecting long-term brand partnerships on the platform.
“We are investing in AI-enabled tools that help brands grow with more clarity and control,” shared Ng. “For sellers, this means making it easier to present products well and reach the right audiences. For shoppers, it translates into more accurate search results and relevant recommendations, so they can find the products they want faster. As brands navigate increasing noise and choice, these tools help bring focus to what drives meaningful growth.”

Across the platform, AI-enabled solutions are being applied throughout discovery, conversion, and measurement. Together, these tools are designed to help brands run campaigns more efficiently, while providing clearer visibility into who they are reaching and how performance evolves over time.

Strengthening visibility and audience insights with Brand Max

As brand growth becomes more competitive, visibility alone is no longer enough. Brands need to know who is seeing their products, who is actually interested, and what drives action. Brand Max was built to address this gap.

Replacing Display Ads, Brand Max gives brands broader placements and smarter audience targeting within a single campaign. Brands can reach high-potential, new-to-brand shoppers across multiple touchpoints and launch campaigns faster using AI-generated assets.

Powered by Shopee’s O-4A Audience Model, Brand Max helps brands understand how shoppers move from discovery to purchase. For shoppers, this means more relevant products, timely promotions, and a smoother shopping experience.

Strengthening the affiliate ecosystem through creator partnerships

Creator marketing often involves heavy testing, with limited clarity on which partnerships actually drive growth. This trial-and-error takes time and makes it difficult for brands to scale with confidence.

KOLLAB was built to reduce this friction. Shopee’s brand–creator matchmaking program connects brands with creators who are proven to drive engagement and sales across Shopee Live and Shopee Video, helping brands shorten testing cycles and focus on what works.

In 2026, Shopee is expanding access to more creators, content formats, and online-to-offline experiences, supported by performance insights and AI-powered enhancements that make it easier to scale successful campaigns.

Supporting product debuts with Shopee First-to-Launch

Launching across multiple formats at once can dilute attention and slow momentum. Shopee First-to-Launch gives brands a focused launch environment where discovery is intentional and impact is concentrated.

By launching on Shopee first, brands are able to meet shoppers at scale in a single moment — reaching large, high-intent audiences as they browse, search, and shop across the platform. This focused approach is especially important in 2026, helping direct shopper attention during launch periods and reinforcing Shopee as a place where people look out for new products. Shopee First-to-Launch also allows brands to amplify launches through integrated online and offline campaigns, helping turn new releases into moments that are both engaging and memorable.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate how Shopee supports brands at different stages of growth, bringing together reach, AI-enabled tools, and an integrated commerce ecosystem. Through this approach, Shopee aims to help brands connect more meaningfully with shoppers and grow with confidence in today’s digital commerce environment. — Rappler.com